Lady Pirate (26 page)

“Aye-aye.” Henry turned to open the door. “I'll just
go have a chat with him and get the lay of the land.”

“You do that,” Valoree said.

 

Stepping onto the deck, Henry glanced about, his eyes widening as he saw Daniel seated on a barrel with Bull, One-Eye, Jackson, and Skully gathered about him. He was untied. He was also gulping down rum as if there were no tomorrow.

“Henry.” One-Eye smiled at him as he approached and passed over a mug. “We were feeling like a touch of rum after that. Came mighty close, didn't it?”

“Too close,” Daniel muttered into his mug before tipping it to his mouth again.

The men all nodded solemnly.

“Think the captain would mind?”

Henry shook his head.

“How many lashes are we to have?” Bull asked at last.

“It depends.”

“Lashes?” Daniel frowned from one to the other as he lowered the mug from his lips. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we went against the captain in bringing ye here,” One-Eye explained. “It almost cost your life.”

“It still might,” Henry muttered into his drink.

Daniel glanced at him sharply. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“How many lashes?” Bull repeated.

“It depends.”

“On what?”

“On her mood. Pour me another mug.”

One-Eye and No-Nose joined Henry at the rail, one on either side, taking in his grim expression silently for a moment before One-Eye said with a grunt, “What's got you looking all prune-faced?”

“I've been thinking about the captain and Thurborne.”

“Aye, well, that's enough to make a grown man cry,” One-Eye groused. The last two weeks had been hell on board ship. Thurborne had stormed around looking like thunder—refusing even to look at the captain, let alone speak to her—and the captain in turn was getting crankier and crankier with the crew. Meg, the first morning after the near-hanging, had tried to smooth things over between the couple. She was chewed out by both Valoree and Thurborne for it, and had since taken to staying in her room to avoid the unpleasant atmosphere. The men weren't so lucky. They had work to do to keep the ship sailing southward, and they could only try to stay out of the way. Worst of all, it was looking like the stupid man would hang after all if something wasn't done.

“They're both too damn stubborn for their own good,” Henry complained.

“Aye,” No-Nose agreed. “But I say it's mostly
his
fault.” When Henry and One-Eye peered at him questioningly, he shrugged. “He's letting his pride stand in the way. The captain's a fine woman.”

“Aye, she is. But she's not exactly the kind of woman he is used to,” One-Eye pointed out.

“Well, if she were, she wouldn't be the captain, now, would she? Besides, like other women or not, she's got her fine points—which anyone could see if they bothered to look. For instance, she's smart.”

One-Eye nodded. “Never met a smarter woman.”

“She knows more curses than I know words,” Skully pointed out, drawing the three men's attention to the fact that he, Bull, and Petey had joined them.

“Aye, and she never loses at poker,” One-Eye said as he, No-Nose, and Henry turned to face them. He added, “Much to my dismay.”

“She holds her drink well,” Henry pointed out, and No-Nose nodded in agreement. “Drinks like a fish and still manages to sail a straight course.”

“Never gets the
mal de mer
,” Petey murmured; then they all began throwing in various merits.

“Born to the water.”

“Not a touch squeamish.”

“Never ever like to faint.”

“Cut off Jeb's leg without a grimace when he got the gangrene.”

“Not afraid of hard work.”

“Pulls rigs and ropes with the rest of us.”

“Climbs the rigging like a monkey.”

“A fine figure.”

“Fills her pants well.” They all nodded solemnly as they watched her crossing the deck in her tight black breeches.

“But is that what a lord wants?” Petey asked quietly after a moment of silence. The other men looked at him as if he were mad.

Then Skully muttered, “He's right. Just look at them noble ladies. Ye never see one but she's all trussed up in one of those gowns they near to spill out of. They wear those silly wigs and they faint if they drop their hankies—”

“Nay, I'm thinking they drop their hankies cause
they're fainting, not the other way around,” One-Eye corrected.

“The point is that if that is what the average noble likes, our lady is…” He twisted uncomfortably, unwilling to state even in his own mind that she was inadequate in any way. He didn't have to finish his sentence, however; the other men had caught his point. One-Eye got angry at the slur to their captain. He turned on Skully furiously, but Henry stopped him with a touch.

“Nay. He has a point.”

“A point!” One-Eye glared at him.

