Christine Dorsey - [Sea 01] (19 page)

Lying was one thing. He did it often, and usually well—to the royal revenuer, to the citizens of Charles Town who looked upon him as a privateer at worst, even to certain females of his acquaintance when he whispered hollow words of love. Sometimes Jack thought his entire life was a lie, had been since he’d encountered de Segovia.

But lying to Miranda Chadwick was an entirely different thing than the norm. She accepted nothing on face value. She questioned, latching on to the least discrepancy like a ferret, not letting loose. It was a trait he found most annoying. And one, in spite of himself, he admired in her.

But that wasn’t the only thing he admired about Miranda Chadwick. He liked the slight tilt of her deep blue eyes and the line of her neck. The soft cloud of raven hair and the feel of those slightly pouty lips on—Jack caught himself. God’s blood, what was he doing? This sort of ruminating about his captive was exactly what led him to take her upon the sandy path in the forest.

And
that
was the reason he was here now, fumbling for words like a callow youth.

He looked at her now and found her watching him with an odd mixture of anxiety and bravado—false he assumed. “I’m not going to hurt you.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, before he realized how they echoed his earlier claim. The one he’d already proven false by his actions.

She realized it, too. He could tell by the darkening of her expression, by the way her chin rose ever so slightly. Jack cleared his throat. “I mean, I do intend to return you to Charles Town.”

“So you said.”

“Aye.” Jack gave a curt nod and clamped his hands behind his back. He knew he was repeating himself, and making a mess of an already messy situation. “We need to discuss what happened on shore,” he said, before he could change his mind and simply leave the cabin. He might be a pirate and a rogue, but he did have some conscience left. He couldn’t help thinking that this very same thing had probably happened to his sister.

“Why?” Miranda stood.

“Why, what?”

“Why must we discuss it?”

God’s blood, must there be a reason for everything? “Because... because, I took your maidenhood, and—”

“I wish we could simply forget it ever happened.”

So did he, but Jack didn’t think it possible. “But it did,” he said softly.

“True.” Miranda paced toward the window, seemed to realize that was where the pirate captain stood and turned back toward the desk. “It is an indisputable fact. However, I think it better for all concerned if we ignore it.”

Miranda bit her bottom lip. She didn’t tell him that she couldn’t think about it in a logical way. Every time she remembered the feel of him, the way he made her soar to the heavens, her emotions engulfed her, forcing reason aside. And she couldn’t deal with something that didn’t involve reason. Which meant she couldn’t deal with the pirate.

“Ignore it?” Jack dug his fingers through his hair.

“Yes.” Miranda folded her hands. “As I said before, pretend it never happened.” Another thought came to her, one that surprised her. The pirate seemed worried, or at least concerned about what they’d done. That in itself did not seem very much like what she’d heard of pirates. Perhaps he feared his ransom would be less since she was no longer an innocent. Maybe he feared it wouldn’t even be worth his while to return her.

“You needn’t concern yourself that I shall tell what happened. To my father, I mean. It was partially my fault.” She dropped her gaze.

“It wasn’t your fault. And as for your father, that’s not my concern.” God’s blood, another lie. But to Jack’s credit, it wasn’t his
main
concern. “I am a pirate!”

“Precisely.” Miranda nodded her agreement. “This sort of thing must happen to you all the time.” She seemed to wait for his agreement, so Jack gave it to her.

“Upon occasion.” Actually, nothing remotely like this had ever occurred before. Because he had never kidnapped anyone before. And if not for Henry Chadwick and his daughter, it wouldn’t have happened this time.

“As I thought. But you see it has never happened to me before.” She bit the end of her thumbnail, and Jack winced. In the short time he’d known her, he’d come to realize that that gesture preceded a question. “I imagine you know that, don’t you?”

“Know what?” Just once he’d like to be able to answer one of her myriad questions.

“That I had never forni— I mean experienced the act of reproduction.”

“I knew.”

