Morose shot up. His head ached even more from the exertion. “Yes, me love. Be there shortly.”
He stood from his bed and sighed heavily. He glanced at himself in a mirror on the wall and then took a second look. He hadn’t seen that face for so long. It had a glow; it looked youthful and healthy. No wonder Lavender loves me now. I be a perfect specimen. Perhaps more handsome than Prince John, he thought. He stood up straight and tall and left his quarters.
“I’m very excited,” Lavender said as soon as Morose came out his door.
“Aye, me love.” Morose grunted. “It be very simple. We take a single dinghy to land, we follow Lady Coberg and watch for her to be vulnerable, then we take her. Just don’t get caught before, or else we likely to be in a firefight and yer die.”
“I’m ready to die like a pirate!”
“No, yer not going to die ’cause aren’t no one going to get caught.”
Lavender, Morose, Bordeaux, and a very short pirate that looked like a boy boarded the dinghy.
The men rowed it swiftly to shore as Lavender hummed to herself. Morose recognized the song she hummed—a whimsical melody that could be heard over the wind and waves.
“Shh, me love, we be approaching land now.” Morose looked at Lavender carefully. She looked wide-eyed and unsettled. “Now look at me,” he said as he put his hands on her face. “All that matters to me is yer. Do nothing that would put yer in danger. Nothing.”
Lavender closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Upon opening her eyes again, she whispered, “I love you and I will do anything you say.” Her eyes narrowed back to normal, and she looked more serene than before.
“Good. Now stay here with the dinghy and don’t let it go anywhere.”
Lavender nodded vigorously in agreement. Morose and his men pulled the boat behind some tall craggy rocks, and Lavender sat in the boat and waited.
At first it was easy to wait. She kept telling herself that this was what Morose wanted, but as time passed, Lavender started to wonder why she was there at all. Oh no. John. What a horrible thing I have done to John, she thought as she became more and more restless. I had a prince and I gave him up to be a pirate wench. How could I have left everything behind that I love? I have to get out of here. How will I get away? Morose says he loves me. Perhaps he will just take me home if I ask. Why have I been acting so strangely? Why have I— Her thought suddenly stupored, and soon she heard Morose and Bordeaux shouting from a long way off.
“My love!” She jumped up and crawled to the top of a rock and looked over it. The island was small but long, and it appeared that they had to go all the way to the other side to get Lady Coberg. Morose came out from a grove of trees with his men right behind him. He had Lady Coberg, gagged and hands tied, in his arms like a damsel in distress. Lavender suddenly felt furious and jealous. How could he hold another woman so? She took a deep breath and remembered that all Morose asked of her was to stay safe, so she got back down into the dinghy and prepared it for their departure.
Lady Coberg cried and wailed. Her usual pale white face was crimson, and her blue veins on her head bulged each time she shrieked. She was a young woman of seventeen. They had stashed her below deck in a cold and dark hold, barely fit to store fish, let alone to hold a lady.
Peegee could take the poor creature’s wailing no more and went to her, hoping to calm her. He had a daughter near her age, and his heart ached for her.
“Hey, hey, missy,” he cooed as he lay on the deck and spoke to her from the grate above. “You’ll be okay. You ain’t got nothing to worry about. Captain Morose is not very fierce, and ol’ Peegee will take care of you.”
“Take care of me? You filthy, stinking pirate! Get away from me! My husband is going to find you and execute all of you!” she wailed.
Morose could take no more of the wailing either and was growing frightened of Lavender’s threats to kill Lady Coberg. He stomped down the stairs to the hold as Lavender followed him.
Morose said nothing for a long time. He simply scowled and stared at her. The scared girl began to control her wailing, expecting his silence to be the harbinger of torture or a beating.
“Please,” she gasped, “let me go!”
“If your family doesn’t pay, you will!” Lavender barked. Morose raised his hand calmly to silence her.
