understands the complexity of the situation, he’ll realize he can’t expect us to agree to his plan.”
Everyone nodded their assent, though some muttered that they’d just as soon have a pirate for a husband asa colonist. It was clear the women were divided on the subject of choosing husbands.
“For my own part,” Queenie said, “I don’t want to be tied down to just one man when there’s an island full for the takin’.”
When the others burst into laughter, Sara bit back a smile. It would be interesting to see how Captain Horn would handle incorrigible “soiled doves” like Queenie. An island full of convicts and pirates wasn’t likely to be the utopia he envisioned. And maybe once the scoundrel realized that matters could hardly work out to his satisfaction, he’d be reasonable.
But somehow she doubted it.
Gideon sat at his desk with a whetstone, sharpening his saber. His hand slipped and he nicked a finger. Cursing, he wiped the blood on his leather vest. It was dangerous to have a blade in his hand when Sara Willis was on his mind.
Laying the saber in his lap, he stared blankly at the door. He couldn’t believe he’d let her rattle him so badly. Confound the woman! She was an albatross about his neck. If it weren’t for her, his conscience would be easy about taking the convict women from the Chastity . The women would be happy, he and his men would be happy, and everything would be just fine.
If it weren’t for Miss Willis. Barnaby was right: they should have left the blasted woman on the Chastity . Then her brother—no, her stepbrother—could have dealt with her as he saw fit.
With a curse, Gideon tossed the whetstone onto his desk. What kind of brother was the man, anyway, to let a woman like her go to sea with a lot of convict women? The Earl of Blackmore ought to be horsewhipped. Gideon would never have let any sister of his—or even a stepsister, for that matter—do such a fool thing, and certainly not one who was gently bred.
He groaned. Now she had him thinking like a blastedEnglishman. It didn’t matter that she was gently bred. She was no better than any of those convict women, and she deserved no better treatment than the rest.
Besides, it wasn’t as if she were defenseless, not with that sharp tongue of hers. But he’d make her toe the line, even if he had to stop up her mouth with a gag to quiet her.
Her mouth. God help him, he could think of better ways to stop up that one’s mouth…more pleasurable ways. For just a second, he let himself imagine what it would be like to kiss those impudent lips, to feel them part beneath his and—
There was a knock at the door, and he started, dragging his thoughts away from the delectable Miss Willis with a groan. “Come in,” he growled as he took up the whetstone once more.
Barnaby entered with another of Gideon’s men, and between them they dragged a mouse of a seaman whom he didn’t recognize. “We found this one hiding in the longboat, captain.” Barnaby thrust the man forward none too gently. “We think he came from the Chastity .”
Gideon cast the man a stern glance. Without saying anything, he began once more to sharpen his saber, watching as the man paled. He stroked the saber’s already razor-sharp blade with the whetstone, letting the snick of stone against steel echo in the cabin several times before he spoke. “Pray tell me,” he said calmly, “who are you, and what are you doing aboard my ship?”
Although the man’s hands shook, his gaze didn’t waver from Gideon’s. “My name’s Peter Hargraves, sir. I sneaked aboard while you were havin’ the women moved to the Satyr . I…I want to be a pirate sir.”
Another seeker for riches. “And why would you want that? It’s not an easy life, you know. You have to work hard for the gold, and do some unsavory things.”
Hargraves looked a little ill, but he stood straighter. “Well, sir…um…the truth is, I got little choice. I’dbeen
Everyone nodded their assent, though some muttered that they’d just as soon have a pirate for a husband asa colonist. It was clear the women were divided on the subject of choosing husbands.
“For my own part,” Queenie said, “I don’t want to be tied down to just one man when there’s an island full for the takin’.”
When the others burst into laughter, Sara bit back a smile. It would be interesting to see how Captain Horn would handle incorrigible “soiled doves” like Queenie. An island full of convicts and pirates wasn’t likely to be the utopia he envisioned. And maybe once the scoundrel realized that matters could hardly work out to his satisfaction, he’d be reasonable.
But somehow she doubted it.
Gideon sat at his desk with a whetstone, sharpening his saber. His hand slipped and he nicked a finger. Cursing, he wiped the blood on his leather vest. It was dangerous to have a blade in his hand when Sara Willis was on his mind.
Laying the saber in his lap, he stared blankly at the door. He couldn’t believe he’d let her rattle him so badly. Confound the woman! She was an albatross about his neck. If it weren’t for her, his conscience would be easy about taking the convict women from the Chastity . The women would be happy, he and his men would be happy, and everything would be just fine.
If it weren’t for Miss Willis. Barnaby was right: they should have left the blasted woman on the Chastity . Then her brother—no, her stepbrother—could have dealt with her as he saw fit.
With a curse, Gideon tossed the whetstone onto his desk. What kind of brother was the man, anyway, to let a woman like her go to sea with a lot of convict women? The Earl of Blackmore ought to be horsewhipped. Gideon would never have let any sister of his—or even a stepsister, for that matter—do such a fool thing, and certainly not one who was gently bred.
He groaned. Now she had him thinking like a blastedEnglishman. It didn’t matter that she was gently bred. She was no better than any of those convict women, and she deserved no better treatment than the rest.
Besides, it wasn’t as if she were defenseless, not with that sharp tongue of hers. But he’d make her toe the line, even if he had to stop up her mouth with a gag to quiet her.
Her mouth. God help him, he could think of better ways to stop up that one’s mouth…more pleasurable ways. For just a second, he let himself imagine what it would be like to kiss those impudent lips, to feel them part beneath his and—
There was a knock at the door, and he started, dragging his thoughts away from the delectable Miss Willis with a groan. “Come in,” he growled as he took up the whetstone once more.
Barnaby entered with another of Gideon’s men, and between them they dragged a mouse of a seaman whom he didn’t recognize. “We found this one hiding in the longboat, captain.” Barnaby thrust the man forward none too gently. “We think he came from the Chastity .”
Gideon cast the man a stern glance. Without saying anything, he began once more to sharpen his saber, watching as the man paled. He stroked the saber’s already razor-sharp blade with the whetstone, letting the snick of stone against steel echo in the cabin several times before he spoke. “Pray tell me,” he said calmly, “who are you, and what are you doing aboard my ship?”
Although the man’s hands shook, his gaze didn’t waver from Gideon’s. “My name’s Peter Hargraves, sir. I sneaked aboard while you were havin’ the women moved to the Satyr . I…I want to be a pirate sir.”
Another seeker for riches. “And why would you want that? It’s not an easy life, you know. You have to work hard for the gold, and do some unsavory things.”
Hargraves looked a little ill, but he stood straighter. “Well, sir…um…the truth is, I got little choice. I’dbeen
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