Carried Home (9 page)

 

The salt-laden breeze slapped Gage in the face as he trudged up the companionway on his way to his cabin. He reached a hand up to shove the hair that the wind had whipped into his face out of his eyes. Somewhere in the distance, an exotic bird squawked. He grinned. If there was a bird like that within hearing distance, then they were nearing the inlet to the island on which he would careen the ship. Even though Lady Shaw was unhappy about the decision, they desperately needed the reprieve and repairs this stop would provide after the violent hurricane they had just endured.

He raised a hand against his forehead to shield his eyes from the glaring sun. How amazing it was that the sun could shine so brightly and cheerfully after the black storm they had endured just hours before. Gage squinted at the horizon. Was that the green of a mountain he saw in the far distance?

After a moment, he shrugged and entered his cabin.

All of his men had dined and left except for Adam, who held Emma in one arm while he stacked dishes with his other. He bounced Emma on his hip. The tot giggled.

Gage grinned at the child's enthusiasm. He reached to take Emma from Adam, but the girl leaned back against Adam's shoulder. “Want Uncle Adam.” She stuck her thumb in her mouth and closed her eyes.

Gage cocked his head. “Where'd she learn to call you that? I've barely heard her speak a word since we found her.” The man was awkward with the little one, but she seemed to appreciate him well enough.

Adam cast him a sheepish look. “I've been talking to her while you were down with Lady Shaw. She actually knows a couple words—” he struggled to balance the squirming child in his arms “—don't you, Emmie?”

Emma chattered and wiggled her fingers at Gage.

“And why is she calling you
Uncle
Adam?”

“I don't know. It just seemed right.” He bounced the girl in his arms once more and then set her down on the chair beside him. She crawled up the side of the chair and tugged on Adam's ear. His face scrunched up in pain as he gently pried her hand away from his head.

Gage shook his head and chuckled. Ivy probably would not be happy the man had gotten Emma to call him by such a fond name. Gage had no idea what was going to become of Emma once they reached England again, but he doubted she would live the rest of her life on this ship with Gage and his men. A privateer ship was no place at all for a little girl-child to grow up. Gage frowned. What
would
become of Emma when they reached England? When the
y had taken her in, all Gage had
truly thought about was the girl's immediate future. Surely Ivy could not take her in with her. It would be highly improper, and foolish people would probably assume that, with her sudden, long departure, the child was truly hers. They even shared the same hair color.

And if they discovered the true origins of the baby, they would shun both the baby and everyone involved with her. Lady Shaw's reputation would be in shreds. She would have no prospects for a respectable marriage, and she would have no hope of a future. What would become of them after that?

Gage shoved the thought aside. He had no time to worry about that now.

“I need to take Emma back to Lady Shaw. She misses her, or I would keep the baby here for the evening.”

Adam smiled sadly. “It's time to go back to Lady Shaw, sweetheart. You miss her?” He looked quite awkward with the little tyke, but she seemed happy with him.

Emma nodded groggily. Her eyelids drooped with sleepiness.

“You can go with Mr. Gage and he will take you to her, all right, sweetheart?”

“Otay, Uncle Adam.” The child stretched her arms out to Gage. “Papa!”

Gage's face flushed to what he was certain was a deep red. He bit back a grin.

Adam chuckled. “If I'm her uncle and you're her papa, does that make us brothers, or brothers-in-law, Captain?” His eyes twinkled in amusement.

Gage bumped him with his elbow. “Shush. She is a baby. She doesn't know any better.”

Adam sent him a lazy salute as Gage scooped Emma up in his arms and went on his way.

However, on his walk down to the cabin, Gage could not help but wonder if Emma called Lady Shaw “Mama.”

He bounced the child in his arms. “You having fun on our voyage, sweetie?”

She babbled nonsense back at him, smiling like he had just bought her the world.

Gage leaned his forehead against hers. She smelled good. Fresh. Unpolluted by the cold outside world.

They arrived at Lady Shaw's cabin. He knocked on the door, and the woman opened it almost before his fingers even made contact with the wood.

“I heard you coming. You took longer than I thought you would, so I was just about to come up and check on you. But I see she's all right. Thank you for bringing her to me.” Lady Shaw tried to grab the baby from his arms, but he held her back.

