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  But no matter what I thought about Elizabeth’s father, my biggest concern was how I was going to keep them all safe. Do I just let them all go? I thought more on the subject. No, I cannot do that. I have her right where I want her. I cannot let her go. I cannot allow my heart to break again. She stays and the child stays. But no maids! One woman on this ship is enough.

  Coming back from my thoughts, I asked Smead, “And the cargo?”

  “Gold, Capt’n. I’m guessing wages. They were carrying wool, too, sir. But the biggest prize, sir, is this beauty here!” He shoved Elizabeth forward again and she and I both scowled at him.

  “Do not hurt my mama!” The boy cried out. Smead and I laughed. He definitely had his mother’s spirit. I had forgotten that the child was even in the room. He was quite a brave young man; I admired that he was quick to protect his mother.

  Elizabeth looked over at her son, alarmed. “Thomas, hush!”

  I walked over to Thomas and knelt down in front of him. “Now Thomas, what makes you think we are going to hurt your mama?”

  “You are a bad man!” Thomas looked over to Smead and added, “He’s a bad man too, because he threw a man overboard. And he pushed my mama around!”

  I looked up at Smead for answers. He knew I abhorred his cruelty. And he knew by my look that I was displeased.

  “Capt’n, as I said, it couldn’t be helped. I needed to know who the lady was and nobody was talk’n. I knew that if I showed them that I wasn’t playing around, someone would oblige. And it worked. We fished ‘im out, sir. He wan’t harmed, just rattl’d a bit.”

  “Stop. We will discuss this later, Smead,” I commanded. He knew I was not pleased with him. My men had grown to respect me over the years. I was fair and to an extent, kind to them. They knew my expectations and as long as they were adhered to, all was well. Smead had a tendency to let power take control of his actions, but he had been improving. Like he said, he had fished the man out and saved his life. I had to give him credit for that. In the early days, the man would have been left as fish bait.

  I turned back toward Thomas. “So now, young man, you believe we are bad men,” I said. “I agree with you about Smead. He is a bad man and he should not be pushing a lady around, nor throwing people overboard. But what have I done that makes you think I am a bad man?”

  “Well, you are a pirate captain.”

  “A pirate, you say? There have not been pirates in these waters for well over 100 years. What makes you say I am a pirate?”

  “You took over our ship.”

  “Yes, we did take over your ship.”

  “And you stole from the crew and passengers.”

  “Yes, we did do that as well.”

  “And you took me and my mama to your ship!”

  “Well, I have to say when you put it that way, it is not looking very good for me and my crew.” I turned back toward Smead and said, “I guess the young lad is right, we are most definitely pirates.” Smead and I laughed again. Thomas was a very precocious child and I was enjoying engaging him in conversation. He made me think that perhaps his mother had been the same way when she was young. I looked up to Smead and said, “Take the duchess and her son to the cabin next to mine.”

  Smead grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and began to pull her toward the door. Thomas stayed close to his mother.

  “What about my father?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Well, well, the lady does have a voice,” I said, surprised that she had deigned to address me directly. “What about your father, Your Grace?” I asked.

  “If you are going to keep me and Thomas here, I should like to have my father and my travelling companions join us.” This woman was not afraid of anything. She stood before me, completely at my mercy. She did not know me—or at least, she did not think she knew me. She did not know how cruel or kind I could be. And yet there she stood, making demands upon my crew and me.

  “Oh, you would?” I said, chuckling at her demands. “And what makes you think you are in any position to make demands of me?” I asked. Ignoring the fact that she did not answer my question, I continued, “No, we do not have room for anyone else.”

  “Then tell me, Captain . . .” She hesitated and then added smartly, “Sorry, I was not provided the courtesy of your name.”

  “Sterling. Captain Sterling,” I replied back just as smartly. We had always been a match at wits and I was pleased to see that she had not changed all that much.

