A Pirate Princess (14 page)

Continuing onto the deck, Cori walked bravely to one side of the ship and sat down on a long, intricately designed, ivory bench. Overlooking the sea was nothing new to Cori but seeing it for the beauty, freedom, and happiness it
now symbolized was something she was not accustomed to. For as long as she could remember, the sea had been her prison and
The Beloved Loss
was her barred cell. Now, it seemed tranquil and inviting, as if washing away Cori’s past and opening up countless doors for her to open and explore.

“Excuse me, Mademoiselle.” A familiar voice called strongly from the helm.

Cori looked toward the powerful wheel and the captain who controlled it with a smile. She rose from her seat and left her thoughts behind as she walked across the mahogany covered deck, up a sturdy set of stairs, stopping when she reached Burke’s side. “Do you need something from me, Captain Belcourt?” Cori asked with a shy smile.

Burke could see pain, fear, and confusion behind Cori’s big brown eyes. He wanted so badly to hold her in his arms, tell her all would be fine soon, and promise her a
long, happy, carefree life to make up for the one she had been cheated of so far. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, Burke. I
’m just a little nervous. Any sign of
The Beloved
Loss
?” She asked.

He chuckled at her concern,
“We are almost back to the beach where your father’s ship sat the last time we saw it. Can you believe that we were sneaking through the village, stealing fruit and fish this time yesterday morning?”

She shook her head negatively, “No, it all feels like a dream.”

“Well, it’s not. We’re here, safe and sound. Speaking of dreams, it would be best for you to go lay down for a while. We should be closing in on that part of the island any minute now. I’m not sure what to expect, but do you remember what I asked you to do?” Burke prompted gently.

Cori knew exactly
what he was talking about, “I shall go lock myself in. I just wanted to see what was going on first.”

“Rest for a
while. Try to take a nap, alright?”

“Alright, Burke.”

Acel stood with his arms
folded across his chest, “I do not understand, Burke. They were right here! I’m telling you, we damaged
The Beloved Loss
pretty bad. There is no way they could have fixed all of that overnight. By the time we left to look for you last night it was already getting dark. It’s not even noon yet! Where could they have gone?”

“I’
m not sure, Ace.” Burke answered skeptically, “But I know someone who knows their captain better than any of us.”

“You really think Corisanda will help you search for her father’s ship?
I cannot imagine her wanting them harmed, Burke. There is something wrong with that picture,” Ace said dismally.

Burke nodded his head,
“Nah, Cori does not want them harmed. She wants them arrested but not hurt. Cori has not said any of that but I know it’s how she feels.”

“
She’s not a beginner on the subject of ship attacks. Corisanda must know that a harmless detainment may not even be possible. Her father is not going to surrender without a fight. What if he’s killed, Burke? Will she hate us for it later? More importantly, could she hate
you
for it later?” Acel questioned, rattling at high speed again.

“No, I think she’
s prepared for the worst.” Burke paused momentarily, wondering how to explain Cori. He barely even knew her, yet considered himself her closest companion. “Cori has had an unbelievably hard life and her father hates her. She does not want him killed but I think Cori shall pay any cost for freedom.”

“I guess we should call her. Let
’s see if she knows anything,” Acel suggested.

“She seemed tired, I told her to go rest. Can we
not let her sleep a little while?” Burke mumbled tenderly.

“Burke Landis Belcourt! We are in the middle of a mission for King Louis XIV and you want to put everything on pause, while our enemies escape into the unknown
, so that
your girlfriend
can sleep a little while?” Acel asked incredulously, this was not the Burke he knew!

“She
is not my girlfriend, Ace! She is just, well, she is my friend, okay? And she just happens to be a girl. That does not make her my girlfriend, it’s not like I’m courting her or anything!” Burke scolded.

“Okay,
am I allowed to court her then?”

“No!”

“So she is a girl, she is your friend, and no one is allowed to court her. That sounds like she’s your girlfriend. What’s your plan with all of this, Burke? Are you going to ditch Odelia, marry Corisanda and live happily ever after, or what?” Acel asked in indignation.

“No, I told you that already.” Burke snapped wearily, then lowering his vo
ice he calmly continued, “I do not plan to do anything. I plan to marry Odelia, free Corisanda, and never think of her or my own happiness again! It’s that simple!”

The First M
ate of
The Heart of Calais
sighed, “It is not like you to just resign yourself to something you do not have to do. That is not the Burke I know.”

“What choice do I have? If I refuse to marry
Odelia then Lord Orson will take the matter to King Louis who shall strip me of my title and arrest me for
raping
Odelia. I would have to flee before Odelia found out she had been jilted, give up my life as the Count of Calais, and live by sea permanently to escape a prison sentence! What kind of life would that be for Cori? She has lived that way her whole life and hates it.” He said, shaking his head sadly.

Acel took a deep breath, “Look, I
do not know what you should do. All I know is that we are on a mission and I am your First Mate. It’s my duty to keep you on track,
Captain
. Are you going to ask Corisanda where her father is or are we just going to let him go and sail around hoping to run into him somewhere?”

“Yes, I’
ll go talk to her. Take care of my ship and if you spot
The Beloved Loss
just yell for me,” Burke mumbled.

“Cori? Are you awake?” Burke asked in a whisper as he cracked open his door.

“Yes, here I am.” The lovely brunette answered from
Burke’s lavish wardrobe closet. “I was admiring all your clothes; you must be very good at your career to afford all you have.” Cori had never seen a pirate who wore stainless, pressed designer suits.

