Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (69 page)

to the sloop.
“A carefuldistillationofthe truth, I suppose.” He chuckled. “Willyoucallforthyour Wolf?” “I will very likely be forced to. He is ever about when I

spar withMorgan.”
Morgan greeted us warmly and ushered us to the cabin.
The roomwas tiny and smelled of wine and rum. There was one
berth built into the wall, and I wondered where Captain Norman
was forced to sleep whenever his good friend Morgan
commandeered his vesselas flagship.
We sat at the table and Morgan pushed aside parchment
and quills and set a bottle offine Madeira before us. “I recallyou
gentlemenare more brandysippers thanrumguzzlers.” “You recall correctly,” I said. “So, what have you heard
fromEngland?”
fromEngland?”
His eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips thoughtfully as
he poured himself a mug. “Modyford received an inquiry from
your father. He wished to know if you had returned to Jamaica
after the… abduction.”
“Whenwas this?”I asked.
He frowned in thought. “December, I believe. His letter
said nothingofwhyhe might stillbe lookingfor you, but it alerted
Modyford and me to your not beinginEngland.”He laughed. I chuckled, as it was amusing. “So what did you tell

him?” “Modyford wrote at once and told your father we

thought you were with him. Then, of course, we began to make inquiries. We discovered, ina roundabout fashion,”he waved his hand to indicate the manner was not important, “that you were on Tortuga. I was quite pleased to hear it. However did you manage it? The last I saw, you and your people left on three different ships.”

I shrugged. “Savant’s ship met up with the Bard on the
Queen
, and they exchanged some passengers, and then the
Queen
came after mysister and me. Theycaught us offthe coast of Florida. The Bard sailed ahead. Though my father’s men had a fast sloop, she was onlysailingas fast as the frigate. Theninthe night, Gaston, Striker, and Pete took a boat with a couple of men and slipped up on the frigate. They got aboard and rescued us and then Pete used the powder cache to blow a hole in the frigate’s hull at the waterline. She began to sink, but we were able to force our way out into the sea. Then we swam to the boat and escaped while allwas inchaos onthe two vessels.”

