A Captive of Chance (14 page)

“Yes, but the men said…”

“We don’t have to go up on the deck, just down the passageway for a peek and a listen,” ventured Belle. “That way, at least we would have fair warning if it was going badly. We would have time to hide.”

“All right,” Marina reluctantly agreed. “But no bilge this time!”

“Agreed!” said Belle, already opening the cabin door.

* * *

Chance stood with his fists on his hips, looking out over the assembled crowd.

“All right men. We are out-gunned and the wind is not in our favor, so we can’t out-sail them. We have no choice but to outwit them. If we succeed, we live to fuck and drink another day. If not, well, we either die in battle or at the hand of
ol’ Jack Ketch
. Disperse.”

“Very inspirational. We should have these talks more often,” intoned Drake sarcastically.

“Shut your trap and hail the blasted ship.”

Drake waved the yellow and blue silk flag indicating they wished to communicate with the ship. Chance watched through the scope for their reply. After several tense moments, the British ship waved the yellow and black flag indicating they were coming alongside.

“I hope you know what you are doing,” said Drake out of the corner of his mouth as they watched the other ship lower their long boats.

“Do I ever?” laughed Chance.

They watched from the helm as the British officers boarded the boat. From their uniforms, it looked like the first mate, a few secondary officers and support crew loaded to the teeth with guns and ammo.

“
Bienvenue messieurs, comment puis-je être utile à la marine britannique
?” greeted Chance amiably.

The British officers exchanged a look before sneering, “We are British. Speak the King’s English.”

“But of course! I bid you welcome gentlemen and offer my assistance to the British navy.”

“We are looking for a woman,” said the first mate.

“Aren’t we all!” responded Chance with a chuckle.

“This is serious business, sir. The fiancé of Lord Arbuncle and her female companion have been taken by pirates. We intend to rescue the women. We demand to search this vessel.”

“Rescuing a damsel in distress! How very French of you!” said Chance, knowing it would tweak the officers.

“Do we have permission to search your vessel or will we have to resort to force? We will sink this ship if we have to!” responded the first mate heatedly.

“Gentlemen there is no cause for threats. I assure you there are no ladies on board. You are wasting your time.”

“No ladies really?” said the first mate as he strolled past Chance to a pair of chairs on the deck. He picked up Belle’s discarded dress. “I call this a dress, sir. Explain yourself.”

“Really? Strictly speaking, would you call that a dress?” asked Drake.

The first mate stormed over to Drake and shoved the dress under his chin as his crew drew their guns. “We are not amused! Where is the lady?”

Chance quietly signaled to Gregor to keep the crew settled and standing their ground, not willing to give up the subterfuge just yet.

“Well I’ll be! Look at that fancy toff callin you a laadddyy, Gracie! Oi! That’s a ripper!” cried out Belle with a cackling laugh.

Chance and Drake turned in horrified unison to see Belle and Marina stroll onto the deck. Both women were barely recognizable. Marina had opened her dress practically to the naval and tucked the long hem up into the sash, showing off her bare leg from ankle to thigh… and her scandalous lack of a petticoat. Belle had removed her dress entirely. Appearing in her corset and pantalettes with her gorgeous hair down and wantonly curling about her shoulders. They had both rubbed their cheeks and décolletage with dirt to help make them look filthy and used.

Belle confidently strolled up to the first mate, leaning over suggestively till her full breasts practically fell above the hem of the corset, she said in a husky voice, “How about you, toff? Care for a tumble with this lady?”

The first mate recoiled from the suggestion.

Marina approached one of the second officers, grabbing his crotch, she cackled, “Ain’t much of a cock, but I’m sure I can make somethin’ of it!”

Recovering from his shock, Chance addressed the first mate. “My apologies, sir. When you inquired if there were ladies on board, I did not think you meant whores. Actually, we have a few more down in the hold. We are French privateers dropping this bunch off at one of the outpost islands for the soldiers.”

“You are more than welcome to look, but I would not recommend sampling the wares,” broke in Drake. “Pretty sure the rest have the pox.”

