Savannah Heat (45 page)

Silver didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She’d thought about it, of course; she couldn’t deny it. But was marriage really what she wanted? He’d asked her once before, though that had been different—or had it? Morgan had always been concerned with propriety. Love had not yet been mentioned. And there were other considerations—like the problems she still faced with her father.

“I don’t want to go back to Katonga,” she said, avoiding the subject. “If I go back, my father will never let me leave again.”

“Your father and I are friends, Silver. This isn’t going to be nearly as difficult as you believe.”

You’re wrong
, she thought,
so terribly, painfully wrong
. “You don’t know him like I do. He won’t let me go.”

Morgan took both of her hands, which had started to tremble. “Surely you can’t believe that.”

“He’ll find a way. He’s no longer the man you once knew—he couldn’t be.”

“Listen to me, Silver.” He gently squeezed her hands. “Besides myself, there are five marines, fourteen crewmen, and nearly a dozen mercenaries aboard this ship. If it takes all of them to get you off Katonga, then that’s what they’ll do. Now will you trust me?”

It isn’t a matter of trust
. “I know you don’t agree with me, but it seems this ought to be my decision. If you care for me enough to marry me, surely you can respect my wishes.”

Morgan’s look turned hard. Eyes a sparkling green just moments before now looked dark and unreachable, and tiny lines creased his suntanned brow. “Damn it, Silver, don’t put me in this position. I owe this to your father.”

She wanted to argue, to shout and rail and plead with him not to make her go. But she didn’t. “All right,” she finally conceded though it galled her to do so. “We’ll do it your way.” Didn’t they always?

They spent much of their time alone; even Sogger was banned from their quarters, much to his furry chagrin. But at supper Hamilton Riley joined them, and sometimes Jeremy Flagg, whose swift action in battle had earned him a promotion to first mate. Mr. Flagg was generally cheerful, and Ham was good-natured as always.

“I really liked your brother,” Ham said to Morgan one night as they supped on the last of the chicken and some fresh squash and fruit Mr. Flagg had requisitioned from a small Mayan village. “As far as I’m concerned, Brendan’s a damned fine soldier.”

During the weeks since they’d left Georgia, Ham had really matured. He was a man now. In combat he had distinguished himself, led his men bravely, and remained clearheaded. Morgan planned to recommend him for promotion.

“To tell you the truth,” Morgan said, setting his fork aside and lifting his wineglass, “I’m worried about him. He was always so brash and impetuous. Now he just seems brooding and withdrawn. It isn’t like him.”

“He’s suffered a great deal,” Silver said.

“It must have been terrible in there,” Ham added. “He lost some very good friends, to say nothing of the physical abuse he endured.”

“I got a small taste of what went on in there.” Morgan took another long drink of his wine. “I can imagine what Brendan went through. Damn, I wish there’d been something I could have said or done to help him.”

“When will Brendan be back in Savannah?” Silver asked.

“He isn’t coming back. That’s another thing that bothers me. Brendan plans to stay in Texas. Before all this happened, I would have thought he was staying for the challenge, the chance to spread his wings in such wide-open country, but now …” Morgan sighed wearily. “There was a time I would have believed him capable of anything. Now I’m not so sure.”

“He’ll be all right,” Silver said. “Underneath it all, Brendan’s a very strong man—just like his brother.”

“If you want to worry,” Jeremy Flagg put in with a look of concern, “you best be worryin’ about Master Little.”

“Jordy?” Morgan said. “What’s the matter with Jordy?”

“Beats me, but the lad’s not himself lately. He’s been real blue since Mr. Bouillard done left the ship.”

“I’ve tried to talk to him,” Silver said. “I think he’s worried about what will happen to him once we get
back to Savannah. Jordy’s got no family, no one to look after him. Morgan’s all but quit the sea, Jacques is gone, and Cookie has a lady friend he seems quite serious about. Where does that leave Jordy?”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way. I knew he loved the sea. I thought he’d want to stay on with the ship.”

