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“Captain Cadley,” Mia interrupted with a snarl. “I’ll not stand here and be seen less than any other. I’m a ship’s captain with as much seagoing experience as any of you, more than most I suspect, and…” She again turned eyes on Devin. “I don’t care at the moment to be hiswife.”
“Mia,” Devin gasped a bit shocked at herannouncement.
“Mrs., that is Captain, Cadley,” the vice admiral began. “I, for now, will extend an apology for the crude treatment, but it seems we need you to confirm a matter that’s before thisboard.”
“I, for now, will withhold acceptance of your apology,” she told him with a tone that said she had no intention of accepting anything from him. “Whatmatter?”
Dunham cleared his throat. “Mrs., that is Captain, is or is not Captain Winthrop in the habit of calling younames?”
Devin saw Mia pull back then narrow her eyes on the men sitting on the other side of the table. “What is this? Do you now think to start employing measure to ensure your officers are more gentlemanly?” Devin was relieved when she turned that dangerous stare towards Mallory “For sure I could find better manners in a group of drunken barge men than I can find among your ilk.” She made sure to look at each man before going on. “Aye, Captain Winthrop calls me names. A good number of them. Most I’m too much of a lady torepeat.”
Devin bit the inside of his cheek and listened as Mia lit the fuse that would burn down to the powder that would then explode and take everyone in the room with it. The winds whipped up beyond the windows and a bolt of lightning flashed across thesky.
“Might you impart to us some of those, perhaps less… improper names he uses,” Dunham seemed to have to really reach for his ownwords.
“Brat,” Mia was quick to give that one up. “He calls me a mutinous wench when he is unwilling to acknowledge his commands are completely ridiculous.” She turned hard eyes on him. “He calls me a child,” she said her voice cracking a little as she turned her eyes back towards those men who sat in judgment. “Do I at all resemble a child?” Every man shook their headnoand muttered that they thought she looked quite alady.
“Captain Cadley,” Vice Admiral Saumarez called Mia’s attention to him rather softly and Devin leaned a bit to the side when he heard Mia sniff. Her eyes were filling with tears and it was everything Devin could do not to reach for her. “Is there anything else he might callyou?”
“Little else that is fine for polite society,” Mia said, and sniffing, used the coat sleeve to wipe hernose.
“Has he an occasion to call you anything… criminal?” Another at the tableasked.
“Criminal? Do you mean like thief or murderer?” Mia asked and again everyone nodded. She sniffed again. “Well yes, but I have always believed it no insult, but rather a smallendearment.”
“And might you say what he calls you?” Dunhampushed.
“Pirate,” Mia said, sniffed, and again drew the sleeve across herface.
“Mia, for mercy sake,” Devin grumbled, reached in front of her and into his coat pocket, withdrawing a handkerchief. “Why do you never have one of your own?” he chided only to see a tear splash on hercheek.
“I’m not even dressed, and I should have a handkerchief?” Mia cried and stomped her foot at him. “You’re a horrible man to say that tome.”
“Captain,” the vice admiral chided though Devin didn’t know who he was admonishing, him or Mia. “Mrs. Winthrop, that is Captain, that is…” the man stammered as Mia began weeping. “Please madam, are you saying your husband calls you a pirate in a… caringmanner?”
“Aye, perhaps not the first few times. The very first was the worst, he said I was dirtyscum.”
“I never,” Devin denied and felt eyes land on him a bithard.
“You did,” Mia said hotly. “You called me a pirate and said pirates are notoriously dirty scum and then you paddled me.” Every man in the room gasped and drewback.
“You completely destroyed my quarters,” Devin countered, realizing too late this wasn’t the place to be having this argument with hiswife.
“You locked me in, you called methat,” she spat tossing her hand out in a dismissive gesture, “when Papa said you had to wed me.That, like I was somerubbish.”
Devin rubbed his brow again and closing his eyes muttered, “God save me.” At least the story concocted to cover what happened was going to stand withoutquestion.
“I think Captain Winthrop,” Admiral Dunham said, his discomfort at being in the middle of a marital spat showing through. “We’ve a good picture how these entries came to be. And while I can’t say I approve of such unbecoming behavior towards one’s wife, we’ve all come to know your devotion to Captain Cadley has come about nicely. Captain Mallory,” the man called, but before he could manage more Mia cameabout.
“What entries?” she asked and snatched the papers from the table before anyone could stopher.
“Mia,” Devin said and grabbed for them. He might have written pirate and caused the navy to grumble, but he knew that one word was going to have her aiming cannon athim.
She twisted away from him then backed away so no other at the table could take them from her. It took her less than a minute to find the one insult he knew would sink her. Her gasp told him when she’d found it. “Devin, how could you? How could you?” She sobbed and lifted her eyes to him. Tears spilled out, but behind the watery pools, heat rose up. “I’mnotspoiled. I am not.” She slammed the papers on the table then slammed her fist down on top of them. “I am not spoiled. I wasn’t given anything. I worked for all of it. You said you understood that. I’m not spoiled,” she yelled so loud the vice admiral covered hisears.
“Mrs. Winthrop,” someone was stupid enough to call out in a manner perhaps meant tosoothe.
Mia’s response was to sweep everything within reach on the table to the floor. “I… am… not… spoiled.” She punctuated every word with a stomp of her foot. Then with a gasp burst into tears like she had when he stepped on theflower.
