Faith shielded her eyes from the sun as she clung to the wobbling jolly boat. Up ahead, the dark hull of the HMS Enforcer swelled like a leviathan rising from the sea. Two bare masts towered over her as they thrust into the blue sky, contradicting her belief that sloops were purely single-masted vessels. Truth be told, this ship appeared more the size of a small frigate than a sloop. As they neared the hull, nine gun ports gaped at her like charred eye sockets from its side. That would put the ship’s guns numbering at least eighteen—provided there weren’t any more on deck—eighteen to the Red Siren‘s sixteen. Still, not terrible odds if their paths should cross at sea.
Faith’s gaze drifted to Mr. Waite, seated stiffly at the head of the boat. He smiled then returned his stern face to his crew as they rowed in unison over the choppy waves of Charles Towne Harbor. How she had managed to convince him to give her a tour of his ship, she could not fathom, but she hadn’t been able to resist asking him, even if it meant she would have to spend more time with the man she had vowed to avoid. She could not deny that he had come in handy today as a diversion to Sir Wilhelm’s slobbering attentions. And she could not expect to completely elude a man living at her home. Besides, since he clearly did not recognize her—or he would have had her arrested already—perhaps she could use Mr. Waite after all.
Nevertheless, excitement coursed through her at the chance to inspect one of His Majesty’s Royal Navy ships. It certainly couldn’t hurt to learn as much as she could about the ships that pursued her—something her father had never given her a chance to do. “A navy ship is no place for a lady,” she could still hear him say.
“Oars up!” one of the men shouted. The eight-man crew hefted their oars straight above their heads as the boat thudded and splashed against the ship’s hull.
Faith glanced up at the planks of damp wood that rose above her like the impenetrable walls of an enemy fortress—impenetrable to obvious foes, not clandestine foes like her. For like a tiny white ant, she intended to bore her way through the ship, seek out its weaknesses, and devour it from within.
“Captain’s coming aboard!” someone yelled from above.
After the men secured the jolly boat with ropes, a bosun’s chair was lowered over the side.
Faith rolled her eyes. She had hoped to avoid this demeaning way men had devised to hoist women aboard ships—as if they were cargo. She could climb the rope ladder as well as any man.
But she couldn’t tell that to the captain.
Mr. Waite rose and extended a hand to Faith. “I’m afraid this is the only way we have to bring you safely aboard, Miss Westcott.”
“I am sure I will manage.” She smiled as she settled into the swaying chair and grabbed the ropes on each side.
Mr. Waite gave the signal to hoist her aboard, and the baritone command “Heave, heave!” poured over the bulwarks as the ropes snapped tight and her chair rose.
“Side by side, lively now, men,” another man yelled from above as the captain sprang up the rope ladder with the ease of a man who spent more time aboard a ship than on land.
As Faith rounded the top railing, dozens of eyes shot her way, but the crowd of sailors quickly resumed their forward stares. A line of men near the railing raised whistles and blew out a sharp trill as drums pounded behind her.
Mr. Waite grabbed the rail and jumped on board. “Atte–e–e–en–tion!” Every sailor removed his hat, and the captain responded by touching the tip of his.
“Welcome aboard, Captain.” A young, uniformed officer with a thin mustache stepped forward just as Faith’s shoes tapped the deck. Two seamen assisted her off the wobbling chair.
“Thank you, Mr. Borland,” Mr. Waite replied as the rest of the crew dispersed to their duties.
Faith stood amazed at the formality and organization of the sailors, even at port.
“Miss Faith Westcott.” Mr. Waite gestured toward her. “May I present Mr. Reginald Borland, my first lieutenant, as well as a good friend.”
“At your service, miss.” The young man bowed and allowed his narrow brown eyes to drift over her. Then, slapping his bicorn atop his sandy hair, he straightened his blue navy coat. A line of gold buttons ran down the center of each pristine white lapel, winking at Faith in the sunlight.
“Miss Westcott is my temporary ward,” Mr. Waite explained, “and has requested a brief tour of the ship. Since we have no current orders to sail, I thought to oblige her.”
“Very well, Captain.” Lieutenant Borland offered a sly wink toward his captain before turning to leave.
Ignoring him, the captain extended his elbow toward Faith and led her down a set of stairs into the bowels of the ship. Men hustled to and fro but quickly snapped to attention when their captain passed. Dozens of gazes pierced Faith from all directions—even from deep within the shadows. Mr. Waite placed his warm hand over hers as they continued. The protective sentiment sent a spark through Faith that she immediately dismissed.
She had no need of a man to protect her.
“I am at a loss as to how to address you, sir,” she said as they turned and proceeded down the aft companionway. “Are you not simply a lieutenant?”