“Aye. It's what I was pondering over when you and No-Nose came to join me,” he admitted, then grimaced as the man glared at him. “Just think on it, One-Eye. Why would the women all rush about hampered by such heavy skirts and acting so frail should the men not like it?”

One-Eye frowned. “Well, what sort of fool would want a weak-willed, stupid, helpless creature for wife?”

“A nobleman,” Petey answered grimly. One-Eye frowned.

“Truly? Ye truly think Thurborne's being so stubborn 'cause…” He paused suddenly and shook his head. “He was panting after her like a randy bull in London.”

The other men began to nod in agreement.

“She was wearing a dress in London,” Henry pointed out quietly. They all went still. “And she was also acting ladylike, at least as ladylike as she can.”

Realization and alarm mingling on their expressions, the men were silent for a moment. Then One-Eye snapped, “Well, what the devil are we to do about it?”

“Well, I've been thinking on that, and I have an idea,” Henry announced eagerly, eliciting a groan from the rest of the men.

“We still don't know how much hide your last idea is going to cost us, Henry.”

“Aye, but I didn't know all the facts then. She didn't tell me about what Beecham had told her. This one is a
good
idea.”

“Oh, let him talk,” One-Eye said. “We'll at least hear him, then decide.”

 

“What?” Valoree turned to peer at Henry and One-Eye in amazement. They had approached her above deck a moment before and said they needed to speak with her. Nodding, she had led them down to the captain's cabin. She had expected it would be about Daniel. She had given the man two weeks to calm down from his anger over almost being hanged, but he hadn't softened one whit as far as she could tell. It was looking as though she was about to have to make a hard decision, but she had kept putting it off and putting it off. The men, it had seemed to her when they had said they wished to speak, had decided they had all waited long enough. But then they had begun to speak, and she had been so shocked by what they said that she wasn't sure she could have possibly heard them right.

Henry cleared his throat, then repeated himself. “I said the men have all voted and decided ye should wear a dress from now on.”

Valoree stared at him blankly. “They want me to wear a dress? On board a ship?”

One-Eye and Henry both nodded.

“You expect me, your captain, to order you all about wearing a dress?”

“We voted on it.”

“You voted.” She stared at him blankly; then her temper flew. “Now see here, Henry!”

“We also voted that if ye won't wear a dress, ye're to step down as captain,” Henry finished, wincing even as he said the words.

Valoree dropped into her seat, her face expressionless, but her eyes full of pain. Henry sighed. “We're doing this for yer own good, Captain, girl. Thurborne's not losing any of his temper, and we're thinking if ye just wear a dress like ye did in London, maybe he'd remember he cared for ye. Then…” He sighed.

Valoree turned her face away. “Is that all?”

Henry and One-Eye exchanged a glance; then Henry straightened his shoulders and announced, “We voted ye let Meg teach ye some ladylike things.”

Her jaw tightened. “What sort of ladylike things?”

“Walking and talking and how to laugh in that high, tinkly way that ladies do.”

“I see.” She was chilled through.

“We also voted, and ye can't cuss or drink no more.”

Her head snapped around at that. “Are you done?”

The two men glanced at each other, then nodded.

“Good,” she said grimly. “Now get out.”

They hesitated, but then moved to the door. One-Eye paused there and nudged the older man. Henry glanced back to add, “We need to know yer answer right quick, so we know if we're having to vote in a new captain or not.”

“I will give you my answer as soon as I have decided if you are all worth it,” she responded coldly. “Now get out.”

This time the two men left, and Valoree sank back in her seat. Much to her amazement, a moment later she felt a wetness on her cheeks and reached up to touch it in disbelief. She hadn't cried in so long. To cry now because they wanted her to wear skirts was just plain silly. But, of course, that wasn't what she was crying about. She was crying at the fact that it had finally happened. They were threatening to take away her position, something she had clung to like death since losing Jeremy. It was the only thing she had left
in her life. What would she do if she were not captain?

A bitter laugh suddenly slipped from her lips, and she got impatiently to her feet to pace the small cabin, rubbing her upper arms with her hands as she did. They had basically voted to take that position away from her when they had all determined that it was time to retire, claim Ainsley Castle, and settle down.

Another knock at the door made her stiffen and slowly turn. “Enter.”

Her expression was cold as she watched the door open, and did not soften when Meg entered. “What do you want?”

Meg peered at her silently, then sighed. “I thought mayhap you would like to talk.”

