Page 39 of The Tempest
Arnaldo could picture that in his mind a little. He wasn’t hugely familiar with the Bristol Channel, so he mostly had to take the Irishman’s word for it.
“But why?” he asked. “Why would she do that?”
“Who knows?” Crusty said. “But if they are your ships, then now is the time to go and get them. If she’s moored them inland and has traveled somewhere into England, those ships will be lightly guarded. She’s probably paid some men to watch them, or left men on board to watch them, but they’d be no match for The Sea God.”
Arnaldo’s mind was whirling with the possibilities. “I could get them back,” he said, excited for the first time since the conversation started. “But it seems incredible to me that they are in Bristol Bay. I followed Bloody Maude’s trail to Scotland, but I lost her in those damnable islands to the north. I tried to look for her along the coast of Wales, but the Welsh hate pirates more than the English do. No one would give me information on her, not even for a price.”
“Then you are fortunate I will,” Crusty said, mirth in his expression. “Also, if it matters to you, the same Spaniard told me that Maude has a prisoner with her that she may ransom. A woman.”
Arnaldo stiffened. “And she took the woman inland?”
“I would not know, but it is possible that is where her buyer is,” Crusty said. “You might find out if you find her moored vessels.”
That didn’t seem to please Arnaldo. “Damnable woman,” he muttered. “I want my ships back, but I also want her.”
“Who?”
“The woman who stole my ships.”
“Is that not who we are speaking of?”
Arnaldo shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “My father’s wife took them from me first. Bloody Maude happened to capture both her and the ships.”
“And you want your father’s wife returned along with the ships?”
Arnaldo nodded firmly. “Indeed, I do,” he said, his dark eyes taking on a dangerous gleam. “I have something particularly interesting planned for the dowager duchess.”
Crusty wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew it wasn’t good. Arnaldo clearly had a vendetta against his stepmother. Family feuds were always the most brutal because blood and emotion were involved, so he didn’t ask further questions.
It wasn’t his business, anyway.
“My suggestion would be that you go to Bristol Bay, to the River Parrett, and gain access to Combwich,” he said. “I’ve told you all I know. But a word of caution—if you do go, beware of Triton’s Hellions. Their home port is close to the mouth of the River Parrett. You do not want to tangle with St. Abelard de Bottreaux, nor do you want to tangle with Santiago and his Sea Demons. They have been known to moor at Fremington, which is along the western Devon coast.”
Arnaldo was listening carefully. “Then how do you suggest I get to the River Parrett and not cross their paths?”
“Do you have maps?”
“Of course.”
“Bring me a map of England and I’ll show you.”
Arnaldo sent one of his men on the run back to theBrizoand Crusty did, indeed, show him how to get to the mouth of the River Parrett by staying clear of Santiago de Fernandez and St. Abelard de Bottreaux, but it cost Arnaldo another sack of gold coins. For what Astria had cost him so far, he was going to take it out of her hide and then some.
TheBrizoset sail before dawn.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
They were married.
Walking back to the Black Cock after having just been married at the door leading into St. James’ church, Astria could hardly believe they’d done it. They’d actually done it.
She had a husband.
Again.
By the time they reached the Black Cock, Maude and her men headed to the pirate encampment, and that included Payne’s brothers. Astria was glad to see them go, or at least Declan, because he had made the entire ceremony awkward. From the moment they’d headed over to St. James’ church, Declan had kept up a running commentary on how he felt about the entire situation. The marriage was stupid, in his opinion, and they would have done better had they ransomed their prize. They could have shared the money. That was the general gist of his complaint, and he had made it directly to Maude, who basically ignored him.
That only made him turn his chatter toward the group as a whole.
