{"id":2183,"date":"2012-12-07T12:58:10","date_gmt":"2012-12-07T17:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/?page_id=2183"},"modified":"2026-03-31T21:12:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T02:12:21","slug":"dunham","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/thebooks\/dunham\/","title":{"rendered":"DUNHAM"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"eddsection\">\n<div class=\"eddfloat_dl\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"eddcover_dl\">\n<figure class=\"b10mwx\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/b10mediaworx.com\/covers\/dunham\/dunham-200x300.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"b10mwx\">Tales of Dunham #4<br \/>\u00a92013 Moriah Jovan<br \/>295,000 words (710 pages)<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<article>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddtitle_dl\">Book 4 in the Dunham universe<\/p>\n<div class=\"linksbuyblock\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Buy Dunham\">\n<p class=\"linksedd\">Buy direct:<\/p>\n\t<form id=\"edd_purchase_8286\" class=\"edd_download_purchase_form edd_purchase_8286\" method=\"post\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"edd_price_options edd_multi_mode\" >\n\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t<li id=\"edd_price_option_8286_epub\"><label for=\"edd_price_option_8286_1\"><input type=\"checkbox\"  checked='checked' name=\"edd_options[price_id][]\" id=\"edd_price_option_8286_1\" class=\"edd_price_option_8286\" value=\"1\" data-price=\"9.99\"\/>&nbsp;<span class=\"edd_price_option_name\">EPUB<\/span><span class=\"edd_price_option_sep\">&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"edd_price_option_price\">&#36;9.99<\/span><\/label><\/li><li id=\"edd_price_option_8286_pdf\"><label for=\"edd_price_option_8286_3\"><input type=\"checkbox\"  name=\"edd_options[price_id][]\" id=\"edd_price_option_8286_3\" class=\"edd_price_option_8286\" value=\"3\" data-price=\"9.99\"\/>&nbsp;<span class=\"edd_price_option_name\">PDF<\/span><span class=\"edd_price_option_sep\">&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"edd_price_option_price\">&#36;9.99<\/span><\/label><\/li>\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/div><!--end .edd_price_options-->\n\t\n\t\t<div class=\"edd_purchase_submit_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"edd-add-to-cart button has-edd-button-background-color has-edd-button-text-color edd-submit\" data-nonce=\"983a527252\" data-timestamp=\"1775303955\" data-token=\"246d40db55a26cdbb5368445c64883efad3f054b42db17eb96d1149911838951\" data-action=\"edd_add_to_cart\" data-download-id=\"8286\"  data-variable-price=\"yes\" data-price-mode=multi data-price=\"0.00\" ><span class=\"edd-add-to-cart-label\">Add to Cart<\/span> <span class=\"edd-loading\" aria-label=\"Loading\"><\/span><\/button><input type=\"submit\" class=\"edd-add-to-cart edd-no-js button has-edd-button-background-color has-edd-button-text-color edd-submit\" name=\"edd_purchase_download\" value=\"Add to Cart\" data-action=\"edd_add_to_cart\" data-download-id=\"8286\"  data-variable-price=\"yes\" data-price-mode=multi \/><a href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/checkout\/\" class=\"edd_go_to_checkout button has-edd-button-background-color has-edd-button-text-color edd-submit\" style=\"display:none;\">Checkout<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"edd-cart-ajax-alert\" aria-live=\"assertive\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"edd-cart-added-alert\" style=\"display: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"edd-icon edd-icon-check\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"28\" height=\"28\" viewBox=\"0 0 28 28\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<path d=\"M26.11 8.844c0 .39-.157.78-.44 1.062L12.234 23.344c-.28.28-.672.438-1.062.438s-.78-.156-1.06-.438l-7.782-7.78c-.28-.282-.438-.673-.438-1.063s.156-.78.438-1.06l2.125-2.126c.28-.28.672-.438 1.062-.438s.78.156 1.062.438l4.594 4.61L21.42 5.656c.282-.28.673-.438 1.063-.438s.78.155 1.062.437l2.125 2.125c.28.28.438.672.438 1.062z\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAdded to cart\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!--end .edd_purchase_submit_wrapper-->\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"download_id\" value=\"8286\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"edd_action\" class=\"edd_action_input\" value=\"add_to_cart\">\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/form><!--end #edd_purchase_8286-->\n\t\n<p class=\"linksedd\">&nbsp;<br \/>\n\t\t<span class=\"small85\">Amazon<\/span> <a class=\"dunham\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B00DQZR2D4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kindle<\/a> \u2022 <a class=\"dunham\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/098278127X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paperback<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<span class=\"small85\">Barnes &#038; Noble<\/span> <a class=\"dunham\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/dunham-moriah-jovan\/1115751950?ean=2940016455174\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nook<\/a> \u2022 <span class=\"small85\">paperback<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<a class=\"dunham\" href=\"http:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/id737326156\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple iBooks<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<a class=\"dunham\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details?id=c1V1iDvDyIoC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Play Books<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<a class=\"dunham\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/dunham-tales-of-dunham-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kobo eBooks<\/a>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"edddunhamtag_dl\">It\u2019s 1780<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">The Americans are losing their desperate fight for independence from the most powerful nation on Earth. Britain\u2019s navy is crushing outposts up and down the eastern seaboard and the Americans\u2019 pitiful navy consists mostly of small-vessel privateers on missions of profit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">\u201cCaptain Jack\u201d Celia Bancroft is one of those privateers, whose list of debts of honor is a nautical mile long. Sailing for the Americans is the current project on her to-do list, and once she has finished all her tasks, she will then be free to sail on a tide of whimsy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">Commander Elliott Raxham, cashiered from His Majesty\u2019s Royal Navy, is a newly made British earl who schemes for his own independence \u2014 from the title he never expected to inherit and the country that has betrayed him time and again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">They meet in a Caribbean tavern where he steals a kiss that starts a brawl she finishes. In retaliation, he steals her ship\u2019s figurehead and, if that isn\u2019t a grave enough insult, proceeds to chase her across the Atlantic to collect on the promise in her kiss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eddsum_dl\">With that, the romance is on, but the adventure is only beginning as Elliott and Celia face obstacle after obstacle in their own fight for independence \u2014 a new life together on the American frontier.<\/p>\n<div class=\"navblock\">\n<p class=\"leftnavblock\"><a class=\"arrowsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/thebooks\/magdalene\/\">\u2190 Book 3<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"rightnavblock\"><a class=\"arrowbig\" href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/thebooks\/pasodoble\/\">Book 5  \u2192<\/a><br \/>They\u2019re <span class=\"biob\"><em>just friends<\/em><\/span>\u2014<br \/>right up to the first kiss.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wingding\">\u203b<\/p>\n<p class=\"dunhamprologuehead\">July 4, 1776<br \/>\nBarbary Coast<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">BARE AND BLOODY from forehead to waist, she held the tip of her sword tight to the neck of the man who lay on the quarterdeck between her feet, his sword-hand fingers ground under her heavy boot heel. Her long, blood-soaked braid whipped and snapped in the wind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis ship is mine now, Skirrow,\u201d she snarled. \u201cYou have three choices. Adrift, keeled, or death by my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He would have swallowed, but her sword prevented that. \u201cAdrift,\u201d he whispered as best he could.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWrong choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The blade of a carefully sharpened battle axe glinted and whistled as she arced it overhead and brought it down through his neck, cleanly separating his head from his shoulders.<\/p>\n<p>Heedless of the blood spurting from their vessels, she dropped the axe and snatched her former captain\u2019s head off the deck.<\/p>\n<p>She whirled to see the crew\u2014her crew now\u2014watching with varying degrees of calculation and terror.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI AM CAPTAIN FURY!\u201d she roared, thrusting Skirrow\u2019s bloody head, still with its terrified expression, skyward. \u201cI am your captain now, by right of my victory. Any who challenge me will also be sent straight to hell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She dropped Skirrow\u2019s head upon his body, then rammed her sword into the deck so hard that it sank two inches into the wood and quivered. Most of the crew gasped and stepped back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDooley Smith, step forward!\u201d she shouted.<\/p>\n<p>A man of indeterminate age with a shock of carrot-colored hair stepped forward proudly and saluted. \u201cSir!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She plucked a jangle of keys from the body\u2019s belt and fired them at him. Without a blink, he caught them. \u201cDooley Smith. Leftenant. Second in command. Take who you trust and go free the prisoners. Bring them to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A quarter hour passed in which she stood on the quarterdeck, hands on hips, unashamed of her bare breasts, surveying her holdings and crew. Many would die today, but most of those not by her hand.<\/p>\n<p>Only fifteen men knew what this day would bring, and fourteen of them stood spread out, heavily armed, their backs to her, holding weapons to discourage any who might forcibly object.<\/p>\n<p>A gaggle of Moors, Africans, Arabs, Jews, and Caucasians in equal numbers straggled up on deck, gaunt, nearly lifeless and, for the first time on this voyage, not bound by chains. Two men stood out: An Arab and a runaway Negro slave. Both stood proud, their backs strong for all their emaciation, and their bearing dignified.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSolomon Ibrahim and Cambridge Bull, step forward!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The two who knew they had the most to gain by this mutiny stepped forward with purpose. She pulled two leather-sheathed daggers out of her waistband and sent them zinging toward the men, who caught them handily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeek out your enemies and do what you will,\u201d she murmured, and studied the faces of the crew, a full quarter of which turned to shock and fear.<\/p>\n<p>The Arab gave no expression to betray his feelings, but he turned on the balls of his feet and, with one graceful arc, slit the throat of the man behind him\u2014then plowed through the assembled crew.<\/p>\n<p>The Negro\u2019s expression had turned murderous and he too pursued those who had made his life worse than a living hell down in the deep, dark holds below the cargo.<\/p>\n<p>She watched as men dove overboard to escape the wrath of the two who suddenly possessed the strength of madmen. Throats were slashed and bodies dumped, the sea below them blossoming vermilion as she stood silent, watching, waiting.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of the prisoners stared agog, their vengeance wrought by proxy, their expressions slowly betraying hope.<\/p>\n<p>The two men ran for hatches and disappeared into the bowels of the ship from whence screams erupted only to be abruptly silenced. Bodies flopped in their mates\u2019 arms as they were dragged from belowdecks into the sunshine and tossed overboard.<\/p>\n<p>The sun marked three quarters of an hour before the reapers reappeared before her, as bloody as she, sheathing the daggers in their waistbands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSolomon al Ibrahim,\u201d she intoned. \u201cI have no sailor\u2019s rank for you, but you will be my equal on this ship, should you choose to sail with me. Anon, we shall together address your grievance with the sultan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His expression still blank, he bowed his head in respect, then raised it to look her in the eye. She nodded once.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCambridge Bull. Second leftenant. Third in command.\u201d He, too, bowed his respect.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPaulo Papadakos, step forward!\u201d The Greek had taken to the sea at ten, when his family had been run out of their ghetto and he had become simply an extra mouth to feed. \u201cThird leftenant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBataar Khan, step forward!\u201d A smallish Mongol looked up at her from under lowered brows. \u201cBo\u2019sun. And do away with that farce of hair affixed to your chin. You are no more male than I.\u201d The woman grinned and spun a Turkish sword over the top of her hand before touching the dull edge of the blade to her forehead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEnrico Espejo, step forward!\u201d Barely out of the schoolroom, this Spaniard had proven his worth many times, and no less so today. \u201cMaster gunner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAdrian Croftwood, step forward!\u201d An English nobleman\u2019s fifth son, who had no hope of anything in his homeland and had gone to sea seeking a fortune that had never materialized. \u201cCarpenter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOrlando Telesca, step forward!\u201d Another nobleman\u2019s son, Venetian, heir to nothing owing to a profligate father. \u201cSurgeon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The afternoon bore on thusly as she named her crew and positions, the last a small boy who had been used as a toy for the man she had just slain. No one knew his name or his age, not even he. He had always been called Boy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoy!\u201d Her voice rang out, still true, though she could feel her throat sting. \u201cStep forward!\u201d He did, trembling. She placed him at no more than nine or ten years old. \u201cCan you speak, child?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d he replied, immediate but timid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou shall henceforth be known as Christopher. Take the first watch under my command.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With the energy of the very young, he ran to the mainmast ropes and climbed, swift as a monkey, to the highest platform, where awaited a glass and cone. She looked up at him and he looked down at her, then he saluted. She nodded once, then stood silent whilst she picked out her own victims.<\/p>\n<p>She saw where they stood, still alive. Neither Solomon nor Bridge would have had reason to kill them.<\/p>\n<p>But she did.<\/p>\n<p>And they knew it.<\/p>\n<p>Lieutenant Smith caught her look and barked an order for five men to be tied to the masts of the ship. They ran, but her new crew was quick to capture them and follow those orders.<\/p>\n<p>She clipped down the stairs to the main deck. She approached the first. \u201cLook at me. Open your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He refused, mute, miserable, tears rolling down his cheeks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConfess your sin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But he wouldn\u2019t. He knew what he had done, and what she would do to him. Her crewman pried his eyelids open. With the point of her dagger, she pried his eyes out one by laborious one while he screamed in pain and blood poured out of the sockets. If he did not die, she would put him ashore.<\/p>\n<p>She went to the next mast to which were bound two men. \u201cTurn this one facing wood and get me a harpoon.\u201d Her order was carried out and someone had slapped the long spike in her hand. \u201cSpread him open.\u201d With one upward thrust, she drove the spear into his back passage. His screams were deafening. They would cease in a moment or two.<\/p>\n<p>The man next to him was already blubbering and begging for mercy, as he knew what was in store for him. She cut his breeches open with her dagger. With one hand, she grasped his cock and balls, yanked them toward her, stretching them as far as they would go, and sliced them both clean from his body. He passed out. Blood drained from his groin all over her hands and she wiped her palm dry on her arse. He would be dead by sunset.<\/p>\n<p>To the third mast were strapped the last two men upon whom she would visit her vengeance. Smitty had ordered the instrument prepared as soon as she\u2019d begun her rampage, and brought the red-hot iron tongs to her immediately. \u201cOpen his mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Two of her newly minted officers muscled his jaw open\u2014twisting it so that it cracked at the hinges. Smitty clamped the tongs to his tongue and dragged it out of his mouth. She cut it out with short, ragged strokes. He, too, passed out. He could beg on a street corner somewhere with the blind man.<\/p>\n<p>The last man was the ship\u2019s former surgeon. She stared at him, and he stared back, his head high. He had participated in the event that had led her to take this ship, but not in the same manner as the others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou killed him, the grog you gave him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did,\u201d he said without hesitation. \u201cSwift and painless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She took a breath. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He inclined his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeftenant Bull! Take him. Lock him in my cabin. I should decide what to do with him later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bridge stepped forward and saluted. \u201cWhich cabin, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye. I have a new cabin now. My old one, then. Have a boy move my things first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That done, she turned and bound back up to the quarterdeck. \u201cSolomon. Mount Skirrow\u2019s head on the bowsprit as a warning to anyone else who thinks to take me or mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Arab\u2019s mouth turned up in a diabolical smile. She and the rest of the crew watched silently as he impaled the head on a claymore, then grabbed a measure of rope before heading to the bowsprit to lash it tight.<\/p>\n<p>Turning to address her men, she said, \u201cWe put into port in Casa Blanca soon for drydock. That will take some weeks. Those of you who do not wish to sail under a woman\u2019s command will find your own way back to your homelands. After that, I go to Philadelphia to apply for a letter of marque. War has begun, and where there is war, there is money to be made.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose of you who\u2019ve been bound who would be my crew are welcome to stay as long as you work. Otherwise, you\u2019ll tell the leftenant where you wish to debark and I shall take you there. Any who have wives or sweethearts who would be willing to work for me are welcome to bring them aboard as we pass your home ports.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe rest of you who wish to stay as my crew, freely and of your own will sailing under the command of a woman, will be well rewarded. This ship will henceforth go by the name <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. We weigh anchor at dawn. Monsieur Senzeille, two extra rations of rum for each man and other than a skeleton watch of two hours each, you may have the rest of the evening to yourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The crew erupted in cheers.<\/p>\n<p>It was a good day\u2019s work, but she could find no joy in it.<\/p>\n<p>She looked to the sun, low on the horizon, and kissed the tips of her fingers. \u201c<em>Adieu, mon c\u0153ur<\/em>,\u201d she whispered and went below to find a dark place to sob out her grief and heartache before her new crew saw her tears.<\/p>\n<p>It was not meet for a commander to weep.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dunhamprologuehead\">July 4, 1776<br \/>\nNewgate Prison, London<\/p>\n<p class=\"dunhamcoldwet\">cold<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;wet<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dark<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;hunger<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;filth<br \/>\nstench<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;humiliation<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;pain<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;madness<br \/>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;death<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">ENGLAND\u2019S TRAITOR awaited the court\u2019s verdict sitting in a puddle of his own filth on freezing stone, even in summer, barely able to move for cold and pain:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dunhamtraitor\">\n<li class=\"dunhamtraitor\">his back against the equally freezing stone wall,<\/li>\n<li class=\"dunhamtraitor\">his knees up and his arms propped across them,<\/li>\n<li class=\"dunhamtraitor\">his head hung low,<\/li>\n<li class=\"dunhamtraitor\">his ankles with bracelets of iron, a short length of chain betwixt them to hobble him; a matching set gracing his wrists\u2014the two chains connected by a third to keep him secure from escape,<\/li>\n<li class=\"dunhamtraitor\">his waist-length hair matted, filthy, crawling with lice and maggots,<\/li>\n<li class=\"dunhamtraitor\">his beard, thick and coarse, itching and crawling with the same vermin as his hair,<\/li>\n<li class=\"dunhamtraitor\">his body emaciated and weak, his stomach aching from hunger.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Two years.<\/p>\n<p>He had been sitting thusly for two years here whilst his trial lumbered toward the inevitable conclusion of his execution.<\/p>\n<p>To keep his mind sharp, he created word puzzles and riddles. He made lists of the books in the library at home and which ones he had read. He named the names of every tenant, villager, and boarder on his estate.<\/p>\n<p>To make himself laugh, he recited by memory long passages from Pope\u2019s <em>Dunciad<\/em>; following that, the works that had inspired such brilliant insults. He stood in the middle of his cell and delivered monologues from Shakespeare and Marlowe, twisting them beyond recognition into bad puns that made him cackle at his own jokes.<\/p>\n<p>To keep his sanity, he recalled his boyhood, spent running hither and yon with his older siblings, racing their horses through the woods, hunting small animals with primitive snares and weapons, playing games with the village children, sneaking into the sea caves to hunt pirate treasure.<\/p>\n<p>To keep hope alive, he flew far away from this place, to the Ohio river valley he had found and made his home for a fortnight, land he had coveted so much he had paced it off as if to verify a purchase. Upon reflection, he should have known it could never have been his, but in <em>this<\/em> time and place, as it had for the last two years, it <em>was<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>He split logs for the fences that corralled his bleating, stinking sheep. He walked behind yoked oxen guiding a plow, his feet bare in the cool, damp, rich black dirt that had never before met steel. He dug precise holes into which he carefully set saplings for apples and pears, then carried water and mulch with which to nurture them. He mucked his horses\u2019 stalls and milked his cows, and when he emerged from his stables, he looked over acres and acres of grain, pastureland, and meadows to the horizon\u2014all his, as far as he could see.<\/p>\n<p>He turned and saw his home, his beautiful home, the one he had built with his own hands, along with equally beautiful furnishings inside. Here, a rocking chair he had labored over. There, a well-designed roof hip he was particularly proud of.<\/p>\n<p>A simply dressed woman waved to him from the porch, called his name, and returned the smile that grew upon his face. He could not see her very well, though, for he was rather far away. He could, however, hear his children squawking at one another over this favored toy or that\u2014one he had made.<\/p>\n<p><em>Come to supper, my love! The sun will set again yet tomorrow.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA moment, my love,\u201d he whispered, and gazed again over his land\u2014<em>his!<\/em>\u2014marveling at its vastness.<\/p>\n<p>The day guards thought him mad, for all that he spoke to himself, asking and answering his own questions, reciting the same lists and soliloquies over and over again, conversing with his nonexistent wife and children, scratching out crop plans on the stone with the jagged edges of the links that tethered him.<\/p>\n<p>The night guards had nothing better to do than listen to his plans and scoff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTRAITOR!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jerked out of his reverie, he smirked at the screech that came through the narrow bars far above his head. He wiped his mouth with his filthy hand, chuckling. How many times had he heard that?<\/p>\n<p><em>Traitor. <\/em>He heard it shouted outside the prison walls for hours at a time, the populace clamoring for him to dance from a gibbet.<\/p>\n<p><em>Traitor.<\/em> He heard it shouted outside the courtroom where his trial took place, where he stood stooped because of his shackles. His appearance condemned him even to those who could not quite be convinced by any other means that he was guilty of high treason.<\/p>\n<p><em>Traitor.<\/em> The word was splashed all over the gazettes, or so he was told. Almost no one would speak of it to him, even when he begged for the truth. Only his mother understood his need for the truth\u2014and gave it to him.<\/p>\n<p>Truth: There was a word whose concept he had long forgotten, if it had ever existed in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>Honor: He had been betrayed by the Crown itself, its political interests in his death paramount to any claim of honor.<\/p>\n<p>Nobility: His home, the place he had left fifteen years ago, the one to which he had wanted to return for so many years\u2014&nbsp;He would never see it again.<\/p>\n<p>Reputation: Shredded beyond repair, his family name forever black, his siblings left to bear society\u2019s disdain and contempt. His unmarried sisters, still in the schoolroom, would find it difficult to make a decent match. His brothers would find the task equally burdensome, which, if remained unaccomplished, would be the death knell of their family.<\/p>\n<p>It would not be long now until he was shuffled off this mortal coil, if the rising clamor outside was any barometer.<\/p>\n<p><em>I did not bear weak men, Son. Keep faith. Your brother will get you out of this Godforsaken place, and if <\/em>he<em> doesn\u2019t, <\/em>I<em> will.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Ah, but his mother had always sailed into the wind, making little headway, but determined to defeat Fate, refusing to lose or to fail no matter how difficult the task. He himself had inherited a good measure of that foolishness, he knew, and perhaps his father truly had the right of it: allow Fate to deal the cards, then play the hand given without complaint. It certainly must be <em>easier<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>That bloody Hanoverian jackanape has taken too much of us, of you, and I will cheat him of his goal if \u2019tis the last thing I do.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Mother, you would make me a fugitive? I will never see you again.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I would rather never see you again, knowing you are alive and well, than watch my wonderful, courageous boy sacrificed on the altar of politics. You will not die before I do. I\u2019ll not allow it!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Life\u2019s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more,\u2019\u201d he whispered, then shook his head furiously. \u201cLord, Mother would have my arse, thinking thataway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He might allow as how his father\u2019s philosophy was easier on the soul, but he was indeed his mother\u2019s son. Visions of a life on the American frontier persisted, which meant he would go to his death mired in hope.<\/p>\n<p>Yet for all his misery, he had endured far, far worse. Two years alone in these unaccommodating accommodations was far more preferable to the fortnight of hell he had endured in the hold of a Royal Navy frigate that marked the beginning of his career\u2014the one he had never wanted.<\/p>\n<p>Here, he was left alone but for a guard\u2019s occasional half-hearted taunt.<\/p>\n<p>Here, he was given at least a bit of gruel and water.<\/p>\n<p>Here, he was not stripped, not bound in stocks, not flogged, not\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Here, he could sleep as deeply as he wished without fear.<\/p>\n<p>The nightmares were rare and negligible. They did not shake him out of slumber, nor disturb him when awake. He knew where he was: Newgate. He knew his cellmates: No one. He knew that the bars that kept him in kept everyone else out.<\/p>\n<p>Here he could escape across an ocean and hundreds of miles inland to a land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey, far away from this meaningless existence.<\/p>\n<p>And here, he had regular visits from people who loved him, who gave him what little comfort they could afford, who had dedicated themselves to winning his acquittal\u2014whether he was innocent or not.<\/p>\n<p>The noise outside was swelling. Pebbles and larger stones were tossed into his cell, their plinking against the walls faster and faster. A collective bellow gathered and rose to a roar.<\/p>\n<p><em>traitor!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>traitor!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>traitor!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It was a chant growing in volume and vitriol.<\/p>\n<p>He would be drawn and quartered by sundown on the morrow. Unless his mother had one of her seemingly endless supply of wily feints at the ready, he would never have to worry about anything ever again.<\/p>\n<p>He found that a&nbsp;\u2026 relief. Father was definitely more correct in this, he finally decided and hang what Mother would think. At some point, it was easier to accept it than to continue fighting against the inevitable. After all, even the best captains and generals had to retreat now and again. There was no dishonor in losing a battle to win a war, and no war could have <em>two<\/em> victors.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, he proceeded to unfurl his mind\u2019s sails and head for Ohio as he had done so often, to sink into the soft dirt and sweet grasses on the bank of the Cuyahoga River to await the executioner\u2019s summoning. Then it occurred to him that though he could not have that in life, he <em>could<\/em> have it in death: He would ask his family to bury him there. His mother would push back the cliffs of the estate to see this request honored. Aye, that was precisely what he would do.<\/p>\n<p>He smiled and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the stone wall.<\/p>\n<p>Clanging at the iron doors of the gaol two floors up only surprised him in that it was so soon after the verdict was rendered. The voices of his advocates barely pricked his resignation to Fate.<\/p>\n<p>The haste with which his cell door opened and men rushed in did spur him to lift his head. The sudden light from the guard\u2019s torch blinded him and he raised an arm to shield his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy son!\u201d He grunted in pain when his father cast himself to his knees and fell upon him, weeping. \u201cMy son, forgive me, I pray!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was nothing he could say except, \u201c\u2019Tis of no matter, Father.\u201d Except it was, insofar as he was an obedient and dutiful son, and his tribulations were the direct result of that obedience. \u201cBut, please, I must ask you to bury me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeftenant!\u201d snapped his commander as he sank to his haunches beside him and began to fuss with his manacles.<\/p>\n<p><em>Lieutenant?<\/em> He had not been any man\u2019s lieutenant for nigh ten years, but the sharp address certainly made him pay attention. What had he done\u2014high treason notwithstanding\u2014to be reprimanded so by an ally?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSir?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one will be burying you in the immediate future. You\u2019ve been acquitted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAcquitted?\u201d he croaked. Surely he had misheard&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?<\/p>\n<p>He sat confused, but that was certainly of no matter, either, since he would die on the morrow and now felt an urgent need to get his request made before that happened. He flinched when the frigid air touched his wrist where the manacle had worn scars into his flesh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFather, come.\u201d His older brother\u2019s voice. \u201cGet up. You may weep over him in the coach. Nephew, help me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrandfather.\u201d Ah, and there was his nephew, his solicitor. Shadows moved as the younger man bent over the older one and urged him away from his supplication.<\/p>\n<p>His commander grasped his left wrist, and he watched in wonder as the key went into the hole, turned, and released the mechanism that bound his other wrist. The manacle fell off, clattering upon the stone floor. He flinched from the sharp sound.<\/p>\n<p>A fourth man stooped over him. \u201cMother will take you home as soon as you can walk farther than ten feet. You will be at home in time for Christmas!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d he whispered as he looked at his younger brother, the barrister who had argued his case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you not understand?\u201d He pulled away when his brother\u2019s nose nearly touched his while he stared directly into his eyes and spoke. \u201cYou\u2014have\u2014been\u2014<em>acquitted<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He blinked. And again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Acquitted?<\/em>\u201d Did he dare hope this was not an hallucination? \u201cI can go home?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d grunted his commander, who was currently struggling with the lock on a rusty ankle cuff. \u201cYour brother did a fine job and your father\u2019s influence is not to be discounted, either. Your mother\u2014well, I should not want to cross her in a dark alley, to be sure. You\u2019re a free man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Free.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Nay. Not so long as he could remember the king\u2019s betrayals of him, nor whilst he seethed with the rage that had been building for the last two years.<\/p>\n<p>The first betrayal he had been able to put behind him to fulfill his duties with extraordinary valor.<\/p>\n<p>The second he shared with fifteen other men, all of them cast under the wheels of political expediency.<\/p>\n<p>This, the third&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>He was finished bearing Britain\u2019s sins against him without seeking redress.<\/p>\n<p>Redress.<\/p>\n<p>That which the Americans sought also.<\/p>\n<p>But <em>they<\/em> were little more than beasts, the colonials, with their primitive weapons, little training, sparse leadership, and no navy.<\/p>\n<p><em>He<\/em> was not.<\/p>\n<p>When these men, his family, the people who loved him, attempted to pull him off the ground, his legs buckled. Even his arms, so long in one position, refused to hook around their shoulders with enough strength to hold himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBloody hell,\u201d his father hissed before sweeping him up in his arms and cradling him as he had done when he was but a wee lad.<\/p>\n<p>Redress.<\/p>\n<p><em>Revenge.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Suddenly, it was a more intoxicating idea than Ohio.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, he would seek justice for the crimes committed against him and his family, and he would do it in the manner the Crown had trained him. Could there be anything sweeter?<\/p>\n<p>His father carried him out of his cell, out of Newgate, whilst the crowds who screamed for his execution were held at bay by Bailey guards. Soon enough, he found himself ensconced in a comfortable coach, his father tucking warm blankets around him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy son,\u201d he whispered as he worked, his eyes glittering, a smile\u2014<em>that<\/em> smile, the one he loved so much to see\u2014growing. \u201cYou are a free man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The newly acquitted barked a rough, bitter laugh and said, \u201cYour optimism is always the gentlest of salves, Father, if only for a small amount of time, but look.\u201d He gestured weakly out the window toward the bloodthirsty crowd. \u201cDoes that look like freedom? Nay. I shall never be free,\u201d he muttered. \u201cI am a traitor. I will always be a traitor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dunhampart\">I<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">1<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">January, 1780<br \/>\nOranjestad, Sint Eustatius<br \/>\nCaribbean<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">\u201cYE\u2019RE GOIN\u2019 ASHORE, Jack?\u201d Lieutenant Smith asked, shocked when Celia swung from the deck of her ship and dropped into the dinghy already being rowed toward the docks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShush. Solomon can\u2019t know. He believes I am abed as he bade me.\u201d She cast a glance between her first mate and her bo\u2019sun. They were the only two occupants of the boat. \u201cI\u2019ll assume you two wanted away from a nosy crew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bataar glared at her, and if Celia\u2019s head were not throbbing like the very devil, she would have laughed. \u201cIf Solomon bade you rest,\u201d she sneered, \u201cthen why are you here disturbing our liaison?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d Smitty agreed. Celia now could see he was equally annoyed with her. \u201cI\u2019d think a body\u2019d rest after sailing through that last stretch of storms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It had been an incredibly long and difficult voyage from Portugal, after an incredibly long and difficult voyage from Virginia to London and on to Portugal\u2014but for different reasons. Truthfully, she would like nothing better than to sleep, having already postponed her meeting with her partner until the morrow, but\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot this body,\u201d she returned wearily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gestured vaguely out to sea. \u201cDunham sailed into the bay two hours ago. I must make haste to go to Mohammed before Mohammed comes to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bataar sighed in sudden understanding. \u201cYour mother. Does she know he has graced us with his presence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia grimaced. \u201cNot yet. She\u2019d have my head if I allowed him on board, yet I can hardly deny him. I sent a message for him to meet me at the Bloody Hound.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been near five years. He must miss ye much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She slid Smitty a look. \u201cHe is not so sentimental as to cross the Atlantic for a visit with <em>me<\/em>, and he cannot possibly know Mama is aboard, so I\u2019ll admit to some curiosity as to his reasons for being here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore than one?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe does not do anything without he has six reasons at once, and certainly would not do such a thing as leave the Mediterranean without those reasons being very <em>large<\/em> ones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn\u2019 what\u2019ll ye do when he requests a tour of the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>? He hasna seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have not thought that far ahead, and I have a singular inability to lie to him. I shall have to arrange for Mama to go ashore somehow.\u201d Celia\u2019s head began to throb in earnest, and she rubbed at her temples. Certainly, she was happy to see the man, but why <em>here<\/em>? Why <em>now<\/em>? \u201cOh, God,\u201d she groaned, closing her eyes and lying back in the dinghy. \u201cDoes it <em>never<\/em> end?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPerhaps,\u201d Bataar said haughtily, \u201cyou should allow Fate to do what she will. It is not your concern.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia could only groan again. \u201cDo not make me think, Bataar. Your family concerns are a matter for all scholars of history to sort out, whilst I am alone between two\u2014nay, <em>three<\/em>\u2014warring factions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are adults. Stand aside and allow them to war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was not long until the dinghy scraped the shoals. Smitty hopped overboard, up to his knees in the water to haul it close and tie it off. Celia climbed out even as he held his hand out to Bataar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m off,\u201d Celia muttered. \u201cMy thanks for the conveyance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re bound for the Bloody Hound as well,\u201d Smitty admitted reluctantly as he laced his fingers in Bataar\u2019s. \u201cThere is a quiet inn behind the courtyard, but we\u2019ve yet to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMmm, I may avail myself of that. I could use\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCALICO JACK!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGod\u2019s blood,\u201d she moaned again, but Smitty and Bataar both turned at Solomon\u2019s bellow from behind them. Half the street\u2019s denizens stopped and looked around. Soon enough her gunpowder supplier spotted and hailed her. \u201cFour days hence!\u201d she called to him. He nodded enthusiastically.<\/p>\n<p>She was obliged to greet half a dozen people and arrange meetings whilst Solomon and another four of her officers fought through the crowd of drunken sailors and women to reach her and her companions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCap\u2019n Jack! Heads up!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s head snapped to her right just in time to see a bottle flying toward her. \u201cPraise be,\u201d she said fervently, snatching it out of the air, pulling the cork, and tipping her head back to drink deeply. It was good, strong rum, and once she had poured a good quarter of it down her gullet, she saluted the man who\u2019d tossed it to her. \u201cExcellent, Distiller! One hundred barrels to the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. Come see me this week, as I have a Greek spirit for you to sample.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMany thanks, Cap\u2019n!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe might as well have stayed on board,\u201d Smitty muttered to Bataar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpeaking of that,\u201d Celia said, feeling her headache fade with the alcohol and her mood lift as she graciously collected salutations and good wishes with every step she took. \u201cWhy do you not share a cabin as well as a bunk? I can find a use for a cabin that stands empty most of every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, Cap\u2019n,\u201d Smitty drawled snidely, \u201cnow that ye\u2019ve made a spectacle of us, I \u2019spose there\u2019s no need to keep <em>us<\/em> to <em>ourselves<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHappy to help!\u201d Celia chirped, suddenly amused, and waved at yet another acquaintance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJack,\u201d came Solomon\u2019s ominous voice from just behind her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, do not berate me. Dunham\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know and I had a plan to defuse the situation, but you did not stay long enough for me to inform you of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She huffed at the dark Arab, who was clad in his preferred white silk tunic and pajamas, his bald head wrapped in more white silk that emphasized his black close-shaven beard. Her mouth twisted in thought. \u201cAye, well, now I\u2019m here and he awaits and I find myself in dire need of food and more of this fine rum.\u201d She took another swig. \u201c<em>That<\/em>,\u201d she pronounced with a satisfied smack of the lips, \u201cis lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grunted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSolomon,\u201d she said, annoyed with his clucking. \u201cI do not need my physician tagging after me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you not to come ashore. If I cannot force you to your bed, I will cling to your heels like dog shit and follow you like its stench.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSolomon!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyebrow rose. \u201cAm I now under your command&nbsp;\u2026 <em>Cap<\/em>tain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her jaw ground. \u201c<em>That<\/em> was a mistake I\u2019ll not repeat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smirked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, here we are,\u201d Celia said, surprised they had arrived so soon. She looked over her shoulder to see that many of her crew had assembled behind her. \u201cDo not get yourselves killed\u2014and that\u2019s an order. If I have to knock on hell\u2019s door to drag you back to your posts, I will, and then I\u2019ll flog you for putting me to the trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lot of them laughed and wandered off.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, Jack,\u201d Smitty drawled as they filed through the doorway, \u201cnow that ye\u2019re the only body occupying <em>your<\/em> bunk, should I keep an eye out?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bataar laughed and Celia flashed the old salt a grin. \u201cI\u2019m not sure, Smitty. I married the last man you brought to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh ho! I should take up matchmaking, ye say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll not get my business, then. I have need of a <em>procurer<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJack,\u201d Solomon growled, \u201cthere will be no procuring done on your behalf for the foreseeable future. If you test me, I <em>will<\/em> inform your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe shall see about that,\u201d Celia said archly. \u201cI\u2019ve not had a good tumble since before we made London. I am positively <em>famished<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The tavern fair crawled with pirates and privateers, most of whom she recognized. She cast around for Dunham, who sat in a back corner of the tavern holding court with Maarten Gjaltema, her sailing partner.<\/p>\n<p>The last five years had aged Dunham aplenty, his long once-orange hair now almost completely white. His close-shaven beard was the color of new-fallen snow with not a patch of orange in sight.<\/p>\n<p>She had been too busy to think about him much since he\u2019d officiated her wedding, but she <em>had<\/em> missed the old man and was more than glad to see him. It shocked her how much she wished he had come here because he had missed <em>her<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHO, DUNHAM! HOLLANDER!\u201d she bellowed, her hands cupped around her mouth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHO, JACK!\u201d Dunham returned in the heavy brogue he affected in public. \u201cCome aboard, Lass! Make room, lads. \u2019Ere comes me finest work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She made only a little stir as she worked her way through the writhing mass of male and female bodies. Whether she knew any particular individual or not, most everyone here knew her by sight or deed, and dare not offend her.<\/p>\n<p>Except one.<\/p>\n<p>It was not until she had made half her destination when she found herself pulled down into a hard, muscled lap and her mouth thoroughly kissed.<\/p>\n<p>The man tasted of rum and cocoa.<\/p>\n<p>Surprised, shocked, and so unexpectedly <em>warmed<\/em> as she looked into amused ice blue eyes, she ceased to think. She opened her mouth to let his tongue stroke hers, raised her hand to caress his rough, stubbled cheek. His body was big and strong, so she relaxed against him with a sigh, closed her eyes, tilted her head to get closer, and kissed him for a long moment.<\/p>\n<p>She whimpered when he palmed one of her arse cheeks, caressing and squeezing\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u2014but no matter how beautiful his eyes, no matter how well he kissed, no matter how sweet he tasted, no matter how <em>famished<\/em> she was, allowing just any sailor to accost her so&nbsp;\u2026 <em>publicly<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026 would set an inconvenient precedent.<\/p>\n<p>The point of her dagger just under his jaw convinced him to let her go.<\/p>\n<p>He drew away from her carefully and Celia caught her breath. Never had she seen such a beautiful man in her life. Long silver-streaked blue-black hair, chiseled features, dark tan, good, white teeth\u2014and those eyes!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are many ways you could have acquired my undivided attention for a night or six,\u201d she remarked mildly after admiring his face and making no secret of it. \u201cMistaking me for a whore is not one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She slipped off his lap and sheathed her dagger as she walked away without a backward glance. She felt her wrist grasped and prepared herself. By the time he had swung her around to face him, she had drawn her cutlass with the unmistakable ring of battle, silencing the mob of people in the great room of the tavern. Her crew gathered behind her, as did the Hollander and the crew of the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>, Dunham and her former shipmates from the <em>Iron Maiden<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Other men gathered behind this beautiful stranger who had kissed her so well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake\u2014your\u2014hand\u2014off\u2014me,\u201d she growled, then whirled into his arms to drive the tip of her elbow into his breastbone and her thick boot heel down onto his instep.<\/p>\n<p>The battle erupted with a roar, and she found herself in an unexpected sword fight with the man. Solomon and her crew, as did the two other crews, fought alongside her, outnumbering her opponent\u2019s men two to one. Sword in one hand, dagger in the other, she was forced to fight better than she had ever fought before\u2014even against her own master.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDunham!\u201d she bellowed above the m\u00eal\u00e9e, \u201cwho <em>is<\/em> this bastard?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas,\u201d the man himself snarled just before half the tavern shouted likewise. \u201cMy name is Judas and you\u2019ll have reason to remember me, lady, never fear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye. I\u2019ve heard of you,\u201d she announced as she parried and thrust. \u201cLittle boys playing pirate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That seemed to infuriate him and he pressed her backward, raining strikes upon her faster and harder, forcing her to drop her cutlass and snatch her other dagger.<\/p>\n<p>The pirate was brought up short by the Hollander\u2019s sword point near his throat. \u201cWell, now that you have met,\u201d he said conversationally, his Dutch accent thick with amusement, \u201callow me the honor of the formal introductions. Anon, we can gather in Philadelphia for a ball my wife will be delighted to plan, and you may continue this dance there. <em>Sans<\/em> weapons. Fury, this is Judas, captain of the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>. Judas, this is Fury, captain of the American privateer <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>, formerly the Moroccan corsair <em>Carnivale<\/em>. Most know her as Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That brought a glimmer of recognition to his face, but for her name or the <em>Carnivale<\/em>\u2019s, she could not tell.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJack here,\u201d Dunham murmured from Celia\u2019s other side, \u201cis me best student and I see you\u2019ve near bested her, which is a feat. Jack,\u201d he drawled, chastisement so heavy in his voice she grimaced. \u201cYe\u2019re out of practice. Been lazin\u2019 on yer laurels?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n,\u201d she breathed, her chest heaving. \u201c\u2019Twill not happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas, yer crew\u2019s outnumbered. Ye might have bested Jack here\u2014\u201d Dunham shot her a disgusted glance. \u201c\u2014an\u2019 he shouldna be able to do it again or I\u2019ll know the reason why, Missy\u2014but your crew be not so lucky. Turn an\u2019 look.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the clash of swords had nearly ceased. Celia looked over her opponent\u2019s shoulder and saw that between the crews of the <em>Thunderstorm, <\/em>the <em>Iron Maiden<\/em>, and the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>, Judas\u2019s crew had no chance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI should think you\u2019ll not assault a woman again without knowing who she is and the extent of her firepower,\u201d Celia murmured. She felt Dunham start. \u201cAye. He grabbed me and kissed me like some common whore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, wench,\u201d Judas growled. \u201cNo <em>common<\/em> whore, I see now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia sucked up a breath, then glared at the Hollander when he laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSheathe your weapons, Judas,\u201d Dunham commanded, \u201can\u2019 you an\u2019 yer crew be on yer way. You got yer kiss an\u2019 she got \u2019er fight, so \u2019tis a draw. You can hash this out at sea. I wanna enjoy me time ashore with me prot\u00e9g\u00e9e.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure,\u201d Judas drawled as he put his weapons away and sneered at her. \u201cYour <em>prot\u00e9g\u00e9e<\/em>.\u201d He turned and stalked out of the tavern, his crew following reluctantly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, me girl,\u201d Dunham chuckled as they watched him leave. \u201cI doonna know where ye\u2019ve been in the last year that ye\u2019ve\u2019na crossed paths with Judas\u2014bloody hell, even I\u2019ve heard of him all the way\u2019t the Holy Land, wagin\u2019 his own war on King George. No\u2019 payin\u2019 attention, are ye?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s mouth tightened and her eyes narrowed on her former captain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and make no mistake, either. Now he\u2019s gotcha in his sights. Whether to bed ye or kill ye, I canna say, but it dinna look like ye\u2019d object to bein\u2019 bedded.\u201d He paused, then slid her a significant glance. \u201c<em>I\u2019d<\/em> not object should ye bed <em>him<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To that she replied with great precision, \u201cRafael Covarrubias.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dunham\u2019s humor vanished, his facing flushing bright red. \u201cYe gods, woman!\u201d he roared. \u201cYou dare speak that man\u2019s name to me?!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are as predictable as the sun, Cap\u2019n,\u201d she said with a sweet smile. \u201cMakes one wonder how you\u2019ve escaped the hangman\u2019s noose this long.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, \u201cRum\u2019s on Jack tonight, lads! Tell the port!\u201d She heaved an annoyed sigh, and he grinned at her. \u201cWhat\u2019s \u2019at, Whelp?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She should have known better than to engage in a battle of wits with the man who\u2019d made a commander out of her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">2<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">January, 1780<br \/>\nOranjestad, Sint Eustatius<br \/>\nCaribbean<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">ELLIOTT BROODED as he rowed back to his ship.<\/p>\n<p>He had never lost such a battle before. Granted, it was not one he\u2019d meant to start, and had taken him and his crew completely unawares. Granted, too, that while he\u2019d outmatched a highly skilled swordswoman, his men had had to fight three crews at the same time over her\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u2014and there was <em>no<\/em> honor in besting a woman at swords, no matter how accomplished she might be.<\/p>\n<p>Still&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p><em>Captain Fury.