Other Oceans: Book Two of the Hook & Jill Saga (28 page)

“Monsieur?”
Renaud’s eyes widened with surprise.

“Apparently my Jill isn’t the only storyteller among us.”

Surprise turned to pique. “But I am telling you the truth!”

“Have no fear. I won’t betray your failure to your master.”

“Sir, you insult me, and you insult my master!”

“You mustn’t blame yourself. I’m sure you gave us your best performance. And if your ‘cousin’ is really ill,” Hook’s baton pointed at his two young sailors, “I shall send Mr. Nibs
and
Mr. Tootles to replace him. Come, my love, I would have a word with you before we join our other guests.”

Jill accepted his arm, and they strolled away from the astonished expressions of their company.

Stealing onto the companionway, Liza huddled behind the rail to watch the party, unobserved. Renaud in his tidy uniform sat on his bench as if starched, until Mr. Smee replenished his wine.

Tom and Nibs emptied their cups, too, and feeling older and wiser than they’d been an hour ago, got some more and drank to their captain’s health. And Guillaume’s.

§ § §

Hook guided Jill through the increasing animation of the crowd, and high up onto the forecastle, where, holding her tightly round the waist as his hook toyed with her throat, he questioned her.

“Your lovers, Madam, are flagrant in their indiscretions this evening. Do attempt an explanation, and satisfy me in this regard. As you satisfy me in so many others.” He said it with a smile.

Employing a smile of her own, she engaged his affection and disengaged his hook. When she could breathe again she answered, demure, “Why, Captain. Have I ever given you reason to distrust me?”

“Reason. That is the crux of the argument, my love. Reason would be offended, were you to cause me any kind of misgiving.”

“It is impossible, Sir. You would read it in my heart. Wouldn’t you?” A challenge, but not only for her captain. She must not lose this game. She knew him…did she not?

He raised his hook, he snagged the shoulder of her gown. Yanking her close, he lifted her chin with the baton and bent his blue gaze upon her. “You know me, Jill. But not, as yet, as thoroughly as I know my Storyteller.”

The iron of his hook burned cold on her shoulder.

Jill told him everything he wanted to hear.

After the couple concluded their tête-à-tête, both the
Jolly Roger
’s company and their guests enjoyed the captain’s very good humor far into the evening. His lady’s gaze returned repeatedly toward the stairs. Disguising her agitation, she waited in vain for the attentive surgeon to rejoin the party.

Upon retiring and sending Liza to her bed below, Jill knelt down at the master’s feet. She removed his boots and passed him his cup— and made sure that, if, on the morrow, anyone inquired how she rested, she could truthfully reply.

Hook and Jill slept well again, that night.

Her indiscreet lover, the surgeon, did not.

§ § §

“But, my noble Doctor, really, am I asking more than you?”

“A good deal more, LeCorbeau, and if I may say so, your motives are not inspired by honorable desires.”

“And yours are, of course!” The Frenchman’s black eyes kindled in the light of dual lanterns as he leaned forward in a chair before the doctor’s desk. Having discarded the blanket, Guillaume stood at attention behind his captain, miraculously cured of his sneezing. Drifting through the closed door came the sounds of music and revelry from the upper deck.

“Which honorable desire motivates you,
Monsieur?
Lust for the woman, or hatred for the man from whom you would steal her?”

“I have no need to justify my motives to you!”

“Nor I to you. But surely your overactive conscience can be assuaged. In fact, the young man will fare better in the hands of legitimate privateers than apprenticed to the pirates you so despise.”

“The only point, so far, on which I agree with you.”

“I do not require that you agree. I want what I want, and I find myself in a position to demand it.”

Hanover’s jaw tensed. “My position is not so fortunate, yet I must abide by my principles.”

Easing back in his chair, the privateer rested his elbows on its arms and tapped his fingers together. “Very well. You can remain on this ship with your principles intact, and continue to strain against Hook’s leash. Perhaps when he tires of his concubine, he will throw you a bone! Heh! heh! By that time, who knows? Your blossoming daughter may have succeeded at last in capturing his attention.”

Livid, the surgeon pounded the desk with his fist. “For heaven’s sake—”

“No!” LeCorbeau leapt from his seat. “For your own sake, drop your foolish pretensions! We have business to pursue. I, for one, am eager to return to it, and to its profits.”

