“ ’Tis only right ye take over Bart’s house while ye be fillin’ his shoes,” she said. “I know ye won’t forget us.”
“Absolutely not. In fact, I have high hopes of making life a lot more comfy for all of you.”
She looked pleased with that. I chatted with her a bit more, then headed to the governor’s house to start putting things into motion.
The town leaders and mayor were the first group of people to answer my summons. They were quickly taken care of, with reassurances given on both sides that the current arrangement of government would continue without significant change (although I reserved the right to make some helpful suggestions about how to streamline the local economy). As they were leaving, Pangloss and Charlie arrived.
“I tried to bring the men from the shore guns,” Charlie said as he pulled me aside. “But I couldn’t.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“There are none,” he said, his eyes puzzled. “It seems Bart took the gun crew with him.”
I sighed. “Grand. Now we have no protection whatsoever from shore. Well, I’d better make sure that no one attacks us tonight.”
“Aye, ’twould likely be a good thing,” he agreed.
I took a deep breath and entered the library.
“So, the cap’n’s up and left ye in charge,” Pangloss said as he spun around to face me, a scowl darkening his face. I walked slowly to Bart’s massive desk, reminding myself that Pangloss had every right to be outraged over my new position. As first mate, he should have been the logical choice for captain.
“Yes, he has, and I’m not going to try to begin to explain to you why he made that choice. It seems ludicrous and totally unbelievable to me, but he did, so I’m hoping against hope that you’ll find it in your heart to help me. You know more about the sea than anyone I know, and if I’m going to do this captain and governor thing right, I’ll need a lot of help.”
I could see that he had been working himself up to having a hissy, but I effectively took the wind out of his sails.
“Er . . . aye. ’Tis unbelievable to me, as well. But I’ve sworn to follow me cap’n’s orders, and this be one of ’em, so I’ll help ye as best I can.”
I smiled and offered him a glass of brandy, grateful the worst was over.
By the time the moon had started its climb in the night sky, Pangloss and I were in agreement that something had to be done.
“I warn you; I plan on stopping the blockade,” I told him as he was about to return to his ship.
“Ye’ll be turnin’ the island over to that devil?” he asked, astounded.
“No. But I will invite Corbin to attend a meeting here tomorrow to discuss a peace treaty between the two crews. You needn’t look at me as if I’ve gone mad—I know what I’m doing.”
“Black Corbin would never agree to a treaty,” he said, shaking his head. “Nothin’ will do for him but that he rules us.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, giving him a confident smile. “He’ll agree to it. I have a secret weapon, you see.”
“Oh, aye?” he asked, his head tipped to the side. “What would that be, then?”
“Me,” I answered, and gently closed the door on his disbelieving face.
An hour later I lit the lanterns on my borrowed sloop and gave the order for her to sail. The twins and Tar weren’t terribly happy at having their shore leave revoked but cheered up to no end when I told them all they had to do was sail me out to Corbin’s ship; then they could return to shore and have the rest of the night off.
I was a bit worried that some of the blockade ships might interpret my ship approaching them as an aggressive act, but evidently Corbin had given the word not to open fire willy-nilly, for we sailed past three big warships to the red and black frigate
Java Guru
without being stopped or fired upon.
“Wow, this is a really, really big ship,” I said as we sailed alongside her, heading to a spot midway down her length where a group of sailors were waiting with grappling poles and a rope ladder. Due to my concern with Corbin earlier, I hadn’t had a really good look at the flagship. I took the opportunity to give her a close examination. She had three masts, a raised quarterdeck (at the rear of the ship), and a forecastle (at the bow). She reeked naval authority and more or less looked exactly how I expected a bad-assed warship to look. “How many guns does she have, Tar?”
“Thirty-eight,” he answered. “This be a captured ship from the English navy.”
“Really?” I looked up to the railing. A dark-haired figure appeared suddenly, frowning over the edge at me. “Wow. Impressive. Hoy, Corbin! Hoy, Holder!”
“Ahoy, lass. Ye look fetchin’ in those knickers. I did well with ’em, didn’t I?” Holder called down happily.