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Dunham had called her Jack, but it did not sit well on her shoulders, and definitely not as well as her <em>nom de guerre<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>It and tales of her adventures traveled from the Colonies to the Caribbean, from England to Egypt, from Africa to Argentina. He\u2019d thought her a myth, such as sirens and mermaids and selkies. He\u2019d heard she was striking, though not beautiful, and even that only as an aside. He\u2019d also heard she occasionally went bare-breasted about her ship and always, without fail, in battle.<\/p>\n<p>\u2019Twas said she had taken the <em>Carnivale<\/em> on her own, with no forewarning, no conspiracy, but he refused to believe that. Captain Skirrow was known far and wide as a tyrant so cruel even the Ottomans feared him. Considering the women in Elliott\u2019s family, he could easily believe in the existence of a female privateer captain, but not that a woman could lead a mutiny to acquire it.<\/p>\n<p>If she had indeed taken it\u2014no one seemed to know why\u2014she would have had to have its crew behind her.<\/p>\n<p>mutiny<\/p>\n<p>by a woman<\/p>\n<p>accepted as an equal by two well-respected commanders<\/p>\n<p>Elliott searched his mind for more tidbits he\u2019d long forgotten because her existence\u2014if, indeed, she did exist\u2014made no difference to him. A woman pirate. Not since Anne Bonney and Mary Read. Even they had worked as men, and under Jack Rackham\u2019s protection.<\/p>\n<p>Myth.<\/p>\n<p>Most men weren\u2019t capable of the exploits laid at Fury\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n<p>Striking? Aye, he supposed. Not beautiful. She had generous hips, magnificent breasts, fair skin that had the faint look of perpetual sunburn, and eyes the color of burnt sugar. Her hair had initially caught his eye: <em>pink<\/em>. A red so light and so streaked blonde by the sun it looked like a strawberry, peach, and creme pur\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<p>But it was the smile she had cast at the old man with whom she\u2019d entered the tavern that transformed her into something ethereal.<\/p>\n<p>Fierce? Aye. She had challenged him so that he had been stretched to defeat her, and even then her mentor had reprimanded her for being out of practice. He could see why she might be; she likely relied upon her reputation to stay out of as many battles as possible. \u2019Twas logical: the most reward for the least risk.<\/p>\n<p>Captain Fury.<\/p>\n<p>She kissed like a woman who knew how to spike a man on his own lust, and her arse had filled his hand perfectly.<\/p>\n<p><em>There are many ways you could have acquired my undivided attention for a night or six.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>His eyes narrowed as he rowed harder and his jaw clenched.<\/p>\n<p>He definitely wanted her undivided attention. Wanted to run his fingers through that incredible pink hair. Wanted to grind his mouth against hers. Wanted to wrap her thighs around his hips. Wanted to bury himself so hard, so deep within her she would never, ever forget who he was or what he could do to her.<\/p>\n<p>What pleasure he could give her.<\/p>\n<p>His men had left the tavern to seek their fun elsewhere, but Elliott had lost his taste for whoring tonight. With each pull of the oars toward the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>, he cast about the bay for the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. Ah, there, not so far from his ship, though he could be easily forgiven for missing it, as it was painted entirely black so as to disappear in the night.<\/p>\n<p>The stern was sparsely embellished, but its design was definitely British. He rowed slowly toward it. It was a sixth-rate sloop-of-war, three masts, ship-rigged. He counted no fewer than sixteen carronade and at least twelve swivels. It was a rare vessel, Swan class, the same size as the HMS<em> Rose<\/em>, which Elliott had once numbered in a fleet he had commanded. It was the perfect privateer: enough room in the holds to put a decent amount of cargo, enough armament to fend off most predators as well as take merchant vessels much larger, and enough speed to outrun any warship she came up against.<\/p>\n<p>He found himself nodding in approval as he rowed slowly past it, admiring its sleek lines. He was just past the ship\u2019s hull when he looked up at the prow and his mouth dropped open.<\/p>\n<p>That figurehead!<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Almighty God<\/em>,\u201d he whispered, thoroughly awed.<\/p>\n<p>Fury herself. Carved thrice scale in mahogany, with her hair streaming behind her, her body bare to the apex of her thighs, which then parted and straddled the prow as if she rode a lover, her bare arse firm, her wooden feet curled up over the rail. Her breasts were high and well-formed, the erect nipples large and prominent. Her right fist gripped the hilt of a massive steel sword, its point thrust deep into the wood beneath her thigh, its blade dripping wooden blood down the hull. Her left hand was outstretched to the world, her first finger pointing the way.<\/p>\n<p>Her face had been caught in an expression of savage ecstasy; one could not tell if she was receiving ungodly pleasure from her prow or from battle. If Elliott had not already been half aroused thinking about how that arse fit in his hand, he was fully engorged now, watching her fuck her ship.<\/p>\n<p>Then he grinned. No, he had not intended to do anything other than kiss a pretty wench with an entrancing smile, much less start a war, but there was only one thing to do after one had lost a battle to an enemy: Win the next and with it, finish the war.<\/p>\n<p>By dawn, Elliott and his ship, its crew lively from a good night\u2019s work and now not at all resentful of a lost tavern brawl, weighed anchor and put out to the other side of Sint Eustatius.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott could barely think to command, his attention riveted by the sword-wielding mahogany privateer captain who now fucked the prow of the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> instead of the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">3<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">February, 1780<br \/>\nChesapeake, Virginia<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">NOT A FORTNIGHT after he had left the Caribbean, Elliott dropped the spyglass, wondering how the hell he was going to get the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> through the barricade of British ships o\u2019 the line strung out along the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. If he had a smaller ship&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Then again, if he had a smaller ship, it, along with its captain and crew, would be at the bottom of the ocean. Instead, the last two British frigates whose captains were foolish enough to turn and fight him were the ones now breaking bread with Davy Jones.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. Covarrubias is near three miles north of us, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWonder why,\u201d Elliott muttered to himself more than his lieutenant. It was dark, but the moon was just bright enough to catch a glimmer of another vessel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you think he\u2019ll give us trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott shook his head. \u201cI see no reason that he would. He is neither one of King Charles\u2019s minions nor any variation of pirate, and our quarrel is with the British. To my knowledge, he\u2019s never opened his gunports without being pushed to it.\u201d He churned through the possibilities and put the glass to his eye again. \u201cHe probably has cargo and awaits what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The British line was rumored to be changing soon, and any captain worth his salt would take advantage of it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe man is the best astronomer since Galileo. One would expect him to be a decent captain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s too impetuous for command,\u201d Elliott grunted. \u201cReckless. But his navigation is impeccable, clearly, and he has a gift for squeezing the last pence and more from his cargos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yeardley snorted. \u201c<em>If<\/em> he can get his cargos to port.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, precisely. He should simply hire a captain and keep to navigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Fury? She\u2019ll want her figurehead back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Out of the corner of his eye he saw the two men closest to him glance at her magnificent wooden effigy. <em>His<\/em>. He\u2019d claimed it, and by doing so had dealt her and her crew a grave insult. Figureheads were sacrosanct and men had gone to war for far milder offenses. If she or her crew were the least bit superstitious&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Yet she\u2019d not pursued him for it. He wondered, not for the first time, if she had any intention of pursuit.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott had taken care to learn her intentions and had then followed her out of the Caribbean, losing distance every hour the wind blew. Had she a mind, she could have sailed around him and approached him from behind. But a ship built for speed and cargo was not built to declare war on an unusually large pirate ship and crew. The <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> was no match for the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> and a captain of her rumored accomplishments would not consider such action for more than a moment.<\/p>\n<p><em>There are many ways you could have acquired my undivided attention for a night or six.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Or&nbsp;\u2026 did she understand Elliott was determined to keep her attention now that he had it, and stealing her figurehead simply the first notice of his intentions?<\/p>\n<p>His cockstand, it seemed, was interminable. Truly, taking that figurehead had been a mistake, if only for strategic purposes because he couldn\u2019t seem to think beyond that fine wooden arse that permanently graced his line of sight, parting at the thighs to reveal&nbsp;\u2026 nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, she had had reason to be angry with him, but before it had occurred to her to be angry&nbsp;\u2026 Oh, that <em>kiss<\/em>. What would have happened if he\u2019d stayed in Oranjestad, swallowed his pride, and groveled adequately?<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t grovel well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCap\u2019n?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott started.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked toward the Virginia coast. Rumor had it that Fury and the Hollander (Elliott had no idea how to pronounce the Dutch captain\u2019s name, nor, he gathered, did anyone else), were, at this moment, somewhere in the Bay with God only knew how many more American privateers, awaiting the change of line.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>If<\/em> she is in the harbor and <em>if<\/em> she gets through the blockade and <em>if<\/em> she sees us, she will sail on past and blow us a kiss whilst she outruns the Navy fleet that will be pursuing her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd after that? She\u2019ll have the Hollander with her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> was a fourth-rate frigate with at least forty guns\u2014three-quarters the size of the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2014and the Hollander was rumored to be at least as merciless as Elliott. If Elliott were caught fore and aft \u2019twixt a ship of the line and a fully armed sloop-of-war whose captain had reason to sink him, he would have a fight on his hands\u2014a fight he did not need or want, and might not be able to win.<\/p>\n<p>But that kiss&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPoint taken. We cannot underestimate <em>anyone<\/em> capable of mutinying Skirrow, alone or otherwise, so you need not worry I\u2019ve lost my head over her enough to allow her to engage us at any point without reprisal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sage nods all \u2019round.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCap\u2019n,\u201d said another of his crew, lightly landing on his feet beside Elliott. \u201cThe line is shifting watch, right on schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott grinned. \u201cExcellent.\u201d <em>If<\/em> they were trapped in the Bay, the privateers would take the opportunity of the change to break through the line and head out to sea. \u201cThe patrol vessels?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are six. The three to the north have not seen Covarrubias, so far as I can tell. The other three have not come close enough to us to see us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nor would they.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSir, I took it upon myself to watch for the <em>Iron Maiden<\/em> behind us. Should I continue?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott was still chafing at what had happened in that tavern, though his men thought him daring for having claimed a kiss from Captain Fury and felt the figurehead more than compensated them for the loss of a brawl in which they were so badly outnumbered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay,\u201d Elliott rumbled. \u201cI gather Dunham went back to Morocco. But good thinking, seaman. Thank you. Dismissed. Leftenant, you stay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yeardley lowered his voice once the rest of his men had scattered to tend their battle preparations. \u201cDo you mean to chase the woman hither and yon?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Only Elliott\u2019s most trusted officers could get away with asking that question. \u201cWouldn\u2019t <em>you<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yeardley opened his mouth to protest, and then muttered, \u201cAye, I suppose I would.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want her, Ian. Mayhap as much as I want that pay ship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t have to ask why, but I have never seen you like this over a woman. \u2019Tis a bit disconcerting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott shrugged. \u201cHow long have we ever been in one place long enough for me\u2014either of us\u2014to form some attachment?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>You<\/em> formed an attachment the minute you saw her in the door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He ignored that. \u201cWe are here for several reasons, only one of which includes Fury. However, should she have any trouble, we shall assist.\u201d He tilted his head to his right. \u201cI would not be surprised if Covarrubias thinks to charge the line by himself. If possible, we shall assist him also.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yeardley accepted that with a nod. Elliott and his crew, the American privateers, and the Spaniard had a common enemy, and engaging the British was the first priority. He had no quarrel with Covarrubias or the privateer fleet, and his bone of contention with Fury could be settled at a later date.<\/p>\n<p>There was only one way Elliott wanted to settle his bone with Fury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">4<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">February, 1780<br \/>\nChesapeake, Virginia<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">\u201cCELIA, MY LOVE, what troubles you so? You have been out of sorts since we left Sint Eustatius.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia did not want to think about Sint Eustatius and all the things that had happened in the fortnight they had spent there, so she settled on the least concerning thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving my figurehead stolen by a pirate might be a good enough reason, don\u2019t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary chuckled as she braided Celia\u2019s hair. \u201cWhat I am thinking is that you are restless over what that pirate <em>didn\u2019t<\/em> steal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oh, aye, and Celia was still famished, but now she had her mouth set for <em>him<\/em>. She harrumphed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s a good sign. Especially after the last row between you and that&nbsp;\u2026 <em>person<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMama, please. You have made your opinion of Rafael perfectly clear. So has everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary made no answer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis the war,\u201d she burst out. \u201cRather, my competing tasks, all of which are urgent and none of which I can complete with efficiency. I cannot be in three places at once and time spent on any one of them comes at the cost of the other two. And then Dunham sought to add to my list.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was a moment of silence, though her mother never slowed in her task, her hands deft in the weaving of Celia\u2019s hair. It was a ritual they indulged in often, Celia seated on the floor between her mother\u2019s knees, being cherished by the only parent she had never disappointed.<\/p>\n<p>Mary had taken a fancy to use seven strands this time and Celia could only imagine the braid\u2019s intricacy. \u2019Twas a shame to waste it on a crew intent only on getting to London without dying.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he want?\u201d Mary asked low.<\/p>\n<p>Celia had hoped Dunham had simply missed her, but no. His true purpose for crossing the Atlantic had little enough to do with her and everything to do with him. She swallowed hard and pressed a closed fist to her breast. \u201c\u2019Tis of no matter, as I refused him. In truth, I am weary. <em>Bored<\/em>. I have more money than I can spend in three lifetimes. I\u2019ve accomplished things I never set out to accomplish. I do not now, nor have I ever had a <em>goal<\/em>.\u201d She shuddered. \u201cI wish to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWish to what, love?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSleep!\u201d But then Celia sighed. \u201cTruly, I do not know. Something&nbsp;\u2026  <em>any\u00adthing<\/em> else. Preferably something I have not yet done. I am&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;empty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBabes. That is what you lack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no wish for babes, Mother,\u201d Celia said wryly. Rather, <em>they<\/em> had no wish for <em>her<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot <em>now<\/em>,\u201d her mother countered with a jerk of her scalp. \u201cBut when \u2019tis too late, you will, mark my words. And I want grandchildren. You will have them because you do not deny me anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere <em>are<\/em> one or two things I would refuse you, Mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The door to Celia\u2019s cabin flew open and banged on the wall. Christopher was out of breath and panting. \u201cLine\u2019s changing, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia had no need to move. It was the very thing they had been awaiting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Mad Hangman?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSent the signal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. The black sails?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReady, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBraziers?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood, Kit. Dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The door slammed closed behind him and his feet pounded toward the hatch, and then above. Indeed, the ship was vibrating from the men and women running hither and thither to prepare for their night\u2019s work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAllow me topside, Captain,\u201d Mary said, mocking the whine Celia had used to get her way when she was small. \u201c<em>Please<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLearn to wield a sword properly and I may consider it. I cannot keep watch over you and \u2019twould only take one small mistake to send us all to the judgment seat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would rather meet God by way of a fire fight on a ship captained by my daughter than waste away alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are alone by your choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCelia,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not speak to me of your loneliness,\u201d Celia snapped. \u201cI\u2019ll not tolerate it. After what happened in Sint Eustatius, you cannot now cry \u2018Lonely!\u2019 at me <em>nor<\/em> instruct me on how to conduct my <em>affaires<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary sighed and did not press. In silence, she finished the braid and tied it off. \u201cI am so proud of you, my love,\u201d she murmured finally, her hands resting on Celia\u2019s shoulders. \u201cI cannot imagine that such a brave girl came from my body.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia stood and twisted to look down at the woman before her. She was smiling, enhancing her beauty to that of the angels\u2019. Celia had gotten none of that beauty. \u201cPerhaps I was a changeling,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n<p>A dimple appeared in her cheek as her smile deepened. \u201cThen the fae granted me a great boon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA devil changeling, I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCAPTAIN!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo,\u201d Mary said. \u201cWould that I could watch my daughter command during battle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s mouth twisted into a reluctant smile. She would grant most all her mother\u2019s wishes if she could, but <em>that<\/em> was not one of them. She bent and brushed her mouth with a kiss. \u201cI shall see you tomorrow, Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No strategic planning for the evening\u2019s adventure was necessary other than a slight recount of the drill and which ships were positioned where in the blockade, which were new, and who captained what.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBancroft and Rathbone,\u201d Bridge reported to her. \u201cCommanding His Majesty\u2019s Ships <em>Grace<\/em> and <em>Purity<\/em>, respectively.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That did not bode well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Which<\/em> Bancroft?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLucien.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBugger. Mind you do not let his name slip to my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, never fear,\u201d he said fervently. \u201cWe know. Speaking of captains awaiting your pleasure\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not, or I shall have Solomon transform you from a bass to a contralto.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot a soprano?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay. I\u2019ll not have my second mate singing fairer than I.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His grin flashed in the meager celestial light of night. \u201cThe <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2019s rumored to be a few miles out, to the south.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, so I was right. He did follow us here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis a <em>rumor<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs good as fact in this harbor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPerhaps the figurehead is too much for him and wants a smaller portion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore likely because it has no convenient holes in which to stuff his yard.\u201d Bridge barked a laugh and Celia sniffed. \u201cGod knows he cannot catch us with that poor excuse of a boat, so he is deprived of both the figurehead and my person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd a Spanish vessel called the <em>Indigo IV<\/em> is a few miles to the north.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She started. \u201c<em>Another<\/em> one?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bridge simply shrugged. \u201c\u2019Twould seem he might learn from his misadven\u00adtures as any <em>rational<\/em> man would.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe did not tell me about this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I recall, you two were not speaking when we set him down in Portugal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was only four months ago and he is here with a full hold?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe had to have left soon after we did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia sneered at no one in particular\u2014or at least, no one who was present. \u201cHis family must need more funds. They would drive him to the ocean floor for their greed, then spit upon his memory for being so careless as to leave them without income.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>You<\/em> also have difficulty denying your parents anything,\u201d Bridge pointed out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI forget: Are you under my command or not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed and disappeared into the darkness to direct the rest of their preparations while Celia headed up to the quarterdeck to take the wheel.<\/p>\n<p>Solomon was ghostly in his black tunic and trousers as he bent and checked his work. She saw the faint glow of lit coals in twelve copper braziers tucked solidly in weighted lead boxes along the wale of the main deck, six to a side and spaced evenly along the deck\u2019s length.<\/p>\n<p>An unfamiliar flash between two hatches caught her eye and she squinted through the darkness, as if she could see better doing so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJack,\u201d Bataar said from her right. \u201cWe\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia ignored that and gestured toward the crewman she did not know and said, \u201cWho is that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe came on board two days ago wanting to roust the British. He said he was sent by the General. Marcus Zimmerman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia looked at her officer, her eyebrow raised.<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged.<\/p>\n<p>Well, if General Washington sent him&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;Celia\u2019s lips tightened. \u201cI do not like not knowing my entire crew. There are few enough of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had need of a large man willing to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She watched the stranger a bit longer and saw that he was indeed an ox of a man working with an enthusiasm that was not misplaced. \u201cAye, then. How far is the blockade?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithin the hour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood. \u2019Tis time.\u201d She took a deep breath. \u201cFore course!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A lone black canvas rose low against the night, and blocked nothing but a few stars, then filled. It would be enough to get them to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and give them some momentum, but not enough to outrun the patrol vessels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWeigh anchor!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soon the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> was under way, and Celia put everything out of her mind to maneuver the sloop through the shoals. From where she stood, she could barely see her crew, outfitted all in black, any exposed white skin covered with kohl.<\/p>\n<p>Her own snug black breeches, black stockings, and tar-soled deerskin moccasins were invisible in the darkness, as was her black shirt. Her head was covered with a long black silk scarf that hung down her back and camouflaged her mother\u2019s braid work.<\/p>\n<p>Her face, she knew, shone like a beacon in the night. Solomon would arrive\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour face can be seen from England,\u201d he murmured before she felt his fingers rubbing kohl over her cheeks and nose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis my misfortune to glow,\u201d Celia replied. The only sounds were the wind in sails drawn tight and the slosh of a ship carving its way through a calm harbor.<\/p>\n<p>Celia spent the next forty-five minutes alone at the wheel in utter concen\u00adtration, refusing to think about what they had planned. The sea was calm, the wind favorable and loud, and the constellations twinkled helpfully. If all went aright, they would slip through the British blockade without being noticed.<\/p>\n<p>If all went awry&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>She supposed she would have no more reason to worry about boredom <em>or<\/em> babes.<\/p>\n<p>After another quarter hour had passed, Celia took out her spyglass and peered through the darkness until she could barely make out the silhouette of the warships blocking the harbor. A smile slowly stretched her face. It wouldn\u2019t be too much a challenge, after all. The ships lay at anchor far enough apart to allow the sloop\u2019s passage.<\/p>\n<p>Rear-Admiral Lord Rathbone on the starboard side.<\/p>\n<p>Captain Lucien Bancroft on the larboard.<\/p>\n<p>Her mouth went dry at what they were about to attempt.<\/p>\n<p>It had been Rafael\u2019s idea, sparked after a long night of heavy drinking and fucking. Yet even soused, Rafael\u2019s calculations were precise and his judgment on probabilities above reproach.<\/p>\n<p>The plan was as dangerous to the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> as it would be to the ships they targeted, and Celia would never have done such a thing under normal circumstances. Not even Dunham, who despised Dr. Rafael Covarrubias, could come up with an alternative plan should they be caught in Chesapeake Bay, and agreed that eventually they <em>would<\/em> be caught.<\/p>\n<p>Maarten had been enthusiastic about the plan, but then, the Hollander was inordinately cruel to those he considered to have wronged him, and what King George had done to him embodied in the person of Lord Rathbone&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Even though she and Maarten had known they would have to blow the blockade, they had not anticipated they would need to do it so soon.<\/p>\n<p>As the vessel slowly approached the line of battleships, all noise on the already quiet ship ceased completely. The wind was up, making the lone sail snap, so it was tightened further. Among the noise of the wind, the ocean, and the creaking of the two British vessels, the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> would\u2014hopefully\u2014pass silently, invisibly.<\/p>\n<p>Every man in her crew crouched in the shadows, waiting. Celia steered the ship by degrees toward the sea and death.<\/p>\n<p>Another ten minutes passed, a tense ten minutes, before the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> slid through the calm night within shouting distance of the British frigates. Still no alarm was raised on the dark vessels\u2014most likely the result of bitter sailors impressed into service and unwilling to aid their captains in any way.<\/p>\n<p>According to the plan, the Hollander was to slip through a gap two ships up the line. Were Maarten and Celia sailing alone, their only goal would be to slip the line, but with six more privateer vessels following them, all with less experienced captains, a path would have to be cleared. The <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> and the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> would slip the line and then attempt to sink four British frigates of war and outrun five patrol ships with one suicidal maneuver.<\/p>\n<p><em>Dear Lord.<\/em> Eight crews and vessels hung in the balance of her and Maarten\u2019s lunacy\u2014and she could not but help the smile that stretched her face.<\/p>\n<p>Closer and closer she steered the ship until they were sliding through the corridor. Sweat rolled down her back and dotted her brow. There was only enough room on either side of her ship for her yards and rigging not to catch with those of the warships.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAhoy, lads! Mind the grappling hooks! Ship off the stern and she\u2019s tryin\u2019 to run the blockade. Step lively!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia and her crew whipped into action. Once they had sunk these two ships, they would have to outrun the patrol ships that would give chase. Timing was crucial.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHoist the mains\u2019l!\u201d Celia bellowed over the sudden din. \u201cReady the topsails and jibs. Kit! Run up Congress\u2019s colors!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAvast, <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>! In the name of His Royal Highness, King George, we order you to stand down or we will fire upon you!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLord Rathbone!\u201d she called, and stepped away from the wheel long enough to drop a quick but elegant curtsey. \u201cYou would waste shot on me? You flatter me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re outgunned, Fury! Stand down!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know me better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She might have laughed when she heard his order to ready the cannon being given, but they were far more efficient than she hoped they would be. \u201cBugger,\u201d she hissed, her plan set awry by enough moments to put them in even more danger than they had been before.<\/p>\n<p>With a wave of her hand, twelve small\u2014but deadly\u2014flames burst on the tips of arrows held by archers and aimed at the frigates on each side of them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>By God, woman, are you mad?!<\/em>\u201d Rathbone bellowed. \u201cYou\u2019ll die with us!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>You<\/em> stand down, Marquess!\u201d she roared back. \u201cYou too, Bancroft! You both have more to lose than I do!\u201d Both captains gave the orders, but it was a faithless gesture. This was war and she was tired of it. She was in no mood to honor an expedient.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFIRE!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The arrows were loosed into the rigging and slack sails of the British ships. The next volley went directly into the open ports of the gun deck.<\/p>\n<p>Fire on the ships erupted immediately, and Celia simply knew their magazines would blow before the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> was clear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSmitty! Bridge! Bataar! For the love of God! Get\u2014us\u2014<em>out of here!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At that, every sail on the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> immediately unfurled and filled to capacity. The night, formerly impenetrable black, was lit bright as day as the two ships blazed on either side of the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. The wind was up, feeding the fire, and blew the sloop quite clear of burning frigates.<\/p>\n<p>The crew raced to douse the coals in the braziers, and Celia nearly allowed her heartbeat to slow when\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFIRE AFT!\u201d Smitty roared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMother of God,\u201d Celia gritted, as a score of crewmen raced passed her and up to the poopdeck with buckets of water and sand, then formed a line. The <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> rocked with a gust of wind, and all of Celia\u2019s concentration and strength were again taken with the steering of the ship.<\/p>\n<p>If that fire were not extinguished&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Death screams from the British frigates followed them, cutting through the sound of flames, wind, and water. She could hear men diving overboard to the relative safety of the water, for a watery death was imminently preferable to a fiery one, and most of the men who could swim would survive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease God, let Bancroft survive,\u201d she whispered fervently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFourth-rates off the stern, larboard and starboard, three points each, Cap\u2019n!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She did not need to turn around to see the two ships burning; they lit the night and the water reflected the carnage. What she did not know was how much of that fire was coming from the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>\u2019s stern.<\/p>\n<p>She did not dare attempt to assess the situation.<\/p>\n<p>Behind her, the two blazing ships finally exploded, sending debris raining down on her and her men. She looked up, terrified a spark would touch her tarred rigging and masts, and send them down with the <em>Grace<\/em> and <em>Purity<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>But no. The cadre of young sailors who regularly plied the rigging raced in the ropes to douse each stray ember they could find.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFire is OUT!\u201d came Smitty\u2019s voice, and Celia allowed her head to drop back as she partook in a brief moment of relief.<\/p>\n<p>That was all the time she could afford.<\/p>\n<p>Another two explosions, but those far enough from them so as to make no difference. The Hollander had done his job well, from the sound of it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStep lively, lads!\u201d Celia shouted as she turned her mind fully to evading capture. \u201cHangman\u2019s on our tail!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, she is, Cap\u2019n!\u201d Kit called from on high. \u201cOne&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;Two&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;Three privateers clear.\u201d Celia held her breath. \u201cFour&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d Another, smaller, explosion. \u201cThat was number four, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDamn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>\u2019s turning! Engaging a patrol.\u201d Pause. \u201cFive, six. They\u2019re all through but the one. I don\u2019t know which.\u201d Another explosion. \u201c<em>Mad Hangman<\/em> set upon another frigate, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLord, Maarten,\u201d she gritted. \u201cEnough is as good as a feast.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Three<\/em> fourth-rates after us now, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBY GOD!\u201d Bridge thundered. \u201cOff the starboard stern! Kit! Report!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Silver Shilling, Sir!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s heart stopped.<\/p>\n<p>The roar of cannon fire.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s opened fire on the patrol vessels! The third one is turning back&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;Now the second. The first is sinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere\u2019s Rafael?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSails up, and gaining speed. Tacking into the breach of the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>\u2019s last frigate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maarten wouldn\u2019t be happy about having aided the <em>Indigo<\/em> in any way. Celia snorted. The <em>Indigo FOUR<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur fleet\u2019s pulling up closer, Cap\u2019n. <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2019s sailing in to the rest of the line and giving cover to the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow many guns does that man have, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt least sixty, Sir. Maybe more. The <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> looks like a third-rate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA third-rate <em>pirate<\/em> ship?\u201d she demanded in utter disbelief.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n. She\u2019s a biggun. Brit-built.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut he still cannot take on the rest of the line himself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No answer while Celia steered and barked orders to gain as much speed as possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe is!\u201d Kit cried. \u201cHe\u2019s breaking through the line. Heading <em>into<\/em> the Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s head whipped around and saw a third-rate frigate with guns blazing. \u201cWhat in blazes <em>for<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s heavy in the water, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ah. The <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> would not have been able to breach the blockade alone, but with four burning frigates, six patrol sloops occupied with eight privateer vessels, at least two of which could and would engage in battle, the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> could assist them <em>and<\/em> take advantage of the opportunity to unload her cargo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>\u2019s headed out to sea, and the <em>Indigo<\/em>\u2019s through the line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood,\u201d Celia whispered with much relief.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re clear, Cap\u2019n!\u201d Kit called after a tense fifteen minutes of reports on the activity behind them. \u201cNo sign of pursuit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another explosion. God help her, if that was the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHollander\u2019s last frigate, sir. Five ships o\u2019 the line down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Judas?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClear, also, with three fourth-rates to his credit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Now<\/em> will you forgive him?\u201d Celia bellowed.<\/p>\n<p>A collective roar arose from the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>\u2019s decks: \u201c<em>AYE!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019ll take a mite for the Royal Navy to replace a fleet that big, what with the occupations north and south,\u201d Smitty observed from somewhere overhead. \u201cThe harbor should be free for some time to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia breathed a long sigh of relief. \u201c<em>That<\/em> was a satisfactory way to get my undivided attention. I shall fuck him as soon as \u2019tis convenient for me to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">5<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">February, 1780<br \/>\nChesapeake, Virginia<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">\u201cI SHALL WRING that woman\u2019s neck when I catch up to her,\u201d Elliott snarled to himself as he wheeled the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> hard to starboard. \u201cWhat was she <em>thinking<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>, too, but the Hollander was known for his&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;well, madness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHellfire,\u201d he muttered as another volley of cannon fire rocked the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>, the master gunner giving the orders to fire at the last patrol ship that chased the <em>Indigo<\/em>\u2014his crew so well trained they could deliver a sixteen-gun broadside every minute.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe last patrol is down, Sir. The remaining two are chasing the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott merely nodded as he kept course, heading straight into a cove he knew as well as he knew his ship. They were free of the line, having left behind five first- and second-rate frigates burning, four patrol ships and (unfortunately) one privateer sunk, and assisted seven more privateers on their way out to sea. They\u2019d even helped an American ally evade capture. The Hollander would sink the last two patrols when it suited him to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, without them, Elliott would never have been able to breach that line by himself. All in all, a good night\u2019s work for the lot of them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was the most lackwit thing I have ever witnessed,\u201d said Yeardley from beside him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d Elliott agreed heartily, still seeing the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>\u2019s stern catch fire and still angry about it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would expect that from the Hollander, but Fury is not known for recklessness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe is a female sailing as a female. <em>That<\/em> is reckless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yeardley didn\u2019t answer for a moment, but clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels. \u201cThere are rumors. One hardly knows what to believe, they are so incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott waited.<\/p>\n<p>Yeardley reeled off the most common rumors, ones Elliott already knew:<\/p>\n<p>She was the prot\u00e9g\u00e9e of James Dunham, captain of the corsair vessel <em>Iron Maiden<\/em> that plied the Barbary Coast, one of the Crown\u2019s useful brigands whose occasional misdeeds against the East India Company went unremarked and unpunished. He was also the last male bearing the name of a noble Scottish clan disenfranchised over the last duke\u2019s regrettable inclination to form bad alliances.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know the history,\u201d Elliott said tersely when Yeardley would have expounded. \u201cDunham lands march mine and Laird Dunham was a good friend to my grandfather. So Dunham\u2019s bitter. As am I. \u2019Tis the usual story. What more of <em>her<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She had been trained as a navigator in Portugal by master navigator and astronomer Dr. Rafael Covarrubias, the captain of the Spanish vessel they had just assisted.<\/p>\n<p>She had sailed with Dunham as an officer for a time after she\u2019d left university until, it was rumored, she had openly defied him and been flogged for her insolence. Yet Elliott and his crew could testify of their loyalty to each other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll cannot be sweetness between them,\u201d Elliott muttered. \u201cWas there not some trouble \u2019twixt the two in Sint Eustatius? What of that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDunham attempted to abduct one of Fury\u2019s women.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott huffed. \u201cWomen aboard cause nothing but trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d not be averse to testing that superstition,\u201d Yeardley grumbled.<\/p>\n<p>That surprised a grin out of Elliott. \u201cOh ho! So I am not the only one on this ship with a prick invested in the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are far from the only one. The old tars want nothing to do with women aboard, but after having seen that a ship captained by a woman will not sink\u2014one with a couple dozen women aboard, to boot\u2014well, it has the young ones\u2019 imaginations aflutter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, well, \u2019tis too late to take on women now that we\u2019ve nearly reached the end of our last cruise. More, Yeardley,\u201d Elliott commanded. \u201cAbout <em>her<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After Fury had left the <em>Iron Maiden<\/em>, she had sailed on the <em>Carnivale<\/em> as Skirrow\u2019s lieutenant and navigator, beheading him after little more than a year under his command. It did not quite make sense to Elliott that she\u2019d hired aboard a slaver, but it was possible she\u2019d simply found the only captain who\u2019d hire a woman. Skirrow would have had to be desperate to hire a woman in Ottoman-infested waters, especially for such a powerful position.<\/p>\n<p>After her mutiny, she had sailed directly for Philadelphia and applied for a letter of marque, legitimizing a lifetime aboard pirate vessels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I know all that,\u201d Elliott said, frustrated when Yeardley finished. \u201cWhy did she mutiny Skirrow? He would have been the only thing between her and the Muslims.\u201d Which was, come to think of it, a good reason for her to have quit the Mediterranean altogether.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one knows. Her officers keep their mouths shut, and the rest of the crew swear they don\u2019t know. Skirrow was only slightly less cruel than Kitteridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott and his officers knew enough of Skirrow from their Navy days for Elliott to know he\u2019d have mutinied the man far sooner, but since the Siege of Casco Bay, he was not averse to using swift and ruthless preemptive measures against those who might become a problem.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnything else? Family? Name? Circumstance?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one knows her family name. When one is required, she signs Calico Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOdd, that. Of all the buccaneers in history, why take <em>his<\/em> name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yeardley shrugged. \u201cWho knows? \u2019Tis said she\u2019s quite wealthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI should think so. If she is not after all this time, I\u2019d take her for a fool.\u201d He paused. \u201cHusband? Lover?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPossibly Covarrubias.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s mouth tightened. \u201cDo tell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince she studied, ah, <em>under<\/em> him at university&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d Elliott curled his lip and Yeardley chuckled. \u201cIn fact, she was suffered to undergo a full course and it\u2019s said she is degreed in her own right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMathematics and music.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That shocked him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, so,\u201d Yeardley said slyly, \u201c\u2019twould seem reasonable to suppose Covarrubias facilitated her education. Perhaps astronomy and mathematics were not all he taught her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust a supposition?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything concerning Fury is supposition and speculation. The Hollander probably knows, but they are\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLovers?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPossibly. One cannot give credence to any such rumors when \u2019tis also rumored that <em>you<\/em> are one of her lovers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott barked a laugh. \u201cI am, am I?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. After having handled her so familiarly in Oranjestad\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe took exception to that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly because you did not respect her as she is accustomed. <em>We<\/em> were the only ones in the entire port who did not know who she was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no reason to think a woman in a tavern is anything but a whore, much less the captain of a ship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes it matter? What I witnessed was a lovers\u2019 kiss, not two strangers\u2019. \u2019Twould seem the rest of the island shared my impression.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And there was the rub: It <em>had<\/em> been a lovers\u2019 kiss\u2014right up to the second she\u2019d stuck her dagger in his throat.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott smirked. \u201cI intend to make <em>that<\/em> more fact than rumor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">ELLIOTT ARRIVED at the private club where he was expected, handing his tricorn and long skirted coat to the butler, pausing only slightly when he saw who sat at his usual table.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is your pleasure, Captain?\u201d came the voice of a comely and very expensively dressed woman.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBrandy, if you have it, Miss.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was not the answer she wanted, and her pout was real when she turned to do his bidding. She had light red hair reminiscent of Fury\u2019s, but green eyes, and she was shorter, thinner. In point of fact, she was far more beautiful.<\/p>\n<p>She was not the woman he craved, but he had to tup something other than his hand.<\/p>\n<p>Especially after what he\u2019d seen the night before, watching Fury through his glass as she commanded her men and sailed her ship with expert grace and confidence into that foolhardy blast through the blockade.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott discreetly adjusted his trousers as he pulled out a chair and sat with no greetings exchanged. All but two of the five men already present were waiting for Elliott, and their covert expressions let him know not to speak.<\/p>\n<p>Rafael Covarrubias\u2019s presence at the table would make short work of what had promised to be an enjoyable evening with the harbormaster and the merchants to whom he sold his cargos. Hellfire. Covarrubias already had a stack of gold, silver, and papers in front of him.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked around at the fifth player, who likely did not know that the man he played was a mathematician and possibly unbeatable. Elliott didn\u2019t care about winning or losing; he had bigger business to conduct at this table, which he could not do in the presence of Covarrubias and a Prussian mercenary. Meeting here, playing a few hands\u2014that was the cover under which he did business. However, he was not averse to losing a bit of money and time if it meant observing a man who was probably a rival for Fury\u2019s affections.<\/p>\n<p>Two women were draped over Covarrubias\u2019s shoulders, ignored except when he absently raised a hand to caress a breast or pinch a nipple. At that moment, the wench who had hoped Elliott would request more of her than whisky set the glass on the table and leaned against him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFelicitations, Captain Judas,\u201d the Spaniard said after a moment, his accent moderately heavy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSlipping past the blockade, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo credit to me, alas. I had too much assistance.\u201d Elliott cocked his eyebrow and waited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Gracias<\/em>,\u201d Covarrubias drawled wryly, then said with far too much disinterest, \u201cYou seem to have acquired a lovely new figurehead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everyone remarked upon it, hoping for an <em>on dit<\/em> that Elliott never granted. Nor would he now. \u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou <em>are<\/em> aware that it belongs to me, are you not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Goddammit.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cPossession is nine points of the law, Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No answer. Covarrubias made his play, then slid a glance at the man to his right. \u201cSe\u00f1or, I do believe you have misplayed your hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott wondered if Covarrubias could defend a charge of cheating against a man almost as big as Elliott. Covarrubias was large for a Spaniard and as Teutonic in appearance as the soldier he\u2019d challenged, but not nearly so tall or burly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy,\u201d asked the Prussian carefully, threateningly, \u201cwould you say that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI say that because four sevens have been played, all in their appropriate suits, and you just played a fifth seven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The soldier\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cAre you implying that I have cheated?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. I <em>declare<\/em> that you are cheating. And with no cunning whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It happened too fast for Elliott to have described later. The soldier had apparently drawn his weapon, but not before Covarrubias had the point of a short sword at his throat. It was an oddly shaped blade with the barest of curves, not tapered, and a long, flat, two-handed hilt wrapped in what looked like black silk thread. It was like nothing Elliott had ever seen, much less used.<\/p>\n<p>The Prussian watched Covarrubias, who spoke with an impressive insouciance, \u201cI\u2019m sure it was a simple mistake, Se\u00f1or, no?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It took the soldier a moment to decide to take Covarrubias\u2019s mercy. \u201cJa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou may forfeit your winnings to me and be gone. I have no taste for duels, but should you challenge me, <em>you will lose<\/em>. Should your compatriots set upon me, you will <em>all<\/em> lose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Prussian was studying that odd sword and seemed to understand he could not win. A quick look around convinced Elliott that everyone else did, too. Covarrubias might be a barely competent ship\u2019s captain, but he seemed to be able to acquit himself exceptionally well on land. Arising stiffly, the soldier walked out of the club with what one could mistake for wounded dignity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s an interesting piece,\u201d the harbormaster said, much to Elliott\u2019s delight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is from Japan,\u201d Covarrubias answered matter-of-factly as he sheathed it. \u201cI spent much time in the Orient in my youth and have a particular fondness for its varieties of cultures. And women.