The Pirate's Willing Captive (13 page)

* * *

Maribel caught her breath as they rounded the point and she saw the ships blazing in the harbour. At least three were on fire and the smoke was thick, blowing across the sea towards the land.

‘Damn it!’ Justin cried. ‘One of the ships burning is the
Sea Siren!
By the look of her she is finished.’

‘What of the
Defiance?’
Maribel asked. ‘I did not notice it in harbour as we left this morning.’

‘Yesterday, I sent
Defiance
and a crew to fetch supplies from another island. We were running short of essentials like meat and milk and I bargained for livestock that can be reared here.’

‘Then
she
is safe?’ Maribel said, thinking that if he had not sent his best ship for supplies that too might have been destroyed. It was bad enough that he should have lost the
Sea Siren,
because he had given his third ship to Captain Hendry as a reward for bringing the information about her family. Maribel felt relieved for his sake, but he misunderstood her question.

‘You need not be concerned. A ship would be found to take you to England even if my ships were all destroyed. ’ His tone sounded scornful and she knew he believed she had been thinking of herself.

‘I did not mean…’ Maribel began but her words were lost as Anna cried out and pointed to the island
and they saw that some of the houses had been damaged by what could only be cannon fire. ‘Who has done this terrible thing?’

The attack was clearly over; people were working frantically on shore to stop the fires spreading. The burning ships seemed to be done for, blazing too fiercely to be saved, but on land the people seemed to be winning their battle. Maribel’s expression was puzzled as she looked at Justin.

‘Why have these people been attacked?’

‘We are pirates, hunted and hated by many,’ Justin told her, white-lipped. ‘The attack could have come from anyone. We may discover more when we go ashore. Whoever made the attack did as much damage as possible from the sea and then fled before they could be attacked in return—the cowards! May they rot in hell!’

Maribel flinched. Something in his tone made her feel that he blamed her for what had been done. She could hardly wait to be on shore. Terrible damage had been inflicted and people would be hurt. She wanted to help wherever she could, dousing the fires or tending injured people.

Everywhere was confusion and chaos. Maribel joined a chain passing buckets of water, asking the woman next to her what had happened as she took the bucket and gave it to the next in line.

‘Three ships sailed into harbour. At first we took no notice, then we saw that some of our ships were on fire. The intruders worked swiftly and secretly, inflicting the most damage they could. When it was seen, the men
manned the cannon that protect the harbour and started firing on the strange ships. That is when they fired on the buildings. Some of the men tried to swim out with pistols and swords, but the strangers fired on them. Then, sensing that the fires they had started might spread to their own ships, they sailed off.’

‘I was on the other side of the island. Once or twice I thought I heard a muffled boom, but I thought it was just the sea,’ Maribel said. ‘Are there many hurt?’

‘Several injured and some dead, those that were caught in the first blast—also men who tried to reach the swine that attacked us.’

‘Where are the injured housed?’

‘In the taproom of the Nag’s Head, I heard.’

Maribel saw that the fire was almost out. She left the line and ran towards the inn where she had been told the wounded were housed. As she went into the taproom, she saw men and women lying on the floor. Some had been attended, others were moaning, begging for help. One man seemed to be in charge; by his instruments she guessed that he was a ship’s surgeon. He was binding a man’s head when she went up to him and asked if she could help.

‘Have you treated wounds before?’ Maribel shook her head. ‘Give water to those that ask for it—and get out of my way.’

Feeling rejected, Maribel moved away. She found a barrel of water and a jug. Filling it, she took a pewter cup from the bar and began to move between the injured men and women, giving those that asked a few sips of
water. Never in her life had she felt so useless, especially when she saw that Anna was washing away blood and binding wounds at the surgeon’s direction. Why could she not have done that?

Maribel noticed that Anna was having some trouble holding a patient and trying to bandage his arm at the same time. She went to her and asked what she could do and was rewarded by a fleeting smile.

‘Hold him for me. He keeps flopping over and I cannot bind him and hold him.’

