A Pirate’s Wife (16 page)

opponent.' This caused the bald man to grin pridefully and

he received a stern look from the imposter. Rosa-Lee just

stopped herself in time when a giggle wanted to erupt and

continued. 'When I was in distress I convinced the men to

bring me here. That captain, Roberto, what a beast!' She

rolled her eyes in disdain, sighed heavily at the mere

thought, and touched her heart 'Not a gentlemen at all. I

could not stay there any longer. His hands were always

groping. Definitely not a way to treat a lady,' she added for

effect, smiling sweetly at the ugly man whose lingering

snakelike gaze was on her ample cleavage. Her hand fell at

her side in mock-surrender.

'Señorita, it is an honour to meet you! You can be

sure that we will take good care of you. That captain did

look like a beast to me,' he agreed, smacking his lips, his

eyes barely meeting her own as he ones again fixed them

on her chest.

Roberto had just come over the railing when he

heard the comment, and blew through his nose in disgust.

'What an insult!' he thought his face in a scowl. He

glanced at Rosa-Lee briefly, convinced that she was safe

and sound. He noticed the men surrounding her. One tried

to touch her and he balled his fists. It was all an act, he

knew, but still.
Did she have to make it look so good?
he thought angrily.

He signed to Pierre that the coast was clear and

turned to keep watch as he and the rest of the men

followed. Each man knew what to do. Stealthily they all

moved and separate.

They both slipped into the castle, where the

captain's cabin would be. The remaining men went down

the stairs to free the crew. Rosa-Lee strolled with the

pirates in the opposite direction, laughing at the joke she

just heard, touching the captain's arm ever so delicately.

Fixated with her, they hardly took note of anything

else around them as she told them a story, fluttering her

eyelashes provocatively.

Rosa-Lee could not believe that she could act so

tartly. The men drooling over her and she doubt they heard

a word she said but she had to keep them occupied until

Roberto rescued the men. Their bodily odours wafting in

her nose and she took deep breaths as she placed her hand

delicately before her nose.

Her heart pounded in her chest and she was sure one

would notice the rapid beat but her cleavage was of greater

concern to them. One tried to touch her but she slapped him

playfully and chuckled when he took his hand away

sheepishly.

Please hurry, Roberto.
Her lips tightened into a

smile even though she felt uncomfortable among them.

Several minutes later, the voice of the real captain

roared over the deck. Scuffles broke out all around them.

Rosa-Lee was pushed aside and against the railings and she

watched as the ten pirates were captured almost

simultaneously. The whole takeover happened swiftly,

without any sound of a drawn sword, and Rosa-Lee had to

admit that Roberto was superb.

She could not help but to admire him as he stood

there, tall dark and proud. His eyes the only muscle that

moved, the rest of his face covered behind the bandana and

his hat pushed low over his face. She wanted to run to him

but knew it would be futile for if the D.E.I.C captain new

who his saviours were they two would be apprehended. The

feeling of relieve and wonder captured in her heart and she

knew once back on the other ship she had to think about

this.

Held in steel grips, the pirates could not fight back.

The leader was in noticeable distress but said nothing as the

real Captain, Peek du Toit, just stared him down. The

impressive figure of the older man was intimidating to the

impostors and allowed no rebuff.

The D.E.I.C crew took control, surrounding the men

with no way of escape. They were taking down below,

where they would be tried and immediately hung.

There was no mercy for pirates.

'I have to thank you, Señorita, that you came back

to help us,' Captain du Toit said after the deck was once

again under his command. Sailors scattered around as they

started to do their daily chorus. 'I remember your voice. It

was so quick that I thought I was dreaming, but here you

are! For eight days I was a captive in that dresser with no

way of escape. Why were you on my ship in the first

place?' The captain asked in all sincerity. Pierre and

Roberto who stood silently in the shadows drew in their

breaths, waiting for her reply.

'There was a huge misunderstanding on my part

about the
Contra O Vento
, and I fled from the ship in a

typical lady-like fit.' She chuckled with delight. 'The

captain set me straight quickly after he rescued me. I must

admit, I was more afraid on board your ship than on the

Contra O Vento.
'

'Señorita, we owe you our gratitude! Is there

anything that we can do for you?'

'If you can deliver this letter to the D.E.I.C, it would

be appreciated.' Roberto had passed her a letter that

morning just before she descended the Jacob ladder and she

gave it to the captain. At the time, she thought it was odd

for a pirate to ask this request, without any explanation.