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The gentlemen chuckled. \u201cAh. A <em>misspent<\/em> youth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Covarrubias\u2019s attention flicked up to the merchant who\u2019d spoken. \u201cNot at all. It was thoroughly educational.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaptain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked up at the wench he\u2019d forgotten about. \u201cTell me your name, my lovely,\u201d he said with the graciousness of a properly begotten and reared lord of the realm. \u201cI\u2019ll be along shortly.\u201d Once she\u2019d disappeared, he settled in for a silent evening of gaming. Covarrubias glanced at the door through which the whore had disappeared, then at Elliott and smirked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d prefer her hair to be lighter,\u201d Elliott mused, tossing two coins into the pot, then raised his gaze and met Covarrubias\u2019s. \u201cSomewhat more&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<em>pink<\/em>. Her eyes aren\u2019t the right color, either, but she\u2019ll do for now. All eyes are whisky in the dark, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Covarrubias\u2019s smirk faded and he fingered the hilt of his odd sword. \u201cI have no reason to believe such a&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<em>pink<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;-haired woman could be swayed overlong from her long-lived loyalties. Such a woman might <em>dally<\/em>, but never commit. I would feel it my duty as a gentleman to warn any man enamored of such a woman to carefully guard his heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s colleagues shuffled and coughed. Elliott pointedly studied Covarrubias\u2019s female companions. \u201cI question that any such woman would long tolerate the dalliances of a man who does not return the loyalty <em>he<\/em> demands of <em>her<\/em>\u2014did she but know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No reaction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGentlemen,\u201d said the harbormaster. \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Without a word, Covarrubias stood and swept the table clean of his winnings. \u201cSe\u00f1ores,\u201d he said absently, and signaled to his women to follow him up the stairs.<\/p>\n<p>The remaining men at the table breathed a collective sigh of relief once the Spaniard had disappeared with his coin and his women.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI should know not to play Covarrubias,\u201d grumbled the harbormaster as he counted out three coppers and threw them into the middle of the table. \u201cBut one does not simply get up and walk away when <em>he<\/em> sits down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, Judas,\u201d murmured another. He was a merchant who made a practice of buying British goods American privateers had seized, then selling them back to the Tories at criminally inflated prices. Elliott had liked him immediately. \u201cThere is a woman between you, I take it? Mayhap&nbsp;\u2026 Fury?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott grinned. \u201cDo you know of any other women with pink hair?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis should prove entertaining.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlready has,\u201d grumbled the harbormaster.<\/p>\n<p>The merchant lowered his voice. \u201cWhen do you plan to sail?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo days hence,\u201d Elliott murmured equally low.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh.\u201d It would surprise no one that Elliott would want to get out of the Bay while the entirety of the British line was flotsam, and the fleets in New York and South Carolina were thoroughly occupied. But every one of these men knew Elliott wanted to run Fury down and bed her, especially after Covarrubias had all but dared him to try.<\/p>\n<p>The tale of this encounter would be all over the harbor and every village along it by dawn. \u201cSo I shall see you at ten of the clock?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott played his last hand and arose, extending his hand to each of his opponents, and collecting his meager winnings before heading upstairs to the strawberry-blonde who awaited him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">6<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THE MORNING SUN shone bright on Celia\u2019s face. Below her, on the main deck, activity was lazy and, for the most part, curtailed, the crew engaged in menial tasks that nevertheless must be done. Two of the women aboard were mending sails and rope. Two more were in the galley baking the day\u2019s bread. Another was with the men who sat along the rails fishing. Yet another was aloft with Kit, keeping watch. Mary and Solomon were behind her at the communal secretary, Mary dictating correspondence to Celia\u2019s moneylender concerning Celia\u2019s accounts and holdings.<\/p>\n<p>She turned the wheel a bit, allowing the wind to strike her face sharply. In great need of some respite from her restlessness, she took a deep breath as the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> sliced cleanly through the waters and listened to the music in her head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>For, unto us a child is born&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Work halted around her when she began to sing to them, her men and women, even the ones who did not know her voice had kept her as safe as her scars and her sword.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, child,\u201d Mary sighed happily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Unto us&nbsp;\u2026 A son is given&nbsp;\u2026 Unto us&nbsp;\u2026 A son is given&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Johann\u2019s tenor answered her soprano immediately: <em>\u201cFor, unto us a child is born.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2019Twas only a half measure before the men and women who could, in fact, sing, joined her lustily.<\/p>\n<p><em>Wonderful<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Counselor<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace&nbsp;\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It had taken time for her and surgeon\u2019s mate Gasparo, a highly trained Italian <em>evirato<\/em>, to teach the crew to sing thusly, but now they did so with vigor and skill and the length of a watch could be easily passed in near-complete abandon.<\/p>\n<p>Bridge\u2019s deep bass rose as her soprano faded away, then Johann\u2019s tenor slipped in and out. Gasparo\u2019s countertenor joined their voices.<\/p>\n<p>Then she heard a violin expertly playing the recitative before the soprano\u2019s next aria. Someone else had found his recorder flute, and a third had fetched his squeezebox.<\/p>\n<p>She was certain Maestro Handel had not intended his piece to be performed on the deck of an American privateer by a crew of ne\u2019er-do-wells for no one but themselves, yet here they were.<\/p>\n<p><em>And suddenly, there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSAIL HO!\u201d Kit bellowed from the platform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGod\u2019s teeth,\u201d Celia gritted, instantly on the alert. She was at once disgruntled at the loss of her respite and glad of the termination of her boredom\u2014if only for a while.<\/p>\n<p>If it were British, they would either take it or blow it up.<\/p>\n<p>The instruments were put away and the menial chores abandoned for preparations of battle. Everyone who could not fight went below immediately, taking their work with them if they could. Mary and Solomon hurriedly gathered up the parchments and pens, books and ledgers, and disappeared.<\/p>\n<p>Celia waited for more information before giving her orders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBritish, but not navy. Looks like a merchantman. Off the larboard bow. Alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you <em>certain<\/em>?\u201d she demanded, wary of a trap, and waited patiently another ten minutes before the answer came:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBrit-built. Square-rigged. Two masts. Ten guns, if that. Aye, Cap\u2019n, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, that settled it.<\/p>\n<p>Celia spun the wheel to come hard about. Sea spray and sun splashed her face, her heart beat faster with excitement. \u2019Twas hard to remember why she was bored with this life at times like these.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRun up the Union Jack.\u201d She grinned now, the urge undeniable. \u201cLook sharp! If we cannot sing praises to God, then we shall plunder in his name!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia could now see the white sails of the British merchantman, which were approaching fast. It would not take but a few moments to reach them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHas she spotted us, Kit?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and she\u2019s spilling wind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGlad of a Navy escort, is she?\u201d Celia laughed, but the sound was whipped away by the stinging wind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCap\u2019n, there\u2019s a woman aboard. In a dress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s eyebrows rose in surprise. It made no difference in her battle plans, but women in dresses aboard British merchantmen bound for England meant gentry and that did not bode well for her.<\/p>\n<p>The master gunner barked orders for the guns to be readied in the surreptitious manner he had drilled into his gunners.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope to settle this with not a shot wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A quarter hour passed before the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> was close enough to the <em>Lamplight<\/em> to hail it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHo, <em>Lamplight<\/em>!\u201d Bridge called from the prow, his voice strong enough to carry back to Celia. His bare chest glistened ebony in the sunlight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLong live the king!\u201d came the return.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRun up Congress\u2019s colors!\u201d Celia bellowed. The Union Jack was struck. The gunports slammed open.<\/p>\n<p>The crew aboard the <em>Lamplight<\/em> scrambled in panic.<\/p>\n<p>Bridge cupped his hands around his mouth. \u201cStand down and prepare to be boarded!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She struck her colors the moment Bridge ended his command, and Celia\u2019s crew ran to grab the grappling hooks. Down the rails, the hooks struck the wood one after another in rapid sequence\u2014<\/p>\n<p><em>thunk<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;thunk<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;thunk<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;thunk<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;thunk<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2014then Celia\u2019s crew heaved as one until the two ships crashed together. Immediately, thirty of her men and women swarmed the deck of the <em>Lamplight<\/em>, swords bared. They met no resistance, much less a fighting force.<\/p>\n<p>Celia handed command off to Smitty, clipped down the stairs to the main deck and vaulted over the rails, Solomon and Bridge following. Ten of her crew followed the pair of them, her other officers left behind to sail the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> should anything untoward happen to their captain.<\/p>\n<p>Celia surveyed the scene before her before she spoke. A normal-looking crew, scattered across the decks, betraying a great deal of fear. The captain slowly came forward because his position demanded it, but the man would have turned and fled at a moment\u2019s notice. Across the deck, Celia caught the flash of pale blue going down a hatch, and with a slight signal that only her crew could discern, one of her men sprinted across the expanse and dove down after it. With another signal, the rest of her crew disappeared into the holds to inventory what she held, leaving Celia, Bridge, and Solomon alone on deck.<\/p>\n<p>The captain of the <em>Lamplight<\/em> stood before Celia, trembling and wringing his hands, looking amongst the three of them, unable to decide which would be the captain: the Arab, the woman, or the Negro.<\/p>\n<p>Her lip curled. \u201cSpeak, man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaptain Tunney at your service, ma\u2014er, uh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am Captain Fury,\u201d Celia intoned, her eyebrow raised and her lips pursed. If this man swooned, she would lose a ten-pound wager with Smitty. \u201cYou may address me as Captain or Sir. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, ma\u2014er, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gestured to her right. \u201cThis is Captain Bull, who will be commanding this vessel once I have completed my inspection.\u201d He watched warily as Bridge strode off to oversee preparations for his command. \u201cWhat do you carry?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCotton, m\u2019lady\u2014er, Sir\u2014er, Captain. Spices. Tobacco. Coffee. Naught else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not a word about passengers. She and Solomon exchanged glances, which only made the man fidget more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a woman aboard this ship, aye?\u201d His face colored, but before he could stammer a reply, Celia said, \u201cLoyalists bound for England, mayhap?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the captain was beyond speech. His eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped, a dead weight, onto the deck. Guffaws rang out from the quarterdeck of the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Celia sighed and looked at Solomon. \u201cAnother ten pounds sterling lost to the leftenant. I believe I shall have to cease wagering with the man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No sound or change in expression came from Solomon but a speaking glance told her he had found amusement in both the circumstance and her comment.<\/p>\n<p>She turned to the crew, and said, \u201cWho here would like to work for me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To a man, not one raised his hand. Well, that was no surprise. Celia was not especially good at impressing men, because she wanted willing sailors, but no matter. Bridge would need this crew and she did not.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCap\u2019n! Hold\u2019s full of cotton and tobacco.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded at the crewman who yelled this bit of news. \u201cOffload the spices and deliver them to Solomon\u2019s cabin.\u201d With a salute of acknowledgment of the order, the crew went back to their preparations.<\/p>\n<p>Her crewman appeared shortly thereafter with a woman, a girl, and a man in tow.<\/p>\n<p>The man was obviously well-heeled merchant gentry, and even in this dire situation, the wife would not allow her hem to touch the sailor who held her. She was not well pleased a Moor held her arm in his iron grip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is the meaning of this outrage? Get your hands off me, you animal!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia looked at the woman as she was dragged, struggling, across the deck to stand before her.<\/p>\n<p>With one look at Celia, she ceased struggling and threw herself at her, hugging her and wailing. \u201cOh, m\u2019lady, what shall we do? They\u2019re monsters, the lot of them!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grimacing in distaste, Celia tried to extricate herself from the arms that held her. The woman seemed not to have noticed that Celia was dressed quite differently from current fashion, in a white cotton shirt and breeches. The tarred moccasins, white head scarf, broad slashes of kohl across her cheekbones, and huge gold hoop earrings were also quite beyond the pale for this season\u2019s rage. The flintlock in Celia\u2019s waistband, the dagger strapped around her thigh, and the scabbard swinging from her hip did not seem to register.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMadam,\u201d Celia muttered as she sought to disengage herself. \u201cI say, Madam!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With that, the seaman pulled the woman back with some force, and she stood, panting, staring at Celia as if she had somehow grown another head.<\/p>\n<p>Celia calmly dusted herself off before looking back at the woman. For some reason, however, the girl caught her attention. So, she was the daughter of this gentrified pair.<\/p>\n<p>She tilted her head in curiosity. \u201cWhat is your name, girl?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGeorgina, Sir.\u201d Ah, the girl had courage. She did not flinch. She held her head proudly and looked Celia in the face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow many years have you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFifteen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere are you bound?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEngland, Sir. To wed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia thought a bit. Had she grown up as other girls, a match would have been made for her, but now, a score of years past and a truly scandalous marriage behind her, she could not imagine being given no choice in the matter. \u201cHave you met this man?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, Sir. He is of the nobility. Wealthy, but more than twenty years older than I. I\u2014\u201d The girl stopped abruptly and snapped her mouth tight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSay what you will, girl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not want to wed. \u2019Tis as if I have been sold.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The girl\u2019s mother, so outraged she forgot everyone\u2019s presence but her daughter\u2019s, raised her hand to slap her, but Solomon caught her wrist in a vise grip until she whimpered, then harder until he\u2019d forced to her knees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour parents have whored you out, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oh, the girl was completely bitter, then. Celia ran her tongue over her teeth. \u201cTell me something. Would you return to your life with them now, if you could? Until it was appropriate for you to marry? Even someone of your choosing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everyone but her own crew started at that question, though the girl herself started the least. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her mother continued to weep in pain and her father looked away. Celia looked at the girl for a long time and the girl stared back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMarriage or piracy. Choose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gulped, but did not look away. \u201cPiracy,\u201d she croaked.<\/p>\n<p>The father blanched. \u201cNo!\u201d screamed the mother. \u201cYou can\u2019t! Georgina! Don\u2019t do this to us, please!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The girl looked down at her mother, her mouth tight. \u201cI told you I would rather die than marry that man,\u201d she murmured. \u201cThis is the best choice I have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOrlando!\u201d Celia bellowed finally, looking over her shoulder to the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. When he appeared at her side, she waved a hand at Georgina. \u201cTake the girl to Officer Mary.\u201d Her crew did not hesitate and the girl looked at her with wide eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll thank me for this someday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sucked in a breath. \u201cI already do, Sir. I already do.\u201d She said nothing more, but went willingly with Dr. Telesca, who, ever the gentleman, would have assisted her over the rails even if she hadn\u2019t been wearing a rather cumbersome dress.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow,\u201d Celia began again. \u201cI will reiterate in case the situation is not perfectly clear: I am Captain Fury, of the American privateer <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. This vessel now belongs to me, claimed in the name of the United States of America. Cambridge Bull will be the commander of this vessel and has every right and protection afforded me as part of the privateer fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia sat on her haunches before the weeping mother and said, \u201cWhere do you wish to go?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have nowhere to go,\u201d she wept. \u201cWe sold everything, and cannot set foot in England without Georgina. We are ruined.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see. In that case, England is exactly where you\u2019ll be going. I\u2019ll be sure to deliver the pair of you up promptly to Georgina\u2019s former betrothed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Solomon chuckled as he loosed the girl\u2019s mother, who fell into another bout of weeping at Celia\u2019s feet, begging for mercy, but the sailor who\u2019d fetched her earlier picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Her screams of outrage made Celia laugh a bit herself and the father cast her wary glances.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, I amuse myself mightily,\u201d she murmured, and the crew that heard her laughed. She turned back to the woman. \u201cAnd thus we see the Ottomans are not the only ones who buy and sell Christian women. What name did you sell your girl to?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The woman could not speak for her weeping and gasping and the shoulder buried in her belly, so Celia looked to the father for the answer. His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air before he found his voice. \u201cCo\u2014&nbsp;Co\u2014&nbsp;Commander Elliott Raxham, second so\u2014&nbsp;so\u2014&nbsp;son of the Earl of Tavendish. A good fr\u2014&nbsp;fr\u2014&nbsp;friend to my cousin, who, who arranged the match.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia slapped a hand on the hilt of her cutlass, put a finger to her lips, and studied the deck. \u201cWho <em>is<\/em> that?\u201d she muttered to herself. \u201cI\u2019ve heard that name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTried for high treason and acquitted,\u201d one of her officers called from the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. \u201cSiege at Casco Bay. Captained the HMS<em> Iphigenia<\/em> and commanded the fleet. In the midst of firing on the village, he turned on one of his own ships and sank it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, that would get one tried for treason. And you sold your daughter to a man who\u2019d turn on one of his own fleet?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCap\u2019n, wait,\u201d Croftwood continued. \u201cHis barrister argued Raxham was the target of an assassination attempt by the captain of the ship he sank and thus was acting to save his and his crew\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia turned to stare at her master carpenter, but he nodded solemnly. \u201cWell! I simply have not heard a yarn that preposterous in years!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBloody hell, Jack,\u201d Smitty called, \u201c<em>you<\/em> have no room to call <em>that<\/em> preposterous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s face split wide in a grin and the crew of the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> roared. \u201cAh, just so,\u201d she finally said. \u201c\u2019Twouldn\u2019t matter. His name is forever black. He\u2019ll not be able to find a bride with sufficient settlement or title, I\u2019ll wager. No noble in England would desire a traitor\u2019s name attached to his own by marriage, wealth or not\u2014and a second son with no title to sweeten the pot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWot\u2019s \u2019at?\u201d her pesky lieutenant called again. \u201cAnother wager?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked over her shoulder and yelled back, \u201cAye, another, you whoreson! An hundred pounds this time!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It took another hour to prepare. The family\u2019s trunks were stowed aboard the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>, though Celia would have to think about where she wanted to put them and what they would do to earn their keep.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaptain Bull,\u201d Celia called and jerked her head for him to follow her back aboard the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. She led the way to her cabin and counted out some gold for use as shares and bribes. \u201cI\u2019ll send Li Chen with you to navigate. He has not as much training as I\u2019d like, but can find his way to Holland. Dock in Rotterdam and seek out my agent there. You have met him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSell everything, dole out shares as you see fit, then oversee any repairs she may need. Your new crew promises to be unwilling. How many of our crew will you need to keep them in line?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA good two score.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDone. Take whom you will. What do you plan to do with the captain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrow him in the brig. I\u2019m not in the habit of killing mice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia chuckled. \u201cI don\u2019t expect to be far behind you. Once we arrive, you will deposit George\u2019s parents wherever her formerly betrothed lives. Mama and I will likely be gone to London by the time you return.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGodspeed. George!\u201d she bellowed once Bridge had disappeared up through a hatch and she heard his deep, commanding voice. The girl poked her head out of Mary\u2019s door and looked at Celia with some trepidation. \u201cCome up on deck with me. Your education started three hours ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once up on deck, Celia went directly to the pair whose name she did not know, nor did she care. Woman and Man would do nicely, she supposed, and she went to stand in front of them, who huddled, terrified. Activity went on all around them, crewmen jumping over the rail to the <em>Lamplight<\/em>, grappling hooks being retrieved, Bridge bellowing orders as he stood on the quarterdeck and threw the wheel hard to larboard.<\/p>\n<p>Celia waited until the pair actually looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMan. Take George\u2019s trunks to the mess. A crewman will show you where. Take your own to the hold. You will sleep in the berth with the rest of the crew. The purser\u2019s mate will give you a hammock and change of clothes. You will work and work hard. Mayhap my crew can shove a ramrod down your spine with regard to your wife and with any luck, you won\u2019t die from it. Get going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Man began the process of laboriously dragging their trunks belowdecks, a crewman waiting impatiently for him to direct him.<\/p>\n<p>She turned her attention to Woman, who cowered. \u201cHave you tailoring skills?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood. You will also earn your keep on this ship, since you did not pay me passage. You will sew George and yourself clothes like mine. As regards George, she is now under my command by her choice; thus, you no longer have any claim on her, her belongings, or her behavior. You will treat her with the same respect you will be expected to treat the rest of my crew and obey any orders she gives you, understood?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She swallowed. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia then curled her hand into the low neckline of the girl\u2019s dress and pulled, ripping the dress all the way down to the deck. It was George\u2019s first look of terror as she attempted to cover herself as if her shift were not enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake off the dress. Give it to Woman.\u201d The girl did as she was told without a word of protest, though she was terrified and the crew watched and snickered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGod\u2019s blood! The girl\u2019s bound up in stays and she\u2019s not yet grown tits. Have you your courses?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her mouth dropped open. \u201cYes,\u201d she squeaked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCondolences. Well, what are you waiting for? Get that thing off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the girl looked at her helplessly. Heaving a longsuffering sigh, Celia bid the girl turn around. She drew her dagger and sliced the laces with no further ado. George turned back around and Celia, catching the garment as it fell, unceremoniously tossed it overboard.<\/p>\n<p>Celia then pulled her own shirt off over her head, and both George and Woman gasped to see <em>not<\/em> her bare breasts, but the matting of horizontally striped scars that encircled her torso from hips to collarbone. \u201cHere,\u201d she said, handing the shirt to George, whose breasts were, in fact, rather respectable. \u201cWell, so you\u2019re not titless after all. Good. Put that on over your shift. KIT!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Only a moment it took for the boy to land on his feet beside her. \u201cCap\u2019n?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is George. Loan her a pair of your breeches and then teach her to climb the rigging.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As she walked away in a daze, Celia heard Kit demand, \u201cGimme your slippers,\u201d followed by a faint plink in the ocean. Celia chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWoman. George is to have one pair of breeches and a shirt like mine before sunrise. After that, you will make her enough to last a week before laundering. When you\u2019ve finished her new wardrobe, start on your own. I do not allow skirts on my ship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no cloth,\u201d she whispered. \u201cWhat shall I use?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour wardrobes, of course. She\u2019ll not need a dress again for months, if not years. After that, you will be emptying the slop jars, doing laundry, and keeping all the women aboard this ship supplied with clean menses rags.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With that, she dispatched Woman to the galley to use one of the broad mess tables for cutting and sewing. Yet before\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Celia gripped Woman\u2019s neck and hauled her back to speak in her ear. \u201cI am your entire existence now, Woman. You do what I say when I say how I say. Do you understand me?\u201d She nodded frantically.<\/p>\n<p>Celia let her go with a shove, then turned to watch the little merchantman sail east, ahead of her. She smiled at a job well done and stretched, running her hands up her ribs, over her breasts, under her braid until it fell from her outstretched arms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaptain! I must protest!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia whirled at this voice she did not know and who questioned her authority. The entirety of the crew within earshot stilled to watch this scenario play out.<\/p>\n<p>A man approached her with some urgency, a great weaselly fellow. Tall and bulky, he had thinning hair of an indeterminate mousy brown. One colorless eye did not focus in the same direction as his other colorless eye and he tended to squint. His hands were large as hams and, Celia imagined, just as clumsy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho are you?\u201d Celia asked calmly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy name is Marcus Zimmerman, Ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaptain or sir, Mr. Zimmerman. You\u2019ve been on this vessel a fortnight now; you know the proper address.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is your protest?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe treatment of the women, sir. They\u2019ve brought you no harm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia was a tall woman, and she was still obliged to look <em>up<\/em> at him. \u201cMr. Zimmerman, tell me: When you came aboard this ship seeking employment, did you not know \u2019twas a privateer and its captain a woman?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd now you question my behavior?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis not right to treat gently bred women thusly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The male crewmembers held their breath, Bataar wrapped her hand around the hilt of her sword, and the rest of the women abovedecks began to murmur angrily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIsn\u2019t it now? Richins!\u201d she bellowed without taking her eyes from the man before her. \u201cFetch Woman back here.\u201d She waited, never taking her eyes off of this upstart, who began to squirm under her cool regard. Once Woman was shoved to Celia\u2019s left, she dropped to her knees, sobbing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Zimmerman,\u201d she began. \u201cYou say it is not right to treat gently bred women as I have treated Woman here. Do I understand you to say that it is right to treat <em>common<\/em> women thusly?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The female crew growled and Zimmerman\u2019s mouth dropped open. \u201cNo\u2014no, not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPray tell me why you protest for <em>this<\/em> woman\u2014a woman who sold her girl\u2019s womb to an aristocrat? What has <em>she<\/em> done to earn your chivalry that the other women aboard this vessel do not deserve?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026 the others are here to\u2014of their own free will. This one is an innocent being taken hostage. Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia laughed. \u201cI am a <em>pirate<\/em>, Zimmerman!\u201d Guffaws rang out. \u201c\u2019Tis what I <em>do<\/em>!\u201d She leaned forward. \u201cWhat I do not do,\u201d she murmured, \u201cis tolerate insubordination. So. I will test your chivalry. You get back to work and mind your own business or Woman here gets the lash.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyes widened. \u201cBut I\u2014\u201d Celia\u2019s eyebrow rose and his stuttering became nearly painful before he said, \u201cPlease don\u2019t lash her, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With a glance slid to Richins, he took weeping Woman belowdecks once again. \u201cI do not know you, Zimmerman,\u201d she said, \u201cand I hear you came aboard bearing Washington\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re lying to me.\u201d He started and Celia knew she was right. \u201cI cannot prove it, but I don\u2019t have to, as I am the only law here. One more misstep, Zimmerman, and I\u2019ll shackle you in the hold for the duration. I don\u2019t like liars and I will not have my authority questioned.\u201d She turned and walked away from him then, toward the quarterdeck. Over her shoulder, she called, \u201cI\u2019d watch my back if I were you, Zimmerman. Methinks you\u2019ll not want to cross swords with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once she\u2019d taken the wheel over from a glowering Smitty, she saw the man still standing there, his mouth agape. \u201cGet to work, Mr. Zimmerman,\u201d she murmured just loudly enough for him to hear. When he didn\u2019t move, out of fear or rebellion Celia did not know, she pulled the dagger out of its sheath on her leg and hurled it at him.<\/p>\n<p>It pinned his foot to the deck.<\/p>\n<p>He howled in pain and bent to grapple at it, sobbing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayhap now you\u2019ve an excuse not to move when given a direct order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She watched as he dislodged it from the wood beneath his foot, then pulled it out of his foot. He hobbled away, blood streaming behind him. \u201cGet Senzeille to tend his wound,\u201d she mumbled to Smitty. \u201cI want him alive for his flogging on the morrow and do not wish an infection to rob me of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMade me waste a bloody nice day. I\u2019ll not forget that soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She began to yell instructions and sails were unfurled. She spun the wheel to starboard and fought to catch a breeze.<\/p>\n<p>There was some commotion above her and she was obliged to smile at Kit\u2019s attempts to teach George to climb. \u2019Twas a difficult task made more difficult by the softness of the girl\u2019s feet, the dizzying height, the strength of the wind, and the pitch of the ship as she turned. It took tremendous strength and a strong stomach. If George could master the rigging, she would be able to master anything.<\/p>\n<p>At the moment, though, Kit hopped from the platform to the ratlines and ran down the net, upsetting George\u2019s timorous hold on the ropes so that she lost her grip and fell. Celia watched as the girl caught herself halfway down, but she clung to it, breathing heavily; Celia smiled with the memory of herself having done the very same thing. \u2019Twould teach her to hold on better.<\/p>\n<p>Oblivious to his charge\u2019s circumstance, Kit launched himself off the rigging by a rope and swung out over Celia, dropping neatly beside her. \u201cThe <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2019s twelve miles behind us, two points off larboard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She speared Kit with a look, and realized she had to look up at <em>him<\/em>, too! When had he grown so without her notice?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you <em>sure<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe figurehead, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye, that would do it. Does she see us?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. She\u2019s heavy in the water but seems to me she is trying to overtake us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExcellent. Get me a shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">7<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">FROM THE PERIPHERY of her dreams, Celia felt the bed depress beneath her, and though it could not possibly have been Dindi, Celia cast the irregularity of it to the back of her sleep-induced haze and remained settled in the darkness of slumber.<\/p>\n<p>She should not have, she discovered, when a stranger\u2019s lips pressed harshly against hers. Her eyes popped open, her heart lodged in her throat, and her stomach lurched\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Light eyes twinkled in the moonlight piercing through the darkness.<\/p>\n<p>Then she tasted rum and cocoa.<\/p>\n<p>She opened her mouth and wrapped her arms around the man\u2019s broad shoulders, under and through his long silky hair, his skin cold and a bit damp from his midnight row.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, now that\u2019s a greeting I didn\u2019t expect,\u201d he whispered into her mouth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot even after I ordered my sails trimmed? I expected you days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stilled, and she felt him smile against her lips. \u201cAnd now we are becalmed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. I want my figurehead back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs that why you are so willing? You\u2019ll fuck me to retrieve it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I must.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled and hoisted himself off the bed to pull the linens back. \u201cShare your bedclothes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d she asked as she moved to accommodate his big body and held the linens for him to slip in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I\u2019m cold,\u201d he said wryly, and proceeded to prove the point by rolling up against her so that they were cold skin to warm.<\/p>\n<p>Celia squeaked. \u201cGod\u2019s teeth, Judas. First you mistake me for a whore, and then you mistake me for a warming brick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd yet you have not chased me out of your cabin for my audacious invasion of your ship and your person. You haven\u2019t even fled to the other side of the bed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou sound particularly pleased with yourself. I told you there were many ways to gain my undivided attention for a night or six.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd this is one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is now, although if you had a faster ship, you could have ordered me to heave to and boarded me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI intend to board you, Madam, never fear. And I am keeping your figurehead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I thought you might say that. I will simply sink your ship, then. If I cannot have it, neither can you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He ignored that. \u201cI would like to discuss your questionable judgment in methods for running British blockades.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia laughed. \u201cAnd all this time I thought talking was the last thing you would wish to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn time, my love. In time. I\u2019m intrigued. I want to know your mind as much as your body.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mind is not engaged at the moment, Sir,\u201d she murmured and rubbed her palm carefully down his body, thumbing his pap along the way, feeling the hard muscles of his torso\u2014its scars\u2014the peak of his hip, to the nest of curls around his cock. It was flaccid at the moment, but she would expect no less considering the cold. \u201cAnd it won\u2019t be long until yours is no longer engaged. Kiss me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n,\u201d he muttered as if he had no choice, pressing his mouth against hers again, opening her lips expertly with his.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t the first time Celia had been tempted into bed by a virtual stranger, but it was the first time a man had made such a concerted and sustained effort to get her there.<\/p>\n<p>It was also the first time she had bedded a man who was her equal at sea.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, he was a special one, one she wanted to know better, and she did not ken why she was so hungry for a man she did not know that she would tolerate his violations of her property and her person. \u201cWhy?\u201d she whispered against his mouth, her fingers running through his long, damp, salt-laden hair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">8<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\"><em>WHY NOT.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Elliott dragged his hand down Fury\u2019s side, shocked by the heavy scarring, far more so than his own. She <em>had<\/em> been flogged\u2014and severely. He allowed his fingertips to study her scars, tracing each bump and ridge, feeling himself harden in her hand. He cupped her breast in his palm and realized that it, too, was riven with scars. He flicked his thumb over the peak, but the nipple didn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no feeling there,\u201d she whispered absently, lost in their kiss. She did not seem to find that anything out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA flogging like this would have killed a lesser man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, but I am not lesser nor a man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grinned against her lips while slipping his hand between her legs to caress her velvety inner thigh. She gasped. \u201cYou have feeling <em>there<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I do. Stand down and prepare for <em>my<\/em> boarding, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She arose to her knees as he turned to lie on his back. She lifted one strong thigh and straddled him so his growing prick nestled in the crack of her arse and slid along her back. The tail of her braid brushed across his thighs.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott thought he must have died and gone to paradise, as this was truly not the reception he\u2019d anticipated, nor had he anticipated how&nbsp;\u2026 <em>at ease<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026 he would be with her and how rapidly.<\/p>\n<p>She wiggled, grinding her cunt into his belly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMadam, you are an accomplished tease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat,\u201d she said pertly, \u201cis what Marquess Rathbone thinks, also.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott thought to toss her off. \u201cWhat ho, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay, not so much as that,\u201d she said with a wry tone. \u201cHe is one of the last men on Earth I\u2019d tumble, and not for any reason I would tell <em>you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, you were speaking figuratively.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are the one who wanted to discuss the blockade. I have decided to indulge you.\u201d He groaned, and she reached behind her to wrap her hand around his cockstand. She pressed the pad of her thumb into the tip to collect the liquid there, then manipulated the rest of the head with that same very talented digit while she squeezed with just the right pressure. \u201cI have heard no expressions of gratitude from you, Judas. Methinks you\u2019d be more appreciative of the gaping hole Maarten and I left you to sail through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy thanks, Captain,\u201d he croaked. Surely the woman had been born for the sole purpose of driving him mad. \u201cYour turn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy thanks for your assistance, Captain,\u201d she purred. \u201cEnlighten me,\u201d she continued with amusement. He could smell her arousal and wondered at her control. Then she put her hand between her legs and spread her flesh open against his skin and bore down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury, is this some new form of torture?\u201d he gritted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay,\u201d she said with a little gasp. One more tiny sound of pleasure slipped from between her lips, and the hand wrapped around his prick tightened. \u201cNot for <em>me<\/em>, anyroad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I enlighten you, will you cease torturing me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, perhaps. If I like the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if you don\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am perfectly capable of pleasuring myself, Judas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you would rather have me.\u201d He quickly, unerringly slid two fingers up into her cunt, making her gasp in surprise. \u201cWouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He could feel her shrug. \u201cThis will do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiar. Ask your question.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you say that your ship is fucking my figurehead or my figurehead is fucking your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oh, Elliott knew which answer would get him buried inside this evil woman, but he could not bear to give her that. Yet. He lunged upward and rolled her over so that he was on his knees between her thighs, his body pinning hers to the bed. He grasped his prick and guided it to her cunt, sliding the head between her wet folds, up and down\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow who is the tease,\u201d she gasped, lifting her hips, seeking his prick.<\/p>\n<p>He grinned. He had barely entered her when she drove herself upward until he was sunk into her to his bollocks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, yes,\u201d she sighed.<\/p>\n<p>He leaned down to press her into the bed and whisper: \u201cYour figurehead might be fucking my prow, Madam, but <em>I<\/em> am fucking <em>you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, yes,\u201d she sighed again. \u201cDo continue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She was deliciously tight, perfectly wet, as he gave her long, leisurely strokes she sought to quicken by tightening her legs around his hips until he could not move at all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you wish me to continue, you should not hold me so tightly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In answer, she reached above her head to the iron rings in the bulkhead, then tightened her legs even further, making him lose his balance so that he fell upon her. It was delightful to have her restrained so closely underneath him, but not so much that he would trade it for control. He pushed up, his body braced by his palms on either side of her head.<\/p>\n<p>Her chest was heaving. Her legs tightened. Her mouth found his. Her hips and legs worked in some odd rhythm for the purpose of\u2014<\/p>\n<p>She growled just as her pussy clenched around his him.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014grinding her pearl against him. She released the rings and his hips, letting her knees fall open wide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas,\u201d she whimpered.<\/p>\n<p>He could do naught but fulfill her plea.<\/p>\n<p>He thrust hard and fast, and she met him on every stroke.<\/p>\n<p>She arched her back and let forth a guttural cry from deep in her chest when she reached her crisis. Not long after, his groan of satisfaction came from somewhere deep in his soul, and he stilled.<\/p>\n<p>They stayed that way, spent but connected. They were both panting as they looked at each other for a few minutes until Elliott could no longer claim any firmness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat needs must happen more frequently, methinks,\u201d she murmured, cupping his face in her hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he said brusquely. \u201cYou said a night or six, as I recall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He turned his head to press a kiss into her palm, then pulled away, twisting to land on his back beside her. She looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs long as we are becalmed, I see no reason not to indulge. But my hold is empty, so I have prizes to hunt and, hopefully, a shipment to deliver. As soon as the winds pick up, I must be upon my way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere are you bound?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Eventually<\/em>, London. You?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026 London. <em>Eventually<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She lifted herself and moved closer to him, until she was tucked in the curve of his arm and her head upon his shoulder. She caressed his belly, tracing the lash lines with a fingertip, and whispered, \u201cYou are acquainted with the cat, too, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho among us does not bear the scars of a life at sea?\u201d He tightened his arm around the back of her head and she adjusted her position so as to grant him the kiss he sought.<\/p>\n<p>They kissed, teased, nipped, sucked. He felt her hand in his hair, pulling him closer as if they could lose themselves in each other. He suspected that might be possible. It had been nigh twenty years since a woman had so strongly caught his fancy, and somewhere at the back of his mind, he wished she hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>She was dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>Nay, his compulsion to have her was dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill you be in London long?\u201d he whispered against her mouth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am not quite certain,\u201d she returned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill you meet me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayhap. Washington is expecting our return in October or November.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis nearly March. You could make two or three voyages in that time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She paused and pulled away from him, leaving a sudden chill where her body had warmed his. She rose up and knelt beside him, her knees touching his ribs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 There are&nbsp;\u2026 complications with my presence in London,\u201d she said slowly, continuing to trace his scars with a finger. He shivered, and not from any chill: He could see no fewer than three glowing braziers dotting the cabin. \u201c\u2019Tis not simply a matter of slipping in and out, meeting suppliers and selling cargo. I have other obligations to attend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs do I, so I ken.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are British,\u201d she said softly. \u201cWhat is your quarrel with your own countrymen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not up for discussion, Madam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can tell by the way you choose your battles that you feel you have cause,\u201d she continued as if she hadn\u2019t noticed Elliott\u2019s tension, but of course she had, \u201cyet you have taken the name of the betrayer and raised him up to destroy the Messiah that is England. \u2019Tis the stuff of bathos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He snorted. \u201cAnd yours is not equally ridiculous? <em>Fury<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, that was a gallows jest I made after I killed Skirrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd no one laughed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay, but I did not find much humorous about it, myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDunham called you \u2018Jack.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Jacqueline\u2019 wearies the tongue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh. Jacqueline <em>what<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are so set upon having my name, are you? Methinks you should give me something other than Judas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Would that he could hear his name on her tongue, but there were few enough Englishmen with his given name that she could deduce his surname, too, given a few weeks in London.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll not give you that, Madam,\u201d he said gruffly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen fie upon you, Judas, expecting my name when you will not give me yours. Anyroad, I hate \u2018Jacqueline,\u2019 and \u2018Jack\u2019 only slightly less. I always have, so do not think to address me thusly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd <em>Calico<\/em> Jack? To my mind, that would be a dueling insult, as you are more man than he ever was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnother jest, though foisted upon me because of my fondness for calico cats.\u201d Elliott grinned. \u201cI was very young and did not know the history, so I did not object. By the time I knew the history, \u2019twas mine forevermore. I do not care for that appellation, either, but \u2019tis useful for legal purposes, contracts and such, with my flourish and seal. For many reasons, I simply do not have the luxury Dunham and Maarten have to go about wearing their names on their chests, or I would.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what would you have me call you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI prefer the name by which I am known in my&nbsp;\u2026 communities&nbsp;\u2026 on land, but since you will not give me your name, I will not tell you mine.\u201d And he regretted that. \u201cSo until you give me yours, <em>you<\/em> will call me Fury or Captain. None of this Jack business, Calico or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott said nothing more as she climbed over his body to disappear into the shadows behind a screen. He started when something soft brushed against his foot.<\/p>\n<p><em>Mrow.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>So. There were <em>two<\/em> cats in this cabin. He chuckled when it climbed up on his belly and walked up his chest to stick its cold, wet nose up his. He stroked its silky fur, then its back arched and its claws dug into his chest, begging scratches at the base of its tail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was not expecting to be taken hostage and ravished this eve or I would have prepared,\u201d she called softly.<\/p>\n<p>He snorted. \u201cDid you think I would wait until the wind blew so I would not have to row?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s soft laugh drifted to him.<\/p>\n<p>Once she had finished her ablutions, she emerged from behind the screen, her shadow moving vaguely about the cabin until a lantern flared. She cast a glance at him where he lay with one arm behind his head and a calico cat on his chest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see you\u2019ve met Dindi.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am now the one being ravished,\u201d Elliott murmured, allowing the cat to scratch its face upon his rough jaw. He had never been in the habit of keeping pets, but he found himself scratching the cat\u2019s other cheek such that its purr increased until his chest was thrumming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s spoilt. None of the other ship\u2019s cats require such excessive praise for their valor in keeping us free of vermin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He studied Fury\u2019s rather large body as she went about her cabin completely nude, lighting lamps until the cabin was quite bright. He had not noticed her size until now, accustomed as he was to looking at her many-times-larger figurehead. Tall and muscular, she was yet voluptuous, with a nipped waist, soft belly, and hips and breasts reminiscent of graven images depicting ancient fertility goddesses\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u2014all overwhelmed by the most grotesque scarring he had ever seen.