“Amy, what the devil are you doing out here at this time of night?” Corbin asked.
“Yes, you did, and thank you,” I told Holder before smiling up at Corbin. “I have some things to talk about. Mind helping me on board?”
Bas scrambled up the rope ladder after me. He had made a bit of a fuss when I informed him he had spent long enough in the inn with the other crew, but I turned a deaf ear to his complaints.
Corbin grabbed my hands as I approached the railing, hauling me up and over it and straight into his arms. I’m not a fool; I didn’t so much as protest such a domineering action, but I did try to avoid plastering myself on his wound when he locked his arms around me and kissed the very air from my lungs. He might be healing superfast in this reality, but there was no sense in pushing virtual fate.
At the touch of his mouth on mine, my entire body woke up and started making demands.
“Dear God,” I murmured when he finally had to stop the kiss so we could breathe.
“No, not quite, although you’re free to think I am a god,” he said, giving me a roguish smile.
“That was a hell of a kiss,” I said softly, licking my lower lip. I swore I could still feel his tongue burning a path over it. “People are watching, though.” Just Holder, and he doesn’t care. The kiss, by the way, was for being the most delectable, desirable woman in the world,” he said, rubbing his thumb over where I had licked.
“I just melt when you say things like that,” I said, leaning in for another kiss despite the audience.
“And this is for taking so long to come to me,” he said louder, giving me a swat on the behind.
“Hey!” I protested, jumping back and rubbing the abused spot. “You can’t smack a captain on the butt. That’s illegal or something.”
“I’m the captain here,” he said, starting to pull me into another embrace.
“You’re one of the captains, yes.” I backed away, ignoring Holder’s smirk as he watched our byplay.
“No, sweetheart, not on my ship. You’re the captain when you command your own vessel, but only the captain of a crew can be called captain in other circumstances.”
I made a polite bow, sweeping out my hand as I said, “Captain Amy, governor of Turtle’s Back, at your service.”
“What?”
I thought Corbin’s eyebrows were going to shoot off his forehead.
“Bart left. I’m in charge now. My, isn’t it late. I’m sooo sleepy. Mind if I spend the night here?” I asked, batting my lashes at him.
Corbin’s eyes went molten at my blatant offer, but he managed to restrain himself . . . somewhat to my dismay, although I knew it was smarter to get the talking out of the way before I investigated—in an up-close and personal manner—just how healed he was.
“Come into my quarters,” Corbin said, grabbing my wrist and heading for a door under the quarterdeck. “I want to hear everything.”
“Me, too,” Holder said, following. “This promises to be the most entertaining thing I’ve heard since Corb tried to explain why he came back to the ship with bits of fig pudding stuck to his chest hair.”
My cheeks pinked a little as I remembered that wonderful night. Corbin was evidently remembering it as well, because he shot me a wicked look that had me wondering what sort of desserts a blockade ship routinely stocked.
It took the better part of an hour to explain the recent happenings, hindered as I was by almost constant interruptions in the form of questions from both men. But answer them I did, and eventually they were in possession of as much information as I was.
“But why would he do it?” Holder asked, giving me a critical look. “No offense intended, Amy, but it’s not normal for a captain to promote someone over the head of his first mate.”
I shrugged. “I have no idea what his reasoning is other than what he said in the letter.”
Corbin glanced at it where it lay spread out on his desk, a half frown wrinkling his brow. “Leaving Amy in charge makes perfect sense to me,” he said slowly. “She’s smart and competent and will do a good job as both captain and governor.”
I gave him my very best smile, warmed to the tips of my toes by his support. What a perceptive man he was!
“But what I want to know is what this mysterious mission is that caused him to leave during the blockade.”
“No idea,” I said, shrugging. “I asked everyone I could think of, but no one had any clue.”
“It doesn’t make sense any more than his accusation that I stole his woman from him,” Corbin said, examining the letter again. He shook his head while reading it, tossing it down disgustedly. “I don’t know who he’s talking about. I haven’t stolen anyone. You’re the only woman I’ve been with in more than a year. He . . . er . . . Bart didn’t ever express any affection for you, did he?”
