Saviors in the Morning
great many things since leaving home—like how to keep her balance on a rocking ship and tie several kinds of knots. Three days into living with William on a deserted island, she’d learned that she liked living with William and would happily keep doing it regardless of the setting.
Each morning, he grabbed their spears and Aurelia’s hand, and they headed for the shallows to find enough food to sate them. They built a small shelter and explored the forest for fresh water, interesting creatures, and trees to climb. The fire remained lit and smoky, and they constantly scanned the horizon for signs of rescue.
All the while, they talked of anything they could think of, sharing all they loved and liked. William ranked his ships for her, unprompted but excited to share nonetheless. He unabashedly told her about the smallest details of each, and even though she understood little, his excitement was very endearing. In turn, Aurelia shared her favorite tales and how she’d wanted to be a knight until Aunt Clara told her girls couldn’t be knights—but that didn’t stop Aurelia from beheading her garden gnomes.
William enjoyed her stories as much as she liked his, so she told him about everything, even her dreadful suitors. After the mention of them, however, her mind began to wander. If impossibilities and what-ifs were now solidly part of reality, her imagination could hardly resist the urge to explore.
“What,” William said as the morning sun crept closer toward noon. He stood by a natural platform next to a massive outcropping of lava rock they’d climbed twice—once to watch the sunset and again to leap off the top. He relieved his spear of the fish dangling off the end and left it next to three others they’d caught. “You’ve looked pensive since last night.”
“I had an idea,” Aurelia said slowly, her spear lifted and eyes on the water. She’d rolled her pants up to her knees, but the bottoms were still soaked. “Well…perhaps more of a daydream than an idea, really, or maybe a musing.”
He returned to her side. “Of what?” When she didn’t immediately divulge, he said, “You may as well tell me—I’ve got nothing better to do than pester you until you do.”
She rolled her lips between her teeth in thought. “A ruse,” she finally said.
“Oh?”
“I was thinking about after. When we leave the island. I wondered what becomes of Aurelia Danby now that I’m a Kingswood.” She looked up. He leaned on his spear, his expression intrigued as the surf swirled between them. “Do we go back to England and announce you found and married me while abroad? What’s the story of how you, as William, got me away from you as Copson?”
“Oh, well I’ve already thought of—”
“And then I remembered the prince,” she barreled on, her annoyance rising. “And the kings. And my parents. And how they don’t know I’m married, and I doubt they’d really care, short of losing their arrangement.” She shoved the tip of her spear into the sand, twisting it sharply to dig it deeper. “And I thought, how dare they try to ruin my life and expect all to go well for them. And now that I’m with you…well, I think of what you might do if you were me, and revenge sounds quite fitting…if not a bit fun.”
He smiled maliciously.
“I think about what it might be like to waltz into the prince’s home like the sad, obedient girl he was expecting, and how it might feel to quietly learn all his secrets and steal everything from him. I think about making the kings and my family regret ever forcing me to marry… I think about ruining them all, and how satisfying it might be to pretend to be what they want, only to make them pay.”
“And where would I fit into all this?” William asked, though she could see him already considering, calculating…planning.
She lifted a shoulder. “Pretending to be a gardener?”
He shook his head, his eyes darkening. “What if I also want to embarrass them for all they’ve done to you?”
Her heart fluttered. “You could shoot Pierre again.”
“That sounds like a fine time, but I’ve already done it, and I’d hate to be so one-note. You deserve better. Wickeder.”
“What would you want to do?” Knowing he’d commit atrocities for her made her feel deliciously warm inside.
William thought about it. “I’m assuming if you were to go to the prince, the wedding would go on as scheduled.” When Aurelia grimaced, he added, “We couldn’t have that. But he’s also a royal snob, so he’d drag out the affair—I’d give him no less than a month to bring the whole thing together. He’d need to tell everyone about it, if only to hear himself talk.”
