To Catch a Pirate (14 page)

Authors: Jade Parker

“Four ninety-six, four ninety-seven, four ninety-eight” — Governor Rogers dropped the last coin into the chest — “four ninety-nine.”

He glanced up at Annalisa, James, and Nathaniel. The
Phantom Mist
was so distinctive, so well known, that they’d barely spotted New Providence before two British men-of-war had descended upon them and escorted them into the harbor.

Annalisa, James, and Nathaniel had been apprehended and taken to the governor’s office, despite their protests. They stood in front of his desk, having arrived that morning. Annalisa had begun to explain about her quest, but it seemed the governor already knew a good deal about it, thanks in part to the legitimate letter of marque he’d presented to Nathaniel.

Rogers, with his powdered wig sitting perfectly atop his head, looked at each of them now. “According to the king’s letter, there are five hundred pieces of gold. Search the pirate,” he said drolly.

One of the red-uniformed guards standing just behind them stepped forward and began to pat James’s clothing.

“The king’s treasurer must have miscounted,” Annalisa began.

“Here ’tis.” The soldier moved away from James and delivered it carefully to Rogers.

“Surely you can’t fault me with wanting a small souvenir of my adventures,” James said.

Rogers looked disgusted. “Lock him up.”

Annalisa took a step forward. “No, please, have mercy. He saved us from Black Bart.”

“Black Bart Roberts?” Rogers asked.

Annalisa nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“You’re telling me that you escaped the clutches of that notorious pirate?”

“With Sterling’s help.”

Rogers looked past her. “I didn’t rescind my order, soldier. Lock him up, and bring Governor Townsend back with you.”

She started to move toward James, but he held up a hand to stop her. “I’ll be all right.”

She wasn’t so certain, but what more could she do if the governor was determined not to listen to her explanation? Not wanting to see James escorted away, she turned back to the man who held their fates in his hands. “Is my father all right?”

“You’ll see for yourself soon enough.” He closed the chest. “While we’re waiting, tell me about these adventures of yours.”

* * *

James sat in his cell brooding. They’d taken his boots, his belt, everything except his breeches and shirt. He could find nothing with which to pick a lock.

He knew that eventually he’d be brought before Governor Rogers again — to be sentenced. He knew it wouldn’t go in his favor. If he’d had any chance at all for leniency, he’d lost it when he pocketed the one gold coin. How was he to know Rogers would take the time to count every blessed one?

They’d released Anna’s crew, but they were holding his men aboard the ship until Rogers made time to meet with each man. He would offer them a reprieve in exchange for their word that they’d do no more pirating. Without Anna knowing, James had spoken with his men that morning, long before they’d neared New Providence. He’d encouraged them to take the offer.

As for himself, well, he was now the captain. He could hear the pronouncement: “Captain James Sterling, you’ll be hanged by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul.”

Except James knew he was going straight to the devil.

* * *

It was three days before all the arrangements were made, before Governor Rogers allowed Annalisa to visit James. She hated to see him locked in a cell again, but she couldn’t help but smile at the way he swaggered to the door as though he was about to be invited to tea.

He gave her his cocky grin. “Don’t you look lovely.”

She felt self-conscious in the lavender dress when they’d taken nearly everything from him. “One of the governor’s assistants has a daughter about my size. I was able to borrow some of her things.”

“How is your father?”

“He’s lost a good bit of weight and he looks ill, but his spirits are good. Rogers believes that he had nothing to do with the thievery. He’s sending us to Mourning, so my father can continue as the king wanted. A man-of-war is waiting for us in the harbor now.”

“That’s good. Pirates seldom attack a British man-of-war. Too many guns aboard.”

The conversation was trite, meaningless. She lurched forward, wrapped her hands around the bars. They were cold. How could they be cold in the tropics?

“I tried to tell Rogers about the good things you did, but he won’t believe me because of that damn forged letter of marque. He thinks I can’t be trusted. And of course Nathaniel has nothing good to say about you. I’m beginning to wish you
had
taken the cat to him.”

“He’ll marry you if you’ll have him.”

“Well, I shan’t have him. He’s not a bad man, I know that, but neither is he … you.”

Reaching through the bars, he touched her cheek. She turned her face into his palm.

“I told you before I’m not much for dancing,” he said quietly. “I’d rather you not see me dancing the devil’s jig. I suspect I won’t be much good at it.”

Her heart lurched and tears burned her eyes. “Surely you can escape.”

“Not this time.” He captured a tear that rolled down her cheek. “Don’t cry. You’ve given me more joy than I’ve ever known.”

“It’s not enough.”

He gave her a sad grin. “That’s how pirates are made. The plunder we take is never enough. We’re never content with what we have. We always want more.”

“That’s not a bad thing.”

“It’s time to go, miss,” the guard called out.

Annalisa slammed her eyes closed. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want to leave him.

“I’ll always be there, Anna, in every ship you see sailing past. I’ll be the wind in its sails.”

She squeezed her eyes tighter but couldn’t stop the tears from leaking out.

“Now go, Anna.”

She opened her eyes. “I love you, James Sterling, pirate that you are. Maybe you were right all along, maybe it’s because you are a pirate that I love you. But I shall never forget you.”

