A Pirate’s Wife (22 page)

'What happened to the man?' She could not believe

what she had done. She tried to forget the events of the

previous night but it came back and she had to know.

'He met a watery grave.'

'I've caused a lot of problems for you?'

'No, sooner or later he would have betrayed me, I

never liked him. You did me a favour.' He walked to his

desk to collect some water for her.

'I was so afraid.'

'I know, but you are safe now. The rest of the crew

adores you. They were furious when they heard what the

man tried to do. If you had not killed him one of them

would have.' He handed her the glass which she gratefully

took, drinking the cool water with one gulp. When she was

done she gave it to him. He returned to the table.

'What happen to your sister?' This was the one

question she wanted to ask but avoided so far. He stilled at

the table and answered softly, 'She hung herself after the

rape.' Sorrow filled his face. It was still hard after all these

years. Softly she got to her feet and walked over to him

standing near the window. This time she comforted him,

wrapping her arms around his waist.

'How old was she?'

'Twenty- one.' The stoic reply sent shivers up her

spine.

'She had just learned that she was pregnant with the

man's baby, and then she hung herself.'

'I am so sorry for your loss.'

'It's all right. It was a very long time ago.'

After a few minutes of silence, looking out into the

bright sky, she said, looking at him,

'I am so confused about you. It would be so easy to

love you, but your lifestyle, your choices. I do not

understand. You do not act like a pirate yet you are one.

My father always said we must never judge a book by its

cover. When I open yours it gives me joy, but it is difficult

to look past the cover.' her eyes filled with sincere emotions

of hope. 'Why did you choose this lifestyle?'

He could see genuineness in her posture when she

asked the question.
She is trying very hard to make sense

out of this.
He wrapped her in his arms, thankful for her understanding and acceptance. It could not be easy. He

owed her some answers.

'I did not choose it. It chose me,' he finally

answered.

'Don't you want to tell me?' Enrico knocked and she

quickly took the food from him. She took it over to the

chairs where they sat down. She filled their plates with

food.

'Please, Roberto, tell me so that I can understand,'

she said again, encouraging him after handing him his

plate.

'I am a farmer by birth.' He smiled when he saw

disbelief written on her face and continued.

'My parents have a huge farm on the south coast of

France. We were happy in those days. We loved one

another and the joy of working in the fields made me

content. I loved the land, the smell of breaking ground, the

whole process of planting and waiting, and then the

harvest.' He smiled, his thoughts far away.

'Then, four years in a row we had very bad drought

and no harvests. My father fell into debt and finally it was

time to pay up. The lender who helped my father was the

cousin of the Falcon. My sister and I were given as slaves

to pay off the debt. It was the hardest thing my parents had

to do but we understood.'

She gasped, placing a hand on his arm. 'How old

were you?' The food was forgotten on their plates.

'I was nineteen, my sister twenty-one.'

16

'Veronica was raped on the first night, while we

were still on the ship taking us to the Falcon's lair. Two

months later she became sick with morning sickness. One

slave girl said she was pregnant. She hung herself.

Everyone knew what had happened to her and everyone

made the connection. When I heard about it two days later,

I was bitter and full of rage, seeking the man that had done

this to her. I killed him later. Hence the scar.' Roberto

smirked and Rosa-Lee squeezed his arm. The raw emotions

played over his face as she watched Roberto reliving those

dreadful times. How tragic to not only lose the home you

knew for nineteen years but a beloved sister in such a

barbaric way.

Rosa-Lee reached out to him and grabbed his hand,

holding him to her heart. But she said no words as she

listened to his life story.

'The Falcon was so impressed with me that he took

me under his wing and taught me everything I know about

sailing and piracy. He is a very clever man and I learned a

lot. I was eager to learn everything, and at the age of

twenty-five he adopted me as his son.' He looked at her

with pleading, hoping that she would still love him. She

laid a hand on his cheek, the action solemn and caring. Her

eyes were set unwaveringly on him and he smiled as his

face relaxed in the knowledge that she did not despise him.

He kissed her palm reverently.

She smiled and asked, 'How did you meet Pedro?'

'He was on your father's ship when we captured it.

The cargo was of much importance to the Falcon. After a

long battle and lives lost it was in our hands. I first saw

Pedro as he killed two of our men, and when he was

apprehended and Falcon heard whose son he was, he was

impressed. Your father is well-known. His bravery and

leadership is respected by all on the seven seas, both sailors

and pirates. I have told you that the crew adores you

because of the fact that you are his daughter. They

respected him although they never met him.' he smiled at

her and she returned the smile.

'At night Pedro had to tell us about the adventures

on the sea and in Africa and he talked much about you. I

was intrigued with you and when the Falcon came up with

the plan to ask for a ransom, I volunteered. Your brother's

stories didn't do you justice. You are more impressive in

real life.'

Silence fell between them as they locked gazes

again, seeing each other, the hardship that had moulded

them to become the people they were. Understanding

dawned on Rosa-Lee's heart and she smiled, a smile which

reached the dark brown eyes. Roberto pulled her closer and

kissed her, demanding. She came closer, opening herself to

him.