“Can I come in, or are you refusing to let me in your cabin now? I didn't know I had done anything to make you cross with me.” Emma made a fussy noise so Gage shifted her in his arms and patted her on the head. He was positive her copper curls had grown longer since the day they had found her on the streets of Port Royal.

“Oh, I am sorry, Captain. I did not mean to be rude to you. I suppose you are welcome anywhere on this ship. After all, it
is
yours, isn't it?” Ivy stepped backwards into her cabin and rested on the edge of the cot that took up half of her space.

Gage entered the cabin and lowered himself into the tiny wooden chair adjacent to the bed.
He patted the baby on the back and studied Ivy. Her hair was mussed, almost halfway out of the neat up-do she had confined it to before she had joined him for dinner. The deep-blue dress she wore hung
wrinkled
on her frame, but somehow she looked beautiful in it. Its lace trim withered limply. Now that he thought about it, he had only seen her wearing two different gowns. She probably had not packed more than that to go on her voyage to find her friend. Her stormy eyes stared at Emma with such a mournful attitude that Gage had to pry his gaze back to the floor.

The poor woman missed her brother terribly. And it was mostly his fault she was not well on her way to being with him again. He inhaled. “I'm sorry, Ivy.”

“What? Oh no, it's all right. I was just worried Emma wasn't safe, but I see she is now. Thank you for bringing her.” Ivy straightened her back and shoved some loose strands of hair behind her ears.

“No, milady, I meant to apologize for not getting you to your brother as quickly as you had hoped. I feel terrible to be keeping you from him.”

****

Ivy remained silent as she stared at the peculiar captain. The man's wavy brown hair curled into his face, tickling his eyebrows. His large frame dwarfed the tiny chair he sat upon. Eyes the color of sweetened coffee peered back at her. For once, the ever-present grin was absent from his face. He held an expression of complete sincerity, which made Ivy bite her lip.

In all her life, it had been rare for someone to be so honestly concerned about how she felt. And this man, this barbaric pirate, cared more about her happiness than anyone back home in London. The thought warmed her heart to the core. “Th-thank you, sir.”

“I hope to make our visit to the inlet and then the Carolinas as brief as I can. I want you to be happy.” Captain Thompson leaned forward and encircled her hand in his.

Ivy's breath caught in her throat. She blinked. What was wrong with her, responding to the touch of a common man like this? What on earth would her mother and father think of her? Why, they expected her to marry a wealthy man, a lord, and here she was obsessing over the touch of a common pirate.

She needed to do something about this. No matter how chivalrous he was, she could not get herself attached to this man. In fact, she had every reason to distance herself from him as much as possible. Ivy prayed that would be easy to do over the next two weeks.

****

Adam Douglas stood beside Lady Shaw on the main deck of the
Siren's Call,
staring at the bay in front of them. Lush green plants infested the majority of the inlet, after the line of pure white sand stopped. Mountains towered in the distance. In only fifteen minutes or so, the
Siren's Call
would be careened on that shore. The land was certainly a welcome sight after the hurricane the crew had endured.

“How long do you think it will take us once we reach the island?” Lady Shaw took a step forward and shielded her eyes against the sun.

“Oh, I cannot be certain. All I know is Captain Thompson will push the men as hard as they can go so we can be finished more quickly. I have never attended a careening before.”

Lady Shaw's face tightened, drawing together the lines of freckles on her forehead and nose.

“I'm sorry, milady.”

“No, no, no. There's no need to apologize.” The woman tucked a piece of copper hair behind her ear. Adam smiled sadly. He had only ever met one other person with hair such a vibrant hue. A young girl back home, from the days of his childhood. Back in the days before the side of his face was so grotesquely disfigured.
“What's wrong, sir?”

“Oh, no. Nothing is wrong, milady. I was just remembering something from before…from another time.” He brushed a swatch of hair back behind his ear.

The woman studied him for a moment, then finally looked away.

