mouth, mouths speak and here we are, in possession of a greater prize than we had anticipated,” she indicated Claire sitting across from her.
“You wax poetic,” Claire said primly, to hide the telltale blush on her person.
“Would you like to walk up on deck?” the captain asked instead.
“Oh, may I? I did on the other ship and quite enjoyed it,” she stated, enthused.
“You do not get seasick?” Tina asked, amused at her enthusiasm.
Claire shook her head. “Not that I know of, the only sick I got was at my fiancé’s proximity,” she let slip and quickly hid her mouth in her napkin, realizing she had spoken out of turn.
Tina laughed, having met the arrogant bastard and having quite enjoyed humiliating him. The little worm had made demands that had no hope of making a difference in her treatment of him or his person. Having tasted of his fiancé’s charms though, she thought she understood his motivations better. She would have fought for this tasty tidbit if it were hers. In fact, the thought of tasting her again whetted her appetite. She stuffed it down. Those thoughts were better left for bedtime. She had a ship to run. “He was a bit on the ugly side wouldn’t you say?” she asked.
Claire tried to hide the snigger that choked up from her throat and into her nose, but failed. Ugly was not the right word. Disgusting, vulgar, and a few other words sprang to mind.
Tina was thrilled at the totally unladylike sound coming from her captive. “Are you finished?” she inquired, solicitously, indicating the repast before them.
Claire nodded and the captain escorted her from the room and up the stairs to the next deck, and then the next, before coming on to the main deck and out of doors. Several of the pirates looked on curiously, but no one made any unkind remarks or looked beyond a cursory glance. The captain had put her stamp on this one and as such, no one wished to incur her enmity. Death would be a welcome privilege if she decided that she had been offended. She had been known to be downright mean in her desire to pay out vengeance.
“Ma’am,” one of the crew approached them and made a gesture, pulling at the forelock on his hair, “Captain?”
“Frank,” she responded, nodding to him. “This is Lady Von Hagen. You and the rest of the ship will address her as Lady Claire,” she told him with a warning note in her voice, which was obeyed instantly.
“Aye, sir, Captain sir,” he said, making the same gesture of tugging at the forelock in salute.
She nodded as she escorted Claire up another set of stairs to where a large wheel was being manned by a tall and fearsome-looking man wearing a blue sailor’s coat. “This is James. He is my first officer and a helluva good sailor,” the captain said by way of introduction. “Lady Claire Von Hagen,” she told him.
The man had the prettiest brown eyes that held a touch of sorrow. Claire could sense it radiating from the man as he stiffly bowed from the waist in greeting. She was surprised at the formal bow, as he held onto the wheel with one hand and made it look elegant. “Your servant, Lady Von Hagen,” he said, before standing up straight again and taking the wheel with both hands.
“Frank will show you about the ship, be your bodyguard as it were,” the captain informed Claire. “Not all the men are what we would consider fit for human conversation. They know better than to trifle with you of course, but Frank will ensure that, will you not, Frank?” she asked the man who had followed them up from the quarter deck to the upper deck where the wheel was located.
“Aye, sir, I will, sir,” he assured the captain, making his now familiar gesture of respect.
“James, I will take the wheel now so you can get a bite to eat. Remind them to get the tray from my quarters,” she said, as she effortlessly took the wheel from him.
“Aye, aye, Captain,” he said, as he waited
“You wax poetic,” Claire said primly, to hide the telltale blush on her person.
“Would you like to walk up on deck?” the captain asked instead.
“Oh, may I? I did on the other ship and quite enjoyed it,” she stated, enthused.
“You do not get seasick?” Tina asked, amused at her enthusiasm.
Claire shook her head. “Not that I know of, the only sick I got was at my fiancé’s proximity,” she let slip and quickly hid her mouth in her napkin, realizing she had spoken out of turn.
Tina laughed, having met the arrogant bastard and having quite enjoyed humiliating him. The little worm had made demands that had no hope of making a difference in her treatment of him or his person. Having tasted of his fiancé’s charms though, she thought she understood his motivations better. She would have fought for this tasty tidbit if it were hers. In fact, the thought of tasting her again whetted her appetite. She stuffed it down. Those thoughts were better left for bedtime. She had a ship to run. “He was a bit on the ugly side wouldn’t you say?” she asked.
Claire tried to hide the snigger that choked up from her throat and into her nose, but failed. Ugly was not the right word. Disgusting, vulgar, and a few other words sprang to mind.
Tina was thrilled at the totally unladylike sound coming from her captive. “Are you finished?” she inquired, solicitously, indicating the repast before them.
Claire nodded and the captain escorted her from the room and up the stairs to the next deck, and then the next, before coming on to the main deck and out of doors. Several of the pirates looked on curiously, but no one made any unkind remarks or looked beyond a cursory glance. The captain had put her stamp on this one and as such, no one wished to incur her enmity. Death would be a welcome privilege if she decided that she had been offended. She had been known to be downright mean in her desire to pay out vengeance.
“Ma’am,” one of the crew approached them and made a gesture, pulling at the forelock on his hair, “Captain?”
“Frank,” she responded, nodding to him. “This is Lady Von Hagen. You and the rest of the ship will address her as Lady Claire,” she told him with a warning note in her voice, which was obeyed instantly.
“Aye, sir, Captain sir,” he said, making the same gesture of tugging at the forelock in salute.
She nodded as she escorted Claire up another set of stairs to where a large wheel was being manned by a tall and fearsome-looking man wearing a blue sailor’s coat. “This is James. He is my first officer and a helluva good sailor,” the captain said by way of introduction. “Lady Claire Von Hagen,” she told him.
The man had the prettiest brown eyes that held a touch of sorrow. Claire could sense it radiating from the man as he stiffly bowed from the waist in greeting. She was surprised at the formal bow, as he held onto the wheel with one hand and made it look elegant. “Your servant, Lady Von Hagen,” he said, before standing up straight again and taking the wheel with both hands.
“Frank will show you about the ship, be your bodyguard as it were,” the captain informed Claire. “Not all the men are what we would consider fit for human conversation. They know better than to trifle with you of course, but Frank will ensure that, will you not, Frank?” she asked the man who had followed them up from the quarter deck to the upper deck where the wheel was located.
“Aye, sir, I will, sir,” he assured the captain, making his now familiar gesture of respect.
“James, I will take the wheel now so you can get a bite to eat. Remind them to get the tray from my quarters,” she said, as she effortlessly took the wheel from him.
“Aye, aye, Captain,” he said, as he waited
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