Christine Dorsey - [Sea 01] (33 page)

“And what will happen to your sister while you are dismembering plants?”

Jack only glared in response. Damn, he hated her never-ending questions. He really hadn’t planned on simply attacking the town, but he didn’t care for his wife’s reasonable tone. His fists clenched. “I shall find a way to get her away from them.”

“But I can help you do that.” Miranda hurried on before the pirate could argue. “I speak Spanish like a... well, like a Spaniard. You even took me for one the first time you saw me. If I go ashore at St. Augustine—”

“God’s blood!” Jack advanced on her so quickly Miranda took an involuntary step backward. “Do you think for one moment I’d allow you into that Spanish lair?” The woman was insane. He had suspected it before. Before this wild attraction between them got in the way of his thinking. But now he was certain.

“The Spanish are no different from you and me. One of my grandfather’s and my dearest friends is Spanish and—”

“They’re a bloodthirsty lot,” Jack insisted. He couldn’t believe what she was saying, defending the people who had killed his parents.

“Some of them are, ‘tis true. But others, like Don Luis, are warm and kind. Just as some English, some Scots, are evil.”

Jack opened his mouth to tell her exactly what he thought of her logic, but the pounding stopped him. “What?” he yelled while jerking open the door.

Phin, Scar, King, and No Thumb stood crowded in the passageway. They didn’t come forward, nor did they back away when their captain glared at them.

“What the hell do you want?” Jack was in no mood for this interruption.

“Just wonderin’ how her ladyship’s doin’. Couldn’t help but hear some yellin’ down here, Cap’n.”

“Her ladyship is doing just fine. Much better, I might add, than when someone hid her in the hold.”

Phin flushed beneath his sun-darkened skin. “Now, that weren’t my idea, Cap’n.”

Jack glanced toward Miranda. “I’m quite sure of that. However, you did go along with her scheme.” Whenever Jack thought of his delicate wife sleeping down in that dark, rat-infested hold, he grew angrier. He crossed his arms. “Unless I miss my guess, you were all in on this.” And he planned to punish each and every one of them.

“Now, Cap’n, I ain’t sure havin’ her along ain’t a right good idea.” This from Scar, who inched himself forward. “She most likely can ferret out de Segovia for ye.”

Jack’s eyes found Miranda’s. “How many people have you discussed this preposterous scheme with?”

“Just Phin... and you.”

“And Phin took it upon himself to inform the rest of the crew, I suppose,” Jack said, impaling his quartermaster with his steeliest gaze.

“Aw, Cap’n. We’re just tryin’ to think things through logically.”

Jack gaped at Phin as he spoke. Good Lord, where had he heard those words before?

“Ye want yer revenge on de Segovia, and none of us can blame ye.” There was a general mumbling of agreement among the men. “But ye ain’t been havin’ much luck so far.”

“I didn’t know where the man was.”

“True ‘nough, but ye still ain’t sure. Leastways ye ain’t sure where in St. Augustine he is. And well, we just can’t go on lookin’ for him forever.”

Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “If you recall, we’ve all made a pretty hefty profit while looking for him.”

“Aye, we have.” Phin nodded, and the other men joined in. “But pickin’s are gettin’ slim. Ye knows that as well as me. Just ain’t that many pigeon-fat Spanish galleons floatin’ round no more. We need to be off to new seas!”

“I suppose you’re speaking of the Indian Ocean.”

“Right ye are, Cap’n.” Scar spoke up but after an admonishing look from Phin shut his mouth.

“Now, Cap’n, rumor is a pirate can get hisself richer than Midas pluckin’ gold off them Mogul ships.”

Jack said nothing. He simply tried to settle the seething inside him.

“Now, we ain’t suggestin’ we give up on de Segovia. We all know how important killin’ him is to ye. But we been thinkin’ the sooner we get it done, the better.”

Phin shifted uncomfortably under his captain’s silent, scathing stare, but he bolstered his courage, and continued. “And we been thinkin’ too, that the best way to do that is to let her ladyship help.”

