Justified Treason (Endless Horizon Pirate Stories, Book 1) (9 page)

I couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s lovely.”

Sterling smiled that dashing sideways smile that I adored, and he nodded his head as he put his hand over his heart. “I drew it meself. Guides me way to freedom.”

“I will forever be impressed by you, Sterling Bentley.”

He dusted his shoulder to showcase his arrogance and then offered me an ale. I looked over to see that Faron had handed Mary a mug so I smiled and accepted his offer. He handed me the one he had and whistled for the bar wench to bring him another. I dreaded the thought of coming face to face with the woman who just had her hands all over him, yet I liked the way he stood with his arm over my shoulder as he paid her. She looked at me as if she hated me, but I smirked with confidence from under his arm. As she walked away I told Sterling, “I don’t like her.”

His look was inquisitive, but before another word was said between us, Planky passed out and hit the deck face first. I found the humor in the spectacle this time and laughed with
Sterling. Pete hollered, “Man overboard,” and a man I didn’t know rushed to save the drink Planky had spilled. I laughed again as I heard Faron explaining Planky’s routine to Mary, and everyone carried on around the drunk man’s sleeping body as if he wasn’t laying there face down on the floor.

I was completely enthralled by the lack of expectation, and the open ended extremes of the rowdy behavior
surrounding me, but I was especially amused by Sterling’s outrageous humor. His drunken slur was ridiculously entertaining, and at one point he had me laughing so hard that my stomach hurt. After a while of enjoying the light buzz, crude humor and wild festivities, I realized the hour and looked to Sterling with a pout. “I have to be going soon.”

Sterling
bit at his lip and looked me up and down before he suggested, “Let me take ye out back before ye go.”

I adored the face he made. The way his eyebrow lifted over the heat that radiated out of his stunning green eyes, while his crooked teeth clamped down on the enticing plush of his full bottom lip; I was sure I would follow him anywhere when he allured me with that look.

“I would love to go with you, but I can’t just leave Mary.”

Sterling
nodded, and then looked around the room. His gaze halted on Faron Flynn, who was standing right behind us, yet Sterling yelled his name as if he was at the other end of the tavern.

Faron squinted and shook his head as he yelled back. “Blimey Bentley. What ye hollering fer, ye drunken ogre?”

Faron bumped Sterling with his shoulder and Sterling laughed as he continued in a dramatic whisper, “Bring that beauty out back.”

As we walked out, Mary and I pulled our hoods back on for disguise. 

The back door led to a small, smelly alley where the ground was covered with hay, a goat was standing there eating a piece of it, and a man was sleeping in a puddle with a bottle of rum in his hand. Sterling carried on with no regard to the scenery, pinned me up against the wall, and kissed me.

It was so sudden I had no time to panic or excite. He parted my lips with his ale flavored tongue and poured his passion all over me like the ocean rolling ashore. His lips were warm like the
Caribbean Sea and his rhythm was smooth like the wind of a cross breeze, but his hands were wild and hot. His intentions seemed eager and his breath intensified as he grabbed at my sides and slid his hands up the bones of my corset. Just as I began to fret over the drive of his momentum, he let go and pressed his hands against the wall behind me instead.

As he pulled away from our kiss, he playfully bit at my lip, and he looked in my eyes and huffed through his heaving breath. “I be leaving soon,
Charlotte.”

“I know. I am just glad I get to see you before you go.”

“Aye. I didn’t like leaving ye in tears last night, but I do like seeing ye sneak around in a disguise like a bloody pirate today.”

I laughed. “I did not think of it that way.”

“Because ye be a natural.”

I grabbed onto his strong arms that he had me surrounded with and smiled. “Good. Then you can take me with you next time.”

His lips rose with a slapdash smile and he shook his head as if he doubted my desire.

Continuing
to rub along the shape of his arms as we talked, I found myself quite fascinated by the way his biceps curved around his bones. He noticed me enjoying the feel so he flexed to taunt me. I felt my cheeks blush and turned away from his gaze as I let go. He stepped closer to me and I could feel the guns on his belt and the hilt of his sword between us. He grabbed my face and made me look at him. “Don’t hide from me, Charlotte. I like it when ye blush.”

As he stood before me I realized it was the first time I had seen him in daylight, and he was even more handsome than the moonlight or dim lighting in the tavern could ever account for. Under the cloudy sky his green eyes glimmered like a shallow bay, his smile was like the cresting waves, and his goatee was like a flame, streaked with hints of gold and red. I gasped through my lightheaded daze. “I think you are going to make me faint.”

He laughed at my dramatic sigh and wrapped his arms around me. “I’ll catch you.”

Then he nearly drowned me with another drunken torrent of passionate kisses.

When he pulled his face away from mine he looked into my eyes and slurred, “Yer eyes be pretty like the sunset, Charlotte.” He kissed on my neck and breathed near my ear. “I don’t want any man loving on ye but me. Ye be me woman now.”

The statement was more of a demand than a question, but I consented with a sigh. “I would love nothing more than to be your woman, and I will never love another man.”

Then I grabbed his ponytail and pulled his face off of my neck so he had to look at me. “And you?”

“Me? What ye want to know ‘bout me?”

“Will you be with other women while you are away?”

He looked completely stunned and gave me the most peculiar look as he practically questioned, “No?”