Morgan’s eyes were wide with amazement and fascination. “That is remarkable. I wishI had seenit.”
“I wish I had not,” I said with a smile. “At least not from where I stood.”
Morgan’s good cheer dimmed when he looked to my matelot:who appeared quite grimas he studied his glass. “Was it not a triumph?”
Gaston sighed and looked to me. I smiled and told Morgan, “I had beenpoorlyused; suchthat it took me months to recover. I stillbear scars.”
Our host’s demeanor sobered considerably, and he sat forward and met mygaze. “Why? And your sister?”
“Nay, she was well. She capitulated to my father’s wishes for the voyage readily enough to suit them. I, however, was quite stubborn.”
“What did theywishofyou?”he asked.
“That I renounce Gaston and sodomy,” I said with a shrug. “I refused, and my father had given themorders to break me ifnecessary. Theywere tryingveryhard to do so whenI was rescued.”
Morgan appeared appalled. He sat back with a heavy sighand considered his mugand thenthe far wall.
“I’msorryto hear that,”he said at last.
“Well, it is just more unfinished business between my father and me,”I said withnonchalance. “And I willfinishit; I am just not sure when.”
I had considered telling him the truth, that we wished to hire the French and go to England, but I thought better of it after his easymentionofModyford’s correspondence withmyfather.
“And now you’re on the run fromthe French?” Morgan asked thoughtfully.
“Not all Frenchmen, we hope,” I said and chuckled. “It seems Gaston’s inheritance became embroiled in political intrigues we knew nothing of, and his father’s enemies enlisted the Holy Roman Church to make their case. It is the Church that seeks Gastonand me.”
“So you came here: to buy time, or to secure passage to England?”he asked.
I smiled. He was not a stupid man. “Both.”
“You fear returning to Jamaica.” He did not ask it as question.
“Should I not?”
He shrugged amicably. “You probably should. I don’t know what coin your father left lying about town. And though I’m privy to much of Modyford’s business, there are things he keeps from me. He knows well enough I sided with you during that debacle.”
“Where do youside now?”I asked.
“Withyou!”he replied withhurt that I should ask.
“Thenwillyouhelp me get to England without Modyford writingmyfather ofit?”
He seemed surprised bythe request:a thingI found odd. He composed himself quickly though. “Of course. I’ll take you there myselfifneed be.”
I saw somethinginhis eyes for the briefest ofmoments:a flicker of mischief perhaps. I could not trust him. For now, I had no choice but to act as ifI did.
“Thank you,” I said. “I would rather it were sooner than later. There are people waitingonword ofus.”
“Thenwrite them. I willsee that it is posted inPort Royal —with Modyford none the wiser. Tell your people you’re safe and you’llbe inEngland next year.”
I snorted. “After we go roving with you? Come now, Morgan. We cannot possiblydo that. Yousaw Chris.”
“That I did. I never forget the face of a pretty girl.” He chuckled. “Who is bedding her?” he looked from one to the other ofus.
“She is my wife,” Gaston said coolly. “The mother of my child. And she will be spoken of with respect. And for now, she is Pete’s matelot.”
“I meant no disrespect,” Morgan said quickly. “And having a good sodomite like Pete pretend to be her matelot is veryclever indeed.”He chortled.
I did not have to glance at Gaston to know we agreed that Morganshould not be told the truthonthat matter. “It was a necessityofconvenience.”
“Well, we can send her to Jamaica with the letter. She’ll be safe there withher father,”Morgansaid.
“Nay,” I said firmly. “Her father is an old, fat fool, deeply under the sway of Modyford and Gaston’s father’s enemies. She will not go to Jamaica. She will be used against us ifanyone gets their hands onher.”
It was true, and it was a calculated ploy.
Morgan’s eyes narrowed as he took the bait. “Then… So she has been masquerading as a boy here? Are any the wiser?”
“None on the
Fortune
have realized it. I have discovered that most men are blind to the obvious if they consider it the inconceivable.”
He laughed. “Then she can sail with us, and remain with the ships.” He shrugged and spread his hands as if that solved everything.
I sighed. “Morgan, I do not wishto go to war against the Spanish again. I have my own wars to win; for far more money thanI willever earnfromSpaniards.”
His eyes narrowed at that, too. “Might youinherit, yet?”
It was a thing he seemed to want: I gave it to him. “Possibly. My attempts to abandon my title have been ignored. My father could well die at any time, and the law of the land would simply grant me his title despite the bad blood between

us.” And, of course, if I killed him, that would occur too. I

had truly not given that any thought. If I could murder him and appear innocent, I would be Earl. The idea struck me quite hard, and I was left dazed—and amused at my blindness in not seeing that sooner. I was so intent on not being Earlat his behest, I had forgottenthat it could be at myown.

“How do you intend to resolve things with your father?”

 

he asked.His question pushed me from my sudden epiphany and

 

left me unbalanced. I did not wishto spar anylonger:I wished to share mynew conceit withGaston.

“I intend to confront him,” I said, with only enough thought to avoid the truth. I scrambled about and wondered what I should say: what would Morgan wish to hear? What did he trulywant?

“How do youfeelthat willgo?”Morganasked witha sly

 

smile. “Poorly,” I said quite honestly. “That is why I do not

 

intend to do it publicly.”That was perhaps too close to the truth.

