Читать книгу Within A Captain's Treasure - Lisa A. Olech - Страница 12

Alice had worked herself into an exhausted knot and curled up against a coil of rope to sleep. Quinn had to wake her. Kgosi was dead and Quinn needed to tell her her vigil was over. She’d been at the side of the sick slave prince for two straight days, but now it was over. Kgosi had died with honor and dignity, and his guardian Tau had stood over him and protected him from all. Another day at sea and they would be able to return the fallen prince to the rest of his people.

During the last days, Alice had shown him the extent of her tenacity. She was indeed a force to be reckoned with. One moment she’d be singing lullabies, and the next she’d be railing at him about how the entire population of men were nothing but stubborn mules. Spooning broth and staring down Tau when he refused food. Cooling Kgosi’s skin with damp cloths. Dropping water between dry lips. She never complained once about anything other than the steadfast determination of her patient to die.

Quinn was present when she breached the stoic wall of Tau and tended his wounds while Kgosi rested. She talked to him the entire time cleaning and bandaging his injuries. He spoke to her as well, but without Neo close by, they were lost to anything but each other’s tone of voice. At one point, Tau reached out and lifted the thick braid of Alice’s hair from her shoulder and made a gentle comment.

“I wish I knew what you were saying.” She smiled at him. “Didn’t sound like a curse this time. I’m keeping a count. Does this mean you’ve joined the ranks of men not horrified to have a woman aboard?” She laid a hand on his finished dressings. “I’ll take your silence for a yes.”

And Quinn wasn’t the only one to take notice. Instead of alienating herself from his crew, her actions had only served to win over many of the men. They all called her Tupper now.

Robbins kept asking her for news of Captain Steele and his wife. Or as she’d corrected him, it was Lord Steele, now. He had become a marques. Quinn had to admit, when he’d heard Alice tell Robbins of Jaxon and Annalise’s blessed life and dear infant son, the ensuing slice of envy had stung deep.

Alice was steadfast in her work. She’d spent every minute above deck. Sleeping little and eating less. Even Neo had good words for her. She’d only lost her temper and composure once more in his presence, and that was simply out of frustration for the certainty of Kgosi’s outcome.

Even Bump had taken a fancy to her. Alice had ruffled his hair once in passing and Bump had begun following her about her duties as a duckling attaches himself to a mother duck. In fact, there were only a handful of men left not impressed by her. Jessup was leading the pack.

Had Quinn had a change of heart as well? He frowned as he watched her sleep and noticed the new sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Why was it so hard for him to acknowledge her presence and be done? Carry on as if having her here was of no consequence? Why had he spent the last two days finding every excuse possible to keep her within his sight?

She was his last thought at night as he lay in his bed, and his first thought come morning. Even that he could explain away given the oddity of a woman aboard, but it was more than a sense of protection for her.

No, it was the dark, dream-filled hours within those long nights that caused the most unsettled thoughts. He’d been correct. The vision of her in tight breeches continued to haunt the cloistered part of his mind. And his body. Damn it, he was only human. He’d shielded himself from women for a dozen years, and here was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary situation. Of course he’d pay attention to her—to all the soft curves of her, and the memory of a tender pale thigh.

Gavin rubbed a weary hand over his eyes hoping to erase the vision in his mind. He could make all the rational explanations necessary, but the truth of the matter screamed louder than an angry gull. He was captivated by the good Mistress Tupper, as was most of his crew. If he were to keep his head, he needed to stay more than a fair distance away from her. The sooner they turned this ship in the direction of Virginia, the better.

Quinn knelt by her side. “Tupper?” He quelled the urge to brush the stray wisps of hair from her cheek. “Alice?” He lowered his gaze to her lips. They appeared impossibly soft. A more powerful urge to test them coursed through him.

Lifting his eyes in a slow sweep of her face, he was surprised to meet the green of her gaze. “You’re awake.” Their closeness made the hush of his voice all the more intimate. “I need you…” He cleared the sudden dryness of his throat. “You need to know about Kgosi.”

“I guessed.” Alice brushed her hair away from her face and sighed. “Is it wrong to be grateful?” She worried her lip.

“No.” He fought to keep from reaching out and stroking a finger along that lip.

“I’m saddened by his passing, of course, but I can imagine him strong and vibrant now. Young and proud for eternity.” She glanced past Quinn. “Are Neo and Tau seeing to his body?”

