Page 53 of The Pirate Lord
But his earlier encounter with her had taught him a few things about how not to unduly anger the woman, and he acted on them now. “Nonetheless, Miss Willis, we don’t want you and the others to think we aren’t willing to make concessions. You’ll have your kitchen and your doors and windows. I had intended all along to send some of my men to Sao Nicolau for supplies once we determined what the women might want or need. If you’ll give me a list of what’s required, I’ll make sure that a handful of my men go in the sloop as soon after the weddings as?—”
“After the weddings?” Sara interrupted. “What are we to do in the meantime?”
“Sleep on board the ship. I know it’s not the best accommodations, but with all the dangers to the women and your obvious concerns, it’s the best I can offer.”
If he thought he’d won this battle, Sara’s too sweet smile gave him pause. “Under the circumstances, you leave us no choice.”Her expression grew smug. “In fact, your proposal has such merit that I think we shall stay aboard theSatyrindefinitely … at least until your men have made the dwellings habitable. We’ll be happy to do that for as long as it takes, won’t we, ladies?”
As the women chorused their agreement, a new swell of protests rose from his men. Gideon gritted his teeth. This wasnotturning out as planned. Although his men had gained their huts, Sara had made sure it was a hollow victory. He could force the women to live in the huts with their husbands after the weddings, but he was beginning to see that the women would refuse to cooperate as long as Sara kept helping them find reasons for not making this work.
His only choice was to send some men back to the islands as soon as possible and delay the weddings until they returned. Perhaps if the women saw that he and his men truly intended to make the island comfortable for them, they might relent.
At least delaying the weddings would give him more time to separate Sara and that blasted Hargraves. If only he could send that particular sailor off the island with the other men….
His eyes lit up. Why not? Hargraves hadn’t been that pleased about living on the island. He’d seemed much more interested in the riches to be gained by piracy. Perhaps if he had some incentive, the man might choose never to come back.
Gideon hid his elation beneath a fierce scowl as he faced the women, bracing his hands on his hips. “I tell you what, ladies. You decide what you need, and I’ll send some men to Sao Nicolau in the sloop tomorrow for supplies. When they return in a few days, we’ll get right to work on improving your homes. We can have them quite comfortable for you in a short time. That ought to satisfy you, don’t you think?”
And I’ll be rid of Peter Hargraves at last,he thought smugly as Sara turned to discuss what he’d said with the women.You haven’t won this battle yet, sweetheart, no matter what youthink. You may have gotten your way on the matter of sleeping arrangements. But you’ve just lost your English fiancé.
Chapter Fifteen
In spite of all romantic poets sing,
This gold, my dearest, is an useful thing.
— MARY LEAPOR, ENGLISH POET AND COOK-MAID, “MIRA TO OCTAVIA”
Crushing his hat in his hands, Petey hesitated outside the entrance to Captain Horn’s hut just after dusk. The place looked empty. It was dark as pitch, especially with only stars hereabouts to light the night.
Should he knock? But on what? There wasn’t a door. Even though the captain’s hut was the best, it still had no window shutters nor a proper door with a latch. Was it any wonder the women didn’t want to be living in these wee cottages?
The rest of the island wasn’t so bad, however. He’d strolled about today, looking it over. It was a right nice bit of land. Something could be made of such a place, if somebody cared enough to do it.
But that wasn’t his concern. Right now, what mattered most was why the captain had sent for him. It was a mite alarming, to say the least. Petey steered a wide path around the man asa general rule. The pirates had made it clear that Captain Horn was fair and not given to unreasonable punishments, yet there was no telling what the man would do now that he had his eye on Miss Willis.
Petey groaned. The little miss had surely set the captain back on his heels today. Petey ought to be grateful to her for trying so hard to delay the weddings. After all, she did it to help him and Ann.
But she’d pushed the Pirate Lord to anger, and that didn’t sit too well with Petey. A trickle of sweat rolled down his nose, and he wiped it away as he peered cautiously into the ominous black hole of the hut. The captain was obviously asleep or gone. No point in staying here to risk angering the man even more.
He turned away, but just then a deep voice rumbled out of the hut’s dark interior. “Don’t just stand there, man. Come in.”
Petey jumped, then gulped down his fear. That pirate captain was plain unnerving, that’s what he was.
“I didn’t see you there,” Petey muttered as he entered the room.
No response. There was a scratching sound, a tiny spark, and then an oil lamp’s low flame, which grew larger as the captain turned the wick up. Now Petey could see that the pirate stood beside a table. At least the man’s saber appeared to be out of sight, which was exactly where Petey liked it.
“Take a seat, Hargraves.” Captain Horn gestured to a chair, then picked up a bottle of what looked like rum. “Would you like to wet your whistle?”
Petey managed a nod. He needed something to get him through this. He didn’t sit down, though. He didn’t like to sit in the presence of his enemy, especially when that enemy was offering him strong drink.
As soon as the pirate poured a goblet of the golden liquor and handed it to him, he took a great, burning swallow, thenwiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. Unable to withstand the suspense any longer, he took another swig for bravery, then spoke. “You wished to see me, Cap’n?”
Casting Petey a cool glance, Captain Horn set the rum bottle on the table and corked it. “Relax, Hargraves. I’m not going to have you keelhauled. I merely wish to show you something I think you’ll find interesting.”
That put Petey on his guard at once. Did the captain think to fill him up with rum, then take his head once his guard was down?
Petey braced himself as the captain went to a trunk in the corner and opened it. When the man picked up a long object and turned, Petey nearly fainted, expecting to see the pirate’s saber.