Valoree's mouth twisted slightly. “You heard, did you?”

“Of course. I had a vote, too.”

“Of course.” Valoree sighed and turned quickly away. She paced to a map stuck to the cabin wall, a map of the Caribbean, and stared at it blankly.

“They really are trying to help,” Meg explained quietly. “They care about you a great deal.” When Valoree remained silent and unmoving, the woman added, “And so do I.”

Valoree shifted impatiently. “You hardly know me.”

“I know you are intelligent, brave, and noble.”

Valoree snorted at that. “I'm a pirate.
Noble
is not in my vocabulary.”

“You are a privateer,” Meg said firmly. “You carry a letter of marque from the king himself and have dutifully saved his portion over the years. It is stored in a warehouse until you can arrange to see the king and have it delivered. Which you intended to do as soon as you had sorted the matter of your inheritance.”

Valoree was silent for a minute, then muttered, “Henry has a big mouth.”

“Why do you not simply tell Thurborne that?” Meg
asked quietly. “It would resolve your problem with the king. Mayhap even resolve your problem with him.”

Sighing, Valoree returned to her desk chair and sank into it, gesturing for Meg to take the seat across from her. “The letter of marque was made out to Jeremy. I am not sure that it would protect us without him.”

“Oh, surely—”

“And I do not have it,” Valoree finished quietly.

Meg's eyes went wide. “What—”

“It went down with the original
Valor
when the Spanish sank it.”

The woman frowned at this news, then said, “Aye, but surely the king will recall? He must; he sent Thurborne to look for you.”

“Aye. Even before I knew that, I had hoped that he would recall assigning Jeremy a letter of marque, allow that it protected myself and the crew, and would simply take his portion and be happy. But that was before the men kidnapped Thurborne—his man, and a noble. I fear that might make him a little less pleased to grant us his favor.”

“Oh, dear, I see,” Meg whispered, frowning. “This all rests on Thurborne, then.”

“Who is quite angry at me for ordering him hanged.”

“Aye, well.” She made a face, then straightened her shoulders. “Then I think you should do as the men have decided: don your loveliest dress and try to charm the stockings off of him.”

“Do I have a choice?” Valoree asked. Meg's expression softened again.

“Oh, Valoree. You fight so hard not to be the things you are.”

Valoree stiffened at the soft words. “What I am is the captain of a pirate ship,” she said quietly.

“Nay. That is just a role you took when forced. What
you are is a lady, born of nobility and soon to return to your home.”

“I am a pirate captain,” Valoree insisted. “And have been for five years.”

“Are you a man then, too?” Meg queried, arching an eyebrow.

“Nay, of course not.”

“Nay,” Meg agreed with a nod. “You have lived as and pretended to be a man for thirteen years, but that does not make you one. You were born a female member of nobility, and will die one. Playing at pirates is just something you did, not who you are. It is high time you realize that and stop playing. Pirate captains retire, die, or are voted out. Being noble lasts a lifetime. This ship may sink, but Ainsley will not, and so long as you marry and provide an heir, it will always be there for you.” She paused, breathing heavily in her excitement, then sighed. “I suggest you stop deliberately doing everything in your power to look and sound and act like a seadog, and start using the ladylike words, manners, and abilities I know you have.”

At Valoree's startled expression, she nodded solemnly. “Oh, aye. I figured out quite quickly that you were stomping about and muttering your curses, using slang and poor manners just to try to put off your suitors. I recognized you just as you recognized me for a true lady. What I did not understand at first was why. Now I think I do.”

“Oh?” Valoree said warily. Meg nodded.

“You were hoping to avoid marriage. Having a family and children is risky. You might love your babies. You might even come to love Thurborne, which is why you refused to even consider him. Loving someone means risking heartache should you lose them, and you have had quite enough of that in your young life, have you not?”

Valoree made a face and shook her head. “Non
sense. As you said that day outside Whister's office, my crew are my family. I care for
them
. I am not afraid to love.”

“I was wrong,” Meg said simply. “Because if you loved them, you would have married Thurborne the moment he offered, and not chanced having to return to pirating, where they are all at risk of being injured or dying.” Standing, she moved to the door, then paused to glance back and say, “
They
care for you. So much so that they
will
take away your captaincy if they think it will make you do what they ultimately believe will make you happy. And they believe Thurborne will do that. So do I.” Then she stepped out and pulled the door closed behind her.