<\/p>\n<p>From chest to waist, they encircled her torso, a thick mat of pale pink ridges. Her breasts were pert, but her nipples lay flat despite the chill in the air. The left nipple had been cut in two vertically. On the other hand, her arms were smooth but for the welts circling her wrists: She had been hung from a yard instead of strapped to a mast. He found the contrast between her feminine-smooth limbs and arse and ravaged torso to be profane.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, her midsection was hideous, and even though he, too, had been flogged, he could not imagine how she\u2019d lived through it\u2014&nbsp;And that her <em>mentor<\/em> had wielded the lash&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>By any definition, Elliott was an uncommonly big man and, with his strength, had unwittingly killed a man with fewer than twenty strokes of a common cat. Dunham was larger than Elliott and had he not personally witnessed Dunham\u2019s affection for Fury, he would swear that the man had <em>tried<\/em> to kill her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot so eager for me now, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her bitter question shook him out of his reverie and realized that she had caught him staring, most likely with some measure of horror on his face. He scowled at her and snapped, \u201cDo not assume what I do and do not find arousing, Madam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She blinked and her delectable mouth dropped open a little in confused surprise. \u201cOh,\u201d she finally said, but then her mouth tightened. \u201cOh, aye, I apprehend,\u201d she said acidly. \u201cYou have been looking at my figurehead these weeks past and can simply close your eyes and think about how I once looked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Incensed, he leveled a glare at her that had quelled more unruly sailors than he could count. \u201cThat is enough of <em>that<\/em>,\u201d he growled. \u201cI am no callow youth, easily impressed by appearance to the good or bad. Your scars <em>are<\/em> ugly, but they are part of what makes the woman I have pursued since we met. \u2019Twould take more than the sight of those to thwart my interest in you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her expression was filled with uncertainty, but she made no more protest, for which he was grateful. It was not well done of him to confess how much he wanted her, as she did not seem to reciprocate as deeply.<\/p>\n<p>With one final, suspicious glance, she turned to dig a small box out of her sea chest and sit at her desk with her back to him. Her scars might be hideous, but the rest of her was precisely to his taste: Her arms and shoulders were shapely but muscular. Her legs were likewise. Her hips were more than generous, her arse firm and smooth. Her pink braid brushed her skin.<\/p>\n<p>That pink hair! Elliott thought his wonder at the sight of her hair may never cease.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did you not stay in Oranjestad if you wanted me so badly?\u201d she mumbled as she unpacked the small box, sorted its contents, and began a process he understood. \u201cI would not have rebuffed an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPride,\u201d he rumbled. \u201cI do not grovel well. Rather, not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThus you knew you were in the wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo question of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The pestle clinked softly against the mortar as she ground spices. \u201cWhy did you think I would be more receptive to your overtures <em>after<\/em> you stole my property?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was angry, so I thought nothing of it at all. I saw it. I wanted it. I took it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That made her chuckle, and she paused in her grinding to cast a sly smile at him over her shoulder. \u201cLike Caesar. You took a great risk, coming here, sneaking aboard. We\u2019ve had you in sight for days, and certes, my watch saw your approach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott scoffed. \u201c\u2019Twas no risk at all, considering you all but dropped anchor the moment you sighted us.\u201d The smile spread across her striking face, and Elliott\u2019s breath caught with her beauty. \u201cI am curious as to how you appeased your crew, however.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t. You did.\u201d She bent back to her task and spoke matter-of-factly. \u201cYou saved us from the three patrol frigates. Whatever your quarrel with Britain, had you any real quarrel with <em>me<\/em>, you would have left all of us to her mercy. Then, once we were sunk, you would have finished the job we began.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, that <em>would<\/em> have been efficient,\u201d he said dryly.<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. \u201cAt that point in the battle, you had the advantage of time. You could have done anything you wanted without Britain to belay you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott said nothing. It had never occurred to him to leave Fury and her fleet to the Royal Navy\u2019s mercy, and that she had any idea he might have done so unsettled him a bit. But then, that was a hazard of pursuing a woman with whom his only conversation had involved swords, daggers, curses, and the theft of her effigy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd,\u201d she continued, \u201cmy crew knows what I want from you. Hand me that rum over there. \u2019Twill kill the taste of these herbs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He displaced the cat to sit on the edge of the bed, grasp the bottle she\u2019d indicated, and hand it to her. She poured some in a glass and mixed it up with the herbs, then tossed it back with a grimace. \u201cGod, that\u2019s vile,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you I have no intention of returning that figurehead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour cock,\u201d she said absently, her hands carefully re-packing her box.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s mouth dropped open. \u201cMy <em>cock?<\/em> And now you\u2019ve had it, you\u2019ll toss me overboard?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She huffed and looked up at the overhead. \u201cBedsport with a man I both respect and desire. Is that better? Forgive my lack of sentiment, Captain, as I am a mathematician and astronomer, not a poet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With that, Fury looked down to finish packing up her herbs. That she had such a collection and in such an exquisitely carved Moorish box told Elliott more about her tendencies than he cared to know. He was the latest among many, and would not be the last, just as Covarrubias had warned him.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time in his life, that irritated him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you ever been in love?\u201d he asked abruptly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Love?<\/em>\u201d she hooted. \u201cI fall in love with every flap of a sail!\u201d That shocked the bloody hell out of him, and when he made no response, she looked over her shoulder and said, \u201cYou were hoping I\u2019d say \u2018never\u2019? That perhaps <em>you<\/em> might be the first?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged, loath to admit it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI may have exaggerated a mite,\u201d she said with an impish grin. Oh, <em>God<\/em>, that <em>smile<\/em>!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow large a mite?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, mayhap no more than <em>two<\/em> flaps of a sail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott could do nothing more than laugh, his relief far greater than the situation warranted. \u201cNumber one?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She raised an eyebrow. \u201cThis is not the moment for such discussions, Judas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He almost called her bluff by confronting her with Covarrubias, but decided she was probably correct.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know who I am,\u201d she said when he did not respond. \u201cDid you think that because I am a woman, though neither whore nor lady, I would remain a maiden, lying in wait for a handsome pirate captain to climb in my window and skillfully ravish me, thereby allowing me to abdicate any responsibility I have in my enjoyment of fucking a man I don\u2019t know but want <em>desperately<\/em>?\u201d He said nothing, but she began to laugh. \u201cYou <em>did!<\/em>\u201d she squealed, then clapped and laughed with utter glee. He scowled at her, irritated with her mockery. \u201cMy womanly awakening did not begin with your stolen kiss, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still chuckling, she arose and disappeared behind her screen. Soon the faint scent of lemon touched Elliott\u2019s nose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me at least if you are married,\u201d he called.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am not,\u201d she returned immediately.<\/p>\n<p><em>Thank God.<\/em> \u201cNow tell me about the blockade.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDesperation. The Navy had cut off all our avenues of escape. Did the trap draw tighter, we would all have lost our ships and our lives, not to mention what the loss of eight or more privateers would have done to Washington\u2019s supply lines. I would not have done such a thing otherwise or on my own, and I hope never to have to do it again. I do not relish captaining a fire ship.\u201d Elliott closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. \u201cBy the bye, did Rathbone or Bancroft survive?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, both. They are too wily to die.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are intact?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo I hear. I imagine their pride is in tatters, however. You may find your head with a price attached.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay. <em>You<\/em> would have a price on your head regardless. No matter what <em>I<\/em> do, I would be merely a prisoner of war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott snorted bitterly. \u201cBeing a prisoner can make a person wish he\u2019d been executed,\u201d he said before he thought.<\/p>\n<p>Once again she appeared from the head and went about putting out all but one of the lamps she had lit. \u201cAnd how do you come to think I have no experience of imprisonment or torture?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTouch\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne missive to Ambassador Franklin would cut short my imprisonment and put a period to any plans for my execution. Besides the fact that the ambassador adores me, there are many leaders in the army who would not hesitate to kill Britain\u2019s finest officers\u2014sons of nobility, as you well know\u2014should their suppliers be harmed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2019Twas true enough. She and her cohorts may be considered pirates, their letters of marque not regarded as legal in British courts, but as a practical matter, they were treated as enemy combatants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, Captain,\u201d she said silkily as she approached the bed. She put a knee alongside Elliott\u2019s hip, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply. She tasted of lemon, cinnamon, and rum. He pulled her to him tightly as he lay back on the bed. \u201c\u2019Tis my turn to ravish you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">9<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THE RISING SUN CREPT under Celia\u2019s eyelids and she stirred against the big, warm male beside her. She opened her eyes and turned her head to see Judas there, lying on his stomach angled away from her, one arm under his cheek and the other dropped over the side of the bunk. His hair, black and silver, mixed with her sun-bleached strands and fanned out across the pillows.<\/p>\n<p>He was snoring.<\/p>\n<p>That he trusted Celia enough to sleep that soundly, alone on what might have been an enemy ship for all he knew, pleased her more than it should have.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026&nbsp;<em>that\u2019s a greeting I didn\u2019t expect.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Not for a heartbeat did she believe his claim that he knew her men would not kill him before he got to her, yet he had taken the risk. From stealing a kiss to stealing her figurehead to stealing into her bed, he had more than demonstrated that he wanted her and would do whatever he had to do to have her.<\/p>\n<p>Rafael had taken advantage of her youth and impressionability, then proceeded to take her love and loyalty for granted. Celia\u2019s husband had nursed an infatuation from afar and feared her rejection of him so much he had had to be coaxed to meet her.<\/p>\n<p>But <em>this<\/em> man&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>She smiled sleepily and turned until she lay half atop him, inserting her knee between his legs and raising it so it just brushed his soft sac. She caressed one dark, brawny shoulder and kissed the other.<\/p>\n<p>An almost-purr began to vibrate from deep inside Judas\u2019s chest when she stroked his scarred ribs, but otherwise he did not move, leaving her to marvel at what a powerful man he was, both physically and as a commander.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> was a British ship of the line, with a roster <em>at least<\/em> four hundred men strong, of whom a third would be marines. There were no pirate vessels of that size. Ships such as his were built for war, not speed or stealth; the number of men needed to sail and defend one was not conducive to cohesion or loyalty; and the number of prizes they could expect to take would not be enough to feed and pay that many people.<\/p>\n<p><em>I doonna know where ye\u2019ve been in the last year that ye\u2019ve\u2019na crossed paths with Judas&nbsp;\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>His actions during the blockade spoke to his long experience as a commander, because he could not have gained it in one year of pirating on a ketch, much less a ship of the line.<\/p>\n<p>Judas was, in fact, <em>not<\/em> a pirate and everything about him betrayed it. He was a well-educated and well-seasoned British officer bent on the destruction of the very navy that had trained him. Moreover, she thought he might be from somewhere near Yorkshire, though his accent was far more refined than any she\u2019d heard, and was overlaid with a heavy Oxford polish.<\/p>\n<p>Celia could not fathom commanding four hundred men under any circumstances, nor could she imagine <em>any<\/em> pirate or privateer commanding such a large contingent, much less leading them into a one-man war against the most powerful nation on Earth. That there were four hundred men who would follow him into that war spoke volumes of his leadership.<\/p>\n<p>She would wager her last farthing he was from landed gentry or a wealthy merchant family. The possibility that he was of noble lineage was too slight, given that the repercussions for such would destroy not only him, but his entire family <em>and<\/em> the title.<\/p>\n<p><em>Mrow.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Dindi arose from her place at the head of the bunk and sought to nuzzle her way between them, butting and pushing at Celia\u2019s face and shoulder. Celia shooed the cat away (though not without many protesting meows), but the animal would only obey so far as to hop up on Celia, walk down her body, and perch at the foot of the bunk in a huff.<\/p>\n<p>Judas was still offering up his version of a purr when she opened her mouth against his shoulder&nbsp;\u2026 and bit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHell\u2019s bells, woman!\u201d he croaked and shifted until he could look at her over his shoulder. \u201cWhat was that for?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She made to answer, but had no good reason to give. \u201cI\u2014\u201d she began, but stopped, suddenly and thoroughly bemused by her act. \u201cI thought you looked rather&nbsp;\u2026 delicious. I have never done that before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyelids lowered. \u201cDo it again,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n<p>Celia blinked at the request, but fulfilled it, sinking her teeth into that big muscle, licking his skin, still salty, and tasting something that was just him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarder,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n<p>In sudden understanding, Celia smiled against his flesh even as she swept her hand down his back to cup his tight arse cheek.<\/p>\n<p>His back arched away from her when she dug her teeth and nails into him at once. \u201cGod almighty,\u201d he rasped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMmm,\u201d Celia hummed when she released him to lick at the small wound she had made, tasting the bitter copper. Her fingernails were sticky with his blood, which she smeared over his arse, then slapped him.<\/p>\n<p>Hard.<\/p>\n<p>He groaned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve heard about men like you. More?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In answer, he moved so that she fell back on the bunk. He flopped to his back, grasped his turgid cock, and scowled at her. \u201cThis, you do not bite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grinned and arose over him, slid down his body, situated herself between his bent knees, and took him in her mouth. Clean from her ministrations a scant two hours before, she tasted <em>him<\/em>, Judas, with a hint of soap. She ran her tongue \u2019round the head, down the underside length, pressed her nose and mouth into the crease between his cock and bollocks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury,\u201d he croaked, his hand in her hair.<\/p>\n<p>Her quim was wet and empty, the cool air kissing her, tormenting her. She wanted so much for him to fill her again\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Celia screeched when she was jerked upright, one great arm around her waist, lifting her, spinning her round until he slammed her face-first against the bulkhead. She gasped when he spread her legs and speared her.<\/p>\n<p>If any other man had had the audacity to accost her thusly, Celia would have fought her way free, and then she would have slaughtered him.<\/p>\n<p>He grasped her wrists and raised them, pinning them together with one big hand against the wood above their heads.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas,\u201d she panted, feeling him in her, still, stretching her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow I have you where I want you,\u201d he gritted in her ear.<\/p>\n<p>She should have expected this.<\/p>\n<p>She had no desire to stop it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, get on with it,\u201d she said as calmly as she could. \u201cIn, out. There\u2019s a good pirate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He barked a surprised laugh and withdrew until his cock was barely brushing her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBack in, now, Judas. You know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The force of his thrust made her grunt with some pain that melted into pleasure with every hard shift of the warm, velvety skin of his lower belly against her unscarred and oversensitive buttocks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you\u2014&nbsp;imagine\u2014&nbsp;someone else\u2014\u201d Celia grunted between his violent strokes, \u201c\u2014now that\u2014&nbsp;you\u2019re fucking me\u2014&nbsp;from behind?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay,\u201d he growled in her ear. \u201cI imagine <em>you<\/em>. Completely at my mercy. The way I should\u2019ve taken you in Oranjestad, bent over a table in front of the entire tavern.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGod, <em>yes<\/em>,\u201d Celia whispered in appalled ecstasy, her face against the wall as he pounded into her, his cock sliding in and out, his bollocks slapping against her button. \u201cHarder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hinges squeaked and the door flew open. \u201cOh, Captain Fury, please forgive\u2014\u201d A shocked gasp and choke. George, late for her newly assigned duties as Celia\u2019s cabin girl.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Get\u2014out!<\/em>\u201d Judas snarled without once breaking his rhythm.<\/p>\n<p>The door slammed and they were alone once again, Judas\u2019s chest to her back, her fingers clutching wood and his fingers clutching hers. Celia couldn\u2019t be bothered to care about the poor girl\u2019s shocked sensibilities.<\/p>\n<p>He buried his face in the crook of her neck, kissing and licking with the rhythm of his hips. Nibbling.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you bite me,\u201d she panted, \u201cI\u2019ll kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Neither his lips nor his tongue left her skin, but she no longer felt his teeth.<\/p>\n<p>He thrust deep inside her and stilled suddenly, sliding his hand down her leg. He was not taking his release, so&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>She knew what he was about when he grasped her knee and pulled it back to wrap her foot around his hip. Her thigh burned with the stretch and her quim felt a new kiss of air. Still, she assisted him when he repeated it with her other leg, being very precise about where he placed her feet.<\/p>\n<p>His hips moved, resumed the punishing pace and force.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Judasjudasjudas<\/em>,\u201d she panted with every step to ecstasy she took. He kissed, sucked, licked her neck as he went harder and faster.<\/p>\n<p>He was fucking her now the way his ship was fucking her figurehead, her feet curled around him the way her figurehead\u2019s feet wrapped the rails of his ship. She was impaled upon Judas\u2019s cock, his upper body keeping her utterly immobile.<\/p>\n<p>The way his prow impaled her figurehead.<\/p>\n<p>Her climax welled up in her cunt and her belly and her chest and finally she broke with the wail of an animal.<\/p>\n<p>He opened his mouth against the nape of her neck, his teeth barely scraping her skin before he seemed to think better of it. He pressed her harder against the wall, kept her that way, growling and grunting into her skin, until his hips jerked upward once, twice, three times with such force it hurt her.<\/p>\n<p>He stilled on the last and most painful thrust.<\/p>\n<p>His cock twitched within her, forcing a nervous giggle out of her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>That<\/em>, Madam,\u201d he growled against her neck, \u201cis how my ship fucks your figurehead. All the goddamn day and night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot so,\u201d she whispered. \u201c<em>She<\/em> is on top.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He continued to lick at her, the flat of his tongue rough and soothing her bruised skin where he had sucked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never&nbsp;\u2026 That was unlike anything I have ever known.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t believe that,\u201d he muttered. \u201cYou\u2019re not an innocent.\u201d He was still licking her. Still inside her. Still pressing her hard into the bulkhead, his hand now cupping her mound.<\/p>\n<p>After the moment they spent catching their breath, she felt him shrink and slide out of her with a sweet pop. With it, all his juices ran down between her thighs. She sighed, vaguely aroused at the feel of him, the feel of his possession of her, his <em>taking<\/em> of her.<\/p>\n<p>She had not been <em>taken<\/em> like that since she was an adolescent, when Rafael had begun to add variety to her education\u2014and she had never allowed him to do it again.<\/p>\n<p>She did not like being <em>taken<\/em> any more than she liked being bitten.<\/p>\n<p>Until now.<\/p>\n<p>By the biggest\u2014<em>strongest<\/em>\u2014man she had ever tumbled.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, she admitted, \u201cI have never tolerated such violence from my bed partners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat surprises me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI prefer to be on top, the one in control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Judas\u2019s chest suddenly rumbled with a chuckle. \u201cAh, not so surprising, then. But you tolerated it from <em>me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She had no response, no way to explain that to herself, much less him, so she pried them both away from the bulkhead. \u201cI must tend myself, Judas,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n<p>He complied slowly, his large hands wrapping around her arms with some tenderness and pulled her back against his chest. He eased her feet from around his hips and helped her straighten them.<\/p>\n<p>She moaned in pain, but instead of garnering his sympathy or contrition, she merited only chuckles. Once she had waddled to her private head, she heard him wandering about her cabin. Every creak of every plank was unique and let her know exactly where he was and, most likely, what had attracted his attention.<\/p>\n<p>What had she done, allowing this man such liberties?<\/p>\n<p>What had she done, admitting she wanted him to take them?<\/p>\n<p>\u2019Twas thoroughly shocking. Nay, \u2019twas <em>horrifying<\/em>. It made her question everything she knew about herself.<\/p>\n<p>Yet he hadn\u2019t bitten her.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing would have compelled his obedience had he a mind to disregard her wishes, thus he had complied out of respect for her. In the midst of his show of dominance, he had yet bent to her will.<\/p>\n<p>She pressed her fist to her breast and bowed her head, breathing deeply in an attempt to gather herself.<\/p>\n<p>When she emerged from the head enrobed in red silk, he gave her a cocky grin and took his turn. She noted a pair of damp breeches half hanging out of her stern window, then sat at her table. She was nearly finished grinding the herbs for her elixir when he emerged. She glanced up to see his nude body glistening with water droplets, his cock peaceful against his sac.<\/p>\n<p>He gestured to her mortar and pestle. \u201cMight as well prepare a large batch, Madam, as I intend to avail myself of your charms as often as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She could not help the pleased smile she directed at the table. \u201cThat was my intent. Find me an empty rum bottle. We finished the one last night, did we not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he grunted and swept it up off the floor, thumping it on her table with a flourish before heading to her liquor cabinet and sitting on his haunches in front of it. \u201cYou, Madam,\u201d he mumbled as he ran his fingers over the bottles, surveying its contents, \u201care a connoisseur.\u201d He picked out a bottle of a fine Italian wine. \u201cThis will do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia cleared her throat. \u201cDo you care to cover yourself, I shall call my girl back to bring breakfast. Hopefully you have not driven her to cast herself overboard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed and dropped himself back on the mattress, uncorked the bottle, and took a long draught.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is that you are wearing? I have never seen such.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis called a kimono,\u201d she murmured. \u201cFrom Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJapan?\u201d he asked sharply.<\/p>\n<p>She slid him a glance, wondering at his tone. \u201cAye,\u201d she drawled. \u201cDo you not care for it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He paused. \u201cI was simply curious,\u201d he murmured slowly. \u201cFrom the rumors, I gather you are far more well travelled than I.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was given me on my seventeenth birthday. I have not been that far east nor have I met any Japanese.\u201d She watched him examine the worn gold embroidery and spots where the silk had thinned, an enigmatic smile curling his mouth. He looked up to find her staring at him, which he held for a long while until his smile faded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She bit her lip and tried to find words. \u201cThat\u2014\u201d She gestured toward the bulkhead. \u201cWhat you did to me. It was&nbsp;\u2026 wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSays she who decries violence in bed but awoke me with a bite <em>and<\/em> drew first blood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a&nbsp;\u2026 whimsy. I cannot think of another explanation. But then you asked for more. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged. \u201cI like it. Why should I not ask my lover for what I want if I have reason to believe she will grant me the favor?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She was his <em>lover<\/em> now?<\/p>\n<p>No passing bedsport was he, to be paid (or not) and left behind without a second thought when it was time for her to return to her work. This man demanded a place in her thoughts. She suspected he would continue to long after their association ended.<\/p>\n<p>When she didn\u2019t answer him, his expression hardened and she caught her breath.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMadam, I will have you know that you are <em>magnificent<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s heart swelled so large she thought her body would burst. \u201cAnd you,\u201d she whispered. It was true: His arms were enormous, his legs long and his thighs strong, his arse tight. His shoulders wide, his belly flat with vague lines around his muscles, his cock of average length but thick and heavy.<\/p>\n<p>She looked up, into his face. It, too, was strong. His nose was straight and aristocratic. His cheekbones were high. His skin was darkly tanned and lined from sun and laughter. His eyes&nbsp;\u2026 Oh, God, his <em>eyes<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The silver streaks in his black hair made him look\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow many years have you?\u201d she asked abruptly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEight and thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014older than that. He had had a hard life, though the laugh lines belied it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are twenty-five or thereabouts?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She barked a laugh. \u201cThereabouts! Next month, I am one year shy of thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis not usual for a sailor to look younger than his age.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>My<\/em> age is writ large across my breasts and back, Judas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre <em>you<\/em> married?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay.\u201d He paused, then continued on slowly as if suddenly remembering some troubling thing. \u201cIf I were, would that curtail any willingness you might have to engage in an <em>affaire<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d she said matter-of-factly. \u201cI will be no man\u2019s second.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven if he didn\u2019t love his wife?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia stilled and looked at him, but his expression was carefully blank. <em>Too<\/em> careful. She tilted her head. \u201cWhy would anyone <em>not<\/em> wed for love?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged. \u201c\u2019Tis done all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s eyebrow rose. \u201c<em>Commoners<\/em> have the luxury of marrying for love.\u201d She rushed on before she could think too deeply on it. \u201cIs there some reason you might feel compelled to wed a woman you did not love?\u201d Ah, there. The slightest tightening of his mouth. She went on before he could answer. \u201cPolitics? Land, wealth, family expectations? All <em>those<\/em> reasons bespeak power and the building or continuation of dynasties.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is enough, Madam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia was torn between glee that she had found some clue to his identity and sadness that if he were in such a position, she would not be an acceptable candidate for a wife\u2014and <em>not<\/em> because of her social status.<\/p>\n<p><em>Candidate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Rafael had wanted her, so he had seduced her immediately. Talaat had been overjoyed that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.<\/p>\n<p><em>Candidate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It was enraging, that her femininity\u2014her <em>self<\/em>\u2014could be reduced to <em>candidacy<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you know what <em>is<\/em> rare amongst commoners?\u201d she went on without allowing her growing bitterness to leach into her voice. \u201cCommands. I am not wholly familiar with the intricacies of the British Navy, Sir, but is it not true that one can <em>purchase<\/em> a commission if one is wealthy or high-placed enough? That would thereby grant him a far greater opportunity to rise to captain. And is it not also true that aristocrats are deemed better leaders because they are of the ruling class and therefore inherently superior in knowledge and wisdom? From what I have seen, you have been a commander a <em>very<\/em> long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His warning scowl was unmistakable. \u201cCease that line of reasoning, Madam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPirating only a year, eh? On a ship of the line? A full complement of sailors and marines? Do you know: A quarter of my crew is comprised of second and third sons of wealthy merchants, landed gentry, and nobility\u2014every one of them running from their fathers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His jaw ground, but Celia had ever dared where she should not. \u201cI am reasonably certain of the conclusions I am drawing, I\u2019ll have you know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMadam, shall I stuff your mouth with my prick to get you to cease?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her vanity still wounded, she feigned amusement. \u201cDo you not remember I bite, <em>my lord<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His jaw ground, but Celia stood and went to her bunk where he half-lay, propped against the hull, one arm behind his head and a blanket tossed carelessly over his midsection.<\/p>\n<p>In this time and place, however, she was not a <em>candidate<\/em> for anything: Judas had also wanted her enough to <em>take<\/em> her. The question was: Would he cast off his obligations to <em>keep<\/em> her should she wish to be kept?<\/p>\n<p>She sat, her hip against his, and reached a hand out to trace some of the lines around his mouth. \u201cYou like to laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His mouth turned up in a reluctant smile and the lines around his ice blue eyes\u2014good Lord, <em>those eyes!<\/em>\u2014deepened. \u201cAye,\u201d he murmured. \u201cI\u2019m not one to brood. I should be furious with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She leaned in to kiss him softly, closing her eyes and opening her mouth. Judas threaded his fingers through her hair and closed them into a fist to hold her close whilst they kissed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI shall make a point to lie back and love you gently,\u201d he murmured finally when she pulled away, \u201cif that is what you prefer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His respect for her and her preferences warmed her to her soul, but it was a simple enough task. His preferences, however&nbsp;\u2026 \u201cAlas, I cannot reciprocate, for I know nothing about administering pain for pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled slowly, sensuously. \u201cI will be more than happy to teach you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">10<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">ELLIOTT\u2019S SMILE deepened when Fury blushed, arose abruptly, strode across the cabin, and threw the door open.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGEORGE!\u201d she bellowed. \u201cFOOD!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He watched as she went about the cabin tidying things that were already tidy until they had achieved some perfection only she could discern. Her hair swirled about her hips with every move she made. Instead of the pink braid that had originally caught his eye, when loose and in the harsh spring dawn, her hair was a lovely Venetian blonde.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, he should be incensed that she had ferreted him out so quickly, but he should have expected that. She was no fool. Any experienced sailor and sharp observer could draw the conclusions she had were they afforded the opportunity to observe, which was precisely why he had never let anyone else that close.<\/p>\n<p>Yet now he knew that the minute he told her of his betrothal to a twenty-three-year-old American girl he had never met, whose name he could not remember, his time with Fury would be over\u2014irrevocably.<\/p>\n<p>He wasn\u2019t surprised, but he was rather seasick at the lost opportunity. The only thing he could do was enjoy this time with her in order to have <em>one<\/em> good memory to take with him into his interminable future, the one in which he was forever trapped, bound by duty.<\/p>\n<p>She returned to him, scooping her cat up in her arms along the way, and once again sat on the edge of the bunk, her arse against his hip. He drew a finger down her arm, and then up again, caressing her until she shivered and sighed with obvious delight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you study at Oxford?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLaw,\u201d he answered before he realized what she had said. \u201cHell\u2019s bells,\u201d he muttered when she began to laugh. \u201cHow did you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can hear it in your voice.\u201d He stared at her and her smile deepened. \u201c\u2019Tis not obvious, so do not fret that someone else will find you out. I have an ear for accents and languages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Languages. That was a safe topic. \u201cOh? Your accent is barely American.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Twould be no wonder,\u201d she said matter-of-factly. \u201cI speak six languages more or less fluently and have spent most of my life on the deck of a ship with men who spoke ten more and every variety of English I know of.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI confess I am fluent only in English and French. Whatever Latin I learned has long since vanished.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know no Latin, so you have my advantage there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the other four?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cArabic, Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch. French is my second language, as \u2019tis the <em>lingua franca<\/em> of the Barbary Coast. Portuguese was my most difficult language to acquire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, yes,\u201d he drawled. \u201cYou attended University of Coimbra, so your Portuguese is academic, no? And you studied astronomy and mathematics with Doctor Covarrubias.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She reached out and tweaked his nose. \u201cThat is no great secret, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNor that he was lover number one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her palm landed softly on his chest and she leaned forward, her smile mischievous. \u201cHe still is,\u201d she whispered. Elliott wished he\u2019d killed the bastard in Virginia, but she shrugged when his eyes narrowed. \u201cDo you care to tell me your name, or for me to examine your inability to wed for love, we may then discuss Rafael. Men who marry for duty must choose an <em>appropriate<\/em> woman and by anyone\u2019s defining, I am as far from appropriate as the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She had him there\u2014and he despised the fact of it. He struggled to find another topic. \u201cI heard a rumor you are a musician.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI sing,\u201d she answered airily. \u201cSoprano. Also not a secret.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell! That is certainly something remarkable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her jaw tightened suddenly and Elliott realized he had stumbled into a sore point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am degreed, aye,\u201d she muttered, \u201cbut I could never become a soloist as I cannot maintain a satisfactory vibrato. I never rose above the chorus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNeither could I,\u201d he said wryly.<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s brows drew close. \u201cYou sing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled. \u201cNot a note. Aye, I studied law, but I am not suited to it. The other men in my family are extraordinarily talented at it, but I&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d His pride in Niall and Sandy tempted him to prattle on about <em>how<\/em> talented they were, but he resisted. Indeed, <em>I owe them my life<\/em> would invite yet more speculation by this woman who, in twenty-four hours, had deduced far too much of the truth of him. \u201cI\u2019m not terribly suited to academics in any case. But in reality, it did not matter, as I was bound for the sea. Thus, I am degreed\u2014barely\u2014but I was never called to the bar. I dare say I could not maintain a vibrato or rise above the chorus, either.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed and leaned down to kiss him. \u201cAnd so here we are, doing what we were born to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d Elliott said thoughtfully. At her confused expression, he said, \u201cI <em>despise<\/em> sailing.\u201d For some reason, he felt particularly satisfied at her shocked expression, and grinned wryly. \u201c\u2019Tis a trap to be talented at a thing one hates.\u201d Fury\u2019s mouth opened and closed in her shock, seeming to be searching for words. \u201cHow do you come to your assumptions of me?\u201d he asked to forestall any more questions.<\/p>\n<p>She blinked, then seemed to recover herself enough to slide a saucy glance at him. \u201cEvery word you say. Every choice you make. Every detail of your ship and crew. You are no pirate, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Royal Navy would dispute that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs there anyone left of your battles with them <em>to<\/em> dispute it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere <em>were<\/em> none until, of necessity, I was forced to leave a quarter of a British fleet floating in the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, very much alive. I <em>was<\/em> an unprovable myth, but now both Rathbone and Bancroft have seen that I am not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed and scratched her happy cat\u2019s chin. \u201cOtherwise cheerful men who expend their rage upon those who built it have no need to brood elsewhere, do they?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott opened his mouth to give her a flippant response, but found himself saying, \u201cI am not angry anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh? Then why&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow \u2019tis only a matter of opportunity.\u201d Her brow wrinkled in question. \u201cFury, I\u2019m on my way home. To stay. I accomplished what I set out to accomplish. I will take any opportunities that present themselves on my way, but once I put into port, I am finished with this life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat will you do then? Since you have no taste for the law, either?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He paused, reached out to scratch Dindi\u2019s cheek, then murmured, \u201cMy duty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat would you <em>rather<\/em> do?\u201d she asked slowly. \u201cOr have you never thought of it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott frowned. \u201cAt times,\u201d he said slowly, \u201c\u2019tis the only thing I <em>can<\/em> think of, but I durst not speak of it. As I have my duty, what I want can never happen. Do I speak of it, I grow angry at what cannot be and truly, I do not like being angry. Nor do I relish wallowing in my circumstance. And that is enough of <em>that<\/em>. I will indulge your curiosity no more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She cast him a moue of amused dismay.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you spare me some of your cats?\u201d Elliott asked abruptly.<\/p>\n<p>She blinked with surprise. \u201cCertainly. You have none?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCats. Water. It did not occur to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI forget \u2019tis not common practice.\u201d Just then there was a timid knock at the door. \u201cCome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It opened slowly, and a small face peered around it. \u201cCaptain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is safe to enter now, George,\u201d Fury said wryly.<\/p>\n<p>She did, carrying an enormous tray filled with so much food she should not have been able to carry it. But she set it down on the captain\u2019s table with the strength and gracefulness of a girl accustomed to hard labor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, look who\u2019s back,\u201d Elliott drawled.<\/p>\n<p>The girl flushed to the roots of her hair and looked resolutely down at the food she was arranging. She was average in size, possibly fifteen or sixteen years old, with a tight brunette braid. Her face was soft and plump and her hands red and chapped. She still wobbled a bit, though the deck was not moving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood morning, girl. George, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoo\u2014&nbsp;Goo\u2014&nbsp;Good morning&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCap\u2019n Judas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh. Um. Ca\u2014&nbsp;Captain Ju\u2014&nbsp;Judas.\u201d She gulped. \u201cSir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid no one on watch last night tell you your captain acquired a bed partner?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cN\u2014&nbsp;N\u2014&nbsp;No.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShame on them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She peeked at Fury, clearly confused by the fact that her captain was sitting calmly on the bed, one leg crossed over the other, leaning forward with her elbows crossed over her knees and Dindi tucked against her body.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCa\u2014&nbsp;Captain Jack? Are you\u2014&nbsp;Are you well?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury laughed and Elliott was pleasantly surprised at the girl\u2019s pluck in daring to ask. \u201cGood God, yes. In fact, I\u2019m positively <em>bone<\/em>less.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoneless, you say, Fury?\u201d Elliott queried innocently. \u201cAllow me to remedy that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The girl whimpered and looked away from him, wringing her hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNever mind him, George. He plays the ogre well enough, but in truth, he is harmless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Harmless<\/em>?\u201d Elliott protested, affronted.<\/p>\n<p>Fury continued as if she hadn\u2019t heard. \u201cYou and Kit are relieved of your regular duties for the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That confused the girl further. \u201cCaptain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are on anchor watch, which means almost none. We\u2019re becalmed. <em>We<\/em> aren\u2019t going anywhere until the wind picks up and thus, no one <em>else<\/em> is, either. We are relatively safe at the moment, and I have a wish to spend time with my new friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott chuckled when she flushed again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t&nbsp;\u2026 I don\u2019t understand, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt means we\u2014all of us, both ships\u2014will be making merry until Mother Nature sees fit to blow us upon our journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her brow wrinkled. \u201cOh,\u201d she said wonderingly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince we do not know when that will happen, enjoy yourself, because then it will be work time once again. Oh, aye, wait. I do have a task for you. Go to the hold and gather some dozen or so young cats, then take them to the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> and hand them over to its leftenant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUh&nbsp;\u2026 how will I get there, Captain? It\u2019s leagues away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott snorted \u201cA bare hundred yards. Fewer than that if it\u2019s being towed at this very moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure you can find a solution to the problem,\u201d Fury purred.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAsk my leftenant for a set of clothing for your return trip,\u201d Elliott added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Sir,\u201d she whispered, unable to look anywhere but at the floor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The girl was all too eager to leave the cabin, but took care to close the door softly behind her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe is new?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. She is a good girl and a hard worker, but needs a firm hand by someone who respects her will and trusts her intelligence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s strong as any able seaman, but has not been aboard long enough to lose her timidity or catch her legs, much less get that strong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury raised a finger and said, \u201cAh, but she <em>has<\/em> been aboard long enough to lose her virginity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye? She acts as if she had never seen a man in the altogether.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFive days. I believe it took Kit two of them to lure her to his bunk. What she saw <em>you<\/em> doing would frighten grown women, and she is but a girl\u2014albeit a complete rapscallion, or I miss my guess\u2014on the edge of womanhood who has been suddenly taken by pirates. She is under the command of a woman more powerful than any <em>man<\/em> she has ever met, but whom she does not yet trust. Then she sees this woman\u2014who is her only protection at the moment\u2014being violently plowed by an <em>enormous<\/em> savage with blood on his arse, who barks at her without breaking stride. How should she comport herself in his presence after the fact, especially if she has no way to know she is not next on his menu?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott had to concede the point once he thought about how it must have looked to a young girl.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome, eat. You have stirred in me a prodigious appetite, Sir, and I enjoy dining with pleasurable company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott refrained from the ribald comment he could have made and stood to join her at table after pulling on his almost-dry breeches. He looked down as she spread out their repast: two great covered bowls, two pitchers of something else, a large pot of coffee, six oranges, a loaf of bread, and a plate of butter.<\/p>\n<p>He was very impressed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBread?\u201d he asked, even as she lifted one of the lids and sniffed at what appeared to be a thick stew, closing her eyes in ecstasy. \u201cHow do you come by bread in the middle of the Atlantic, Madam, when even I am reduced to hardtack?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He reached across the table to set out the plates, utensils, and tankards whilst she stirred the stew.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feed and pay my men well,\u201d she said and took her seat, then poured what looked like lemonade from the pitcher into her tankard, then offered him some.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo tea?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grinned. \u201cWell, are you not the proper Englishman! No. Coffee, lemonade, grog, beer, or rum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grunted and reached for the coffee pot and cup to pour for himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is part of why I can keep a crew happy and loyal. Look at this. Would <em>you<\/em> leave my employ if you knew this was on the regular Thursday breakfast menu and that you were also earning a regular wage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbsolutely not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust so. I have been diligent in hiring men and women who can cook and train others to cook just as well. I cannot abide the usual ship\u2019s fare and I cannot fathom how any man can work well without collapsing of hunger subsisting upon it. I know <em>I<\/em> would. In fact, I <em>have<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott said nothing, but bent his head to taste the stew while he thought about how much space it would take to keep provisions enough to feed five hundred men such a delicious concoction as this once a week for eight weeks\u2014never mind the rest of the week.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been at sea my entire adulthood,\u201d he said gruffly. \u201cI have not thought of having better food at sea as a constant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis Royal Highness is not known for the tender care of his men,\u201d she said dryly. He snorted. \u201cYet you\u2019re the captain. Surely you\u2019ve eaten far better all these years?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He slid a wry grin at her. \u201cAs you noted, I\u2019m rather much larger than any two of my men put together and so I eat <em>more<\/em>, aye, but better? A bit, I suppose.\u201d He took a long draught of the surprisingly delicious coffee. \u201cDining modestly goes far toward cultivating goodwill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cModest? What is <em>that<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott spewed coffee.<\/p>\n<p>A knock sounded whilst Elliott was still laughing and coughing at once. Fury smirked and called permission to enter. An older woman, dressed in breeches and loose shirt, her pure white hair braided and pinned in a crown atop her head, opened the door and sauntered in with an enormous ledger tucked under her arm.<\/p>\n<p>He would have to accustom himself to seeing women aboard, for a certainty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood morning, Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott choked again. \u201c<em>Mama?!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood morning, see&nbsp;\u2026 Jack,\u201d the woman returned, bending to kiss the cheek Fury offered her before setting the ledger aside, taking a seat at the table, and helping herself to breakfast.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott gaped at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood morning, Captain Judas,\u201d she said, a hint of a smile curling her lip. \u201cI trust you slept well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood God, this is unpleasant,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n<p>Fury laughed in sheer delight, exchanging amused glances with her mother, who bore so little resemblance to her daughter, he was tempted to ask if Fury was from the woman\u2019s body.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould it soothe your sense of propriety if I introduced her as Officer Mary?\u201d Fury asked sweetly. \u201cChief Purser. She breaks her fast with me most mornings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott did not think how he could continue to be taken broadside by this woman, but she seemed to be able to blow cannonballs through his mind at a rapid pace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhilst Captain Judas is recovering his wits,\u201d Officer Mary said, \u201cI want to discuss the <em>Lamplight<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe <em>Lamplight<\/em> is the merchant I took last week, from whence George came.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott simply nodded. It was all he could manage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you inform Captain Bull of your plans for it?\u201d Officer Mary asked. Her accent, though basically American, was nearly as garbled as Fury\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay. \u2019Twas a discussion I had no time for at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, good.