Chapter Eleven

“Can I sit beside you, Captain?” Crissy hollered.

“One side for you and the other for Sabeen.” He beckoned to her.

Sabeen made her way slowly to his side. Like a gentleman, he held her chair.

“Is that because she got injured?” Jon asked.

“Injured?” Pug’s tone was low, but she wasn’t fooled for a moment. Fury pulsed along it.

“I am fine,” she muttered.

“Her arm,” Jon supplied. “Crissy and I cleaned and bandaged it.”

Pug tugged twice on the ends of her hair. “She is lucky to have both of you. She never said she got hurt.”

“Because Sabeen never complains. Not even when she would return from Daddy’s parties with cuts and bruises.”

“Crissy!” she snapped. “That is not anything these men are interested in. Besides, I believe the captain was going to tell us about a pirate named Cheng I Sao.”

“You would be surprised at how very much I want to hear that tale,” he uttered as he poured wine in her glass. “I did promise to tell of this woman.” His voice carried now.

With a sigh of relief, she broke apart a biscuit and picked at it. Pug placed a large chunk of meat on her plate, his expression daring her to refuse.

“The pirate,” she prompted, not wanting his inquisitive gaze boring into her.

“Right. One of the most vicious pirates, Cheng I Sao took over for her husband. Men and women alike fear her. She loves to set examples of what would happen if her laws were broken. So powerful, she has about two thousand ships under her control.”

“That many?” she questioned, echoing the children.

“At least. The Chinese Navy cannot compete against her.” Pug leaned forward, engaging the kids. “Fearless. Powerful. Demanding. She basically owns the South China Seas.”

“No way,” Jon interjected. “A woman?”

“And, why not, Jon?” Sabeen asked.

“Women are…” He fell silent, staring at Pug in an obvious plea for help.

She turned to the man at her side. The sides of his mouth twitched a few times before he got himself under control. Face composed, he cleared his throat.

“Women, we want to protect, I think is the point Jon wants to make.”

“Did no one want to protect her?” Olivia asked, brown eyes wide.

“Cheng is not like most women. She thrives as a pirate.”

“Is she died?” Stephen questioned.

“No.” His voice lowered. “Last I knew, she was patrolling these very waters looking for young, able-bodied children to…”

He had their rapt and complete attention.

“To what?” Crissy leaned closer to him.

“Do what pirates do. Capture so they can make you walk the plank.” He glanced around at them again. “Even if you can swim, there are sharks, among other things, to eat you down there.”

“Can she catch us?” Ester, usually silent, asked with a shaky voice.

Pug hemmed and hawed. The moment he opened his mouth, a door flew open, and someone wielding a sword and screaming burst in, head covered by bright material so only the eyes shown through.

“I am here for the children!” The statement, in a falsetto voice, was followed by maniacal laughter.

The young children squealed and ran as more men came in and chased them until they were all caught. All were laughing, and Sabeen joined in. Crissy wiped her eyes and snuggled closer to the man who’d caught her. Ester made her way to Pug’s side and climbed up before resting securely against his chest. Pug tucked some hair behind one ear, brushed a kiss over one temple, and winked at Sabeen while he laughed with his men.

Sabeen sat back in her chair and observed the room. Men, who in any other situation would have her expecting the worst, sat there holding children. They’d made all of them feel at home on their ship. Uncharted territory. That was where she was.

Pug kept her off balance. The men she was used to took what they wanted. She could see, however, despite his desire for her, Pug hadn’t forced her. There was a gentle side to him she continually saw glimpses of—like now. A man—son of an earl—sat there holding a child not his own as if she were a precious jewel.

A warm feeling spread through Sabeen and had her shifting on her seat. What was he doing to her?

Drav appeared at her side. “A bath is ready for you in your cabin. The captain figured you would like some privacy from the children. We will entertain them until you return.”

She rose and made her way to the door. The children never glanced at her they were so intrigued by the men and their stories. Before she slipped out, she peeked back once more. Pug watched her with those intense eyes he had. His smile, while slight and brief, comforted her. She gave him a nod and left.

Drav walked with her and left her at her door with a silent bob of his head. In the cabin, two lanterns burned, casting a soft glow, offsetting the darkness brought on by the closed window coverings. She stripped and sank into the water and, with a relieved groan, allowed the heat to soothe her aching muscles. It was warm, and she appreciated the men’s efforts. Still, she didn’t tarry and washed quickly with soap, which reminded her of Pug’s scent.

Finished, dried, and dressed, she made her way to where some of the men talked and joked by a mast.

“Good evening, Miss Sabeen. Can we help you with something?” the tall Russian asked her.

“Could I get some help removing the tub from my cabin, please? And, I would like to thank the men who supplied it.”

They smiled and ducked their heads. “We will take care of that for you.”

“I can help.”

“No trouble.” They walked away, and she pivoted to watch them vanish.

“They like you.”

Spinning back, she found Mr. Krill standing at the wheel but looking at her. She made her way to his side.

“Were you not with the others eating?”

“It was time for some of the other men to eat and my turn to take the helm.”

“Have you…worked for the captain long?”

“A few years. Captain’s a good man.” She recognized the statement was meant to reassure her. “Rough, at times, but fair and honest.”

“Where will you go after England?” Perhaps they could take her and the three children somewhere.

“Wherever the wind takes us.”

“I cannot imagine what a freedom like that is to experience,” she murmured, closing her eyes and enjoying the fresh air over her face.

“You were a slave.”

Mr. Krill’s comment had her opening her eyes. “Yes. How did you get away?”

His grin was cold. “I was never enslaved. I met the captain on one of his land travels and was intrigued by his talk of the sea. Never looked back.”

“And the others?”

“All here because they wish to be. We are a family, a strange one, but a family, nevertheless. This junk is our home.”

She canted her head to the left. “Junk?” It seemed nice to her.

“Aye, the ship. She’s a junk. Not a galleon, sloop, galley, hoy, or others. A junk.”

“It does seem a bit different than the others near us in port.”

“Good eye,” he said with a smile. “These types of ships are mostly used in the Far East, originally developed during the Han dynasty.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Tao basically came with the ship when it became Cap’s. He loves talking about its history. These ships are fast and highly maneuverable. Some bigger than this, and some are smaller.” He moved the wheel a bit. “When we first acquired her, her sails were colored silk. According to Tao, rich warlords used the silk; everyone else had bamboo matting for sails. The captain, he liked the silk but wanted white sails.”

She peered up at the sail before her. “Their shape is different, is it not?”

“You will be a sailor yet. The shape is elliptical, and we use bamboo battens to create the gentle curve you see there.” He pointed, and she followed with her gaze.

“Easy to angle them to capture the wind with this construction.” A new voice entered the conversation.

Sabeen found Tao nearby, his thumbs hooked in a brightly colored belt. He rocked back on his heels and grinned at her.

“She is a beautiful ship.” Sabeen truly thought so.

Tao flipped his fingers at them. “Tell more. She smart. Learn quick.”

“The sails,” Mr. Krill continued, “are extremely strong.”

“How? I thought silk delicate.”

“The battens make it so.”

“Ah, the bamboo.” She wanted to climb up and take a closer look.

“This setup allows rigging to be simple, it reduces the number of ropes needed.”

Tao moved closer. “We also have adjustable rudder, a high stern, and flat bow. Very good for junk.”

She moved her gaze from the sails to the men. “So, you have a fast ship with guns but are not pirates?”