Page 46 of The Pirate's Daughter

“She’s still mad at me for telling her she’s not part of the crew,” Devin said with asigh.

“It’s not my place, Captain,” Coventon said, “but don’t you think sheis?”

It hardly mattered two nights later when he was pulled from his bunk by a frantic Mr. Hong and an irate Mr. Quiggly. They were both yelling and waving their arms and between the two of them all Devin got was Mia jumpedship.

Mr. Asher filled him in as Quiggly called for all hands to turn the ship around. Sometime last night Mia took the lead watchman, Mr. Brinks, by surprise. Putting a gun to his back, she secured his arms behind him and gagged him so he couldn’t call out. She used him to force the others to first load, then lower her raft to the waters. The calm air and still waves aiding her the entire time, she wasn’t made to rush as she made one man tie and gag the others before she tied the last and secured Mr. Brinks to the rail. She’d made her way down, unmoored her raft, and simply let the ship sail onby.

“She said to tell the captain, you sir,” Brinks said, shame at being so easily taken, by a woman no less, in his voice. “She said tell you she’d named her boatEscapeand she’d make good on it now. That she shouldn’t care. If you don’t come back around, she’llmanage.”

“She’ll manage forty with a cat, when I get my hands on her,” Devin growled. “Damn the pirate in herblood.”

He said that several times over the next two days and said it again when her craft was spotted shored up on a small island covered in lush green forest. It’d be no easy thing finding her among that and she was sure to spot the ship now anchored off the reef before he had a chance to hunt her down. And perhaps time was what he needed, as he didn’t know if he was going to whip her raw or throw her down and make love toher.

The worry she’d caused when hours passed without a sighting. Every man scanned the horizon, the waters and the land that came into view, crying out when a bit of wood or canvas drifted past. Everyone holding their breath until it was confirmed it wasn’t wreckage from Mia’s boat, only old bits cast off. The entire crew running towards the stem port side when a call went up her raft was spotted and that spotting was confirmed. A bit of a scuffle breaking out when members wanted to join in the landing party but couldn’t find a place on the two dinghies Devinlowered.

Devin may have not taken Mia as part of the crew, but the crew saw her as one of them. She’d not be lost at sea if any of them could help it. And when she was back on the ship he’d have to correct his stance on the matter. After, long after, he corrected her latest act of piracy. After he learned how one small woman managed to capture seven full grownmen.

“Damn it to hell and back,” Mr. Brinks shouted as he pushed aside some of the belongings still on the raft. “Its fake, made of wood no less. Buggerme.”

“What?” Devin asked walking over and taking note of everything near the raft. A cook fire still burned. Mia wasn’t traveling far from this point which meant she did have a great many supplies with hernow.

“Captain, I swear I thought it real when she held it on me,” Mr. Brinks said and held out thepistol.

Why anyone would be surprised Mia carved herself a wooden pistol he didn’t know. She made an entire sailing craft. What was so hard about a toy gun? “Damn that pirate in her,” he muttered and scanned the tree line for any sign ofher.

“Captain?” Mr. Quiggly called as he worked to push away branches from the side of the cliff. “Look here. Someone wrote something in the rock.” He pulled away one more branch. “Everyone must die. Before you do, live,” he read the words carved deep the same as the last ones Devin saw. “Who you suppose put this here,now?”

“Mia’s mother,” Devin told him before turning away. “Spread out. Find her. It’ll go better I think if you don’t call out, she likely knows the island and taking her unaware will bethe—”

“Captain?” Purser Dickson called out. “Captain, I think I found her,” the man said a tinge of horror in his tone as he looked up and pointed to the top of the cliffs. Everyone who’d stepped up to see the writings now moved back out to get a view of the shelf at the top of the cliffs. The long narrow platform stretched several feet over the ocean. And looking down on them from there wasMia.