\u201d Fury\u2019s mother shifted and opened the ledger to a page Elliott now saw she had marked. \u201cI suggest you ask him if he would like to lease it from you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMama, no. He has served me well and I would reward him. He is a gifted leader and a good friend and I have no need of the ship or the funds. Why should I not give it to him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause it is your ship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is my ship to do with what I please,\u201d Fury corrected somewhat impa\u00adtiently, \u201cand it pleases me to give it to Bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou would give away everything you own if I allowed it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. \u201cMy needs are not that great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour modistes in London, Rotterdam, and Paris would disagree with that. I see the invoices.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That jerked Elliott right out of his shock. \u201c<em>Three<\/em> modistes?\u201d he asked with a grin.<\/p>\n<p>Fury sniffed, but her mother slid her a disgusted glance. \u201cIf <em>that man<\/em> hadn\u2019t spoilt her rotten and made her so bloody vain, she might be content with one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMother!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>That Man<\/em> could be a lover or a father, but now was not the time to pursue it. \u201cShe has reason to be vain,\u201d Elliott murmured, raking Fury with a lascivious glance.<\/p>\n<p>Fury flushed and looked away. \u201cYou need not flatter me unduly to pry my thighs open, Judas,\u201d she muttered. \u201cI am quite aware of my deficiencies, even without my scars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnduly?\u201d Elliott asked, staring at her, suddenly incredulous. \u201cMadam, we discussed this last night. Know this: Had I not thought you beautiful, I would never have kissed you in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her head snapped to him, her mouth open. \u201cLook at her!\u201d she said, pointing to her mother. \u201cDo I look like her? No. I look like my sire, who is not precisely easy on the eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her mother drew herself up with great umbrage. \u201cOh! That is not true!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury glared at her. \u201cMama, do not begin to sing his praises to me now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott smothered his grin and continued with his meal while they continued to bicker. Until Fury had pointed it out, he had not noticed anything particu\u00adlarly special about her mother, but now that she had, Elliott had to admit she was, indeed, a beautiful woman.<\/p>\n<p>The argument mounted. It reminded him of his sisters and his mother, who regularly clashed and, while he could respect Fury as a wise leader and accomplished navigator, he relished the fact that she was also so&nbsp;\u2026 womanly.<\/p>\n<p>A beloved pet.<\/p>\n<p><em>Three<\/em> modistes.<\/p>\n<p>Bruised female vanity.<\/p>\n<p>A friendship with a mother that allowed for such this type of bickering.<\/p>\n<p>He could have been at the breakfast table at home for all the differences between his family and this pair, and he was enjoying every second of it.<\/p>\n<p>Thus he learned that Fury was of Mary\u2019s body and that Fury\u2019s parents were not on speaking terms. In fact, Mary was quite displeased with her husband. It was obvious to Elliott that Fury wanted them to reconcile, but Mary felt there were too many years between them to do so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow many years?\u201d Elliott asked abruptly around his bite. They both started and turned to stare at him as if he had just appeared. \u201cForgot I was here, did you? How many years?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d Mary blinked. \u201cTwenty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe failed to divine her circumstance,\u201d Fury drawled with a sidelong glance at her mother. But then she turned to Elliott. \u201cThe inciting, ah, <em>incident<\/em> was horrid.\u201d Fury shuddered. \u201cMama had made a grave mistake, it is true, but the other persons involved compounded that by orders of magnitude. Because of <em>their<\/em> unwillingness to put their pride aside, the last twenty years have not been kind to her. In my father\u2019s defense,\u201d she said pointedly (clearly, this was a well-trod subject between them), \u201che made a <em>reasonable<\/em> assumption that by staying away, he was protecting both me and her. But since he did not return in all these years to find out if this assumption was true <em>or<\/em> to reunite her with me, she is angry and unwilling to listen to him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott took another bite and thought. There were not enough details for him to assume anything, but he was quite curious about the relationship as it stood now. He studied Mary from under his brow, noting that her eyes were the same color as Fury\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did the two of you come to be reunited, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI went to her after I took this ship and asked her if she wished to put out to sea with me. But if I had known she would harry me thus, I wouldn\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary harrumphed.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott swallowed his bite, took a drink, and pointed his spoon at Fury\u2019s mother, as he would his own. \u201cYou would not be this angry still if you had no feeling for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary stared at Elliott as if he were a serpent bent on hypnotizing her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe loves him,\u201d Fury muttered. \u201cHe loves her. But because of all of the other parties involved, a reconciliation is far more complicated than it would be for anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd where is he right now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, likely closing in on Morocco, where she would be, too, if she hadn\u2019t fought him tooth and nail in Oranjestad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott gaped at Fury. \u201c<em>Dunham<\/em> is your <em>father<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCould you not tell?\u201d She cast him a befuddled look. \u201c<em>Everyone<\/em> can tell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had no chance to look at the man, Madam, as you were trying to kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grinned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not comprehend. If you want them together, why did you not allow him to take her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury looked down at her stew. \u201cAfter our brawl, I fell ill,\u201d she muttered, \u201cand thus was unable to give the order or even negotiate a truce. She did not want to go, so in my absence, my crew backed her. Given that my leftenant does not care for Papa anyroad, \u2019twas not a difficult decision for him to make. Given that we are well known and liked in Oranjestad and Papa but a stranger, it was also not difficult to convince him he would be starting a battle he would regret did he attempt to take my ship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott nodded. It was the correct protocol, but he now had a thousand more questions. He asked the most important one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas your affliction a consequence of our misunderstanding?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay. \u2019Twas a&nbsp;\u2026 womanly malady&nbsp;\u2026 I must occasionally endure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ah, yes. He had observed that his mother and older sister had taken to their beds three or four days of every month in agonizing pain. He had no wish to probe further.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn point of fact,\u201d Mary snapped, clearly having recovered herself, \u201cone reason I declined to go with him was because of what he did to Jack. I expect you\u2019ve seen her scars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, Mama, no,\u201d Fury groaned. \u201cNot that again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked at Fury. \u201cYour flogging?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. I have explained this to her countless times. She will not take my word as a commander that he was merciful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaptain,\u201d Mary said briskly. \u201cYou are qualified to say if \u2019twas a <em>merciful<\/em> punishment or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you do, Madam?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury looked away. \u201cI was twenty,\u201d she said low. \u201cI was at university for over five years. Rafael doted on me.\u201d Jealousy surged through Elliott. \u201cHe gave me everything I wanted and more. In short, he turned me into a spoilt bitch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ah. He of the Japanese swords and wraps was <em>That Man<\/em>. Elliott caught Mary\u2019s snarl out of the corner of his eye. And Fury\u2019s mother despised him. Excellent. Even better would be if Dunham shared his wife\u2019s opinion.<\/p>\n<p>Yet there was nothing Elliott could do but enjoy this time with Fury, as her parents\u2019 opinions of Covarrubias made no difference to his circumstance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I returned to the <em>Iron Maiden<\/em> after I graduated, Papa made me his third leftenant and navigator,\u201d Fury was saying. \u201cAfter about a year, he gave me an order I refused to carry out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is more to it than that,\u201d Elliott rumbled, reaching out to slide his hand down her silk-covered ribs. \u201c<em>This<\/em> does not happen for merely refusing a direct order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told him he would have to kill me first and see to the task himself if he wanted it done,\u201d she said lightly. \u201cThen I spit in his face. In front of the entire crew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott gaped at her, horrified. \u201cGood God, Madam!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes!\u201d Mary was triumphant. \u201cI knew you would see it my way, Captain!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At that, Elliott leveled Mary a hard look. \u201cThere is an order to things aboard a ship, Ma\u2019am. She challenged him to kill her, but instead of doing so, he left her with a body covered in scars and no other damage. Aye, he was more merciful than I would have been.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe is our daughter,\u201d Mary hissed, banging her fist on the table. \u201c<em>His<\/em> daughter. Would you do that to <em>your<\/em> daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>I<\/em> wouldn\u2019t raise <em>my<\/em> daughter on a pirate ship amongst men,\u201d Elliott shot back. Mary blanched. \u201cShe knew the rules, the consequences for infractions, and likely having\u2014\u201d He looked at Fury. \u201cThird leftenant? <em>You<\/em> administered the floggings, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d she replied tightly. \u201cI knew what would happen. I&nbsp;\u2026 expected to die for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Why<\/em>, Madam?\u201d Elliott demanded. \u201cWhat order could have been that repugnant to you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She glared at him, then at her mother. \u201cI had my reasons and those are my own. \u2019Tis trivial enough on the surface until one speaks to principle, but \u2019tis naught I would expect either of <em>you<\/em> to understand. <em>He<\/em> certainly never has.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI assume you carried it out eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s mouth twisted in an ugly sneer. \u201cAbsolutely not. I\u2019d defy him again. And for the same reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If Mary had not been in the room, Elliott would have swept Fury out of that chair and right back into bed. God\u2019s blood, but she lit his mind and body like a match put to the bung of a powder keg.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, see&nbsp;\u2026 Jack,\u201d Officer Mary said carefully. \u201cYou understand \u2019tis a mother\u2019s love for her child that spurs me to this ire, do you not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I understand it. But now you have another opinion on the subject that aligns with mine. And Papa\u2019s. If <em>I<\/em> can accept it, mayhap you should also?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary\u2019s mouth tightened and she looked to the larboard bulkhead, where Fury kept her log books. Elliott saw the telltale glint of tears in her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe does not understand their value to me,\u201d Fury muttered, refusing to look at him. A flush stained her cheekbones. She was embarrassed by this confrontation, though clearly not by what she had done.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you go bare-breasted in battle?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Officer Mary tipped her ear toward the conversation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. If you knew nothing else of me, met me in battle and saw my scars, would you see a woman? Would you see my <em>breasts<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay. I would see a commander not easily vanquished or killed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s eyelids fluttered up until she was staring into his eyes. A corner of her mouth began to tuck up in a pleased smile. \u201cJust so,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>The door opening without a knock halted the conversation, to Elliott\u2019s chagrin, and Fury\u2019s first mate spoke with a heavy Irish brogue. \u201cThe <em>Silver Shillin<\/em>\u2019s been towed close enough in now to consider grappling.\u201d He looked at Elliott. \u201cYer leftenant\u2019s askin\u2019 do ye permit it. Seein\u2019 as how our new girl\u2019s been charged with fetchin\u2019 an\u2019 carryin\u2019 \u2019twixt us, we thought it likely we\u2019d be goin\u2019 back an\u2019 forth anyroad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor my part, \u2019tis a fine idea,\u201d Elliott said, looking at his lover. \u201cFury?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyes narrowed at him and she sat up, poking a finger in his face. \u201cHow do I know you will not steal something else I value, my handsome <em>pirate<\/em> captain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve caught me out,\u201d he said, gently grasping that finger to press a kiss to it. \u201cI have designs on your purser and your cooks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury gestured toward her mother. \u201cYou may have my purser with my blessing, but not my cooks. I would kill you for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary laughed in spite of her upset.<\/p>\n<p>Fury turned back to her lieutenant. \u201cMake it so. And Smitty\u2014\u201d she added when he was retreating, \u201copen the casks and bid everyone make merry.\u201d She cast a come-hither glance at Elliott and murmured, \u201cBecause I certainly intend to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">11<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">ELLIOTT JERKED awake, sweating, casting about wildly in the dark to ascertain from whence the screech had come. He knew exactly where he was, but this noise was not normal for any ship. Another screech, just through the bulkhead. A thump. A spate of giggles. A scandalously delighted squeal: \u201cKit, no! \u2019Tis wicked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott couldn\u2019t make out what the boy said in return, but it was of no consequence. He released a great breath and relaxed into the mattress. He scrubbed at his face with both hands and listened to the sounds of this most unusual night, simply grateful he was not again three and twenty and not chained in the hold of the HMS<em> Ocean<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Faint music drifted to him from the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2019s fo\u2019c\u2019sle, some one hundred yards away. Then he heard the foot stomps of dancers, musicians, and people simply keeping time. Both ships\u2019 beams and masts creaked, and their hulls scraped where they were bound together. The <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>\u2019s bell rang four times. Two of the clock. There was intermittent shouting coming from the officer\u2019s quarters on the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>, and Elliott considered joining them at their dice.<\/p>\n<p>Water barely lapped at the hull just below Fury\u2019s stern windows, which were slightly open despite the cold. She liked to sleep in the cold, she\u2019d told him, whilst buried deep in a pile of blankets. It made for a rude awakening, but it was a price she was willing to pay.<\/p>\n<p>The faintest sound of sea chanteys and rowing reached him and he supposed the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> would be grappled to the starboard side of the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> by morning. It would take the Hollander\u2019s crew the rest of the night to tow her the remainder of the six miles that had lain between them.<\/p>\n<p>Dindi lay curled up next to his ear, the tip of her tail against his cheek, after having encroached upon his pillow space until he had but a sliver. She was snoring, but the minute he put his hand to her head to scratch it, she began to purr.<\/p>\n<p>George was shrieking again, laughing breathlessly. Another cabin door opened, then a fist pounded on Kit\u2019s cabin door. \u201cSettle down, you two,\u201d barked Fury\u2019s lieutenant, \u201cor find another berth. Some of us\u2019re tryna sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Sir,\u201d Kit called, but then George giggled again.<\/p>\n<p>Lieutenant Smith grumbled and slammed his own door. Elliott finally grinned. He knew for a fact that \u201cSmitty\u201d and Fury\u2019s bo\u2019sun had, but an hour ago, been engaged thusly. And upon remembering, Elliott had to admit a great deal of admiration for a tar of his years to have caught the eye of a young woman that beautiful without benefit of an arrangement.<\/p>\n<p>He reached out a hand under the blankets to feel for the woman next to him. Her ridged skin was warm and her breathing slow, shallow, and even. He declined to awaken her, as they had spent the day together touring each other\u2019s ships, meeting each other\u2019s officers and crewmen, tending to tasks upon their respective ships that only they could do, establishing rules for the merrymaking, rearranging duties, and assigning watches.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott, Fury, and both ships\u2019 officers had gathered in the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2019s dining salon to partake in a normal Thursday evening supper for the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>, prepared by its cooks, but a treat for his officers, who ate no better than Elliott did.<\/p>\n<p>The Arab, Solomon, whose unofficial position aboard the ship was as the women\u2019s physician, was taciturn, but not unfriendly. He had seemed to be assessing Elliott for his fitness as Fury\u2019s lover, but Elliott had no idea if he had met with the man\u2019s approval or not. Elliott didn\u2019t suppose it mattered, as Solomon had decamped to his own cabin as soon as he had finished his meal.<\/p>\n<p>Even though it had been, to Elliott, one of the most wonderful days he had had in years, it had been a long one and they were both fatigued. Yet they had managed to love once after attaining her bunk. He could not get enough of her and, happily, it seemed she felt the same for him. Now, lying beside her, touching her, feeling her kindred spirit, he dreaded more than ever the mantle he must take up once he arrived home.<\/p>\n<p>Never before had he felt so at home anywhere other than in his own manor in the midst of his large, boisterous family. Nor did he expect to feel at home with a wife he did not want, presiding over an estate in danger of being taken by the Crown, and the woman he <em>did<\/em> want plundering the Barbary Coast never to return to him.<\/p>\n<p>Certainly he had never felt at home at sea and even less in the year since he had gone on account. In fact, he had never felt so alone in his life as he had this past year.<\/p>\n<p>Pirate law was entirely foreign to him and his officers, trained as they were to expect unquestioning obedience no matter how outrageous the order. Thus, having a ship full of fugitives, mercenaries, and major and minor criminals to command with no government authority behind him had put Elliott in a constant state of tension.<\/p>\n<p>Here, in Fury\u2019s bed, he could not only indulge his mind and body with an intelligent and enchanting woman, he could also <em>sleep<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>More thumps. \u201cThat tickles!\u201d More abruptly smothered giggles.<\/p>\n<p>Watching Fury this long day had taught him a great deal about how she kept a democracy of ne\u2019er-do-wells from dissolving at the first hint of weakness. Contrary to everything he had been taught, this captain allowed her men to call her \u201cJack,\u201d shared jokes, traded insults, drank and caroused and gambled with them. However instructive, it was still not a manner of leadership with which Elliott could ever grow accustomed.<\/p>\n<p>No matter how much he resented that she had deduced the truth of his career, it was <em>because<\/em> she knew that she could discern his tension and deduce possible reasons for it.<\/p>\n<p>Except&nbsp;\u2026 as of ten days ago, Elliott had a hold full of glittering reasons for a mutiny that had nothing to do with his leadership. He hoped that this sojourn would lull even the most avaricious of his crew into complacency. Keeping them drunk on good food and drink, gambling and entertainment, their pricks sated, might prove to be an effective distraction.<\/p>\n<p>His crew was not stupid. Losing that tavern brawl and stealing a near-spiritual icon from a powerful and well-respected ship had unified them as nothing else had: It proved that Elliott was not above a bit of grand mischief. His pursuit of that same ship\u2019s captain to make her his lover had garnered a higher respect he needed.<\/p>\n<p>It also gave any potential mutineers pause: She, along with her partner, were fully capable of sinking the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> and, by virtue of his union with her, might be willing to do so at the first sign of mutiny.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKit! Oh, God<em>, yes! YES!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yet he was loath to ask Fury for the help he really needed. Firstly, he had no desire to involve her in his command, as it would weaken him in his crew\u2019s eyes. Secondly, it would make him appear weak in hers and he had no desire to lose her respect. It was too much to be borne that he would lose <em>her<\/em> at the end of this voyage, never mind leaving her with an impression of him as a weak commander.<\/p>\n<p>But finally, his mind grew as tired as his body and he was relieved he could allow himself to go back to sleep.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Where is she?!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott started at the sound of a scream that was <em>not<\/em> George in the throes of release. He started again when Fury lunged out from under the linens, hopped up and over Elliott to land on the deck, light as a cat. She dashed across the cabin in the altogether, swept her kimono around her shoulders, grabbed her dagger and whip, and threw the door open with a crash.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWOMAN!\u201d she bellowed. Elliott flung off his own bedclothes, stepped into his breeches, and went to the door to lean against the threshold and watch. \u201cGet back to your berth and stay there until I give you leave to come abovedecks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Where is my daughter, you whore of Satan!<\/em>\u201d she screamed again. \u201c<em>Turning her into a harlot, spreading her legs for a wretched pirate!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kit\u2019s cabin door banged open and the boy\u2014almost as tall as Elliott, but lean and wiry\u2014stepped out. He was naked. \u201cShe is no longer any of your concern, Woman,\u201d he snarled down the passageway. \u201cYou shut your filthy mouth before I shut it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The woman burst into enraged gibberish spiked with entirely articulate curses aimed at both Fury and Kit.<\/p>\n<p>Because they were becalmed and at play, with everyone coming and going at will, the passageway lanterns were lit and shining brightly despite the hour. Yet she was so far down the passageway, Elliott could only see her thin form swathed in a white nightrail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you take care of this or do I?\u201d Fury asked the boy calmly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will,\u201d Kit answered and stormed down the passageway, brushing past Fury until he disappeared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think me old heart can take so much excitement of a night,\u201d Smitty observed from Elliott\u2019s right. Officer Khan, wearing what Fury had called a kaftan, stood behind him looking well-tumbled, drowsy, and irritated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSounded to me as if your heart is right and tight,\u201d Elliott drawled.<\/p>\n<p>The man chuckled, and he and his lover disappeared back into his cabin. Woman screamed again for Kit to put her down. Fury sighed with great exasperation, then followed Kit and his prey anyway. It was then Elliott noticed George standing in her own doorway, wrapped in a blanket, distraught, trembling, and weeping quietly.<\/p>\n<p>The sharp point of homesickness stabbed him; she reminded him of his little sisters and his nieces. \u201cYour mother, I take it,\u201d Elliott said gently.<\/p>\n<p>When the girl turned to look up at him, he saw that she was not distraught. She was furious. So furious, in fact, she forgot to be afraid of him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot anymore,\u201d she snapped, dashing tears away with her fingers. \u201cThank <em>God!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott almost smiled. \u201cAnd why is that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe sold me,\u201d George spat, \u201cto some ugly old man who just wants a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, well, \u2019tis the way of the world, to be sold.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?! <em>You<\/em> have never been sold!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The corner of his mouth twitched upward. \u201cSure of that, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That brought her up short. \u201cYou are a man. And a captain,\u201d she muttered with confusion. \u201cHow can that be?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was not born fully adult with a ship at the ready. When I was your age, I already knew my father would send me to sea and it was the last thing I wanted to do. But he would brook no disobedience and so I simply made the best of it. \u2019Tis better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She glared at him. \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt means\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another scream, but this one of pain. Ah, and there it was, the tell-tale whistle of the cat. George whimpered, her eyes wide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt means,\u201d Elliott continued, snapping his fingers in her face until he had regained her attention, \u201cthat no matter how much I hated it, since I had no choice at all, I would not countenance being anything less than captain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Two.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat does not compare to being sold to a man nigh on his deathbed to do\u2014\u201d She waved a hand backward into her cabin. \u201c\u2014that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott would not argue the point. \u201cYou have more courage than I did,\u201d he said simply, \u201cto choose this in spite of your parents\u2019 wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Three.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Twasn\u2019t much of a choice,\u201d she said with a bitter glance down the passageway from whence her mother screamed for mercy.<\/p>\n<p>Four. George blanched. Five.<\/p>\n<p>Then, blessed silence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs that so. Tell me then, girl, in the five days you have been here, how your life is worse than being leg-shackled to an ugly old man who needs an adolescent womb to secure his line. Do you not know that once your voyage here is finished, you may collect your earnings and leave?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stared at him, aghast. \u201cLeave?\u201d she squeaked.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott could not contain his grin. \u201cI see you don\u2019t care for the prospect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs she dead?\u201d George whispered when the silence continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPassed out. The surgeon will tend her, but she\u2019ll now think twice about crossing your captain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She took a deep breath and released it slowly. \u201cIf I left here,\u201d she said after clearing her throat, \u201cwhere would I go? What would I do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged. \u201cAnything you want. If Fury and the other women aboard this ship can flout Fate and determine the course of their lives, what makes you think you cannot? You have already, in fact. There is no reason not to continue to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked down at the floor. \u201cI thought I was here forever,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd yet, you have made no protestations of being here. You wasted no time taking up with the first handsome boy to do more than beg a dance. You make an effort to learn your duties and to execute them well. You work hard and are eager to please. I see no sign that you resent being here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her mouth tightened. \u201cThis is a pirate ship. If I do not work willingly, I shall be forced to do more abhorrent things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, and smart, too. You are a strong girl, for all you have not been here long enough to be able to fulfill the tasks you\u2019ve been assigned. Fury thinks you a bit of a hoyden, which would, in turn, make <em>me<\/em> think your parents are glad to be rid of you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She flushed. \u201cThey made no secret of it,\u201d she grumbled.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott leaned down to her. \u201cAnd this life <em>excites<\/em> you, does it not?\u201d he murmured. She gulped. \u201c\u2019Tis the adventure you dreamed of? I dare say \u2019tis preferable to sitting in a parlor working sampler after sampler, painting insipid watercolors, practicing an out-of-tune fortepiano, no? You\u2019re a <em>pirate<\/em> now, girl. You have a handsome lover, money you will have earned without bearing an old man\u2019s child, becoming a governess to a lecherous lord\u2019s brats, a shop assistant to a harridan of a milliner. Or a whore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her mouth hardened. He had seen that look on his older sister\u2019s face too many times to mistake it. Nay, his instincts hadn\u2019t yet failed him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou envy Fury, do you not? The freedom she has, the power she wields? You don\u2019t want to disappoint her, do you? You seek to earn her respect.\u201d She blinked owlishly. Likely she had not thought that far. Then Elliott went in for the kill. \u201cWhat would your <em>male<\/em> playmates at home think to see you here, living the life they never dared hope to have?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gasped, and a wicked smile began to grow. \u201cThey would <em>despise<\/em> me,\u201d she whispered with conspiratorial glee.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott chuckled. \u201cGreen is a lovely shade when someone else is wearing it in your honor, eh?\u201d With that, he turned. \u201cGood eve, George.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaptain? Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked over his shoulder to find her grinning at him the way his nieces did when he had granted them his approbation for a job well done. \u201cYou <em>are<\/em> harmless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He scowled at her, but she giggled and ducked back into her cabin, leaving him alone in the passageway and staring at the closed door. He returned to Fury\u2019s cabin, utterly bemused by this chit even though he had a gaggle of his own females at home he knew perfectly well how to manage.<\/p>\n<p>He dropped into bed and muttered, \u201cGirls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">12<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">FURY STORMED into the cabin some time after Elliott had bid George adieu and settled into bed with a barely touched copy of Fanny Hill he had found on her bookshelf, sparse of anything not related to mathematics or astronomy. He opened the book to page twenty-seven, where it was marked by a red ribbon. The pages were stiff, the book nearly pristine, and red dye had leached from the bookmark, betraying the fact that the marker had been in that spot for some great while.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI despise that woman,\u201d she mumbled at Elliott, then stopped short at the sight of him. \u201cWhat are you doing on my side of the bed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was too shocked at both question and tone to laugh. \u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026 \u2019twould be easier for the captain to not have to climb over her lover in urgent situations, no?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am well practiced at climbing over a lover in haste. That is my side of the bed. Move.\u201d <em>Then<\/em> Elliott cocked an eyebrow at her until she impatiently shooed her hands at him. He stirred himself only enough to shift to \u201chis\u201d side of the bed.<\/p>\n<p>But she had turned, saying, \u201cRum? Wine? Brandy? Whisky?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve developed a taste for that Italian wine. You have more?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. The harbormaster in Rotterdam is particularly fond of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is your home port?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. Come drink with me whilst I tend my log.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would rather you come kiss me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She cast a pleased smile over her shoulder from where she stood in a corner of her cabin, fetching that bottle of wine. \u201cWhy, Judas, for shame. I cannot neglect my log.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you would neglect <em>mine<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed and thumped the bottle on the table. \u201cYou, Sir, are vile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grinned. \u201cQuite. Come tend my log.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you know,\u201d she said matter-of-factly, \u201cyour smile is a very dangerous weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As if hers were not. \u201cI shall wield it more often, then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome,\u201d she said again, pulling a chair out from under the larboard end of her table where her charts, ledgers, and logs were arranged neatly. He arose and took the seat he had occupied for breakfast and noon meals, even as she poured herself a tankard of lemonade from yet another pitcher of the stuff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>More?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d she murmured, then tipped back the tankard to drink. Her mouth puckered once she had drunk at least half the cup and she shook her head like an otter, then shuddered. \u201cI love it,\u201d she said finally after that little display. \u201cSurely you know the value of citrus aboard a ship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He scoffed. \u201cOf course. Oranges. Limes. But I would not dare serve any crew an insipid punch one would find at a girl\u2019s coming-out, with not a drop of spirits. In such volume. And apparently without sugar, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grinned. \u201cBut <em>I<\/em> have women aboard, and we require lemons for our\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAvast, Madam,\u201d Elliott commanded with his hand held up. He knew only enough about a woman\u2019s body to bring her to screaming pleasure. \u201cI ken all I need to ken and have no wish to know more.\u201d He took a measured mouthful of wine and savored it whilst she chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>He relaxed back in the chair to watch her go about a task he had performed every day for most of his career. With a look of pure concentration, she poked a finger in her box of quills, found one that met her pleasure, picked up her penknife and whittled off a shaving or two. She opened another Moorish filigreed box that held her inks and sand, opened a well and her log, dipped the pen, and began to write.<\/p>\n<p>As Elliott observed this, he marveled at her very existence. She was no myth. No selkie, mermaid, siren. She was a woman doing a man\u2019s job, but not <em>any<\/em> man\u2019s job. Of all the men who made their living at sea, very few of them had the strength to command a ship.<\/p>\n<p><em>Don\u2019t be fooled by \u2019er jests an\u2019 whimsies, Cap\u2019n<\/em>, her lieutenant had told him aside. <em>She ain\u2019t cap\u2019n for nothin\u2019 an\u2019 she\u2019s every inch Dunham\u2019s get. Half of us saw \u2019er take Skirrow\u2019s \u2019ead off, an\u2019 we\u2019ve all been in battle widder.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A lock of her peach hair slid across the still-wet page. Without a pause or a care for the spot of black now staining the strand, she smoothed it back behind her ear. After another moment of scratching out words, she stopped and turned away from him to open yet another exquisitely carved box. She took out what looked like an overlarge pocket watch, looked at it carefully, then continued to write.<\/p>\n<p>Feeling a bit disappointed, he could not stay silent. \u201cA <em>watch<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She did not look up, but a smirk suddenly graced her full mouth\u2014one he wanted to kiss just because it was so lovely. \u201cAnd what sort of brilliant navigator would attempt to navigate with a <em>watch<\/em>, you\u2019re thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, aye,\u201d he grumbled, knowing he had somehow misjudged the situation, but how, he could not begin to deduce.<\/p>\n<p>She offered it to him with one hand whilst she continued to write with the other. \u201c\u2019Tis Harrison\u2019s masterpiece. Well, rather, Kendall\u2019s duplication.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The world rocked \u2019neath Elliott\u2019s feet at he stared at chronometer in his hands. Not even he, with his family connections, had been able to obtain one\u2014and his father had exerted no limit of pressure on the Admiralty to get him one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe <em>K1<\/em>,\u201d she added smugly, as if he would not already know.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow\u2014&nbsp;There is only one in existence and Captain Cook has it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho can say how many were privately commissioned? I doubt Captain Cook and I have the only two in existence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see your point.\u201d He turned it over with great reverence, inspecting it. \u201cFury, would you\u2014&nbsp;That is to say\u2014&nbsp;Did you tell my navigator about this at supper?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. \u2019Tis the most valuable thing aboard this ship, second only to the ship itself. Very few people know I have it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And now Elliott. He cleared his throat. \u201cAh, well, in that case&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d But there was nothing to do excepting to lay it out to her anyway. \u201cBenjamin is getting on in years, as you noticed\u2014\u201d But that had not stopped the old salt from succumbing to Fury\u2019s charm and monopolizing her attention for the better part of an hour at supper\u2014which fascination had been, thankfully, mutual. \u201cHe has asked to be pensioned off once we reach England and I have granted him this request. He has been faithful and loyal to me for many, many years, and it would mean a great deal to him to see this, to hold it, just once before he leaves the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are a good captain to think of him so,\u201d Fury murmured. He looked up into her burnt-sugar eyes, her smile tender, her face plump and soft. \u201cI would not deny him. He deserves great respect. I hope you plan well for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott nodded slowly and gave the chronometer back to Fury. He was about to ask its price when yet another thump on the wall between the captain\u2019s cabin and Kit\u2019s rattled it.<\/p>\n<p>Slightly annoyed at the prospect he might have to listen to that all night, he rumbled, \u201cMadam, why do you allow them to carry on so?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She scoffed. \u201cI am not their mother, to dictate how they should comport themselves. I only demand they work for their pay and not disrupt the ship\u2019s business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow old are they?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know not how old Kit is\u2014no one does\u2014but his voice only dropped six months ago and he grew overnight, it seems. He is perhaps&nbsp;\u2026 fourteen? Fif\u00adteen? Perhaps younger. Who knows? She is barely fifteen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And bound to spend her life making babies for some panicked heirless noble facing his own mortality. Elliott snorted. <em>He<\/em> certainly had no room to pass judgment on that panicked heirless noble\u2014and he had, more often than most, glimpsed the end of his mortality.<\/p>\n<p>But she was still speaking. \u201c&nbsp;\u2026 unfortunate that at his age, Kit knows exactly how to please women\u2014and men\u2014but <em>he<\/em> seduced <em>her<\/em>, so for his part, I am simply glad he has found some joy in the act. Most likely this is the first time his participation is voluntary, and because \u2019tis with a girl his own age whom he likes, I hesitate to set that asunder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd she?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas,\u201d she drawled, sliding him a wicked glance, \u201cwould you deny that having a <em>good<\/em> lover as one\u2019s first is better than having a <em>bad<\/em> one?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grinned and laughed low in his throat. \u201cNay,\u201d he purred. \u201cI have very fond recollections of a talented young widow in the neighboring village. She taught me many delightful things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An answering grin bloomed upon her face, and in that instant, she looked exactly like her mother. \u201cWhat did <em>she<\/em> call you?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Elliott rolled his eyes. \u201cYou\u2019ll not trick any more information out of me, Madam, particularly not my name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She huffed. \u201cWell then! Did she bind you and crack a cat \u2019cross your arse, too?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRiding crop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury burst out laughing. \u201cGod\u2019s blood, Judas. What <em>else<\/em> did she teach you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll demonstrate anon,\u201d he purred. \u201cI doubt very much Kit is as brilliant an instructor as she was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She slid him an amused glance. \u201cHe is a very kind boy despite his past,\u201d she finally said, \u201cand I know not the worst of it. Truthfully, I am not certain he remembers, so I do not ask.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s amusement seeped away. \u201cBut now he is visiting his past upon a young girl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She cleared her throat. \u201cKit knows what he would face at my hand did he ever treat an innocent the way he was treated, but he has never demonstrated interest in anyone until now. In fact, he has never gone ashore since I took him away from Skirrow six years ago. I have been growing quite worried about him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs to her, I would have let no one\u2014including Kit\u2014near her did I think she would be harmed. I have no doubt that, once she went ashore, she would find herself at the mercy of some knave with no help in sight. The girl is beautiful, in case it has escaped your notice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It had, in fact, escaped his notice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Twould not be long until a man got it into his head to take her, willing or not, and I might not be there to disabuse him of the notion. No one was present to dissuade Rafael from his intentions and I was younger than George. \u2019Twas only luck I landed in the bed of a kind and generous man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s eyebrow rose, but with another smirk, she bent back to her log. All he said was, \u201cThus, here you can watch over both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. And control certain aspects,\u201d she muttered absently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSuch as?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShall I say, there shall be no babes from that girl\u2019s womb whilst she is under <em>my<\/em> care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury shrugged as she wrote. \u201cAs long as they are happy with each other and not inclined to stray, as long as she minds her sponges and elixirs and caps as I have taught her, there will be less trouble for both of them, either aboard ship or ashore. I shall put a stop to it as soon as I feel it more detrimental than beneficial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you almost finished with that, Madam? I have not rutted you since midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She slid him a glance. \u201c\u2019Tis an <em>\u00e0 propos<\/em> description for that beastly bit of business this morn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott snorted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI beg you one moment more, and then <em>I<\/em> will rut <em>you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott paused whilst she sprinkled sand on the page she had just written. \u201cWhat of George\u2019s mother?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBarely touched her,\u201d Fury mumbled, blowing gently on the ink and sand. \u201cIf she has a welt to her name in the morn, I\u2019ll be shocked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was not soon enough that the ink dried sufficient for her to close her log and put away her tools in a careful ritual he found fascinating. She stood, but before he could, she dropped her kimono and straddled him in the chair.<\/p>\n<p>He looked into her whisky eyes that sparkled in the lantern light. He raised a finger and traced the mischievous, lusty smile that had laid him low the moment she appeared in the door of the Bloody Hound. She was the most beguiling woman he had ever met, and he <em>ached<\/em> for her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow,\u201d she purred, \u201cwe may rut.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">13<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">CELIA ATE HER Friday nuncheon of shark steak without participating in the rousing discussion her mother and Judas were having concerning the Americans\u2019 grievances with England. Celia had nothing to add, for she knew little of politics. She had a long history with and trusted the men she worked for, and, unlike the other privateers, her real reasons for participating in this little war had nothing to do with profit.<\/p>\n<p>However, her mother was eminently studied in the intricacies of the American concerns, and Judas was equally studied concerning the British ones.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you think, Ce\u2014Jack?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was the third time Mary had nearly called her by her name. Fortunately, \u201csee\u201d and \u201cCe\u2014\u201d sounded exactly alike, and might not be taken as a slip of the tongue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMama, you know I have no thought for it at all,\u201d she said calmly, sitting back and sipping at her coffee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome now, Fury,\u201d Judas rumbled with a teasing smile. \u201cSurely you have some thought else you\u2019d not be spending your energies in this manner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She took a deep breath and looked at Judas. \u201cTell me, Sir. Do you know of any other woman who has the freedom I do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, certainly, though it manifests differently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cName one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She watched as he thought, his long finger tapping at his lips, lips that had awakened her in the most pleasurable of ways this morn. \u201cA modiste,\u201d he finally said. \u201cA&nbsp;\u2026 certain countess I know but will not name.\u201d He raised his eyebrows. \u201cAn actress. A courtesan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary choked on her coffee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA modiste,\u201d Celia began, \u201cis subject to the whimsies of her clientele, which is female, whose husbands control their pursestrings. One offense to one client or her husband, and she is suddenly without business. That assumes she also has no other investors in her business, no husband, no children, and all her suppliers are willing to sell her goods directly regardless of the fact that she is a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have the same problems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She smiled. \u201cNo. I do not. I do not have to sail. I choose to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, but wealth is a different matter. Wealthy women have more choices.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia raised an eyebrow. \u201cOh? So a young heiress could marry for love? Any woman of wealth could travel the world alone?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Judas\u2019s smile dipped a bit. \u201cI take your point, but then we come upon the courtesan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Why<\/em> do I doubt you know anything about the finances and independence of a courtesan, Captain?\u201d Mary asked sweetly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMa\u2019am!\u201d he protested with faux affront, his fingers splayed across his chest. \u201cI am a man of the world!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich is why you were in the Bloody Hound and not the Friars\u2019 Club three blocks inland,\u201d Celia said dryly, hiding her smile behind her coffee cup.<\/p>\n<p>He flashed her a grin. \u201cI take it the Friars\u2019 Club is a bit more exclusive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd how would you know of it, Madam?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyebrow rose. \u201cWhy, I am a woman of the world, Captain. That is where <em>I<\/em> go for <em>my<\/em> amusements.\u201d His mouth dropped open and she grinned. \u201cAnd when I am finished with my&nbsp;\u2026 <em>amusements<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026 I return to a ship <em>I<\/em> command. And I do not have to masquerade as a man to do so, unlike <em>most<\/em> women in history, including my bo\u2019sun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2014\u201d He blinked. \u201cMadam, if you have a taste for women, I pray you allow me to watch the next time you go for your amusements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She burst out laughing. \u201cIt happens that the Friars\u2019 Club\u2014as do several establishments of pleasure\u2014are able to cater to my tastes, which do not include women.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd those are&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s mother cleared her throat and, truly, Celia had no wish to parade her habits in front of her, as it would distress her. Celia arose abruptly and went to her door. \u201cCROFTWOOD!\u201d she bellowed. \u201cPRESENT YOURSELF TO MY CABIN!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy master carpenter,\u201d Celia said as she seated herself, \u201cis the fifth son of an English duke. A <em>duke<\/em>! Yet he is here, on my ship, and has been under my command since Skirrow hired me. Why is that? Because he has any independence of his own? Nay. He is four times removed from the heirdom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow does that relate to a woman\u2019s independence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou called, Cap\u2019n?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia kicked at the chair next to her. \u201cAye. Sit. Eat. We are discussing the nature of independence and I would have your opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, aye. Thank you, Cap\u2019n.\u201d He sat next to her and helped himself to a plate and food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t drink all my lemonade, Croftwood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled and poured himself a tankard of rum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow,\u201d Celia said, \u201ctell Captain Judas about how much independence you, the son of English nobility, have, measured against that which the Americans seek from England.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He curled his lip behind his tankard and grunted. \u201cNone to speak of,\u201d he muttered. \u201cI ran away to the sea to take what I could.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou studied at Cambridge?\u201d Judas rumbled.<\/p>\n<p>Croftwood nodded. \u201cMy accent gives me away, I suppose. I completed my course. Animal husbandry, of all things. My father wanted me to be his land steward. Good God, but I cannot think of a worse fate, except perhaps marrying that horse-faced heiress out in her third Season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I recall, you were about to do just that,\u201d Celia said wryly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, which is when I decamped from my grand tour in Italy onto the <em>Carnivale<\/em>. I\u2019m not sure which was worse,\u201d he mused, \u201cbut the <em>Carnivale<\/em> was bound to be less permanent than being leg-shackled to <em>that<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you have as little independence as a woman,\u201d Judas said, flashing Celia a triumphant look.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, no, Sir,\u201d Croftwood objected. \u201cWomen do not go on grand tours. Women do not go to university. Women do not <em>sail<\/em>, much less become navigators and captains.\u201d He nodded at Celia. \u201cI would sail under no one but her now, but if you had told me, when I was at school or with my chums bedding every woman in Naples, that I would, within two years\u2019 time, <em>choose<\/em> to sail under the command of a woman, I would have called you out for the insult. \u2019Twas when I saw what she <em>would<\/em> do as compared to what other women are <em>allowed<\/em> to do that I realized perhaps women were no less capable than men. Perhaps some are not as strong, but some men are delicate, also. Even Officer Khan masqueraded as a male, and she is no coward. She just wanted for opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, well, Muslim and Jewish women have even fewer choices than Christian ones,\u201d Celia muttered, \u201cso you were seeing the worst of it anyroad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is that. But American women! Lord, they\u2019re feisty, but they still do not have the freedom Cap\u2019n Jack and the other women here have. I dare say my horse-faced heiress would rather like this life and I might not mind her so much were she here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia cast Judas\u2019s triumphant look right back at him, but he simply chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThus, to answer your original question,\u201d Celia finally said, \u201cone of my goals in this endeavor is to see that the Americans have an opportunity for independence, especially their women, who have a great deal more than English ones. I see them\u2014collectively\u2014as no different from an heiress bound to a husband, being his property as much as anything else she brings to the marriage. Or like Adrian here, bound to a name and a future by accident of birth. I want them to have the opportunity to be <em>me<\/em>. After that, they can sort out their difficulties themselves, the way anyone with newfound independence must do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She watched as Judas thought about that for a moment, then nodded his head slowly. \u201cI\u2019ve freed slaves who\u2019ve returned directly to their masters,\u201d he said slowly, \u201cand so have become far more selective in which slaves I free.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have taken a similar tack. Some men\u2014some <em>humans<\/em>\u2014are so broken they cannot bear freedom, although I do think some could be rebuilt and taught, if one were inclined to spend the time and care.\u201d For some reason, that sparked a memory. \u201cCroftwood, I have not had a chance to ask. Expound on that preposterous story you told me last week in the midst of taking the <em>Lamplight<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh! Commander Elliott Raxham, righto.