A Pirate's Tantalizing Passion (Historical Regency Romance) Page 5

  “Come now, won’t you sing for me?” the man asked, a wicked grin crossing his face as he neared her, reaching out his hand and running a finger over the ends of her hair.

  “Perhaps for a bucket of water and rags,” Maria said as she stepped away from him. “I want to rid this room of the stench and would clean it myself.”

  The pirate nodded as he looked around the room, loathe to be standing there when it smelled so nasty. But he couldn’t help wanting to take a risk to see the beautiful captive James had brought on board. He was thinking that the risk had been worth it as he turned his eyes back on the young lady.

  “I’ll gather the things you need and allow you to clean this pigsty if you promise to sing while you work,” the man offered, crossing his arms and grinning at the young lady. Her voice was heavenly to him, and though he didn’t dare force himself onto her, he could at least enjoy a few simple pleasures with her.

  “You have a deal, sir,” Maria said, a smile on her face as she nodded her head. She folded her hands before her as the man left the room then, locking the door behind him. Maria didn’t know what she’d gotten herself into by agreeing to do this, but she hoped that in the end she’d be able to have a cleaner space without having to do any other favors for the grotesque man.

  Chapter 7

  As the sun had come and gone, so had Gregory’s hope of discovering Maria that day. They’d started out by reaching the newspaper and spreading the word that Miss Maria, daughter of Lord Willcox, had been missing since the attack on the port’s market by the pirates. Since this attack had been big news, giving the details that the captain of the pirate ship had been pretending to be a privateer, with official documents and all, the fact that a young lady from a prestigious family had also gone missing meant the newspapers were eager to use this new revelation to continue selling papers from Portsmouth to London. Everyone in all of England would not only learn of the news of the attack, but the tragedy of the missing young lady, presumed kidnapped or dead.

  Gregory had felt worse after visiting The British Press, The Courier, The Globe, and the Statesmen with Lord Crawford, but had a bit of hope when they turned their task to visiting with local magistrates. They gained visits with several prestigious magistrates in the area, and even one court judge as they told the story of the attack and how his sister was now missing. But no matter what official he talked to, they all seemed to give him the same advice. To either wait until a body had been discovered, or until a letter arrived demanding a ransom. Though he was reassured that his family would be notified if the local officials did find anything, it only left Gregory with less hope.

  And when he and Lord Crawford had returned to the scene of the attack, Gregory felt like he was going to be sick. Merchants were working hard to repair their stalls, but it was otherwise empty. No one was shopping today because all of the sellers had little to offer. The pirates acting as privateers had been successful at stealing valued goods and killing anyone who got in their way. Though there had been a few brave souls who had fought against the pirates with their flintlock pistols, very few pirates were killed compared to the number of English lives that had been lost.

  As Gregory and Lord Crawford questioned everyone they met over the whereabouts of Maria, Gregory couldn’t help think that it would have been easier if they had found Maria’s body with the others that had been slain, simply because then he would know what had happened to Maria. The not knowing part of the whole experience was really starting to take a toll on him.

  As the sun set, Gregory knew he needed to return home, and that his parents would want to know what had become of him and what he’d been able to learn throughout the day. He loathed to return without hope or some comforting news that would soothe his mother and father. He turned his head from Lord Crawford as they rode back towards the townhouse, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

  “We will not fail,” Lord Crawford said softly, riding close to Gregory as they made their way through the streets.

  “How can you say that after everything we’ve been through this day? The newspaper took our story like mad feigns, the local officials pacified us with their words, and none of the merchants remember seeing Maria that day. How have we not already failed?” Gregory demanded, his anger building within him- an emotion that he wasn’t used to feeling.

  “Because we haven’t given up, Gregory. It is the moment we stop trying that all hope is lost,” Lord Crawford said, speaking sternly with the hope of inspiring his dear friend again. Though he couldn’t imagine what Lord Willcox and his family were enduring, he also knew where his heart belonged.

  Gregory took a deep breath as they reached the townhouse and stepped down from their saddles, handing the reins to the stable boy. “You are right, Fitz. I shouldn’t give up hope,” Gregory said as he shook his friend’s hand before ascending the front stairs and opening the front door. As Lord Crawford followed, a plan started to form in his mind that would secure his future with Maria, causing him to smile keenly.

  ~*~

  By the time Maria had finished her tenth song, her throat sore and voice hoarse, she at least was standing in a small room that no longer smelled and which took on the aroma of the fresh sea. The pirate who had supervised her work, who had eventually told her his name was Jenkins, had even emptied the chamber pot for her and removed the dirty sacks. Maria’s hands were soggy from scrubbing the floors with saltwater and a few rags, but at least her hands were clean. And though her muslin dress was dirty from the knees down, she could at least breathe easier now that the smell of rot had disappeared.