“I assumed you did because you must have noticed when you rent my maiden—”

“I said I knew?” For heaven’s sake. He expected recriminations or crying, or all manner of things, but never, never this cold, unemotional discussion.

“Oh.” Miranda took a step back despite her earlier resolve to meet the pirate head on. She didn’t like it when he yelled. Her grandfather had never yelled, except perhaps when he’d discovered some new scientific truth. But his had been a joyful yell, not one filled with anger and frustration like the pirate’s. What did he have to be irate about? By his own admission this sort of thing happened to him all the time. She on the other hand... Miranda sucked in a calming breath, trying to remember that reproduction was a natural, scientifically explained act.

Jack leaned into the window seat under the windows, trying to regain his calm. When he turned from the view of untamed shore, he kept his voice level. “I don’t think —”

“Yes, but I do. And what I think is that I don’t want to discuss this anymore.” Miranda’s throat tightened, and she felt silly, emotional and, worst of all, illogical tears burn her eyes. She blinked them back. “There is nothing to be gained by arguing this further. Well, is there?”

“Nay,” Jack answered, realizing she’d finally asked him a question he could reply to. Yet finding no solace in the truth of it.

“Then, it is as I said earlier. We shall just forget it happened.”

Jack stared at her for long moments, noticing the bottom lip that quivered ever so slightly and the deep blue eyes that tried but couldn’t quite meet his. She wasn’t as immune to what they’d done as she tried to pretend. Still, he couldn’t argue with her logic. There was nothing to be done for it. He let out his breath slowly. “As you wish.”

“Thank you.” Miranda wiped her damp palms down the sides of her skirt, hoping above all else he would simply leave the cabin. He must have understood her silent entreaty, for he unclasped his hands and strode to the door.

“There’s one thing more.”

Would he never leave her to shed the tears she kept at bay with such difficulty?

“I spoke with the men, Phin and Scar, and the rest.”

Miranda’s eyes shot up to meet his, all thoughts of crying forgotten. Had he told them what she and the pirate had done? But no, Captain Blackstone was saying something about the pirates wanting the chance to talk with her again about gravity and light. “And you agreed to this?”

“Aye. Of course there is to be no more climbing the rigging or showing the men disgusting little animals swimming about in their grog.”

“Of course.”

“And you don’t have to speak with them if you’d rather not.”

“Oh, no. I want to.” If anything could take her mind off the pirate captain, it was discussing science with his men.

She seemed so pleased with his announcement that Jack could do naught but turn and leave. He’d taken care of his first problem as best he could. At least that’s what Jack tried to tell himself.

By the time he reached the deck, the tide was up and his crew was busy unfurling the sails that would skim them to the creek’s mouth. From there they’d head to Charles Town and then on to St. Augustine.

After Don Diego de Segovia.

“Ain’t she somethin’?”

Jack turned, focused on his quartermaster, and mumbled an annoyed, “Who?”

Phin’s expression assured Jack he wasn’t fooling a damn soul, at least not the wily old pirate. “I seen ye watchin’ her, Cap’n. If’n I didn’t know’d she weren’t your type, I’d swear ye was smitten.”

“Thank God you know she’s not my type.” Jack ignored Phin’s snaggle-toothed grin, and leaned on the rail of the quarterdeck. He
had
been watching Miranda as she sat on a roll of hemp in the shade of the mast. She was sketching on parchment, intent on her work, but not seeming to mind the frequent pauses she had to make. Each time a member of the crew passed her, he stopped to say a few words.

Hell, every single pirate on this damn ship seemed smitten with her—except himself, of course. He was just perplexed, and annoyed. And he couldn’t really figure out why.

Under the circumstances things were working out better than he expected. Her reaction to their lovemaking surprised him. But then, everything about her surprised him. When she’d come on deck, shortly after they sailed, Miranda Chadwick hadn’t mentioned their encounter in the forest. God’s blood, she showed no sign it even happened! Not that he wanted crying or gnashing of teeth—God no. But this was ridiculous.