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d Judas asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElliott Raxham, the second son of Earl Tavendish. Tried for high treason and acquitted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAcquitted?\u201d Judas drawled. \u201cWhat brought the charge?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia answered. \u201cCroftwood tells me some nonsense about this British captain who fired on his own fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy would he do that?\u201d Judas asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause the ship he fired on was preparing to fire on him <em>first<\/em>,\u201d Croftwood answered. \u201cCommander Raxham prevailed, but was tried for high treason over it, then acquitted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re bamming me,\u201d Judas drawled. \u201cA British fleet turning on itself? To what end?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Croftwood shrugged. \u201cThe event was all over the papers, and my father was absolutely livid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt Raxham\u2019s arrest or the fact that he wasn\u2019t executed on the spot?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Croftwood glanced up at Judas\u2019s gruff question. \u201cAt Rear-Admiral Lord Kitteridge, whom everyone believed ordered Raxham to be fired upon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia was utterly confused. \u201c<em>Believed<\/em>? They don\u2019t <em>know<\/em>? Why would an admiral order a captain fire on his fleet commander?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adrian sighed and sat back in his chair for a moment, staring vacantly at the larboard bulkhead whilst he thought. \u201cLord Kitteridge,\u201d he finally began, \u201cis a cruel man, but he is close to the King and so through the years has done many grievous things in his service to the Crown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWorse than Skirrow?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI gather that,\u201d Croftwood replied, once again attending his meal, \u201camongst the nobles, he is referred to as Vlad the Impaler.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGod\u2019s blood.\u201d Even Dunham, not quite as superstitious as most seafarers, was known to cross himself at the mention of Tepes\u2019s name.<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged. \u201cEvery so often, Father would return home in a lather over whatever Kitteridge had done <em>that<\/em> time. But then there was the big one, some scandal that happened when I was still in short pants that involved one of my older brothers. Father thought for a certes that would be the scandal that sank him, but no. It <em>did<\/em> set several of the Navy\u2019s officers against Kitteridge, who in turn nursed his own grudge against Raxham. Whatever it was, it was kept contained within the walls of Parliament and Kitteridge emerged not only unscathed, but <em>promoted<\/em>. My father knows what happened, as do the others in Parliament, but he has never spoken of it outside of the House of Lords. That was why he was so furious at Raxham\u2019s arrest. He thought Kitteridge should have been drawn and quartered fifteen years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Judas snorted. Celia slid him a glance, but said nothing. She turned back to Croftwood. \u201cIf Parliament is unhappy with him, then why is he allowed to flourish?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFollow the money, Fury,\u201d Judas intoned.<\/p>\n<p>Croftwood was nodding and pointed at Judas. \u201cAye, just so. The amount of money he has contributed to the Treasury is substantial enough his disgraces are either covered, ignored, or dismissed. There are not enough ranking nobles in the House willing to censure him against his profitability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis Kitteridge\u2014&nbsp;What rank does he hold?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a duke and some relation to the King.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas it proven that Kitteridge ordered his own officer\u2019s death?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was just about to leave for the Continent when Commander Raxham was arrested, so I have little knowledge of what happened at trial. Father merely wrote that Raxham had been acquitted, but that it took two years and the best barristers and solicitors the earldom could purchase, which nearly bankrupted the estate. I do know that the commander was cashiered, along with his entire corps of officers. I have to assume there were equal measures of politics afoot on both sides to keep it going so long <em>and<\/em> for the Raxhams to ultimately prevail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia pursed her lips, suddenly grateful for the utter simplicity of pirate life. All <em>she<\/em> had to worry about was life and death, with no governmental machinations getting in her way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWere his officers tried for treason, too?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay. Father told me they were cashiered for testifying on Raxham\u2019s behalf under suspicion of perjury.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia groaned. \u201cAnd Papa wonders why I sail for the Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened to Kitteridge?\u201d Judas muttered around his food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFather wrote that he was promoted. Again. And should I ever find myself in need of passage home, to take any ship but one commanded by him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia barked a laugh. \u201cAnd so you took Skirrow\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Croftwood grinned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is Commander Raxham\u2014&nbsp;His name again\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElliott,\u201d Judas supplied.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElliott\u2014I like that. What is he doing now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know, but I would assume he went back to Northumberland properly chastened and is permanently rusticating. It was rumored, though, that the two years he spent in Newgate drove him mad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course he\u2019s mad. God\u2019s teeth, I was set to chew my way out of the hold after two weeks. If he is <em>not<\/em> mad, I would deem him the strongest of souls.\u201d Celia snorted. \u201cWell, at least he\u2019s the second son. English aristocracy. Entails. Primogeniture. Forfeiture. Class privilege. Saying nothing of merit or disposition. \u2019Tis an abomination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Judas nodding fervent agreement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOr sanity,\u201d Celia mumbled as she took another bite. \u201cBecause God help a house with a prison-mad earl at the head of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">14<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\"><em>GOD HELP A HOUSE<\/em> indeed, since Elliott was, in fact, the head of his: fourteenth Earl Tavendish by virtue of the fact that his father and older brother had died in a coaching accident.<\/p>\n<p>Rather, God help <em>him<\/em>, since he was most definitely not mad.<\/p>\n<p>Enraged, desperate, and betrayed, aye, but <em>not<\/em> mad.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott sat in his cabin alone, at his table, having pleaded captain\u2019s duties soon after nuncheon had concluded and Croftwood resumed his leisure. Elliott had buried his head in his palms, his hair soaked with the sweat he had been hard-pressed not to wipe away during Croftwood\u2019s recitation.<\/p>\n<p>It would not take long for Fury to make the connection between what she suspected of Elliott\u2019s circumstance and that tale. She seemed inclined toward sympathy, particularly once Kitteridge\u2019s sobriquet was trotted out and her face had lost all its already meager color. Elliott could only hope Croftwood\u2019s account, no matter how accurate, was perfunctory enough for Elliott to avoid unwittingly betraying himself by supplying further details. As long as Croftwood thought Lord Henry still thirteenth Earl Tavendish, Lord Phillip Raxham still the heir, Commander Elliott Raxham still the second son, and Lord Kitteridge still alive, there was less chance the boy could connect Elliott to Judas.<\/p>\n<p>Because if he did&nbsp;\u2026 all could be lost. The Crown would strip the title and every asset from them all and cast his family to the wolves. His younger brother and nephew would lose their places at the bar. Elliott\u2019s villagers, tenants, and boarders, his staff in London\u2014everyone associated with the earldom\u2014would suffer greatly for Elliott\u2019s piracy.<\/p>\n<p>His family and select villagers and tenants, who covered his absence so well that no one would connect him to Captain Judas, could be counted upon to keep their counsel. <em>They<\/em> had far more to lose than <em>he<\/em> did, as he would suffer the least: If caught, he would simply be executed on the spot.<\/p>\n<p>He had taken such care this past year to leave no one behind who could identify him, until the blockade when he could not turn back to kill every last British sailor still floating in the wreckage and the ones swimming to shore. They were too many and too scattered.<\/p>\n<p>Both Rathbone and Bancroft had been bobbing in the water, casting up for a glimpse\u2014anything\u2014that would give them a clue as to Captain Judas\u2019s identity. He had no way of knowing what they had seen, and thank God he\u2019d had his hair braided and head wrapped.<\/p>\n<p>And now he was becalmed with a woman who could not only identify him by sight, but, given just a few more pieces of information, could put it all together in the blink of an eye.<\/p>\n<p>A series of low thuds reached his ears, then the clang of metal. The <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> rocked a bit and Elliott arose to lean out his stern windows. Exactly what he had expected: the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>, now being grappled to the starboard side of the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. There were shouted commands, greetings, and questions.<\/p>\n<p>He heard Fury\u2019s voice coming from her quarterdeck, though he could not see her. She was speaking quickly, orders mixed with bawdy jests. There ensued a shouted conversation \u2019twixt Fury and the Hollander, which Elliott could not understand because they were speaking in Dutch. She bellowed something which caused great guffaws to ring out from beyond the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. Once the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> was attached to the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>, all three ships settled back into the still water, and their crews went about the business of pursuing their pleasures, he ducked back into his cabin.<\/p>\n<p>He looked around as if searching for something to do, or as if he had many things to do of equal importance and he could not decide which to do first.<\/p>\n<p>Yet he allowed his mind to drift.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026&nbsp;<em>went back to Northumberland properly chastened and is permanently rusticating.<\/em> Elliott did have to chuckle at that. Only one person had ever managed to properly chasten him, which was how he had ended up at sea, where he least wanted to be. In fact, he preferred rustication.<\/p>\n<p><em>It was rumored, though, that the two years he spent in Newgate drove him mad.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Being confronted with his personal history by American privateers whilst stuck in the middle of the Atlantic had been an utter shock. He had near cast up his accounts at the first mention of Commander Elliott Raxham, but managed to remain aloof and appropriately interested. How, he did not know.<\/p>\n<p><em>If he is <\/em>not<em> mad, I would deem him the strongest of souls.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>But what shocked him most was his pressing desire to confide in Fury. <em>She<\/em> would understand and keep his secrets.<\/p>\n<p><em>Elliott\u2014I like that name&nbsp;\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Or at least, that was what he wanted to believe.<\/p>\n<p>If it were not for his family, he would tell her. But everything he had done from the time he had turned fifteen and been given his instruction as to his duty had been for his family and he would not betray that now by giving in to a romantic impulse. Other than obliging him to a career he did not want, his family had always loved him, always supported him.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly everything Croftwood knew of the matter was true:<\/p>\n<p>His father <em>had<\/em> bankrupted the earldom to see to his acquittal, had joined with the Duke of Croftwood to foment the anger against Kitteridge in the House of Lords, had kept the politics in play long enough to wear down King\u2019s Counsel. And while his father\u2019s efforts were just recompense for forcing him to a profession he loathed, Elliott still bore the burden of the debt and the rage of injustice. He had known exactly what to do to refill the earldom\u2019s coffers and had no compunction about doing it\u2014with or without his father\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n<p>It was his mother and sister who had become his partners in crime, for they, too, felt his burden and anger; they, too, were as heartbroken and disillusioned as he. Indeed, they had drawn his magistrate brother-in-law, barrister brother, solicitor nephew, and a few key villagers into this conspiracy. They had all gone willingly, their need to survive greater than their fear of discovery.<\/p>\n<p>He was so close\u2014a mere three weeks away from home\u2014to putting this behind him. He could not risk it now. He had learned, in battle, that it was always the worst before the victory, and Elliott could smell his victory on the wind. He would persevere and fight to the end.<\/p>\n<p>Yet&nbsp;\u2026 what victory was it if the estate was still in jeopardy of being taken, of the possibility that one day\u2014<em>one day<\/em>\u2014the army and navy could descend upon Tavendish Grange with orders for the execution of its pirate earl?<\/p>\n<p>In truth, the job would never be finished, not so long as he looked over his shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>Certainly, Elliott had a contingency plan in case of discovery\u2014which would be to take every soul for which the earldom was responsible and flee England. Whether they fled ultimately to America or Argentina depended entirely upon the outcome of the war.<\/p>\n<p>He remembered in vivid, glorious detail how Fury and the Hollander had blown the blockade, the risk they took using fire at such close range, their lives gambled on the tips of uncontrollable arrows in an unpredictable wind. They had been willing to die to clear the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay for those behind them, to die for this cause Fury had only a philosophical interest in.<\/p>\n<p>His eyes narrowed and he wondered if her philosophical interest, so strong in her she was willing to pay for it with her life, was related to whatever order Dunham had given her that so offended her she was willing to die for that, too.<\/p>\n<p><em>Independence<\/em>, she said. The opportunity for the Americans to be <em>her<\/em> and Bataar and the rest of the women aboard her ship, their worth determined by merit alone.<\/p>\n<p>He arose from the table and sought his bunk, his head now pounding from too little sleep, too much rum, and too much thinking.<\/p>\n<p>There were ways to gain his independence from the Crown <em>and<\/em> the title. He had thought them over innumerably in the last year the same way he had walked the land in Ohio whilst he was in Newgate. He knew what sacrifices <em>he<\/em> would have to make and he was willing to do so.<\/p>\n<p>The problem was a matter of what sacrifices his family would have to make, how far they were willing to go to do it, and if he were so ungrateful to them he would push them to it to gain his own freedom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THE SOFT KNOCK on his cabin door awoke him from his doze. \u201cCome,\u201d he rasped.<\/p>\n<p>It opened slowly and a slightly sunburnt face with a black stripe painted across the nose and under whisky eyes peeked around its edge. \u201cJudas?\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, Fury, I was just dreaming of you. Come join me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Clothed in buff breeches and a ruffled white shirt open to her navel, she entered and closed the door behind her. Her peachy-pink hair was free and swinging about her hips. Her feet were bare, as he would expect. He had learned to enjoy going barefoot about his ship instead of being confined in boots. Instead of layers of proper Navy uniforms and stiff overcoats heavy with embellishment, he now only wore breeches. Even in the winter, when the sun shone he could doff his coat. He had never had that. The newfound freedom of piracy was thoroughly unfamiliar to him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave I driven you to boredom already?\u201d she asked lightly, but he had sisters and nieces aplenty and was wise in the ways of women. She feared that very thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay. I am old. And weary. You, Madam Youth, suck what little life I have left right out of me. And very well, I might add.\u201d He palmed his cotton-covered crotch and began to unbutton the flap. \u201cI beg you suck some more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grinned and plopped down beside him on his bunk. \u201cYou are vile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you insist. What have you there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGames. And rum. Have you finished tending your log?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy hand wearied long ago, so for the nonce, you have sole charge of my log. Speaking of vile, what are your tastes that you must visit an exclusive house of ill repute to get your satisfaction?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo men,\u201d she said promptly. \u201cI could not understand why, if a man can bed two women, a woman could not bed two men.\u201d She gave him a significant glance. \u201c<em>At once.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott stared at her, aghast. He didn\u2019t know whether to laugh or rage. \u201cAh, Madam, I hope that is not a taste you expect me to indulge you in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She waved a hand. \u201cOh, no. That is not for my <em>lovers<\/em>. Besides,\u201d she said airily, \u201cthere are ways to mimic that, if you are willing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyebrow rose. \u201cOh? You expect me to bugger you, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt some point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott released an incredulous laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas, honestly. A man whose cockstand responds so well to pain and practically <em>asks<\/em> to be tied up and whipped cannot judge a woman for her own peccadilloes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not a peccadillo, Madam. That is a perversion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYours or mine?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott cast her a broad grin.<\/p>\n<p>She sniffed. \u201cSays he who also requested viewing privileges should I tup a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>That<\/em> is right and proper, two women. And then I would join.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is your birch? I am beginning to feel a need to punish you for your mockery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhilst you suck me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s grin was everything that was wicked. \u201cThus we can be vile and perverted together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was my thought. In fact, there is a game I want to play with you, one I\u2019ll wager you\u2019ve never played before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She granted him a mocking scowl. \u201cI have either played all the games or declined to. I doubt you have one I\u2019ve yet to encounter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyebrows rose even as his grin widened. \u201cIt involves your stays.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her fake scowl turned into genuine confusion. \u201cMy <em>stays<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His wicked laugh came from deep in his chest. \u201cAh, so you <em>haven\u2019t<\/em>. No matter. I shall teach you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOr perhaps we could simply play chess for now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott studied her, marveling that he had the interest of a woman such as this, cursing Fate\u2019s whimsy. \u201cOne hand giveth and the other taketh away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her brow wrinkled. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing. Why have you put tar across your face?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis not tar. It is kohl. A cosmetic from Egypt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh. And its purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt reduces the glare of the sun and water, which a hat alone cannot do. Is this also something you never learned? Like the cats, who do the work of a half dozen men <em>and<\/em> feed themselves, making it possible to sail with that many fewer men to feed and house? You remarked upon the fact that I look young for a sailor. This one reason why. And Papa has always had some sort of ointment he puts on his face. We both burn badly, you see. He does not care for unnecessary pain, and I am vain enough to want to preserve what little beauty I possess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI find you beautiful and I refuse to revisit that no matter how you beg further compliments.\u201d She smiled, delighted. He would compliment her end\u00adlessly to see that smile. \u201cAs to the kohl, the Navy would never allow something so vulgar to tarnish an officer\u2019s uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sighed. \u201c\u2019Twould seem to me you Englishmen continually sacrifice practicality for some arbitrary and ineffective propriety. Your army fights in rigid lines, marches through forests clothed in bright red along the most obvious paths, and has not paid its men in months. Your navy gangs press hundreds of unwilling men, leaving their wives and children to starve, which foments rebellion and mutiny, then denies you adequate sustenance and pay. Why do you think we could run the blockade so easily? The watch did not sound the call because it <em>did not care<\/em>. And we <em>knew<\/em> that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott shrugged. There were many things he would have done as commander had he had the freedom to do so. \u201cIf you are expecting a denial, you\u2019ll not hear one from me. That said, you Americans are naught but primitive barbarians.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed and nudged his body with hers. Even that little bit spoke of comfort he had yet to experience outside his family. \u201cBecause aristocratic sophistication wins wars with barbarians, no? Genghis Khan conquered every land he stepped foot upon. Why should we not follow suit if it works?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy the bye, is your bo\u2019sun&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. A distant granddaughter. She is as fierce as any man I have ever fought alongside. I believe Genghis would be proud of her. Now tell me of this young widow who corrupted you at some tender age.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBarely sixteen,\u201d he drawled. \u201c\u2019Twas the most wonderful interlude of my existence until now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWere you in love with her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her question brought him up short. Was she jealous? \u201cI am not certain,\u201d he finally said. \u201cHow does one measure such a thing at such an age? And now, from such a distance, one thinks, \u2018Oh, it could not have possibly been <em>love<\/em>.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. \u201cLongevity?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen does longevity become simple habit?\u201d he countered. \u201cI would have wed her, had I the opportunity, but then what? What does a landless sixteen-year-old boy have to offer a twenty-two-year-old woman and her child? I am so far from that boy now he may as well be dead and gone.\u201d He paused. \u201cHe is, actually, to be frank.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury was quiet for some time and, unlikely though it was, he relished their silence together. It was comforting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHabit,\u201d she mused. \u201cDoes longevity always disintegrate into habit?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI might think so, but how would I know for a certainty? My <em>affaire<\/em> with the widow lasted the whole of one spring before I was sent to university. I thought I was in love with her and mourned when she wed a man far older than I who had some wealth. Then I met a merchant\u2019s daughter of whom I became quite fond. I looked forward to the marriage bed and teaching her what I had learned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sat up, interested. \u201cOh? Did she return your affection?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, she did indeed. Her father approved, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was sent to sea.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then she slumped a bit. \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are sad for me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She smiled somewhat wryly. \u201cFor her, rather.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was telling, but Elliott would rather not dwell on that, as he was about to lose a third woman to circumstance just when he had found her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Covarrubias? You said you were younger than George.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFourteen.\u201d She waved a hand. \u201cEvery girl falls in love with the first man to seduce her. \u2019Tis a womanly rite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you fallen out of love with him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She said nothing for a second or two. \u201cFall <em>out<\/em> of love?\u201d she said thoughtfully. \u201cI would not have thought such a thing possible. We are&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d Her lips pursed, then said absently, \u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 know not what we are, to be truthful. Mayhap&nbsp;\u2026 a habit, now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf he is just a habit, why do you continue with him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She slid him a glance. \u201cI told you. He was my first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWomen who go on to have seconds, thirds, and fourths do not remain loyal to their firsts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe made me who I am every bit as much as Dunham did,\u201d she said with a sad chuckle, then tipped the bottle of rum. Elliott watched her throat bob and wondered if that was how she looked when she swallowed him. He took the bottle when she offered it, then she leaned toward him and spoke earnestly as if to impart great wisdom. \u201cMayhap more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are not fourteen anymore, Madam,\u201d he said softly, looking into those burnt-sugar eyes, raising his hand and stroking her cheek. \u201cPerhaps \u2019tis time to put away your girlish infatuations bound up in gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An odd expression swept across her face in a blink and she sat up straight. \u201cYou have no knowledge of the situation, so pray keep your thoughts on that to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott did not argue the point. \u201cAnd number two?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She bit her bottom lip and, to his shock, her eyes began to glisten. \u201cAh, he&nbsp;\u2026 perished,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me about him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She studied him warily, and he wondered why he\u2019d asked. It was enough to know the man was dead and no threat to Elliott\u2019s pursuit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis name was Talaat Khersis,\u201d she said low, then rubbed the corner of her eye with a knuckle. Elliott waited. Not only did he not know the name, he had no idea what nationality it was. \u201cI met him in Morocco,\u201d she continued, either unaware or uncaring of his ignorance. \u201cI married him there, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s jaw dropped, and he said the only thing he could think of. \u201cYou\u2019re a <em>widow<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury barked a laugh and turned <em>that<\/em> smile upon him. \u201c\u2019Tis usually what a woman is called once her husband has died, Judas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow old were you then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFive and twenty. He was two score and one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott cracked a self-deprecating smile. \u201cYou don\u2019t care for young men, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She snorted. \u201cNot for bedsport lasting beyond a night, no.\u201d One peachy-pink eyebrow rose. \u201cI like well-seasoned men who know how to please a woman and can then carry on a decent conversation afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was Arab?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her tone indicated that she would not welcome questions in that direction. Now that he thought on it, perhaps he should simply assume that she was not particular about the nationality of the men she bedded. She had grown up in a land where Arab men took women of many lands and might not find such intermingling amiss. To his shock, he did not find that particularly bothersome.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was how long ago?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFour years now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIsn\u2019t that when you beheaded Skirrow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d she purred.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott could see how a woman might want to behead the man who\u2019d killed her husband. \u201cCondolences.\u201d She inclined her head in acknowledgment of his offering. \u201cHow long were you married?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFive months.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott had to ask, but he wasn\u2019t sure he wanted to know. \u201cDo you have any children?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Such a woman might <\/em>dally<em>, but never commit.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes Covarrubias know of your husband?\u201d he asked slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Thank God.<\/em> \u201cDo you still love him, too?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s whisky-colored eyes went cold and her expression was stony. Elliott knew he had gone too far.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me something,\u201d she said smoothly. \u201cIf I loved <em>you<\/em> enough to leave the sea to wed you, spend the rest of my days with you, would you want to die knowing that my love for you expired when you did? Or that my love was a glamour of gratitude? Or that I was suffering from some&nbsp;\u2026 <em>girlish infatuation<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026 that would fade the minute I met the next fascinating man?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay, I thought not. Clearly you did not love the widow or the merchant\u2019s daughter, else you would not ask such questions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuilty,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have bedded a fair number of men in my time, Judas,\u201d she said matter-of-factly, \u201cboth before my marriage and since. I have loved two of those men, and I wed the second a mere fortnight after we met. I will <em>always<\/em> love my husband. I still love Rafael. But I am not <em>in<\/em>capable of loving a third man, should I find him worthy of it. Furthermore, I know within hours of meeting and bedding a man that I <em>will<\/em> or <em>will not<\/em> fall in love with him. Think on that and then reflect upon why I did not toss you out my window two nights past.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott had no need to. He knew what she had said, but being the <em>third<\/em> did not appease him, especially when she was still fucking Covarrubias <em>and<\/em> grieving her husband.<\/p>\n<p>But who was he to claim her? He was betrothed and had a duty to his family and title. There was no place for Fury in his life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo follow that reasoning, then,\u201d he said slowly, \u201cyou must <em>choose<\/em> to fall in love and choose <em>not<\/em> to fall out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She was silent for a moment. \u201c\u2019Tis an odd way of looking at it, but aye, I think that is a fair conclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She granted him that slow smile he would have given his left arm to purchase.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd now,\u201d she murmured, her voice utter velvet, \u201cI am allowing myself to fall in love with a man who is duty-bound to put me aside. I would rather spend what time I have with him in happier conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Falling in love with him.<\/em> Would that he could put aside his duty. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he muttered, his chest aching. \u201cMore than you can know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI must tell you,\u201d she said matter-of-factly, sliding off the bunk and around his leg until she knelt on the floor between his legs. She took her time with a button on his falls. \u201cYou are quite possibly the most handsome man I have ever met. Big. Powerful. Intelligent. Well educated. My taste in men runs true.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed harshly, then groaned when her knuckles grazed his stiffening rod and tightening bollocks with every button she released. He could barely gather his thoughts. \u201cYou have so soon determined not to carry on with me after I wed, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her laugh was shockingly bitter. \u201cI have no intention of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt could be done\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas!\u201d She stopped fussing with his breeches and looked up at him with amazement. \u201cWhat good does it do <em>me<\/em>?\u201d His gaze dropped to the creamy skin of her chin and throat, down her chest until the scars began, but it was unfocused. \u201cCould you, confined to whatever protocols you are, wed <em>me<\/em>, at near nine and twenty, with fifteen years between me and my virginity, no children despite my licentiousness, and still fulfill your duty?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He opened his mouth to say <em>no<\/em>, but instead, \u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 know of a way\u2014two or three, in fact\u2014but it would require the consent of many people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>People who were not likely to consent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen the answer is no.\u201d She tsked. His prick had lost all stiffness and her hands lightly gripped the tops of his thighs. \u201cI may be many kinds of wicked,\u201d she said softly, her lovely face turned up to him, \u201cbut carrying on an <em>affaire<\/em> with a man who weds out of duty is not a wickedness that attracts me, for either my own sake or hers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grasped her arms, breaking her contact with his breeches, and leaned forward. \u201cFury\u2014\u2019tis how it is done all over the realm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She rolled her eyes and pried herself out of his hands. \u201cDo not talk to me about how things are done, Judas,\u201d she said with some humor. She stood, then took two steps to snatch one of his shirts off the floor. \u201cI have spent my life doing things that are simply not done, and refusing to do things I\u2019ve been ordered to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a pirate,\u201d he said, his elbows dropping to his knees. <em>He<\/em> was desperate for her acquiescence while <em>she<\/em> was calmly folding his shirt, then laying it on top of his chest. \u201cAnd you just said you were in love with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I\u2019m a pirate and thus, I am only interested in <em>me<\/em>,\u201d she said flatly, finding another garment he had carelessly cast aside. \u201c\u2019Tis the very hallmark of a pirate.\u201d She eyed him skeptically. \u201cWe are <em>thieves<\/em> and <em>liars<\/em>. Yet another way you betray yourself, thinking of duty rather than booty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He couldn\u2019t muster a laugh for her quip. This moment, every sight, sound, and smell, etched itself upon his mind, branding him with pain. It was as great as he had known when his father had stared him down, daring Elliott to defy him and the path that had been set for him.<\/p>\n<p>Then, Elliott had been a fourteen-year-old boy looking up into the face of a man he adored, fearing his disapproval. Now, he was a thirty-eight-year-old man looking at the woman he was quite sure he wanted for the rest of his days who could not be persuaded to follow her heart.<\/p>\n<p>He was as helpless now as he had been then.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour interest in you and my interest in me are at odds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCovarrubias is not true to you,\u201d Elliott rasped.<\/p>\n<p>She waved that off and began to tidy his bookshelves. \u201cAye, and so what. It is me he returns to, year after year. This,\u201d she continued, looking around, gesturing leisurely with the sensuality of the most expensive courtesan, \u201cwith you. \u2019Tis but a whimsy. An idyll. \u2019Tis all it can be whilst you are not wed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd after, all my time and attention would be yours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce you have gotten two sons on her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He had no answer for that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no reason to deny that I am falling in love with you\u2014deliberately, by your logic\u2014and no reason to keep it a secret. But I also have no reason to <em>compete<\/em> with a woman who has the clear advantage. She will have a <em>contract<\/em>, and <em>I<\/em> am unacceptable as a wife, for all I can have naught but your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd my heart is not enough,\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n<p>Her eyes narrowed. \u201cI rather hope you would not expect me to abandon my place in Rafael\u2019s bed nor refrain from any perversions wherever I find myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He sucked in an outraged breath, but what could he say in protest? He wanted who she was, and were she not that woman, she would not be with him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, I have Rafael\u2019s heart,\u201d she said as she set about <em>alphabetizing<\/em> his books, \u201cthough every beautiful woman in the world has his yard when I am not about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you tolerate this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can I not, when he <em>encourages<\/em> my dalliances?\u201d She swooped to pluck another two books off the floor and examined their spines. \u201cYou may ascribe it to <em>girlish infatuation<\/em> if you wish. But I have <em>also<\/em> been the wife of a man who showed me what \u2019tis like to love and have the love of a <em>faithful<\/em> man. I\u2019ll not be any man\u2019s mistress.\u201d Her head slowly turned until her gaze bored into his. \u201c<em>Not\u2014even\u2014yours<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThus you would deny yourself something you want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExamine your premise, Judas. I will be amputating a limb to keep the gangrene from spreading.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy God, Madam!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI <em>know<\/em> what \u2019tis like to lose a beloved,\u201d she murmured. \u201cIf you think the description horrible, \u2019tis only more proof you have no idea of love. And yet&nbsp;\u2026 I am willing to be your lover in spite of our inevitable separation when I <em>know<\/em> how much it will distress me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott stared at her, still appalled by the comparison.<\/p>\n<p>She pointed to the door. \u201cShall I leave, Captain? If you cannot enjoy the rest of our time together whilst you are not wed, I\u2019d rather not be here at all. We can be uncoupled within the hour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was a challenge. The commander in him would order her out, then order the grappling hooks retrieved. But the duty-bound aristocrat could see the years ahead. If she stayed, he would live with his heartache. If she left, he would live with his heartache <em>and<\/em> regret the time wasted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have been together little more than a day,\u201d he said low, rubbing his chin, scratching his jaw. He had not shaved yet. \u201cI would we had not had this discussion now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyebrow rose. \u201cI would rather have it now and seize what time we have together than be slapped with it when we make port. Tell me now, Judas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He dropped his head in his hands. \u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d he muttered. \u201cIf you will not agree to\u2014&nbsp;I must have something to take with me into the future. One moment in time that I was truly happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her brow wrinkled. \u201cYou have had so little of it, then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot recall one moment since I went to sea at nineteen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMm&nbsp;\u2026 that <em>is<\/em> quite sad,\u201d she murmured. He heard her move toward him, then felt her fingers in his hair, running through it gently, tucking it behind his ear, fondling his ear. He shivered. \u201cNone?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNone. I have also never met a woman who\u2014&nbsp;Nay, I should say that I have never had the <em>opportunity<\/em> to find a woman with whom I could speak so plainly, with so much common knowledge, and so much in sympathy. After the merchant\u2019s daughter, my only female companionship was bought, briefly and cheaply at that. I am happy with my family, I think, but my time with them may count as three years in the last twenty, if I were generous. I believe that if I could never fuck you again, I would still be happy if you are near.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her hand stilled in his hair. \u201cI make you happy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d she whispered again with what seemed like wonder.<\/p>\n<p>He gazed at her rounded belly riven with scars, up her body to the curve of those pert, lovely, scarred breasts with the nipples that could not pucker and had no feeling, and determined that she would remember him as the man who had made them feel again. Somehow.<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s fingers left his hair and skimmed down his cheek to his jaw. She cupped his chin gently and tilted his head up to look at her, her caramel eyes filled with tears. \u201cLet us set up the chess board, Judas, and I will allow you to describe your peccadilloes whilst I pummel you into the deck.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She leaned down. He met her mouth, opening it, meeting her tongue, tasting her flavors: lemon and cinnamon and rum. Feeling against his lips the hum in her throat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not be sure of your advantage, Madam,\u201d he growled as he stood, palming her arse and pressing her body against his as they kissed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat shall we wager?\u201d she breathed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnything but our names.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">15<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">IT WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME Celia had awakened with a man\u2019s tongue in her quim, but it was so rare it never failed to delight her when it happened.<\/p>\n<p>Judas must have put a pillow under her arse whilst she slept, which had her at a bit of a disadvantage for controlling her sensation. With him, however, her urge to take control was tempered, as she had amply demonstrated their first morning together.<\/p>\n<p>It had been like that with Talaat, too, a feeling of inherent trust she had learned to recognize by its startling absence once she had left Rafael\u2019s bed. Mayhap that trust was how she determined a man\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n<p>Though he had not bound her, he <em>had<\/em> blindfolded her\u2014and it was a testament to that trust that she didn\u2019t immediately rip the thing off.<\/p>\n<p>She breathed a sigh of luxurious contentment and reached down to dig her fingers in Judas\u2019s silky hair to pull him closer. The faint vibration against her skin betrayed his chuckle. His big hands were wrapped around her thighs and gently pushing, spreading her open, tipping her hips up.<\/p>\n<p>She gasped and arched her back when he sucked her pearl between his lips, then licked. She attempted to close her legs, but his strong hands prohibited it and, in fact, pushed her open wider. Sadly, he withdrew that magical mouth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGod, yes,\u201d she moaned when a well-oiled glass dildo gently pressed its way into her back passage.<\/p>\n<p>Though he was clearly unpracticed at this, his hesitance to ply the dildo charmed her even while it frustrated her. His hand covered her lower belly and his warm, calloused fingers slipped into her cunt, teasing her, pressing against the front of her sheath, against the hand on her belly, and one thumb caressing her pearl.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas, my God&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His chuckle was broader now, a little louder, and far more wicked. She was reaching for her two crises simultaneously, arching her back, whimpering and panting for them to continue to build, to come to her and sweep her away. \u201cJudas! <em>Please!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His fingers withdrew from her, but before she could protest, another of her toys\u2014a leather one\u2014slipped into her cunt, then out and in, filling her more for the one in her arse\u2014and the fingers of his other hand were pressing more firmly into her mound.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHarder,\u201d she panted. \u201cHarder, Judas!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He couldn\u2019t quite overcome his unwillingness to hurt her, but it was enough so that she cried out at her release\u2014both of them, coming in waves, buffeting her unceasingly until the storm scuttled past and she relaxed into the pillows.<\/p>\n<p>Even though she was blindfolded, she opened her eyes and felt for him. There on the bed, what seemed the entirety of her harem toy collection scattered about. Her fingers touched the vial of coconut oil, the set of three solid silver balls, the gold ring that\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is that you\u2019re touching?\u201d he asked softly.<\/p>\n<p>She smiled slowly. \u201cDo you have a full cockstand?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he said gruffly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen this is of no use to you at the moment. I will show you later. I\u2019m rather shocked you don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese things are foreign to me, Madam,\u201d he said with a haughty sniff, \u201cthough I can deduce most of their uses. I suppose it shouldn\u2019t surprise me a woman who attained adulthood in the land of the harem would have such things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her smile faltered, thinking of the reason <em>why<\/em> she had them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury, did I say something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay,\u201d she replied softly, reaching for and caressing the hand that still wrapped her thigh. She was still blindfolded, still filled to bursting, and still not feeling burdened to change the situation. \u201cMy husband gave most of them to me. I would have never known anything beyond the one dildo I used in a rather perfunctory way had he not been so extraordinarily talented with them. <em>You<\/em>,\u201d she hastened on, \u201cshow great promise, particularly for someone who has never used them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She felt the heat of his body as he leaned up over her. The clang of ship\u2019s bells informed her it was nine of the clock in the morning. Other than faint sounds of the most pressing of chores being accomplished, it was quiet.<\/p>\n<p>Her blindfold was removed, with the gentle brush of his knuckles against her face.<\/p>\n<p>The cabin was awash in morning sunlight, and she looked up at him, his powerful, dark body held close over her pale one, and smiled. \u201cAnd what shall we do about you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLater,\u201d he murmured silkily, \u201cI shall teach you about pain. <em>Mine<\/em>,\u201d he drawled when her eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n<p>She sniffed. \u201cAnd you intend to ignore your cockstand until this blessed event?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do. \u2019Twill heighten the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She said nothing whilst he heaved himself upward to kneel between her raised knees and carefully withdraw one phallus, then the other, and place them in a pail on the floor. Then he pulled a cloth from another water-filled pail and wrung it out.<\/p>\n<p>He glanced up at her as he began to minister to her. That, too, was some\u00adthing only Rafael and Talaat had done. \u201cHow do you stay in control when you take two men?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. \u201cThe money. I dare say I pay significantly more for two whores at once than you do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLikely so,\u201d he said absently, his concentration almost fully upon her quim, cleaning her, kneading her.<\/p>\n<p>Caressing her.<\/p>\n<p>She shivered with sensation.<\/p>\n<p>She bit her lip. \u201cBut in truth,\u201d she murmured, \u201cthe dreadful possibilities are&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His glance\u2014oh, those <em>eyes<\/em>\u2014flickered up to hers and he smirked. \u201cEnticing?\u201d he purred. Damn her tendency to blush. He laughed. \u201cThen dare I draw certain conclusions about your state of arousal at Chesapeake Bay these weeks past?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That made her laugh against her will. \u201cYou may. I was sorely disappointed to find you absent from my cabin when I finally attained my rest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He barked an almost humorless laugh. \u201cAh, I may have indulged you, but then I would have killed you.\u201d He must have caught her bewildered and vague hurt. \u201cYour ship was aflame, Madam,\u201d he explained softly and began to clean her toys with agitated movements. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t see it, but I could, and I feared you would die before I had a chance to speak with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBed me, rather,\u201d she said wryly, so very touched by his sincerity.<\/p>\n<p>But he shook his head. \u201cBedding was not then nor is it now my sole desire of you.\u201d He grunted when he reached for the chest in which she kept her dildos, and he carefully put each item in its proper place. She said nothing, watching him pause over one, study the box, move a different item out of the way, and continue packing them as if doing so meant something to him.<\/p>\n<p>It <em>couldn\u2019t<\/em> mean anything to him. His cabin was inexcusably cluttered, with books and boxes stacked willy-nilly, clothing strewn about. The day before, he had taken off his shirt and thrown it on his bed. It was nothing she wouldn\u2019t have done in a hurry, but it had <em>stayed<\/em> there for the many hours they played chess. It had been there when they had put the game away, eaten, and gone to bed. It had been there when they\u2019d awakened from their slumber. It had <em>still<\/em> been there when he had begun to seduce her <em>again<\/em>, at which time, Celia couldn\u2019t stand it any longer. He had looked on with great amusement as she interrupted his seduction to pluck it out from under him, fold it neatly, and set it atop his clothing chest with the others she had put there.<\/p>\n<p>She watched him arise from the bed and put the chest in its place at the foot of her wardrobe. He returned it to its proper position, with the clasp and hinges positioned just so.<\/p>\n<p>It was when he positioned it the tiniest bit to the left so that it was in its exact spot that she took those last few steps over the cliff and fell in love with him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">16<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">ELLIOTT FOUND FURY\u2019S rituals charming\u2014when <em>she<\/em> was the one performing them. But making sure to respect <em>her<\/em> as a captain on her ship in this manner would grow tedious very quickly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKit\u2019s the only cabin boy I\u2019ve ever had who could put my things where they belong,\u201d she said softly. \u201cHe\u2019s teaching George, but in this respect, she is yet slow. She doesn\u2019t understand its importance to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He dropped on her bed and lay between her thighs, his head on her belly. She stroked his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair, which was one of the most heavenly things he had ever experienced. He yawned. \u201cYou do seem rather obsessed of it. How does Kit come to know this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKit shared my bed from the moment I stepped aboard the <em>Carnivale<\/em> until I took command. It was the only way I could protect him from Skirrow and his men, who passed him around. He learned my habits very quickly in an effort to please me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s eyebrows rose. \u201cYour bed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot in that manner. He, like you, could finally sleep in peace. Do you know: I never heard him speak until I killed Skirrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny other captain would have simply taken on more boys,\u201d Elliott pointed out.<\/p>\n<p>She laughed. \u201cAye, who sought refuge in my cabin eventually. I ordered the bo\u2019sun to vacate his bigger cabin so I could accommodate them all.\u201d She paused. \u201cThis ship has more hammock-sharing aboard it than most, I imagine, since I hire women and take on girls as well as boys, but it must be discreet, it must not interfere with ship\u2019s business, and it must not be with the children. When they are old enough, they will experiment for themselves amongst themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It would be little time now before he was asleep, being coddled as he was by this magnificent woman who commanded a ship in such a foreign way. Then again, her anomaly began with the fact that a female commanded it without benefit of a masquerade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you ever gone as male?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She snorted. \u201cAye, I have, but only when I must, which is not seldom enough. The first time, it was against my will and better judgment. It was not a successful endeavor, if by successful one means that I was mistaken for a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRafael took me for a girl and promptly took me to bed,\u201d she answered matter-of-factly. \u201cBecause he is perverse and reckless, he thought it would be a grand bit of mischief to train a woman to stand in a man\u2019s world and spit in its face. And I will forever be grateful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now Elliott could apprehend the reason for her attachment, which did not seem quite so girlish. Perhaps he should show Covarrubias a bit of gratitude himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSurely you can understand the difficulties inherent in continuing such a ruse, and for so many years,\u201d she murmured, still stroking his forehead, running her fingers through his hair. \u201c\u2019Twas far easier to prove my sailing worth as a woman than prove it as a man while also secretly tending to my womanly needs, binding <em>these<\/em> breasts, and fearing discovery every moment of every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She fell silent whilst she fondled his head and shoulders, caressing, kneading, exploring him with her fingers. Lying in this woman\u2019s arms made him ache with emptiness over one fact: He could not have her. His future was bound up with a woman who, as pertained to his duty, could not legally be Fury. The fact that she refused to be his mistress only put another stake into his gut.