  She threw her rag in the bucket of dirty water, thankful to be done with the work. Maria had never done this type of chore before; the closest thing to it was when she had helped the gardener one day trim the rose bushes. That sort of work had not affected her body in this way. Now her body ached from all the scrubbing she’d done while her voice rang out with song after song. She turned towards Jenkins, waiting for him to take the bucket and leave, but he simply stood there watching her for a moment as though he was thinking deeply about something. And when a smile crossed his pudgy face, she knew that Jenkins’ thoughts couldn’t be good.

  He approached her, his hand reaching up towards her hair, when the door suddenly swung upon, startling them both. Jenkins quickly took a step back from Maria as he bent down to pick up the dirty bucket of water. Geoffrey stepped into the room, carrying a cup of water and a plate of food, but as his eyes moved from Jenkins to the captive, and back to Jenkins, his eyes narrowed at the short man.

  “What do you think you are doing in here, Jenkins?” Geoffrey said in a deep voice, stepping towards Jenkins until the man started to move around Geoffrey and towards the open door.

  “I had the wench clean the filthy room, Geoffrey. Nothing else, I swear,” Jenkins said as his hands started to tremble, his eyes darting to the shamshir at Geoffrey’s side, a large and imposing sword he’d seen Geoffrey wield skillfully.

  “That was not the orders you had been given today, Jenkins. No one is to enter this room unless they are delivering food and water. Now get out of here before I report you to the Captain,” Geoffrey barked, causing Jenkins to jump and dump some of the dirty water on himself before he ran down the hallway and out of sight.

  When Geoffrey turned his eyes back on Maria, she simply looked at him with a small smile on her face. He wasn’t expecting such a reaction since most women cowered before him whenever he yelled. He looked around the room and smelled it cautiously, having to at least agree that the room smelled more pleasant. If only he could say the same for the captive.

  “Your food and water, miss,” Geoffrey said as he handed over the cup and plate.

  “Thank you, Geoffrey,” Maria said with a smile as she sat, tucking her legs behind her as she began to eat the cooked meat and potatoes with her fingers, finding herself starving from all the work she’d done that day. Geoffrey watched her, thinking that only James ate like that. He chuckled as she finish
ed the food, handing back the plate and then the cup once she drained the contents.

  “I’m pleased to see you are behaving yourself, little one,” Geoffrey said as he placed the items in his tunic and headed for the door. “And you have a beautiful singing voice. I’m sure the whole crew heard it.”

  “Thank you, Geoffrey. That is kind of you to say,” Maria said, standing as he left the room. Geoffrey gave her a final look, giving her a nod with the same none-existent facial expression before shutting the door and locking it.

  Maria took a deep breath as she settled against the wall of the ship, resting her head back as she looked at the door. She focused on her breathing, thankful to be saved from Jenkins, truly fearful of what he’d had planned for her before Geoffrey interrupted him. Perhaps with being discovered, Jenkins wouldn’t try to risk anything with her again. Though, Maria couldn’t deny how pleased she was with having a cleaner space to reside in until she learned more about what the pirates had planned for her.

  As she sat and stretched, exhaustion starting to steal over her, Maria thought about how she could escape. For now, she’d continue to try to gain the trust of these pirates and perhaps earn some time on the top deck. She would be happy to breathe fresh air again, and perhaps find a change of clothes. Though she doubted that pirates kept spare clothing for women, she did hope she could find something that would suit her and be much cleaner than what she currently wore.

  As her eyes drifted shut, Maria’s mind turned to the mysterious man who had captured her on the docks. She thought of his dark hair and how it fell over his face as he looked down to her, his body tall and his shoulders broad like a mighty warrior. She felt warmth in her body as she thought of his bare chest, his tanned skin, his muscles toned in a way that made him appear like the Greek gods she’d seen carved out of marble and placed in the museum in London. Indeed, he was an image of a god with the mysterious gaze of a foreigner.

  The last thing Maria thought of as she drifted towards sleep was his dark green eyes, his rough facial skin where a beard was growing, and his full lips. If given a chance, would she kiss such a man? Would she allow him to take her into his strong arms and offer her pleasure instead of pain? Maria giggled in her sleep at the very thought of such an encounter, giving her one happy thought in a sea of despair.

  ~*~

  It was late at night, after dinner had been served, and Lord Willcox had Mrs. Bath take his wife a plate of food to eat and with orders to draw her a soothing bath. The three gentlemen then sat in the drawing room enjoying their port. Both Lord Willcox and Gregory looked exhausted and in despair as they looked at the contents of the glasses, silently praying for answers. Lord Crawford almost couldn’t contain his glee as he prepared his speech mentally. When he was ready, he cleared his throat, gaining the other two gentlemen’s attention.

