Page 32 of The Pirate's Daughter

“Oh shut your portal you blowhard,” Mia said and stomped her foot at Smithe. Always he was the one to advise Papa againsther.

“Mrs. Winthrop,” Devinsnapped.

Mia opened her mouth to beg Devin not to hear the man out, but one look and she bit hertongue.

“Do tell, Mr.Smithe.”

“That ship you hauled into harbor…” And so began the tale. Mia never heard a man gasp or groan or cry for mercy like Devin did as Smithe explained how the damaged ship was sunk in port, mysteriously blown up. The ship Captain Gillmore took to finish his delivery was reported missing. When found it was abandoned, anchored and intact, but stripped of sails and lines, even the brightwork was pulled out. The crew was found a few days later, nearly dead and worked over. Devin looked to faint when he was told how Gillmore required a surgeon to remove the belaying pin from his ass. They claimed someone boarded their ship, stole theircargo,and stranded them on the sand shoal. All of it causing an investigation. Mia knew it was helped along by Papa. When Devin’s report on the matter and his suspicions on the corruption were added in, a few of Gillmore’s crew broke and revealed how papers were being created and used to move captives without risk of prosecution. “And your wife ordered it all,” Smithefinished.

“No one can prove that. No one can prove who had anything to do with what. I never left the ship. There was no one who could identify who went on board, who these men might have been. For all anyone knows, Gillmore committed barratry and his buyers turned on him,” Mia said. She knew she’d been careful to keep any connection to her and Papa unestablished. She might have given thought to keeping Devin’s name disconnected as well but it turned out well for him that his part was recognized. Even if it did steal all her bragging rights. “No one can name me foranything.”

“Mia,” Devin shouted grabbing her arm and giving it a shake. “Enough, enough. We’ll discuss this more in private. For now, join the officers and give them my pardon for the delay. I’ll be rightalong.”

“Devin?”

“Now, Mrs. Winthrop,” he said through clenchedteeth.

“Aye Captain,” Mia said and spun away. Why he was so annoyed, she didn’t know. It wasn’t like he was for the slavers. Maybe because she, a woman, could do more than he, the big naval man? It didn’t matter. One less slave ship on the sea, at least a hundred men free again and that Captain Gillmore—Mia almost laughed thinking about it. A belaying pin? What a clever way to useit.

Mia entered the officer’s area and all the men stood until she was seated. They chatted pleasantly until Devin arrived and conversation turned more to military topics. From across the table, Smithe grinned at her and Mia worked not to stick the knife in hiseye.

He was the exact opposite of her papa. He never cared if she was happy, though she’d trust him with her life without thought. He was dull, no fun. Like Devin telling her not to jump from the cliffs. But Mia learned a lot from Smithe. He was a good captain when not being first to Papa, and he was an excellent judge of character. Today he was a little too pleased with himself and more pleased with how Devin kept casting hard looks in herdirection.

It might have been wiser to inform Devin that she’d taken care of the matter herself before he was surprised this way, but he wanted more done to end Gillmore. She didn’t think it mattered what she did. He’d agree with her actions. As long as they had an accord, they’d sail on wellenough.

Chapter 14

Devin rubbedhis brow and leaned against the rail. The sun was setting and only now was the other ship shoving off. That the unexpected visit ended without anyone more or less aware of who or what was aboard didn’t ease the throbbing in hishead.

Three pirates were on his ship.Three, and one of them his own wife. Have mercy, what she’d done was nearly impossible to comprehend. She never even left the damn ship. Mr. Smithe was correct. Mia needed betterwatching.

Devin was matter-of-factly informed this by the man once Mia left them. He was supposed to be keeping the woman out of trouble, taking the wind from her sails. The commodore wasn’t pleased. Though Smithe admitted most every sailor in these waters was glad to have Gillmore done for. Devin was informed his employer and Governor Ravoix were both facing charges. Mia’s action rid the Caribbean of some awful men, probably saved lives in the process. Did more for the cause against slavery in a few days than most did in a lifetime. Little pirate she was she did work for good and he was glad to knowthis.

“Damn,” he muttered. He needed not to think of it like that. She’d committed piracy or at least she condoned the act of it. If someone found out, she’d hang whether or not she had been at the helm. Smithe’s reassurances that none of it could lead back to her didn’t make it any less wrong. As distasteful as it would be, Devin knew he’d need to do more to strongly dissuade her from committing such activities. He’d had no choice but to put his foot down and forbid it completely. Refusing to hand over her allowance, one of a few things Smithe handed him before he left the ship, wasn’t going to be enough. He didn’t even think telling her the commodore threatened to take one of her ships and sell her sloop would dissuade her. He promised he’d handle the matter directly, that there was no need to take away her ships. Still, he might tell her he’d send word to her papa to take all her ships if she didn’tbehave.

“Something bothering you captain?” Mr. Asher asked, coming to stand next to therail.

“This day is bothering me,” Devin said, wishing it had never happened and that he didn’t know what heknew.

“Really? I’d think with the award you received it would be a good day.” Asher faded off then turned to face out to sea. “Mrs. Winthrop had some part in that? It wasn’t your keen ability to spot fraud that took down that lot?” Devin only nodded. “Was her play less than aboveboard?”

Devin snorted at that, “It was well in the bilge,” he said causing the man tochuckle.

“Ah, well, any part she may have played, anything she did, I’m sure it was with goodintent.”

“That doesn’t make it right.” Devin straightened and pushed off the rail, turning to look out to sea as well. “It doesn’t make it right and as satisfied as I am with her choices and the end results, it wasn’tright.”

“Thinking of dropping anchor onher?”

“She can’t be a navy wife and act like—” Damn he almost called her a pirate right to his officer’sface.

“Pirate? Sea witch? Rebel? Spoiled brat?” Asher supplied, laughing as he did. “I think pirate suits her. I thought it odd when you brought her on board calling her that, but she’s a little bit of a renegade, if I might be so forward,sir.”

Devin breathed a sigh of relief when he figured out Asher thought pirate to be some term of endearment or teasing. “Aye, she’s a bit more than a bit of,” Devin said, also able to chuckle. He wondered what it would be like to be married to another woman, one who simpered and swooned and never got down on her knees to take a cock in hermouth.

“The course needs to be set for less a rebel,” Asher saidsadly.

“Aye, and yet it’s hard to want to set course when I can’t honestly say the current heading is wrong.” How was it all he wanted to do when he first met her was spank her stern red as the sunset and keep it that way, but now the idea of needing to do it made his gut twist? He could. He would. It was the plan from the minute he’d been informed of her actions, but here he was delaying it. Why? He knew why. Mia wouldn’t behappy.

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