“Gwendolyn’s not going to be a problem for much longer. All I have to do is put my hand between her legs and she’ll run screaming home to Papa.”
“And what about Maddy Rose?”
“She has no papa to run screaming home to.”
Billy snorted. “Oh, that sounds right heartless, it does, coming from the pirate captain. But you and I both know you’re not going to hurt some defenseless girl.”
“She’s not a defenseless girl. She’s a liar and a cheat and a spy, and that makes her fair game.” He thought he sounded properly ruthless, but Billy still wasn’t buying it.
“You keep telling yourself that, Luca, me boy,” he said. “Though if she’s fair game, why didn’t you take her to your bed and join her? It’s not as if you don’t want her—you can try to convince me of a lot of things but don’t even bother with that one. “
“I’m not taking her to bed until I know what I’m getting into,” Luca said stubbornly, trying to forget the taste of her, the feel of her, the hard nub of her breast in his hungry mouth, her sound of pleasure…
“I can tell you exactly what you’d be getting into, and if you’ve forgotten, it’s been too long since you’ve had a piece.”
“It’s been a long night, Billy,” he said wearily. He glanced toward the window. He could tell himself he’d been a fool to take the skiff out in such threatening weather, but he knew the sea too well. He’d relished the battle against the elements, never in doubt that he would win, and the icy dunking he’d taken had merely added to the zest. “I need to wash the sea salt off me, change, and get some sleep. I’ve got things to do tomorrow.”
“You keep pitting yourself against the sea and one day the sea will win,” Billy warned him.
Luca grinned slowly. “You really think I can’t take it on and win?”
“I think you shouldn’t keep taking stupid chances to prove you’re alive. You need to find a good woman and settle down.”
Luca clutched his heart, staggering backwards. “Never would I have thought to hear such words from you, Billy! Don’t tell me you’re changing your ways after all these years.”
“I said you, not me. And don’t tell me Gwendolyn Haviland is a good woman—you know as well as I do what a piece of work she is.”
“A piece of work who’s the niece of a duke,” he pointed out lazily.
“And when have you ever cared about such things?”
“Maybe I liked the idea of a street rat bedding an aristocrat.”
Billy snorted. “You’ve bedded plenty of aristocrats in your time. Even a princess or two if I remember correctly. You don’t need to be risking yourself in that woman’s icy grip.”
It was an old argument, and he was tired of it. “I tell you what, Billy. You don’t tell me where to stick my cock and I won’t tell you.”
“Get on with you,” Billy grumbled. “But I’ll tell you one last thing. You’d be better off with a cheat and liar like that girl than someone like your bloody fiancée. At least she knows how to earn a living.”
Maddy could hear her sisters whispering outside her bedroom, but she didn’t move, too deliciously comfortable. Her maid hadn’t come with her morning tea yet, but the room was warm, and Gertie must have already stoked the fire without waking her. She ought to get up, Maddy thought. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept later than Bryony or Sophie. She must have had a very busy day. Had she gone into work with Father? That was always tiring in the most pleasant way—walking through the shipyards, talking with the workers, going through the books with her father leaning over her shoulder, explaining things to her. Or was she going in today? She almost thought she could smell the ocean on the air, but that was impossible. They were in London, near the foul-smelling Thames, a long distance from the sea.
She stretched out her legs beneath the fine linen sheets, reveling in the softness of the bed as it cradled her. Had she come back to Somerset without realizing it? She was in that curious state between sleeping and waking, where she couldn’t be sure of anything, but she knew her father had challenged her with a very difficult task, and she had promised him she would take care of it
Her eyes flew open as reality came crashing back, and she bolted upright in bed, looking around her wildly. She didn’t recognize the room—it was too dark, and someone was moving in the shadows. The fear that spiked through her was inexplicable, and then the curtains were pulled open and sunlight spilled in, revealing the red-haired maid from the dinner party, Polly.
“There you are,” the girl said cheerfully. “I was thinking you were going to sleep forever. They told me not to wake you, and I figger it’s not often a girl gets a good bed without having to pay for it, if you know what I mean, so I let you sleep, but I’m thinking you’re going to want to get moving before my mistress gets here.”
It took a moment for things to shuffle back into place. Maddy blinked. “Your mistress?” she said, confused.
“Well, since the captain fired the housekeeper and her husband, that leaves just you in the household, and even if you were doing all the work you were fair worn to the bone, or so I was told. Not that I’ve ever noticed any of them worrying about how much work we do, but I figger the captain comes from a different world, and if he wants to let you sleep in one of the fancy bedrooms and use the real bathing tub then more power to you, I sez.”
“The bathing tub?” Maddy echoed. She must be dreaming.
“But we’d better get to it fast. Miss Haviland said she was coming over to check up on me and the others and she won’t be any too pleased if she finds you out of uniform.” Polly moved closer.
“Mrs. Crozier doesn’t have me wear a uniform,” Maddy said, then looked down in horror at her body. She was wearing nothing but her thin shift. “Where are my clothes?” she gasped. She couldn’t remember anything about last night. She’d been sitting on the floor in the captain’s study, he’d been there, yelling at Mrs. Crozier…
No, he hadn’t been yelling. He’d been deathly quiet, and she could still remember the chill that had washed over her. And then he’d turned to her and… She’d fainted. Good God, she’d actually swooned! It was her own stupid fault for wearing her corset beneath her heavy dress, but she could hardly go around without one.