“Girl, I not be hurting you. Stop yer wailing. Me men don’t like it. Nor do I. They be like ravenous dogs. There only be so much I can do to keep ’em from devouring you. This is how it works. I take yer, I keep yer here, yer family pay for yer safe return. Then I let yer go, as yer wish.”
“Please don’t hurt me!” she cried.
“I’ll hurt you if you don’t be quiet!” Lavender barked. The young girl’s high-pitched screams were wearing on Lavender’s nerves. Morose raised his hand again to calm her. She immediately responded.
“Nobody be hurting yer—yet. Just keep yer mouth shut and she won’t hurt yer.” Morose pointed at Lavender, who glared evilly at the girl.
“Come,” Morose said to Lavender as he turned and went back up the stairs. As he came back up to the deck he saw Peegee lying on the floor, watching the girl through the grate. “Leave her be,” Morose barked at Peegee. Lavender smirked at Peegee, sending a shiver down his spine.
Peegee jumped up and saluted, then followed Morose and Lavender as they strode over to Bordeaux at the helm.
“Excellent job, Captain! Yer saved all our ears and minds. Such a terrible thing, the wailing of a child.” Bordeaux saw Peegee cowering behind Morose. “Ah, I see you’ve met Peegee. I’ve been meaning to talk to yer ’bout him, but yer been so busy with the lovely miss.” Peegee tipped his hat at Lavender. She rolled her eyes.
“I hope you mean me,” Lavender snapped.
“Of course!” Bordeaux took offense that he could mean another.
“What about Peegee? He seems like a fine fellow . . . for a pirate.” Morose laughed. Laughter echoed across the deck from the men.
“Yar quite fine, Captain . . . It just that he be a stowaway . . .”
Before any could bat an eye, Morose had a sword on Peegee’s throat. Lavender followed suit and placed her blade on his throat and pointed a pistol at his head for good measure.
“Me love, the pistol not be necessary. He be but an old man!” Morose sighed.
“Sorry, my love,” Lavender said as she placed her pistol back in its holster.
“Now, Mr. Peegee. I don’t take kindly to stowaways on me ship. Even fine fellows!”
Peegee talked very carefully as not to be nicked by a sharp blade against his throat. “I’m only here ’cause of Lavender.”
Morose narrowed his eyes. “He sent you, didn’t he?
“Who, sir?” Peegee whispered.
“Of course, he sent him!” Lavender bellowed. “Peegee? It’s Pauly Gallagher. He was like a father to me.”
Morose put his sword down and sighed wearily again, but Lavender did not drop hers. “Lavy, what yer be doing? This man be like a father to yer and yer holding a blade to his neck?”
“I don’t care who he was. He’s a stowaway and he’s here to take me back to John. I’m not going. I’ll throw you overboard first, you old goat, and then I’ll laugh as you drown.”
The crew began to holler and laugh maniacally. Morose held up his hand to silence them.
“Lavy, me love. What happened to yer?”
“What do you mean? Don’t you love me? I’m just trying to be a good pirate for you!”
“Even pirates have boundaries, me love!”
“Teach me what they are. I promise I’ll do better. I’ll throw him off the ship or I’ll call him Pa. Just tell me what will make you happy,” Lavender pleaded.
The crew applauded, and it made Lavender smile.
Morose knew he had to tread carefully. His future bride was out of control, but if
she really meant she would do as he said he knew it was up to him to restore her to herself.
“Be kind to Pauly. He be like family. Yer treat him with respect, me love.”
“Pauly!” Lavender cooed as she forced him into a hug. “I’m so glad you are here. Now you can get to know my true love, Morose.”
“Let me stay. Let me stay and look after ya,” Pauly pleaded with Lavender.
“Of course! You are like family.”
“Captain, I’m just here for her. Not for John. Only to make sure Lavender is good.”
Morose sighed. “Of course. Yer like family.” Morose turned to Lavender. “Perhaps Pauly can make yer feel more like yer old self again.”
