Call of the Sea Read online

  General McTavish shoved a forkful of hash into his mouth and washed it down with another swig from his mug. “What ally ship?”

  “Harris’s outfit. He commands The Surf Runner. They attacked when they realized our men weren’t running the deck, took back the ship, and liberated the crew. Harris even lent me a few of his men for the trip home.”

  “What did you do with the corsairs? Did you see which of them killed Winters?”

  Two questions, but only one Daniel had any real desire to answer. He tried to formulate a response that would distract the general from realizing he didn’t reply to the other. “They’re locked in our brig. I thought you would want to question them personally.”

  McTavish rubbed meaty fists together, his eyes lighting. “Good, good. I should enjoy the distraction. Arrange to have them transported to the city jail. I’ll question them there.”

  “Aye, sir. I can take care of it as soon as we finish here,” Daniel replied.

  “Pity about Winters. He was a valuable asset. He’s the first pirate we’ve had who actually proved useful.”

  Daniel prickled at the use of the word pirate to describe what they did for king and country. He and Captain Winters did their duty, followed orders, and attacked enemies of England, then reported any intelligence they gathered to their superiors. Sure, the men they traded with often had no idea they worked for the crown, but that was all part of the job. We’re privateers, not pirates.

  The scrape of the general’s fork across his empty plate roused Daniel from his thoughts. “With Winters dead, who inherits his fleet of ships?”

  Daniel’s blood ran cold. Why does he want to know that? “Sir?”

  “It’s a simple question, lad. Who gets the captain’s boats? Are they sympathetic to the cause? Perhaps they could be persuaded to make a donation. I understand Winters owned an impressive array of seafaring vessels.”

  “Captain Winters left The Siren’s Call to me, so we still have a ship. She’s in need of some rather major repairs, but I figure she should be seaworthy again in six weeks, give or take. We don’t need any other ship.” The idea of General McTavish meeting Ellie curdled his stomach. There was no way she’d manage an entire conversation without offending the man, potentially earning herself a date with a hangman’s noose. McTavish was insanely vain and had powerful connections, a deadly combination for someone like Ellie.

  “Why didn’t you mention that before?” The general’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t trying to keep that from me, were you?”

  Daniel scoffed. “I wouldn’t dream of it, sir.”

  McTavish nodded. “Good.”

  The sooner Daniel got away from the foul man, the better his mood would be. “What orders do you have for me?”

  “Get your ship repaired and ready to sail. I’m going to question these captives of yours and see what I can find out. I’m positive I can persuade them to cooperate.” He cracked his knuckles, sending a shiver down Daniel’s spine. His eyes darkened. “I’m quite looking forward to it, actually. Report back to me when you’re repaired and ready to move ahead with our plans.”

  Daniel pushed to his feet. Being in the man’s presence for any length of time had a way of making him feel dirty, as if the general’s seedy nature would rub off if exposed long enough. His skin itched just thinking about it. “Aye, sir. See you in six weeks.” He turned on his heel and left the dining room.

  I did it! I managed to get through the meeting without him asking about Jashir. Now if he could just figure out a way to make sure the corsair prisoners didn’t offer up information about their boss. A much more daunting task, indeed.

  ***

  Ellie reread the entry in the ledger for a third time. Trying to decipher her father’s cryptic notes and haphazard numerical entries made her brain ache, and she had little progress to show for the effort. She’d managed to get through about a third of the stack she’d pulled from the safe. Elbows propped on the desk, Ellie rubbed her temples in small circles, hoping to alleviate the constant throbbing.

  “Now that looks like loads of fun,” Nelson said as he shut the office door.

  Ellie’s head shot up, her muscles tense and eyes wide. Seeing her friend, she relaxed her limbs and offered him a lopsided grin. “Aye, tons.” She let out a sigh. “My father was a horrible bookkeeper. I can’t make sense of more than half of the entries. How am I supposed to know what he owns or who he owes?”

  Nelson shrugged. “There’s another reason I prefer being a grunt. No head for figures.” He glanced around the disheveled space. “What about all this other stuff?” He indicated the shelves stuffed with books and papers lining the far wall.