It was a mutiny, a goddamn mutiny. And his wife was the center of it!

Jack turned to her, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. Phin had the same problem, but he was bold enough not to study the tips of his shoes as Miranda was doing.

Jack’s voice was low... calm. Anyone who didn’t know him would think he found the discussion appealing. But the pirates knew differently, and so did Miranda. “It appears you’ve all agreed upon this... an without my thoughts or wishes being considered.”

“Now, Cap’n, that ain’t true a’tall. We knows how ye feel ‘bout de Segovia and yer sister. That’s why we’re wantin’ to help ye.”

Jack ignored Phin’s explanation. “And you agreed upon this without remembering who’s the captain of this ship.”

“We ain’t forgot,” Scar chimed in.

“Good. Then, let’s get the
Sea Hawk
turned about and take my
wife
back to Charles Town.”

No one moved.

The air in the cramped space seemed heavy, near ready to crackle like the moment before lightning struck. Jack held his ground, but he felt some of it slipping away beneath his booted feet.

It was King who brought up the articles. He stepped forward, and the other crew members let him through, in a move that Jack thought was probably planned. The big black man lifted his hand slowly. He was near the same height as Jack, and though not as broad in the shoulders and chest, still a formidable-looking man, with his fierce expression and his tattoos.

But for all that and the fact that he was a pirate, King had a gentle heart, and a loyal heart, and Jack felt a deep sense of betrayal when he spoke. “According to the articles, we all have an equal vote in the affairs of the moment.”

“And you’ve already had this vote?”

“No, Cap’n, we ain’t,” Phin said. It was obvious he found this entire encounter upsetting. “But there be little doubt how it would go, if’n we did.”

Jack had little doubt either. He turned and walked into the cabin. The pirates followed.

“Don’t make us vote, Captain.” King put his hand on Jack’s arm. “The men can’t see beyond the promise of gold in the East.”

Jack blew air out of his mouth. “I don’t appear to have a choice.” He was intimately familiar with the articles that ran the
Sea Hawk
. He had helped draw them up. But they’d never been used against
him
... until now.

In the past he’d given his crew ample opportunity to disagree with him, but they hadn’t. Their exploits in the Caribbean, exploits that stemmed primarily from Jack’s desire to find de Segovia, had made them wealthy.

But now, now when the issue centered around Miranda, they chose to challenge him And he had no idea what to do about it.

“It ain’t that we’re shying away from goin’ to St. Augustine, Cap’n. We ain’t. We’re behind ye.”

“Aye, Cap’n, ye can count on me cutlass anytime.”

But not you
, Jack thought, though he said nothing.

“We just be wantin’ to get it good and done so’s we can move on.”

“Aye, that’s the right a it,” agreed No Thumb. “We just want to get to them Mogul ships ‘afore there ain’t no more gold.”

Jack wanted to tell them to go on, then. To take the
Sea Hawk
and sail off to the Indian Ocean. But he didn’t. He’d been a pirate long enough to know they didn’t take kindly to a crew member, even if it was the captain, going against the majority.

And Lord help him, he wanted them to go to St. Augustine with him. He didn’t think he stood a chance of finding his sister and avenging his parents’ deaths without the ship and her crew.

But he didn’t care what they said, he wasn’t going to endanger Miranda. Even though she was the cause of all this.

“Well, I guess we’ll be leavin’ ye now, Cap’n,” Phin said. He backed toward the door, and the other pirates followed. When the latch caught behind them, Miranda turned toward her husband.

“What were they talking about? Voting. I don’t understand.”

He didn’t want to talk to her right now. And he sure as hell didn’t want to answer one of her countless questions. But Jack forced himself to face her. “Pirates are a free, independent lot... not much enamored of rules or rule makers, like the gentry. They gave up most of that when they became pirates.” As he spoke, Jack busied himself gathering some shirts and breeches. “They don’t like the idea of following orders, from anyone.”

“But you’re the captain.”

“Only because they choose for me to be. They can vote me out at any time.”