“I wouldn’t want to be there for a month.” But as soon as the words left her mouth, it occurred to her that it might take time to properly ruin a fool. “What would you do with a month?”
“I’d need a properly outrageous way of getting you back. Nothing’s worse than a pirate beating a prince.” His teeth flashed. “I’d probably do something ostentatious, like buying the city or making myself governor of Calais. So when I waltz in to take you back, Pierre would have no means of keeping you, and you’d have no way of saying no.” He spoke with his typical easy confidence, leaving no doubt that he’d be able to pull it off.
She leaned on her spear. “Rebecca Rowe might take issue with you stealing another girl. We’ve got to keep our stories straight.”
He gave a sultry smirk. “I didn’t realize you were the jealous type.”
She remembered William spinning a beautiful woman in green across Aunt Clara’s ballroom. “I think you’ll find I’m rather drastic in my jealousy and would do anything to have you to myself.”
Quietly, he asked, “Including murder?”
Fish swirled around their feet, but neither tried to catch them. The silence stretched, and the look in his eyes made her heart flip. Trouble—it was trouble in his gaze, and a thrill tingled along her spine because she knew he would never discourage her from the same. She was just as bad as he was in nearly every way.
Oh, how dearly she loved him, and she’d surely never stop.
“It’s all such an awful idea,” she said. “Why do you humor me so?”
“You’ve always seemed rather susceptible to perishing from boredom,” he said wanly. “So it’s become a habit of mine to amuse you over the past decade.”
“Oh, it’s my boredom you’re so worried about.” She moved up the surf to toss her spear into the dry sand. “Never your own. You, who called kidnapping me a satisfactory change of plans so you could pick a fight with the French because it’s exciting.”
Humor danced in his eyes. “But who made me do it?”
She plodded toward him through the water. “I didn’t make you do anything.”
As she drew closer, he backed away from his spear. “On the contrary,” he said, “I’ve also made it a habit of swooping in when you’re so helpless—”
“Helpless!”
William took off. She ran after him, shouting, “I saved you from mermaids and lied to your crew and defended your ship and found your treasure and won the pirate kings’ help to escape the French! Helpless my ass, William!”
He slowed, gasping with laughter. Aurelia leaped at him and sent them both tumbling into the waves.
“You win—you win!” William turned out of her grip and tugged her from the surf, both of them soaked and chuckling.
As Aurelia straightened, a speck against on the horizon caught her eye. For all her staring at the sea for a sign of rescue, she hardly believed her eyes and blinked several times to clear them, assuring herself that what she saw was true before she grabbed his arm and pointed.
“What is it?” He looked into the distance, and his eyes widened. “A ship?”
“It’s a ship!” Aurelia took off, sprinting across the sand toward their pile of wood. “We need more smoke!”
Crowing, William ran after her and helped dump everything into the flames. Like zealous worshipers, they danced and jumped around the fire, waving their hands and screaming as the ship grew larger. She grabbed a branch that hadn’t started fully burning and ran toward the outcropping. At the top, she waved the torch over her head. William joined her on the rock, and both of them shouted across the water.
Over the next few minutes, the ship sailed closer until she could make out its silhouette. It was black as night and looked like a spiny creature born from the dreadful depths of the sea. At the top of the main mast flew a black flag, and Aurelia was sure it featured a silver anchor crossed with two swords.
“It’s the Destiny!” she squealed. “It’s your ship!”
“We’re going home!” He picked her up and spun her. “We’re going home!”
The ship anchored off shore, and a small boat lowered into the water. Even from so far out, they recognized Greyson’s hulking figure. At the sight of him, William dove from the rock and popped up from between the waves, his fists raised in triumph as his first mate neared. Aurelia climbed down, and by the time she made it to the sand and waded into the shallows, the boat was close enough to climb into.
William clung to the side, beaming as he shoved the boat back toward the waves. “Thank God for you, Greyson.”
“Glad we finally found you,” the first mate said, his face steely as ever. “Thought we’d lost you until we saw the smoke.”
