The Pirate's Willing Captive Page 14

  Bending over him, she bathed his forehead with a cloth wrung out in cool water, then slid it over his shoulders and arms. His body was so hot and he had been throwing his arms out of the bed.

  ‘I love you so,’ she said as the tears trickled down her cheeks. ‘I know so little of you, but you are brave and generous, and I was luckier than I knew when you took me captive. Please get better, my dearest. If you died I should not want to live.’

  Justin did not stir. She looked for a flicker of his eyelids, but there was none. Please God he would wake soon…she could not think of a future without this man.

  * * *

  As the night wore on he began to moan and move restlessly in his bed, calling out a name she could not quite catch. She lay a hand on his forehead and thought he felt too warm. The surgeon had told her to keep him cool. Maribel hesitated and then fetched water in a bowl; it was cold from the well and she dipped a cloth into the cool water bathing his face and neck once more. He was still hot, so she stroked her cloth down his arms, then drew back the covers to his waist and bathed his chest. He seemed to settle then and she replaced the covers.

  His breathing was easier now and she thought that he seemed more comfortable than before. She settled down on a blanket beside the bed and after a little fell asleep.

  * * *

  When a sound awoke her light was beginning to creep into the room. She started up, giving a little moan as she felt the stiffness in her back from lying on the floor. Getting to her feet, she looked at her patient and saw that he was now awake and staring at her.

  ‘That was foolish of you, Maribel,’ he said, looking stern. ‘You should have gone to your own bed—or had someone else watch me. Where is Anna?’

  ‘Anna has enough to do. She helped the surgeon when he tended you—and she stopped the bleeding when you were brought back. It did not hurt me to watch over you for a while.’ She reached out to touch his forehead, but he caught her wrist. ‘You were hot last night. I thought you might have a fever.’

  ‘I have a damnable soreness in my thigh and left shoulder.’ His gaze narrowed. ‘I remember fighting the rogues off, but then something hit me from the side.’ He scowled. ‘There were too many of them. It is impossible to guard against such a cowardly blow. What happened after that—how did I get here?’

  ‘Fortunately, Higgins and some of your men arrived to drive the wretches off. You were unconscious when they brought you home. Anna tended you first and then the surgeon came.’

  His eyes were on her face. ‘You know what is being said of you?’

  ‘That the attack was because of me. Do you believe that? Do you think I would want that to happen?

  ‘I know you would not. That it was your father’s ships is not in question. However, it may have been chance that brought them here—unless Hendry revealed the secret of the island and how to enter its waters. One reason this island was chosen from so many others is that there is chain of rocks guarding it. Only those that have visited know how to navigate the channel. If your father’s ships got close enough to inflict so much damage, they must have known the secret—but if they came for you, why was there no attempt to rescue you?’

  ‘I do not know—perhaps I was not important.’

  Justin frowned and was silent for a moment. He knew, but would not tell her that her father cared so little for her that he had been willing to give her up for the return of his map. Sabatini was evil and it made him wonder if the man was truly her father. ‘I think he came to show me what could happen to me if I do not return his map.’

  ‘You think the attack was planned merely for revenge? Because you refused to give up the map?’ She was silent for a moment. ‘What will you do? Shall you send it to him?’

  ‘The way he so callously destroyed property and life here tells me that he should never have that map. With it he will become even more powerful and I cannot condone what he did. He is an evil man.’

  ‘But if you keep the map he may attack you again.’

  ‘Do you think I should be safe from his vengeful spite if I sent him his map? He would see it as a sign of weakness.’ Justin looked thoughtful. ‘I had considered trying to find the silver mine myself, but it has cost too many lives already. I think it is cursed and I shall destroy the map. Better it is never found again than it should cost more lives.’

  ‘My father will always be your enemy.’

  ‘You need not worry yourself over my safety. In two or three days I shall be able to get up. As soon as the Defiance returns she will be provisioned and we shall sail to England. Once you are with your family you will be safe.’

  ‘The surgeon said you need to rest.’ Maribel felt that he was dismissing her once more and her eyes stung with tears she would not shed.