With his fists still clenched, the doctor sat back. “Well, what is your plan?”

“Very simple.” LeCorbeau turned his back on his partner and, linking his hands behind him, strolled within the confines of the cabin. Guillaume retreated out of his way. “After my merciful beneficence to the
Julianne
, I am running short of water—”

“Yes,” Hanover couldn’t resist the barb, “I am amazed at your philanthropy. You must have wanted to find me very badly.”

“Not to worry, Doctor. My Guillaume has learned well how to please his master. He made sure the casks I so generously shared with Captain Whyte were only one-quarter full! But Hook does not know this. He will believe I must make port to replenish my supplies, and since taking two prizes, he, too, will wish to go ashore to dispense with his goods. You will accompany his party…and find an opportunity to slip away. My ship will be moored well apart from the
Roger
, and once Hook has been assured I am not harboring the fugitive, the, eh, tumult will die down. I will then send a boat for you. Under cover of the night, you will board
L’Ormonde
, keeping out of sight— and working on your product— until our business with Hook is concluded.”

“And what is your grand scheme for the others?” For the moment, the doctor controlled his skepticism.

“Ah! It will take time and patience, my friend, but, eh…on one prearranged dark night while all is calm, your daughter will require her mistress to tend to her sickbed, in this very room. And perhaps the son will also attend her? Very soon they will have lowered themselves out this window into a waiting dinghy. But understand. In order for it to be worth my while to bait the wrath of James Hook, you must make me a wealthy man! After this audacious theft, I may find it necessary to spend the rest of my career avoiding him. I prefer to do that with very much gold to limit whatever, eh— regrets— I may have.”

“But why not take us all at once?”

“My dear Doctor, I have just told you. Hook knows I have no use for his woman. But if he believed you had taken her from him, he would pursue
L’Ormonde
to the far corners of the earth. There would be no end to his fury! But as you will be left in the town, and the ladies will vanish far out to sea, he cannot suspect you.” Looking pleased with himself, LeCorbeau concluded, “And in addition, your disappearance supplies a motive for your daughter’s so-unfortunate suicide.”

“Suicide!”

“But yes. You will instruct these women on the roles they must play. Your daughter will exhibit the despondence when you abandon her, and so sadly, her kind mistress will perish also, drowning in the misguided rescue attempt. A few items of clothing will be found, but, I am afraid, this is all that will appear to be left of these females.”

“And the young man?”

LeCorbeau opened his hands. “A mystery! Perhaps he died trying to play the hero.”

“You presume, then, that Mr. Nibs will be persuaded to join you, and willing to perpetrate this deception.”

“That, Doctor, is
your
concern. You shall persuade him.”

“I? Act as your procurator!”

“You need not tell him everything. Once he is among my crew, I can break through his defenses— very easily, with your fine medicine to assist me.” Sliding his eyes toward his mate, LeCorbeau spoke over his shoulder. “Is this not so, Guillaume?”

The sailor dropped his gaze to the floor, his slender cheeks pink.
“Oui, Commandant
.
”

Hanover exclaimed, “You know I never intended my formula to be used for such purposes!”

“Oh, yes, of course. It is merely to keep marital harmony, is it not? To discourage vice.”

“Used properly, my philter will eliminate vice.”

“You will make far more money by encouraging it! At least, I do.”

“An unfortunate necessity until I gain wider recognition in the field of medicine. I have found no other way to secure the key ingredient. But I deplore your use of the philter under these circumstances! How if, this time, I refuse to be a party to your corruption?”

“Oh, very well. That option is open to you. If you wish to surrender your daughter…to the lust of your enemy.”

“What?”

“
Oui, Monsieur,
her fate rests with you. If you cannot bring Mr. Nibs, I will be forced to leave the girl behind, as well.” He shrugged. “With Captain Hook.”

“You cannot mean—”

“But I can.” Mock concern replaced the cruelty on the Frenchman’s face
.
“Only think of the poor man’s feelings! After you pluck his most precious flower, he will be wanting fresh female companionship.”

“A disgusting suggestion! And Hook will be furious. He will rage over losing Jill. It is entirely possible, LeCorbeau, that he will pour his retribution on Liza. Once Jill is gone, there is no telling what he would do, or order done, to my daughter. That savage man would stop at nothing to defile what I hold pure!”

