Capturing the Pirate's Heart (The Emerald Quest Book 1) by Annie Seaton

usually filled
her. A maybe-pirate and a pirate ship would not deter her from her planned
course. She would continue with her quest and seek out the emerald and diamond
necklace and then travel back to England to triumphantly restore the family
estate. And if that meant spending some time masquerading as the doxy of a man
who may be a pirate—or not—so be it.
    Madeleine stood and reached around to the back of her dress and
began to unlace the ties holding it together at her waist.
    ***
    The wind was
blowing stiffly from the south and it carried the smell of a squall not far
off. The sails snapped sharply as Sébastien crossed the deck to the wheelhouse
and took over the steering. He listened as Mr. Abrahams informed him of their
bearings before the first mate went below deck to break his fast. They were
close to Grande Terre and about to enter the narrow channel separating the
island from the reed marshes of the delta country where Jean-Luc had his
trading outpost, and they would reprovision the vessel. They must be quick.
There was no time to lose. Sébastien observed the crew at work as he steered
the boat through the rising waves. There was a big blow coming and he hoped
they would be berthed safely in the shelter of Barataria Bay before it caught
them. He would stay on board to ensure Madeleine’s safety and send only a small
party to shore to get the provisions. He also had no desire to see his
half-brother. He wanted Jean-Luc to have no inkling of his future plans.
Sébastien cast his gaze around the vessel as he decided who to send to shore.
    The sail maker and his idler were repairing a torn sail which was
spread across the top deck. Young Jake was sitting on a barrel watching them;
the swelling on his eye had gone down a little, and shades of purple and blue
were high on his cheek. Sébastien slowly scanned the decks above and below his
vantage point as the strong wind filled the sails and the vessel picked up
speed. The boatswain was supervising the Africans as they scrubbed the lower
deck. Sébastien allowed himself a brief smile; they were more energetic than any
of his crew when deck washing was underway. The three new crewmen were nowhere
to be seen and he narrowed his eyes. At this time of the morning all crew
should be above deck and working at one duty or another. There were always
tasks to be done to keep the vessel in good order. He was a hard, but fair
taskmaster, and his crew was well used to his ways. For a moment, he considered
putting the three new men ashore at Barataria Bay. He could not afford to have
a less than committed crew, but then he realized that they would need a full
contingent for this mission and there was no time to rouse up new crewmen. They
would soon learn the ways of his vessel.
    “Bear into the wind, Mr. Abrahams.” The first mate had come back up
the ladder and had taken over the wheel from Sébastien. “There’s a squall
coming from behind. Grande Isle is three miles off.” Sébastien pointed to the
boiling clouds in the south.
    “Aye, Captain.”
    They had made good time and would navigate the narrow channel
between the two large islands into the bay before the weather broke. Sébastien
turned to the first mate before he headed to the upper deck to speak to the
cabin boy. “Where are the new crewmen? I will send them to shore to help with
the provisions when we anchor in the bay.”
    Perhaps if he entrusted them with a measure of responsibility, they
would feel more like part of the crew.
    Mr. Abrahams gestured with a toss of his head toward the bowsprit.
“All three are checking the stays of the foremast, sir. After the fouled
rigging yesterday, I have set the crew to check every rope and every stay on
the vessel.” He grinned. “I don’t think they are used to being so meticulous.”
    “Well, if they are to stay on the Maiden they will soon learn
they must be.” As he walked toward the upper deck, Sébastien glanced up to the
rigging. All looked to be in order