  ‘I shall be well enough to leave when the Defiance is ready to sail.’

  ‘What will you do next? Will you return to the island? You’ve built a fine house and furnished it—but you have lost one of your ships and people may turn against you because of what happened.’

  ‘It can be of little interest to you what I do. I promised to keep you safe until you are with your family. After that you should forget me.’

  How could he speak to her so? Was he deliberately trying to drive a wedge between them?

  ‘I think you must be thirsty. I shall draw some fresh water from the well.’

  She walked away from him, her throat closing with choking emotion. He was still determined to take her to her family and leave her. Did he blame her for the loss of his ships and the destruction here? She blinked away her tears. Maribel had wept when she believed he might die, but she would not weep now!

  * * *

  ‘If your father saw you now he would not know you,’ Anna said as Maribel was drawing water from the well three days later. ‘Your skin used to be a pale olive and was much admired, but now…you are as brown as a gypsy.’

  ‘I cannot stay in the shade all the time here. There has been more work to do since Justin was injured. It would not be fair to expect you to do everything. You chopped the wood so that we can cook, so I draw the water and help with the washing and other chores.’

  Anna stared at her in silence for a moment, then smiled a little reluctantly. ‘You have learned to make yourself useful. Sometimes I almost forget that you are a lady and I am your servant.’

  ‘You are my friend, Anna. The old ways are forgotten here.’

  ‘But when you go to England you will be a lady again, and if I came with you I should be a servant.’ She shook her head as Maribel was silent. ‘No, do not deny it. That is the way of your world, the way it has always been. You cannot change it if you would, which is why I shall not stay in England.’

  Anna was right, but Maribel did not want to admit it. Here on the island she had found a measure of freedom and she did not want to return to her old life—but what else could she do?

  ‘Where will you go if you cannot return to the island?’

  ‘Higgins thinks he shall go to the New World and I shall go with him. There is plenty of land there for settlement. If you have money for sufficient supplies to get you through the first year or two until the land begins to grow enough crops, it could be a good place to live.’

  ‘The New World…’ Maribel wrinkled her brow. ‘I have heard it said that it is a land of savages. My father and men like him take silver from the mines, but to live there…I am not sure…’

  ‘At first our people, men like your father, sought to conquer and take only silver and gold, but other people have begun to settle further to the north. Higgins has heard from men who have taken settlers to the New World. The savages are called Red Indians, because of the colour of their skins, and it is thought that there are many tribes. Some of them are thought to be friendly to the white man.’

  ‘It sounds dangerous and the living will be primitive at first,’ Maribel said, but she felt a tingle of excitement at the nape of her neck. ‘Even here on the island there are often shortages of food, which
is why Justin sent the Defiance to bring pigs and chickens here from one of the larger islands.’

  ‘In the New World they say there is an abundance of game. Ships taking settlers to a new life will carry seed corn and other supplies to tide them over. A ship bringing in fresh supplies to be sold at a trading station could do well.’

  ‘Yes, I see.’ Maribel nodded. ‘You would set up your trading station there instead of on the island as you planned, but—’ She had questions concerning such trading, but she broke off as she saw a man coming towards them. Chills ran down her spine as she saw the look of hatred on his face. ‘Go inside, Anna.’

  ‘And leave you alone with that pig? I shall stay with you.’

  Maribel faced the pirate. One hand moved to the place in her skirts where she had created a pouch to keep the knife that Peg had given her. Her heart was pounding wildly as he came closer.

  ‘Why have you come here?’ she asked. ‘You tried to have Sylvester murdered. You are not wanted here.’

  Pike’s eyes narrowed to menacing slits, his mouth curved back in a sneer. ‘I came only to tell you that the Defiance is back in the harbour. People are demanding that you leave immediately. I have some business with Sylvester that he might want to hear.’

  ‘Do you imagine I shall let you near him after what you tried to do?’

  ‘You?’ He laughed harshly. ‘What will you do, my lady? Kick me, perhaps, or scratch my eyes out—if you can?’