“Then, eh, the kindest course for you to follow is to enlist my young man. No?”

Hanover stared darkly. “This is a new low, even for you, LeCorbeau.”

The privateer remained unruffled. “You think so? You have not known me so very long, Doctor. Why, in your dealings with me you have learned for certain only that I consort with fugitives and,” his expression lost all congeniality, “murderers!”

“You go too far!” Hanover tugged his waistcoat smooth. “I am not about to argue the finer points of my conscience with you. And there is one serious flaw in your plan. When we arrive in port, I will not be at liberty to disembark.”

“Really, Doctor, your chivalry goes beyond reason! Both your paramour and your daughter will live without your protection for a few days.”

“It is not a matter of choice, Sir. Aboard this ship I suffer greater indignities than you imagine. The fact of the matter is—” Exasperated, Hanover shoved himself out of his chair and seized the bed curtain. Throwing it aside, he watched a look of incredulity dawn on the privateer’s face as the man perceived the shackles.

“
Mon Dieu!
Hanover…but you are thorough in making your enemies!”

“You are not so very wrong when you say I am on Hook’s leash.”

To Hanover’s chagrin, LeCorbeau began to smile. “My old friend Hook…Heh! heh! He is as shrewd a man as I have ever known, eh, excepting myself, of course! If he does not understand you as well as I do, he is certainly a man of intuition.” LeCorbeau’s derision grew in intensity, and soon brought on a bout of his wheezing laughter. Moving quickly to his side, Guillaume returned the lace handkerchief to his master. “Thank you, my boy. Heh, heh, heh! I can imagine your sputtering outrage, Hanover, when you were informed of this arrangement!” Wiping his eyes, the Frenchman sat down again, his mirth subsiding. “Well. I have had my little joke at your expense. But I am running out of time. Tell me, when does he order you restrained?”

“Whenever we approach port, or a vessel other than yours.”

Squinting over his beaky nose, LeCorbeau said, “But you hide something from me. Hook has otherwise behaved as if you were one of his officers. You claim that you feign to be so. Why should he not trust in you?”

Looking down at his cuff, Hanover dashed a piece of lint from it. “Because I refuse to take an oath of loyalty.”

LeCorbeau gaped at the surgeon as if the man were a lunatic. Turning an ear toward the doctor, he blinked. “
Pardon?
You refuse? When a simple swearing is all that stands between you and your freedom?”

“In binding myself with such an oath, I would not gain freedom. I am a man of honor. I cannot pledge to serve a pirate.”

“I can understand that you might not serve a pirate. But— to balk at telling a lie? It is absurd! You have the power to walk off this ship, and you refuse it. Worse, you refuse me my very profitable commerce!”

“Nevertheless. I cannot falsely swear.”

LeCorbeau cursed. “Always, Hook finds the weakness and uses it to his advantage. You and your honor! But this time I will not be outfoxed. No! Wily as he is, he will not win!” The captain stamped. “You shall defy him! Swear his oath, or your honor will be compromised as you break your pledge to
me
.” The Frenchman’s fingers slipped into his pocket to fondle his stiletto. “You remember that pledge. The last time we spoke, you declared it was so sacred to you.”

Eyeing the Frenchman’s pocket, Hanover flushed. “And I do honor it. There is no need to threaten me. You must simply find another way to get me off this ship. Frankly, I am shocked that you would suggest such a deception on my part. It places you on a lower level even than the pirates I have witnessed serving under oath to Hook.”

“Fortunately, I do not depend upon your opinion. Only upon your talent to perform miracles.” Seizing control of his temper, LeCorbeau breathed deeply, and as he collected his thoughts a sly smile stole across his lips. Taking a card from Hook’s deck, the captain played on the doctor’s other vulnerability. His beady eyes surveyed the surgeon. “And, as you may recall…I have authority to perform miracles of my own.”

Encouraged by the sudden greedy look on Hanover’s face, LeCorbeau waxed generous. “Yes. A man of principle such as yourself has need of my authority, in order to honorably engage in the liaison with the woman. A ship’s captain has the power even to unite the happy couple— in matrimony.”