“After we careen the
Siren's Call
, it shouldn't take us longer than a fortnight to reach the Carolinas, and just a day or so to find the captain's sister. Then, we sail straight back to London in all haste. You'll be back with your brother before you know it.” Adam gazed across the sea wistfully. Lady Shaw and Captain Thompson were both on missions to find and help their younger siblings.
What was
his own
little sister doing without him, back in London? Sometimes he missed her so terribly the pain forced him to stop and catch his breath. But he had left that life behind when he had chosen his profession, and there was nothing he could change. He would never see her again.

Lady Shaw laid her hand on his arm, drawing him from his thoughts. “Are you all right, Mr. Douglas?”

He blinked. “Oh, yes I am. I'm sorry.”

She frowned. “You seem agitated.” Adam had nearly forgotten what it was like to have a woman near. They were so caring and intuitive.

“Iv-Lady Shaw?”

Adam spun around. The captain stood behind him, arms crossed. His face lit up with a boyish grin when his gaze landed on Lady Shaw.

“Yes, Captain Thompson?”

Gage didn't seem to notice Adam standing before him. “Oh, I had…wanted to talk to you, miss. It's not anything important; I was just hoping...”

 

“Ouch.” Addie bit her tongue as the needle sliced through her skin. How clumsy could she be? Surely sewing a patch on a shirt should not be this difficult. She had been shocked that the tailor who had hired her did not care she'd come with so little sewing experience. He had thought she was being modest about her abilities, but she had never sewn more than a button before in her life.

She glanced at the heaping pile of clothes in the basket beside her. It seemed to double in size daily, yet she struggled to complete more than one piece in a day. Mr. Faulke had kindly offered for her to sleep upstairs in the shop—and encouraged her to take her work up there with her since she was falling behind on orders so rapidly. There was nothing she could do about it, though. The work was so small and tedious. She would much rather be outside tending a garden with larger tools, where her work actually produced something.

What would become of her? Would she spend the rest of her life in the Carolinas, repairing other people's clothing, working for some man? The last thing she had wanted with her life was to work for a man, after what she had dealt with being married to her husband, but there was nothing she could do about it. She needed money to live, and this was the only reputable job she could find.

The needle poked into her skin once again, and she cringed. Goodness, she did hope Gage would get here soon.

****

“I need to go check our course. Good day, milady. Captain.” Adam strolled away.

“What is it you wanted, Gage?”

“Never you mind it.” Gage eyed the ever-approaching island. They were only minutes away from the shore.

“But you acted as though you wanted to say something important. Are you certain?” Ivy fidgeted with her hands, wringing them around. She was moving them so much Gage wanted to take them in his own and hold them until they went still.

“I'm sure.” Gage had intended to discuss little Emma's future with Ivy, but he couldn't bear to think about it, much less speak of it. He did not want to force Ivy to care for her on her own, but there was no way he could see her given to some stranger to raise.

Ivy hesitantly reached out a hand and rested it on his arm. “Thank you for being so kind about taking care of Emma.” Could she read his mind? “It's rare to find a man who would be so tender with a stranger's child. Or his own child, for that matter.” Her expression darkened.

Gage's face heated as he chuckled in response. “I love that little girl. She is no burden to me at all.”

“Awaiting orders to make land!” A voice from the shrouds forced Gage to take his eyes off of the beautiful woman in front of him.

As he inspected the island, Gage whispered to Lady Shaw, “Why don't you go back down to your cabin with Emma, and send Mr. Douglas back up here? I will send for you when we are ready to exit the ship.”

****

“I know, sweetheart, I know. It's all right…” Ivy cringed. Emma screeched particularly loudly when the longboat they sat in plunged over a swell. She patted the girl on the back. A warm, strong hand rested on the back of Ivy's neck and toyed with a lock of her hair, out of the view of the others. Startled, she glanced over her shoulder to find Captain Thompson grinning down at her. Rather than make her uncomfortable, his touch made her feel safe.

Emma wailed yet again.

“If your lady doesn't quiet the babe, I will, Captain.”

Ivy's stomach dropped when she realized the comment was from Rogers. The man was purely a monster. His dark eyes leered at her and he leaned closer to her from his position across the longboat.

Captain Thompson's hand stiffened on the back of her neck. “You will do no such thing. If I hear another word from you, I will maroon you on this island.”