  ‘Go away. If you have business, you may return when Higgins is here…’ Maribel gasped because she had revealed their vulnerability.

  Pike grinned evilly. ‘Oh, do not distress yourself for betraying your weakness. I saw Higgins on the waterfront not twenty minutes ago. I know he is not around to save you or your precious Sylvester, whore.’

  ‘I am no man’s whore.’ Maribel flashed.

  ‘Are you not? Then I might as well amuse myself a little before I complete my business with…’

  Maribel moved back a step as he came towards her. Then she stopped, determined to stand her ground. If she ran or showed fear, he would have the advantage. She could not let him into the house because Justin was not yet strong enough to fight him off.

  Pike laughed mockingly and reached out to grab her. Whipping her knife out, Maribel struck his right arm, making him yell out in shock. His left hand moved to cover his wound. He stared in disbelief at the blood running between his fingers.

  ‘You bitch! I’ll teach you a lesson—and then I’ll pay your lover a visit.’

  ‘You will have to get past me first.’

  Maribel held her knife in front of her the way Peg had taught her. She circled him warily, her eyes never leaving his face. He made a move to grab her once more and she flicked her wrist, stabbing him swiftly on his hand and darting back. He swore, looking at his hand as if he did not know what had happened.

  ‘You asked for this,’ he grunted and drew his cutlass. The sunlight glinted on the wicked blade as he advanced on her. ‘I thought to have a little fun before you died, but it is not worth the bother. I’ll be rid of you once and for all!’

  Maribel held the knife in front of her, but she knew a knife could not compete with a cutlass. Peg had told her to keep the knife secret and wait until her target was close enough to stab him in the stomach, but she had struck too soon, inflicting only superficial wounds. The element of surprise had gone. She had wounded him, but not sufficiently to stop him. He would kill her and then Justin.

  Maribel was vaguely aware that Anna had run into the house. She retreated slowly towards the house, her gaze holding his as he advanced on her, knowing that it was only a matter of time before he killed her.

  ‘Stay away from her!’

  Hearing Anna’s voice, Maribel glanced round. Even as she saw the pistol in her hand, Anna fired. Her shot hit Pike in the chest and he fell, clutching himself. For what seemed like an eternity, he writhed in agony on the ground, his eyes wide and staring at them. Anna came towards them, her hand shaking. She looked sick and shaken as she watched the man twitching on the ground.

  ‘Have I killed him?’

  The twitching had stopped at last. Pike lay still. ‘Yes, I think so,’ Maribel said. Anna dropped the pistol. She was shaking, clearly upset by what she had done. ‘Do not look so guilty. You had no choice. If you had not shot him, he would have killed us all.’

  ‘I meant to stop him, not to kill him.’ Anna looked frightened. She turned away to vomit on the ground, then wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. ‘Will they hang me?’

  ‘No, they won’t hang you.’ Justin’s voice spoke from the doorway. ‘It was in self-defence, Anna—but no one will know, because we shall bury him out there.’ He jerked his head towards the back of the house. ‘I can’t do much to help you. There is a spade in the lean-to at the rear. You will have to drag him there between you. I’ll help to dig the hole.’

  ‘No, you will not,’ Maribel spoke decisively. ‘You have told us what to do. Go back to your room and rest. We can do this between us.’

  Justin set his mouth stubbornly. He took a step towards them, then hesitated, his face white.

  ‘Go on, then. I will make sure there is no sign of the blood here—and I’ll keep watch and warn you if anyone comes.’

  ‘Yes,’ Maribel agreed, because she knew that he would only follow them if she refused his help. ‘As soon as it is done you must go back to bed and rest. Pike told us that the Defiance is in the harbour. When it is provisioned we shall leave as intended.’

  Justin nodded, his mouth set in a grim line.

  ‘Come, Anna,’ Maribel said. ‘You have to help me drag him. I can’t do it alone. Take one leg and I’ll take the other.’

