Unexpected Treasure: A High Seas Adventure (4 page)

She stood waiting for him on deck. He offered her his arm and she accepted, allowing him to lead her towards his first mate. Sanders cleared his throat. “How is the baby?” He cleared his throat again.

Rex raised his eye brows at his friend. They should have been talking about the pirate attack rather than the state of a few passengers. Apparently Rex wasn’t the only one who had his mind on other things. “Thomas is well. As is Anne.”

He nodded, looking relieved. “Glad to hear it. I was worried for her bein’ so limp and all.”

“That’s very kind.” Sarah gave Sanders a glowing smile and Rex felt himself prickle with jealousy.

Sanders looked slightly awestruck and Rex quickly changed the subject. He could not watch another man drool over her. “What’s happening out there?”

His first mate snapped back to attention and handed him the spyglass. Rex took it frowning. He still smarted with jealousy. Sarah had never smiled at him like that and he had saved her life. With a grimace, he raised the glass to his face.

The pirates were boarding the Anna Marie. “Take a look.” He handed the instrument to Sarah.

She let out a gasp and then stomped her foot. “They are taking all of our things,” she cried indignantly.

He grinned. “Should we go get them back?”

“Why yes, we should.” Her eyebrows rose up. “Should I return below deck?”

“Only if you want to. My men will not harm you and pirates will never board this ship, except as prisoners.”
“I don’t know,” she hesitated.

“Would you feel better if I left you with a pistol? I can show you how to fire it.” Rex was not sure how she would answer but privately he hoped she would agree. It would give her some measure of control and confidence she sorely needed.

***

Sarah assessed the man before her. Rex was absolutely full of surprises. He was the son of a Duke. Her uncle, Lord Westford, was powerful but Rex’s father could crush him in an instant. They could also be friends. In which case, she would be delivered right back into his cruel hands.

But Rex offered to teach her how to fire a pistol. It would make her feel safer, more in control to be able to fire a weapon. Slowly she nodded.

“Excellent. Come this way, we’ll fire off the side of the boat.” he began to lead her away from Sanders.

“Don’t you have to prepare for the pirates?” she asked tentatively.

“The difficulty with men like One Eye is catching them. This part is easy.” He pulled a gun from his belt. “Watch closely. First you pack this with powder, then you drop in these balls. Pull back this hammer and…” He pulled the trigger, firing into the water. “Do you want to try?”

She nodded, then cautiously took the gun from his hand. Taking her time, she followed his steps. Finally, she aimed it at the water. Slowly her finger squeezed the trigger until the gun jolted back in her hand, releasing the bullet.

“Excellent,” he exclaimed.

Sarah took a deep breath; it was exhilarating. “Can I try it again?”

“Absolutely.” He handed her his bag of powder.

She shot four times, feeling more confident with each one.

“Keep the powder and the gun while I am aboard One Eye’s ship.”
“You’ll get on his ship?” She felt fear trickle down her spine. In an instant she realized she didn’t want anything to happen to him.

He must have heard the fear in her voice because his hand came up and touched her arm. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.” His look was soft as he stroked her arm. Then he turned to leave.

Watching him walk away, Sarah held her breath. He stopped to place a new pistol in his belt and then add a saber and a cutlass. His shoulder’s flexed with the movement. Muscles rippled under his shirt. Never had she been aware of a man the way she was of him. Strength emanated from him and she could feel his male energy. It was so palpable, she could almost reach out and touch it.

He had been correct, when he said that while she seemed of afraid of many things, she wasn’t frightened of him. From the first moment they had met, instead of freezing up, she had actually bit him. He hadn’t even gotten upset. What had given her the courage to do that and why had he allowed it? He was so much larger than her.

“Rex,” she called across the deck. Lifting her skirts, she crossed over to where he stood now loaded up with weapons. His crew stood around him, and though she didn’t know most of them, she felt less afraid. “Thank you,” she said as her hand touched his.

He gave her a wink and then turned towards the pirate ship.

As if on cue, an explosion split the air and Sarah ducked. A cannonball flew well over the top of the boat and Sarah watched it arc across the sky until it splashed down into the water.

“Take out their mast!” Rex’s voice boomed.

“Fire,” Sanders yelled. Another blast split the air, the entire ship vibrating. Unlike the pirate’s shot, their aim was true and Sarah watched as their main mast seemed to shatter, splintering wood over the deck of the ship. “Now aim for their cannons. Disable them.”

A few more cannon shots sent the pirates scurrying over their deck, hiding for cover. Rex gave a signal his boat sailed right up next to the pirate vessel.

Grappling hooks sailed over the rail through the sky. The clank of metal against wood rang through the air as each hook hit its mark. Within a second, men began jumping over the rail sailing towards the other deck.

Almost immediately, the shouts of men and the sound of metal hitting metal filled the air. Sarah gripped the butt of her pistol tighter as she waited on the deck. The pirate ship was lower than Rex’s vessel so she could not see the action only hear it. She inched towards the rail, wanting to know what was happening but afraid she might get caught in the crossfire.

It occurred to her that she faced a far worse death then being hit by a stray bullet. She could have drowned in the ocean or, worse, be returned to her uncle. Rex might need her help.

Just as she reached the rail to look down at the other vessel a pirate, wearing near rags, climbed one of the ropes towards the deck she stood on. Slowly she raised the pistol. She took a deep breath. She had to be strong. If this pirate made it on the ship, she would need to defend her friends.

