ante. Paying for her would seem, to most, a fair enough way to settle the matter.
The morning’s orders were issued, and the men set about their tasks, some busily, some indolently. Giles joined Geoff at the helm, gesturing away the crewmen who loitered there.
“You’re an unrepentant rake, Geoff,” Giles challenged quietly. “Lord knows we’ve wenched together often enough in the taverns of Port Royal, but a virtuous Englishwoman’s a different story. She’s no whore, Geoff, and I’ll not have it said that we’re pirates and rapists here. She’s protected by the very Crown that we serve under the king’s marque.”
Geoff’s brows shot up in genuine shock. “You know me better than that, Giles. The girl’s safe with me.”
“Would you have me believe you can keep a temptation like her in your very bed and yet seduce her not?”
The grin that crept across his friend’s face did little to allay Giles’s concern. “You said that we’re not rapists here, Giles, and I’m with you on that. Seduction is another matter entirely.”
“‘Twas me Old Thomas came to when he found the girl. ‘Twas my care he gave her into,” Giles protested. “I cannot stand by and do nothing when I know that you mean her mischief.”
Geoff raised an authoritative hand, halting further objection. “I am the captain, and even would you and the crew vote me down over this, I’ve paid her way. She stays in my cabin, and I’ll be the one who’s responsible for her.”
‘Twas clear by the look on Giles face that he had no intention of letting him pull rank again, so Geoff let the command slip from his tone. In friendship, he appealed, “I mean her no mischief, Giles, and I’ve no taste for force. If it makes you feel better, I’ll swear to you now that I’ll not do a thing to her that she doesn’t want done.”
Giles narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “I’ll not abide by ‘her lips said nay but her eyes said aye,’” he warned.
A slight smile tugged at the corners of Geoff’s serious lips. “If I do not hear her speak her desire with her own sweet mouth, I’ll not lay a hand on her.”
With a shake of his head, Giles said, “I’ll wager all my booty from this voyage the girl wouldn’t know what to ask for. Do you swear it then, that you’ll do nothing she does not directly ask you to do?”
Geoff stood a little straighter and put his hand over his heart. “I swear it.”
Giles grinned in spite of himself. “And what will you swear upon? The devil’s had your soul since you were six!”
Geoff laughed out loud, and the two men’s joviality cut the tension between them. “Aye, well, there’s that,” he said. “I’ll swear it as your friend and as a loyal Englishman. I’ll take nothing from the lady that she does not consent to give.” He rolled his eyes in mock chagrin. “God help me,” he added.
“God help you indeed,” Giles replied.
*
As soon as Captain Hampton left, Faith placed her bare feet carefully upon the chilly floorboards of the cabin and tested her legs. They wobbled, and she felt weak, but she found they would support her, so she wrapped the sheet about her waist to cover her legs and explored the room.
Dark wood paneling and furniture gave it a cozy, masculine feeling. Though the glass in the large window was too thick for a clear view, the mere thought of the unfettered ocean and sky soothed her troubled soul. The cabinets were unlocked, and with a twinge of guilt she perused their contents of heavy leather-bound books on navigation and neatly rolled charts. She unrolled thick ivory vellum to reveal a beautifully wrought map of the coast of the Spanish Main.
From the desk, she picked up and hefted a shiny compass made of brass. It was solid and cold in her hand, and she idly turned it to align the needle. Also upon the desk rested some instrument with three metal rods fixed at two angles, each topped by wooden curves along which slid some sort of marker. The
The morning’s orders were issued, and the men set about their tasks, some busily, some indolently. Giles joined Geoff at the helm, gesturing away the crewmen who loitered there.
“You’re an unrepentant rake, Geoff,” Giles challenged quietly. “Lord knows we’ve wenched together often enough in the taverns of Port Royal, but a virtuous Englishwoman’s a different story. She’s no whore, Geoff, and I’ll not have it said that we’re pirates and rapists here. She’s protected by the very Crown that we serve under the king’s marque.”
Geoff’s brows shot up in genuine shock. “You know me better than that, Giles. The girl’s safe with me.”
“Would you have me believe you can keep a temptation like her in your very bed and yet seduce her not?”
The grin that crept across his friend’s face did little to allay Giles’s concern. “You said that we’re not rapists here, Giles, and I’m with you on that. Seduction is another matter entirely.”
“‘Twas me Old Thomas came to when he found the girl. ‘Twas my care he gave her into,” Giles protested. “I cannot stand by and do nothing when I know that you mean her mischief.”
Geoff raised an authoritative hand, halting further objection. “I am the captain, and even would you and the crew vote me down over this, I’ve paid her way. She stays in my cabin, and I’ll be the one who’s responsible for her.”
‘Twas clear by the look on Giles face that he had no intention of letting him pull rank again, so Geoff let the command slip from his tone. In friendship, he appealed, “I mean her no mischief, Giles, and I’ve no taste for force. If it makes you feel better, I’ll swear to you now that I’ll not do a thing to her that she doesn’t want done.”
Giles narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “I’ll not abide by ‘her lips said nay but her eyes said aye,’” he warned.
A slight smile tugged at the corners of Geoff’s serious lips. “If I do not hear her speak her desire with her own sweet mouth, I’ll not lay a hand on her.”
With a shake of his head, Giles said, “I’ll wager all my booty from this voyage the girl wouldn’t know what to ask for. Do you swear it then, that you’ll do nothing she does not directly ask you to do?”
Geoff stood a little straighter and put his hand over his heart. “I swear it.”
Giles grinned in spite of himself. “And what will you swear upon? The devil’s had your soul since you were six!”
Geoff laughed out loud, and the two men’s joviality cut the tension between them. “Aye, well, there’s that,” he said. “I’ll swear it as your friend and as a loyal Englishman. I’ll take nothing from the lady that she does not consent to give.” He rolled his eyes in mock chagrin. “God help me,” he added.
“God help you indeed,” Giles replied.
*
As soon as Captain Hampton left, Faith placed her bare feet carefully upon the chilly floorboards of the cabin and tested her legs. They wobbled, and she felt weak, but she found they would support her, so she wrapped the sheet about her waist to cover her legs and explored the room.
Dark wood paneling and furniture gave it a cozy, masculine feeling. Though the glass in the large window was too thick for a clear view, the mere thought of the unfettered ocean and sky soothed her troubled soul. The cabinets were unlocked, and with a twinge of guilt she perused their contents of heavy leather-bound books on navigation and neatly rolled charts. She unrolled thick ivory vellum to reveal a beautifully wrought map of the coast of the Spanish Main.
From the desk, she picked up and hefted a shiny compass made of brass. It was solid and cold in her hand, and she idly turned it to align the needle. Also upon the desk rested some instrument with three metal rods fixed at two angles, each topped by wooden curves along which slid some sort of marker. The
Similar Books