  “Captain Sterling, what do you intend to do with the remainder of the Amity’s crew?” she asked defiantly.

  “I have not decided yet, but you and your son will be staying aboard the Absolution,” I replied just as defiantly.

  “But, my father!” Elizabeth cried.

  I was in no mood to enter into a shouting match with her. I rose to my full 6’2” height and waved my hand, silencing her. I could see that my height and presence intimidated her and she remained quiet. I had always believed that nothing ever intimidated her, so I was guessing that this was a first for her.

  I stepped up to her and moved in very close, which reminded me of the last time I had seen her. That awful day she refused me. I had moved in close then to apologize for taking up her time and it had taken everything in me not to kiss her. Now, towering over her in the same manner, I found myself fighting that same battle. Our lips were almost touching when I looked down at her and said in an even, precise tone, “Your Grace, allow me to be perfectly clear.” If I remembered correctly, those had been her words to me on that awful day. Now the tables had turned and I was in charge.

  I continued, “In these waters, on this ship, my word is law. You will not talk back to me and you most certainly will not question my actions or my motives.” I paused for a moment to allow her to completely understand what I was saying. I then added, “Now, I am going to ask you if you understand what I am saying to you. The only words I want to hear out of your mouth are yes or no. Do you understand?” Elizabeth nodded and I realized that it was the first time I had ever seen fear in her eyes. “So, Your Grace, are we in agreement as to who is in charge?”

  “Yes,” Elizabeth said meekly.

  “Good. I am glad we could come to an understanding. Smead, take them to their room.”

  “But ...”

  “Enough!” I yelled. “I have had enough of your insolence! Take them away.”

  Smead grabbed on Elizabeth’s arm and again pulled her toward the door. Thomas followed his mother and I watched as they hurried out of my office.

  Damn, that felt good. But I was exhausted. I rubbed my temples to help alleviate the pounding in my head. That woman was infuriating and breathtaking all at the same time.

  I sat back down at my desk, astonished by the vicissitudes of my fortune. Elizabeth Bennet had become a duchess and was now a captive on my ship. I did not know whether to rejoice in that fact or to throw her overboard. Knowing I was unable to do the latter, I really debated on the former.

  “What in God’s creation do I do with her?” I asked myself out loud. I could let her go and once again wash my hands of the Bennets. That would be the wise thing to do. I had a good life at sea. I was alone, but I was happy. I no longer had to live the pretense of being a gentleman and I had finally found a freedom unlike anything I had ever known. At least, that was what my head told me. But my heart told me something different. Captain Max Sterling wanted no part of Elizabeth Bennet or her son. But Fitzwilliam Darcy thought differently—he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity that fate has bestowed and show her the man that I had become. Could she love a pirate? I asked myself.

  While my head and my heart battled on inside me, I decided to go with the original plan and keep her, for now. If nothing else, she and her son would bring a healthy ransom if I chose to use her in that way.

  Chapter 6

  Elizabeth

  “Ooooh, that man!” I said out loud once Thomas and I were left in our new room on this new ship. What did he call it? The Absolution? What a beas
t! He will get no absolution from me.

  “Mama, why are you so angry?” Thomas asked.

  “I am sorry, Thomas. I am angry that we are stuck in this mess and now it appears that we will be separated from your grandfather, Dawson, and Mrs. Kelly,” I replied.

  “Are they going to be alright? That Smead man is not going to throw them overboard like he did with that other man, is he?” he asked worriedly.

  “No, Thomas. He is not. Although Captain Sterling does not seem like a very nice man, I do not think he wishes for anyone to be thrown overboard,” I said to him, trying to reassure him and myself.

  “So what do we do now?”

  “Honestly, Thomas, I have no idea. I suppose we just wait.”

  Several hours passed and all Thomas and I could do was wait. I looked around our new room and was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. It was even nicer than my accommodations on the Amity.