‘Like this?’ Maribel put her arm about the injured man, supporting him while Anna bound his shoulder with clean linen. ‘Let me help you with the others—please? I feel so useless.’

Anna looked at her for a moment, then nodded. ‘You can give him a little of this mixture to ease his pain. Support him on your lap and spoon a few drops into his mouth, and then come to me. We need all the help we can get.’

‘Yes, whatever you say. You are the mistress here, Anna.’

Maribel managed to spoon a little mixture into the man’s mouth, then laid him gently down and made sure he was comfortable before moving on to help Anna with the next injury. She waited for Anna’s directions and obeyed them implicitly, never asking why or deviating from her instructions. They worked together quietly and efficiently until all the wounded had been treated.

Maribel did not care that her beautiful gown had bloodstains on the skirt or that her face was smeared
with it. She was moved to tears by the suffering of men, women and even one child who had received burns, but she held them back, knowing that she could not give way to sentiment.

At last Anna stood up and looked about her. ‘We have done all we can here for the moment,’ she said. ‘We should go back to the house. I shall come back later to see what else may be done for them.’

‘Then I shall come with you.’

‘You are tired and hungry. We must prepare food for the men when they come back.’

Maribel followed Anna from the inn. She could see that the fires were out, but two buildings were burned to a shell and others were blackened and badly damaged by the fire. The stink of burning and thick smoke was in the air, as the two women left the waterfront and walked through the row of houses behind.

Maribel was too tired to notice the way people looked at them. She was thirsty and anxious now to be at home so that she could help prepare the food for Justin and Higgins when they had time to eat.

* * *

It was an hour or so later that Justin and his first mate came back to the house. Maribel had washed her face and hands, changing into one of her simple gowns before helping Anna to prepare food. The men were grim-faced and silent as they came in, both of them drinking water before seating themselves at the table.

‘How bad is it?’ Maribel asked. ‘I know several were hurt—were many killed?’

‘Three men and two women,’ Justin replied. ‘Two ships were lost, another damaged but not beyond repair. It might have been worse.’

‘Was one of the ships lost yours?’

‘Yes. Pike’s was damaged, but it will sail again.’

‘So you have only the
Defiance?’

‘I am fortunate to have that.’ A nerve flicked in his cheek. ‘It seems that my ships were what they were after. Pike’s vessel and another caught the flames, but the fires were meant for us.’

‘Meant for us?’ Maribel’s eyes widened. For a moment she did not understand, then the colour drained from her face. ‘Are you saying…no, how could it be?’

‘The ships that attacked us were Spanish. Pike saw the attack. He says that the pennant belonged to Sabatini…your father…’

‘No! How could my father know where to find you?’

‘Word of this place may have spread. I do not know that they came looking for us, but it was not mere chance that made them attack my ship.’

Her throat tightened. ‘You think…you blame my father…and me?’

‘No, I do not blame you,’ he said, his voice hoarse. ‘But I fear others will, Maribel. They will blame you—and me for bringing you here.’ He frowned. ‘It may be that I am to blame…’

‘Why? I do not know what you mean.’

‘If it was your father’s ships, then I may have brought them here.’

‘Surely not? My father could not have known you would come here—he could not!’

‘You forget Mr Hendry. He had knowledge of our plans. It may be that he passed on his knowledge.’

‘You think he betrayed the location of the island?’ Her eyes widened. ‘He sailed away before the attack. You think that he brought them here? Why would he do that? He took your message to my father and you gave him the ship, as you promised. Why would he betray you—all of you?’

‘He may not have had a choice. Your father may have hoped to trap me. When I did not walk into the trap or send back the map, he decided to take another kind of revenge. I was told that he had doubled his offer, but that may have been just to lull me into a sense of security. Hendry may have agreed to show them the way here to save his own life…and a cowardly attack is something your father might try. He knows that our ships will beat his when we meet at sea, but with the ships anchored and a skeleton crew aboard…’

‘What happened to those men?’

