not recall. The thought of leaving her newfound friends weighed upon her, making it difficult to choose the right course.
And there was Edward. Cat had been too busy and happy of late to brood upon her cousin’s treachery. But she had not forgotten it, and she had no intention of letting the man enjoy the spoils of his wickedness in peace. Justice would not be served, however, while she crewed on a privateer.
Her thoughts whirling, Cat raced toward the waves and dove in, as though the sea could wash away her confusion. Rising to the surface, Cat let herself drift.
From the very first time she’d plunged into the ocean, she had decided the best thing about sailing was the swimming. Beneath the turquoise surface lay a silent world of fantastic coral and schools of sparkling fish that begged to be explored.
Best of all, she loved to swing from a line off the ship, with the sensation of sky and water whirling about her and a lurching feeling in the pit of her stomach just before she released the rope to drop into the blue. Surely, there was nothing better on earth, Cat thought, clinging to her boyish existence.
With a sigh, she stepped from the water and threw herself on the beach, feeling torn between separate lives. As she let the water wash over her feet, she took in the sights around her, trying to imprint them on her memory forever.
Not a cloud marred the azure sky, which was almost indistinguishable from the ocean. And the only object in a world of sea and sky was the Reckless , her hull towering over tiny figures swimming by her side, and her masts soaring into the heavens.
As Cat marked the scene in her mind, she knew it would be hard to break the ties that bound her to the ship, for she could feel Ransom’s inexorable pull. Despite her yearnings - or perhaps because of them - Cat wanted to remain right where she was. And for emphasis, she dug her toes into the sand as it to take hold of the island and all it represented.
***
When Ransom returned to the ship, Cat was elated to see that he was not happy. For a moment, she hoped that one of the fine ladies had either picked his pocket or snubbed him. She set her petty feelings aside, however, when his grim expression lingered. Hearing him call for Bert, she tagged along, curious.
Neither man seemed to take note of the small figure hovering behind them as they stood on deck in the gathering twilight. "It’s worse than I thought," Ransom said so softly that Cat strained to hear him.
"What’s that, captain?" Bert asked.
"It’s not only the warehouse. I learned that two of the shipping vessels were taken by Ben Pike."
"Butcher Ben, the pirate?" Bert asked, scratching his head, as if puzzled. Cat pricked up her ears at the mention of the dreaded Ben, whose penchant for hacking his foes to pieces had earned him his nickname. "And two ships?"
At Ransom’s cool nod, Bert shook his head. "I can see that jackass having the luck to come across one, but two..." The first mate grunted. "That sounds deliberate."
"So I thought," Ransom said, his tone dry.
"What were they hauling?" Bert asked.
"Sugar."
"What the hell would Ben want with a load of sugar?" Bert scoffed.
"That’s what I intend to find out," Ransom said, and the cold determination in his voice made Cat step back. She watched Bert walk away, still shaking his head, and moved to go herself, but a voice stopped her.
"Well, did you hear all you wished?"
Ransom had not even turned around to look at her, and Cat frowned at his back. "How do you do that?" she asked.
"What?"
"See through the back of your head," Cat muttered, not daring to look at him. But Ransom chuckled, and seeing that he was not really angry with her for eavesdropping, she was encouraged to speak.
"Why would Ben take your ships?"
Ransom sighed and looked out over the waves. "I’m not sure, but I suspect Devlin’s hand in this."
"Devlin." Cat whispered the name as though it were an ill omen. "Who is Devlin?"
Ransom was silent for
And there was Edward. Cat had been too busy and happy of late to brood upon her cousin’s treachery. But she had not forgotten it, and she had no intention of letting the man enjoy the spoils of his wickedness in peace. Justice would not be served, however, while she crewed on a privateer.
Her thoughts whirling, Cat raced toward the waves and dove in, as though the sea could wash away her confusion. Rising to the surface, Cat let herself drift.
From the very first time she’d plunged into the ocean, she had decided the best thing about sailing was the swimming. Beneath the turquoise surface lay a silent world of fantastic coral and schools of sparkling fish that begged to be explored.
Best of all, she loved to swing from a line off the ship, with the sensation of sky and water whirling about her and a lurching feeling in the pit of her stomach just before she released the rope to drop into the blue. Surely, there was nothing better on earth, Cat thought, clinging to her boyish existence.
With a sigh, she stepped from the water and threw herself on the beach, feeling torn between separate lives. As she let the water wash over her feet, she took in the sights around her, trying to imprint them on her memory forever.
Not a cloud marred the azure sky, which was almost indistinguishable from the ocean. And the only object in a world of sea and sky was the Reckless , her hull towering over tiny figures swimming by her side, and her masts soaring into the heavens.
As Cat marked the scene in her mind, she knew it would be hard to break the ties that bound her to the ship, for she could feel Ransom’s inexorable pull. Despite her yearnings - or perhaps because of them - Cat wanted to remain right where she was. And for emphasis, she dug her toes into the sand as it to take hold of the island and all it represented.
***
When Ransom returned to the ship, Cat was elated to see that he was not happy. For a moment, she hoped that one of the fine ladies had either picked his pocket or snubbed him. She set her petty feelings aside, however, when his grim expression lingered. Hearing him call for Bert, she tagged along, curious.
Neither man seemed to take note of the small figure hovering behind them as they stood on deck in the gathering twilight. "It’s worse than I thought," Ransom said so softly that Cat strained to hear him.
"What’s that, captain?" Bert asked.
"It’s not only the warehouse. I learned that two of the shipping vessels were taken by Ben Pike."
"Butcher Ben, the pirate?" Bert asked, scratching his head, as if puzzled. Cat pricked up her ears at the mention of the dreaded Ben, whose penchant for hacking his foes to pieces had earned him his nickname. "And two ships?"
At Ransom’s cool nod, Bert shook his head. "I can see that jackass having the luck to come across one, but two..." The first mate grunted. "That sounds deliberate."
"So I thought," Ransom said, his tone dry.
"What were they hauling?" Bert asked.
"Sugar."
"What the hell would Ben want with a load of sugar?" Bert scoffed.
"That’s what I intend to find out," Ransom said, and the cold determination in his voice made Cat step back. She watched Bert walk away, still shaking his head, and moved to go herself, but a voice stopped her.
"Well, did you hear all you wished?"
Ransom had not even turned around to look at her, and Cat frowned at his back. "How do you do that?" she asked.
"What?"
"See through the back of your head," Cat muttered, not daring to look at him. But Ransom chuckled, and seeing that he was not really angry with her for eavesdropping, she was encouraged to speak.
"Why would Ben take your ships?"
Ransom sighed and looked out over the waves. "I’m not sure, but I suspect Devlin’s hand in this."
"Devlin." Cat whispered the name as though it were an ill omen. "Who is Devlin?"
Ransom was silent for
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