Page 64 of His Pirate Wife

“Still itches?” Alice asked, and Mia nodded. “Yes, and it’s worse if they use a thistle orsuch.”

“You can’t switch someone with a thistle,” Johanna exclaimed. “Canyou?”

“Ask your husband. I itched for a week,” Alice told her. “And I no longer walk through a thistle field withPhilip.”

“Well, you don’t while you’re calling him names,” Johanna said and then winced before sliding her hand across her belly. “Oh this one. She’s a wiggly one.” Johanna said then lifted Mia’s hand and placed it on the spot. “Can you evenwait?”

“You’re sure it’ll be a girl?” Mia asked, and smiled feeling the tiny movement. Her own belly was mostly flat, though a small bump was starting toshow.

“It better be, or we’ll be completely outnumbered,” Joanna said and again everyonelaughed.

“Are you nervous, Mia?” Aliceasked.

“Strangely not about the birth. Only about ever getting back to sea. Devin has become madly over protective,” she said, leaning port to rub at an itchyspot.

Again laughter filled the small sitting room. “They always do, Mia. Even Philip is back to trying to make me lie in bed allday.”

“Could you imagine if men had to be the ones to give birth?” Alice said, rolling hereyes.

“Ah, look,” Hong said stepping into the room with a tray loaded with tea and cakes. “Pretty lady making Mia happy, so good, sogood.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hong,” Alice said, and chairs were scooted closer to the small table where he worked to set out cups and plates and pour tea. “You make the besttea.”

“It’s the leaves he mixes,” Mia said. “As well as how he driesthem.”

“He does it all himself?” Johanna asked. “I’m so impressed. I don’t know how tea is done by more than adding hot water andsteeping.”

“Tea easy, Hong show lady. Then lady know, not get…” he searched for the word then turned to Mia and said it inChinese.

“Swindled, taken advantage of,” Mia filledin.

“Ah, yes. No good take advantage of lady,” Mr. Hong said as he poured the tea and handed the cup and saucer toJohanna.

“You’re so fluent in language, Mia. You’d be invaluable at court. Most there who do know another language aren’t very trustworthy or they slaughter it so much no one will speak with them.” Alice said, accepting her cup as someone knocked at thedoor.

“I heard so many growing up and the crews expected me to know how to speak to them,” Mia said, waving Hong off and answering the door herself so he could continue to serve the tea and cake. She expected it to be a messenger from the office, so when she opened the door and found who at first glance appeared to be her mother, her knees wentweak.

“Oh, please don’t faint again,” the woman said, reaching for Mia’sarm.

“You’re not supposed to be here. You were told not to come around, Mia. You were told by the commodore to stay away from his daughter,” Mr. Hong yelled at the woman as he tried to shoo her back out thedoor.

“Papa knows her?” Mia asked, then realized the woman didn’t understand a word of what was said. “I’m sorry,” she said in English. “My papa knows you?” She switched back to Chinese. “Hong Chin, stop. Let herin.”

“Commodore told her to stay away from you Mia, she’ll only hurt you,” Honginsisted.

“Who is she?” Mia asked then shook her head and again switched languages so the woman could understand. “Who areyou?”

“My name is Mary Cadley Rossenburg,” she said and managed to squeeze by Hong to step inside the house. “I’m your aunt. I’m Molly’ssister.”

“Mama had a sister?” Mia breathed, and tears blurred hervision.

“Two of them. Please may I come in so we can talk?” she asked, setting a hand on Mia’sarm.

“Mia, the commodore doesn’t want you to have anything to do with these people. You heed him and send her away,” Hongwarned.

“Mia?” Alice called, stepping into the foyer with Johanna. Alice gasped loudly. “That’s the woman from theoffice.”

“Yes, hello. I’m Mary Rossenburg, Mia Cadley’s aunt on her mother’sside.”

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