The first mate grimaced and stepped back as the second officer attempted to extricate himself from ‘Gracie’s’ clutches. “I believe we will take your word for it, sir.” Then turning to his crew, said, “Men, we are leaving.”

Everyone stood in tense silence until the longboat had rejoined its ship and they set sail on a different course.

The girls gave up a whoop of laughter. The men stood frowning as Gregor stormed down from the bridge.

“Are you insane? Putting yourself at risk like that,” he yelled at Marina.

Marina instantly sobered. “We just wanted to help,” she pouted.

Belle chimed in. “It was my idea! Don’t chastise Marina.”

“Of that I have no doubt!” ground out Chance with only mock severity. It was hard to be too angry with her. She not only tossed away a chance to escape, but also did not reveal to the British soldiers they were pirates. He knew now with absolute certainty what he hoped he was reading in her eyes. She loved him, him a pirate. Well, well.

“I think we will all finish this discussion below,” offered Drake as he took Marina by the upper arm.

A still pouting Marina was dragged off to Drake and Gregor’s cabin for a proper scolding.

Chance ushered Belle into his cabin and closed and locked the door.

“Really, Chance. I don’t understand what you have to be upset about!” she huffed.

“Seriously! How about you displaying your tits to my whole crew? How about you basically throwing yourself at the British navy? How about once again you are covered in dirt and filth, requiring a bath after I’ve rescued you!”

“
¡Cosas y sin sentido
!” brushed off Belle as she stood defiantly with her hands on her hips. “I hardly threw myself at the British navy! And what do you mean after rescuing
me
! I rescued
you
!” she shouted, jabbing her finger into his chest for emphasis.

She was too adorable when she was angry and cursing at him in Spanish. Chance snatched her to him. As he nuzzled her neck, the only place currently not covered in dirt, he murmured, “I beg to differ, my Belle. I have clearly rescued you from a rather imprudent marriage to a man named Arbuncle of all things! If not for my timely entrance into your life, you would now be Lady Arbuncle instead of in love with a handsome, charming pirate.”

“Oh! You arrogant! Conceited!” cried Belle as she pried herself out of his arms and ran across the cabin searching under the bed. She came up with a pewter chamber pot looking confused.

“I replaced the porcelain with metal. You would have made me a poor man if I had to replace the piss pot every time you got angry with me, my love,” laughed Chance.

“I am not your love, and I am not in love with you!”

Chance stopped laughing and stalked across the room, capturing her easily. Pinning her arms down her sides, he forced her to look at him. “You are in love with me, my little spitfire. Say it,” he demanded.

“I don’t want to,” pouted Belle. “It is beyond foolish to fall in love with your pirate captor!”

“Not nearly as foolish as a pirate falling in love with his captive,” whispered Chance against her ear before giving it a little bite.

Belle reared back and stared deeply into his emerald green eyes, trying to look for any hint of deceit.

“Look as deeply as you like, my love. I have no reason to lie. I love you. I love your fabulous temper. I love your passion. I love that you think you can beat me in chess.”

“I let you win,” said Belle with a small smile. Her cheeks flushed with color over his declaration of love.

“I especially love the sound you make when I kiss that soft spot just under your right breast,” he said in a husky voice as he started to unlace her corset.

“So I’m forgiven?” asked Belle breathlessly as her mind clouded with desire.

“Oh no,
mon petit trésor
, you still need to be punished for once again putting yourself in danger,” said Chance in a softly stern voice. “I think my belt this time.”

“Oh god,” moaned Belle, already anticipating the delicious blend of pain and pleasure.

“But first…”

“Yes?” she asked eagerly.

“You could do with a wash!” he said with a seductive grin.

“
¡Bastardo!
” she laughed, play slapping him on the chest.

“Tsk, tsk. Such manners!”

Chapter Twelve

A Change of Fate

Two years later…

Belle stood on the veranda of her home looking down at the beach. Chance was bare-chested in the bright, warm sun directing his men in his latest construction project. Although, this time there was a sense of urgency. Her parents’ ship had already been sighted. They would be on the island within a few hours.