“You could never lose me,” William said with his cocky smile. He hauled himself in, dripping all over the planks and the small seat he shared with Aurelia.
Greyson stared as he rowed, then his eyes dipped to the ring on her finger. “What happened in that storm?”
“She fell,” William said. “I jumped.” Greyson raised his eyebrows. The captain held his gaze before finally saying, “We married.”
Greyson’s grin was wolfy and slightly intimidating, despite its genuineness. As much as Aurelia appreciated it, she wouldn’t have minded its absence.
“I’ll still be known as Rebecca Rowe,” she said, spinning the gold band on her finger. Since pirates believed all fingers were intended for either carrying gold or wearing it, few would care for the meaning, nor would they spend time wondering. “We decided the crew may assume what they like about us.”
“They already do,” Greyson said.
Aurelia blanched. “Surely I wasn’t so obvious.”
“Nah.” He jerked his chin at William. “He hasn’t looked at his compass half as much as he’s looked at you since you’ve come aboard.”
“My compass isn’t half as clever,” William said in the same tone. “Where are the Fortuna and Ophelia?”
“We split to look for you,” Greyson said. “Meetin’ in port tonight.”
The cheering started before they reached the Destiny’s Revenge, and only grew louder when they climbed aboard. William didn’t seem at all surprised or put off by the attention and grinned broadly as he faced several hundred pirates.
“I’m finally home, friends,” he said, his voice booming over the ship. They cheered again. “A man knows his crew is the best when they find him after three days. Truly, no captain is better off or better loved than I, and I will see you all greatly rewarded for your loyalty.” The proclamation caused even more of a stir. “You have my eternal gratitude—not only for saving me, but also my dear friend, Miss Rowe.” His hand settled on the small of her back—natural, unassuming, and unoffensive as they looked from each other to the crew, searching for the same person. “Though it’s only been a few months, her presence would be sorely missed.”
And there he was—Ralph emerged from the gathered crew, and Aurelia’s heart tumbled at the pain written over his face. Pain and relief.
She was so focused on the sight of him and recalling the words they’d last spoken to each other that she hardly noticed when the captain stopped speaking and the crew began milling about. The slightest pressure of William’s hand broke her from her reverie as he nudged her toward Ralph. She moved away just as several sailors descended on their captain, and stopped in front of her friend.
“I’m sorry for all I said,” Ralph said quickly, and gulped, his dark eyes searching her face. “I’ve dreaded that you were dead, and the last thing I would’ve said to you was meant to hurt you. You’re not ridiculous, and I never should’ve said it. I shouldn’t have said any of it as I did, and I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, Ralph…” She threw her arms around him. “I’m sorry too.”
He buried his face in her shoulder. “Lord, if I’d lost you…”
“We have much to discuss,” she said, stepping back. “We—”
“Ralph.” William came to stand at Aurelia’s side. His hand skimmed her waist before falling away.
Ralph pulled his brother into a crushing hug. “You bastard. How was I supposed to tell the earl and countess you killed yourself and her?”
“You could always write to them,” William replied, pulling away. “Then wait several years to show up, like I do.” He glanced at Aurelia before looking to Ralph again. “May I speak with you?”
Ralph nodded slowly and followed William to the captain’s quarters. Before William closed the door, he caught Aurelia’s gaze. Touching the turtle at her throat, she silently wished him luck. He took a deep breath, nodded once, and shut the door.
Aurelia stood at the bow, dressed in clean pants and a shirt with stays that laced down her front. The sides had small bands where she’d strapped Davy Silver’s knife and the one William had given her on the island.
Every so often, she glanced at the captain’s quarters, but she heard no yelling or curses. It was around midday now, and sailors hung around with instruments, cards, or books. Earlier on, Fenner had told her Offley had been transferred to the Fortuna Royale. The carpenter could hardly walk, and would undoubtedly be left at the next port.