  After some time I realized that I did not feel the ship moving and I wondered why we were still anchored. I walked over to the door, intending to ask someone, only to find that the door was locked. It was then that the full realization of our situation hit me. Thomas and I were prisoners.

  A little while later, someone came to the door and I could hear the lock click. The door slowly opened and a man that I had not seen before stepped in. Following behind him were two more men carrying our trunks. Oh, thank Heavens . . . at least we will have our things!

  The two men who brought our trunks in lingered at the door for a moment and then turned to leave. “Wait!” I called after them.

  One of them turned back toward me and said, “Ma’am, we ‘ave been told to not speak with you. You belong to the capt’n and are off-limits to us.”

  He then left the room, closing and locking the door behind him. Belong to the captain? I do not belong to anyone and the next time I see that man, I am going to tell him that. Oh, the nerve of him! I could tell by the small window in our room that it was beginning to get dark outside. Thomas had not had anything to eat since breakfast this morning. “Thomas, sweetheart, are you doing alright?” I asked him.

  “Yes, Mama, I am doing just fine. Are you?”

  He was such a polite young man; I was so proud of him. “Yes, I am doing just fine too.”

  A few minutes later Thomas asked, “Mama? Are they going to feed us?”

  He had been so brave so far, but I knew he would be hungry. “I am sure they will, sweetheart. I assume they are still getting things in order above deck with the Amity.”

  “Oh. Do you think grandfather is safe?”

  “Yes, love, I do. As I told you before, I do not believe the captain would harm innocent people.”

  “Then why are we prisoners?”

  “Well, sweetheart, do you remember when your grandfather used to tell you stories about pirates?”

  “Yes.”

  “What was the one thing a pirate wanted more than anything?”

  “That is easy, Mama, gold!” Thomas said proudly.

  “That’s right, gold. Since you are of noble blood, the captain thinks that by holding us prisoner, he can ransom us to the British government. We are very valuable to him and that is why I believe he will not hurt us or our family.”

  “Mama, you are smart. That makes a lot of sense and really helps me understand why this is happening to us.”

  Again I heard someone at the door turning the lock. There was no knock or courtesy to announce that they were entering our room. The door opened and to my surprise, it was the captain himself. How brash for him to just walk into a lady’s room! But I would expect nothing less from such a beast.

  “Your Grace, I have come to inform you that you will be dining with me this evening. We should be getting underway shortly and once we are at sea, we will have dinner prepared.”

  “I prefer to dine here, Captain,” I said boldly.

  He smirked at me and then replied, “Perhaps I was not clear. You will be dining with me tonight. There is no choice in this matter and I do not care for your opinion.”

  “And if I do not arrive in your dining room as ordered?” I asked. I knew I was pushing my luck, but for some reason I was sure that he would not hurt my son or me. Perhaps it was his eyes. There was so much familiarity in them; it was as if we had met before.

  “I assure you, that is not a chance you want to take. Dinner will be at eight. One of the members of my crew will be down to retrieve you. Your son will be dining with the crew. I have assigned one of my sailors, Mr. Smead, to look after him.”

  “But …” He turned back toward me and glared. It did not take long for me to realize that I had better not finish that thought.

  Seeming pleased that I had not said another word, he turned back toward the door and subsequently stopped in the doorway. Without turning back toward Thomas and me, he said, “By the way, one of my sailors is taking the Amity to the West Indies, where the ship was originally headed. All the passengers, excluding your father, will remain on the ship and will be released once it docks. As for your father, Your Grace, he will be dropped on an island en route to the ship’s final destination. He will remain there as my guest until I am done with you and your son.” Before I could respond, he left the room.

  What a horrible man! I looked over at Thomas, who appeared horrified by the captain’s words. Although I was worried out of my mind, I had to be strong for his sake.

  “See, Thomas, I told you grandfather was going to be just fine,” I said as calmly as I could. Thomas was a smart boy and I knew he could see right through me, however, he never let on that he was worried too. I had always thought Thomas took after Bash, but moments like this made me realize that lately I had been seeing more of myself in him.