“He’s awfully young, Morgan. As long as the others were with him, Jordy felt he had family. Once we reach Georgia, he’ll have no one.”

Morgan covered her hand with his. “He’s got me,” he said, “and he’s got you. We just haven’t told him so lately.”

Silver smiled and felt another burden lifted from her heart.

As soon as supper ended, they went up on deck to look for him. “Have you seen Jordy?” Morgan asked Cookie, who stood busily hanging pots above the table in the galley.

“He finished up here and took off by himself. He’s been doing that a lot lately.” Cookie smiled at Silver. “You get enough to eat? Wouldn’t want you gettin’ skinny.”

“It was delicious, Cookie. I couldn’t hold another bite.”

Morgan searched the fo’c’sle but turned up nothing.

“I bet he’s gone below,” Silver said.

“Down in the hold? Surely he isn’t down there.”

“I’ve found him there before. It may be damp and musty, but it’s quiet, and there’s nobody around to bother you.”

“You ought to know.” His mouth curved up in amusement. “I should have taken you to task for stowing away like that, but in truth I was damned
glad you did. God knows where you’d be right now if you’d stayed in Barbados.”

“I’m sure dear Lydia was glad to see me gone.”

Morgan chuckled. “I can’t say I blame her. She knew the moment she saw you that she didn’t stand a chance.”

As Silver predicted, when they descended the ladder to the hold, a yellow light glowed in one corner. With a yowl, Sogger came racing toward them and brushed against Silver’s legs as she walked along.

“You never could keep a secret,” she scolded him, but he just purred and yawned.

“Come on.” Morgan took her hand and led her over the ship’s ribs to the corner. Jordy set his seaman’s manual aside and came to his feet. Considering how hard he’d been working, his striped shirt and pants looked clean, though the toes of his flatheel boots were scuffed and worn.

“Somethin’ wrong, Cap’n?”

“Yes, son, there is. But it’s nothing you’ve done. It’s something I’ve done—or more correctly, haven’t done.”

Jordy looked confused.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Silver said, indicating several empty crates Jordy had arranged to sit on. The lantern flickered, casting long dark shadows on the walls.

“Kind of lonely down here, isn’t it, son?” Every time Morgan called him that, something flickered in Jordy’s eyes.

“I like it ’cause it’s private.”

“Private can sometimes be lonesome.”

Jordy swallowed hard. “Figure I might as well get used to it, what with you all goin’ away when we git—get—back home.”

Morgan’s jaw tightened. He cleared his throat. “I
know you’ve worked hard, Jordy, I know you have plans for a ship of your own one day, but I—we—that is, Silver and I—we thought maybe you might consider waiting awhile before you shipped out again.”

Jordy’s head came up. Strands of auburn hair fell over his forehead, but he shoved them back with the palm of his hand. “What—what do you mean? You ain’t—aren’t—gonna give me a berth? But I thought, I mean, I know you was—were—mad about the reward money, but I didn’t take it. I thought you believed me. I thought—”

“That’s not what I meant, Jordy.”

Jordy swallowed hard, looking close to tears. “Please don’t ask me to leave the ship, Cap’n Trask. I got no place else to go.”

“Oh, Jordy,” Silver whispered, wanting to go to him but knowing this wasn’t the time.”

“I want you to come home with us, son. To my house in Savannah. You could go to school there for a few more years, catch up on your education. When you’re ready, you could go back to sea.”

For a moment Jordy just stared at him. “You want me to live with you?”

Morgan smiled. “If you want to. I know it’s kind of an imposition, you being a seaman and all, but well, we could sure use the help and—”

“Oh, yes,” Jordy said. “I won’t be no trouble—any trouble—and I’ll earn my keep and”—he glanced up at Morgan with such longing Silver’s heart turned over—“and when you call me son, you’ll be proud to say it.”

Morgan blinked hard and had to glance away. Stepping forward, he clasped Jordy’s shoulders, then gripped him in a warm bear hug. “I’ve always been proud, son. I just never told you.”