“That’s what they were threatening to do, isn’t it?”

Jack glanced up from stuffing his shaving dish into the ditty bag. “How clever you are.”

The sarcasm in his voice made Miranda raise her chin. “It wasn’t my fault. I never suggested they overthrow you... or go to the Indian Ocean, either.”

“Nay!” Jack tossed the canvas sack on the bunk. “But you did stow away on my ship and talk my crew into hiding that from me.”

“I did it because I wanted to help.”

 “Well, I don’t
need
, nor do I
want
your help.” Jack grabbed up the pile of belongings he’d tossed together. “I wish to God I’d never attacked that British ship,” he mumbled, before heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” Miranda scurried to block his exit. This wasn’t turning out at all as she had planned. She knew he was angry, yet thought if they could only discuss this rationally...

“To the crew’s quarters.” Jack easily set her out of his way. “This cabin is at your disposal.”

“But, it’s yours.” Miranda felt tears threatening—silly, irrational tears.

“Perhaps, however I can’t in good conscience allow you to continue sleeping in the hold. And though I realize you’re the darling of the crew, I don’t think it appropriate for you to stay with them.”

“But I thought... I thought we’d stay in your cabin... together.” Heat crept up Miranda, coloring her cheeks.

He stared down at her and swallowed, wishing the notion weren’t appealing. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” was all he said before he turned, and left the cabin.

“Ye ain’t lookin’ too chipper this mornin’. I’d a thought bein’ outta that dank hole a blessin’.”

“Oh, it is, Phin.” Miranda was standing on deck, hands clutching the rail, letting the wind gust through her unbound hair. When she woke this morning, she’d felt compelled to come up into the sunshine, and since then hadn’t seemed to get enough of the fresh air and light.

But though her body was revived, her spirit was none too “chipper” as Phin put it. She felt very out of sorts as if her humors were all churned up. And there was but one reason for that. Miranda’s gaze skittered toward the quarterdeck, then jerked back again when she remembered Phin was watching her.

“Ye and the cap’n have a spat?” he asked, scratching at his beard.

A spat hardly seemed to cover it, but Miranda nodded. “He’s very angry with me.”

“An’ rightly so, I’ll wager.”

“What?” Miranda blinked up at him. “I thought you were on my side. You said I should go along to help him find de Segovia. You said —”

“Don’t matter none what I said.” Phin leaned his corded arms over the rail. He still favored his left side, but it was healing up well, thanks to Miranda.

“But...”

“Now, don’t go gettin’ yerself in a fluster. I do think the cap’n could use yer help. And God’s teeth, he sure needs to get this de Segovia kilt. But that don’t mean he ain’t got good reason to be up there on the quarterdeck sulkin’.”

Miranda’s eyes strayed again. “Is that what he’s doing?”

Phin took a deep breath of salty air. “Says he’s not, but I know’d the cap’n since he was no more’n a lad. He’s feelin’ like we all lied to ‘im, then deserted ‘im to boot.”

“But it’s only because we care about him,” Miranda blurted out before she realized what she was saying.

“Aye, an’ that’s the truth. Ain’t never been a man I been fonder a than the cap’n. Rest a the crew feels the same. But that don’t mean he ain’t hurtin’. He’s a proud man, and he don’t like anyone hidin’ stuff from him.”

 How many times could she say that she was only trying to help? The words seemed hollow when she really thought of them, true though they were.

Besides, Miranda knew there was more to her sneaking aboard the
Sea Hawk
than simply helping her husband.

After Phin walked away she tried to decide if she should tell her husband all of the truth. It would make her feel exposed, and Miranda wasn’t sure she liked that idea. She was used to dealing with reason and logic, and her feelings for the captain seemed to defy both.

She’d known love before. With her grandfather it had been so much a part of her life that she’d taken it for granted. There had been uncertainty about her father, but that had evaporated after two minutes in his presence.

But this emotion she felt for the pirate captain, she didn’t even know for certain that it was love. But she
did
have an overwhelming desire to be with him.