Morgan seemed to like it, though. He smiled. “Is your father aninfluentialman? Modyford feels he is.”
I thought on all I had discussed with Theodore and the others on the matter. “Nay, I think not—not as Modyford might feel. My father is wealthy, but he derives much of that wealth from engaging in activities many lords find unbecoming; and though I am sure he wields power, I doubt it is with the King’s Court. My father was quite comfortable during the Interregnum.” I was not sure precisely how true that was, but I thought it was likely. We did not want Modyford—or Morgan—to continue to think appeasingmyfather was intheir best interests.
“So were Modyford’s people. Mine were not so affected,”Morgansaid witha touchofdisdain.
Well, that tack was not going where we wished. I decided on a frontal assault for the moment. I leavened my words with incredulity. “So Modyford truly believes appeasing myfather willgarner himsome wealthor power?”
Morganfrowned and his tone was guarded. “He does.”
“Well he is a damn fool. My father despises men like him. He has no interest inthe ambitions ofcommonmen. He only

cares for the nobility.”

 

cares for the nobility.”

Our host frowned anew at that and spoke to his glass. “I have told Modyford much the same. And what are your feelings concerningambitious
common
men.”

I grinned. “Morgan, I am a member of the Brethren: I hold all men as my equal if they are willing to use a sword and piece to defend their honor.”

He smiled and seemed to be mulling it over. “Is your father a sicklyman?”
“I have not heard of late. I expect to arrive in England and find he is quite ill.”
His smile deepened. “So that is your plan.”
I smiled and adopted a chiding tone. “I have said no suchthing.”
Morganchuckled. “So youwillconfront himas youmust —and live.”
I gave no answer, merelysmiled.
“Well, I will offer what aid I can,” he said and leaned back inhis seat withsatisfaction.
“Before yourove?”I pressed.
He sighed heavily and frowned. “I can’t very well abandon my fleet, and this is the only ship I have available that could reachEngland. I can’t let her go—now.”
I could see his reasonable argument. I could also see him dissembling behind it. He would not let us leave until it suited him. Once again, we would have to think of other plans whilst we waited on the French—and that was assuming much of their demeanor. We would have to make other arrangements.

“Then we shall all see what the autumn brings,” I said

“Then we shall all see what the autumn brings,” I said agreeably.
He shrugged the matter aside and refreshed his mug. “So tellme how it is youhad to leave Tortuga insucha hurryyouhad to bringa woman?”
I shrugged and drank of my mug and told him a fine version of our escape. I only omitted Pete sending Striker to be with his wife and Gaston’s illness—and my killing a priest. After that, he told us of the Spanish attack on Jamaica—such as it was.
Eventually we wound down and Gaston and I made to take our leave.
“Stayhere,”Morgansuggested.
“Nay, I think we will remain on the
Fortune
: there is more available deck, and our friends are there.
“Well, for the night. We can rearrange men so that there’llbe roomhere for allofyou.”
“Nay, I think not. Our ruse with Chris is best served

there.”“But…”