“Good morning, Harriet!” Mary said in a singsong voice as she trotted over to Harriet’s desk at the Gazette. “I have a present for you.”
“Morning, Mary.” Harriet sighed. She looked a bit of a mess, with ink smeared on her face and her hair slightly disheveled.
“Whatever is the matter, Harriet? Are you all right?”
“Yes, it’s just work, you know? What do you have for me?”
Mary handed her Liz’s manuscript.
“It’s E-P-O-T-H.” Mary twitched her eyebrows up and down playfully.
“I don’t edit that. It goes straight to one of the Mr. Dixons.”
“I am aware . . . but I thought that perhaps you could take it to him and gain some favor.”
“I don’t think even that would gain me professional courtesy around here,” Harriet whispered.
Mary frowned. “Why don’t you take a break and we will take a walk or get some tea?”
Harriet looked at the clock on the wall. “All right.” She sighed. “I was due a break some time ago.”
Mary smiled and took in the wonder of the place. It was so modern. The Gazette always fascinated Mary. It smelled like ink, paper, and cigars, and it looked like her father’s study, except instead of books, rolls of papers and boxes were piled in every corner. A contraption on Harriet’s desk caught her eye. She pointed to it and gave Harriet a questioning face.
“It’s a typewriter. Have you never seen one?”
“No, but I know what it is. It is for writing quickly? Is it something that Liz could use?”
“Sure, you can use it for any writing, doesn’t matter what kind.”
“Of course, what I mean is, would she be capable?”
“Sure. I learned it, she could too. It just takes some practice.” Harriet shrugged as she pinned her hat on her head.
“Oh, Harriet. It is serendipitous that Liz was exhausted this morning and I had to bring her manuscript here today. I have a wonderful idea of how to help her. Come on.” Mary took Harriet by the arm and led her out to the street. As they began walking Mary continued, “Now, sister, do tell me what the matter with you is. This is your dream, is it not?”
“Well, it was . . . and then a harsh reality took me. You see, Mr. Dixon has made advances, and it’s just intolerable. Also, as a woman, I have no professional courtesy given me. Everyone treats me as if I am mentally incapable, as though I am a dunce. Even Mitzy assumes I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how much longer I can take it. I don’t want to make Liz look bad. After all, she got me this job, but it’s quite intolerable.”
“Firstly, Mr. Dixon is a married man. Him making advances is despicable!”
“Mary, no. Not the father, the son!”
“Oh, thank heavens. You mean Mortimer. He is also despicable. He is distasteful and crude and—”
“And my boss.”
“Oh dear. How much is this job worth to you?”
“Everything and nothing.”
“I don’t know what that means, but I think leaving may be your only option.”
“How unfair. I’ve done nothing wrong. Why should I have to leave? I am a model employee. I am the first female assistant editor in this entire county. I didn’t dream of being an assistant editor, but I do love it and it’s such an accomplishment for women. Even if my little sister handed me the job, it’s a big step for ladies everywhere.”
“Yes. I can see that. You could just turn him down until you are fired. Then that will take the burden of quitting off your mind.”
“I am so angry I could spit!”
As Harriet and Mary turned the corner, Harriet ran right into a man.
Flustered, Harriet muttered, “Forgive me.”
“Ma’am, if you would pay attention instead of ranting in the street you wouldn’t bump into strangers,” he said curtly.
Mary recognized the man immediately. “You are the man who is always slinking around with my husband! What is your name, sir?” she demanded.
“Your husband?” he asked innocently. This infuriated Mary. How could Michael not mention her when they were all in the bank together at the same time? She thought he would at least mention that she was his wife.
“Michael Black is my husband,” Mary said with more restraint, although she glared at the man.
“Oh, yes. You must be Mary. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. Good day!” the man said as he began to walk away.
“And your name, sir?” Mary inquired again.
He didn’t seem to hear, so Harriet took it upon herself to chase after him. “Sir—Michael’s friend!”
