Other Oceans: Book Two of the Hook & Jill Saga (35 page)

“But I see in your eyes that you are still wondering. The partner who has proved invaluable in this venture is Captain LeCorbeau. He has managed the distribution of my philter, and through his connections secured the unique ingredient— the beautiful lotus flower, which grows in far-off Egypt. The diamonds, my dear, I carry because the gold I have gleaned from selling my product would be far too cumbersome to transport. Jewels are much more convenient.

“Yes, my darling, I am a wealthy man. Far wealthier, I can guess, than anyone you have previously known. And I will only become more wealthy as my philter is recognized in the medical community and put to use throughout the civilized world.” He smiled modestly, and blinked. “I have pleased you now, haven’t I, my lady pirate? And I will make you even happier. We will take the ballrooms of Vienna by storm, and dressed in yards of whispering silk, you will waltz with me, and how all the dashing young officers will vie for your lovely gloved hand! How they will envy your husband! On many a misty morning, I shall have to call the gentlemen out and defend you with my sword. This is what our life will be, my darling. A rich, breathtaking dream. Ours for the taking, for as I told you before, I am confident that I am the man for you.”

He stopped speaking then, realizing he should have told her the truth long before. Because with her scarlet fingers she had begun to stroke his scar, soothing the sting of her angry slap. And then her touch slid caressingly down his neck, over his shoulder, to draw him closer. Her eyelids lowered, and her gaze wandered lovingly all over his face. Her breathing accelerated to an alarming level. No philter was necessary to inspire her passion. Her lips spoke only one word before they granted him a husband’s embrace.

“Today!”

Falling back on the silken cushions of the couch, she pulled him with her so that they both stretched out, and his weight pressed down upon her body. Her hips rose to meet his; his lips as he kissed her detected the pulsation of her own, and their hearts pounded together as she felt his manhood firm against her femininity, and then her fingers raked his hair.

Really, the couple was so happy that it was a shame Liza chose that particular moment to signal her return with a knock, on Capt. Jas. Hook’s brass-plated door.

§ § §

Hours later, as the ship headed away from the islands, the wind picked up, lashing spray against the hull. The
Roger
moaned in the night, rocking most of her company into uneasy sleep. Mr. Smee threw off his blanket and heaved himself up from his bunk. From his many seasons as the
Roger
’s bo’sun, he knew her sounds. She was complaining tonight, and it unsettled him. With an effort, he pulled on his boots and replaced his spectacles, then he trudged his way topside, holding his lantern aloft. There at the top step peered Nibs, with the tail ends of his kerchief whipping in the wind.

“Mr. Smee, I was just about to wake you. Mr. Noodler didn’t know if the captain should be told. He says he’s been watching
L’Ormonde
. She’s tailing us closer than she usually does.”

“She’s burning lights, then?”

“Yes, Sir. She’s still behind us, but off to starboard.”

“You were right to come to me, lad. Tell Mr. Noodler not to worry. I’m thinking the captain knows what she’s about. And for all it’s an evil night for rowing, tell him to keep a look-out for her boats— with or without lights.”

“Aye, aye!” Nibs bounded away and sprang up the ratlines to join Noodler in the crow’s nest, under the flapping flags.

Smee shook his head and set off on his rounds, inspecting the ship. He couldn’t sleep anyway. He might as well make sure all was in order. His lantern moved in the darkness, seeming to the gang in the rigging like a bead of light strung together with the ship’s lanterns, sliding down the port side and up the starboard. He climbed to the forecastle and leaned over the rail where the wind battered his face, then he rattled down again to inspect the armory. Level by level, he descended to check the decks and holds. Because of the pitching waves, he had to take wider steps than usual, and above the crew deck the heavy hammocks swung. But so far as he could see, all was in place and as it should be.

Uneasy still, Mr. Smee retired to his cabin and stretched himself down to rest. He’d have to be sharp tomorrow, on guard for the captain’s safety. And the lady’s, whether she liked it or not. That Hanover didn’t fight fair, and he was one hell of a swordsman. Almost as good as the captain.

