that I could but I have expenses.”
“Expenses? A need for more bribes is more like it.”
“Captain—”
“No excuses, senhor. We both know how these small ports work. You serve as pilot and harbormaster.” He shook his head, “You are a petty tyrant who could quarantine a ship if you had a mind to. Of course, you are lax in your duties. Your nephew didn’t even take a tour of my ship. I could have had smallpox on board and no one would have cared.”
“Is there a concern?” Senhor Esteves looked around. “Perhaps I should quarantine you now.”
“And I’d hang your carcass from the bow.”
Instead of being offended, the pilot laughed. He reached down and picked up one of the maps. Rolling it, he handed it to Alex. “Come, let us be friends.”
“What do you want?” Alex asked. Esteves might be a corrupt official, but at least he was honest about it. He stooped to pick up the other map still lying on the floor. He was a fool to let Miranda get to him this way. He would put her out of his mind.
“I want you to come to my house this evening,” Esteves said.
Where Miranda would be? “Why?” Alex asked, setting the maps on his table.
“To upset Sir William.”
Amused, Alex wondered, “Do I sense a touch of rivalry here?”
“There is no rivalry. I will wed Senhorina Cameron.”
Alex tapped down a sizzle of jealousy. She was nothing to him. Nothing, nothing, nothing . “Wed her or bed her?” he asked with a touch of contempt in his voice.
“Both,” the older man said with complete confidence.
“And why do you think she would let you do either?”
“Because my heart is already hers,” the older man declared with such sincerity, he caught Alex up short.
“You don’t know her.”
“I feel it here.” Esteves thumped his chest over his heart.
“Beware. She eats hearts like yours for her dinner,” Alex warned.
“Is this experience speaking?”
Alex eased back a step. “My heart is still intact. My advice is that you forget her.”
“I can’t. I see her and I feel young. When I first saw her on the deck of the Venture, it was as if the world came to a halt. I heard her laugh, and I could hear the voices of angels.”
“That was the devil poking fun at you,” Alex assured him.
Esteves’s mustache twitched. “You think me too old?”
“No, I believe too wise.” Alex gave his head a shake. “I don’t know why I’m arguing with you. Chase her. I hope you catch her. But I’m not going to be fleeced for higher port fees.”
“Captain Haddon, that is why I am here.” Esteves spread his hands as if to show he played no tricks. “If you come this evening to minha casa , I will not charge any fees. I will pay back the money Diego has already accepted.”
Alex’s guard went up. “Why?”
“Because I need you. When you are around, Senhorina Cameron does not pay attention to Sir William.” He walked across the room, gesturing to explain his thoughts. “You see, I know I am not what a beautiful English senhorina would want, but I want her very badly.”
“She’s not English,” Alex corrected.
“She’s not?”
“She’s American.”
Esteves shrugged. “She is what she wants to be. Dona Overstreet said Senhorina Cameron is the granddaughter of an earl.”
Alex remembered that now. “Who is Dona Overstreet?”
“Her chaperone. She is arranging Senhorina Cameron’s marriage.”
“Marriage to whom?” Alex was across the cabin in a blink. He had to resist grabbing the man by the lapels. “What are you talking about?”
“To whomever can pay Dona Overstreet’s price,” Esteves said simply. “The problem is, Senhorina Cameron insists upon marrying a man with a title. But secretly Dona Overstreet is looking for money. Now, that I have,” he said triumphantly. “And I can buy the title. I am the harbormaster. I have all the money on the island. I could be a grandee in say, four months, maybe less.”
“She’d sell herself in marriage for a
“Expenses? A need for more bribes is more like it.”
“Captain—”
“No excuses, senhor. We both know how these small ports work. You serve as pilot and harbormaster.” He shook his head, “You are a petty tyrant who could quarantine a ship if you had a mind to. Of course, you are lax in your duties. Your nephew didn’t even take a tour of my ship. I could have had smallpox on board and no one would have cared.”
“Is there a concern?” Senhor Esteves looked around. “Perhaps I should quarantine you now.”
“And I’d hang your carcass from the bow.”
Instead of being offended, the pilot laughed. He reached down and picked up one of the maps. Rolling it, he handed it to Alex. “Come, let us be friends.”
“What do you want?” Alex asked. Esteves might be a corrupt official, but at least he was honest about it. He stooped to pick up the other map still lying on the floor. He was a fool to let Miranda get to him this way. He would put her out of his mind.
“I want you to come to my house this evening,” Esteves said.
Where Miranda would be? “Why?” Alex asked, setting the maps on his table.
“To upset Sir William.”
Amused, Alex wondered, “Do I sense a touch of rivalry here?”
“There is no rivalry. I will wed Senhorina Cameron.”
Alex tapped down a sizzle of jealousy. She was nothing to him. Nothing, nothing, nothing . “Wed her or bed her?” he asked with a touch of contempt in his voice.
“Both,” the older man said with complete confidence.
“And why do you think she would let you do either?”
“Because my heart is already hers,” the older man declared with such sincerity, he caught Alex up short.
“You don’t know her.”
“I feel it here.” Esteves thumped his chest over his heart.
“Beware. She eats hearts like yours for her dinner,” Alex warned.
“Is this experience speaking?”
Alex eased back a step. “My heart is still intact. My advice is that you forget her.”
“I can’t. I see her and I feel young. When I first saw her on the deck of the Venture, it was as if the world came to a halt. I heard her laugh, and I could hear the voices of angels.”
“That was the devil poking fun at you,” Alex assured him.
Esteves’s mustache twitched. “You think me too old?”
“No, I believe too wise.” Alex gave his head a shake. “I don’t know why I’m arguing with you. Chase her. I hope you catch her. But I’m not going to be fleeced for higher port fees.”
“Captain Haddon, that is why I am here.” Esteves spread his hands as if to show he played no tricks. “If you come this evening to minha casa , I will not charge any fees. I will pay back the money Diego has already accepted.”
Alex’s guard went up. “Why?”
“Because I need you. When you are around, Senhorina Cameron does not pay attention to Sir William.” He walked across the room, gesturing to explain his thoughts. “You see, I know I am not what a beautiful English senhorina would want, but I want her very badly.”
“She’s not English,” Alex corrected.
“She’s not?”
“She’s American.”
Esteves shrugged. “She is what she wants to be. Dona Overstreet said Senhorina Cameron is the granddaughter of an earl.”
Alex remembered that now. “Who is Dona Overstreet?”
“Her chaperone. She is arranging Senhorina Cameron’s marriage.”
“Marriage to whom?” Alex was across the cabin in a blink. He had to resist grabbing the man by the lapels. “What are you talking about?”
“To whomever can pay Dona Overstreet’s price,” Esteves said simply. “The problem is, Senhorina Cameron insists upon marrying a man with a title. But secretly Dona Overstreet is looking for money. Now, that I have,” he said triumphantly. “And I can buy the title. I am the harbormaster. I have all the money on the island. I could be a grandee in say, four months, maybe less.”
“She’d sell herself in marriage for a
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