Page 47 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

“The Grimbrande?” He scratched his scraggly gray beard. “There’s no port near those mountains.”

“I was hoping you could sail us close and then let us take one of your dinghies to shore,” Nicholas said.

“That’syour plan?” Gustav asked under his breath. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“It wasn’t relevant,” Nicholas said, his voice low so the pirate wouldn’t hear.

Gustav frowned, clearly unhappy with the proposed plan.

“And then what? Wait it out in the waters until you return?” the pirate asked and then emitted a jolly laugh.

“I’ll pay you,” Nicholas said.

That seemed to get his attention. He stopped laughing, leaned over the railing further and narrowed his eyes. “How much?”

“How much do you want?” Nicholas said.

Astonishment flickered through Ella as she looked from the prince to the pirate.

“Five hundred gold,” the pirate said.

Without blinking an eye, Nicholas said, “Deal. And we leave now.”

The pirate was unphased by the prince’s demands, turned and shouted to the crew, “Lower the sails, me lads, we’re setting sail!”

It didn’t take long for the crusty old pirate to get the ship ready to sail. He was momentarily leery of allowing a woman on board, but Nicholas talked him into it, telling him he simply couldn’t leave his sister behind. Ella tried hard not to roll her eyes at that.

Once they were on board, Gustav took Nicholas aside and they had heated words. Ella remained at the railing watching as the ship pulled out from the port, trying her best to keep her ears to herself. She shivered against the chilly breeze and pulled her hood up over her face to block out as much of the wind as possible. It didn’t help much.

When Gustav and Nicholas were finished arguing, Nicholas then spoke with the pirate, which she assumed was the captain.

“Here is half now,” he said as he handed over a small drawstring bag. “The rest when we return safely to port.”

“You drive a hard bargain, sir.”

Sir.So, Nicholas hadn’t told him his true identity.

When he finished with the pirate, he joined her at the railing. He leaned on his forearms, the wind gusting past his face. She watched the distance expand between the ship and the port, her heart a wild beat of both excitement and fear. And a bit of nerves and anger as he stood next to her as if nothing was amiss.

“The captain says we will be there shortly. Then we’ll take a rowboat out to the shore,” he said.

She nodded.

He leaned in closer and dropped his voice. “He’s a crusty old thing, but I trust him. Name’s Captain Bart, short for Bartholemew.”

She nodded again. He turned serious.

“Are you angry with me?”

Was she? She didn’t really have an answer to that question. Since Gustav mentioned all his lady friends, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. She had no idea why it bothered her so much, either. It wasn’t like the prince had made her any promises.

“Your friend, Gustav, is an interesting person,” she said, keeping her face forward.

“Gustav likes to tease me,” he said. “That’s all.”

She turned her head to look at him, but the edge of her hood blocked out most of his face. “Whywereyou at that ball?” she asked suddenly. She didn’t know why that question seemed so important for him to answer now.

But she also thought of what Alice told her. That the magic in the glass slippers would lead the wearer to her true love.

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