<\/p>\n<p>Yet another decision made by someone else, another decree in which he had no choice but to comply.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott prided himself on his ability to foresee and plan for contingencies and enact those plans at a second\u2019s notice. Fury and all the implications of her presence in his life was not a contingency he had planned for.<\/p>\n<p><em>You\u2019re a pirate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I am only interested in me&nbsp;\u2026 We are thieves and liars.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Kidnapping her was out of the question. That was an assault she would never forgive.<\/p>\n<p>But lying&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>An entire scheme bloomed in his mind as he lay in comfortable silence, feeling her skin against his.<\/p>\n<p>Truly, he could see no reason why she should <em>ever<\/em> know of his marriage. She didn\u2019t know his name and the likelihood of her finding out\u2014even after Croftwood\u2019s tale\u2014was slim. He <em>did<\/em> have an heir presumptive, after all, and he could simply inform her he had decided to allow that to suffice.<\/p>\n<p>He would tuck his wife away in Northumberland with his sons. Fury would be at sea, in London, or some other port of call he could attain easily.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, that was the way of it: keep them apart and ignorant of each other.<\/p>\n<p>Finally. A choice. One he had created for himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you thinking, Judas? You appear so smug I should rather become suspicious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He opened his eyes and stirred himself to look up into her face. \u201cI am thinking, Madam, that you are delightful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gave him another one of those pleased, yet shy, smiles. \u201cYou\u2019re at half-mast,\u201d she observed most unnecessarily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, but there is method in my madness. I told you that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed and pushed him aside, then arose to open the box he had so painstakingly put away. She produced the gold ring he had asked about earlier and said, \u201cYou may find this helpful.\u201d It took her only a second or two to put her chest to rights again.<\/p>\n<p>He groaned when she touched his yard and closed his eyes again in pure bliss when she slipped it through the ring, then carefully maneuvered one bollock, then the next, also through the ring so that they were comfortably tight against his prick.<\/p>\n<p>This sensation, too, was like nothing he had ever known, and he sighed when she continued to stroke and fondle him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have heard of men who wear these as a matter of course,\u201d she murmured as she worked her magic with her wonderfully calloused but gentle hands. \u201cThis is gold, so it is somewhat malleable once it is warmed. I\u2019m told there is a certain ongoing mild pleasure. Once you are fully erect, you will stay that way as long as you please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is exactly what I wanted, Madam. Why do I not know of this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy do I not know what you intend to do with my stays?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTouch\u00e9. Is this also something your husband introduced you to?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her body stiffened. Slightly. The way it had before when he had referenced her toys. Had he not been in such close observation of her, he might have missed it, then, too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh&nbsp;\u2026 no,\u201d she murmured with slight melancholy.<\/p>\n<p>Then he realized her reaction was not one of having taken offense; it was one of having remembered something that saddened her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou miss him,\u201d he said softly.<\/p>\n<p>She nodded. \u201cVery much, aye.\u201d She turned abruptly and crossed her cabin again to pluck her copy of <em>Fanny Hill<\/em> off the bookshelf. She handed it to him as she plopped herself back into bed. \u201cI saw you reading this yesterday. You may have it, if you wish. I\u2019ve no interest in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have one, but thank you. I would have thought this would suit you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She snorted. \u201c\u2019Tis the most ridiculous thing I have ever read and possibly the most boring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed. \u201c<em>Boring<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At that, she snatched it away from him again to fan the pages. \u201cI am not a scholar of words, but when I am reading what claims to be an erotic work and my response is to laugh, it must have failed in its purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, my love,\u201d he purred, stretching out beside her and propping his head on his hand. \u201c\u2019Tis not meant for women like you who already know and revel in the delights of the flesh. \u2019Tis for people to experience vicariously and for men to stretch their yards by.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh ho! Are their yahoo imaginations so lacking they need someone else to narrate their onanism?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRead to me,\u201d Elliott growled, \u201cand I will demonstrate its allure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury sat up, crossed her legs, and opened the book. \u201c\u2018The brute had, it seems,\u2019\u201d she read haughtily, but unable to hide her amusement, \u201c\u2018as I afterwards understood, brought on, by his eagerness and struggle, the ultimate period of his hot fit of lust, which his power was too short-lived to carry him through the full execution of; of which my thighs and linen received the effusion.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye? What is your point?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis an awful lot of words to say he came too quickly and spilt his seed on her legs. \u2018Hot fit of lust,\u2019 indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott could barely contain his grin. \u201cAye, but his villainy is established by the fact that he could not bring her to climax before himself. Hence, he is inferior. A virile and attractive man would not have done that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at him flatly. \u201cThe word \u2018brute\u2019 serves the purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe rest is figurative.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas, if you deny you have done this very thing, I shall whack you in the head. You <em>all<\/em> do it, and you <em>all<\/em> cannot be villains.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He began to laugh and flopped onto his back. He waved a hand. \u201cContinue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The slight breeze from the flipping of pages was cool and tinged with the scent of lavender from the oil he had used to soothe her arse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018But every thing must have an end,\u2019\u201d she read. \u201cDoes this inane prose end? \u2018A motion made by this angelic youth, in the listlessness of going off sleep, replaced his shirt and the bed clothes in a posture that shut up that treasury from longer view. I lay down then, and carrying my hands to that part of me in which the objects just seen had begun to raise a mutiny, that prevailed over the smart of them, my fingers now opened themselves an easy passage; but long I had not time to consider the wide difference there, between the maid and the now finished woman\u2014\u2019 God\u2019s teeth! Does this woman not take a breath? She frigged herself. Why can she not just <em>say<\/em> that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott was near to lost in laughter. \u201cOh, Fury. \u2018She frigged herself\u2019 does not excite anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt does not excite me the way \u2019tis written! That is my entire point!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd yet, here we are, discussing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLook here, this phrase, \u2018&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;which the objects just seen had begun to raise a mutiny&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u2019 I dare say he does not know the meaning of the word \u2018mutiny.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not pretend to thickheadedness, Madam. You know exactly what he means. You just find it overwrought.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do! \u2019Tis what makes me laugh.\u201d She read to herself for a while, then giggled. \u201cOh, this: \u2018&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;where the narrowness no longer put me to intolerable pain, and afforded my lover no more difficulty than what heightened his pleasure, in the strict embrace of that tender, warm sheath\u2014\u2019 \u2019Tis a cunt, you nincompoop.\u201d Elliott burst out laughing, but she continued to read. \u201c\u2018\u2014round the instrument it was so delicately adjusted to\u2014\u2019 Cock. \u2018\u2014and which now cased home, so gorged me with pleasure, that it perfectly suffocated me and took away my breath; then the killing thrusts!\u2019\u201d Fury squealed with laughter. \u201cKilling thrusts! Lord above. \u2018\u2014the unnumbered kisses! every one of which was a joy inexpressible\u2014\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat may be how George thinks of it,\u201d Elliott said dryly.<\/p>\n<p>Fury squealed again and fell over on the bed, laughing. \u201cI\u2019m sure. But does she think of it in those words?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho knows what latent poetry lurks inside our breasts?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She did indeed whack him then, on the arm, and not hard. \u201cYou are mocking my mockery. Cease that.\u201d She sat up again. \u201c\u2018\u2014and that joy lost in a crowd of yet greater blisses! But this was a disorder too violent in nature to last long: the vessels, so stirred and intensely heated, soon boiled over, and for that time put out the fire\u2014\u2019 Disorders! Vessels! Boilings over!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott, in fact, ceased listening to her at all so that he could watch her amusement bubble. He loved the way she read in such an exaggerated manner to emphasize her point. He loved her laugh, rich but delicate. And she was squealing like a girl.<\/p>\n<p>A woman who had beheaded her captain with a battle axe in one stroke\u2014<em>giggling<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas! Attend! Only a man would write something this preposterous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled. \u201cIt was an experiment, of sorts. Cleland wanted to write an erotic work without using vulgarities, which he accomplished, though not to the courts\u2019 satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stared at him. \u201cOh, aye? But \u2018&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;the engine of love assaults&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u2019? Inex\u00adcusable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has an unintentional poetry about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnintentional, you say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. I would even go so far as to say \u2019tis rather an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Engine of love assaults!\u2019 There cannot possibly be a more absurd phrase in all of this book than \u2018engine of love assaults.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There she went again, off into squeals of laughter. \u201cAnd\u2014oh, look\u2014\u201d she said between breaths. \u2018Violent agitations&nbsp;\u2026 wondrous treasure bag of nature\u2019s sweets\u2014\u2019 Bollocks, for God\u2019s sake and I\u2019ve not had a <em>sweet<\/em> one in my mouth yet. \u2018&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;ran directly upon the flaming point of this weapon of pleasure, which she staked herself upon, up pierced, and infixed to the extremest hair breadth of it.\u2019\u201d That sent her into paroxysms so much that she could not catch a breath for several minutes, her face red, a dimple carving deep into her cheek, tears streaming down her face. He could do naught but wait for her to compose herself. \u201cBy all that\u2019s holy,\u201d she gasped, \u201cthis man is an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe is not necessarily an idiot. He is bitter, which is actually quite evident in the work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow come you by this opinion? Do you know the man?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not, but I did hear his drunken rantings in a tavern once. Do you know of better material that serves the purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIts purpose is to make me laugh, I am convinced of it. Do you not find this book humorous?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grinned. \u201cIn parts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs <em>your<\/em> yahoo imagination so lacking you need to be led to your climax by ridiculous prose?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott dropped his hand to Fury\u2019s knee and stroked upward to her quim, caressing lightly, opening her folds leisurely whilst looking. The hair of her mound was a flame of orange and soft like a cat\u2019s fur. He smirked at the comparison.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is so funny about my tender, warm sheath, Sir? My <em>vessel<\/em>, if you will.\u201d She held the book up so she could watch him fondle her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPetting your cat, my love,\u201d he said huskily, feeling his yard begin to stiffen and reminding him there was a ring around it. He slipped two fingers inside her, and chuckled when she moaned. Giggled. Sighed. \u201cI need no words when there is a quim in front of me in which I can bury my engine of love assaults.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She screeched with laughter once again, and it occurred to Elliott that she was far too easily distracted. First his clutter and now this book.<\/p>\n<p>Yet he couldn\u2019t help grinning. Her face lit up when she laughed. Joy surrounded her when she smiled. The sly glances spoke of jests shared solely between the two of them and mischief yet to be wrought.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you finished with your screeching, Madam, so that I may assault you with my engine of love and deliver unto you killing thrusts and violent agitations?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo\u2014&nbsp;No\u2014&nbsp;Oh\u2014&nbsp;<em>Can\u2019t<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026 <em>stop<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026 <em>laughing<\/em>&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He reached up to grasp the back of her neck and pull her down to him for a kiss. Though she grinned against his lips and giggled into his mouth, soon enough he had effectively quelled her amusement into desire.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott took the book from her and, with the flick of a wrist, tossed the book over his shoulder. He tugged at her leg and lay flat on his back, urging her to cover him.<\/p>\n<p>She started when he positioned her hips over his and brought her down on his prick. \u201cI thought you said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI now want to see how well this vaunted ring works to enhance my engine of love assaults.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyes narrowed as she lifted herself off him. \u201cOh, no,\u201d she purred, standing to the side of the bunk in all her naked glory, her feet spread, her hands on her hips as if she were on her quarterdeck bellowing commands. \u201cYou\u2019ll wear it all afternoon and evening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smirked. \u201cAye, I\u2019ll take that challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd we are invited to the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> for supper with Maarten and Catherine. Just the four of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMadam! Do you mean to say I must suffer through social niceties with this thing \u2019round my cod?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and in formal custom, no less.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She was going to be the death of him, but he decided to take her dare. \u201cAye, but a formal toilette for you requires stays, does it not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd there it is again. What is this game with my stays that has you so fascinated?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grinned. \u201cYou\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">17<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THE <em>SILVER SHILLING<\/em>\u2019s bo\u2019sun\u2019s mate (a valet by profession before being impressed aboard the HMS Iphigenia) (though not by Elliott) (who was also extraordinarily talented at firing a swivel) fussed over Elliott\u2019s cravat as if the success of his wedding depended upon it. He had no looking glass and thus must trust Piefke and his assessment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou look quite fine, Sir,\u201d Piefke finally announced with some gravity. \u201cYou will be sure to impress the lady.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Lady.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He had not thought of Fury as a lady. \u201cLady Jacqueline Tavendish,\u201d Elliott whispered, though not softly enough, because he caught Piefke\u2019s quickly hidden amusement. No, he must leave off thinking such things. It was not possible, and Elliott had the best plan he could muster under the circumstances. He must become satisfied with it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese togs are quite spare, Piefke. Are you certain of them?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He sniffed, affronted. \u201cI believe you are better served without excessive ornamentation, Sir.\u201d Then he leveled a significant and <em>bitter<\/em> glance at him. \u201cYou left off ornamentation six years ago. We <em>all<\/em> did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ah, yes. At his arrest, during which every medal, stripe, and epaulette he and his officers had ever earned and worn were stripped from them all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am not the only one who prefers the pirate\u2019s uniform, then,\u201d Elliott murmured, looking down his body, unable to take a true measure of his appearance. He had forgotten how it felt to be accountable for his sartorial choices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Lady Captain Fury cannot help but approve, Sir,\u201d Piefke murmured.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can hope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott had been hard-pressed to hide his unusual jewelry from Piefke, but managed. Barely. He had been perpetually at quarter-mast ever since Fury had tossed him out of her cabin to dress. His waistcoat was long enough to hide the fact that he was still a bit stiff\u2014and he did not mind the ongoing sensation <em>at all<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Still, he was nervous. It had been more than twenty years since he had been in Society, and the last time he had worn any type of formal dress was in the House of Lords the year before, which no one saw but his fellow nobles. The fact that he possessed this suit of clothing spoke more to Piefke\u2019s pride in his rightful occupation than any desire on Elliott\u2019s part to attend ton soir\u00e9es.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShall I put your cabin to rights while you are gone, Cap\u2019n?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked around, but saw nothing wrong with it. The floor was relatively clear. Everything was secure. His bunk <em>was<\/em> a tangle, though.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it that bad?\u201d he asked, bemused. \u201cFury does not find it to her liking, but I cannot see\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>I<\/em> wouldn\u2019t bring a lady here, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He sighed. \u201cIf it will make her happy, do what you will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He left his cabin and swung down to her deck. He popped down the hatch just six feet in front of her cabin door. Like a smitten boy, he hesitated before he knocked.<\/p>\n<p>But his nervousness disappeared as soon as Fury opened her door.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlmighty God,\u201d he whispered, thoroughly awestruck.<\/p>\n<p>She was a vision in mint silk, heavily embroidered with peach flowers and dark green leaves, her stomacher a work of needle art. Her d\u00e9colletage was low, the nipples of her already magnificent breasts near to bursting out of the peach-piped edging. It was then he noticed that her stomacher was embroidered in the pattern and color of her scars, to make her ridged flesh part of her gown.<\/p>\n<p>Her hair was elaborately dressed, not powdered nor starched, but with green ribbons and strings of pearls woven throughout the high-piled curls. She wore an exquisitely cut emerald at her throat and equally lovely ones bobbed from her ears.<\/p>\n<p>She raised her closed fan to her breast and clasped it with the opposite hand, revealing another emerald on her middle finger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas?\u201d she asked in a small voice.<\/p>\n<p>His gaze met hers. \u201cYou look&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d he whispered. Though he dabbled, he was an execrable poet and there stood the loveliest woman he had ever met. He could barely manage to speak at all. \u201cMy <em>God<\/em>, Madam! I never would have imagined&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He could speak no more, for he had forgotten how.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, now you know what Dunham looks like gowned,\u201d she said bitingly after he had stared, apparently, for quite a while.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott was shocked into a laugh and offered his arm. \u201cYour hoops are absent, I see,\u201d he drawled as he took the three steps to the hatch ladder.<\/p>\n<p>She sniffed and began to climb. \u201cI made do with hip and bum rolls. Six-foot panniers do not fit through a hatch so well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you I would not lavish more praises upon your beauty, no matter how you begged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not realize I had done so,\u201d she said haughtily when he heaved himself up through the hole. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was glaring at him, but everyone else was gaping at <em>her<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The ships had quieted and his mouth twitched when he again offered her his arm for the seven steps it would take them to reach the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>\u2019s ladder, but she looked over her shoulder and called, \u201cOh, quit your gawping. You act like you\u2019ve never seen a lady before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot <em>that<\/em> one!\u201d bellowed someone from the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>She turned back to Elliott with a pleased grin.<\/p>\n<p>Soon they were directed to the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>\u2019s captain\u2019s cabin, which was bigger than Fury\u2019s, almost as big as Elliott\u2019s, nicely appointed, the bed finely crafted, and all arranged for the cozy comfort of two.<\/p>\n<p>He shook the Hollander\u2019s hand, then made a leg to the missus, who was as exquisitely turned out as Fury. \u201cCatherine,\u201d she said warmly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPleased.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As they were seated, Elliott slid a glance at the confection of a captain by his side and wondered what it might be like to sail on the same ship with her, sharing the captain\u2019s cabin, being in sympathy.<\/p>\n<p>But no. Elliott could not think of that if he wished to accustom himself to his fate.<\/p>\n<p>The cuisine and wine were Dutch, as was most of everything\u2014and everyone\u2014aboard the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em>. The Hollander had worked his way up from an eight-year-old ship\u2019s boy to captain of a Dutch East India Company ship, until now he was a large stakeholder. He liked to sail, he answered in response to Elliott\u2019s questioning, but his foray into privateering for the Americans was at once a respectful nod to his wife\u2019s long American heritage and loyalties, and a way to redress <em>his<\/em> grievances with the British government.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich are&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;?\u201d Elliott asked.<\/p>\n<p>His bushy blond eyebrow rose. \u201cAre you prepared to tell us yours, Judas?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott smirked his answer. The Hollander didn\u2019t trust him, and that was all to the better.<\/p>\n<p>He was in the middle of his sixth decade, a fellow whose bluster was of the warm and inviting sort. His hair was still a youthful blond, though the lines on his face and the gray in his beard betrayed him. His wife looked far younger than she was but, Elliott learned, had given the man four children over their thirty years together, one of whom\u2014their eldest son\u2014had perished.<\/p>\n<p>The glint in the Hollander\u2019s eye when he mentioned it answered Elliott\u2019s question. He had never been able to think of a better reason than his own for revenge, but there it was.<\/p>\n<p>The old captain and Fury were at utter ease with each other, owing in no small part, Elliott thought, to the fact that he did not treat her as anything but an equal, no matter the difference in their age or sex.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou and Dunham are friends then?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p>Hollander shook his head. \u201cNot friends. Acquaintances. I would tire of him soon enough did I spend more than a night drinking with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey try to outwit each other with their tall tales,\u201d Fury said dryly. \u201cThey frustrate each other with their inability to top the other and would perish from lack of sleep in the attempt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Hollander laughed. Catherine smiled. Fury smirked.<\/p>\n<p>And Elliott felt right at home.<\/p>\n<p>The conversation was light, calm, and erudite. Once a dessert of a fruit tart\u2014a vlaai, Fury informed him (then was obliged to spell it for him)\u2014was served, the discussion turned to business.<\/p>\n<p>The Hollander had grown comfortable with Elliott, which was not attributable to the wine. The two of them spoke for quite a while before Elliott noticed the ladies were silent. He looked to Fury, but she waved a hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no head for this,\u201d she said airily with an equally airy wave of a hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNor I,\u201d Catherine admitted with a grimace. \u201cMary shames me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked around questioningly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMary served as my clerk for several years,\u201d the man said gruffly, then glared at Fury. \u201cUntil some upstart privateer <em>stole<\/em> her from me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury snickered. \u201cYou got a navigator in return.\u201d She looked at Elliott. \u201cWhen we sail together, he doesn\u2019t bother. He simply follows me and takes the time and weather signals my crew sends him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Hollander grunted. \u201cShe\u2019s the one with the timepiece. There is nothing better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Indeed there was not.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott almost started when he felt the slightest caress on his inner thigh, then realized how close he and Fury were sitting. He glanced at her, but she appeared to be paying no attention to anything. In fact, she looked far away, as if she were in some stupor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She graced him with those whisky eyes brimming with lust and stroked his leg again. Unerringly, she found his prick and pressed against the ring.<\/p>\n<p>The Hollander cleared his throat and stood. Elliott followed suit with as much aplomb as he could manage, thanked them with every major and minor courtesy ingrained into him as both the son of an earl and an officer in His Majesty\u2019s Navy, and escorted Fury out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd now,\u201d he whispered in her ear as they made their way back to her cabin. Her only response was to shiver. \u201cI shall teach you my little game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">18<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">IF CELIA THOUGHT Judas was handsome in breeches or, better yet, the altogether, he was breathtaking in a formal suit of clothing. He wore a silver-embroidered black brocade waistcoat under a black velvet coat. Black velvet breeches clung to his strong thighs. He had a modest fall of white silver-shot lace at his throat and wrists, white stockings, and on his feet were black leather pumps with silver heels as high as hers. His silver-streaked black hair was pulled back, tied neatly with a silver ribbon.<\/p>\n<p>It was all she could do to keep her hands away from him, knowing what he was wearing around his cock, but most especially after he had looked at her so&nbsp;\u2026 <em>worshipfully<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>She had never struck a man dumb before.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the temptation, however, she refrained from touching him again until they had returned to her cabin and the door was closed\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u2014at which point, Celia shoved him back against the door and crushed his mouth with hers.<\/p>\n<p>He needed no encouragement to press his thumbs into her stomacher and pull down just enough for her nipples to pop out of her bodice and rest upon the piping.<\/p>\n<p>He dove for the left one, the most damaged. Celia panted and dropped her head back, pressing him to her. She couldn\u2019t feel his mouth or teeth, but his hair bunched in her fist and the knowledge that he wanted to pay homage to her scars aroused her further.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake off your gown,\u201d he growled against her breast. \u201cLeave your stays on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I\u2014\u201d she whispered helplessly, then stumbled backward when he straightened. He crossed the cabin to snatch her dagger off the bulkhead above her pillow, and in two steps he was in front of her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2014can\u2019t&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With two skillful slashes, her overdress was cut from her stomacher and fell off her arms, the weight of the dress at the back of the neck unable to be supported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake it off,\u201d he snarled, throwing the dagger on the table.<\/p>\n<p>She stared between him and the dagger, not sure she should trust him in this&nbsp;\u2026 state&nbsp;\u2026 whatever it was. Granted, he had <em>taken<\/em> her before and she had admitted that she liked it, but certainly she did not care to make a habit of it.<\/p>\n<p>Before she could decide the matter, he stepped behind her and pulled her overdress off, nearly taking her arms with it. Pounds of silk whooshed through the air and landed with a plop on her bunk, leaving her in her stays, shift, rolls, and heavy silk underskirt.<\/p>\n<p>She jumped when he pressed his mouth to the back of her neck, licking, sucking&nbsp;\u2026 nibbling. She felt his knuckles brushing against her back.<\/p>\n<p>Testing her.<\/p>\n<p>His lips found their way to her ear and his rigid cock pressed against her arse. \u201cSuck in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She did and gasped when her laces tightened. \u201cJudas! I can\u2019t breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you can talk, you can breathe. Suck in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She did. \u201cOh!\u201d she choked. \u201cDon\u2019t&nbsp;\u2026 like&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou will,\u201d he said, his voice filled with wicked delight as he nudged her toward the table. \u201cNow,\u201d he purred in her ear, \u201cshall we see if that cat is as ready as it was when you decided to fondle me under the Hollander\u2019s table?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia could barely breathe, much less think when he shoved her over the table and threw her skirt and shift up. Her hips and arse swayed this way and that whilst he sliced her rolls away.<\/p>\n<p>Then he <em>touched<\/em> her&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>She moaned and collapsed into the table, helpless, weak, nearly unable to breathe, his clever fingers sliding easily, oh, so easily, into her.<\/p>\n<p>With her upper body spread out across the table and her cheek against the smooth wood, she vaguely wondered why she was allowing this and if she could stop him from killing her and why she wanted him inside her <em>right now<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>He spread her legs apart, pressing against her, the velvet of his breeches caressing her.<\/p>\n<p>Black spots began to float in her eyes\u2014<\/p>\n<p>She closed them. \u201cFuck me,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTsk tsk tsk. You can still talk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The feel of his fingers over her quim was more exquisite than she had ever known, the way his rough thumb flicked her pearl, the way palmed one of her arse cheeks, the way he\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u2014drove into her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMrrrmph.\u201d In her head, she screamed it.<\/p>\n<p>He leaned over her, pressing her into the table, taking the last of her breath. She began to float a little.<\/p>\n<p>But her quim was grasping for every violent stroke even as she lay suffocating under his body, trussed up in her stays like a Christmas goose, bent over her chart table being fucked to a fare-thee-well.<\/p>\n<p>Breath or climax.<\/p>\n<p>Climax or breath.<\/p>\n<p>She ceased to think.<\/p>\n<p>Her stays popped open.<\/p>\n<p>She screamed when she climaxed, dizzy, the sudden rush of air into her lungs and Judas\u2019s hand against her button together doing\u2014<em>something!<\/em>\u2014&nbsp;What?! Lord God above, <em>what?!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Dizzy, so dizzy.<\/p>\n<p>She couldn\u2019t get enough of him, pounding into her whilst his thumbs caressed the insides of her thighs and the folds of her quim that would have otherwise been neglected. But she didn\u2019t have the strength to meet him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAugh,\u201d he gritted, fisting his hand in her carefully coifed hair to both pull her head back and pull himself forward. They were connected tightly, as if they had been made for each other, but Celia may have been able to say that for any well-endowed male she\u2019d tupped.<\/p>\n<p>At the moment, she couldn\u2019t remember.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas,\u201d she panted, reaching to supply herself with the air of which she had been deprived.<\/p>\n<p>He pulled her head back and thrust once more. Twice. With the third, she climaxed again.<\/p>\n<p>Unexpected, she simply cried out, caught as she was between Judas\u2019s big body and her table, between his cock impaling her and his mouth doing those wicked <em>things<\/em> to her shoulder and neck.<\/p>\n<p>He released her hair and she collapsed on the table, panting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you like that game, my love?\u201d he whispered in her ear. Nibbled on it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d she gasped. \u201cYes. I&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot\u2014enough to\u2014do it\u2014again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA little too much risk for you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded slowly. \u201cWhat\u2014<em>was<\/em>\u2014that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has no name that I know,\u201d he replied, and she was gratified now to hear him panting, too. He was still inside her, still hard. He rose slowly away from her body, his hands braced on either side of her. His lovely black-and-silver hair fell around her like soft willow branches. His chest heaved and he lowered his head until his forehead was against her ear. \u201c\u2019Tis usually done by strangling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She panted. \u201c\u2019Twould seem to me,\u201d she whispered, now regaining her breath without the stays, without his body pressing her into the wood, \u201ctoo easy to make a fatal error. I\u2019d rather not die in such a humiliating position, no matter the pleasure to be had.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled a bit. Shakily. And withdrew from her.<\/p>\n<p>She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Her legs were trembling and she did not know if she had the strength to keep her feet.<\/p>\n<p>The cool air upon her slick quim and thighs made her whimper again, for relief, for anything that would assuage the need she still had.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis an aphrodisiac,\u201d came his disembodied voice from somewhere behind her. \u201cI have heard of people\u2014men, mostly\u2014becoming attached to the play, as some do to drink.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She could certainly see why. <em>Those<\/em> releases had been like nothing she had known. Now instead of being caught between breath and climax, she was caught between the need for sleep and the yearning for another climax.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you?\u201d She could barely manage the breath it took to ask the question, but was too curious not to try.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce. It was enough for me, and I drew the same conclusion you did. I\u2019ve no wish for my family to be forced to lay me in an unconsecrated grave.\u201d His voice was drawing nearer. \u201cIf you had two mirrors,\u201d he said softly from above her, \u201cI would show you how you look, spread out for me, wet all the way down to your knees. Your stockings and garters, your arse pink, your skirts askew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAgain,\u201d she whispered. \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled. \u201cAh, and you know I <em>can<\/em> because I have this instrument of exquisite torture on my yard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d she breathed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like it,\u201d he purred, stepping behind her and sliding into her once more.<\/p>\n<p>Celia moaned, then sighed when he began to move slowly in and out, the fingers of his large hands digging into her hips and pulling her to him. She couldn\u2019t help him, couldn\u2019t participate in her own need. She was too weak.<\/p>\n<p>Every slide of his cock, every brush of his velvet breeches, every tiny pain from his fingertips, every growl as he finally spent&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>She cried out one more time, which turned into helpless weeping\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u2014which continued even as a soft, warm, wet cloth touched her quim and her thighs and the faint scent of her soap touched her nostrils. When something slithered over her skin only to be massaged in by strong, careful hands, releasing the odor of lavender. When strong arms carefully lifted her from the table, turned her around, and lifted her before setting her on her bunk. When she was gently undressed until naught remained but her stockings and ribbon garters.<\/p>\n<p>He was on his knees between her legs and Celia fell upon him to sob, feeling the silver embroidery on her cheek, the silk of his hair between her fingers, the brush of his hands against her back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did you like that game, my love?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was\u2014<em>astonishing<\/em>,\u201d she hiccupped, then wiped her nose on her hand. \u201cIf you\u2014do it\u2014again\u2014I\u2019ll kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">19<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">ON SUNDAY, GEORGE entered the cabin, again without knocking, but quietly this time and with breakfast.<\/p>\n<p>From under shuttered eyelids, Elliott watched her set out the food, humming to herself and smiling as if she had just divined the meaning of life. Indeed, she probably thought she had, Elliott supposed. The girl was in love. In his opinion, nothing good could come of allowing George and Kit\u2019s shipboard trysting to continue, but it was Fury\u2019s business and he would not mind it.<\/p>\n<p>From where Fury still lay against Elliott\u2019s side, he felt her breathing and heartbeat quicken apace with awakening, but she did not stir or open her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>George left as quietly as she had come and done her duty, but then Fury\u2019s mother sauntered in and said, \u201cGood morning, children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury groaned. \u201cGo away, Mama. Isn\u2019t there some young buck aboard the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> who might interest you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToo many to choose from.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn old one, mayhap?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I wanted an old one, I\u2019d have gone with your father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo find something else to do, then. Go! You are off duty. I forbid you to work. There. That is your order.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But, as mothers will do, she ignored Fury and sat down to breakfast. \u201cWill you sing for us today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill you go away?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, sing,\u201d Elliott croaked, his voice tight from hours of disuse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe sings like an angel,\u201d Mary sighed. \u201cIf there is one thing <em>That Man<\/em> did right, it was discerning her voice and seeing it trained.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMother, please&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mary cast Elliott a sly glance and purred, \u201cI like to see her all aflutter over you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMother!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That surprised a laugh out of Elliott, and his grin widened at the flush that now stained Fury\u2019s face. \u201c<em>Aflutter<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe laughed when she found her figurehead gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMother,\u201d Fury gritted.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott leaned down to catch Fury\u2019s glance, but she pressed her face into his ribs. \u201cYou <em>laughed<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury slowly looked up at him, her eyes narrowed, and drawled, \u201cI did, <em>my lord<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Though they were both raw from that delicious game they had played hours ago, his yard roused for her again, simply for this little threat, which delighted and excited him at once.<\/p>\n<p>Officer Mary cleared her throat when neither he nor Fury would look away first. \u201cI apologize. I did not mean to provoke a spat. Besides, Captain Judas,\u201d she continued, and rapped her knuckles on the table to direct Elliott\u2019s attention toward her, \u201cI think I might like you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongratulations\u201d Fury muttered. \u201cYou\u2019ve the approval of <em>both<\/em> my parents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That shocked him. \u201cAfter that brawl?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe mentioned that he did not <em>object<\/em> to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes he object to <em>That Man<\/em>?\u201d Mary asked, her words mordant. The undercurrent of stories untold running between Fury and her mother was thick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know very good and well he does, Mother. <em>Now<\/em> will you go?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Officer Mary balled up her linen and arose with a huff. The cabin door opened and closed with a bang.<\/p>\n<p>Fury growled and sat up. \u201cOh! Sometimes she treads too close to&nbsp;\u2026 to things that should not be spoken of.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy was that too close?\u201d he asked gently, smoothing a finger along her col\u00adlarbone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt just was,\u201d she said with a genuine pout, but then her righteous indig\u00adnation must have fled because she slumped. \u201cI am not used to having a mother,\u201d she muttered. \u201cShe is not used to having a daughter. Having her here has been more difficult than either of us had imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you regret it?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, no!\u201d she denied with wide eyes. \u201cNever. \u2019Tis true I would rather she be with Papa, but that is simply a child\u2019s longing for her parents to be together. It is\u2014&nbsp;Well, we have too many years to make up and both of us are people we wish the other had not become. There are some things she would rather not know about me, and the reverse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott nodded. \u201cWhere is your home?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no home,\u201d she snapped.<\/p>\n<p>Her voice was thick with bitterness, and Elliott did not know what to say. <em>He<\/em> had a home. No matter how long he had been at sea, he had a wonderful place to return to with wonderful people who loved him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is your birthplace, then?\u201d he asked carefully.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPhiladelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t consider the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em> your home?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhisht! Why would I? It can sink. All this can be gone with one lightning strike. The <em>Iron Maiden<\/em> is the third one Papa has had. The first two sank in storms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSurely you shared a home with your husband?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo, actually. One in Marrakech and one in Casa Blanca. But&nbsp;\u2026 I cannot go back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked up at her for a long time, intending to ask her why, but she would not meet his eyes and, indeed, arose and swept that swath of red silk around her, cinching it with a saffron sash. She plopped down at her breakfast and gestured impatiently at the chair next to her.<\/p>\n<p>He swung his legs out of the bunk and stood slowly, then stretched, deliberately putting himself on display for her\u2014then smirked when she relaxed back in her chair to watch with undisguised appreciation.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott was shocked at how much he loved the way she looked at his body. Oh, aye, women aplenty had ogled him from the moment he had attained his height. He had exploited it with abandon as soon as he could, but he had never been particularly vain; his appearance was a means to attain the beds of the most beautiful women available.<\/p>\n<p>But <em>this<\/em> woman\u2019s obvious delight in looking at his body fed his previously unexplored vanity in ways he had never imagined. Her attention was as palpable and arousing as her touch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a lusty wench, Fury,\u201d he murmured as he came down out of his stretch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat I am,\u201d she said lightly, now feigning attention on her plate, but huffed when he wrapped the sheet around his waist. It seemed almost no one on this ship knocked on Fury\u2019s door, and whilst he did not mind posing for her, he was not in the habit of going about in the altogether where anyone could see him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy can you not go back?\u201d he asked once he\u2019d seated and piled his dishes high with yet more delectable food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery Ottoman sailor in the Mediterranean wants me dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott blinked. \u201cSurely that\u2019s an exaggeration, Madam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shook her head slowly. \u201cHow much do you know about Robert Skirrow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was cruel. He was cashiered from the British Navy for insubordination. The <em>Carnivale<\/em> was a slaver. And he died in a very&nbsp;\u2026 unconventional&nbsp;\u2026 manner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That made her snicker. \u201cAye, well. He was despised and feared by the Muslim sailors\u2014pirate, slaver, merchant\u2014it didn\u2019t matter. He hated them and would abandon better prey in favor of Ottomans. He slaughtered or enslaved every one he encountered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy would you sail with a man like that?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n<p>She snorted. \u201cAnd do what? Become a <em>whore<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott flinched.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Tis better to rule in hell than serve in heaven,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott snorted, wondering if she had somehow overheard what he had said to Georgina not two days ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was an armed white infidel female alone in Ottoman territory with no home, no money, no veils, no male family members to escort me, and dressed like a man. Amongst those captains who might have taken pity on me, I had a bit of a reputation for insubordination, and would not hire me. Smitty had heard rumors I was in Cairo and came looking to hire me, since their last navigator had left for a better captain. Skirrow knew I was trouble, but he had need of me and was not so stupid that he would harm his last means of finding his way around the ocean.\u201d She shrugged. \u201cIf he stayed ashore, he would be a dead man within the week. He had to sail, but he could not pick out a constellation to save his life. \u2019Twas why he was desperate enough to hire a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid he touch you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury had bent to sip at her soup, but her lashes fluttered up. \u201cRape me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded.<\/p>\n<p>Fury snorted in derision. \u201cThere are a thousand reasons that bilge rat deserved to die, but <em>that<\/em> is not one of them. And lose the only thing standing between him and his enemies? No. How do you think I could protect all the ship\u2019s boys from him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why did he kill your husband?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her jaw began to grind and she paid more attention to her meal. \u201cHe killed my husband,\u201d she said low, \u201cto take away my reason for leaving him without a competent navigator, and to frighten me into doing his bidding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe must have been desperate to do such a thing. Did you not think it a possibility?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTalaat was a very powerful man,\u201d Fury said calmly enough, but her grip on her spoon was deathly. \u201cWe\u2014nay, <em>I<\/em>\u2014did not believe anyone would be so bold as to attack him. Thus, it was&nbsp;\u2026 the easiest thing in the world to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s mouth pursed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 Sometimes, I think perhaps I was the worst thing that ever happened to him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So her grief was wrapped up in guilt. He took a deep breath and released it on a long, slow whoosh. \u201cIt was not a simple murder, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed caustically and wiped her eye with her linen. \u201cAh, no. It was Skirrow, who was incapable of a <em>simple<\/em> murder anyroad. He also forced me to watch to teach me a lesson. That is all I will say on that. I cannot speak of that day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he said hoarsely. \u201cThere are things of which none of us speak, I think.\u201d He cleared his throat. \u201cWhat will you do when the war has been decided?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo to Algiers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott choked on his coffee. \u201cI thought you said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn Algerian sultan is holding Solomon\u2019s wife captive, and I promised him we would go back to Algiers to find her. I intend to keep that promise, but since Maarten has no intention of accompanying me, I do not expect to escape the Mediterranean alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He put his elbow on the table and rubbed his forehead. \u201cI don\u2019t understand. If Skirrow was hated and feared, but you killed him, would that alone not keep you safe?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She waved a hand. \u201cOh, that. That I cut off his head does not matter; the fact is, Skirrow preyed on Ottoman ships and I was no more shy in battle than he was. Secondly, I am a woman. Not only should I not be aboard a ship, much less as a commander, I should not be aboard one half naked and killing Muslim men. I am an affront to the whole of Islam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot enough to cross Gibraltar, clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHa! The only way <em>I<\/em> can cross Gibraltar is by disguising myself as a British patrol with Papa as escort. The Ottomans would never attempt to breach it, no matter how much they want me dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCannot he protect you from them?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She took a deep breath. \u201cHe can. One reason he sought me out in Oran\u00adjestad was to see for himself my current occupation, and to see if I wanted to go back. If so, we would sail together the way Maarten and I do. He is getting on a bit and, worse, he is lonely and bored. He\u2019s been going farther and farther afield for new challenges, but he is restless. Unsettled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich is one reason you want your mother to reconcile with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you must return to fulfill your vow to Solomon anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. I did not tell Papa of it, though, as he is not happy that I\u2019m working for the Americans and he would argue that I return now. I did inform him that I refuse to fight for any British cause if it does not suit my purpose, which Papa will do on occasion when covert action is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat would make you adversaries at those times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, precisely. But it is a moot point whilst my current obligation must be satisfied before returning to Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat will you do after that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She scoffed. \u201cI have no plans. Why would I plan anything if I expect to die?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott blinked at something odd in her voice, her eyes. He reached out a finger and traced it along her thigh. \u201cYou\u2019re frightened, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She swallowed and looked away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd leave the wife at home?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged. \u201c\u2019Tis done all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said you hated sailing, that you were on your way home to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, but I would do it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy? We barely know one another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know enough to make that commitment to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s mouth tightened and more uncomfortable silence fell until her stomach growled and she laughed suddenly. \u201cI cannot let melancholy interfere with my favorite pastime, Judas. Eat! Eat!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott had never had better meals at sea, not even once he was promoted to fleet commander. Sailors\u2014especially impressed ones\u2014were resentful enough, and Elliott had learned that eating modestly, though a bit above his men, was a small way he could mitigate the anger aboard a ship and still display his rank and privilege appropriately. Fury, it seemed, took the opposite tack. Those pleasures she would not give up, she shared with the rest of her crew. Then again, she had one-fifth the complement he did and could afford such luxuries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not think your galley could outshine itself,\u201d he said in wonder once he paused to take in the savory foreign dishes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you,\u201d she returned, picked up her cup of lemonade and drank it down, then poured another.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI could never afford this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged. \u201c\u2019Tis a point of contention with my mother, who thinks I am too extravagant, but I have the funds and see no point in austerity if there is no need.