Burke smiled at her enthusia
sm, “When we get to France we shall buy you some gowns befitting your beauty. I will take you to the best shops Calais has to offer. If you would like, you could go with me to Versailles or Paris and have dresses made for you by the same tailor who assists the Queen. How would you like that?”

“Oh,” Cori whispered with a smile. “I
do not know! That would be wonderful, but I shall need to be careful with my spending until I find a stable job.”

The thought of Cori working as a servant somewhere or in a merchant shop crossed Burke’s mind and made him shiver violently. Cori deserved a title. She
deserved nobility and a life of privilege and ease. He was sure she would marry a titled Lord and not need to worry about finances, once again prompting his own feelings for her. Trying to focus on the present situation, he changed the subject. “Cori, I need to ask you a very important question about your father.”

Cori
was startled by his abruptness but she nodded her head in agreement. “What is it?”

“
The Beloved Loss
is not where it was when we left it yesterday morning. It was there last night when Acel left to find us, but it’s gone now. Acel claims there was quite a bit of damage done to the ship so it should still be in the repair process. Could they be hiding somewhere here on the island?” He asked patiently, hoping she would have information.

Cori pondered his question for a moment then shrugged her shoulders in confusion, “My father is popular
here in Hispaniola. This is where he feels safe to dock on the shore and not be in any hurry to leave. He must be somewhere on this island.”

“There are other islands close, Cori. Jamaica and Ponce Puerto Rico are not far. What about Cuba?” Burke prompted.

“No! He is terrified of Cuba and blames the island for all the pain he has felt in the last eighteen years. The people of Ponce Puerto Rico do not like my father because of a trading agreement that went wrong years ago. He could be in Jamaica, but that’s a risky travel with a damaged ship. It was already in bad shape after the attack at sea. They must still be here,” Cori insisted.

Burke was apprehensive but decided to trust her,
“Alright, and you have no idea where they might be hiding on this island?”

Cori motioned for Burke to follow as she walked out
of the captain’s quarters, through the long hallway, up the stairs, and onto the deck. “We are in Port -au- Prince. And as you said, this is where we last saw
The Beloved Loss
. When
The Heart of Calais
located us this morning we were on the other side of Santa Domingo, close to La Romana. My father’s Hispaniola allies are in three cities, Port –au- Prince, Saint Marc, and Puerto Plata. Obviously they are no longer in Port –au- Prince. They must be in Saint Marc or Puerto Plata. I have no doubt.”

Burke questioned her decision worriedly, “Cori, we really cannot afford to waste any time.”

“Believe me, I know. It pains me to betray my father, but I know it must be done. You do something wrong and you’ll have to pay the price, right? Saint Marc is only a few hours north,” she assured.

“Where is Puerto Plata?”

“It’s a full day journey from here with my father’s ship but with your faster vessel we could probably reach it sometime tonight. They have a head start on us so we need to get going. If we are lucky we can catch up before they reach their destination. If
The Beloved Loss
is damaged they will be forced to sail slower than usual,” she explained as she walked toward the Helm. Burke was following her as a puppy would its master.

When Cori reached the massive wheel where Acel stood waiting, she pointed her finger north
. “We are going to Saint Marc, Sir. We are in a hurry! Can you handle the ship?” She asked courteously.

“Yes, Mademoiselle Corisanda,” Acel agreed as he whistled at Burke’s lingering crew to get busy. The ship rolled into action and they were suddenly in attack-mode. Chasing
The Beloved Loss
would be no easy feat, even though it was in need of repair.

“Burke, I sha
ll be here with Acel. You are exhausted and filthy. Please, help yourself to your room that you so kindly let me share. Bathe, nap! We will be fine and I shall call you if we are in need of your assistance, alright?” Cori posed her proposition as a question but in a tone that demanded no negative reply. She shooed him across the deck and toward the stairs.

“Are you sure you do not need me?” He questioned in reluctance.

“Yes, I’m positive. Now go!”

As Burke consented and made his way to the luxurious bath awaiting him he marveled at Cori’s leadership, intelligence, and care.
She has every quality a man could need or want. Please Lord,
he prayed silently as he slipped his foot into the steaming bathwater,
just let Odelia fall off the ship unnoticed.

Unfortunately for Burke, Odelia was not that easy to get rid of. She sat on the deck urging her seasickness to pass. The wealthy woman stared at the dark haired, dark skinned, dark eyed, long legged, slender, seductive woman who was drawing a smile from every man aboard
The Heart of Calais
. She was talking quietly to Acel and Quain, both seeming to agree with every word she spoke. “Mademoiselle Corisanda is a lovely girl. Would you not agree, Lady Odelia?” Leala asked as she returned with Odelia’s snack.

“No! She i
s despicable,” Odelia barked. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Oh, I do apologize for your anger. She seems so kind and loving. I assumed you would concur,” Leala mischievously said.

“Ha! She is just a sea pirate! I am sure she shall be imprisoned by King Louis as soon as she is taken to France. She annoys Burke, I can tell,” Odelia spitefully suggested.

Leala knew she should not continue, but could not resist one last jibe.
“Really? He seems quite taken with her to me.”

“HE IS NOT TAKEN WITH HER! He sha
ll marry me, do you understand? No one can change that!” Odelia screeched.

“
Of course, Lady Odelia. It would be awful for you if he found a way out of your master plan. You would have to find some new arrangement to trick him with,” Leala snidely replied.

She could feel Odelia’s hateful glares as she walked away to help Davet with dinner. Leala cared ve
ry little for Odelia’s approval. She disliked the bratty Lady for deceiving Burke and snaring him with her conniving ruse.
It would be wonderful for a good man like Burke to marry Mademoiselle Corisanda. She would be a suitable wife, not Odelia!