Page 22 of His Pirate Wife

“Aye?”

“Aye,” he confirmed as she stepped back and wiped her eyes with her gloved fingertips. Devin dug in his pocket for a handkerchief only to find he didn’t have one. “Come.” Devin guided Mia towards the door of his office. The midshipman acting as his secretary stood as they entered. Devin waved him down, then said, “Porter, please see about some tea for Mrs. Winthrop. Then you are dismissed for theday.”

“Aye, sir.” The man beamed at the prospect of being sent home early, but Devin didn’t plan to stay. Mia needed him with her, so he’d leave anything unfinished for tomorrow. He ushered Mia through the second set of doors and towards the smallsofa.

Before he could reach it, she veered away and headed towards the windows that lined the far wall of the office. “Mia, come sit here,” he called then saw the expression on her face when she looked back over her shoulder at him. “All right then, wait for the tea,” he said and moved to his desk. He opened a few drawers, finding a spare handkerchief in one of them. He took a step and held it out to her. This forced her to take a step to reach it. She did so but was hesitant. Sitting, he sorted some papers and wrote a few things he needed to do over the next few days. If he’d ever thought teaching sailing was less work than sailing, he knew better now. Then again, he also knew he was resistant to this. Mia was right, one didn’t learn how to master the ocean in aclassroom.

He looked up at her again and caught her reaching back to rub her stern. The loud sniff was followed by a deep sigh as she lifted the handkerchief to her eyes. “Mia,” he called, and she dropped her hand away before turning to face him. “Come here.” Again she hesitated, and he began to wonder if he’d been so harsh this morning that she was now afraid of him. She stepped up right as a sharp knock sounded and his door opened withoutinvitation.

“Ah, you’re here, very good,” Admiral Booker said as he stepped back and let his elegant wife step through ahead of him. Even with them both nearing sixty, they made a stunning couple. Devin knew Mia would age well though he had little hope for himself. Then again, he didn’t think to rise to the rank of admiral and need to still hold suchbearing.

“Oh, and Mia Winthrop too, Admiral,” Mrs. Booker said coming through the door with a kind smile towards Mia who was trying to slide behind Devin and remain mostly unnoticed. She couldn’t be too afraid if she’d still use him as a shield. “Just the person I wanted to speak toanyway.”

“Mrs. Booker,” the admiralwarned.

“Oh, you never mind yourself, sir. It’s always better to speak directly to the one who needs to know than to leave it for messages to be passed from lips to ears several timesover.”

Devin, having come to his feet as soon as the door opened, stepped instinctively to shield Mia. She didn’t need even a hint of criticism following this morning, but again these were people she’d already charmed half to death. “Sir, how can I help you this afternoon?” Devin asked as Mia hid behind him and hastily tried to wipe her face clean of any evidence she’d beencrying.

“Are we interrupting?” Admiral Booker asked. “Lunchperhaps?”

“No, sir,” Devin said and stepped again to keep Mia behind him as the man crossed the room towards the desk. “I have requested some tea, but,” damn he didn’t want to visit with people right now, “my wife only stopped by on her way home to—” He didn’t know why Mia stopped by. She’d not said. She didn’t need to tell him she’d sent the necklace back, nor did she need to apologize again. Both those things she should haveknown.

“Ah you should stay and have a nice lunch,” the older man said with a kind smile at the same time his wife criedout.

“Oh, dear. What’s happened?” The woman was fast for someone of her age and was standing behind Devin holding Mia against her shoulder. Before Devin could stop her. “Sometragedy?”

“I should hope not,” Booker said with determination even as Devin answered with a resounding, “No.”

It was Mia who sank the discomfort when she sniffed and looking at the three of them said, “Aye, I had to come apologize to my husband. He was right and I wrong.” She sniffed loudly and was again taken into Mrs. Booker’sarms.

“Oh dear.” The woman cooed. “I too always cry when I must apologize. We women should be afforded our mistakes without acknowledgment of them for all we do correctly every day.” Devin heard his commanding officer clear his throat and tried to hide the smile as Mrs. Booker pushed Mia around and into his arms. “I certainly hope you have told her you accept her apology,Captain.”

“Madam, before it was even given she had my complete forgiveness,” Devin assured her and put his arm around his wife briefly. Shestiffened.

“Smartly done, Captain,” the admiral said taking his own wife in his arms briefly. “Always forgive them. It makes for smooth sailing… domesticallyspeaking.”

“Aye,” Devin agreed, glad when his secretary entered with the tea tray. His surprise at seeing such a high ranking officer was evident. He quickly set the tray down then rushed out to get two more cups. “But you came here with some purpose, sir, other than to offer such wisdom to a newlywedman.”

“Oh yes,” the couple stepped apart. “I came to tell you that Lady Mallory won’t be attending the Christmas celebrations, in case you were considering not attending in difference toher.”

“I hope this isn’t on our account,” Mia managed. “We would have navigatedthrough.”

“I and the committee suggested, strongly, that she take her leave and return to the family home early,” Mrs. Booker said, far less discreet about why Devin and Mia wouldn’t be subject to their company. “You, Mia, are not the only wife who doesn’t care for the… lady’scompany.”

“Mrs. Booker,” the admiral warned with far less effectiveness than Devin stillheld.

“Oh mind yourself, Admiral Booker. That woman has caused a scandal each of the last three years. No one wishes her to attend again. So of course, it’s not on your account dear,” she said and waited until Mia finished with her pathetic sniffing before saying. “I should also love to be the one to tell you, the committee found your suggestion utterly delightful and will be working to raise donations for the next three weeks to ensure the absolute success of thisendeavor.”

“What did you suggest, Mrs. Winthrop?” Devin asked, having heard not a thing about Mia participating in the officer’s wife’s committee. It didn’t seem like something she’d be too involved in when he was asked to send her to the first tea. As far as he’d known, the women mostly met to discuss how to make their next party more successful or how to make their own presence in the college or city more important. He had a moment to wonder if Mia wasn’t working a little more in her pursuit to upstage some of the otherladies.

“She didn’t tell you?” Admiral Booker said with shock on hisface.

“It wasn’t of importance as it was just a suggestion,” Mia said. “I didn’t think much on it after I madeit.”

“It was a brilliant suggestion Mia, something no one has made in a rather long time,” Mrs. Booker said, and her husband cheered hisagreement.

“Well what was it Mia?” Devin asked, looking at her, only to get shruggedat.

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