  Anna shuddered, then did as she was told. Pike was heavy and it took both of them to drag his body across the front yard and out behind the house.

  Maribel chose a spot where the earth looked softer. A tree had been cleared to supply timber for the house and the earth had been disturbed, making it easier to dig. When Anna fetched the spade, Maribel started the digging. She dug out an oblong large enough to hide the body. After the first few cuts were made, Anna went to the lean-to and came back with a chopper. She used it to dig down into the earth and then scraped the dry earth out with her hands.

  The women worked in silence for what seemed like an eternity. At last the hole was deep enough and between them they placed Pike in his grave and then started to scrape the earth over him. When they had finished Maribel looked at Anna.

  ‘He was a wicked man, but I think we should say a prayer for him.’

  ‘Yes…’ Anna was pale and penitent. ‘You are right, Maribel. I did not mean to murder him, only to stop him.’

  ‘You did what you had to do—we both did,’ Maribel said. She felt sick and a little faint, but forced herself to continue. ‘God keep and forgive this man. He was not a good man, but we pray that his soul will find peace.’

  ‘You can see the earth has been disturbed,’ Anna said when the prayer was done. ‘We should lay branches over it to hide it for a while. The grave may be found, but it will not matter once we are gone.’

  ‘You will not be able to return here now.’ Maribel remarked as they finished their work and returned to the house. ‘But you should not feel guilty, Anna. You saved my life—and Captain Sylvester’s.’

  ‘And my own. He would not have let me live to tell the tale.’

  ‘No, he could not have risked it, for Higgins would have demanded justice.’ Maribel saw that Anna was still pale, still shocked by what she had done. She reached out and kissed her cheek. ‘Forget what happened, Anna. You must put it behind you.’

  ‘He was a bad man.’ Anna met her eyes, seeking reassurance. ‘I do not believe I shall burn in hell for what I did, do you?’

  ‘No, of course not. It was the only way,’ Maribel replied. ‘I shall never forget that you saved my life, Anna.’

  ‘I could not let him kill you.’ Anna smiled, oddly shy and uncertain. �
�We have something in common now, Maribel. We share a bond that can never be broken—it is a secret we must keep to the grave.’

  ‘Yes, it is.’ Maribel took her hand. ‘We are friends, Anna, truly friends. What has happened here has changed us both for ever. I am no longer the lady you served. I am different and I can never go back to what I once was.’

  ‘We both need to wash and change our gowns,’ Anna said, looking at the dirt beneath her fingernails. ‘You should speak to Captain Sylvester, ask when we are leaving.’

  ‘Yes, I shall.’

  Maribel pushed her hair back from her eyes. She was damp with sweat, her clothes sticking to her. There were blisters on her hands and her back ached. The hard labour had exhausted her, but she had a feeling of satisfaction, because she would never have believed herself capable of doing what she had just done.

  A part of her felt ill at ease because a man’s life had been lost, but Pike was evil. He had tried to have Justin killed and would have succeeded this time if Anna had not stopped him. Maribel knew that she would not have known how to shoot the pistol. Anna must have learned it from Higgins, just as she had learned to use a knife from Peg. So although she felt uneasy that a man’s life had been taken, she believed it was inevitable. Pike had been their enemy from the beginning. It was always his life or theirs.

  She went into the house, then knocked at Justin’s door. He was sitting on the bed. He invited her to enter, looking at her face as she did so.

  ‘Is it done?’

  ‘Yes. We put branches over the grave. It is not deep enough and it will be found, but perhaps not just yet.’

  ‘We shall leave in the morning with the tide. Higgins has instructions to see the ship provisioned immediately. ’

  ‘Anna had no choice but to shoot him. He would have murdered us all.’

  ‘I should have seen to it before it got this far,’ Justin said. ‘You both did what you had to do, Maribel. Put all this from your mind.’

  ‘I shall try.’ She brushed the damp hair from her brow. ‘Your shirt has blood on it. I think your wound has opened,’ she scolded. ‘You have done too much. I saw that you brushed away the marks we left when we dragged Pike into the woods.’