  A while later I could feel the ship moving. We were on our way, though I had no idea where we were going. I looked at the time: half past six. I needed to freshen up and be ready for dinner. Perhaps if I charm the captain he will be more lenient with me. Perhaps he will even return my father to this ship to sail with us.

  No, whom am I kidding? I will not stoop so low as to charm a man, even a pirate, to get what I want. But it would not hurt to be nice to him, I thought.

  Chapter 7

  Captain Sterling

  “Why does that woman bring out the worst in me?” I said aloud when I returned to my cabin and slammed the door behind me. She is obstinate, headstrong, and so damn willful, not to mention absolutely beautiful. Sometimes when I look at her I forget who I am. I forget our past and even forget that she loathes me. But after our last encounter, I have given her even more reason to dislike me.

  I had wanted to wait until we were underway a few days before I made any direct contact with her, but I could not. Knowing that she was on my ship made me hungry to engage in conversation with her and I was unable to wait. I had never been a patient man. I needed to spend time with her and I needed to speak with her.

  Who did she end up marrying? They said the boy was the Duke of Grafton. Think, man, who was the Duke of Grafton ten years ago? I thought for a few minutes and then I remembered. Sebastian Wellesley! I was acquainted with him—if memory serves me correctly, we went to Cambridge together.

  As I was pondering what sort of life Elizabeth had lived for the last eleven years, there was a knock at my door. “Enter,” I stated.

  The door opened and Smead and Elizabeth entered my office. It was clear upon her entrance that she had freshened up; she looked more beautiful and radiant than ever. This was going to be a long voyage.

  “Good, you are right on time. Thank you, Smead, that will be all. Be sure to keep watch over our young duke this evening.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain!” Smead replied and left the room.

  We were finally alone. Everything in me wanted to profess the same feelings I had confessed eleven years ago, but I knew that it was not the time. If I were ever to make an offer to this woman again, I would first ensure that she returned my feelings. And perhaps I would not be so ungentlemanly to
ward her the next time—that is, if there would be a next time.

  “Your Grace. Kind of you to join me,” I finally said to her.

  In true Elizabeth Bennet spirit, she replied, “I do not think I had much choice in the matter, Captain. I assume we will be sailing together for several weeks. You hold my father captive, as well as my son and I. I believe it is best for me to do as I am told for the duration of this voyage.”

  “Well now, Your Grace, I am glad that we could come to an understanding,” I replied smugly. It was freeing having my identity concealed from her. It gave me an air of confidence in her presence that I normally would not have had. Of course, the fact that I held the key to the safety of her loved ones as well as herself did not diminish the feeling either. Yes, it was freeing indeed. I smiled at the thought.

  “Shall we?” I extended my arm for her to take. She looked at the gesture uncertainly and then reluctantly took my arm. We walked into my private dining area. “Please, sit down,” I said. We both took a seat at the table.

  Neither of us spoke as we waited for our food to arrive. Mr. Balmore, the cook, usually brought my meals himself and was very rarely late. Just as I began wondering what was keeping him, he arrived with our plates. He set a plate down for Elizabeth and then my own.

  Elizabeth looked at the food with a look of indifference on her face. “May I ask, Captain, what this is?” she asked, sounding like a child.

  “Salmagundi,” I replied, offering no further explanation. If she were still the same woman I knew all those years ago, she would ask.

  “Sal … what?” she asked.

  I could not help but laugh. I replied, “Salmagundi. It is one of the staples here on the ship. Basically, it is another word for salad. As you can see, it consists of a hodgepodge of ingredients, generally a scrambled concoction of meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits. Fruits and vegetables are often hard to come by when we sail this far away from home, so as you can see all we have are potatoes and carrots. When we sail close to home, the fruits and vegetables outnumber the meats and fish and it is quite good.”