Page 19 of Escaping Pirates
“Next time I see Sugar and Blossom, I’ll have to tell them about how I want to write down my true feelings anytime we’re apart, for my heart cannot bear the pain ofbeing away from them without being able to pen my every thought.”
“Careful, sailor boy. Any girl would melt like wax at such declarations. They could have their father marry you to one of them by the week’s end. He is a ship’s captain, so he has that power.”
The shared cell bars vibrated as Harlan shuddered on his bunk. “That’s terrible. Don’t wish that on me.”
I laughed quietly. “So between now and when you get the paper, you need to think of some romantic poetry and love notes. I hope you’re good at that sort of thing.”
“I guess I’ll need to learn quickly. Tomorrow when they call for you, see if you can pick up any tips about what they want to hear so I know what to write.”
I could barely contain my glee. “We could have them out by this time tomorrow night!”
“As wonderful as that would be,” Harlan told me slowly, “we should actually stagger releasing the bottles a few days apart, ideally when we’re already close to land. The tide here would just push them farther out to the open ocean, and there is no guarantee that the bottles will go the way we want.”
My momentary ecstasy dimmed. “I guess that makes sense. We can’t waste the opportunity.”
Harlan’s fingers gripped around the cell bar. “Patience is key. But don’t worry—if we work together, I’ll get us out of here. I promise.”
I gently brushed my hand against his. “I promise too. We’re in this together.”
As I closed my eyes to go to sleep that night, a steely resolve drove away the fear and isolation that had been my only companions since my imprisonment. I had a purpose, and I was no longer alone.
CHAPTER 9
“What do you think Harlan is doing right now?” Sugar mused the next day.
“Probably thinking of me,” Blossom sighed contentedly. “We had such a riveting, intellectual conversation last night. What do you think, Elena?”
“I’m sure all his thoughts are about one or both of you. It’s a shame he can’t record them for you to read over and over. I hope he doesn’t forget anything he meant to say.”
Blossom sat up straighter. “Once he gets here tonight, I could ask him to write me a letter!”
“An excellent idea,” I told her, my tone warm and flattering as I arranged her tea set. “Of course, if it was me, I wouldn’t want to waste time with watching him write. I would want him to have the letter already done so he could talk to me while we were together. Your patience is commendable. That’s probably one of the reasons he likes you so much.”
“What about me?” Sugar asked. “I want a letter, too! I’ve never had one before.”
“I’m sure he could give both of you one. Last night, hewas muttering in his sleep. Something about sweetness or flowers…”
“Sugar and Blossom! He was dreaming of us!” Sugar sighed. “Blossom, let’s send him paper and ink, and he can bring us letters tonight.”
“Yes, let’s do it!” The girls busied themselves with looking for the necessary supplies, and I helped them, hiding my glee as I did so. This was much easier than I’d expected.
As I took the tray loaded with ink, quills, and parchment across the deck toward the brig, Harsh saw me and called me to a halt.
“Where do you think you’re going with all that?” he growled.
“Your daughters asked me to deliver this to Harlan,” I answered, submissively dropping my gaze. “I’m merely following orders.”
“Manipulating my girls, are you?” Harsh’s large hand came to snatch up the papers. “There are a lot of sheets here. What on earth would they want to give him all this for?”
“For love letters, I believe.”
Harsh snickered. “Like thelove letteryou composed before? Do you take me for a fool?”
“No, sir. These would be letters that your daughters would keep for themselves. It was their idea, not mine.”
“Only two sheets,” he ordered with a suspicious glare, thumbing through to extract the proper number. “One for each girl. And tomorrow, I expect to see two full sheets returned to my girls, no exceptions, but they can give him the paper this evening, not right now. Take it back.”
“I understand.”
