Page 37 of The Tempest
Instead of lying, she had confessed.
He had no reason not to believe her.
“So ye’ve been battling with yer husband’s killer over the San Miguel empire,” he said. “And ye think the man has followed ye.”
She nodded. “I know he has,” she said. “He was chasing us when Maude intercepted me. He must have seen what happened and turned away to fight another day, but I know Arnaldo. He is clever and he will not give up.”
“If that is true, then why did he not find ye when Maudie docked at Lismore Island?” he said. “He could have caught up tae her.”
Astria shook her head. “There must be hundreds of Scottish islands,” she said. “He would have to check every one of them and it would certainly take him longer than a few months, which is as long as we were at Lismore. Or mayhap he ran into trouble or did not make it to Scotland. I do not know. But I do know that he will track Bloody Maude to the ends of the earth, and she had better be ready to fight him if she wants to keep those ships. Mayhap you should help her.”
He snorted softly. “My mother doesna need my help.”
“She will with this.”
A noise from the direction of the tavern caught their attention, and they turned to see Maude emerging from the rear of the establishment, followed by Declan and Francis and a couple of other hardened men. Astria immediately tensed up, but Payne remained calm.
“Have ye come tae join us?” he asked, speaking loudly so they could hear him. “We were watching the falling stars.”
Maude glanced up as she approached them. “’Tis a bit cold tae be stargazing,” she said. “Tell me what ye’re truly doing out here, and no lies. Did the lass try tae run?”
Payne looked at Astria, seeing the stress on her face. “Surprisingly not,” he said. “It seems that she canna sleep well, being watched the way she is. We came out here tae breathe in the night air.”
Maude let her gaze linger on her son, trying to determine if he was, indeed, lying, but he seemed sincere enough. Her focus shifted to Astria.
“Is that so?” she said. “Well, I’m not surprised. Ye’re constantly ready for a fight, so I suppose it must be difficult tae be in a nervous state all the time.”
Astria had no idea how this conversation was going to go. She’d just had a rather electric chat with Payne, and he was in possession of some critical information, including the truth that she was actually part of her own pirate faction. She wondered how Maude would react to having captured another pirate queen. Or pirate princess, as it were. Everything was dependent on Payne. Would he betray her?
Would he keep her secret?
Apprehensively, she wondered.
“I find the night peaceful,” she said. “Your pirate brethren seem to be enjoying themselves.”
Maude looked off to the north, where her men and wagons with cannons were situated in a clearing. “They’ll do this all night,” she said. “Payne, ye should tell the tavernkeep tae lock his doors. And ye should send word around tae the rest of the villagers tae lock their doors. My men aren’t used tae being told they canna have what they want, so the village must take precautions.”
Payne looked at her. “They’re yer men, Maudie,” he said. “If ye command them not tae raid the village, they’ll have tae listen.”
Maude’s gaze was on the fires in the distance. “Ye’d think so,” she muttered, but she wouldn’t elaborate. Her attention returned to her eldest. “Is there a church in the village?”
Payne nodded. “St. James the Apostle.”
“Do they do daily mass?”
“They do,” Payne said. “Ye’ll hear the bells before dawn, bells that Blackchurch donated tae them, no less.”
Maude turned toward the village. “Then let us make our way tae the church for the Lauds mass.”
“Why?”
“Because ye have a wife tae take.”
There it was again. The entire reason for Maude’s presence at Blackchurch. Payne looked at Astria to see what her reaction was, but all she did was look at him with a neutral expression. She wasn’t running. She wasn’t crying. Silent resignation was more like it.
There was no use fighting it.
“Will ye walk tae the church without trying tae run away, or do I need tae carry ye?” he asked her.
