The Cursed Doubloon (8 page)

“Husband?”

He pulled his head back to see me. “Do you not want to be my wife?” he asked, his eyebrows pulling together.

“Of course I do. I’ve never wanted anything else in my life as bad as I want you. I would love to be your wife.”

“That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear.”

He leaned in and put his lips to mine with a tender kiss. What a gentleman he was. But that was not my wish. I kissed him back harder, parting his lips with my tongue. His breaths deepened as he took over from there, giving me what I wanted without hesitation. His hands moved down my waist and around to the back of my dress. I felt so excited by him, so alive. I was ready for him to be my lover.

“What be all this?” John’s heavy voice interrupted us. Ladarius and I broke away from each other and stiffened like two school-aged kids that were caught kissing under a desk. “This don’t be lookin’ like yer practicin’ becomin’ a pirate.”

“Oh, but I am,” Ladarius smiled confidently. “Pirates show much interest in women, don’t they?”

John growled under his breath. “The Captain be ready to set sail. We be hopin’ to catch up with Keelhaul tomorrow at the next town over.”

“How do you know where he will be?” I asked.

“We don’t be knowin’ fer sure. But he be sellin’ his hogsheads to the taverns so we be tryin’ our luck with the next town over.”

“And what if he’s not there?”

 “We be sure
someone
would know where he be. When ye be as infamous as Keelhaul ye can’t be goin’ nowhere without people whisperin’.”

“Well,” Ladarius said, “when you spot him point him out to me and I will begin my trickery.”

“He ain’t be hard to spot; he be the ugliest man I ever be seein’. His face be scarred by the knives of overconfident pirates and his right eye be fogged over with milky whiteness.”

“That sounds repulsive,” I said.

“Aye. And he chooses not to be coverin’ it with a patch. I heard it be because he entrances people with it. When they be seein’ it they stop dead it their tracks and that’s when he be slicin’ their throats.”

I looked nervously over at Ladarius. He was standing confidently with his arms crossed, seemingly unaffected by John’s tale. “I’m not worried about becoming entranced,” he said. “As a merman I have entranced plenty of my own. Including Grace.”

I shot him a friendly glare and he nudged my arm, giving me a wink.

John eyed him up and down. “Well ye be lookin’ the part of a pirate, but ye don’t be soundin’ like one. Have ye been practicin’ with yer words?”

“Yes, I, I mean aye.”

“Then let me be hearin’ ye talk.”

Ladarius shuffled his feet. “Okay, um, when will we be leavin’?”

“Is that all ye’ve got?”

“It’s hard to go from speaking intellectually all of your life to speaking like a pirate.”

“We be intellectual! We just not be wastin’ our time with unnecessary words! Life be too short!”

“Okay,” Ladarius said, raising his hands in a calming gesture. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“What, pirate?”

“Ugh,” he sighed. “I mean I not be meanin’ to be offendin’ ye. Be.”

I laughed out a puff of air and covered my mouth, although John still heard it and glared at me.

“And
Ladarius
. That not be the name of a pirate.”

“You want me to change my name? Fine. Call me what you wish.”

“I just be callin’ ye Lad.”

“Lad?” I said with a smile. “At least it’s still your name. Although a lot of young men are called that by nickname.”

“I don’t be carin’ what other people be callin’ anyone. His name be Lad from here on out!” He flipped around and stomped off, acting just like a spoiled child, much in the same way as my father.

“Well, Lad,” I chuckled, “let’s be gettin’ some rest. Ye be havin’ a big day ahead of the likes of ye.”

“Aye aye,” he smiled.

I peered through the light blanket of fog that surrounded our ship and watched as
Hades Halo
bobbed gently in the water. “I can’t believe he’s actually here.”

“Aye,” John said. “He be sellin’ his hogsheads no doubt.”

“Where will we dock the ship? We can’t be seen by him.”

“We be throwin’ the anchor overboard in this very spot,” my father said. “We be hidden nicely behind this cliff of rocks.”

“Are you sure? Ladarius might have a hard time scaling that wall.”

“I’ll be fine,” Ladarius assured me. “I am strong.”

I knew he was strong, my eyes had been devouring his solid body of muscles since the first day I met him. I had fantasized about him since the beginning, but now my fantasies filled every spare moment my mind had. When I saw him throughout the day, dressed handsomely in his pirate attire, I would imagine him grabbing onto me and pushing me against the wall of my cabin with a passionate kiss. At night my thoughts escalated to him continuing his sensual kiss down the length of my naked body. My desire for him was growing hotter than any flame could burn.

“Ye be ready to be doing this, Lad?” John asked.

“Aye, John. I be ready.”

John grumbled something to himself and turned away to once again scrutinize the enemy’s ship.

“You’re getting the lingo down,” I chuckled.

“Are you making fun of me?” he asked, giving me a smile.

“No, not at all. You’re just somewhat of a
different
pirate, that’s all.”