\u201d She pointed her spoon at him. \u201cPare down to a <em>real<\/em> pirate ship and you could.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you keep your secrets with four hundred men who could turn on you at any moment?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFive hundred. All my officers know who I am and why I have embarked upon this path. Indeed, they are as invested in doing so as I and for the same reasons. There are perhaps one hundred regular seamen who also know and have the same motives. I rely upon their goodwill and hatred of the Royal Navy to keep the rest in line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me: Barring soldiers, how few men would you need to sail and fight?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo hundred fifty able seamen,\u201d Elliott said, \u201cprovided they can also fight as well as my marines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne hundred fifty, rather,\u201d Fury drawled with a sidelong glance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have that many here, and this vessel in no wise compares to mine for size.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She smiled sweetly. \u201cI like my extravagances, as you have seen, and I can afford them. I could sail this ship with forty persons did I have to. I like good food, good liquor, good entertainment of an evening, and good sleep. You, on the other hand, have a large secret to keep, which is an extravagance you cannot afford. You would have to give up sleeping, though, to pull one or more men\u2019s share of the work aside from your own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott would not dignify that with an answer, as he did not care being lectured to thusly as if he were a midshipman three days out and green around the gills. Oblivious, she continued:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fact of the matter is that you are not comfortable sailing any way other than how you were taught. Considering how soundly you sleep when in the bed of a pirate you don\u2019t know, I would wager you don\u2019t find much rest anyroad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She had noticed, then. \u201cI cannot deny that,\u201d Elliott murmured.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou say you leave no survivors. Have you once taken a ship that required the use of a marine where an armed sailor would have sufficed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He pursed his lips and again declined to belay her assumptions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought not. The loss of your marines and the other two hundred men you don\u2019t know and don\u2019t trust would make this endeavor easier for you. Any seaman can be turned into a gunner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed bitterly and sat back in his chair. \u201cYou must think me the stupidest commander who ever sailed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her head snapped up from her bowl, her wrinkled in confusion. \u201cMost certainly not. Why in God\u2019s name would you think that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccording to you, I have done everything wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She scoffed. \u201cIf you had done everything wrong, you and your crew would be dead. You have met success after success, and your ship barely has a dent in it. \u2019Tis simply that you have done everything with more than you needed to be successful and thus laid yourself and your officers a heavier burden than necessary. But so what. \u2019Tis not stupid to take on more provisions than you need. Extra can be tossed overboard, but more cannot be found in the middle of the ocean. \u2019Tis a matter of degrees of efficiency, not fatal errors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed without humor and took another bite. \u201cI tell you&nbsp;\u2026 if Washington had men like you, Congress wouldn\u2019t need to hand out letters of marque to any merchant who can pay the bond. He needs a navy he doesn\u2019t have and cannot get. I dare say, whether you care or not, whether you intended it or not, whether you realized it or not, you make up a significant portion of our navy, and you, Sir, are no barbarian.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott couldn\u2019t help but laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSuch a large crew also necessitates you lead by fear, and I suspect this is not to your taste or your nature.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI very rarely flog anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyebrow rose. \u201cOh? Then how do you keep order?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBall \u2019twixt the eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stared at him warily for a long moment. \u201cOh,\u201d she said in a very small voice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMinor infractions I care naught for so long as the work gets done. But\u2014&nbsp;A shot through the head for cheating at games. The kind of insubordination you showed Dunham. A threat my identity will be exposed. Theft. Rape. I\u2019ve no time for formalities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She glared at him suddenly. \u201cI hope you are as careful about enforcing that if the victim is a woman as you are if \u2019tis a man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI make no distinction, nor do I make a distinction whether it happens aboard ship or ashore. Or even if \u2019tis against a whore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded approvingly. \u201cThat <em>is<\/em> efficient,\u201d she murmured. \u201cWhat more?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shrugged. \u201cI cannot think of anything else that has been done to warrant that. I had no reason or desire to do that whilst in the Navy, but I underestimated the influence of government sanction on men\u2019s behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you fear most that you lie awake at night?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott looked at her and wondered if he should tell her all his worries. It was not one or two things. Nor was it five or six. It was a dozen, and a dozen more on top that, worries major and minor. \u2019Twould seem all he had done in the last four years was <em>worry<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Finally he sighed. \u201cToo many things to list. One of them is the fact that the Navy now knows Captain Judas and the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> actually exist. Another is that both Rathbone and Bancroft may have seen me. If they did, the question is whether they can identify me or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fury chewed on her tongue a bit. \u201cThey know you, don\u2019t they? In your real life? They have sailed with you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. I served under Rathbone and trained Bancroft. Further, I did a favor for Rathbone when I was a very new captain that I soon came to regret deeply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She said nothing, though the question in her face was plain. He refused with a shake of his head. \u201cI don\u2019t speak of it. \u2019Tis one of very few things I am ashamed of in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRathbone is my adversary, if not my enemy, but his reputation is that of an honorable man. I cannot imagine him setting you upon such a dishonorable task.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe did not know what it entailed and he did not know what it cost to have it done. He still doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott was not aware he was clutching his spoon so hard he was bending it until Fury laid her hand over his fist. \u201cJudas,\u201d she said softly with a comforting smile. \u201cI ken. You are not alone anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Anymore.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you care to sail with us?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott blinked. Was she was offering exactly what he needed but was loath to ask after she had all but charged him with stupidity? He could not find words.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudas?\u201d she said carefully. \u201cHave I offended you or made you suspicious of me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay,\u201d he lied. \u201cI have not sailed in a fleet in years. \u2019Twould be a nice change.\u201d He slid her a glance and smirked. \u201cWhy should I trust you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI haven\u2019t killed you.\u201d Elliott\u2019s smirk turned into a laugh, but realized she had not caught his jest. \u201cI have killed men for lesser offenses than what you dealt me by stealing my figurehead.\u201d Or mayhap she had. \u201cYet here we are after <em>that<\/em>, of four days\u2019 acquaintance, having fucked to hell and gone\u2014<em>after<\/em> you sneaked aboard my ship\u2014sharing meals and secrets, touring each other\u2019s ships, and leaving our crews to their pleasures.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are heavy in the water, Sir. You have something very valuable in that hold of yours, because cotton and tobacco do not weigh that much, and you do not have enough armament and ordnance to displace so much. Do you think Maarten and I could not take you to find out what? You are bigger, true, but <em>we<\/em> are seasoned pirates, having together taken ships bigger than yours. And <em>my<\/em> hold is utterly barren, as I sent my last prize ahead of me to Rotterdam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He drew in a deep breath.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI might not know your name, Sir, but I know you are of the upper classes, a merchant or landowner\u2019s son. I know that you were not born your father\u2019s heir, and that you have been somehow charged with continuing your line or you would not be obligated to wed. I also suspect a few other things of you, which I will allow you to wonder over. With what I know, it would not take me but half a glass in London to learn your name. Questions of trust are moot at this point. You have <em>no choice<\/em> but to trust me, and, I will submit, you would not be here\u2014and sleeping so well in my bed\u2014if you did not already know you could.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She had the right of it, and it disturbed him. \u201cWhy did you not pursue me for the figurehead?\u201d he asked abruptly.<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s eyelashes lowered. \u201cI told you. I was ill. I was abed and senseless for the better part of a week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you laugh? Truly?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did. I knew it for the prank it was. You did not injure my men but for their pride. You cut the rails in a manner that would make it a simple repair and did not damage my ship otherwise. I left the Bloody Hound the morning after simply furious with you for not coming back to find me. I was cursing you for a coward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was furious with himself for not going back. She had been ill whilst he was making merry elsewhere, congratulating himself and his crew for their fine bit of mischief, awaiting her pursuit or word of her departure so he could chase <em>her<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut then I saw what you had done, and I laughed. I did not pursue you for my figurehead because I wanted you to come to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">20<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">\u201cCAPTAIN, I NEED TO SPEAK with you privately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia stood in her door looking at her second lieutenant soberly. It had to be dire for Papadakos to rap her door at midnight whilst she and Judas were clearly in the midst of bedsport and the crews were only at the beginnings of the night\u2019s festivities. \u201cAye, Paulo. Come in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She opened the door wide and turned to cover her body with the kimono hanging neatly over the back of a chair. She cast a strained smile at Judas, whose face betrayed his tension. Of course he would know this was no trifle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you would be so kind&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d she murmured, gesturing vaguely toward the door.<\/p>\n<p>His dark eyebrow rose, but he said nothing whilst he pulled on his breeches and complied with her request, closing the door softly behind him.<\/p>\n<p>Papadakos took a deep breath and drew close to speak very low. \u201cTwo of the boys were getting into trouble aboard the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> and overheard plans for the mutiny of Captain Judas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia gasped. \u201cAre they sure?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat in God\u2019s name <em>for<\/em>? He told me he would rather kill than flog, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis hold is full of gold\u2014and that\u2019s the <em>only<\/em> thing in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s breath left her in a whoosh and she sat on her bunk, a trembling hand over her open mouth. \u201cGod\u2019s blood,\u201d she whispered, horrified.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust before the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> reached us, she\u2019d taken a fleet of British warships bound for New York.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA pay ship!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paulo nodded. \u201cA king\u2019s ransom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBring the boys to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soon enough she was faced with two terrified ten-year-olds who stuttered and sputtered through their story, sobbing and hiccupping. She wasn\u2019t sure if they were frightened of her punishment for being where they oughtn\u2019t to have been or of the men they\u2019d overheard whilst they explored the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2019s orlop.<\/p>\n<p>She suspected the latter.<\/p>\n<p>She speared the German boy with a glance. \u201cYour English is not savvy,\u201d she growled. \u201cAre you <em>certain?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The child gulped. \u201cThey were speaking Vlaams, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Good Lord. \u2019Twas the mercenary marines, who were mostly some German variant. Damn the man for his inability to deviate from Royal Navy protocols.<\/p>\n<p>Celia sat still, looking at the floor and searching her mind to put together some counter to this. \u201cThank you, gentlemen,\u201d she said absently. \u201cLeftenant, give these two an extra ration of grog and bread, and bid Captain Judas to join me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was only a few moments until Judas had seated himself beside her on her bed. Celia did not know how best to impart such news but bluntly:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are about to be mutinied.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She gasped. Her head snapped up to see him calm, a bit of a smirk on his face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I do not know,\u201d he continued cautiously, his slight amusement gone, \u201cis by whom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy boys tell me they overheard Flemish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded somberly. \u201cAye, then, now I know who it is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is what has you so taut?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly since we took our last prize.\u201d Celia said nothing. \u201cI&nbsp;\u2026 have put down a few mutinies in my career, but never have <em>I<\/em> been mutinied nor have I known of one solely over cargo. I assume, then, you also know what I have in my holds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded impatiently. \u201cSurely, you must have known before you took the pay fleet\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course I did,\u201d he scoffed. \u201cYou asked me why I carry a full complement. That is why. I needed every sailor and soldier I could get my hands on to take that fleet. One first-rate and two second-rates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia gaped at him, a feeling of utter awe leaching into her body. \u201cYou\u2014\u201d she squeaked. \u201c<em>Alone?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyelids lowered and he gave her a smug grin. \u201cAye,\u201d he drawled. \u201cThree men o\u2019 war down, twenty-three hundred men. Sinking the patrol frigates in Virginia was child\u2019s play by comparison, as we were preparing for much bigger prey, but it was an <em>excellent<\/em> drill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew that fleet was there!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did, and I was actively <em>hunting<\/em> it.\u201d He wrapped his hand around her head and brought her ear to his mouth. Celia closed her eyes in utter ecstasy. \u201cBut I thank you for your lessons in piracy all the same, Madam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She jerked away from him then, jumping up from her bunk to stalk across her cabin. \u201cYou played me for a fool,\u201d she hissed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, ho!\u201d he chortled. \u201cSays Fury Prometheus, bringing the fire of piratical wisdom to hapless, helpless, <em>idiot<\/em> British Navy commanders. Do not make the mistake of believing you and the Hollander could take <em>me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia\u2019s back stiffened as shame filled her, and she took a deep breath.<\/p>\n<p>She looked over her shoulder, but not at him. \u201cYou are right. It was not well done of me and I apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOch, Fury, c\u2019mere and let me soothe your feathers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia looked at him then, suspicious, for with just a few words, he had sounded exactly like Dunham. She could not ascertain if that was his natural accent without the Oxford glamour or if he were playacting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAre you Scots?\u201d she asked slowly. \u201cA lowlander?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His smile grew. \u201cNo. Of that, you can be sure. Would you be in more sympathy with me if I told you I had planned to ask you and the Hollander for assistance?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She blinked. \u201cIs that why you sought us out?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Judas\u2019s expression hardened. \u201cI wanted <em>you<\/em>, Madam, but a <em>good<\/em> commander does not disregard any collateral benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He had refrained from reminding her of his r\u00f4le in the fact of her continued existence and she could not fault his logic otherwise, so she huffed and went back to her bed to plop herself upon it. He wrapped one of his enormous arms around her shoulders and pulled her in to his body until her head was lying upon his shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will inform Maarten he is to host nuncheon tomorrow for all our officers,\u201d she muttered, ashamed of how she had spoken to him the day before. \u201cI cannot think he will have an objection to the added duty of putting down a mutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you,\u201d he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.<\/p>\n<p>She looked up at him soberly. \u201cIn truth, would you come to Algiers with me if I asked?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI would do&nbsp;\u2026 almost anything for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Except forsake your duty.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>She didn\u2019t say it. She didn\u2019t have to. He glanced away.<\/p>\n<p>With a bitter heart, she arose and went to the door, opened it, then bellowed for the boys and Papadakos.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo to the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> and fetch a Dutch and Flemish boy,\u201d she said when they arrived. \u201cTake them to the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>. Pretend to play, run, and explore. Find out everything you can. Report to Leftenant Papadakos every hour. Do <em>not<\/em> get caught.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their eyes shone bright with pride when they stood straight and saluted. \u201cAye, Cap\u2019n,\u201d they said gravely, then scampered off.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you think that\u2019s wise?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Papadakos gaped and Celia whirled at Judas\u2019s voice coming from behind them. \u201cAre you questioning me?\u201d she snapped.<\/p>\n<p>Judas grimaced and put up his hands. \u201cApologies, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia cast him one last glare before turning to her officer. \u201cSee that they are given sweets at breakfast mess, then put them to bed in Kit and George\u2019s bunk and send another two pairs out. Change the pairs at each watch until we have come back \u2019round to these two.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, Cap\u2019n.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once the door was closed, she charged across the cabin and stuck her finger in his forehead. \u201cDon\u2019t you <em>ever<\/em> do that to me again,\u201d she snarled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was wrong,\u201d he said stiffly. \u201cI admitted it and apologized. What would you have me do, Fury?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celia looked down and to her right, seeing nothing. What <em>would<\/em> she have him do? Had it been one of her trusted officers or Maarten who\u2019d questioned her, she would have simply said <em>No, but I\u2019m doing it anyroad<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Why was it different when <em>Judas<\/em> said it?<\/p>\n<p>What if <em>Dunham<\/em> had said it? Oh, aye, she would have bitten <em>his<\/em> head off, too.<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly, the thought of sailing past Gibraltar between her lover and her father did not seem quite so&nbsp;\u2026 tempting.<\/p>\n<p>Her safety or her pride?<\/p>\n<p>Her hands were clasped gently in much larger, warmer, more calloused ones and she looked at <em>him<\/em>, her lover\u2014her beautiful lover who could not wed her even if he wanted to. He was pressing a long, soft kiss to her knuckles, looking up at her with those heartbreaking ice blue eyes, his lashes long and black.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he whispered. \u201cIf I knew how to grovel, I would.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She nodded haltingly and looked away. \u201cWe must rest. The morrow will be&nbsp;\u2026 demanding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">21<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">THEY LAY IN FURY\u2019s copper bathing tub together late Sunday night after having spent most of the day on the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> making battle preparations, with boys and girls coming and going with more information. In the afternoon, Fury had somehow beguiled Old Ben to climb to the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2019s main mast platform, where the two master navigators had kept their glasses pointed to the west, talking and laughing as if they were bosom companions.<\/p>\n<p>If Elliott hadn\u2019t had his head bent with Maarten\u2019s and three ships\u2019 officers, all discussing the mutiny\u2019s possibilities, probabilities, and strategies, he\u2019d have been far more charmed by their camaraderie, and possibly jealous.<\/p>\n<p>But now the plans were set and they could do no more until the wind blew. For the nonce, his mind was as weary as his body, and he wished simply not to be called upon to think, speak, or move.<\/p>\n<p>Three lanterns hung relatively close and swayed gently from the force of hundreds of feet dancing and pounding, keeping time to the lively music. The crews were just beginning their night\u2019s festivities after having snored and gamed the morning and afternoon away.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott was behind Fury, who relaxed upon him, her head lolling on his shoulder. He cupped her scar-ridged breasts, but, as usual, she made no sign of feeling his touch and her nipples did not pucker. He plucked at them anyway.<\/p>\n<p>And as he did so, he mused absently upon the things she had brought with her from the Arab world that were, to her, ordinary but to him, extraordinary. This tub, for instance, full of hot water kept hot by three small braziers set in a compartment under the tub, was not a particularly brilliant idea&nbsp;\u2026 so why had his countrymen not thought of it?<\/p>\n<p>She yawned.<\/p>\n<p>Aye, with the hot water and warm woman and comfortable head rest, it would not take much for Elliott to fall asleep, either. They had been engaged in some type of unfamiliar, demanding perversion or another since he\u2019d climbed into her window, and he had never tupped a woman so many times in so many ways for so many consecutive days.<\/p>\n<p>He was beginning to feel it. His legs and arse were sore, as was his jaw.<\/p>\n<p>But as for indulging <em>his<\/em> particular perversion\u2014&nbsp;After last night, he had decided he didn\u2019t want her anywhere near his arse with a cat o\u2019 nine tails in case she was still angry enough to wield it more enthusiastically than he liked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you not have things you can wrap around your nipples to make them stand?\u201d he asked suddenly.<\/p>\n<p>He felt the vibrations from her low chuckle seep from her back into his chest. \u201cDo you think me in possession of every manner of tool and toy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her cheek creased with a grin. \u201cAye, I do, but they slip off.\u201d She shrugged.<\/p>\n<p>He dragged his finger across the nipple that had been sliced in two. \u201cDoes this not bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course it does. \u2019Tis as if my breasts have been cut off and I must yet contend with these things hanging off my chest. But more to the point, there are days I would give up my command to be able to feel a man\u2019s hands on me there again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The trace of sorrow in her voice made her matter-of-factness more poignant to him. \u201cYet you and Dunham get on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sighed. \u201cI maintain a distance from him for a reason. He, being my father and former captain, is accustomed to being my father and captain. And I, being an adult in command of my own ship, am accustomed to doing exactly what I want. The two are incompatible.\u201d She stopped for a moment. \u201cI love him dearly, do not doubt. I <em>think<\/em> he may love me, too, though he has never said. Even if he did, even if I knew he did, it would not mitigate the fact that he is and mayhap always will be disappointed in me. I will <em>never<\/em> be able to make him happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott started. \u201c<em>Why?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I am female.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott had no words for that. His father had never held Elliott\u2019s sisters any lower than his brothers. Considering Henry had had a taste for hoydens so much that he had married one, he must have expected to father one or two. Yet here was Dunham, having taken his daughter far beyond anything Elliott\u2019s father could have thought any woman could go\u2014indeed, beyond anything Henry could have thought his <em>sons<\/em> could have gone\u2014and the man was disappointed in her?<\/p>\n<p>Surely if Elliott ever wanted for a daughter, he would be proud to have one like Fury.<\/p>\n<p><em>With<\/em> Fury&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>He put that thought away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot imagine that, Madam,\u201d he rumbled after a while. \u201cHis pride and affection for you were unmistakable. What little of it I saw, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed without humor. \u201cMayhap at the moment he publicly chastised me for losing a sword fight to you? In front of the entirety of a port in which I am liked and well respected?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott sighed. He had forgotten.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Jack, do it this way. Jack, do it that way. Jack, why canna ye do it the way I wantche tae do it? Jack, ye been lazin\u2019 on yer laurels, girl?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott did not dare laugh at the mimicry of her father\u2019s brogue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe completely destroyed my credibility in Sint Eustatius.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNay,\u201d Elliott rumbled. \u201cHe and I were both strangers, and your crews beat mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She drew in a long breath, as if she had needed to hear that from someone who would know.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s why you hate being called \u2018Jack,\u2019 though, no? Because \u2019tis a man\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye. I sat all night in the Bloody Hound with him, talking, drinking after not having seen him in almost five years. He did not once mention Skirrow. If beheading a captain feared \u2019cross the Ottoman realm is not enough to garner his approbation, nothing is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even though her voice was light enough, he could hear her pain and could sympathize, if only slightly.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott wrapped himself around her and pressed her to him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat order did you refuse that he felt obliged to nigh kill you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t tell you that. You wouldn\u2019t understand. But&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;\u201d she said slowly, \u201cthat does remind me of something I must ask you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He waited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you fuck men?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He took a deep breath. She was asking for something other than curiosity. A woman of her occupation and experience should not care.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that have to do with Dunham or daring him to kill you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt just does.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if I did?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her heartbeat quickened, but he did not know if that was in excitement or anger. \u201cYea or nay?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSailors fuck men quite a lot, Fury,\u201d he said calmly, as if she didn\u2019t know, \u201cand very often, it has nothing to do with whether they <em>prefer<\/em> men or not. But you didn\u2019t ask me if I <em>prefer<\/em> men.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She sat up, pulling away from him and covering her breasts. She would not look at him though she turned her head to speak over her shoulder. \u201cYea or nay, Judas. \u2019Tis a simple question.\u201d But then she scoffed. \u201cI don\u2019t know why I asked. You would tell me what I wanted to hear anyroad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know what you want to hear or why. What would you do if I do fuck men?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would&nbsp;\u2026 not be&nbsp;\u2026 happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a woman of the sea. Did you not think about the likelihood of that before we began this together?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her mouth tightened. Her jaw clenched. She reached out to grasp the sides of the bathing tub to pull herself up. Elliott could see that the idyll was about to come to an end\u2014far sooner than he had expected.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, I don\u2019t fuck men.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She paused and did look at him then. Her face was full of things he couldn\u2019t identify, except one: hurt. But why, he couldn\u2019t imagine.<\/p>\n<p>He stared right back at her. \u201cBut I <em>have<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stiffened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I was younger.\u201d Why was he telling her this as if he were ashamed? He wasn\u2019t, but for some reason, he felt a need to explain. \u201cI was lonely. Homesick. Angry with my father for forcing me to the sea. Angry with my mother for not protesting more loudly. Angry with myself for not defying him. Desperately missing both the young widow and the merchant\u2019s daughter. I <em>wanted<\/em> a woman in whom to seek solace, but there hadn\u2019t been opportunity for a woman for a year and there wouldn\u2019t be for another. I was desperate enough to take what I could get.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She blinked and looked away as if in thought, as if it hadn\u2019t occurred to her that men rutted for other reasons than lust or simple release.<\/p>\n<p>He laughed wryly and rubbed his mouth with his hand. \u201cI haven\u2019t thought about that in years. Command has its advantages, and one of them is being able to decide when to put into port.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The tension in her body began to leach out of her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury,\u201d he drawled, wrapping his hands around her shoulders to draw her back. \u201cHow can you sail and be so wary or disapproving of men who desire each other? I care not who fucks whom on my ship as long as it doesn\u2019t interfere with my command, and I dare say I have more reason to disapprove than you do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She lunged up and out of the water, splashing everywhere, standing over him with that snarl that made him want to plow her immediately. \u201c<em>You<\/em> have a prick,\u201d she hissed. \u201c<em>I\u2014don\u2019t<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott studied her face though ever aware of the tension and anger in her body, and tried to sort out what she was really saying.<\/p>\n<p><em>Because I am female.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>And then he did. \u201cYou see men as competition,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n<p>Her brow wrinkled. \u201cWell, of course I do!\u201d She flung her hands and arms out as if to force the world away from her. \u201cI\u2019ve spent my <em>life<\/em> competing with men and losing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy all accounts, Madam, Skirrow was the one who lost. <em>His\u2014head<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, well, I\u2019ll not be a lover to a man who desires something I don\u2019t have and cannot give him\u2014no matter how seldom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott raised an eyebrow. \u201cDo you <em>want<\/em> to have one?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNO!\u201d she roared. She stomped her foot, narrowly missing the prick under discussion, and splashing yet more water out onto the deck. Elliott cupped his manparts to protect them from further demonstrations of her temper. \u201cI <em>like<\/em> being a woman. I like fucking <em>men<\/em>. I am <em>happy<\/em> to compete with men on the high seas, but I\u2019ll be bloody <em>damned to hell<\/em> if I compete with a man over a lover, <em>too<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott tipped his head and watched her speculatively. She stared back at him, chest heaving, her expression wary. Fury stood there defiant, daring him to cast her aside, but only a fool of a man would cast <em>this<\/em> woman aside.<\/p>\n<p>Covarrubias, then, <em>must<\/em> be a fool.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury,\u201d he murmured, reaching up to catch her fingertips in his, pulling her to him, however reluctantly. He kissed those fingertips, his gaze never leaving her eyes that were filling with tears. \u201cI do not prefer men and I haven\u2019t fucked one since I was twenty-three.\u201d He debated whether to tell her <em>why<\/em> he hadn\u2019t, then decided against it. Pity was the last thing he wanted from her, and it would give her yet another clue to put together with Croftwood\u2019s tale. \u201cWould you hold a youthful indulgence against me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t,\u201d she muttered. \u201cI simply don\u2019t want my lover to have any longing for something I cannot provide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury, with regard to <em>me<\/em>, your premise is flawed, as you well know. You must never have been enamored of a man enslaved by the need for a particular <em>kind<\/em> of woman.\u201d His throat swelled with regret. \u201cAs unobtainable for you as a prick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her mouth tightened immediately. \u201cI am the granddaughter of a duke,\u201d she growled. \u201cDaughter of his heir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He rolled his eyes. \u201cA <em>Scots<\/em> duke, stripped of his title before your father was out of short pants.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPolitics!\u201d she spat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye, and so what. Clan Dunham invariably chose the wrong allies for hundreds of years. And then, not content that the clan somehow managed to survive the Union, your grandfather decided to reassert his Jacobite leanings. What did he think would happen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stared at him for quite a while, her face still and thoughtful. \u201cYou <em>are<\/em> Scots. You know too much of my family\u2019s history not to be, and now I can hear the burr in your voice no matter how you discipline yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He shook his head. \u201cYou may continue to believe it, but it will continue to be false. I am as English as Marlowe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The corner of Fury\u2019s mouth turned up reluctantly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury,\u201d he said briskly. \u201cI have never been terribly particular about bed partners, but now I am tired and getting old. I grew utterly bored of bedsport long ago, so much that my hand and my yard have become quite fond of each other.\u201d She snorted. \u201cI was utterly phlegmatic about fulfilling my obligations until I recently realized that my <em>taste<\/em> is quite specific, and I find my need for it is insatiable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyebrow rose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPirate queens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her eyes glistened in the lamplight, and he pulled her down to him until she again lay sprawled upon his chest. She seemed smaller than she really was when she was against him thusly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am no queen,\u201d she muttered. \u201cThat honor belongs to Grace O\u2019Malley.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott laughed. He should have expected that. \u201cI\u2019m not likely to dig her up to tup her, though, am I?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He held her to him and caressed her arm, her shoulder, her arse. Her skin was especially sensitive there, he supposed, because the rest of her torso wasn\u2019t. She melted like a dusting of snow in the desert sun when he brushed his fingertips over the smooth, taut curve.<\/p>\n<p>So he did that, and was rewarded with her body relaxing against his and her long, weary sigh. However, the disadvantage of paying attention to her arse was that, instead of arousing her, it put her to sleep.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe wind will be here soon,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know. I don\u2019t care to spend these few hours we have together in argument.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, good. Play with my hair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, are you not a demanding wench.\u201d He combed his fingers through her hair, making her sigh and her body relax even further. He caressed the soft skin of her cheek and swept back to her ear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love that,\u201d she whispered, though he was barely able to hear her above the rising volume of merriment abovedecks.<\/p>\n<p>He started when Dindi jumped up on his chest and butted her way between Fury\u2019s face and his shoulder. Simply scooping the cat up, he dropped her on the floor. He knew she would be back, but strangely, it did not bother him much. \u201cNice puss,\u201d he said to her. \u201cStay there. Next time, I\u2019ll throw you in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He examined Fury\u2019s mouth, soft and pink, dewy and luscious, and felt privileged that such a captivating woman was his lover. \u201cI fear we may not be able to sleep this night,\u201d she muttered, gesturing vaguely toward the overhead as the noise grew and grew.<\/p>\n<p>The dancing and thumping of those keeping time to rather lovely music was so exuberant it rocked all three ships. But for the fact that there was no wind, they might have well been asail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlas,\u201d he agreed.<\/p>\n<p>A song ended. So did the dancing. It would only be a moment before the next began. Men and women laughed. Someone bellowed. There, a screech of a completion and\u2014<\/p>\n<p><em>Oh, God yes!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The decks roared with laughter and Fury chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott tensed when the music did not start when he expected it to and men began to bellow things he could not hear. An enthusiastic roar shook the timbers, and Fury\u2019s body tensed when suddenly men ran hither and thither.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLord, not now,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p>They had planned for the possibility of battle here whilst they were becalmed, but had not thought it a probability. Then&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026&nbsp;a horn.<\/p>\n<p>A French horn, clear and sweet, its sole note cutting through the noise and the night. A signal?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFury\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laid her hand gently on his chest. \u201cNo, wait. Listen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then he heard a cello\u2014tuning itself to the French horn.<\/p>\n<p>Violins joined.<\/p>\n<p>A squeezebox, pipes and drums joined in.<\/p>\n<p>One last bellow was met with an affirmative roar:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomebody fetch Cap\u2019n Jack!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptchapterhead\">22<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerptdate\">March, 1780<br \/>\nAtlantic Ocean, Trade Route<\/p>\n<p class=\"sectiontop\">FURY SIGHED.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott heard the feet running toward Fury\u2019s cabin, so the subsequent pounding on her door was not a surprise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCap\u2019n!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye! Aye!\u201d she croaked. \u201cI\u2019m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The only answer was the receding sound of those same feet. \u201cShe\u2019s fixin\u2019 her voice, mates!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another roar of approval and what sounded like people rearranging themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott listened as she cleared her throat.<\/p>\n<p>And again.<\/p>\n<p>Thrice before she began to hum, low in her throat. Hoarsely at first.<\/p>\n<p>Then she pushed away from him and stood whilst beginning to sing the scale. She stepped out of the tub, went to her door, and opened it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFRESH WATER!\u201d she bellowed.<\/p>\n<p>With the scales, her voice gradually cleared in the time it took for her to enrobe herself in her kimono and tie it closed with the gold sash. A pitcher of water was brought by a crewman with a half-wild grin.<\/p>\n<p>She chuckled at him, then tipped the pitcher back, drinking as if she were dying of thirst, water spilling out of either side of her mouth. She finished half of it, then fetched her box of herbs. She withdrew a small flat pot, pulled off the top, dipped her tongue in it (which stirred Elliott\u2019s desire for something other than her voice), and tilted her head back to work it down her throat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHoney.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She put it away with the same sort of ritual she did all her small tasks, then finished off the water and thumped it down on the table with a satisfied sigh. It was when she began to sing the scale, louder and louder that Elliott realized he was listening to a woman he would have paid to see perform.<\/p>\n<p>As her voice grew louder, the men and women above began to cheer and the instruments began to play the scales with her, to tune to her voice. Whilst she sang, she checked her chronometer and sang the time: four of the morning.<\/p>\n<p>Then she stopped singing and looked at him. \u201cCome,\u201d she murmured. \u201cYou wanted to know why Skirrow never molested me. I will show you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott arose and exited the tub, accepting the towel she proffered him, then pulled on his breeches. \u201cI thought \u2019twas your navigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHalf,\u201d she conceded, holding her hand out to him, leading him out the door, down the passageway, and to the hatch. \u201cHe thought I was a witch, that I could bring down the wrath of Satan upon him at any time just by opening my mouth.\u201d She grunted as she attempted to pull her kimono out from under foot where she had caught herself. \u201cOn the other hand, my crew believes me to have the power to protect them from evil.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo I believe it or do I have it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAye.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She chuckled. \u201cI am an educated woman, Sir, so neither. But the supersti\u00adtions themselves have always served me well, thus I do not discourage their notions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If Elliott had thought the clamor was great when he lay in Fury\u2019s cabin, it was deafening now, akin to that of a battle, without the sound of cannon fire or stench of brimstone. And when she emerged from the hatch&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGod almighty,\u201d he whispered, coming up through the hatch after her to see nigh seven hundred fifty men and forty women gathered across the three ships, all bathed in the cool light of a full moon and the warm light of hundreds of lanterns hanging from all the lower yards.<\/p>\n<p>Fury\u2019s crew was standing and applauding. The crew of the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> followed suit. She dropped into a deep curtsey, the ends of her loose hair brushing the deck.<\/p>\n<p>She arose and looked around, then up toward the poopdeck of the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> looming high above the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>. She turned to him. \u201cThere,\u201d she murmured, pointing to it. \u201cWould you be so kind as to assist me, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At that moment, watching her dignified grandeur, Elliott would have given her the world. Yet he only grunted, \u201cAye,\u201d because he was so besotted he could not speak.<\/p>\n<p>A dinghy was lowered to the <em>Thunderstorm<\/em>, into which he assisted her as if they were in a grand ballroom. Once she had her balance, it was slowly raised until it was level with the wale of the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>. He swept her into his arms and set her gently on her feet.<\/p>\n<p>She smiled at him and he was lost to her. <em>She<\/em> might fall in love with every flap of a sail, but Elliott had only done so once. He could not point to the moment, but some time in the past four days, he had given her his heart.<\/p>\n<p>The makeshift orchestra had taken it upon itself to play some sort of entry march as she climbed higher and higher until she stood at the rail of the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em>\u2019s poopdeck. She looked down to her musicians and nodded. Everyone settled in and grew silent as they began to play and Fury stood with her fingers clasped, relaxed, in front of her and her head bowed.<\/p>\n<p>He saw Fury\u2019s mother sitting on the main deck of the <em>Mad Hangman<\/em> in a chair next to the Hollander\u2019s wife, who snuggled against her husband. Several of her crew then stood where they had sat before: ten men, four women.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott intended to join his men down on the main deck, but her head snapped up and she said, \u201cNo, please, Judas. Stay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He did, seating himself on the deck at her feet, his back against the rail.<\/p>\n<p>As the makeshift orchestra (which was, by comparison to the very few performances Elliott had ever attended, not particularly bad) wound down and finished that piece, Fury raised one hand.<\/p>\n<p>All was still. Not a breath of wind. Not a stir of sail. Not a whisper of a voice. Then Fury dropped her hand and when the musicians began again, Elliott watched her raise and lower it again, both now, his astonishment growing as he realized she was <em>conducting<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>A strong male voice rang out over the still ocean.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Comfort ye&nbsp;\u2026 comfort ye, my people&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the rail as he listened. To have a few musicians aboard a ship was, in Elliott\u2019s opinion, an absolute necessity. To have as many as Fury did meant she had deliberately sought them out.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026&nbsp;<em>good entertainment of an evening&nbsp;\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A degreed musician, who had not been able to rise above the chorus. Yet she could also conduct. Why was he surprised? A ship\u2019s captain who was a trained musician <em>should<\/em> be able to lead an orchestra as well as a crew into battle.<\/p>\n<p>The next piece, another male part. Elliott was already half enthralled, never mind she had not sung yet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Ev\u2019ry valley&nbsp;\u2026 ev\u2019ry valley shall be exalted&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t know what this was, but it sounded vaguely familiar.<\/p>\n<p>Fury took a breath. \u201c<em>And the glory, the glory of the Lord&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The other women were singing with her, then all the men joined in. Fury was not overpowering her chorus, but all Elliott truly heard was Fury\u2019s voice, high and pure. As she conducted, her kimono sleeves created a small breeze only Elliott could feel.<\/p>\n<p>The night went on, Fury and a handful of her crew performing for three ships\u2019 crews in the moonlight cast large over the still Atlantic. They were alone in the world, these three ships, and nothing could touch them.<\/p>\n<p>The music wound around him, cradled him in its majesty and safety.<\/p>\n<p>And then&nbsp;\u2026 Then!<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>There were shepherds abiding in the fields&nbsp;\u2026 keeping watch by night&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her voice, powerful but delicate, high and pure but warm. It rang out into the night without accompaniment, and he could indeed believe that she was a sorceress, keeping her crew safe from evil.<\/p>\n<p>He drew his knees up to his chest and pressed his face into them to simply absorb the sounds.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026&nbsp;<em>could not rise above the chorus&nbsp;\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Dear God in heaven, <em>why<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>\u2026&nbsp;<em>cannot maintain a sufficient vibrato&nbsp;\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He had no idea what that meant. He only knew he was at the feet of an angel in the guise of a pirate captain, one he had had the privilege of bedding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone \u2019round about them, and they were sore afraid&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His mind cast back to the moment Fury and Old Ben had descended from the platform, after which she had sent her girls up in the ratlines of the <em>Silver Shilling<\/em> with glasses. She had then bid Kit go to the platform she and Ben had just vacated, and keep watch.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sails?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Nay. Nothing to be concerned over.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>That was a lie, but he did not want to consider the truth overmuch.<\/p>\n<p>The music went on and on for an hour, as skilled and joyous as it had begun, but Elliott knew this was the end of their idyll.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Hallelujah&nbsp;\u2026 Hallelujah&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her voice was majestic, powerful, blending in with her crew\u2019s but rising above it, and with her voice gaining more strength, her arms began to rise slowly\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u2014as slowly as the dawn was breaking. She stood toward the east with her arms outstretched, her face to the sky as she sang to the rising sun.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>And he shall reign forever and ever&nbsp;\u2026&nbsp;<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And as the sun rose to worship her, he saw tears running down her cheekbones, down the valley of her ear and jaw.<\/p>\n<p>Her voice gained strength and soared over the world, to the sun. Elliott heard nothing but her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth&nbsp;\u2026 Hallelujah, hallelujah&nbsp;\u2026 King of kings&nbsp;\u2026 And Lord of lords&nbsp;\u2026 And he shall reign forever and ever&nbsp;\u2026 Hallelujah, hallelujah\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>\u2014\u2019allayyyyyyyloooooooyaaaaaaa!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>Fury dropped her arms whilst gasping for breath through her sobs, her chest heaving. At the first sniffle behind him, Elliott looked over his shoulder through the balusters to see hundreds of men wiping their noses. Some had buried their faces in their bandanas, their shoulders quaking. Fury\u2019s mother was curled up in her chair, also sobbing. Even the Hollander, who cradled his weeping wife in his lap, pressed a thumb to his cheekbone.<\/p>\n<p><em>whuuuuufffff<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Elliott\u2019s head snapped up to the topgallant sails, which began to flap, and his mouth dropped open.<\/p>\n<p><em>whuff-snap!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A bit of breeze stirred the ends of Fury\u2019s hair, now a blazing orange halo between the red sunrise and red silk.<\/p>\n<p>A strong wind filled the sails, pushing all three ships forward together at once with a bevy of protesting groans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBegorra,\u201d he heard a man whisper. \u201cShe summoned the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To a man, Elliott\u2019s crew looked up at her in frightened awe. Elliott watched her, as stunned as his crew, as the corner of her mouth turned up.<\/p>\n<p>The angel was disappearing and the pirate taking her place.<\/p>\n<p>She cupped her hands \u2019round her mouth and bellowed, \u201cSORT YOUR\u00adSELVES OUT AND MAKE READY! WE SAIL IN ONE HOUR!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Three ships\u2019 crews scrambled to do her bidding, and Elliott blinked up at her. \u201cI think Skirrow was right to fear your voice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She grinned. \u201cWhisht!\u201d She leaned down to him and whispered, \u201cHe was too busy fearing my voice to hear me sharpen my axe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wingding\">\u203b<\/p>\n<div class=\"navblock\">\n<p class=\"leftnavblock\"><a class=\"arrowsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/thebooks\/magdalene\/\">\u2190 Book 3<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"rightnavblock\"><a class=\"arrowbig\" href=\"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/thebooks\/pasodoble\/\">Book 5  \u2192<\/a><br \/>They\u2019re <span class=\"biob\"><em>just friends<\/em><\/span>\u2014<br \/>right up to the first kiss.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"date\">20260331<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tales of Dunham #4\u00a92013 Moriah Jovan295,000 words (710 pages) Book 4 in the Dunham universe Buy direct: &nbsp; Amazon Kindle \u2022 paperback Barnes &#038; Noble Nook \u2022 paperback Apple iBooks Google Play Books Kobo eBooks It\u2019s 1780 The Americans are losing their desperate fight for independence from the most powerful nation on Earth. Britain\u2019s navy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":18726,"menu_order":24,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2183","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2183"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2183"}],"version-history":[{"count":214,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25672,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2183\/revisions\/25672"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moriahjovan.com\/talesofdunham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}