* * *

Silver pulled out the long wooden bench in the galley and sat down. Steam billowed up from the roiling kettles of broth on the stove. “He’s doing it again, Cookie.” The stout old sailor handed her a steaming mug of coffee. “He’s making decisions for me without even asking, and I don’t like it.”

“I wondered how long you’d let him keep the upper hand.” He chuckled softly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just means lovin’ someone doesn’t mean you can’t disagree with them. What’s he done now?”

“He’s told me I’m going to marry him. He’s even told Jordy, in a manner of speaking.”

“I thought every woman wanted to get married. I know my Mildred does. That’s pret’ near all she can talk about.”

“Not this woman. At least I never wanted to before. I wanted to live my life on my own. I don’t want to live under some man’s domineering rules—even Morgan’s.”

“You love him, don’t you?”

“The question is, Does he love me?”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Maybe I will.”

“And maybe you won’t.”

How did he know that
? “If he loved me, surely he’d say so.”

“It’s hard for him.”

It was hard for me
. “There are things I haven’t told him, Cookie. I suppose I should have. I hoped I wouldn’t have to.”

“Do you think it will make any difference?”

“I don’t know.”

“We’ll be in Barbados in a day, two at most. If I
was you, I’d get it off my chest while you’ve still got him all to yourself.”

Silver didn’t answer, just took a sip of her coffee, cradling the mug between her hands.

“While you’re about it, missy, you damn well better make up your mind about gettin’ married.”

Silver scoffed. “My father bullied my mother. He was dominating and overbearing, cruel and malicious. Sheridan Knowles—that’s our manager—treats his wife just the same.”

“Cap’n’s a man; he’s bound to be a bit highhanded at times. He’s as stubborn as they come, he’s bossy and sometimes downright cantankerous, but you ain’t some sweet-mouthed little schoolgirl neither. Takes a powerful strong man to handle you, missy. Never you believe no different. Most likely you two got some pretty hard-fought battles ahead of you, but if you care enough, you’ll make things work out.”

“How do you know so much about marriage?”

“My ma and pa were the happiest two people you ever coulda known. It can happen, Silver. Believe it, and it can happen to you.”

Silver watched him a moment, mulling over his words, thinking about Morgan and how much she loved him. “Thank you, Cookie.”

Never had she meant the words more. Damn it to hell, now she knew what was the matter. She loved Morgan—desperately—and she had almost lost him. She was letting him run over her because she didn’t want to lose him again. But Cookie was right. Her opinions were just as important as Morgan’s—and if he didn’t care enough about her to listen, she didn’t want him.

Morgan watched the set of Silver’s shoulders, the stiff way she carried herself. She’d been edgy all through supper, relieved, it seemed, when the meal had ended and they’d gone up on deck for their late-evening stroll.

Watching the tension in her profile, Morgan stopped at the rail and turned to face her. “Why do I get the distinct impression you have something you’re dying to say to me?” The moon, full and glistening on the water, lit the small empty space where they stood near the bow of the ship. Beneath them the frothy seas parted and slid away against the hull.

Silver lifted her chin as if readying herself to do battle. “Will we reach Barbados tomorrow?”

“Yes. Probably sometime early in the morning.”

“Then it seems now would be a good time for you to ask me.”

“Ask you what?”

Silver bristled even more. “Why, to marry you, of course—if you still want to.”

“Of course I want to. I thought we had all this settled.”

“
You
had it settled. I have yet to have a say in the matter.”

“You have yet …?” Morgan raked a hand through his thick dark blond hair. “Damn it, Silver, you know how hard this is for me.”

“You’ve had little trouble ordering me around these past few months, but then
asking
instead of commanding is always more difficult.”

Morgan might have smiled if she hadn’t looked so damned serious. “You little vixen, you’re enjoying this.”

Silver’s firm look softened. “Just pretend I’m not here.”

Morgan laughed at that. “I suppose you want me down on my knees.”