Mr. Waite stiffened beside her and stretched out his neck as if pulling a cord tight. “Indeed, I am.”
Pleased that she had flustered him, Faith grinned, knowing her expression was concealed by the shadows. “Yet my father calls you a commander, and your men refer to you as ‘Captain.’”
“There is no formal rank between lieutenant and captain, miss. But because I am the commander of this ship, my men must call me Captain. You may address me as either Mr. Waite or Captain, if you wish.”
Oh, how kind of you. Faith shook her head at the man’s impudence as she examined the narrow hallway. Lantern light cast monstrous shadows across the low deckhead. With each flicker of the wick or rock of the ship, they altered shape and crouched, ready to pounce upon them—upon her.
Not that she hadn’t seen a dark companionway on a ship before, but on this ship full of enemies, the shadows seemed more threatening—as if they knew what mischief she was about.
The captain showed her the master’s cabin, clerk’s cabin, and two storerooms before he approached a large oak door at the end of the hall.
“Allow me to show you the captain’s cabin, Miss Westcott, and then I shall give you a tour around the top deck before I escort you home.”
Faith blinked. “What of the rest of your ship, Mr. Waite? Surely I have not seen it all.”
“’Tis a big ship, miss,” he said, reaching for the door handle. “Many areas are not fit for a lady to enter.”
Faith let out a huff before she realized it and covered her mouth, pretending to cough. “I beg you to change your mind, Mr. Waite.” She eased beside him, a bit closer than propriety allowed. “What have I to fear with you by my side?” She tried to flutter her lashes, but they felt like maniacal butterflies upon her cheeks.
“Have you something in your eyes, Miss Westcott?” The captain leaned toward her, a curious look wrinkling his forehead.
Faith lowered her shoulders and scowled. “Nay, but I beg you. I had my heart set upon seeing the entire ship, and now I find you were naught but teasing me.”
She scrunched her lips into a pout as she had seen Hope do so often, but instead of swooning at her feet, instead of apologizing for being so obstinate, instead of offering her everything she wanted, the captain simply laughed and turned away. “Nay, my apologies, miss, but I fear your sensibilities are far too fragile.”
My sensibilities? Good heavens. Faith’s head began to pound. “My curiosity demands it, sir!” She hadn’t meant to shout, but she had to do something to get this buffoon to show her his ship.
Releasing the door latch, Mr. Waite studied her curiously, his eyes narrowing as if he were plotting some battle strategy and she were but a chart laid out before him. “Very well, we would not want you to think me a tease, Miss Westcott, now, would we?” And though his tone was all politeness, the look he gave her was one of a cat about to devour a mouse.
The stench of mold, sweat, and urine assaulted her as he led her down a ladder, past the wardroom then down another ladder into the bowels of the ship. Flinging a hand to her nose, she coughed and took a step back.
Not that she wasn’t accustomed to such smells aboard a ship, but this ship housed a lot more men than her small brigantine. And her crew didn’t live aboard her ship for more than a day, whereas the men on an HMS warship were oft at sea for months. The captain lifted his lantern to reveal stacks of crates and barrels crowding them on all sides. The patter of tiny feet joined the creak of the wood.
“The hold, miss.” He shifted his playful gaze her way. “And as we discussed, ’Tis where I throw wards who misbehave.” His lips curved slightly, and Faith longed to slap them back into a straight line.
“Watch your step, miss,” Mr. Waite warned as a furry beast skittered across Faith’s shoe.
She hated rats. Abhorred them, actually, and longed to kick the smelly rodent into the corner, but for Mr. Waite’s sake, she let out a tiny yelp and flung her hand to her chest.
When she glanced up at the captain, a smirk sat upon his handsome lips.
He was doing this on purpose. He wanted her to faint dead away from the smells and the rats so he could prove he had been correct in his assessment of the softer gender. The insolent, unchivalrous knave.
“Had enough, Miss Westcott?” He gave her a smug look.
A storm began to brew within Faith.
“Why no, Mr. Waite. I have only just begun.”
But she soon found she had misjudged her resilience, for the captain seemed intent on showing her the most atrocious parts of the ship: empty stalls that not long ago had housed animals from the crossing from England and still retained a stench that would knock a hardened farmer on his back; the bloodstained operating table and floors of the sick bay that seemed to hold the eerie screams of the dying; and the galley, complete with a bubbling pot of slimy gray stew that reeked worse than the animal stalls. Faith caught a glimpse of weevils digging tunnels through the biscuits laid out for the day, and she held a hand over her mouth and gulped down a clump of bile, ignoring Mr. Waite’s smirk. Perhaps she wasn’t the tough pirate she claimed to be. For in all her plundering, she had not seen much blood, nor had she been forced to house animals or even hire a cook for her crew. Since she couldn’t be away from home for longer than a night, she chose her victims well. Never British vessels. Always small merchantmen, undermanned and undergunned. And not one of them had given her much resistance.
