licked her dry lips. “How did you meet Captain Drake?” she asked, hoping it was a long story.
“I met Morgan when he was just a boy. I guess he was about thirteen back then.” He smiled fondly, reminding her of a father who was thinking of his favored son. “Ah, he was tall and strong and honest. A good boy to his very core.”
“What made him join the navy?”
His smile died and anger darkened his face. “He didn’t join willingly. That bastard—Isaiah Winston—had done gone and sold the poor boy off to the British navy. I’d been impressed about a year afore that. Not that it mattered to me back then. Being at sea’s all that I cared about. Didn’t matter what ship I sailed on. But it mattered to Morgan.”
Serenity took deep gulping breaths and tried to steady herself. “Why did the man sell him to the navy? Was he his father?”
“Nay, lass. Winston was no father, just an evil bastard through and through. He’d been the business partner of the captain’s father. And when the boy’s father died, Winston didn’t want no responsibility for him. He wanted profits, humanity be damned.”
Serenity knew the type of man all too well. And she despised such people. “You helped Morgan fit in?” she asked, changing the topic before she made Barney so mad he’d leave her.
“Well,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I tried, but you got to understand, Morgan has a mind of his own. His own way of doing things. He has an order he expects everything and everyone to follow, and when someone gets out of line, it knocks him off keel. Those Brits don’t follow that order. And Morgan was always too much of a fighter for his own good. If he thought he was right, he’d wrestle a den full of lions and not stop until they either killed him, or he had ’em tamed.”
Barney shook his head. “Of course, it didn’t help none that Morgan was terrified for his sister.”
“His sister?”
Morgan had a sister?
“Aye, Penelope. She was a small slip of a thing. Pretty and gentle as any fawn ever born.”
“Where is she?”
The light faded from his eyes. “Dead. She died about fifteen years ago.” Barney stroked Pesty’s head. “She was just about twelve at the time their father died. Morgan was afraid Winston would be using her in wrong ways or be selling her off to a whore…” He cleared his throat and bowed his head in embarrassment. “A place young girls shouldn’t be.”
Serenity frowned at his words. “Where was their mother?”
“She’d gone on to Mermaid’s Paradise as well.”
“Mermaid’s what?”
“She was dead, too, lass,” he said gently. “Morgan’s mother died of a fever when Morgan was eight.”
Her throat tight, Serenity couldn’t imagine how horrible it must have been for them to find themselves without parents. Her mother’s death had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to face. Even nine years later, she missed her mother so much it hurt.
What would it be like to lose her entire family?
She couldn’t even imagine it.
“Poor Morgan.”
“Aye,” Barney agreed. “It was a hard time for the captain, not knowing where his sister was. If she was safe.”
“Didn’t they have any family who could help?” she asked.
Barney shook his head. “His father had been a British lord who lost his title and had come to America to make his way. The only family they had was back in England. Winston swore to Morgan’s father that he would send Morgan and Penelope back to England if anything should happen to him.”
“And Winston betrayed them.”
“Aye. In more ways than one.” His look turned dark, murderous. “I was with Morgan the day he found out that his father hadn’t died in an accident like Winston had said. The old bast—” He cleared his throat again. “Winston killed Morgan’s father.”
Serenity’s mouth dropped at his declaration. Morgan’s father had been murdered? “Why did he kill him?”
“Greed. Winston wanted the shipping
“I met Morgan when he was just a boy. I guess he was about thirteen back then.” He smiled fondly, reminding her of a father who was thinking of his favored son. “Ah, he was tall and strong and honest. A good boy to his very core.”
“What made him join the navy?”
His smile died and anger darkened his face. “He didn’t join willingly. That bastard—Isaiah Winston—had done gone and sold the poor boy off to the British navy. I’d been impressed about a year afore that. Not that it mattered to me back then. Being at sea’s all that I cared about. Didn’t matter what ship I sailed on. But it mattered to Morgan.”
Serenity took deep gulping breaths and tried to steady herself. “Why did the man sell him to the navy? Was he his father?”
“Nay, lass. Winston was no father, just an evil bastard through and through. He’d been the business partner of the captain’s father. And when the boy’s father died, Winston didn’t want no responsibility for him. He wanted profits, humanity be damned.”
Serenity knew the type of man all too well. And she despised such people. “You helped Morgan fit in?” she asked, changing the topic before she made Barney so mad he’d leave her.
“Well,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I tried, but you got to understand, Morgan has a mind of his own. His own way of doing things. He has an order he expects everything and everyone to follow, and when someone gets out of line, it knocks him off keel. Those Brits don’t follow that order. And Morgan was always too much of a fighter for his own good. If he thought he was right, he’d wrestle a den full of lions and not stop until they either killed him, or he had ’em tamed.”
Barney shook his head. “Of course, it didn’t help none that Morgan was terrified for his sister.”
“His sister?”
Morgan had a sister?
“Aye, Penelope. She was a small slip of a thing. Pretty and gentle as any fawn ever born.”
“Where is she?”
The light faded from his eyes. “Dead. She died about fifteen years ago.” Barney stroked Pesty’s head. “She was just about twelve at the time their father died. Morgan was afraid Winston would be using her in wrong ways or be selling her off to a whore…” He cleared his throat and bowed his head in embarrassment. “A place young girls shouldn’t be.”
Serenity frowned at his words. “Where was their mother?”
“She’d gone on to Mermaid’s Paradise as well.”
“Mermaid’s what?”
“She was dead, too, lass,” he said gently. “Morgan’s mother died of a fever when Morgan was eight.”
Her throat tight, Serenity couldn’t imagine how horrible it must have been for them to find themselves without parents. Her mother’s death had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to face. Even nine years later, she missed her mother so much it hurt.
What would it be like to lose her entire family?
She couldn’t even imagine it.
“Poor Morgan.”
“Aye,” Barney agreed. “It was a hard time for the captain, not knowing where his sister was. If she was safe.”
“Didn’t they have any family who could help?” she asked.
Barney shook his head. “His father had been a British lord who lost his title and had come to America to make his way. The only family they had was back in England. Winston swore to Morgan’s father that he would send Morgan and Penelope back to England if anything should happen to him.”
“And Winston betrayed them.”
“Aye. In more ways than one.” His look turned dark, murderous. “I was with Morgan the day he found out that his father hadn’t died in an accident like Winston had said. The old bast—” He cleared his throat again. “Winston killed Morgan’s father.”
Serenity’s mouth dropped at his declaration. Morgan’s father had been murdered? “Why did he kill him?”
“Greed. Winston wanted the shipping
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