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“Mia,” Devin soothed, stepping up to draw her against him. “I told you, I recanted that statement. I know you’re not spoiled. I recanted and apologized. That was written early on, before we knew eachother.”
It was an odd moment for the wind outside to pick up enough it blew a window open and sent it slamming into the wall to shatter. Every document on the tables then was lifted and scattered around the room. Men were quick to scatter and collectthem.
Devin spent a minute trying to calm Mia, but her upset was growing worse. Turning to the table of men clearly confused by Mia’s reaction to the word spoiled when she’d already announced the many other things he’d called her with little more than dismissal, he was about to ask if he might see her home. He’d only a light hold on her though and wasn’t nearly fast enough when she went slack and crumpled to thefloor.
“Mia?” Devin called, getting down to cradle her in hisarms.
“Fetch a doctor, now,” Vice Admiral Saumarez ordered as everyone else steppedup.
“I tried to tell you, she’s been unwell for days,” Devin said, looking around the room for the man responsible for involving her inthis.
“Here, a little sip maybe, she’s quite pale,” Dunham said handing Devin a glass and pulling off his gloves. He was about to set his hand on Mia’s forehead then stopped and looked at Devin with a good deal of concern in his expression. “May I?” Devin could only nod. Mia’s faint wasn’t wearing off and his panic was rising. “She isn’t feverish, but you said she’s not beenwell?”
“No, in the last week, she’s woken sick, she tires easily and…” Devin said, trying to adjust Mia in his arms so she was closer to him. He was about to burst into tears himself when Dunham laughed, tried to cover it with a cough, but then had to cover his mouth with his fist. It didn’t help. The man was smiling stupidly and chucklingsoftly.
“Outbursts like this have become common?” Another admiral asked, and when Devin looked up and nodded he saw that man was smiling just as stupidly asDunham.
“You’ve been wed a year now?” One more man stepped up and Devin was torn between holding onto Mia, and getting up and punching all of these men in thehead.
“Nearly a year,” Devin confirmed, not finding any of this amusing in theleast.
“Congratulations, Captain,” the vice admiral said and patted hisshoulder.
“Congra…” What were they talking about? What? Devin looked down at Mia who seemed to be rousing. “What?” The gentlemen in the room laughed softly and more congratulations were offered. “Wait? What?” He looked between Mia and those men who now were patting each other on theshoulder.
“I am not doctor, but having five myself, and nine grand…” Dunham said. “Captain your wife is withchild.”
Devin knew his mouth was agape but… Mia wasn’t pregnant, was she? Though why he would doubt it, he didn’t know. They certainly partook enough in what it took to get her that way and he never used any caution to stall what had to be the inevitable. It was her soft moan that finally prompted him to shut his mouth and look away from those men who were laughing rather openlynow.
“Devin?” Mia called weakly as her eyes fluttered open and a little color returned to herface.
“I’m here, Mia,” he said pulling her tightly againsthim.
“I’m not spoiled,” she said then sniffed and whimpered before balling her hand into a fist and punching hisshoulder.
“Here now, let’s get you off the floor,” the vice admiral said and Dunham and two others moved to help her stand and stay standing while Devin climbed to hisfeet.
“Mia, are you all right?” Devin asked taking her back into hisarms.
“I don’t feel well,” she told him, but squirmed until she could turn and face the five admirals. “He’s wrong, I’m not spoiled. I’ve worked for everything I have. I wasn’t given my position as captain. I didn’t buy it like some.” She cut a sideways glance towards Mallory who stood dejected and sinking to the side. “I’m not spoiled,” sherepeated.
“No, Mia mine,” Devin said, bent to hook his arm behind her knees and sweep her up. “You’re not spoiled, but you’re about to be. You’re certainly about to be, little pirate.” He didn’t bother waiting for a formal dismissal. He simply turned and walked out of the room with his wife in his arms, sniffing and wiping her nose on his shirt. Behind him laughter rang out then above it Mallory’s name was called. Devin couldn’t care less what the man’s fate was now. He could go to hell, go to sea or go home. If he came near Mia again, even looked at her, Devin would simply kill him and dare anyone to declare him wrong for doingso.
The only thing that could matter now was that Mia was safe and happy. If he’d known then that neither of those things would be an easy course to set and sail he might have welcomed being put in the brig for harboring apirate.
Chapter 20
“Mia,”Devin’s voice grated and Mia cringed. “Weren’t you told torest?”
Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her husband. The man was becoming a regular jailer with how he restricted her at every turn. Now as she looked at him leaning casually with his shoulder against the door frame his legs crossed at the ankle and his arms folded over his chest, she wanted nothing more than to throw something at his head. But there was nothing in reach, and worse, she didn’t have the energy to bother if therewas.
Alice said this would come and go. That there would be times when she would have all the ability in the world and times she’d be lucky to be able to roll over in the bed. So far the barely roll over days were winning and the days when she did feel quite spry Devin, Mr. Hong and nearly every single male in the royal navy was there to nag her into a chair or onto a bench. If she could get to the harbor, she’d take her sloop and sail away from all ofthem.
Looking away, she went back to the work she did sorting shipping bills and preparing to fill orders. It annoyed that she did it at her dining table and not in her office, but Mr. Hong was making himself scarce these days and Devin wouldn’t allow her to be there withouthim.
“Mia,” Devin called and the way he said her name made her skin prickle, but it also made her sex clench. If only he’d touch her. Really touch her, but it seemed like her becoming pregnant made herundesirable.
“I’m not doing anything more strenuous than writing, Captain,” Mia told him, not bothering to look at him for the longing that created inher.
