Frigid Waters (Ladies of Loomcroft) (4 page)

She actually stopped breathing.  George realized he was wrong, she hadn't won the game.  No, they were just beginning to play.  “I will be...running an errant for my father.”

George nodded, “What sort of errant, Miss Loomcroft?”

She turned to face him and leaned against the stone frame of the window as if begging for its support.  She opened her mouth as if to speak and then closed it.  George watched her with fascination; he could almost see the wheels in her mind turn, searching for an answer.  “It is a family matter.”  She finally said with a slight shake in her voice.

He turned away from her and gave her a reprieve.  “I will be sailing for Spain to make deliveries for my company.  Alas, I will be away for no reason other than to heavy the weight of my purses.”

She swallowed hard enough that he heard her. 
This
was the win of the game.  “What will you be accomplishing for your family, Miss Loomcroft?”

She took a deep breath and walked towards the door.  “I must apologize, Mr. Livery.  I have a large number of younger siblings and it would be unkind to my step-mother and sister to leave them so long without my aid.  Perhaps we can continue this conversation on another day?  I greatly enjoyed your visit.” 

George smiled as he followed her towards the door.  “I understand completely, Miss Loomcroft.”  He was tempted to grab her hand and kiss it, but he rather liked his nose.  “As soon as I return from Spain I will call on you so we may have a nice chat.”

She curtsied.  “Thank you for your understanding and consideration, Mr. Livery.”  She then turned and moved as swiftly as was acceptable up the stairs.  She only glanced back once as she ascended to her safety.

George was out the door quickly, but he slowed as he walked the streets of London towards his favorite gaming hall.  He had to know what she was doing over the next few weeks.  What could a self-proclaimed uninteresting spinster do that would make her blush and scramble to hide it so quickly.  He might not know now, but he would.  It was only a matter of time.

Chapter 3

The salt tinged morning air drifted up to Belladonna as she stood on the bow of the ship.  Her lavender dress trousers blew freely in the wind.  She had to give Mrs. Murdock credit
, the woman had created a pair of trouser that contained so much fabric that they easily passed as a skirt. 

Belladonna loved them and had considered asking the modiste to make all her few clothes in such a fashion.  The matching top for this particular pair was lavender, but the bend was a deep navy.  It truly was a look borne of a merging of the masculine and the feminine. 

She had chuckled at the lace eye patch that the woman had sent along.  That said, she wore it.  With her hair free and the new clothes Belladonna barely recognized herself.  Surely no one else would. 

She gazed out at the sea as her newly appointed first mate boards.  He cleared his throat behind her, “Captain, madam, we are ready to sail.” 

She nodded and followed him the back of the ship.  “Mr. Lorton, have you sailed with my sister before?”

He nodded, “That I have, Miss Loomcroft.  Best captain I had ever seen, she was.”  He cleared his throat and lowered his voice to just above a whisper when he spoke again.  “Very few people knew that Master Loomcroft was actually a Miss Loomcroft.”

She sighed.  “I am not my sister in more ways than one, can I count on your aid during this voyage?”

“It would be my honor, Miss Loomcroft.” 

She let out a sigh of relief.  “Would you please inform the men it's time to pull anchor, sir?”

Mr. Lorton looked at her for a moment as if weighing her.  He then did as he was asked.  Then he did more than he was asked.  The short seaman had taken control of her ship without a word of permission.  Belladonna was thankful.  She had no idea how to complete the task she'd been given.

A few hours into the voyage a brawl broke out on deck.  Belladonna walked to the handrail of the higher deck and looked down on the fight.  Mr. Lorton started to hurry down. Belladonna's heart was beating so fast that she could hear each thump like thunder in her ears.

“Mr. Lorton!”  She said loudly.  He barely heard her, but he turned to listen to what she had to say.  “Keep the other men out of this row.  When they've finished pummeling each other bring what is left of them to my quarters.”

She turned and headed into the quarters.  She sat down in a firm wooden chair behind the desk.  Belladonna had to count her breaths to stay calm.  She had never been the judge, jury and executioner of full grown men before and it terrified her.