Belle had never seen Chance so nervous! From the moment she received her father’s letter that they had finally decided to visit their wayward daughter, Chance had been driving his men to exhaustion getting their little island ready.

Not long after confessing their love, Belle admitted she was heartily sick of sea life. She told him how much she missed her beloved Azores islands. Chance immediately set out to find her a new home that rivaled her childhood one. Not long after, they settled on a small, uninhabited island in the Caribbean. It was perfect. Isolated enough to protect Chance and his crew from the authorities, but close enough to other ports for provisions.

Chance, with his usual charm and energy, set about building a beautiful home for her and a cute seaside town with houses and shops for his men, bringing in all sorts of skilled labor, merchants and women. He was determined to build a respectable home for her, not the usual den of thieves that most pirate ports tended to be. Marina even had a small dress shop in town.

The men still went out to sea. They were pirates after all! But it was never more than for a month or two, and it was all the sweeter when they returned.

And now her parents were visiting and everyone was preparing for it. Mainly by stashing all the guns, ammo, trunks of gold and silks, basically anything that hinted at pirates! Having not been entirely honest with her parents about how Chance got his wealth, she told them he was a merchant of all things. Now the whole island was going to be in on the deception. What her parents didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, thought Belle with a smile.

A few hours later, Chance and Belle were waiting on the dock as the ship slowly came into port. They were joined by Marina, Drake and Gregor.

“I’m just saying I should be the husband since I saw her first!” groused Gregor.

“No. I should be the husband because I was the one who claimed her as my part of the booty from that haul!” countered Drake.

Belle and Marina exchanged a look. Neither of the women were married. The subject had never come up between Belle and Chance. Belle was content with their lifestyle and didn’t bother much about the dictates of a formal society that no longer affected her. However, with her parent’s visit, they had agreed to a small lie.

Ever since then, Drake and Gregor had been arguing over who would get to play Marina’s husband. Marina was having a jolly time playing one off the other.

Chance kissed their joined hands as he laughed at his friends’ antics. “Are you glad to see your parents?”

Belle nodded yes. “I’m nervous, although probably not as nervous as you!” she teased.

“I want to see you happy. Having your parents’ visit go well will make you happy,” responded Chance. “Although I confess I have thought of little else since you first told me. I think I want this to go well more than you do.”

“Perhaps I could take your mind off it with a distraction,” hummed Belle against his ear.

“I’m sure you could, but this is neither the time nor place with your parents’ ship docking,” he said as he nuzzled her neck.

Belle wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned up to whisper in his ear. “We’re going to have a baby.”

Belle had been keeping it a secret for a few months now, but the changes in her body would soon be noticeable to someone as perceptive as Chance. She saw how he doted on and played with his crew’s children, so she was not afraid of his response. Chance loved children. She’d just wanted to be sure before telling him. Now seemed like the perfect moment.

Belle’s confidence waned as she took in Chance’s pale, shocked expression. Just as she was beginning to second guess her resolve, Chance grabbed her by the hand and marched off the dock.

Belle tried to pull back but to no avail, he was too strong. “Chance! Chance? What are you doing? Where are you taking me? My parents will be disembarking at any moment!” cried Belle as she looked back on the confused expressions of Drake, Gregor and Marina.

Chance refused to answer, dragging her off the dock and down the main road into town.

“Chance, please!”

Stopping so suddenly, Belle crashed into his back, Chance took a deep breath and turned. Cradling her face in his hands, he gave her a quick, passionate kiss, before declaring, “You are beautiful. I love you. I love this baby, and I love our life together.”

Belle felt tears gather in her eyes. “So you are pleased about the baby?”

“More than you know,” he said before once more grabbing her hand and dragging her on.

“Chance! Where are we going?” asked a thoroughly befuddled Belle.

Without stopping, Chance tossed over his shoulder. “To find that drunk preacher I brought to the island last month. You are marrying me this very day, wench!” he declared with firm resolve.