  “My good sirs, I want to propose an idea that has come to my mind. As you know, my uncle, Lord Cardinal, has always kept company with the military. One of his close friends is an admiral in the navy. I should write to my uncle immediately in London to see if he could call upon his friend and send word to his ships at sea for a pirate pocket ship disguised as a privateer vessel in hopes of locating Maria,” Lord Crawford said, appearing to be inspired, though he’d had the same idea all morning. He had waited to use this bit of information at the most opportune moment.

  “My goodness, Lord Crawford, what a splendid idea,” Lord Willcox exclaimed as he sat forward in his wing backed chair and set his glass of port on the small glass table nearby.

  “I only wish it had come to me sooner. In fact, I think I’ll ride for London at first light and speak with my uncle in person. In London, I’m sure I could use my many connections to see if anyone else might be able to get a letter to ships abroad that might be able to find Maria,” Lord Crawford said, really reeling them into his plan.

  “That’s a wonderful plan, Fitz. I shall ride with you, and together our description should help the admiral find this pirate ship,” Gregory said, hope shining in his eyes for the first time in hours. Lord Crawford smiled inwardly as these two gentlemen looked towards him as their savior.

  “Certainly, Gregory. I’m sure it will give Lady Willcox great comfort to know that we’ll ride to London in the morning to seek the help of my uncle’s dear friend in the navy,” Lord Crawford agreed, nodding his head as though he thought it was a splendid idea when in truth he’d rather have gone alone. “But I do have a confession to make,” Lord Crawford added, drawing in their attention.

  “And what is that, Lord Crawford?” Lord Willcox asked as he furrowed his brow at the younger man.

  “For some time now, I’ve had my thoughts set on Miss Maria as being my bride. I would ask, Lord Crawford, that you’d consider allowing me to propose to your daughter upon her safe return to England,” Lord Crawford explained calmly, watching as the man looked at him with wide eyes.

  “Of course, Lord Crawford. I’m sure Maria would be pleased to know that the man that orchestrated her rescue was you, and that you intend to marry.” Lord Willcox readily agreed, having already known that the two would make a lovely match many years ago. He was delighted with both Lord Crawford’s plan of action and his confession of having feelings for his daughter.

  “I agree, sir, and hope she’ll feel the same way for me as I do for her,” Lord Crawford replied as he turned towards Gregory. “And surely I would have her brother’s good graces as well.”

  Gregory regarded Lord Crawford for a moment, remembering a rumor from the last time he was in Town for Maria’s Season. “I’m sure you’d make Maria very happy,” Gregory replied, not wanting to bring the rumor into the conversation at this time. He didn’t want to upset his father any more by falsely accusing Lord Crawford, and though Fitz had been his good friend for many years, he had a high opinion of Maria and wanted to see her end up in the best of hands. At this time, he wasn’t sure if his best friend was good enough for his sister.

  “Then it’s settled. At first light we ride to Town and visit with my uncle. We’ll visit with every gentlemen of good breeding with connections to a ship at sea if we have to,” Lord Crawford declared as he rose from his seat, the other two gentlemen rising with him. “Till then, good evening, gentlemen.”

  Lord Crawford set his glass of fine brandy on a side table and nodded to Lord Willcox, and then to Gregory, before leaving the drawing room and heading for the front door. Once the drawing room door was pulled closed tightly behind him, he finally allowed his glee to shine forth as he smiled brightly, his plan for claiming Maria’s hand in marriage already being put in place.

  “Maria, you are mine,” Lord Crawford whispered as he descended the townhouse, already imagining his wedding night.

  Chapter 8

  James was in the belly of the ship, working with the other crew members to paint over the various shipping symbols on the crates the pirates had stolen. Afterwards, they’d paint Tripoli shipping symbols on the crates in case they were interceded by another ship. As he worked, sweat dripping from his body in the humid ship, James’ thoughts turned back to the captive on the other side of the ship. From the talk of the other men she’d started to cooperate, eating her meals and even being willing to work to clean her own space that she was being held in. James could only wonder how she’d convinced Jenkins and Louis, the ship hand, to aid her, but he could only guess she’d used female charm. Paired with her good looks, he couldn’t blame the men for falling for it.

  However, now that they’d been out to sea for almost a week, there had been no word from the Captain on what he had planned for the young lady. Her value was based on several different pieces of information that they currently did not have, from her name and social status in England, to the current demands of one such as her for either a slave or a concubine. If she was indeed a virgin, James knew that she would be worth a high price in the slave market along the Barbary Coast. Perhaps Captain Maidus would keep her until he found the highest bidder for her purity, if tha
t be the case.

  “Geoffrey, you’ve been with the captive. What do you think should be done with her?” James called out as Geoffrey was lifting and moving the crates with ease so the men had an easier time painting them.

  “Why do you ask, James? Do you want her all for yourself?” Geoffrey asked with a wink, though his face remained showing the same stoic appearance.