“Nay, Morgan. We will remain on the
Fortune
,” I said flatly, allpretense abandoned.
He appeared wounded. “Do younot trust me?”
I laid a hand to my breast and feigned my own pricked pride. “Morgan, do younot trust me?”
He sighed and looked away with a smile. “I suppose I must.”
“And the same to you…
Old friend
.”
He chuckled. “It is true, we have not truly known one
He chuckled. “It is true, we have not truly known one another verylong, have we?”
I did not say the obvious:
in some ways long enough
. Nay, I smiled agreeablyand bowed inparting.
I was quite relieved when we found our canoe at the side. I would not have been surprised if we had found he had sent it to shore under the assumption we would be staying. Gaston and I soon paddled purposefully—and without unseemly haste—toward the place we thought the
Fortune
lay.
“Well, we now know what value he places on me,” I said once we were safelyaway.
“He willnot let us leave,”Gastonsaid. “Willingly.”
“Oui, my thoughts exactly. We must see what Donovan is willingto risk. And wait onthe French, perhaps.”
I begin to worry about that avenue of egress as well,” Gaston said. “I thought we would find them earlier in the year. Cominghere, their decks willbe fullofhungryFrenchmen.”
“Aye, aye. I doubt any of the other captains will be willing to defy Morgan. I only think Donovan might because he does not wishto rove againanyway.”
“We can always steal a small boat in the night,” he said hopefully. “Some of those craft on the beach are quite small— and sail our way to the English colonies—or at least into French lands where we cansteala larger craft.”
“It might come to that,” I sighed. “Until then, we must stayoffhis vessel.”
“Oui. And not let him get his hands on Chris.” His tone held a touchofconcern.
I sighed again. “It was my ploy: to set her as bait. If he
I sighed again. “It was my ploy: to set her as bait. If he thinks her a weak pawn, so much the better for us. He does not know she canshoot or swim, muchless possiblysail.”
“Oui,” Gaston sighed. There was a pause, and then he asked. “Do you think he might aid us out of the hope you will inherit?”
“I hope so. I would rather he find my wishes valuable and not myfather’s.”
“Oui,”mymansaid emphatically.
I recalled my epiphany and smiled, though he could not see it. “I thought of something. If I kill my father and remain innocent, I willinherit:I willbe Earl.”
Ahead ofme, Gaston’s shoulders tightened.
“Had you not thought of it, either; or are you surprised your matelot is completelydaft?”I teased.
He turned to look at me in the darkness: though in truth, we could see little of one another’s expressions. I could only see the hint ofhis eyes.
“I did not think of it in that way—either,” he said with a thoughtfultone.
I chuckled and leaned forward to brush a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, mylove.”
“But you do not want the title,” he said. “I assumed you would abandonit.”
“What if I did not—and we could go elsewhere—the colonies perhaps—and live as we chose?”
He chuckled and returned to paddling. “That would be veryfine indeed.”
We finally found the
Fortune
in the dim light. We were
We finally found the
Fortune
in the dim light. We were welcomed aboard withgreat reliefbyall.
“Yousee he’s blockaded the bay,”Cudro said.
“Aye, and he does not wish for us to leave—well, specifically me,” I said. I looked to Donovan. “Do not fret, we will manage something. And I have a question for you.” I took his arm and led him away from the others to the bow, where I whispered, “Would you be willing to risk his wrath and sail us northto the colonies?”
“It would cost me, an’…”
“We would pay you handsomely. I will trust you now to tellyouwe have enoughcoinwithus.”
He sighed and nodded. “Smart o’ ya ta na’ tell men you na’ know. I take no offense. I would be willin’ ta take your money. I could sail from another port an’ do me business with the Spaniards. There be small ports in the Bahamas, an’ there always be Cayonne.”
“I thank you.”
He shook his head. “We canna’ leave right aways, though. There’s the spar that needs fixin’. An’ we canna’ outsail that sloop ta get aroun’ ’er or outrun ’er—with or without the spar bein’ made right. It’ll take another storm. Or some other matter. Some of the reef be low, an’ I could see slidin’ o’er it if there were stormswell. But it be riskybusiness.”
“All right, let us see what develops. He might move the sloop tomorrow. He might do manythings.”
“’E might come an’ take me ship fer some damn fool reason,”Donovansaid.
I sighed, as that was a possibility. “Let us hope he does not feelso verydesperate.”
“Whywould ’e?”
I supposed that was a valid question: Morgan was so arrogant he should not feel the need; but, then I realized Donovan did not understand what Morgan wanted. “Our Admiralfeels I willbe of value to him—as a hostage perhaps, or as a bargainingchip; or inmyownright as his