The look he gave her was one of
Trust me,
and he gave her a rueful smile. Her heart raced but she nodded her head in

acceptance and placed it in her skirt pocket.

More things to add to the already confusing puzzle

in her mind and heart. She was falling for the pirate. In just

a few short days her heart was pulling toward the rogue. No

matter how she tried she could not ignore the feelings he

stirred.

'Can I ask who you are?' the captain requested.

Nervously she looked in the direction of Roberto who was

still covered by the shadows and he nodded, the mask still

covering his identity.

She laughed softly. 'I am so sorry, my good captain,

my manners are unforgivable. If my mama could see me

now…' and she chuckled, the captain grinned sheepishly.

His glance at her bosom irritated Roberto but he

could not fault the man. It was enticing. As he witnessed

the conversation, making sure that he was not too obvious

to the crew of the
Heerengardt,
he could not help but

admire the woman. Pierre touched his arm, which drew his

attention away to a tall soldier walking directly to them. He

knew it was time to leave. While she introduced herself to

the good captain the two dark figures moved over the tackle

work, down the steps and hid in the corner. Footsteps

stopped just above their heads and then followed down the

steps as well. Both men held their breath. When the man

stood still and looked down the passageway they waited.

Pierre's hand was almost touching the soldier's hat. A few

seconds passed that felt like minutes. Then he disappeared

up the steps and they breathed again. Both knew it was time

to get out of there before the man got it in his head to sound

the alarm.

'I am Rosa-Lee Almaida.'

'The daughter of Cisco Almaida?' he asked, meeting

her eyes.

'Yes,' she nodded.

'What an honour! I have heard so much about your

father.' He clapped his hands together in appreciation.

'Thank you Captain.' She smiled sweetly up at him,

keeping the Captain's attention as the two figures emerged

on deck and slipped over the railing in record time.

'Well, we need to be on our way,' Rosa-Lee said.

'Please make sure that you deliver the letter. It is of the

utmost importance.'

'Yes, I will. We will be there in a month's time, and

then I will hand it to them.'

'Thank you, Captain. Good-bye, and a safe journey

to you.'

'You too, Señorita.'

They helped her back into the longboat where

Fausto waited for her, Pierre and Roberto in the water

invisible to the men on the ship. The rest of the
Contra's

crew had already left. Shattered nerves amongst the

soldiers on the
Heerengardt
might have
sparked outrage at every unfamiliar face they set their eyes on. The rescuers

thought it wise to withdraw quickly.

Rosa-Lee smiled as she sat down, her hand in

Fausto's as he helped her to take a seat. Her dress puffed all

around her. Clouded in green taffeta this emphasised the

beauty with in.

Proudly she sat in the long boat, shoulders straight,

as Fausto took the oars and started to row away from the

ship. She smiled and waved at the men on the ship and

thought:
There was no real danger in this adventure.
She

held both the sides of the boat, peering over the waters with

a small smile.

Roberto looked at her with curiosity. From his place

in the water he could not help but to admire her. She

surprised him almost every day, and there was not a scared

bone in her body. She intrigued him more and more.

'Life will definitely not be boring with her around,'

he thought as he smiled, his eyes lingering on her enticing

bosom.

12

After their daring undertaking, they returned safely

from the
Heerengardt
and were back to their normal

routine, on the way to the Falcon with much lost time to

make up.

Roberto reminded Rosa-Lee that if anything of that

sort happened again she would face a severe flogging

without hesitation. She had to confess that she was more

afraid of Roberto now, after he had rescued her. His dark

eyes had menacingly reinforced to her his stern warning.

Even more than remembering those brutes she was among

on the
Heerengardt,
her heart still stopped
w
hen thoughts of the previous day entered her mind. Thoughts that

Roberto was serious when he had fastened her to the railing

threw her heart into turmoil.

She had trembled so much from shock that she did

not even feel ashamed of her exposure in front of the crew.

Her brother's shirt had covered her chest and only her back

had been bared.

To be so close to a flogging would make her think

twice before another attempt. Rosa-Lee realised that

although abducted and prisoner of Roberto she had nothing

to fear from him except if she crossed him.

This man might like her. She had seen the looks of

interest on his face, but he was still a pirate, the son of the

Falcon; a fierce and cruel man.

Respect and discipline were of the utmost

importance.

She had a lot of time for herself and spent most of it

on the upper deck reading or walking. The cabin was too