An Officer but No Gentleman (17 page)

17

Seven short days was all it took for the Baltimore Clipper to make it to their homeport of Chimerical Cove, Maryland.  Charlie was so
nervous; she felt sick to her stomach and barely touched her breakfast that morning.  She stood at the deck’s railing schooling her expression out of habit. 
Don’t let them see weakness
, she said to herself.

“Are you sure it wouldn’t be best if I stayed on the ship.”  Her life
had changed so drastically, she clung to anything that seemed familiar.  Charlie vaguely remembered the last time she slept ashore.  The
Arcadia
sat in dry-dock being refitted and having its hull scraped.  She was probably ten.

“Charlie, I’m sending Daniel back to escort the corsair to the Admiralty so, no, you can’t stay here.”

“Oh.” 

Secretly, she was relieved Daniel wouldn’t be there when she met the rest of the family.  Although they had been getting along better, there were plenty of embarrassing stories he could tell about her.  She wanted to make a good first impression and did not want them judging her on circumstances that had been out of her control.

“Jaxon,” she hesitated.  She didn’t know how to broach the subject of her wardrobe.  If she had had any money with her, she would have just told him she wanted to go to the dressmakers, but without any, she must rely on him to lend her the money.  “Is there any way we could go to Charleston before I meet your family?”

He smiled.  Her mind worked in strange ways and her logic always amazed him.

“Why do you want to go to South Carolina first?”

“That’s where I’m from.  I’d like to have some dresses made before I meet your family.”

Jaxon was going to miss seeing her dressed in trousers.  He loved to look at the curve of her bottom when she didn’t know he was looking.  But he also looked forward to seeing her in dresses and tried to imagine what women’s clothing would do for her décolletage.

“We have dressmakers in Chimerical Cove
just as good as the ones there.”

“But my money is in the bank in Charleston,” she said in an unhappy tone. She was uncomfortable broaching the subject because it felt like she was angling for him to spend his money on her when she had ample funds in the bank in Charleston.

Now he understood.  “You’re going to be my wife.  I’ll buy your gowns.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

Jaxon laughed.  “Charlie, I don’t need your money.  I own this ship and my own home.  I’ve done quite well.”

So had her fathe
r and their only overhead was the day-to-day running of their ship since they didn’t own a home.  Even without her father’s money, Charlie had saved a tidy sum herself.  “I suppose when we’re married, everything I have becomes yours by law anyway,” Charlie said.

“It’s your money, baby.  Spend it as you will.”

“Do you know anything about what I need to do to move the money from Charleston to a bank here?  Do I have to have my father declared dead?”

“We should ask my brother Grayson.  He’s the lawyer in the family.  He’ll know what you need to do.”

“Grayson is your twin?”

“Been talking to Daniel?”

“He called you Jacob.”

A look of annoyance crossed his face. “That shows how little he understands.  I don’t want my brother’s birthright.  I just don’t want to be a twin.  I hated having to share everything with him.  We shared a birthday and a birthday dessert and sometime even birthday gifts.  It sounds stupid now that I’m an adult, but at the time it was monumental.”

“If I ever had a birthday, I wouldn’t have wanted to share it either.”

Jaxon wondered if she was using Charlie logic or if she really didn’t observe her birthday each year.  “Everyone has a birthday.”

“Aye, but it always passed without notice.  Well once, when I corrected Morty about my age, he bought me a pocket pie because he missed it.”  She put her arms around his waist when she saw him frown over the mention of Morty.  “This was long before he knew I was a girl so don’t be mad.”

“It’s not that.  I feel bad for you that no one made a fuss over your birthdays.  Sometimes you have a way of putting things in perspective for me.”

The Dragon’s Lair
dropped anchor while still a quarter mile from shore.  They weren’t loading or unloading cargo so it was easier to drop a dory in the water and have a couple of men row them in.  Jaxon helped Charlie into the boat while two sailors held the boat in place.  Charlie would have liked to have told him she didn’t need help, but she accepted it without comment.  She sat down next to Jaxon and blushed when she recognized one of the men who had stripped her.  He was young with black hair and blue eyes. 

“Are you related to him,” she whispered in Jax’s ear.

“You haven’t met Levi?”

She had seen the two men who had helped Daniel
, but had avoided them.  It was only now that she couldn’t avoid him that she really looked at him and noticed the same Bloodworthy coloring that Daniel and Jaxon shared.

“Not exactly.”

“Charlie, this is my brother, Levi.”

Levi had the good grace to turn scarlet and not to mention their previous meeting.

“Let me be the first to welcome you to the family, Miss Charlie.”  He stopped rowing long enough to extend his hand to her.  She shook it quickly.

“Thank you, Levi.  I hope the rest of the family will be as welcoming.  Just how many brothers and sisters are there?”

“Five brothers, four sisters.  I’m the sixth oldest.”

“Fourth youngest you mean,” Jaxon teased.

“Better than being seventh youngest,” Levi shot back.

“Shut up and row.”

“Tell me everyone’s name in order,” she said to Levi.

When he looked to Jaxon for permission, she nudged Jaxon with her elbow.  Luckily, she was sitting on his uninjured side because she hadn’t given his wound the least consideration before elbowing him.  Jaxon nodded.

“Imelia, Grayson, Jaxon, Daniel, Jayne, me, Grace, Sloane and Eli.  There were three others, but they died.”

“Another set of twins was stillborn and another brother died when he was six months old,” Jaxon explained.

“Twelve.  I can’t imagine.”

“Do you have brothers and sisters, Miss Charlie?”

“No,” she said shaking her head. 

Levi thought about what that must be like as he rhythmically pulled the oars. He had friends who had only a handful of siblings
, but none of his classmates had been only children.  “Were you spoiled?’

