The Pirate Captain’s Bargain

Chapter 1

One

WILLIAM

The house was silent, just like my footsteps as I crept towards the exit.

Not even the rest of the staff is up at this hour.

I used to think I was clever, sneaking out like this.

It didn’t cross my mind until much later that the doors were conveniently unlocked and no one ever tried to stop me.

The staff knew what I was doing. But because they were in the same predicament as me, they didn’t begrudge me the hour of solace I sought as the sun rose.

If I wanted to test Henry’s goodwill, then they weren’t going to stop me.

Granted, he did catch me once. He thought I was sneaking out to meet a girl.

It was lucky his father was up early as well and stumbled upon us, or Henry would have twisted my arm to fess up on who I was meeting.

It wouldn’t have occurred to him that I was doing anything else.

Stepping out into the cool morning air, I drew a deep breath in, savoring it.

It wouldn’t be long now before I had to get back to work and spend my day following Henry, the air saturated with the stink of his cologne.

My father once told me it was a great opportunity to become a servant in a rich household.

He saw me becoming a valet, a great confidant to the most rich and powerful in the country.

I was grateful that he passed before he could see me living as only a notch above a slave in my twenty-third year.

Climbing up the side of the stables was second nature at this point.

I was sure-footed and unafraid of the fall.

I began sneaking out my second year as a servant in Lord Davenport’s homestead.

I never went far. The money wasn’t much, but it was important after my father’s injury prevented him from working.

But at ten and three years, I felt antsy to see beyond the four walls of the home I was forced to work in.

So I came out here to stare out at the world as the sun reached its golden tendrils and made the dew sparkle.

Ten years later, I still felt that deep itch under my skin to see what lay beyond the shores.

It was why I didn’t protest when Henry demanded I be sent along with him and his siblings to join their father in the colonies.

It was that or try to find work elsewhere.

At my age, it would be difficult unless I was willing to join the navy.

Today was the last day I’d be doing this little ritual.

In a few hours time, we would board a ship and begin our six-week journey to Port Antonio.

What little I owned was already packed, as was most of Henry’s and the girls’.

The girls were nervous, but my excitement was contagious and I got a few eager grins the evening prior.

Only Henry complained. He was always finding something that displeased him.

The journey was too long, the accommodations too meagre for his highness.

Governor Davenport, as he was known now, got us passage on a merchant vessel.

One room in the ship's belly for his children to share.

And a hammock for me with the rest of the crew, since Henry refused to leave me behind.

I would work for my supper, while the children were tended to like royalty, and still Henry complained.

Spoiled brat.

As I watched my last sunrise in England, a flicker of hope bloomed in my chest. Perhaps this was when things would change. I would have at least one grand adventure before continuing my life in service to an ungrateful, fussy little man.

Perhaps.

“I’m bored!”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He started whining within the first week.

Four weeks later and he still hadn’t found a way to entertain himself.

He was getting on everyone’s nerves. And since Henry was under my care, the captain took his irritation out on me, demanding I find some way to get Henry to shut up.

I spent twelve years in service with Henry, and I never figured out how to do that.

I wouldn’t be learning it now. Still, I did my best, playing countless games of dice or cards, reading aloud to him when he said it upset his stomach to do it himself, anything I could think of.

Jane and Daisy kept themselves occupied with their sewing and reading, and they enjoyed tales I made up for them before bed.

I only wished their brother could be as docile as them.

“Would you like to play cards?” I asked offhandedly.

“No,” he groused. “You cheat at cards.”

No, I didn’t. He was just no good at them. I tried again. “Perhaps I could fetch you some drawing materials?”

“With the way this ship rocks? It would be a mess!” he snapped.

“Perhaps I could throw you overboard,” I muttered under my breath. The only person close enough to hear me was Daisy, and she hid her snicker behind her hand. I winked at her, nudging her shoulder playfully. She was only seven and better behaved than her eldest brother by a lot.

“You could write?” Jane suggested. “You’ve always been good at writing.”

She was smart, playing up his ego to get him to listen. I saw him waver, considering it, a stupid smirk crossing his face for a moment.

“I am an excellent writer. My tutors always said my writing was better than Shakespear himself.”

I couldn’t stop my snort, but I played it off as a cough, biting the inside of my cheek to hide my smile when Daisy giggled again. Henry spent a few moments considering Jane’s idea before eventually dismissing it.

“I don’t want to write. I want to do something.”

“What do you want to do, then?” Jane prompted.

Henry threw his arms into the air in exasperation. “I don’t know!”

“There’s always chores to do,” the captain growled. “Perhaps your highness would like to get off his ass and lend a hand.”

Henry didn’t rise from his position, lounging on a few crates in the sun like a cat. He only tipped his head enough to glare at the captain, a sneer on his face.

“I’m not a servant. My father paid you good money to bring us to him. I’m not catering to you and your ilk.” He waved a hand lazily at me. “If you have chores to do, ask him to do them.”

My expression flattened. I’d already done watch and tended to his highness and the girls. But of course he’d volunteer for me to do more.

“He does his share,” the captain snapped. “Meanwhile, you sit on your lazy arse and snap your fingers at the rest of us like dogs. We agreed to transport you, but–”

“Captain! Ship approaching!” the watchman called from the nest above us.

The captain scowled, abandoning his scolding of Henry in favour of heading for the helm to see who approached.

I pushed to my feet, stuffing the carving knife into its sheath and the little figure I’d been working on into my pocket.

There was nothing I could see on the port side of the ship, so I looked over the starboard edge.

There, on the horizon, was a ship that looked about the same size as this one, quickly barreling towards us.

“Colours?” I heard the captain ask.

“None that I can see, sir. I…” The quartermaster trailed off, blood draining from his face as he stared out his spyglass. He jerked to face the captain right as the watchman called out.

“Pirates!”

I sucked in a sharp breath, spinning and running across the deck to where the Davenport children sat. “Downstairs. In your room. Now.”

The girls were quick to comply. Henry was less amiable, pushing past me to see what was coming, but after a few shoves, he headed downstairs to join his sisters.

I looked to the captain for direction, dodging sailors as they hurried to their defensive positions.

I wasn’t a sailor and didn’t have the first clue where he needed me.

I was quickly given tasks by some of the older sailors, helping to move the few cannons they had into position and carrying the cannon balls from below.

I was on my third trip when the captain finally spoke.

“Hold…”

“Captain?” the quartermaster asked nervously.

The captain was glued to the spyglass, studying the fast approaching ship, and when his hand dropped, he looked defeated.

“Prepare for surrender.”

“Sir?”

He took a step back, shaking his head. “Raise the white flag. Either we surrender or we die.” He glanced at me. “Looks like you’re out of a job, boy. Once they figure out who those children are, they’ll be sold or killed. If we survive, I’ll drop you at the nearest port. You can start fresh.”

Confusion and anger swelled in my stomach. The captain wasn’t even going to put up a fight. This was a merchant ship and their ammunition was low, yes, but they weren’t even going to try to outrun them?

I thought him a coward, at least until the quartermaster asked the most important question.

“Who approaches, Captain?”

“The Devil’s Revenge.”