She spun around and dashed out of the room and down the hallway to the courtyard. All the while her heart was breaking.

“Well, it doesn’t look like much yet, but the port city will be something spectacular when we’ve finished building it,” Annalisa’s father said.

As she stood on the sandy shore beside him, she couldn’t help thinking how glad she was to have him back — and she fought not to think of the cost. While she was paying with her heart, James Sterling would pay with his life. She still had a difficult time believing he was willing to sacrifice so much for her.

She glanced at her father. His pallor was no longer ashen, and he had a more lively step to his gait. He was optimistic about his new post as governor of Mourning, in spite of the fact that it didn’t have a proper harbor for docking. The British man-of-war that had brought them here had dropped anchor a ways out and used a pirogue to get them to shore. The supplies needed to be unloaded, and various preparations were required. Presently, the port city was little more than straw shacks.

“I’m going to name the city Rhiannon, in honor of your mother,” her father said quietly. “She always wanted to come to the Caribbean, but she had a fear of sailing.” He looked over at her. “You don’t seem to have inherited her tendency to avoid being near water.”

Annalisa laughed lightly. “Much to my surprise, I love being on a ship.”

“Well, it’ll be a while before you’re on one again. We have much to do here. We’d best get to it.”

Annalisa spent her days doing what she could to help her father. Carpenters arrived and work began on the city that her father had carefully mapped out. The fun in being part of a place just being built was that everything was unnamed. Her father gave her the honor of naming the roads. At present the town had three intersections at its center. She designated them Gold, Silver, and Sterling.

And every morning she began her day by sitting atop the hill she’d named Pirate’s Lookout and gazing toward the horizon, searching for ships so she could pretend that James Sterling was sailing by.

This particular morning, to her immense disappointment, a fog was rolling in. She could see the shore and the water that lapped at it, but just beyond where ships normally dropped anchor a gray mist swirled. She knew there was little point in waiting. It would be some time before the sun burned off the fog. Until then she’d see no distant ships. Yet she was reluctant to leave.

Six weeks had passed since she left New Providence. She’d received no word regarding James’s fate, but she couldn’t stop herself from believing that he’d already danced his jig. The one concession Governor Rogers had granted her was a promise that he would see James decently buried rather than displayed as a warning to other pirates.

“Land ho!” echoed toward her.

Then she saw the prow of a ship, its figurehead a roaring lion, coming slowly through the mist. Her heart hammered.

Even as she lifted her spyglass to her eye, she knew it wasn’t James. Rogers had no doubt given the captured pirate ship to someone else. Nathaniel perhaps. He was owed a ship.

She watched as the
Phantom Mist
dropped anchor. She heard another splash, the longboat being lowered to the water. Minutes later, it emerged from the fog.

A man stood at the prow as though he was anxious to be on shore. He didn’t have Nathaniel’s curling blond hair. His was dark, so very dark.

Tears burned her eyes. She shook her head. It absolutely couldn’t be. She was seeing a phantom, an illusion. She was seeing what her heart wanted to be true.

She brought the spyglass into focus on the man’s face. It was James!

James with his dark hair caught back, his green eyes focused on the shore. The scar across his cheek that, in her eyes, only made him more handsome.

“James!”

She jumped to her feet and began racing down the hill. She nearly took a tumble a time or two before she made it to level ground. She rushed onto the sand and continued running, waving madly. “James!”

He must have heard her. He looked her way. “Anna!”

He vaulted out of the boat, landing in water up to his knees. He waded through the surf toward her at an angle that brought him to shore just as she reached him.

She flung herself into his arms, felt their strength fold around her. He was no phantom of her imagination. He was real. So real.

“You escaped!” she cried. “I knew you would. I never doubted it for a moment.”

She kissed him. His scarred cheek, his nose, his chin, and finally his mouth. His wonderful teasing mouth.

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing heavily. His eyes roamed over her face as though he wanted to memorize every line. But there was no need. He would have the opportunity to see it every day.

“I’ll go with you,” she said quickly. “I’ll sign any articles you want me to. I’d rather be a pirate and be with you than be alone on this wretched island without you.”

Laughing, he lifted her off her feet and spun her around. “Ah, Anna, I’d give you almost anything, but I can’t offer you the pirating life.”

When she was nearly dizzy, he stopped spinning. He cradled her face between his strong hands. “I renounced my pirating ways.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded, before finally stammering, “P-p-p-ardon?”

He grinned. “Aye, ’tis true.”

“But the ship. You have the ship.”

“Aye. A lot of pirates still roam the sea, and Governor Rogers is offering a nice reward for their capture. And who better to catch a pirate than a pirate?”

“You’re a pirate hunter now?”

He nodded. “I’d rather be a pirate hunter and have you at my side than be a pirate and sail the seas without you.”

“You’ll take me with you, then?”

“Why do you think I’m here, Anna?”

She hugged him tightly. “I love you, James Sterling.”

“I love you, too,” he whispered hoarsely. Leaning back, he gazed into her eyes. “You’re the only treasure I’ll ever need.”

Then he was kissing her again.

This pirate whom she’d caught.

This pirate who had stolen her heart.