  Ellie shivered at the prospect of sorting through it all. “One headache at a time, please.” She beckoned him in. “Have a seat. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”

  Nelson settled in the chair she indicated and folded his hands in his lap. “I’ve been doing what you asked me to do. What else?”

  “What did you manage to find out? Anything of use?” Ellie forced her attention away from the numbers blurring together on the page. Anticipation crawled along her arms.

  “Nothing much yet,” Nelson replied. “He hasn’t done anything so far except follow you about.”

  Ellie drew back. “What do you mean?”

  Nelson rolled his eyes. “Spare me the innocence, El. I’ve known you too long.”

  Heat found her cheeks and she had trouble meeting Nelson’s gaze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. He doesn’t follow me about. I mean, sure, he came to the house with me, but he stays there.”

  “If you say so.” He reached out, plucked a stray paper from the desk, and made a show of reading it. “He did go to The Bristol Inn this morning. Found that a bit odd.”

  Ellie leaned forward, her interest piqued. “Anyone of interest staying there?”

  “I talked to the innkeeper. He wasn’t impressed with your Daniel.”

  “He’s not my Daniel.”

  “Anyway, the owner said he met with one of the guests, a general in the Royal Navy, for about twenty minutes. When the lad left there, he went to Jameson’s. That’s when I came back here to find you.”

  What business would Daniel have with the Royal Navy? He’d worked for her father since he was a boy. When did he have time to make Navy affiliations? Ellie chewed the side of her lip. A relative maybe?

  Nelson set the paper he’d been reading back on the desk. “How did it go with your mother yesterday?”

  The image of Mama passed out in Daniel’s arms flashed through her mind. “Uh…a bit rough at first. Mama was rather shocked to see me, as you can imagine. But once she had some time to recover from the shock, it went really well.” Tears crested her lashes. “I didn’t realize how much I missed her.”

  Nelson shifted in his seat, averted his gaze. “And you had a chance to talk? How did she take the news about your father?”

  “Surprisingly well, though I’m not quite sure the reality of it has sunk in.” Ellie shook her head. “She really is a remarkable woman. It turns out she used to sail with Papa, before I was born. She loved it, just like me.”

  Nelson flashed a bright smile. “See that, you were born for this, just like you always said.”

  “Is it any wonder I like having you around?”

  Nelson eyed the huge pile of paperwork surrounding her. “Right now I would think you’d prefer someone with a head for numbers.”

  Ellie snapped the logbook closed. “I would. But for now, a break will suffice. Besides, I have some other things to discuss with you. Let’s peek in on the ship. We can talk on the way and it will give me a chance to check in on the work being done.”

  Nelson agreed, and the pair left the office. They wandered along the wharf toward the dock where The Siren’s Call was anchored.

  “Papa left The Call to Daniel.” It probably wasn’t the best way she could think of to broach the subject, but Ellie had never been much for subtlety. “Everything else he l
eft to me.”

  Nelson swung wide eyes her way. “What the hell are we busting our butts repairing the ship for if it isn’t even yours?”

  “Daniel agreed to still sail with us to Gibraltar. I don’t know if my father owns another ship suitable for what we’re doing. Besides, he wants vengeance almost as much as I do. That is a pretty powerful motivator.” She tried adding an encouraging lift to her voice, like her mother used to do when trying to get Ellie to eat vegetables. “This is a good thing. He already has the crew’s loyalty, they’ll follow him, and he knows where to find Jashir.”

  Nelson’s steps halted. “Wait. Jashir, the Golden Fist, Jashir? What do you want with him?”

  “I’ve never heard him called that, but if he’s the same Jashir I’m referring to, I want him dead.” Anger flared in her chest.

  “He’s the one, eh? The one that shot your father?”

  Ellie bit down on the inside of her cheek. . She took a deep breath. “Aye. Daniel saw him shoot Papa. He said he was one of his business associates, but he refuses to tell me what business Papa had with him. He spouted some nonsense about swearing an oath and that Papa would understand.” Ellie threw her hands up. “So he didn’t tell me much of anything. He really was quite cryptic about the whole thing. He’s definitely hiding something.”