friend
.”
“Whydo ya think ’e feel’e needs anyo’ that?”Donovan asked.
“He is an ambitious man, and he wants far more than he canstealfromthe Spanish.”
Donovan nodded. “’E also might need a nobleman ta cover ’is arse. Norman said there be a treaty with the Spaniards now. No more war beyond the Line. Morgan an’ Modyford been writin’ each other o’ it. Morgan’s orders be to na’ attack the Spanish unless ’e ’as reason ta believe they be plannin’ war againagainst Jamaica.”
I laughed. “Which I am sure he will
intuit
from every Spanish port we pass. That is just what I expect fromthose two. Well, that gives me a piece to playwith. Thank you.”
Donovansmiled. “Aye, as ya say, we’llsee ’ow it goes.”
He left me, and I was soon surrounded by Gaston and our friends. I imparted allwe knew.
“He would keep us here as prisoners?” Chris asked. He appeared quite surprised.
“Na’FerLong,”Pete grumped.
“I think you’re correct about none wishing to anger him save Donovan,” Cudro said. “And he’s correct about it being riskybusiness.”
“So we go roving,”Ashsaid. “What is your hurry?”
This angered Cudro, and they began to argue and retreated fromus.
“Let us pray for a miracle with the French,” I said. “And untilthen, I suppose we shallattempt to lullhiminto a false sense ofsecurity.”
For the next month, we did that very thing. Donovan and Rodent made very slow work of choosing and fashioning a new spar. They actually had a fine one they were working on below deck; but everyone theyworked onabove deck proved to have some flaw in the wood; and they made much of discarding it and then traipsing about in the forest to find another. Donovan and his menalso beganto speak ofrovingwhentheywere ashore:as did the rest ofus.
Gaston took to plying his trade from one particular stump near the edge of the forest, and within a fortnight he and I moved our belongings there and set up camp. There we were able to have a modicum of privacy, and we were free to run or swim as we chose. Gaston’s health had thankfully improved to the point where he no longer coughed or fevered. He pronounced himself well, but still weak: and even though he felt great need to regainhis strength, he paced himselfadmirably.
As Gaston and I were now always visible, we began to feel we were watched less; and Morgan even took to gracing our fire onoccasionfor a shared bottle ofwine and talk ofpiracy and dueling.
Cudro and Ash also came ashore and began to spend their time at the various campfires in the night. Thus we learned that a rumor had begun concerning Donovan withholding goods from the fleet. We combated that by sinking the
Fortune’s
crates of rum and wine over the side in the night, and marking them with buoys that floated beneath the surface so that only a swimmer might find them. Then Donovan invited a number of captains—including Morgan—to his ship for a fete, and shared out the
last
of his good brandy. Chris and Pete spent that night ashore, but onallother days theyremained withthe
Fortune
.
In the first week of November, the afternoon storms began to abate and the French finally began to arrive. Still not wishing to rile Morgan, we did not paddle out to meet themand ask of news. Instead, we waited at our little camp until, to our great relief and happiness, we saw a particular long-faced Gaul jogging up the beach to meet us. We embraced Peirrot as if he were a long-lost brother, and he returned it inkind.
“How are you?” he asked loudly. Then he took a closer look at Gaston and his brow furrowed. “You do not look well, myfriend.”
My matelot laughed. “I assure you, I amthe best I have beeninmonths.”
Peirrot appeared quite concerned. He looked to me. “What has happened?”
“Gaston was shot and almost drowned when we escaped Île de la Tortue,” I said. “He caught the ague, and though it has left him, his strength has not yet returned. When I stop and think of how much weight he has lost, I am concerned too. But he is doing much better. We run and swima little now. How are you?”
“I amwell,” Peirrot said with reserve and sat at our fire. “I have a ship full of angry boucaniers. The French governor is a great fat hog who will ruin us all. We go to rove with a bastard who would just as soon rob us as split treasure with us. All is well.”He grinned. “I have heard muchofyoutwo.”
I chuckled. “Allgood?”
He laughed. “Never!”
I handed him a bottle of fine Spanish brandy— compliments ofDonovan’s trove.
Peirrot took a good pulland passed it to Gaston.
“So,”Peirrot asked, “how did our fine Doucette die?”
“I pushed him down the stairs,” I said. “I had had enough. He was accusingme ofbeddinghis wife.”
Peirrot sprawled in the sand with loud and unabashed