“Aghhhh,” the man screamed as he fell into the water.

Rex stood just below her with his pistol pointed up towards her. He winked again. Then another pirate ran towards him and the clanging of swords rent the air. Sarah held her pistol firm but Rex easily subdued the pirate and then another. His men were efficiently                                                                             defeating the pirates.

The Anna Marie floated on the other side of the pirate vessel but it seemed to Sarah that is was tilting at an odd angle. She only glanced at it a moment before the battling men caught her attention again. Rex fended off three more pirates so that only a handful still fought.

His movements were fluid and graceful with a strength she could have never imagined. It was almost beautiful to watch him fight.

Mrs. Flannery joined her on the deck, “Oh my. Did I miss all of the action?”

Sarah grinned, “It didn’t last that long.”

“I can see that. Our Mr. Masters is most… competent.”

Sarah turned towards the other woman. “I didn’t get the impression you were terribly fond of him.”

Mrs. Flannery shrugged, “I don’t trust handsome unmarried men as a general rule. Especially when I am travelling with two young, unmarried woman. And it is no secret that he is more than a little interested in you.”

Sarah blushed. It pleased her to hear it but she it made her skin heat, nonetheless. “Oh don’t be silly―“

“Sarah, I didn’t want to have this conversation in front of Anne. But I can tell when a woman is running and scared. You’re both. I wouldn’t tell you to give up your virtue easily but if it is life or death, you might consider throwing yourself on the good Mr. Masters’ mercy.”

Sarah looked at the older woman openmouthed. Was she actually telling her to become Rex’s mistress? As a lady, the thought had never occurred to her. But perhaps if she were, she could convince Rex to take her to America and her aunt, instead of England. A plan started forming. A mistress was a temporary position but then she could go to America claiming to be a widow like Anne. Her friend would surely keep her secret.  “I’ll have to think on it,” she mumbled, her hand gripping the pistol tighter. Picturing Rex, shirtless and holding her tight, she had to admit, at least to herself, that part of her simply wanted him.

“Do consider it, and try to decide how much Rex really is interested in you. I have judged it to be a great deal but only you will be able to tell if he wants you enough to keep you safe after he has gotten this treasure.”

Sarah looked at the other woman perplexed, treasure?  The other woman’s eyebrows raised in what was meant to be a meaningful look.

“Didn’t your mother tell you about―“

Sarah shook her head, “My mother died in child birth. My father raised me until last year and neither my governess nor my lady’s maid―anyway, no one ever explained what a woman actually gives a man―“

“Who is giving what to a man?” Rex was suddenly next to her.

Sarah jumped in fright and without meaning to, she pointed the pistol towards him. “You frightened me!”

He eyed her with suspicion then gently removed the pistol from her hand. “It is one thing to bite me, it is quite another to shoot me.”

“Oh dear, I didn’t mean to…” Sarah spluttered through an explanation.

“It’s quite all right. But one of the first rules is never aim a gun you’re aren’t intending to shoot. Now tell me what are you giving to a man?”

She felt heat travel all through her body, staining her cheeks bright pink. She was spared answering as several pirates were carried aboard the ship.

A man with an eye patch gave her a long look as he was escorted by. Rex straightened and his hand came to her back. Mrs. Flannery gave her a knowing stare.

“As soon as we get the prisoners on board, I will go assess the fate of the Anna Marie and get your trunks.” The hand, stationed on her back, began a rhythmic stroking.

His light touch was making it difficult to think or to breathe. Unable to answer, she simply nodded. Could she ever actually go through what Mrs. Flannery was proposing? Could she not?

UNEXPECTED TREASURE

CHAPTER FIVE

Rex stood on
the deck of the Anna Marie. The ship was dying a slow death. It had a hole in the keel. It had taken on a great deal of water and it would sink in a matter of hours. His crew was racing to get the personal belongings of the ship’s passengers off of the boat and then they would make straight for London. He wanted the pirates off his ship.

Deep in his heart, he was glad the Anna Marie wasn’t able to sail. He wasn’t ready to say good bye to his beautiful little mystery.

Briefly another woman flashed in his mind. The one he was supposed to have saved. The one he was supposed to have married.

It wasn’t that he was sad at her individual loss. He’d never even met her. But his intended had been terribly abused by her uncle and he had missed rescuing her by mere hours, maybe even minutes. A cold trickle ran down his spine. Her uncle. Wasn’t Sarah running from her uncle? The woman he was to wed, Lady Sarah Wentworth, next in line for an earldom, was being terrorized by the current Earl, her Uncle Lord Francis Wentworth? Hadn’t Mrs. Flannery told him that she talked of Uncle Francis in her sleep?

“Bloody hell,” he cursed, thumping the wall with a fist. His Sarah could not be Lady Sarah could it? There were too many similarities to ignore but he had attended Lady Sarah’s funeral.

He rubbed his forehead. The uncle, upon inheriting the title had wanted to dispose of his brother’s heir, not that he had any of his own. And he had been attempting to do it in the most humiliating way possible. He had first removed her from society, dispatched all servants, forced her into rags for clothing. There were even rumors that he wasn’t allowing her food. Finally, he had attempted to sell her to the highest bidder in a gentleman’s club. Not for marriage, but simply for a man’s pleasure. He had assembled some of the lowliest characters on London for the event.