  Nelson rested a calming hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get it sorted out, El, don’t worry.”

  Despite Nelson’s words of reassurance, a boulder of dread formed in her stomach. “What have you heard about Jashir? You called him what, the Golden Fist?”

  “Yes, but none of what I know will be good news. He’s a ruthless man, powerful, bigger than Gorgon. We actually ran into him once, at that auction Taylor held in Gibraltar.”

  Ellie shivered as she recalled the robed man who’d seen through her disguise.

  “He earned the title of Golden Fist from the kind of work he does. Jashir is Frederick Stahl’s enforcer. Stahl is a high-up in the Dutch Navy. His brutality makes Jashir look tame and lovable by comparison.”

  Dread curdled her stomach. Ellie puffed a sigh, shook her head. “Of course he does.”

  Chapter Twenty

  After placing a substantial order with Mr. Jameson at the mercantile, Daniel stopped by the shipping office to pick up Ellie. When he arrived, he found the door locked and the office dark and empty. His brow creased. He’d expected her to take longer going through her father’s paperwork. From the look of the place earlier, he figured it would take her weeks.

  Thoughts centered on the checklist of details he needed to address before earning some time to himself, Daniel made his way back to his ship.

  My ship. He repeated the words in his head a few times. The reality of it brought a smile to his face. It was everything he’d ever aspired to laid out before him. His steps faltered. And if my captain hadn’t died, I’d have none of it.

  He’d been trying to convince himself of his worth since he’d learned of his good fortune, but Daniel still didn’t feel he deserved it. Guilt over the circumstances surrounding his inheritance had taken root in his heart, and he was finding it harder and harder to ignore.

  Daniel inhaled a deep breath and rolled out his shoulders. You can do this. You’ve been waiting for this opportunity your whole life.

  With a fresh helping of self-confidence to bolster him, Daniel climbed the gangway of The Siren’s Call.

  A collection of crewmen stood around the damaged mainmast, heads craned toward the crow’s nest.

  Daniel followed their gazes upward, squinting into the sunlight.

  Ellie hung upside down by her knees from a spar over twenty feet above the deck. She worked at a cluster of knots in the yard ropes.

  His heart lodged in his throat. What in the hell is she up to? A fall from that height could easily kill her. Daniel crossed the deck in stiff strides. “What the devil is going on here?”

  Of the men assembled, only Nelson met his angry glare unabashed. “Ellis said they were a bunch of lazy bastards and he could untangle it all in less than five minutes.” He thumbed toward Jacobs. “This one said he couldn’t.” Nelson’s shoulders lifted. “Bets were placed.”

  Daniel palmed his forehead and let out a groan. He forced himself to look up. “How long has it been?”

  “Three minutes so far,” Jacobs replied. “He ain’t never gonna finish in time.”

  Nelson laughed. “You don’t know Ellis.”

  Ellie worked at the tangled ropes, jerking and twisting the braided hemp into submission. She released on leg from the spar, eliciting a gasp from the men on deck. A quick turn of her torso, and she grabbed a handful of rope, swinging herself upright. She released the last of the gnarled knots. “Time!” she called down.

  Jacobs uttered a string of curses. “Four minutes twenty-seven.”

  Nelson slapped him on the chest with the back of a hand. “That’s a pound note you owe me, Jacobs. I told you not to underestimate him. Ellis is a monkey in the rigging.”

  Ellie climbed down and landed, spry as a cat, on the deck. Her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes sparkled like waves in the sun.

  Daniel’s breath caught. He’d never seen her look more beautiful, or at ease, as if the stresses of the past weeks had been wiped from her memory. He gave himself a shake. “Ellis, can I speak to you for a minute?”

  “Sure.” She gave Nelson a wink as he collected his winnings from Jacobs. “Make sure you save me my cut.”