“And how is it that I am different?”

“Well, first off you look very clean. And secondly you
use
the words of a pirate, but you don’t really
sound
like one. Pirates growl everything; you still sound proper.”

“Would you like me to start growling?”

“Heaven’s no, not to me at least. But feel free to speak as unintelligently as you can when you are in the presence of Keelhaul and his crew.”

 “I will try my best, but it’s a hard habit to break.”

My father approached us casually with his hands laced behind his back and his captain’s hat sitting high on his head. He gave Ladarius a once over. “Ye be ready fer this, Lad?”

“Aye, Captain.”

“Good. I be dependin’ on ye to be gettin’ me Melody back. Don’t be messin’ this up.”

“Don’t worry. I can be quite convincing, especially to a crowd of drunken pirates.”

My father nodded. “Do ye be havin’ a plan?”

“Well, after working my way over the rocks I’ll go straight to the tavern to seek out Keelhaul. I’ll approach him dead on and tell him I am interested in joining his crew.”

“And ye be thinkin’ that will work?”

Ladarius pondered his question. “I may have to treat him to some rum first, just to get on his good side. And I’ll talk him up, tell him how much I’ve looked up to him and wanted to work beneath him on
Hades Halo
. He’ll most likely have his ego stroked and fall victim to my compliments.”

“Well we’ll be waitin’ fer yer return to this very spot.”

“Aye aye, Sir.”

My father grunted and stood quietly for a moment before bringing his hands around to the front of him. In his grasp was a leather belt which held a curved sword and a flintlock pistol. “The crew be puttin’ their money together and be gettin’ ye this.”

Ladarius’s eyes widened. “A cutlass and a pistol? For me?” His eyes were shining as he took it from him and laced it around his waist. “It’s perfect. Thank you all so much.”

My father huffed under his breath and flipped around, taking the spot next to John and joining him in his spying.

 Ladarius smiled. “I really look like a pirate now.”

“That you do. You look very handsome.”

His smile slowly faded and his eyes met with mine. “I will miss you, Grace.”

“Yes, I will miss you, too.”

“Will you walk with me once more before I leave?”

“I would love nothing more.”

He held his arm out and I took it, resting my hand against the solid bicep hidden beneath his shirt sleeve. We strolled along the length of the ship in silence, breathing the sea air in and out, both of us dreading his soon departure.

When we got to the stern he stopped. “I want to give you something,” he said, reaching into the pocket of his trousers. He pulled out his hand and opened his fingers. The other pearl tear was sitting in the center of his palm.

“You want to give it to
me
?” I asked with shock.

“Yes.”

“But why? You only get two in your lifetime.”

“Because you deserve to have one.”

I smiled and dropped my eyes to his palm once again. “It’s beautiful. Are you sure you want to give it to me? You already gave me the rose-colored pearl.”

“Yes, and you deserved that as well.”

“You never told me what your gift actually meant. You told me you loved me for the first time that night, I assumed it was a symbol of your love.”

“It is,” he nodded. “But, it’s much more than that.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. In our realm a rose-colored pearl is a symbol of everlasting devotion. They are taken quite seriously.”

“Everlasting devotion? You mean that you will love me forever?”

“Yes but it’s also a symbol of our bonding together. When a merman gives a mermaid a rose-colored pearl and she accepts it, it means they are forever in union and belong to one another. No one else can ever break that bond or even try to. It’s, in a sense, a marriage proposal.”

I pulled in a pleased breath of air. “A marriage proposal? And I didn’t even know it. You mermen have strange ways of going about things.”

“That is true,” he agreed with a smile. “But you are unaware of our customs so the fact that you accepted it didn’t bond us necessarily. But now that you
do
know . . .”

“I gladly accept.”

His cheeks lifted with a grin. “You do? That’s wonderful!”

“Yes, it
is
wonderful. But your brother was clearly unhappy about you offering it to me.”

“Forget about my brother. This is about you and me. I love you, Grace. I want you to know how deep my love for you goes.”

I carefully took his last pearl tear into my fingers. “I love you too, Ladarius. And I will hold this pearl for safe keeping and use it when it is right.”

He pulled me against his warm body and kissed me deeply. He was always serious with his affection but this time it was much different. I sensed something else about him—a worry, a fear. He kissed me as if it were to be our last.

His lips left mine and I hugged him tightly. “Please come back to me, my Ladarius.”

* * *

I never was one to chew my fingernails, but Ladarius’s departure was nerve-racking. It had been two days since he had left, and every second that passed seemed like an eternity. Did Keelhaul and his crew see through his charade? Was he being tortured or even worse, was he dead? I tried to spy on
Hades Halo
through my father’s spyglass but I couldn’t make out much. The one thing I was grateful for was that Keelhaul’s ship never left port. Maybe his selling was quite profitable in that little town and he was taking a rest from sailing for a few days. Either way, I prayed that Ladarius would return quickly so I could know he was safe.