The man turned around and stopped as Harriet was able to grab his shoulder.
“Your name? Please.”
“Isaac, miss.” He sounded put out but nodded politely. “And you? What is your name?”
“I am Harriet Black. A sister of Michael’s.”
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said politely as he nodded again, prepared to leave.
Marry stopped him. “Isaac. What business do you have with my husband?”
“Business? I have no business with him. We are acquaintances.”
“You spend a lot of time acquainting yourself with him at the bar?” she said in an accusatory tone, her voice shaking.
“Mary!” Harriet gasped. “What a question.”
“I do not drink, Mrs. Black. So, no.”
“Then you couldn’t tell me where my husband is after work until late hours of the night?”
“No, I can’t, Mrs. Black. I would assume he is at work. Like a good husband. Good day!”
“Hmph,” Mary huffed as Isaac walked away.
“Mary, it appears you have something you may want to discuss as well.”
“It’s Peter also. Liz and I haven’t seen our husbands until late most nights, and we have no satisfactory explanation. That man is often seen with them, but they don’t seem to know each other well. I honestly have no idea if there is a problem or not. I just know that Peter and Michael are up to something, and Isaac has something to do with it.”
“You suspect they are drinking? This is very serious.”
“I know every man drinks a little, but I lost an uncle to drinking, you know. It is serious to me. He used to beat my aunt silly and then walked off a cliff one night while so drunk he couldn’t walk straight.”
“You have enlisted me. I will help you get to the bottom of this. Perhaps I will talk to Michael myself. As I am not a wife, or a younger sister, perhaps he will speak to me.”
“Thank you, Harriet! It is so wonderful that I gained three sisters in one day! My sister is quite mad, you know.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. I remember she was an adorable baby.”
“Hm, that is a matter of opinion, I suppose.”
“I really must get back to work soon. So, I will leave you and go visit my wayward brother at work.”
“Thank you, sister. Come see Liz and me at home this evening.”
“Should I bring dinner?”
Mary stopped. “Why? Is my cooking that horrible?”
“No, of course not! Mary,
I was just thinking Mother would have leftovers I could bring.”
Mary nodded. “Yes, of course. Bring dinner then.” Mary smiled—almost.
Harriet entered the boathouse door and followed the narrow staircase up to her brother and father’s office. It was dark inside the building, and the staircase creaked with each step.
“Pa!” she sang as she rose to the top of the stairs and saw her father standing outside his office door talking to Michael.
“Harriet, what brings you to this side of town?”
“Oh, Pa, you are so silly. I’m here to see Michael.”
“Me?” Michael asked in surprise.
“Yes, can you spare him?” Harriet asked her father.
“For a time, I suppose,” he said. He kissed her cheek and went into his office.
“Well, this is unusual,” Michael signed.
Harriet sighed. “I’m sorry, Michael. I’m still very bad at sign language.”
“What can I do for you, sis?” Michael said with no signs.
“I’ve been talking to my sisters.”
“Uh oh . . . ” Michael said, his eyes widening and his stance becoming more defensive as he folded his arms across his chest.
“Mary and Liz are just worried, that’s all.”
“Do you really think you should involve yourself in married couples’ problems?”
“They are also my sisters and you my brother. Also—they think you have a drinking problem.”
“Drinking!? I’ve never come home drunk, not once!”
“Well, Michael, you have not been coming home until late, you and Peter both. It seems as though you are up to no good.”
“Look, Harriet, I can’t speak for Peter, but I’ve been working late and that is the truth. You can ask Pa!”
“Okay, calm down. Maybe what Liz and Mary need is more attention. You should consider taking a little time off. The company isn’t in trouble, is it?” Harriet gasped. “Are Mother and Pa going to be okay?”
“No, Harriet, things are fine. I just need to work late to catch up around here. Please, go tell your masters that everything is fine!”
Unbroken Promises of the Heart: (Promises of the Heart Book 2) Page 6