“No, he didn’t.” I raised my hands and let them fall in a gesture of utter bewilderment. “He’s never so much as flirted with me, at least not that I noticed. Holder has been more obvious than Bart. He’s ogled me openly, whereas Bart never looked at me twice.”
Holder stood up from where he was leaning over Corbin’s shoulder rereading the note. “The word you are looking for, dear lady, is appreciate. I appreciate, not ogle! My wife has specifically forbidden me from ogling.”
I crossed my arms under my breasts. Holder’s gaze immediately shot to where my breasts were smooshed up under the bodice. “Aha! See? You’re ogling my boobs right now.”
Corbin glanced up at his friend, then over to me, his eyes widening slightly.
“Great, now you both are ogling me.” I uncrossed my arms. My cleavage returned to its better-than-normal-but-not-as-nice-as-Jez’s state. Holder looked disappointed.
“The fact remains that there is no explanation for Bart’s unexpected departure,” Corbin said, his gaze still on my chest. I pulled my shoulders back. He smiled.
“I have an idea, but it’s a bit of a stretch,” Holder said, pouring himself a brandy and taking the comfortable leather seat.
“Make yourself at home, mate,” Corbin said dryly, rising from the desk chair and coming to sit next to me on the bed. I leaned into his nonwounded side, enjoying the feeling of his body next to mine. Something about Corbin felt so comfortable, so right, it made me think of coming home after a long, unpleasant trip.
“Thanks, I will. About this idea I have . . . Amy, you said—oh, for God’s sake, woman, stop nuzzling him in front of me! You think I want to see that?”
“Sorry,” I said, without the least bit of contriteness as I pulled away from the irresistible lure of Corbin’s adorable earlobe.
Holder turned his glare on Corbin. “You think I don’t see that you’re trying to get your hand under the back of her bodice?”
Corbin stopped trying to do that very thing, looking behind me at where his hand was working its way under the leather and linen. “How could you see that?”
“I couldn’t,” Holder said, looking abashed for a moment. “But that’s what I’d be doing if I was in your place. If you two would try to keep your hands off each other long enough for us to have a rational discussion, I would appreciate it.”
“I thought you wanted us together.” I said, squirming slightly when Corbin’s fingers found a way under the bodice. He caressed a line up my spine that had me suddenly thinking of all the hours that had passed since Corbin and I had had dessert.
“I do, but not when we’re trying to have a conversation. Sit still, would you?”
“Get on with it, Holder,” Corbin said, clearly thinking thoughts along the same path as mine.
“Fine. Amy, you said that you grilled Bart, and he clearly was a computer player, correct?”
I smiled a slow, seductive smile at Corbin. “Hmm? Grilled might be too harsh a word. I’ve talked to Bart a lot, and he’s always been very piratey and never broken character. Corbin, do you know that you have the most adorable Adam’s apple? I love how it bobbles around when I when I touch you right here—”
“No touching!” Holder said, leaping up out of his chair. Before I could protest he yanked me off the bed and shoved me down into the chair, taking the one Corbin had vacated at the desk. “Lord above, you two are insatiable!”
“Yes, we are,” Corbin said, smiling back at me, his eyes alight with love and passion and a host of other emotions that made my heart soar. “Make your point, Holder, then get the hell out of my cabin.”
“My point, you lust-riddled dolt, is that Bart could well be Paul. And if he is, it’s likely we’re all in danger right this very moment.”
Chapter 21
Go and do your best endeavour,
And before all links we sever,
We will say farewell for-ever.
—Ibid, Act II
I stopped batting my lashes at Corbin to gawk at Holder. Corbin frowned at his friend. “Danger? What sort of danger? We’re already trapped here.”
“Exactly. Paul has us trapped here, all of us, with no clear way to escape, and no way to find him. And now Bart has done virtually the same thing—he has us trapped, together, stuck in this blockade and unable to find him. Makes sense that this was part of his plan all along. And given that, I’m not expecting him to show up and throw us a party with balloon animals and ice cream.”
“Hmm.” Corbin stroked his chin, something I noticed he did when thinking hard. “He has a point, love.”