Night fell on the end of the second day and I retired to my tiny candle-lit quarters after the last pirate went below deck. Lying on my bed, I took my two treasured pearls out of my nightstand drawer and held them to my chest. What wonderful gifts they were. “Please be safe, my love,” I whispered while cradling them in my palm, acting as if they were some sort of portal to speak to Ladarius.

A thump vibrated the deck outside. I quickly stashed the pearls back in the drawer and sprung up from my bed. My first thought was that Ladarius had returned but there was also the possibility that an enemy had come aboard, perhaps one of Keelhaul’s men. I reached between my two mattresses and pulled out a small dagger—my only weapon—and crept carefully across the room.

“Grace,” a voice whispered.

I pulled open the door to see Ladarius standing solidly in front of me with a black sack clutched tightly in his hand. “Ladarius!” I cried out, throwing my arms around him with happy tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. “I was so worried! I was afraid they had figured out your plan!”

“I’m perfectly fine,” he said with a smile in his voice while pulling me against him with his free arm. “It was a challenge at first working my way onto the ship but I finally did it and I got Melody back.”

I pulled my head back with disbelief. “You did? How? Where is she?”

“She’s in here,” he said while lifting the sack for me to see. “She sure was a feisty little one when it came to putting her in here. She bit me right on the knuckle.”

“I cannot believe it! You actually did it my love!”

“Yes, now let’s go take her to your father. I can’t wait to see his face when I show him.” He grabbed my hand and we took off down the deck, stopping close to his room when we heard the familiar drunken snore. “You think he will wake up?”

“We will make him,” I grinned. I slammed my palm against the wooden door. “Father! Father wake up!” Not wanting to waste any more time I pushed it open. There he was, passed out cold with one leg hanging off the edge of his mattress. “Father! Wake up this instant!”

“What?” he snarled. “Leave me be.”

“Melody is back!”

“The curse be puttin’ fog in me path so me ship—”

“Father!” I hollered next to him while giving his cheek a gentle slap. “You’re dreaming. Wake up and see what Ladarius has brought you!”

His left eye cracked open and adjusted to the candle light that flickered in his window. “What it be? Is Lad back? Did he bring me Melody with him?”

“Yes, Captain,” Ladarius answered. “She is safe and sound right here in your chambers.”

His other eye opened and he sat up in an instant, looking for his bird. “Where she be?”

He held the bag out in front of him. “In here.”

“Melody?” My father’s voice was desperate as he took the bag from his grasp. The creature inside stirred around as he pulled away at the knot and opened the sack. Melody flew out in a panic, her loose feathers scattering around the room. “Melody! Oh, me Melody!”

Ladarius and I exchanged smiles at seeing the delight in my father’s eyes, which were now glistening. It took a few moments for the parrot to calm down but once my father grabbed her and patted her head she seemed to realize where she was.

He moved the panting bird to his shoulder. “Good job, Lad. Ye actually did what ye told me ye would do. Ye’ve earned me respect.”

“Thank you, Captain,” he replied with a confident nod. “I would do anything to be with your daughter, Sir.”

“Well ye be havin’ me blessin’, I can tell ye that. And I be treatin’ ye to a round of rum when we get to a safer place. Right now we need to be weighin’ anchor and leavin’ this place. Surely Keelhaul will be an angry devil when he be realizin’ his stolen bird be stolen away from him.”

“Aye aye, Captain. I’ll wake the men and get them to ready the ship to leave port within the hour.”

“Nonsense! Ye did well enough to earn yerself a much needed rest. Take the night off and visit with me Gracie. I be alertin’ me men meself.”

“As you wish,” he said, bowing out and leaving the room while flashing me the whitest of smiles.

I came to my father’s side and scratched Melody’s cheek. “See Father? I told you Ladarius was a friend.”

“Aye, Gracie.”

“And now you have the secret to your hidden treasure back. What a wonderful thing it all is.”

“Yes, that be so.”

Melody’s beak opened and closed as she gulped the sea air. “I do believe she is thirsty. I’m sure she’s been through a lot these last couple of days. You better make sure to give her some water.”

“That be a good idea.” He gave her a sideways glance and smiled lovingly at her. “Does some water be soundin’ good me Melody?”

My downturned smile was followed by a quiet sigh as I took in the sight of his loving devotion for his bird. Gone were the days when my father looked at me the same way. Maybe if I were to be a link to his hidden treasure then he would look at me so lovingly. I tried my best not to take it personally. He was a cursed man, after all.

“Well, goodnight Father. And goodnight to you as well, Melody.” I gave her another scratch and left the room to find Ladarius.

The curtains to my room were open while I had waited for Ladarius’s return, but now they were closed. Candle light flickered melodically behind the delicate fabric. I knew he was in there, waiting for me. I pushed open the door and smiled at the sight of him sitting comfortably on the edge of my bed. “You’re growing a beard,” I delighted.