Mr. Lorton pushed the two men in the door and growled at them.  “Sit down, your bleeding arses.”

Belladonna nodded at Mr. Lorton.  “Thank you, Mr. Lorton.  Please feel free to stand or sit as you prefer, sir.”

Mr. Lorton blushed at being treated with such propriety.  Belladonna leveled her eyes at the two men across from her.  She tried to take on the tone she'd have with the girls when they'd behaved quite badly.  “So, gentlemen, could you possibly explain what just happened out on deck?”

The first men leaned forward and stuck his finger towards her.  “I tell you what I told him.  I'll not be taken orders from a twist with cat-heads more fitting of a Judy than a lady.”

Her brow furrowed for a moment.  Finally she looked over at her first mate.  “Mr. Lorton, could you possibly tell me what that means?”

The short, older man blushed.  “He refuses to take orders from a woman with...”  Mr. Lorton paused trying to figure out a polite way to say it.  “...well, so generously endowed up top.  He believes such a woman would be more suited for a job of a tail than to be a lady.”  The poor man was sweating bullets.

Belladonna leaned back and searched the red face of the second man.  “You defended my honor, sir?”

He didn't speak, but nodded.  She looked over at Mr. Lorton.  “Is it safe to say that you are being prepared to captain one of our ships yourself, Mr. Lorton?”

“Yes, Madam Captain, it is.” 

She nodded, then she leveled her gaze with the second young man.  “Honor is to be rewarded.  You shall start working as Mr. Lorton's assistant immediately.”

Leaning back in her chair she locked eyes with the first man.  “I want you off my ship.  I will leave it to  Mr. Lorton as to the means, but if we can not find a port in which to dispose of you within the next day I will recommend he dump you overboard.”

Mr. Lorton and his new apprentice grabbed the man before he could speak back to her.  They rushed him out of the quarters just in time for no one to see her collapse.  Tears ran down her face.  How had her sister done it?  These men were rude, impertinent, and intimidating.  Any one of those three could have done her serious harm.

She waited until her tears ran dry and her shaking hands stilled before she forced herself to go out on deck.  Belladonna had spent her life trying to portray a disguise of indifference, but now she had to put on a whole new disguise.  She squared her shoulders and tried to look as confident as possible. 

Mr. Lorton approached her the second she was back out on deck.  “Miss Loomcroft, there is a port not far from here.  It's the port of Riverton on the coast across from France.” 

She nodded.  “Then we stop there and insist that detestable man disembarks.”

Her first mate blushed, “About that, Madam Captain.  The order has already been given.  I beg your pardon if that was wrong; Master Alex always gave me quite a bit of free reign in what I did.”

She flashed him a smile and nodded, “Not a problem, Mr. Lorton.  I had already essentially given the order.  You are a smart man; it only pleases me that we have already changed course.”

He smiled at her like a man fully entranced in an enchantress's spell.  “Less than an hour should pass on your ticker, Madam Captain before we pull into port.”

She smiled at him again, “Thank you, Mr. Lorton.  I will be in my quarters, please inform me the moment we are within sight of the port.”

Belladonna went into her quarters and brushed out her hair. She had worn it up as was expected of her for so long that even she was surprised of its length when left down.  The ringlets of curls that she had as a child were weighed down into soft curls by the heavy length of it.

When she was content that her hair didn't look like a large nest of birds had just left it, she sat the brush down.  She shook the wrinkles out of her dress and adjusted her decorative eye patch.  She stood and really looked at herself in the mirror.

What she saw took her own breath away.  She looked confident and daring.  Instead of the straight laced spinster, she saw a proud ship captain.  She also began to see why Mr. Lorton behaved like a puppy ready to please around her.  She felt pretty.  Oh, she'd never be beautiful, she knew that, but for the first time in her life she felt attractive in some little way.

The knock on the door brought her another smile.  Mr. Lorton opened it tentatively.  “Madam Captain, we'll be at port shortly.”

She met him at the door.  “Mr. Lorton, it is rather late in the day.  Why don't you tell the men to enjoy themselves in the town of Riverton, tonight?  We will set sail again at first light.”

He nodded.  “What of you, Madam Captain?”