Devin felt his blood go cold. The height was several feet above the top of the main mast of the ship and that was at least one hundred feet in height. She wouldn’t dare. She wouldn’t even think to attempt it. But as he watched her standing there looking down he knew she was challenging him. Daring him to find a way to stopher.

“Don’t you do it Mia, that’s an order,” he shouted up. “Get down here. Don’t you dare do it.” Regretting now that she wasn’t part of the crew to obey his orders as a captain. She certainly had solid respect for the rank. What she thought of a husband’s authority was lesscertain.

Behind him he heard the men rushing to collect everything and load the boats. He even heard Mr. Quiggly give the command to tie the raft and bring it back. He started edging back towards the boats himself, never taking his eyes fromher.

“Don’t do it Mia,” he warned again. He saw her point down. “Aye, get down here now.” She pointed again and stomped her foot. He dropped his eyes for a second. “I saw it, now get down here.” If she meant the words, he only guessed but his answer was enough to make her step back from the ledge. He stepped back too, to keep her in view. And as the water washed up over his boots he saw her turn and face the ocean. “No Mia. No, don’t,” he stopped speaking, stopped breathing and felt his heart freeze as Mia leaned forward and raced not to the end of the shelf, but right off it. She hung in the air for only seconds, like a kite. Her body parallel with the water as she dropped closer to the darkness below. At the last possible moment, she brought her arms forward and angled into the water. Going in like a harpoon she was swallowed completely before Devin’s mind registered she actually did it. Shejumped.

“To the boats, to the boats,” someone yelled. “Captain, come on.” Someone pulled on his arm, causing him to trip backwards as he couldn’t take his eyes from the place Mia disappeared. “Row men,row.”

“Where?” Devin heard someone ask, it was a good question. She hadn’t surfaced. Devin landed on the seat hard as the wave pushed them back towardsshore.

“Row.”

“Ahoy.” Devin swung around at the cry from the ship. Men were gathered at the rail pointing out beyond the bow. “Ahoy.” The call went out again and Devin scanned the waters closer to where the ship was anchored. Sure enough Mia’s sleek strokes were carrying her right towards theship.

“Damn if she won’t beat us back onboard,” Quigglygrumbled.

“Damn if I don’t beat the pirate from her this time,” Devin said and swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise up and out. Rage warred with relief as the boats came alongside. Devin left the ordering of the stowing and such to his quartermaster as he climbed to thedeck.

Mia was completely surrounded and Devin could hear Mr. Hong’s scolding before he set foot on planks. But as soon as it was known he was on board the crowd parted. For a heartbeat Devin considered carrying her back to their quarters. Seeing her standing there wrapped in a sheet trying to dry off, his knees almost buckled from relief. But then he looked at her face and her expression was nothing less than a challenge as she faced him. Right then it became a matter of who exactly was captain on this ship. And he’d be damned before he gave up command soeasily.

Glancing left he spied a length of rope. Snatching it up he headed straight for her. Every man stepped back in fear. Mia held her ground. She held his glare and didn’t flinch when he grabbed her wrist and tied the rope around it. She didn’t fight as he then tied both her wriststogether.

“I’ll have no more mutiny from you, Mrs. Winthrop,” Devin snarled at her. “Not today, not ever.” He turned her and shoved her towards the mast. “Fetch me the cat,” he ordered and heard the collective gasp from the crew. He ignored it and taking Mia’s arms lifted her until she was caught over the spike. She chose then to try and fight. But she was only able to flop like a fish as she hung from the hook. “The cat, now,” Devin ordered wondering why it wasn’t already in his hand. He stripped off his coat while he waited, then worked up his sleeves. He pulled his cravat loose and unfastened the button at his throat, never taking his eyes off his wife as she hung there unable to escape. “Where is the whip?” Devin yelled and looked around for who might be bringingit.

“Captain,” Mr. Coventon stepped up between he and Mia. He lowered his head and spoke quietly. “You can’t take the cat to her. You’ll have a mutiny on your hands, infact.”

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