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The rumblings now turned to questions of the man’s honor and trustworthiness. And Devin saw people step away from him for fear association might ruin them too. Mia wasn’t close todone.
“And bother it, would you know he wanted that bribe to be paid on my back,” Mia finished and snapping open her fan began waving it like she had the ability tofaint.
The man had two choices at that moment, run or die. He chose not to run. Or maybe he couldn’t as Devin stepped up and grabbed him by his neck. He drew his fist back only to have two men grab hisarm.
“She lies,” he cried, as Devin’s hand squeezed tighter and several men stepped up to pull himoff.
“You call Mrs. Winthrop a liar now?” Lieutenant Commander Yates asked, stepping up along with an armygeneral.
“What’s this?” the generaldemanded.
“Seems you have less than a gentleman in your ranks, Frank,” Admiral Booker explained as Devin struggled to shake off the hands keeping him from killing theman.
“I’d say he has a pig in his ranks, but what should I know of what is common for army,” Mia said and didn’t shrink back when several eyes turned herway.
“You harass and then proposition my wife then have the gall to call her a liar. Sir, I would see you on the field at dawn,” Devin yelled pulling free of the last man holding him, only to be grabbedagain.
“I would stand your second, Captain, and it would be an honor,” Parkersaid.
“Stand in line man,” Lieutenant Coventon said, pushing through, followed close by Asher, Brinks andWilshire.
“I haven’t in a long while, but set down pups. I’ll stand his second and bring the pistols,” the Duke of Pembroke toldthem.
“Avast, all of you,” the admiral yelled and pushed between the combatants. “What do you have to say for yourself,Major?”
“Beg pardon, the lady misunderstood and—” he started. Devin again lunged forhim.
“I misunderstood? Well perhaps,” she said and even Devin’s head snapped around. Mia wouldn’t try and… “What was it you said? We should try andcivillyresolve our differences and you did say you thought on my back I was worth more than a shilling. Isn’t that what you said? You thought I might be worth more than a shilling? Oh yes, I remember…” Mia stepped up and the admiral stepped aside so she could square off against the man. “You said I could earn a ‘pretty little allowance for my time and favor’. Should you like to ask my husband now about such an arrangement, Major? Have it confirmed, both that it would take more than a shilling, or even the full cost of a bribe to free my ships of your overreach, to get me on my back for you. And my allowance is sufficient as itstands.”
“Miss Cadley,” Bennet cried out. A second before Mia’s hand cracked across hisface.
“Captain Cadley,” she snarled. “You despicable, odious, spineless excuse for a man. Did you think because I was a woman I would turn keel up for you? That you could intimidate your way into my hold? You turn my stomach with your cowardly acts. Shame on you to be so easily played by yoursource.” Again, her head turned towards Mallory. “You’re bilge water, and like such everything is better once you’re pumpedout.”
“I think it best we excuse ourselves, Admiral Booker,” the general said turning to face Devin, who was only one man’s hold of getting free to beat the man to death before more stepped up to restrain him. “You and your wife have my sincerest apologies, Captain, for the behavior of the major. It is not a trait we aspire to include within our ranks and I’ll see to it neither your wife nor her crews are again upset or inconvenienced.” The man bowed a bit. “Jonathan,” the general said turning to bow at theadmiral.
“Frank,” Booker replied still scowling hard at themajor.
“Ladies, gentlemen, Your Grace, good evening,” the general finished and turning he snarled, “Major Bennet.” Then pointed towards the doors of theballroom.
“Admiral,” Devin yelled having gotten no personal satisfaction from the man. He should at least be allowed to beat the man bloody if not to death. That he was still trying to get free of the men holding him annoyedhim.
“Steady on, Captain,” Admiral Booker said and Devin knew he’d need to wait for his chance and take Bennet on not as men in service to the crown but just as men. Though Mia rightly pointed out he wasn’t a man atall.
“Mia?” Devin turned to find her standing, her back turned, with his crew and the LadyAlice.
“How completely like army to ruin good winds,” she said, turning to face everyone. “I do apologize, Admiral. It may have been prudent to haul in my sheets and ignore him but his very being made me want to drop an anchor on hishead.”
“Had you but requested one, Mrs. Winthrop, I’d have fetched one from the docks,” Admiral Booker said taking both her hands in his. “Why didn’t either of you tell me you were being sopersecuted?”
“I complained to his superiors directly,” Mia said, again looking at Mallory, who Devin knew had relatives in that arm of the military. “I do try not to create conflicts of interest, sir,” Mia said and Devin heard she tried to keep the navy out of her business. “The matter was being dealt with. It was simply a misfortune of time and place the man would show and dare make nice with my husband after he… well. I shouldn’t be the kind of wife to say who her husband might befriend but I wasn’t havingthatfor tea in my home, I’ll tellyou.”
“I would say. Unless you meant to boil him in the water, my dear,” the duke added, and everyone laughed as tensionseased.
Devin excused them and taking Mia’s arm dragged her outside to the gardens. “Why didn’t you say something to me sooner, Mia?” He couldn’t even begin to reason why if she was being threatened she’d not come to him. And he certainly was going to make sure she knew he expected her to, with no leeway on thematter.
“Devin, it was being handled. It’s common enough for ships to go through periods of harassment. He wasn’t going to find contraband on my ships and all our papers are always inorder.”
“It wasn’t your ship being maligned, Mia,” Devin remindedher.