Mr. Waite held out his arm. “Perhaps you need some fresh air?”
As much as Faith would love to go above, she had yet to see the gun deck. But how to express an interest in such weapons without drawing suspicion? She nodded, knowing the cannons were housed on the level above them. “Perhaps we could begin our ascent.”
As they made their way to the stairs, they passed a large room that spanned into darkness in both directions. Hammocks swung from the rafters like a school of fish swimming above tables that crowded a floor filthy with scraps of food and spilled grog. Snores and curses could be heard filtering through the room and bouncing off the moist hull.
“The Enforcer houses one hundred and twenty men,” Mr. Waite announced proudly as he led her up the ladder.
And Faith believed at that moment she could smell every single one of their unwashed bodies. At least her crew kept themselves somewhat clean—albeit per her orders.
Clutching her skirts, Faith made her way up the creaking narrow stairs and glanced around the ship in awe. Though similar to her sleek brigantine in some ways, this sailing vessel was larger by comparison, and despite the squalor, everything in it, including crew and captain, operated together like a precise machine. But then again, Faith was no Royal Navy captain, nor did she ever intend to run her ship as if she were. Besides, the Red Siren could outrun this clumsy old bucket any day. She had nothing to fear.
Beads of perspiration slid beneath her bodice as they approached the gun deck, and she wondered how the crewmen endured this stifling heat below deck day after day. Turning, the captain gestured with his lantern toward another set of stairs. “Just one more flight, miss, and you shall find relief.”
Faith offered him a sweet smile. “May I see the cannons first?”
“We call them guns when they are on a ship.” He examined her, searching her eyes through the shadows. “I must admit, you are a far more resilient woman than I first surmised, Miss Westcott. Most ladies would have no interest in such deadly weapons.”
She wanted to tell him she was not like most women. She wanted to tell him she had an obsession with cannons, with the round iron shot, the ear-deafening blast, the invigorating sting of gunpowder in the air. “I have an interest in many things, Mr. Waite.”
“So be it.” He nodded for her to precede him.
Faith scanned the gun deck, lined on both sides with nine massive cannons resting in their trucks, their muzzles pointed toward closed ports—twelve-pounders, by the looks of them. Stale smoke lingered in the air. She slid her hand over the cold iron as if it were a dear friend and glanced over her shoulder at the captain. “I never pictured them so large. They must be quite deadly.”
“Yes, they can be.” Mr. Waite scratched his chin and cocked his head curiously. “As you can see, we have eighteen here and two more on deck.”
Twenty guns altogether. Faith made a mental note. “It warms a lady’s heart to know she has a brave, strong captain like you protecting her home from pirates.” The silly words sounded even more ludicrous lingering in the air between them, and Faith further embarrassed herself with yet another attempt to flutter her lashes.
Mr. Waite stared at her, confusion twisting his features.
She cleared her throat. “Have you killed many of the villains?”
“None as of yet. But rather than kill them, it is my hope to bring them to justice.”
“Perhaps they would prefer to die at sea rather than hang by a noose.” The words spat out of her mouth with scorn before she could stop them, but the captain didn’t flinch. Only the slight narrowing of his handsome blue eyes revealed any reaction at all.
“Am I to presume you hold some fondness for these thieves?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Good heavens! Why, of course not.” Faith sashayed to his side. She must be more careful. This man was not one to be easily duped. Faith brushed her hand over his arm and felt his body tense. “It must be dreadfully loud in here when you are at battle.”
The heat between them rose like steam on a sultry day. The captain’s gaze dropped to her lips and remained there for what seemed minutes before he cleared his throat and took a step back. “Yes, I fear you would find it intolerable.”
Faith gave him a coy grin. Intolerable? I can load and shoot one of these guns faster than most of your men can.
The slight upturn of Mr. Waite’s lips reached his imperious eyes in a glimmer. “You do not agree. I can see it in your eyes.” His gaze flickered over Faith. Her body warmed under his intense perusal. She plucked out her fan and looked away.
Dash it all, the man sees right through me. “I do not often agree with the opinions of others, Mr. Waite. I prefer to hear the blast myself before I make such a determination.”
“Indeed? Well, perhaps I shall fire one for you someday.”
Or at her, most likely. She smiled.
He offered her his arm. “Shall we? I need to retrieve some papers from my cabin before I escort you home.”