Since the moment he’d left his... her cabin, Miranda had acted as if nothing had happened. As soon as she’d come above deck she began asking questions, and had barely stopped since. Not of him, of course.

He couldn’t really say she ignored him, but damn close. That was for the best. Hadn’t he already decided that getting through the next few days, until he could foist her off into her proud papa’s arms, was going to be difficult? Well, they’d be a hell of a lot easier if he didn’t have to speak with her.

“Ye know, Cap’n...”

Jack glanced back toward Phin. He’d come close to forgetting the man was even there. “Yer claim that she ain’t yer type a woman would be a lot more convincin’ if ye didn’t look at her like some love-sick lad.”

Jack’s eyes flashed to Phin’s. “I’m doing no such thing “

Phin only screwed up his face and hunched his shoulders in a poor imitation of a shrug.

“Well, I’m not!” A quick glance about the deck showed several heads turned his way, including the creamy-skinned one of the lady in question. Jack lowered his voice. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. That woman ‘tis nothing but trouble.”

“Don’t know.” Phin rubbed his beard. “I’m kinda fond a her meself.”

“Good. Fine.” Jack emphasized his words by placing his hands on his hips. “Care about her all you like. It makes no difference to me. Personally I can’t wait to return her to Charles Town and end this farce of a kidnapping.”

“That why ye had us leave ‘fore we even got the hull cleaned?”

“Nay.” Jack leaned against the rail and watched a gull swoop through the air. High tide had filled the channel so that they sailed easily toward the creek’s mouth. But he hadn’t told anyone why they sailed. Jack let out his breath. “De Segovia is back in St. Augustine.”

Phin’s eyes widened, then narrowed till there was naught but the dark pupils showing through the lids. “How do ye come by this?”

Jack leaned on his forearms. “I met Nafkebee in the forest. He had contact with a tribe from farther south, down in land claimed by the Spanish. They told him de Segovia has returned to St. Augustine as the new head of the garrison there.”

Phin scratched at his chin. “But how did Nafkebee know how to find ye?”

“Robert told him.”

“Yer uncle?”

“Aye. Before we left Charles Town I told Uncle Robert of this... kidnapping.” Jack grimaced. “And that we were headed for Snebley’s Creek. When Nafkebee couldn’t find me in Charles Town, he sought out Robert, who told him where I was.” Jack paused. “Robert sent his own message that we should return to Charles Town immediately.”

Phin seemed to absorb that information; then he shook his head. “So that’s what had ye actin’ so strange.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Ever since we came upon ye and Mistress Miranda in the forest ye been actin’ all crazy like.”

Jack’s jaw clenched. “I’m anxious to find de Segovia and hopefully my sister.”

“I know’s that, Cap’n.”

Phin’s expression was so solemn, Jack had a sudden urge to explain that there was more than de Segovia bothering him. But that wouldn’t be fair to Miranda, and besides, Jack didn’t know what Phin’s reaction would be. They both had their share of women whenever they were in port. But in Phin’s own words, he was fond of Miranda.

Fond of her in a fatherly way, if Jack didn’t miss his guess. The kind of fondness that wouldn’t take to someone hurting her, even if that someone was his good friend Jack.

“God save me from fathers,” Jack mumbled under his breath.

“What’s that, Cap’n?”

“Nothing.” Jack shook his head. “We simply need to get back to Charles Town quickly.”

“But what ‘bout Henry?”

“What about him? And keep your voice down.” Jack shot a quick glance to where Miranda sat. She appeared to be deep in conversation with Scar. The fact that Scar could be deep in conversation about anything was a marvel.

“She can’t hear me, Cap’n.”

“Maybe not. But Henry wouldn’t be happy if his daughter found out how well we know her father.”

“So what’s he gonna say when we bring her back to Charles Town early? What if the king’s revenuer ain’t sailed yet?”

“That’s going to have to be Henry’s problem,” Jack said. But in the end he knew it would be his, too. He loosened his cravat. “Certainly he can keep his daughter from telling about us for a few days!