Lavinia hadn’t taken long to find her after that. She hugged Aurelia fiercely and peppered her with questions about being marooned with the captain. After seeing Aurelia’s bright blush, she’d declared, “You’ve been tumbled!” When Aurelia nearly passed out from horror, Lavinia smirked and added, “Several times, by the looks of it.”
Hester hadn’t been much better. She’d immediately asked, “Did the captain finally make an honest woman of you?” And then she’d cackled while Aurelia swore and turned on her heel to go hide.
Neither of them had bothered her since, but she flinched every time she heard one of them laugh, thinking they’d come to incite her blush again. But it wasn’t Lavinia or Hester who approached her, but Ralph.
He appeared at her side so silently and suddenly that she nearly jumped. “Lord,” he said with a laugh. “It’s just me.”
Thankfully, he didn’t look unhappy or tortured or hurt. “On edge?” he asked, matching her stance and leaning against the rail. “Hopefully not because of me. I only came to share good news.”
Her heart thundered. “Really?”
He turned his attention to the horizon. “My older brother took a wife,” he said solicitously. “A lovely girl with dowry like you wouldn’t believe, but that’s apparently not of much consequence to him.”
She gripped the rail. “You’re okay with it, then?”
He gave her a kind smile. “I’m happy. Truly. A little miffed, since he always warned me I wasted time. I see now that he was right, which is really the only annoying thing about it.”
Aurelia frowned. “Ralph, what I feel for him… It’s been so long, and I—”
“You don’t have to explain,” he said. “I love you, Aurelia, and I won’t begrudge you any happiness. After you fell…well, these past days I’ve been thinking a lot.” He scrubbed his hand through his hair. “As a boy, I think I was glad to share my secret with someone, and you were a better friend than my brothers. You still are in a lot of ways, and I suppose I thought loving you was the natural next step without realizing what that really meant. After he told me all that’s happened, and seeing how much he cares for you…” His eyes were bright when he looked at her. “You deserve someone who loves you that much. Clearly I missed something.”
“I do adore you, Ralph,” she muttered. “You must know that.”
“I know. And I don’t mind that you love him, especially when I never told you how I felt. Or thought I felt…” He smirked. “I did slug him, though.”
Aurelia balked. “Ralph!”
“Because he’s an ass for going behind my back this whole time. Had he said something sooner, I might not have minded. He actually offered to let me hit him twice—once for being a terrible brother and again for nearly dying, but I was satisfied with the one.”
“You— Are you two…?” Aurelia swallowed. She’d heard them fight in Nassau too, but that hadn’t come to blows. “Are you two quite fine?”
“We’re…yes, we’re fine.” His brow furrowed. “Are you worried because I hit him?”
“Yes?” She said it like a question, unsure of the dynamics of men and contention between them.
“We’re brothers. We fight,” he said, as though that would explain everything. Aurelia shook her head. “Lord, we’re not—it’s fine. Everything is fine, except for his face.”
She peered over her shoulder at William on the quarterdeck with Greyson and two others. He was clean now, freshly shaven, and wore entirely black, from his hat to his boots. As though he felt her gaze, his eyes flicked to her, and she frowned as she saw the red mark below his eye. But then he grinned, making her blood warm.
“I’ve never seen you so happy,” Ralph said. “He’s a lucky bastard.”
“Don’t tell him that.” She turned back to the bow. “It’ll go straight to his head.”
“Oh, he already knows and it already has. He’s more incorrigible than ever. I’ve never seen him so happy either, and I think you’ll both be deplorable for weeks.”
Lavinia made her way over. “Have you two made up?”
“Yes,” Ralph said.
She didn’t slow as she said, “Good,” and walked right up to him, knotted her hand in the front of his shirt, and pulled him down to kiss her. His eyes flew wide, but then she pulled away, winked, and strutted off.
Ralph stood frozen beside Aurelia, his cheeks a deep shade of pink. On the quarterdeck, William’s back was turned, but his shoulders quaked with laughter.