“Aye.” Her continued concern touched him. For him, death was as common as breathing. It was a daily occurrence. Perhaps she was right, he was callous. Time had hardened him. Life had hardened him. For all her bravado, this was still no place for her. The sooner he could get her away, the better.

“Another to commit to the sea. How many does that make?”

Looking into her wide eyes, he couldn’t recall the figure. Too many. “Kgosi’s body will not be buried at sea. We’re close to the coast of Africa now. His people will want to honor him in their own way.”

Alice nodded and stretched her back. Quinn nearly groaned at the innocent yet sensual gesture. He shifted his body to still its impulsive behavior. She scanned the remaining cots. “The rest are doing much better. Proper food, water, and fresh air have done their work.”

“None have worked harder than you.” Gavin stood and offered her his hand. “You’ve proved your worth these last few days.”

Alice shrugged one shoulder as she got to her feet. “Earning my keep. You’ve worked as tireless as any. I see why your crew respects you.”

“Perhaps you’ll find your way to your quarters now. Not a large space, but you’ll be able to sleep on a proper cot and have a bit of privacy. Luxury aboard ship.”

“I don’t need luxury.” She brushed at the seat of her pants.

“Solitude is the only advantage of the space I’ve found for you.”

She straightened her shirt and adjusted her belt. “I didn’t displace someone, did I?”

“Storage is all.” As Alice tidied herself, he couldn’t look away. It was as if she were dressing before him. Never had anything so innocent affect him so sensually. It had been a long time since he’d shared company with a woman. He’d forgotten all the small ways they could beguile a man.

Picking up her ridiculous hat with the feather, she gave him a small smile. “I should thank you.”

Clearing his throat, he shook his head. “Best see it before you offer thanks. You’re dismissed from duties for twenty-four hours. After we’ve delivered Kgosi and the other survivors back to their shores, we set sail for Virginia.”

“Virginia.” She blinked at him and fiddled with her ring.

Something in the tone of her voice caught him as strange. “That was your destination.”

A frown creased the space between her eyebrows. “Yes, I… It’s strange. I somehow got it in my mind I’d never get there.”

“Where did you imagine you’d end up?”

Alice looked toward the bow of the ship and lifted her one shoulder again. “I’ve been too busy to give it much thought.”

“You’ve still got weeks.”

She met his gaze and stood a bit taller. “Then a new life in Virginia.”

Her forced determination struck him as odd. “Isn’t it what you wanted?”

“So much has happened.” Alice glanced once more to where Kgosi had lain. “It’s hard to know exactly what I want.”

The long journey should erase any doubts in her mind. And in his. “As I said, you’ve time to work it out.”

“In the meanwhile, what’s my next duty?”

“For the remainder of your time aboard, you’ll be giving our gunnery master a hand in the armory. It takes a sharp mind. You’ll do well. His name is Malcolm MacTavish. He’s a beast of a Scotsman. Red tartan. Braids in his beard. Smells like sulfur. He’s the brilliance of the Scarlet Night’s red smoke.”

“You used it during your attack on the Delmar.” She nodded. “Stunning effect. How’s it done?”

Quinn snorted. “You’ll have to pry that bit of information out of MacTavish’s dead fist. He shares his secret with no one. Until then….”

He moved closer and crooked his finger. Alice’s eyes widened. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as the lad came from behind her. “Bump will take you to your quarters.”

Was that relief on her face? “Your name is Bump?” She dipped her head when she spoke to him, looking the child in the eye, waiting for an answer which would never come.

“Aye, it suits him.” A few pointing gestures and the lad seemed to understand what he wanted. Quinn patted the boy’s shoulder and urged him forward. Bump slipped his hand in Alice’s and tugged on her to follow him. “He’s not much of a talker given the fact he can’t hear a word you’re saying.”

As Bump pulled her away, Alice shot a hard look back over her shoulder. “Why on earth is a deaf child living aboard a pirate ship?”

Quinn folded his arms over his chest. Ah, the makings of another battle for another time. Why was he deriving so much pleasure out of fighting with this woman? Better to fight than to explore other pleasures, surely. He mimicked the way she shrugged a shoulder. “Someone needed to show you to your quarters.”

* * * *

Of all the flippant… “Did you see the look he gave me?” Alice spoke to the back of the child’s head. Of course he didn’t see. “What is the man thinking? You’re a child. You shouldn’t be aboard even if you could hear. Who’s taking care of you? Protecting you?”

“Good morn,’ Tupper,” Finch called out as they passed.

Alice checked her anger. “Good day, Mister Finch.”