  Daniel ducked into the captain’s cabin and took a seat behind the desk. It still felt strange to sit there, but he needed Ellie to understand he was in charge. He waved a hand to indicate a chair on the other side of the large desk. “Please, sit down. I wanted to discuss some things with you.”

  “I had something I wanted to tell you as well.” Ellie bounced into the chair. “But you go first.”

  A chuckle burst from Daniel before he could stop it. “Blood’s still rushing, eh?”

  Ellie gave a vigorous nod, her face glowing.

  “How ’bout you go first. You look about ready to explode.” Daniel leaned back in his chair. Infected by her enthusiasm, he felt his own smile growing.

  “I’ve decided you were right.”

  Daniel raised a brow. “Is that so? About what?”

  Ellie sat up straight. “I’ve decided not to hide myself anymore. It’s time I told the crew who I really am, reveal everything.” She winced. “Well, not…you know what I mean.”

  “Aye.” Daniel rubbed the stubble along his jaw. “Why now?” Warning bells went off in his head. What is she up to?

  “If I’m going to expect this crew to risk their lives for me, for my father, the least I can do to repay them is tell them the truth. Some of them accepted my mother’s presence before I came along. I’m hoping I’ve done enough to show them I’m worthy of the same.”

  A light went on. “That’s what the theatrical stunt was all about. You were showing off.”

  “You forget, I’m new to this ship, this crew. They have no idea of my abilities. The men that knew me, what I can do, barring Nelson, aren’t sailing with us. It’s important they know I can take care of myself.”

  Daniel folded his hands, elbows on the desk. “You’re positive you want to do this? You’re really prepared to go after Jashir?”

  “Of course I am. I can’t stand knowing he is living the grandiose life after what he’s done. Papa deserves justice.” She frowned. “I thought we were in agreement on all this?”

  “We are. I just wanted to be sure you understand what you’re taking on by telling them. Some won’t sail with a woman, no matter who she is.”

  Ellie nodded. “I know. I just hope there are enough left to sail with when I’m done.”

  Daniel pushed up from his chair and crossed to the side table. He poured two glasses of whiskey, handing one to Ellie. “When did you plan to tell them?”

  She took a dainty sip from her glass, grinned. “Today. Now, or at least soon. I see no reason to wait if I’m r
eally going to do it. But there is another small problem that arises after I tell them. Something we need to decide on.”

  Daniel leaned his hip on the desk. “What would that be?”

  “Sleeping arrangements. Once I reveal myself, I won’t be able to bunk with the crew, nor will I be able to stay here with you as your cabin boy. They’ll all assume I’m your mistress.”

  “The ship isn’t equipped with other crew quarters. I could possibly have something built into one of the cargo holds to allow for privacy, but the matter of security comes into play. Unless I post a guard, one that I know can be trusted, like Nelson, there’s nothing to stop any randy sailor on the boat from trying to sneak a taste from you.” Daniel took a long draught from his glass. “I hate to say this, but I think you might have had the winning idea.”

  Ellie frowned. “What idea? I didn’t offer one that I am aware of.”

  “To stay here with me, let them think you’re my mistress. If the crew thinks you’re mine, they won’t dare try to touch you.”

  ***

  Ellie tried to keep the shock from showing on her face. “You’re insane.”

  “Think about it for a few minutes and you’ll realize it’s our best option. If you stay here with me, I can protect you without having to assign someone from the crew to do it.” Daniel folded his arms. “Are you saying you still don’t trust me? You’ve already sailed to Newquay bunking with me. Was it really that terrible?”

  She glanced at the chair she’d slept in for the two week journey back to Newquay. The prospect of sleeping there for what could be months made her neck cramp. But that was of little consequence. She could easily set up a soft enough pallet on the floor. My reputation will be ruined. Ellie gnawed on her thumbnail. Mama would be heartbroken if she found out.

  An idea wormed its way into her consciousness, risky, and certainly a bit crazy. Ellie jumped on it like a flapping sail, pulling it tight to her. It would solve all her problems. She lurched to her feet, coming nose to nose with Daniel. Ellie blurted out the words before she could change her mind. “Marry me instead.”