‘Some managed to swim for the shore, some died.’ Justin’s mouth settled into a hard line. ‘I care little for the ships. We began with one and we can rebuild our fleet, but…’ His eyes were flinty. ‘Tom was one of the crew on watch. He did not make it to the shore.’

‘Tom is dead?’ Tears welled in her eyes. ‘No! Oh, no, I cannot bear it. He was so happy to be a part of all this and he was so young.’

‘He knew the risks when he threw in his lot with us.’

‘How can you say that?’ Maribel was too distressed to think clearly or to notice that he was strained and tense. ‘Tom was little more than a child.’

She ran from the room, feeling close to tears. In her own bedchamber she sat on the bed, covering her face with her hands. The tears she had held back as she helped with the wounded fell thick and fast. She had known that the pirates led precarious lives, but the cabin boy’s death was shocking and painful. She looked up as her door opened and saw Justin standing on the threshold.

‘You should not weep for him,’ he said. ‘We all run the risk of a violent death. It could have happened at sea. Ours is a precarious trade and death is common amongst us.’

‘You speak so lightly of death.’ Maribel’s face was white as she stood up. ‘I cannot help but weep for Tom. He was like a young brother to me.’

‘Weep then, but accept it.’ Justin moved towards her, looking down at her face. She believed she saw something like regret in his eyes. ‘I thought perhaps we might have something, you and I—but this is no life for you, Maribel. You do not belong here. The life is too harsh for a woman of your breeding and you would sicken and die of a broken heart. The sooner I get you to England the better for all concerned.’

‘I thought…’ She choked back the words. Earlier that day he had held her in his arms and kissed her until she melted for love, but that was a different man, a man she could love and respect, the man he had been before he became a pirate perhaps. This man with the cold eyes
looked at her as if he despised her, thought her weak and useless. ‘Yes, you are right. Yet even if I do not belong, I can do something to help. Anna and I tended the wounded and we shall return to see what more we can do in the morning.’

‘No! You are not to go down to the waterfront. I forbid it.’

‘You forbid it? I do not understand. I am capable of helping to nurse the wounded.’

‘Now that the fires are out there will be plenty to help the wounded. You are not needed—and Anna would do well to stay away too. These people can look after their own.’

His words struck her like the lash of a whip. ‘You are cruel, sir. I wished only to help.’

‘You will do more harm than good. People are blaming you for this attack—and me. They do not want your help. Even I must watch my back when I walk there—you would be too vulnerable.’

Maribel was silenced. He was so harsh and his words were like a knife in her heart. He spoke of others blaming her—but he blamed her too. The ships that had wreaked so much damage on the island and its inhabitants were part of her father’s fleet. She had tried to change, to become like Anna and the others, but she had never belonged here—and now she was hated.

‘I would not have had this happen…’ Her eyes were wide, filled with tears. ‘You know I would not…’

‘What I know is nothing to the point. For your own safety stay away from the waterfront. The
Defiance
should return in a few days. As soon as it has unloaded its cargo and provisioned we shall leave the island.’

Maribel inclined her head. ‘Very well, I shall be ready. As you said, the sooner I am on my way to England the better.’

* * *

Maribel slept little that night. She had wept until there were no more tears, but then she tossed restlessly, going over and over all the events of the past weeks in her mind. What could she have done differently? People believed that she had brought this cruel attack on them, but even if her father’s ships had been responsible it did not mean that she had brought them here. Had they been looking for her they would surely have brought a party ashore and demanded her return? No, she could only think that the ships had come at this time by chance—and seeing so many pirate ships assembled had taken a swift revenge before retreating.

It was unfair for Justin to blame her!

* * *

In the morning she rose early and went out to fetch water. Anna came into the kitchen as she was washing some clothes. She looked tired and her hair was hanging down her back, as if she had not bothered with it.

‘Did you not sleep last night either?’

‘I went to the inn to see if I could help but I was told to stay away.’ Anna looked at her sulkily. ‘They are blaming us for bringing the trouble here. Higgins says that we may not be able to return to the island.’

‘I am sorry. I know that you wished to make your home here.’