Rogers grunted and leveled a hard glare on Ivy. A shiver coursed through her body. She had been safe on board the ship, where she could lock herself in her cabin, but now? Now, she had no protection but the captain sitting next to her.

Please keep me safe, God.
She tugged Emma closer to her chest, but the girl would not be quieted. Captain Thompson looped his arm around Ivy's shoulder and leaned close. His lips almost brushed her ear as he whispered, “May I take her?”

Ivy studied him. His chocolate brown eyes gazed down at her and the child with tenderness. She resisted a smile. This man would make a good father someday, and a good husband. Too bad he would never be
hers.

When Captain Thompson nudged her in the side, she realized she had been staring. Heat rushed to her face as she pressed a kiss to Emma's forehead and settled the child on the captain's lap. He leaned her back against his waist and wrapped an arm around her. After a moment, her sobbing quieted. Ivy's lips quirked upward in a smile. What was it about this man that always calmed the child?

The tiny boat halted abruptly. Ivy blinked up through bright sunshine to find they were at a sandbar, mere feet from the body of the island. Captain Thompson rose and leapt from the boat onto the sandbar with Emma in tow. He held out his hand with a flourish, as an indication for Ivy to join him on land.

She glanced behind her, where Rogers still pierced her with his glare. Ivy placed her hand in Captain Thompson's and allowed him to assist her out of the longboat. His hand remained on the small of her back as the rest of the men filed off the boat.

****

Gage leaned down onto the sand with a groan. It had been a grueling day. Careening was hardly his favorite part of sailing. He had worked with the men all day, and now the labor was catching up to him. Besides the physical work, he now had the responsibility of making decisions and keeping everyone working.

He closed his eyes and let the inky blackness of nighttime on the island sweep over him. Every once in a while, it was nice to rest on stable earth, rather than to be plagued by the nonstop rocking of a ship. Just as sleep had begun to take over his body, a small hand patted his knee. A giggle followed. Gage sprang into a sitting position and blinked, struggling to adjust his eyes to the darkness. The embers of the fire barely illuminated the little face of Emma beside him.
A smile split across Gage's face. He leaned forward and snuggled the child close to him.

Careful not to wake his crew, he whispered to the little one, “Now, what are you doing up?” She wound her arms around his neck.

Gage's gaze drifted to the other side of the fire, where Ivy slept soundly. He had been wary of allowing the woman to sleep out in the open on the beach with the rest of the crew a couple paces away, but there was nothing he could do about it. The ship lay tilted on its side, so there was no way she nor the crew could reside there. And the nearby jungle was not a safe location in which to sleep. Instead, Gage had ensured that Lady Shaw and Emma were positioned well away from the other men—half the length of the inlet. Plus, any man who wanted to harm her would have to get past Gage
and
the camp's fire.

Gage rocked the child. “Why are you away from Lady Shaw, huh, sweetie?” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Papa!” Emma squealed.

He chuckled. “Hush now. We can't have you waking the men up. Now, let's get you back to Lady Shaw. She could wake up and get worried if you're not there.”

Gage carefully rose and tiptoed his path around the fire. When he reached Lady Shaw, he stopped and could not keep himself from staring for a moment. She was so sweet when she slept. Red hair tumbled over her shoulder, and she pillowed her cheek with her hand. He crept close and planned to deposit Emma on the sand beside her, but Emma cried and squirmed in his arms. The noise startled Ivy, who immediately sprang to a sitting position. Gage repositioned his hold on Emma in order to press a finger to his lips, urging the woman to remain silent.

She blinked rapidly. Her gray eyes almost appeared black in the moonlight. Confusion washed over her features. The last thing Gage wanted to do was frighten her, so he slouched down into a crouch so as to avoid intimidating her. A gasp escaped her throat.

“It's me. Captain Thompson,” he quickly supplied.

She rubbed her neck. “Oh. What…what are you doing here? It's late. This is…indecent.”

“I realize that, milady, and I don't want to tarnish your good reputation. However, none of the men are awake.” Gage shot a glance over his shoulder to ensure that statement was true.

“That's no excuse…” Her face was drawn tight with something Gage couldn't identify. “You shouldn't be here at this time of night. We are alone.”