She smiled mischievously.  “I do believe I will have a drink in the local pub.”

Mr. Lorton took on a protective look.  “If you feel you must, Miss Loomcroft, then please carry a pistol.  You do know how to fire one, do you not?”

She almost bounced with excitement.  “Of course, Mr. Lorton.”  She had no idea how to load a pistol, let alone fire one.  No one would call her bluff if it hung on her belt; she was sure of it.

She was sure of it until she stepped off the ship.  She wandered the town and enjoyed it well enough.  The dressmaker had some ribbon she liked and for once in her life she bought it simply because she wanted it.  Her father had inconvenienced her, so why shouldn't she spend a bit of his coin?

When she finally wandered into the local pub it was full to the brim of sea bound men.  When she walked thru the door one young man yelled out, “Madam Captain in the house!”

She smiled and weaved her way to the bar.  She flashed an innocent smile to the bar keep.  “Please supply my men with a pint on me.  Anymore is on them, but the first pint is on me.”

One of her men laughed and yelled, “Here, here!”

She couldn't help but laugh at the gesture.  She was still laughing when she turned around to watch her men.  The laughter stopped the moment she locked eyes, well, eye with George Livery. 

She seen her father truly angry a few times in her life.  Once he had actually hit her step-mother after he found her beating Belladonna.  She would never forget the look of rage on her father's face that day.  Her stomach churned when she saw the exact same look in the eyes of George Livery.

He bowed and smirked at her sarcastically.  “Miss Loomcroft, would you do me the honor of having a private conversation with me upstairs?”

She recognized the command and a day ago she probably would have immediately done as he asked.  Now she sipped her ale and simply said, “I do not think that is wise, Mr. Livery.”

His eyes narrowed and he leaned within a breath's space of her ear.  “I do not think we can trust your judgments on wisdom at the moment, Miss Loomcroft.  Please do not make a scene, we need to talk.”

She took another sip of her ale.  She batted her eyes and bit her lip.  “Well, I suppose you did say please; that is progress for you, Mr. Livery.”

He almost looked relieved as he took her arm and led her up the stairs.  Belladonna almost thought the conversation would be amicable.  It had to be the alcohol she wasn't use to clouding her judgment.

The second the door to the room closed she knew she was in trouble.  He rounded and her and grabbed her by the upper arms.  He shook her, he actually shook her.  “What in God's name are you doing, Belladonna?!”  He bellowed.

She stilled and looked at him.  “Mr. Livery I was beginning to credit you with some brains, considering how well you can verbally spar; I fear I was wrong.  I thought it was quite obvious what I am up to.”

“Madam Captain,” he parodied as he pushed her away.  He started to pace slowly, crossing his arms and rubbing his chin.  “For the love of God woman, take off the eye patch.”

She nodded with confidence and proceeded to untie the patch behind her hair.  “Does that ease your concerns, Mr. Livery?”  She was feeling a bit annoyed herself and added just to annoy him, “I am now perfectly safe from tripping and falling.  Are you finished?  I would like to return to my ale.”

He looked at her with wide eyes.  “Return to your ale.  Return to your ale!  Are you out of your bloody mind?”

She considered the situation and finally walked over and sat on the bed.  She had a feeling this rant was going to last for some time.  “Actually, I am quite enjoying myself.”  She replied in an upbeat tone.

“I was unaware you even knew what the word 'enjoy' meant.”  He looked her up and down, his gaze settling on her pistol.  “You do not even know how to use that, do you?”

“Of course, I do.”  She responded a bit too quickly.  He rushed her and pulled the pistol out of the holster and set it safely on the table in the room.  “A pistol is not a piece of jewelry, Bella.  If you do not intend to shoot it, then you do not carry it.”

She crossed her arms and let her weight rest on one leg.  “What makes you think I would not shoot you?”

He groaned.  “Bella, the damn thing was not even loaded.”

A silent 'oh' formed on her lips.  Lips that he noted now looked to be a shade of early blooming red roses instead of the color of a pink tea rose.  Damn it.  The color of her lips were immaterial, the woman was crazy.

“Well, I am not leaving it here when I return to my ship.”