'I am sorry for the position you are in but not sorry

that I have met you' Roberto said softly as he brushed her

hair from her eyes and she kissed him on the cheek.

'I know what you mean,' She replied. 'We would

have never met if it was not for the ransom.'

'No, although I am sure I would have found another

way. You have captured my mind and my heart swiftly. My

body had no other choice but to follow.'

She chuckled. 'For a pirate you are very romantic.'

Their lips brushed.

'Please don't tell anyone,' he murmured.

'No. It is my secret tucked in my heart. I love you,

Roberto de Ville.'

'I love you, Rosa-Lee de Ville.' He swept her from

her feet and onto the bed in record time.

Later they let go of each other and ate from the food

on the table. He stood up to light more lanterns and sat

down again next to her.

'You had an interesting life, Roberto, and it is true

what my father said, you cannot judge a book by its cover.'

Her smile was shy but her eyes looked at him like he hoped

she would. The last few weeks had been filled with

discovery for him. His recklessness to expose his heart was

a revelation. Usually he kept everything for himself but

with her, he just blurted it out. He wanted her to know him,

to love him and was not ashamed to answer uncomfortable

questions. In the process she opened up as well. He could

still feel her soft skin under his hand, the soft roundness of

her curves as she burned with passion. His body was in

permanent desire for her, to know her intimately. She

opened to him unabashedly, pliant under his coaching.

'One day you must tell me about your parents and

the farm. I would love to hear more.'

'I will do so, but I think we need to go and sleep.

You are still very tired,' Roberto said, standing up. 'Let me

put you in bed.' He held his arm out and she slipped her

arm into his.

As they walked to bed they were both overcome

with the emotions from the previous night, the new

discoveries and melted into each other. There was nothing

that could compare to this bonding.

When he turned to her finally, out of breath, his

eyes were again that dark ochre colour. He wrapped her in

his arms and whispered,

'I love you. Since the moment I saw you, my Rosa,

I've loved you. I want you to know that and I will never get

tired of saying it.' She placed a hand on his chest and kissed

him on the lips. He pulled her closer and demanded her to

open her mouth once again, passion flowing as they kissed.

His mouth was pleading and demanding to let him in, to

love her, his hands burning her skin, setting her heart

racing, like butterflies fluttering and the momentum of their

wings driving her closer to him. It was as if they could not

get enough. All was forgotten except to just live for the

moment.

She moved even closer to him, as desire coursed

through her body, a serene feeling that made her breathless.

She could feel his body reacting to her.

'I want you so much,' The things that this man did to

her were wonderful, intoxicating and she gave him his

heart's desire.

'My Rosa.' His body was trembling with the need to

have her, his lips craving her body, and she responded.

†††

Every day they passed each other on the deck. The

magnitude of their hearts, the passion of their bodies drew

them closer. At times when it became too unbearable he

would open his arms and she would step in, seeking his

closeness, listening to his steady heartbeat.

They would talk and he would open more to her the

things that were important. Her resistance crumbled under

the care and love she received.

Pierre would tell of his bravery on many occasions.

The bond of friendship between the two men was tight,

since they shared many journeys together.

On occasion Pierre would meet up with her when

Roberto was engaged with work and although he was

quieter they had a lot in common. Pierre would tell her

about their journeys in great detail depicting Roberto as a

good leader although a pirate. They were not ashamed of

their vocation and sometimes she would tremble with fear

and then laugh in joy. She always felt safe though, with

Pierre and the rest of the crew.

On occasion when alone her mind would drift to her

parents left behind in Portugal. What would be their

reaction to her sudden marriage to the man that abducted

her from her home? She thought about her brother Manuel

and the man he had become; about Pedro and the path he

had chosen for himself. And of course she thought about

Roberto, her husband, and what life held for them.

Would they have a future?

Here on the open seas he was fairly safe but once on

land he would have to stay hidden. He would always be on

the run from the authorities, living in the shadows, and

where would that put her? How would she go on knowing

that any day he could be arrested and hanged? Because

there would be no mercy once he was caught. Could she

really live a life on the run, with uncertainty her only

constant? What if children were born out of this union?

Where would it put them?

She had so many questions always in the back of

her mind and when she watched him she was terrified of

the life she agreed to live with him. He said she was brave

but she was not. The mere thought of him being killed left

her shaken with fear.

Roberto himself had problems of his own. He

would watch her as she strolled down the deck, deep in

thought. He knew that he had done the right thing to marry

her. She made him happy and he felt content with her being

his wife. But if everything worked out as he hoped could he

continue being happy with her? Would she not regret this

marriage? It was so much for her to trust him without

knowing the truth. She trusted him.

Fear gripped him many times and on occasions like

that Pierre would sweep in and change his thoughts. He

was the only one he could trust with his feelings and his

future. He was the only one that knew what this could cost

him if he failed.