“Levi! What kind of question is that?”

She leaned forward.  “I was before my mother died.”  Her father, on the other hand, was so worried that someone would say he was treating Charlie with favor, that it was almost the polar opposite.  She sat back and leaned against Jaxon.

No, she had not been spoiled.  Jaxon knew the answer to that.  What kind of parent didn’t make a fuss when their child had a birthday?  It wasn’t as if a ship’s captain did not have the means.  It made him mad to think about it.  He was going to spoil her on her birthday.

“So when is your birthday, Charlie?”

“I will turn twenty-three in February.” She wasn’t entirely sure of the day of the month.  Her father had been out to sea when she was born and if he’d ever known the exact date, he had forgotten.

Charlie got her first view of his townhouse in the late morning sunshine.  He unlocked the doors and began pulling dust covers off the furniture and opening curtains.

“News of the ship’s arrival travels fast, so I need to go talk to Aunt Pru promptly.  Make yourself at home.  Look around.  This is your home now. Feel free to open doors, and drawers.  I’m going to stop by my Imelia’s house and get her to come take you to the dressmaker’s shop.  And then I’ll get my mother to go with me to talk to Aunt Pru.”  He gave her a quick peck.  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

The knock on the door startled Charlie.  Jaxon had only been gone a few minutes so she wasn’t expecting his sister so soon.  She must live close by, Charlie reasoned.

Charlie was so excited at the prospect
of owning and wearing gowns, she practically ran to the door and flung it open.

“You must be….” The words spewed out of her mouth before she even had the door open.  There before her stood a man who looked almost exactly like Jaxon.  “Grayson?”

He stood staring back at Charlie, equally surprised not to see the person he was expecting to see.

“I am indeed,” he said frowning.  “I seem to be at a disadvantage.”

“I’m Charlie,” she said stepping back.  “Charlie Sinclair.  Won’t you come in?” She didn’t offer any other explanation of who she was because she didn’t feel it was her place to tell her future husband’s twin that she was his fiancée.

She didn’t mean to stare
, but if it weren’t for the scars, he and Jaxon would truly be identical. “I’m afraid Jaxon’s not here right now.  He’s…. Would you care to sit down?  I’m afraid there’s some bad news for your family.”

A stern expression crossed Grayson’s countenance.  “Maybe you should just tell me.”

“There was a terrible tragedy.  Your cousin Jimmy was killed.  Jaxon has gone to tell your Aunt Pru.  He was planning on picking up your mother on the way because he knew your aunt would need her sister.  I’m sorry this news has come from a stranger.”

“Bad news is bad news no matter who delivers it,” Grayson drawled, his eyes roaming around the townhouse making sure nothing was amiss. It didn’t make sense for Jaxon to bring this man into his house and leave him to forage about unchecked.

“I wish Jax could have been here with you when you heard the news.”

Ever the attorney, Grayson eyed Charlie suspiciously.

“
Jax
not Captain Bloodworthy?”

It only took
Charlie a moment to realize with the way she was dressed Grayson believed her to be a male member of the crew.  She decided to have a little fun—find out if this brother had a sense of humor.  She thought about telling him she only calls him Captain when they fought or when he ordered her around, but thought that might tip her hand.

“We’re not on the ship right now,” she hedged.

“Are you his valet?”

Charlie smiled.  “I can’t imagine Jaxon wanting someone to help him get dressed, can you?  I’m the new surgeon’s mate.”

“Oh.”  His eyebrows lifted, as he was glad to have an explanation.  “But now I’m confused.  We heard
The Dragon’s Lair
came and dropped him off then set sail again—and apparently dropped you off, as well.  Oh, heavens, he’s not hurt again?”

Charlie didn’t miss the concern in Grayson’s voice and knew he loved his twin. “He caught some shrapnel in the side
, but he’s fine now.”

“Well, thank heavens for that.”

“I would offer you a drink, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t know where to find any.”  Then it occurred to her she’d never seen Jaxon drink and she wondered if that was a family value or something that Jaxon rarely imbibed in.

Grayson eyed Charlie suspiciously, not understanding why a crewmember, even a high ranking one, would be off
ering him a drink of liquor belonging to his brother. It wasn’t his place to act the host in someone else’s home.  “A drink would be nice.  I know where he keeps it.”  Grayson led her into the library.  “What can I get you?”

“Brandy?”

“You’re a man of refinement, I see.  But unfortunately brandy’s almost impossible to come by these days—at least in this house.  Would you like Scotch instead?”

Charlie had never tried Scotch
, but she agreed.  After smelling it, Charlie took a swallow.  It took her breath away.  Had she known it was so strong, she would have only taken a sip.

Grayson laughed and brought the decanter with him as he took a seat in one of the wing chairs by the unlit fireplace.  Charlie sat down in the other.

“I understand you’re a lawyer.”

“I am.  Are you in trouble with the law?”

It was an impertinent question.  Why would he make that assumption?

“Actually, my father passed away recently and I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do.”  Charlie took another drink of Scotch and set the glass down on the table between the chairs.  It wasn’t empty
, but Grayson poured more into it.  “We were at sea, but I’m guessing the banks won’t just take my word for it that he’s dead.  Plus there is a business partner, Dr. Brody Kirk who was shanghaied by the same British warship that killed my father.  I’m not sure what to do with the business account since I can’t talk to Dr. Kirk.”  She’d like to keep the shipping company running even if it meant building another ship and hiring a captain.

“I see,” Grayson said picking up her glass and handing it to her.

“I have my own account in Charleston and my father’s personal account which I’d like to move here since I’ll be calling Chimerical Cove my homeport now.  Can you help me with these matters?”