I had little faith in his shaky response, so I lifted my eyebrow at him. “Is this why Faron said his grandmother could beat you at a game of cards? I see right through you.”

He laughed at my insistence and tried to kiss me again, but I remembered how awful I felt when I saw that wench in the red all over him, so I saw no humor in his attempted evasion. I turned my cheek and locked my lips together to show him I was serious. He laid his face in his hand and laughed as if I was joking, then he shook his head with humorous defeat. “I never had a woman of me own, Charlotte. I don’t be knowing how the code goes.”

I looked him straight in the face and attempted to be strong as I asserted, “I could be ousted from my home for committing my love to you, and it will hardly be worth the risk if you are gallivanting the world kissing on other women.”

He looked up at the sky and exhaled. I dreaded the outcome of his next sentence.

He looked back at me, put his hands on my cheeks, and stared intently into my eyes as he promised, “Ye have me word, Charlotte Wetherby. I won’t be loving on any woman but ye.”

I believed him and smiled to show my appreciation.

Caressing the length of his goatee with my fingers, I stared at him for a moment, absorbing his aura in wonder. He was tall, strong and handsome as could be, his spirit was wild and his humor was vibrant, and he just committed to be faithful to me. My life had never been better.

I reminded him
that I had to leave, so he pulled away from me and leaned his hand against the wall, giving me room to go.

“I cannot do it,
Sterling. My feet are frozen to the ground.”

He laughed, “Ye look like I’m about to make ye walk the plank.”

“That is exactly how I feel.”

“Ah, I won’t make ye, love.” He picked me up to carry me and yelled at Faron to walk with us.

Sterling and Faron walked Mary and me towards the end of the alley where we could safely return to the street, and as Faron said goodbye to Mary, Sterling grabbed me by the shoulders and kissed me again. Knowing it would be our last kiss for a while, I reveled in the moment. Everything was perfect there in his arms. I thought of how this feeling between us was unaccepted by the rest of the world and I questioned their sanity. This was where I belonged, my heart was complete, and I needed nothing other than what he could give me.

He pulled away, looked deep into my eyes and assured, “I will be calling for ye soon, beauty. Before the full moon comes back around.” He kissed my cheek and easily turned to walk away. Faron pet the goat on the head,
Sterling stepped over the sleeping drunkard, and they disappeared into the tavern. Even once the door was closed, my feet were frozen to the ground where he left me.

Mary and I made it back on time and our forbidden plunge into the tavern went undiscovered. We giggled and gossiped about the details as we headed home, but I was curious to know more about her and Faron. “Are you going to tell me about the
other such adventures
with Faron Flynn?”

“Oh, I will have to tell you later, Miss Charlotte. It is quite the story and I won’t have time before my next chore.”

The afternoon went on in its usual course but my mind was in another place. Though I would miss Sterling with all my heart, I was at peace with the situation. I was strong with faith in our love and ready to take on the future.

As the sunset neared, I decided to get out the spyglass to see if I could get a view of the crew boarding the ship. I went to the small balcony at the end of the hall where I could see the bay and the rows of buildings along the harbor with bare eyes, but through the scope I could see close enough to read the larger signs and watch the people passing by. I could see the color of their clothes and the gestures of their hands but could not make out their faces.

I scouted around for a while enjoying the wonder of my new treasure, but I kept viewing back to The Rusty Anchor. Smiling about the experience I had in there, I wondered if Sterling and his friends were still inside. I looked back just in time to see the heavy wooden door blast open and a band of mangy buccaneers come blustering out. Pete was dragging Planky under his arm and Marin was flailing his hands like he was angry. I noticed Sterling had forgotten his coat but was amused to see him and Faron staggering together. They were laughing so much they kept hunching over and Pete kept looking back to them in a way that made me think he was barking at them for taking so long. 

Losing
sight of them as they headed for the dock, I cursed the large shade tree that blocked my view, but then I remembered I could see the dock from the window of the music room. Trying to act casual, I headed down the hall and fought the urge to run and slide down the banister.

The house was quiet downstairs and I slipped in to the music room without being noticed. After opening the window and rolling out the spyglass, I watched in sheer amusement as the mateys loaded into the dinghy. I could see that Faron was exaggerating a whale tale, throwing his hands around to show scale and flexing his muscles to emphasize his blustering might, while
Sterling was drinking from his flask and fanning at Faron to downsize his glorified tale. Pete let go of Planky and he flopped flat on the dock. Marin, who, appeared to be cursing, rolled Planky’s limp body into the small boat. I struggled to contain a burst of laughter, especially once Planky sat up in the boat and flailed his skinny arms in distaste.

Once they were all aboard the boat, I watched in silence as
Sterling and Pete rowed them towards the ship.

Wind of Glory
was anchored near the steep rocky cliff side that framed the easternmost end of the view. Golden rays of sunlight were shining through patchy holes in the clouds and reflected mirror like on the ocean; illuminating the distant ship that rested peacefully on the glistening tide. Once the little boat reached the ship, it was too far to watch the men board but I could see the lines flailing and the sails draping as they prepared to set sail.

I was so caught up in the beauty of the sunset farewell that I al
most forgot to ache over it. Absorbing every moment of the scene like a last kiss, I silently said goodbye to the vanishing ship and the sinking sun as the
Wind of Glory
disappeared over the horizon.

PART II

Charlotte Wetherby