When Smee finally closed his eyes, he took his mind off his troubles with thoughts of an island flower…his Lily, with her soft, fringed skirt and dark braid.
There
was a woman, now, who understood duty. She’d been cool at first when he’d shown her the captain’s gift of golden bracelets. She’d done Hook the favor because it was the right thing to do, a fair return for another. Smee missed Lily all the more, since port call. The little blonde barmaid he’d charmed in Gao drew a neat pint, but she hadn’t taken the edge off his thirst.

And in spite of her resemblance to the lady, he’d found that, after all, the girl in Gao hadn’t satisfied him so very well. She didn’t favor a corset either, but as it turned out, she preferred to work her own lacings. Smee rolled over on his bunk and exhaled, sighing like the ship.

That little barmaid didn’t know what she was missing.

§ § §

Still awake and listening to the
Roger
’s keening, her captain drained his cup and set it on the bed shelf. Concluding with his mistress, he had wrapped his arm around her so that with her finger, she traced the swirling tail of the mermaid tattooed above his wrist.

“You will remember what I’ve taught you.”

“Aye, Sir. You needn’t worry.”

“I never worry; I prepare. A habit you are acquiring from me, perhaps? You’ve come a long way since I found you on that island.”

“You’ve given me much since then.”

“Only an equitable exchange, my love.” As the ship leaned to starboard, his hook swung away from the wall where it hung. Pitching back, it struck the wood again. “Sleep now. There is no point in putting it off. Tomorrow will come.”

“I am hesitant to end it. With only a few exceptions, it has been a pleasant experience. Without exception, it has been stimulating.”

Hook raised an eyebrow. “You have borne the unpleasant exceptions with spirit.”

“It seemed to me there was no other choice, Sir.”

“One always has choices, although perhaps not desirable ones.”

“You taught me that things are not always what they seem.” Pulling away a bit, she ventured, “A lesson I’ve seen proved again recently.”

“You were a quick study.”

“And you are very sure of yourself.” Her blue eyes matched his as she looked earnestly into them. “Whatever else I have believed of you, I have always admired that.”

A sentimental man, Hook thought, might drown in the deep waters of her eyes. “Yes. And I am sure of this: that we shall have no regrets, even after our affair is finished.”

“And is this truly the way we should end it?”

“You are saddened, but that will pass. And if anything should go amiss— if for instance, LeCorbeau makes difficulties— follow my directives.”

“Aye, Captain.” She waited before saying, as a final gesture, “I hope I have done my duty.”

He touched her cheek, and his gaze grew intense. “You have never disappointed me.”

She smiled. Laying her head down at last, she closed her eyes. “Tomorrow…”

The sea was restless, and the claw continued its intermittent knocking. Watching her, Hook stroked her hair until she slumbered, and then he kissed her one last time before he slept, dreaming of his mermaid. Scales of emeralds bedecked her tail, and lotus blossoms twined into her hair— golden hair that swirled all about him, entangling his heart…even after she slipped from his arms and disappeared, smiling, into the depths.

Chapter 15

A Change of Plan

“T
here’s been a change of plan, Miss. The reading lesson’s over. You’re to stay in your quarters until you’re called.” Mr. Smee removed the book from Liza’s fingers, and, with a decisive rap, replaced it on the doctor’s desk. “Mister Hanover won’t be needing this after all.”

Squeezing her hands together, Liza backed from the big Irishman. Curiosity lit her eyes.

“No, I’ll not be telling you what it’s about, and if you don’t stay put, I’ll be clapping your bracelet back on. Mind, now.” Jingling his keys for emphasis, he turned his back and shut the door.

A moment later it opened again, and the girl stood with her hand on the door handle, straining her ears for clues. As Smee strode toward the galley, the cook’s pick of chickens, already unsettled by another passer-by, ruffled their feathers and beat their wings. Liza watched stray plumes fling themselves into the air, and by the time they floated down to settle on the deck, Smee’s footfalls had faded. The cook’s cat sat with its white tail curled about it, its eyes large with calculated innocence. Over the sloshing of the sea, Liza caught the sound of voices behind the galley door.