The captain’s cabin reflected its master in every detail, from the methodical arrangement of the furniture to the disciplined stacks of papers atop his oak desk. Rows of alphabetically ordered books lined the shelves built into the paneled walls. Faith ran a hand along the bindings and glanced at the titles: Campaigns during the War of Spanish Succession 1704-1711, Handbook for Seaman Gunners, Misconduct and the Line of Duty, Naval Ordinances, Regulations of the British Royal Navy … Below them, all manner of religious books lay reverently side by side: the Holy Bible, its leather edges worn; John Hervey’s Meditations and Contemplations; Milton’s Paradise Lost. Faith scowled. Mr. Waite appeared to be as dedicated to his God as he was to his navy.
To the left of the shelves, an open wardrobe revealed pressed and pristine uniforms hanging in a row next to a dark blue frock with gold embroidered trim around the collar. Two pairs of polished boots stood at attention beneath them.
The captain sifted through papers on his desk before glancing at her. “Forgive me, Miss Westcott, I shall be with you in a moment. Please have a seat.”
She ambled over to the other side of the cabin where several plaques, framed documents, and ribbons dotted the wall: a medal for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life and beyond the call of duty”; a meritorious commendation medal; combat action ribbons; a plaque signifying Captain Dajon Waite as a naval expert in the use of pistols, swords, and cannons. Faith stole a glance at him. Surely this was a man to reckon with upon the seas.
Not at all like the young sailor she’d encountered on the English Channel five years past. As soon as her men had surrounded him, he’d given up without a fight. Then she’d ordered Lucas to round up his crew and set them adrift in one of their own jolly boats while her crew transferred all their belongings and weapons to his bigger and better-equipped ship.
Mr. Waite’s gaze met hers, and he gestured toward a chair. “So what is your opinion of my ship, Miss Westcott?”
“Your ship, Mr. Waite?” Faith flashed a grin. “I thought it belonged to England.” She eased into the wooden seat. “Truth be told, I imagine her far too bulky to catch pirates.”
“Indeed.” He let out a deep chuckle that caused a warm flutter in Faith’s belly. “Fine lined and well armed—a beauty upon the water. I assure you, she will encounter no difficulty in her task.”
“You speak of her as you would a lover.”
A red hue crept up the captain’s face, and he returned to his papers.
“I suppose time will tell.” Faith enjoyed her ability to embarrass him so easily. “But I thank you for the tour.” As she gazed at the strong, commanding man before her, she almost welcomed the challenge of meeting him upon the sea—almost—for what did her experience compare with his? Ah, but what a grand opportunity to test her skill and her crew’s against the finest of His Majesty’s Navy. One more glance at the taunting display of medals adorning the wall and she shook her head, wondering at her sanity.
A rap on the door brought her to her senses, and the captain’s deep “Enter!” filled the room.
The first lieutenant, Borland, marched inside. He glanced at Faith then faced Mr. Waite. “Pardon me, Captain, but I have a dispatch for you.”
The captain extended his hand and snatched the paper, broke the wax seal, and scanned the contents before meeting his first lieutenant’s hard gaze.
“May I inquire—” Borland cut off his words and cast a look of concern toward Faith.
Following his first lieutenant’s gaze, the captain shrugged, dismissing Faith’s presence as having no bearing in the secrecy of the matter.
“A Dutch merchant ship,” Mr. Waite announced, “laden with pearls, arriving tomorrow afternoon. We are to rendezvous with her off Hilton Head Island just after noon and provide safe escort from there to our harbor.”
Faith’s heart thumped wildly as she glanced between the two men.
“’Tis good news, Captain,” Borland said. “At least we shall finally set sail again.”
Good news, indeed. Faith’s gaze shot out the door. She must get home quickly and make plans.
The captain nodded. “Inform the men, if you please.”
Borland started to leave then swung back around. “The pirate ship we have been seeking was spotted last night by a local fisherman.”
Faith gulped.
“Very good.” Mr. Waite nodded. “Then she has not abandoned these waters.” He folded the paper neatly and tucked it in his pocket.
“Pray tell, what ship is that?” Faith hoped the tremor in her hands did not reach her voice.
Mr. Borland took her in with a look far too admiring for Faith’s comfort. “A troublesome knave who has been plundering these waters for the past few months.” He chuckled. “Some say ’Tis a woman pirate.”
“A woman pirate? Absurd.” Faith rose to her feet. “These merchants who spotted her—him—no doubt had consumed too much rum. How can a woman be a pirate?”
The captain circled his desk and leaned back on the edge. “I assure you, they can.” His brow darkened. “And it is my first priority to catch this blackguard, man or woman—this one they call the Red Siren.”