Page 64 of The Pirate's Daughter

“You must forgive him Mia, he only followed my orders,” she heard Papa say, but she shook her head. How could she? It was her chance to do something to make up for how Mama and Charlie died. He’d stolen that from her. “Aye, you’ll forgive him Mia. Papa will take care of this, but you’ll forgive him.” Papa was captain. Mia signed the Articles. She nodded, closed her eyes and again let the song carry her some place that still feltsafe.

Then we hove our ship to, with the wind at thesou'west,

Then we hove our ship to, for to strike soundingsclear;

Then we filled the maintopsail

And bore right away,girl

For straight up the coastline of Bangalore didsail.

“Do you know the words?” Mia heard Papa saying as she was shifted and her nose was filled with the warm spicy scent ofDevin.

“Not the way you sing them.” How disapproving hesounded.

“She won’t care, navyman.”

Again, Mia felt the gentle rocking and this time it was the low tenor of Devin’s voice singing the words. A hand passed over her head and someone kissed her cheek. The floorboards creaked and Mia let the motion and the singing call her tosleep.

Chapter 31

Devin liftedhis head and his eyes clashed with the pale jade ones staring at him through strands of black hair. He shifted on the chair and reached to brush the hair back from her face. “Hello?”

“Hello,” she said. She sniffed and tried to wipe her nose with her cuff. The heat and the hate he’d seen and heard from her before she fainted was gone. Replaced by some uncertainty andweariness.

“We’re about three days sailing from Cartagena,” he told her and watched her eyes fill with tears. Damn. She was hurting because she missed a chance to get revenge. He might want it to have gone another way, to give her satisfaction, but he’d have turned his back on every principle that guided his life in doing so. He sighed and edged his way onto the bed beside her. “Justice will be served, Mia. You’ll have that.” He was cautious, putting an arm around her and sliding closer. He felt her nodding her head and heard her sniffagain.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” shewhispered.

“I’m sorry, too.” He was never sorrier to deny her whatever thatwas.

The commodore’s reassurances she’d sail on steady again in a day or so were hard to believe. Almost as hard to believe as the fact he’d sneaked a pirate onboard a military ship in the dead of night to do nothing more really than sing a song to his daughter. But when he’d gotten the note saying the man was waiting to see Mia, he didn’t feel like he had a choice. Her father knew what happened on board. Because Mia wasn’t faring well, Devin felt rather compelled for no other reason than to keep his ship and her crew safe. Mostly though, to ensure the man didn’t try and take Mia back. At least an on-board visit gave Devin theadvantage.

He’d watched then, as the man spent some time whispering to her as she slept. What was said he didn’t know. The language wasn’t one Devin could even guess at. But the man’s tone and his expressions as he spoke to the sleeping woman conveyed the kind of love so few were lucky enough to witness, let alone have. Devin had no doubts that man would take on the world for his daughter. It didn’t take long for him to rouse Mia. Something no one onboard had been able to do, not even Krebs with his smelling salts. The very brief exchange between them was oddly similar to the one Devin witnessed when they’d been forced to wed. No harsh demands, not a single sharp word, just an indulgence that somehow gainedcompliance.

“Captain?”

“Say my name, Mia.” He held hisbreath.

“Devin?” she said and it sound as it always did coming off herlips.

“Aye,” he answered, his confidence buildingagain.

“I’m a little hungry. Is it nearsupper?”

Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. “It could be just past breakfast and I’d still see you have something to eat,” Devin said pulling away and sitting up a bit. “We took on a few supplies in Port Royal. Is there something you want? Beef maybe?” He bought the meat with his own money rather than ship’s funds so he could hold it all for Mia. “There are more oranges now,too.”

She gave him a weak smile. “Anything will benice.”

“I’ll see to it then. Should I send in Mr. Hong with some water and fresh clothes?” She’d been in bed for a week, drifting in and out of sleep. She nodded, then rolled to her back before sitting up. Devin stood and started for the door, a little hesitant to leave her unsupervised even for a moment. She might have hauled in those sheets, but he knew she could raise them again in a heartbeat and he’d be seeing her going over the rail into thesea.

He had to trust her though. The commodore told him if he showed her any doubt she’d give him double the same. Her word was everything to her, like it was with any ship’s captain. She’d given her word she’d forgive him whatever crime she accused him of. So he had to put faith in that meant she’d not jump ship onhim.

He closed the door and made his way on deck, happy to run into Mr. Hong and Grim so quickly. He sent Grim down to keep her company, as Hong went to fetch water. Now he had someone to watch her that wouldn’t look like he was there to watchher.

“Captain?” Mr. Asher said, coming up followed by his otherofficers.

He cleared his throat at the touching way his men’s obvious concern for his wife showed through. “Mrs. Winthrop might like some food, she says,” he said and the men around himcheered.

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