Creeping from her room, she stole closer, hugging the cannons, her bare feet cautious on the rough wooden boards. She began to distinguish the different voices of the sailors. As she listened for the one she sought, a smile bloomed on her lips, and she turned her gaze aft again. This time, she didn’t linger. She hurried back to her door but didn’t enter. Pressing herself against the wall instead, she edged toward the spare cabin in the middle of the stern, and with one wide, gray eye, peeked in. Liza turned back then, freeing her hair from its net and shaking it loose over her shoulders as she entered her quarters.

There had been no change in Liza’s plan. She would do exactly as ordered. She’d stay put.

§ § §

“No, Doctor.” With a smile full of intrigue, Jill folded the parchment and tucked it into her bodice. “I have written something down to admire, but no one must read it.” She had counted on the man responding to her advances this morning, and he was more abandoned than she anticipated, his old confidence returned in force. It couldn’t last, and she was enjoying every second of his attention.

“You are charming when you try to deceive me. Show me.” Hanover pulled her into his arms. “What have you been writing here at your desk, while Liza was studying her letters?”

Laughing, she tamped the paper more deeply into her bosom. “Now I know my secret is safe. Your refined sense of propriety will forbid you to delve any further into my…privacy.”

There was no doubt about it, Hanover decided. She was tempting him. “Madam, you have wrought a change in me. I am prepared to break any rule necessary to make you happy.” His generous lips smiled, more amorous every second. “And I know now how to please you.” Holding her waist in one taut, swordsman’s arm, he brushed the tips of his fingers over her scar.

Half closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and welcomed the warmth of his mouth as he kissed the red mark. His fingertips lingered on her throat, then slid beneath her ruby necklace, and lower. As he kissed her lips, his hand arrived at its destination and gently probed for the parchment. She almost forgot to wonder how long Liza had been away on her errand, but she heard nothing outside her door, and, too soon, the doctor drew the paper and his fingers from her bodice.

“Now I have it. In a moment I will know what you hide from me.” Still holding her, he snapped the paper open and began to read. Jill inspected the door, then met his eyes as he smiled on her.

“So! You have been practicing your new name. How many times? It must be a hundred! And I thought you were busy writing another of your stories.”

“It
is
a story. I have made it all up, and supplied a happy ending— ‘Mrs. Johann Heinrich.’ You see, we will have the same initials when we are married. Johann Heinrich, Jill Hein—” She stopped, turning pale.

“Jill? What is the matter, my darling?” Hanover began to release her, but even in her surprise she seized his arms and kept him close.

“I didn’t notice before. It seemed so right.” She stared at the inky lines on the parchment.

“Notice…” His gaze followed hers to the paper. “Ah. Yes. Yes, I see now.”

She was gazing at him, perceiving an aspect she’d never taken in before. “Our initials will be the same…but the name is not what I expected. Heinrich. Your true name is Heinrich.”

“Yes. Like you, I have temporarily taken what you might call a pirate name. ‘Hanover’ is a pseudonym I adopted to pursue my endeavors at sea. There is nothing sinister about it, I assure you. I simply didn’t want to be traced on my travels from England. I intend to assume my proper name when we return to Europe. I am very proud of it.”

“Of course you are. It isn’t surprising, then, that I should write it. We have become so close.”

He squeezed her waist. “Closer every day, now.”

“Why did you wish to hide your whereabouts?”

“There was a slight misunderstanding about my experiments. Merely an unpleasantness as I sought to learn the proper dosage of my philter. I have since corrected the problem.”

“I see.” Making use of the natural pause, Jill listened for approaching footsteps. “Well…I am hardly the one to fault you for taking a new name. And when we are married, we will both take the old one.”

Her smile was irresistible, and Doctor Heinrich didn’t try to deny it. By now he had decided there were far more advantages to associating with pirates than he ever imagined. Neither he nor his fiancée paid the slightest heed as the parchment fluttered to the floor.

After some moments the surgeon relented, allowing the lady to catch her breath. “Tell me, Madam. Have you any other documents hidden away?” His fingers strayed once again to the edge of her neckline.

“We mustn’t chance it. Liza is late. She may return at any moment.” Jill pressed her hands flat against his chest, but her fiancé didn’t release her.