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“Your wife is an amazing, brave and selfless woman, Captain. You’d do well to do right by her,” Lady Alicesaid.
“I could do nothing else. I know the fortune I’ve gained in taking her as wife,” Devin said his eyes going to where Mia was being handed off toPhilip.
“Ah,” Lady Alice sighed. “You loveher?”
“With my entire heart,” Devin answered, not at all ashamed ofit.
“Then you must hate me for being so careless a mother and putting her atrisk.”
“My lady,” Devin stopped them on the floor. “I think you too harsh on yourself. Many things gave way to your son falling in, small children are notoriously quick. It’s not worth damning yourself over. And as for Mia and her wont to take risks,” Devin said starting them dancing again, “if I was going to hate anyone for giving her the will to do so, it would be whoever it was that convinced her jumping from a cliff more than a hundred feet in the air wasfun.”
“She didn’t,” the woman gasped and looked around the room until she spied Mia dancing withCoventon.
“She has on many occasions, but only once in mypresence.”
“And once was enough,Captain.”
“Quite enough, my lady. Quite enough,” Devin said, and the woman laughed a bit. Perhaps the first happy sound she’d made allnight.
“May we cut in, Captain?” Coventon asked, clearly on Mia’sbehalf.
“Lady Alice, Lieutenant Jonah Coventon,” Devin made theintroductions.
“Charm her, Lieutenant,” Mia said, stepping into Devin’s arms. “She should smile more. And Lady Alice, be kind, I’m fond of this officer. It’s why I only let the shark nibble him and not eat himcompletely.”
“Mia,” Devin warned as he turned her away, but he didn’t miss the woman’s startled gasp or when she said, “A shark nibbledyou?”
The rest of the night went well. Alice requested to sit next to Mia at the meal and Mia requested Coventon sit close as well, though her purpose was perhaps to matchmake, it worked well when Mia was again asked about spotting not only the pirate ship but the slave ship as well. Both times it was Lieutenant Coventon who was on deck with her first. Though Mr. Asher added a good deal to the slave ship story. Talk shifted to sailing and for a while Mia partook, but then she joined the whispered conversation of the ladies. Devin was relieved to see Mia making friends with so many of her own sex. She was comfortable with sailors, but she should have female companionship. Especially if she was going to so easily make enemies like theMallorys.
That nasty woman actually sat across from him at the table, the mark on her cheek hidden poorly under some face powder. And beside her, Captain Mallory, whose hungry looks cast in Mia’s direction made Devin want to throw a knife at him. He didn’t trust them and he’d tell Mia so when they were alone, but as he watched Lady Mallory cross the room to the group Mia and her cousin sat with and lean over Mia to say something, he knew he didn’t need the warning. Whatever Mallory said to Mia might have made the other ladies smile, but he knew the look on his wife’s face. She not only didn’t trust the woman, she didn’t likeher.
Chapter 6
Mia lookedup and smiled when Devin entered the room carrying a teapot then went back to sorting through the stacks of invitations on the small table. Since the party two nights ago they’d been flooding in. She’d only begun to look at them, having spent most of her time trying to locate a house for herself and Devin while they were stationedhere.
He’d agreed to give teaching a try for a year, but Mia doubted he’d take to it. He already missed the sea, perhaps as much as she. How they might remain together if he was again given command of his ship she wasn’t sure. She smiled up at him again when he set the tea service down on the table and poured her acup.
“What plans have you today?” he asked pouring his own cup, and taking the chair next to her, turned it so he faced her then took aseat.
“Well, should I ever finish sorting these invitations, I want to ride out to Spice Island and see if our offices there have heard anything about my ships.” She saw his brow rise atthat.
“Not going to sail off and leave me now, are you?” he asked thenwinked.
“Sail without you? No, but perhaps arrange for you to be shanghaiedand—”
“Shangwhat?”
“Shanghaied. Have you not yet done a tour of China, captain?” Mia asked and giggled at his expression as he shook his head no. “Ah. Well there’s a little port there named Shanghai and it is notorious for how many people coming in and going out are kidnapped and forced to work the ships that sail those routes. When one is taken and forced to sail. we say they’ve been Shanghaied,” she explained then took a sip and watched that sinkin.
“So they are being pressed into service?” Devin countered with his military term for the act of putting unwilling people on ships to fillcrews.
“Quite,” Mia nodded, setting her cup aside and leaning over to set her hands on his thighs. “I’m sure I could come up with a good many ways to make you work for me onmyship, Captain.” Her hands slipped up further and a quick look down told of her effect onhim.
“Would they be torturous, laborious ordeals, pirate?” He set his tea aside and leaned forward to cup herface.
“Awful,” she breathed as he closed the distance and covered her lips with his. The kiss was brief but warm andmeaningful.
“I could enjoy that,” he said against her lips. “But if I was on ship with you and you were spending so much time in my torture, wouldn’t we sail off course?” Mia pulled back and then glared when hechuckled.