He felt a grin stretch across his face at her needless fretting. “Milady, I only came here because Emma wandered off. It was dangerous, really. She could have stumbled into the fire.”

Lady Shaw seemed to jerk into a state of full awareness. She swung around, patting the sand in search of Emma. Gage chuckled. “She's right here with me, my dear.” Relief washed over her face and she stretched out her arms. After a moment of reluctance, Gage handed the child over. He pressed a kiss to the top of Emma's head. Her fuzzy hair tickled his nose. “You two sleep well, all right?”

Gage offered a smile for Lady Shaw and rose. He should spend the least time possible near this woman. It would not do to have a crew member finding them and jumping to the wrong conclusions. Just as he moved away from the two, Emma whimpered, “Papa!”

He swung around, ready to save the woman and the child from some unknown intruder. But no one was there. Instead, Emma rested in Lady Shaw's lap, her arms stretched out towards him. Gage paused. Lady Shaw's jaw clenched and her delicate brow furrowed. After a moment, her face flushed. “Emma, he is
not
your papa.” Her hushed voice held a sharp tone. She met Gage's gaze. “I'm so sorry, sir. I have no idea why she would—”

****

Ivy bit her lip and squeezed Emma closer to herself as heat continued to stain her cheeks. She hoped Captain Thompson had never heard Emma refer to her as
Mama.

“What's wrong, miss? She can call me ‘Papa' if she so wishes.” He crouched down on the sand, his face nearly level with hers. Ivy squeezed her eyes shut. This was mortifying. If Emma had said either in public back in London, her reputation would be in shreds.

“No, she may not. People will think…oh, never mind. It is simply wrong. We do not want her to get confused.”

Captain Thompson's eyes remained on Ivy. Emma broke the silence by launching herself towards the man. Ivy had no choice but to release the tyke, or she would have tumbled on top of him as well. The captain chuckled and caught Emma in an embrace. Something tugged on Ivy's heart as she gazed upon the two. He truly was a good man, and they looked so sweet together. A sigh escaped from her lips. “If she wants to sleep by you, then that's all right with me.” Ivy stifled a yawn.

Captain Thompson grinned. The moonlight made his teeth shine. Was the man ever without his charming smile? “Goodnight then, milady.” Just as he rose, Emma shrieked once more.

Ivy cringed as she heard some of the men on the other side of the beach grumble. Heaven knows what they would do to her if Emma disrupted their sleep more than once. Oh, what had she been thinking, dragging a baby along with her on a ship like this? She
hadn't
been thinking.

Captain Thompson whispered soothing nonsense to the girl, who pointed down at Ivy. “What is it? What do you want, sweetheart?” He lowered himself to kneel next to Ivy once again.

“Sleep here.”

Ivy gasped. Emma had barely ever said more than one word the entire time she'd been caring for her, much less words that made sense together.

“You want to sleep by your ma—Lady Shaw?” Captain Thompson's brow furrowed.

“You sleep too.”

Ivy squeezed her eyes shut in horror.

“Oh…well…I…” Captain Thompson let out a long breath before Ivy finally opened her eyes. His face shone bright red, even in the moonlight. “I can't…sleep here too, darling. It wouldn't be right.”

Emma's tiny face crumpled. Ivy sucked in a deep breath. The poor girl. After everything that had happened to her—
abandoned
by her own mother—Ivy hurt to see her upset. Would it be so hard to grant her one request? Ivy met Captain Thompson's gaze. He stared at her in bewilderment. “If it's all right with you, Captain, you may stay…nearby so Emma can fall asleep happily. I would hate to deprive her of something so simple.”

“Sleep…here? By you?”

“Yes, sir. I know it isn't proper, but neither is sleeping on a beach filled with forty men. I do not think allowing one to sleep a few feet closer to me—separated by a babe—will harm me overmuch.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “You're certain?”

“Aye, sir.”

Ivy scooted over and reclined on the sand, leaving plenty of room for Captain Thompson. Just because he slept
near
her did not mean he had to sleep
next
to her. Slowly, the man also stretched himself out and positioned Emma between them and rotated his back to her. “Goodnight then, milady.”

Ivy's lips tugged upwards in a small smile. “Goodnight, Captain.”