A round of chortles followed as Finch posed like a fine gentleman, raised his battered hat from his balding head, and swept it in a grand gesture as he bowed.

“Bloddy arse, quit grovelin’ ’n get back to work.” Jessup gave Finch a mighty shove.

Alice pulled Bump to a halt. “I apologize, Mister Jessup, if I’ve disrupted your station. I was simply saying good day.” Bump gave an insistent tug upon her sleeve, but Alice held her ground.

Jessup turned on her. “Sayin’ g’day, was ye? Next ye’ll be teachin’ these sots how to knit a tidy cozy fer their teapots. Or how to hold their pinkies when they drink their grog.” He roared at his own joke.

“Actually, I was wondering if you could show me a few things.”

Jessup stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes at her. “I ain’t fallin’ fer any of yer games, missy.”

“No games. You see, I’ve shot a pistol a few times now, but for the life of me, I don’t know the first thing about reloading one. And maybe you could tell me the best way to retrieve my cutlass after I’ve buried it deep in a man. I’ve had a devil of a time with that as well. Any helpful tips?”

Jessup spat at her feet and moved closer so he could sneer down at her. The smell of his breath reminded her of Rasher.

He growled low. “I ain’t gonna teach ye nothin’ Stay out of me way and ye won’t get hurt. Keep crossin’ me path, and I be showing ye how fast I ken load me pistol. Bitches die quick as a man. Yer gonna regret tryin’ te make me out te be the fool.”

Bump nearly tore the sleeve off her shirt yanking her away from Jessup until the man tried to backhand him. Alice notched her chin and pulled the boy behind her. “Touch him and you’ll regret it just as quick.” She smiled into his ugly face. “I’m not afraid of you, Mister Jessup.”

She turned and followed Bump as he pushed through the small crowd that had formed around them.

“I reckon you’ll be regretting’ that too,” he shouted at her back.

Bump didn’t stop tugging on her until they’d reached a short door toward the bow of the ship. He left her only long enough to shimmy up a barrel and snatch a lantern. Handing it to her, he then turned and opened the door.

The quarters were as tiny as Quinn had suggested. The sliver of a room had been achieved by hanging a bit of sailcloth between her and a storage hold full of kegs and trunks and coils of fat rope. It was only as wide and deep as necessary for a cot, a three-legged stool, and a rickety table, which kept the door from swinging fully open. “Ah, home.”

A tray sat on the table with some bread and cheese and a mug of rum. She offered some bread to Bump, but he shook his head, looking anxiously toward the door.

“Don’t you worry about Jessup. He’s just a rooster fluffing his feathers.” She bent her arms and waved them like she was flapping her wings. Bump’s eyes widen. Alice gave her best cock-a-doodle-do and strutted about. The boy ducked his head and gave a little snort of laughter. She pointed above deck and flipped her hand as if she were swatting at a fly before patting his shoulder.

Bump nodded and gifted her with a small grin before he hurried out.

Closing the door behind him, Alice discovered the crude latch and lock that appeared to be newly added. She gave a silent prayer of thanks. For the first time since she had come aboard, she began to relax.

Under the table she discovered a short ewer of water with a bit of cloth hung over the handle. “A bed and private bath? Pure luxury indeed.” She grinned.

After the last few grueling days, Alice wasn’t sure which she needed most. Food, sleep, or a clean face? The rumble of her stomach answered her question. As she ate and drank the sweet rum, she stripped out of her clothing and let down her hair. Using precious little of the chilly water, she wiped the grime from her face and body. Even the icy water was wonderful.

Closing her eyes, Alice sighed. Remembering days past tugged at her heart. When she returned to England with Jaxon Steele and Annalise, she wasn’t called back into service as Anna’s maid. They wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, they treated her as a treasured member of the family. She ate in the dining room and slept in her own chambers. Spent idle hours before Anna had their babe reading and riding through the miles of fields surrounding the manor.

When she’d return, rose petals would be added to her bath. Fat bars of lavender soap and thick drying clothes waited alongside the deep copper tub filled with steaming water. Alice would sink down into the blissful warmth with only her head and the tops of her knees peeking out of the festooned water.

It was heaven. Yet she couldn’t help but think, standing naked in a room little larger than that copper tub and washing with only a few handfuls of frigid water was almost as close. Beyond his insufferable rules and regulations, and questionable decisions where Bump was concerned, Quinn saw fit to give her what few comforts he could. A lock, a bed, and a bath.

“Luxury, indeed.”