A Pirate’s Wife (28 page)

body, and reached for his sister.

'Rosa-Lee, my sister,' he said in a thick, raspy voice.

The emotions were too much for brother and sister. She left

Roberto's arms and threw herself into his. With a satisfied

grin, Roberto left them to be reunited once again. Her

brother was safe and she kissed him all over the face as

renewed tears rolled from her eyes. She clutched his

shoulders.

'You are safe, Pedro!'

'Yes sister.'

'I love you.'

'I love you too.' He hugged her, pulled her away and

smiled. 'I cannot believe you are here. Just look at you!'

She smiled, wiping tears from her face. 'You don't

look so bad yourself,' she said. And they both laughed,

releasing all the pent up emotions from the last few months.

After a while, Roberto returned to her side and she

stepped into his waiting arms, holding her again after he

helped Pierre, killing the one man with his sword. All the

pirates were finally apprehended and tied up.

'Pedro, I want you to meet my husband, Roberto de

Ville,' she announced with pride. Pedro looked at her then

at Roberto. He clapped his new brother-in-law on the

shoulder.

'Well done, sir.'

Rosa-Lee looked at him, then at Roberto. 'Sir?'

Pedro grinned.

'You, my sister, are looking at the brave Roberto de

Ville, Captain in the Dutch East India Company.'

'Roberto?' she gasped. He grinned.

'You are not a pirate?' she asked, bewildered.

'No my Rosa. I am an honest member of the

working society.'

She wrapped her arms around him with a soft

scream of delight and kissed him fiercely to the delight of

all present.

Pedro chuckled and left them. He liked the man. He

would be a good husband to her.

†††

Pierre was tying up the men he had bested and saw

the small body with her head bowed. Long blond tresses

covered the face and he wondered who it was. Handing the

men over to an officer, he walked over to the young blond

girl unmoving on the floor, too drained to be interested in

the activities around her. He touched her lightly on the

shoulder. She looked up. Two pairs of bright blue eyes met,

the one very shy and scared, the other full of interest.

Holding out a hand, he helped her to her feet

gallantly. He could see that she was distressed, tears

running down her face. He gave her his handkerchief,

which she took with a small, delicate hand, whispering a

'Thank you.' Not sure what to expect, she dropped her eyes,

still scared with everything that had happened. She

shivered from cold and weariness and he gathered her

closer, supplying her with much-needed warmth, feeling

the fear and tension leaving her body. She was so small that

he had to bend over to hold her, but for some reason it felt

good. She fitted right into him.

'Are you all right, Señorita?' he asked with concern.

She nodded. 'Yes, Señor. I just do not understand

what is going on. Does this mean that I am free?' Again the

blue eyes met his with hope and trust in their depths and his

heart skipped a beat.

'Yes, Señorita, it means you are free. The D.E.I.C

came to our rescue.'

'Who are you, Señor?'

'My name is Pierre du Val, Captain in the Dutch

East India Company.' He bowed before her with a gorgeous

smile. 'And who am I addressing?'

She blushed. 'Nora Denhaag,' she replied and

curtseyed, lifting the hem of her skirt. The sight of her

bloody foot dismayed Pierre greatly. He crouched down

and examined one foot and then the other.

'It is not that bad, Señor, just some scratches.'

'Are you sure, Señorita?'

'Yes I am.' He tried to determine whether she spoke

the truth and she smiled shyly, dropping her skirt over her

feet.

'Would you like to sit down?' He rose to his full

height, towering over her.

'No, thanks, I think if I sit down I will fall asleep. I

am tired.' Pierre looked around, not sure what to do with

her, but he wanted to spend more time with her. Everyone

was still busy with the pirates and a thought occurred to

him. He pondered for a few seconds.

'Would you like to stroll down the beach with me,

Señorita Nora?' He held out an arm and she looped her arm

through his, smiling up to him. Dimples appeared on each

cheek and Pierre was mesmerized, lost.

'Yes, kind Señor,' she chuckled. 'I would love that.'

20

Out of breath, Rosa-Lee pushed Roberto away, her

eyes full of questions, surprised, confused. Roberto smiled

at the mixed emotions on her face, still holding onto his

brave wife.

'What would you like to know?'

'There are a million questions racing through my

mind. I don't know where to begin,' she replied. 'I am so

surprised. How…? When…? Where…? I do not know.

Start at the beginning, I guess.' Rosa-Lee asked,

stammering, not sure what to say.

'Would you like to sit down? It could take a while?'

'Yes, and I need water. I am terribly thirsty.'

'I will get you some.' He left her arms to draw a

pitcher closer with some wine in it. Sniffing at the contents,

he found it drinkable and handed it to her. All around them

lay broken pitchers. It was a wonder this one was still

intact. She raised it to her mouth and took small sips.

Sitting next to her, with her hand in his, Roberto began at

the beginning.

'I already told you my sister and I were sold to pay

off the debt for my father, and how I became the Falcon's

son.' She nodded.

'I was captured by the D.E.I.C about a year after my

adoption for minor crimes. I made a deal with them that I

would hand them Falcon on a platter if they would give me

a break. After much negotiation, they gladly accepted the

offer. They made me first a lieutenant and then later a

captain, because I handed them another well-known pirate.'

He smiled at her and her eyes were fixed on him.

'The Falcon was a bastard by anyone's standards

and was slipping through their fingers each time, creating

havoc wherever he went. The idea of kidnapping you was

born the moment I met Pedro, when we captured the

merchant ship for loot. Pedro was impressive, to say the

least. The Falcon was also impressed with him. When he

learned whose ship we had looted, he immediately started

to talk to him, having admiring your father all his life. I

send a letter to the HQ informing them of the new

development, and they gave me permission to recruit

Pedro. Together we devised the plan, giving it as a

suggestion to the Falcon to get more money in the coffers.

Of course, it had to be subtle so that he would think he

came up with the plan, and when he finally gave the order,

we were ready. We made sure Alfonso was out of harm's

reach before I left to get you.'

'But how did Pedro 'escape'?'

'When we arrived back on the island, Pedro was

already gone. I searched for him all over the island. That is

why I left you on the ship so long, for your protection. I

was not sure what was going on.'

'I missed you,' she pouted.

'I missed you, too.' He smiled as he kissed her pouty

lips.

Captain le Roux came to the couple with

questioning brows. Rosa-Lee looked at him and then at

Roberto, expecting that he would be arrested, the truth still

new to her, but instead, the big man smiled at Roberto and

said,

'My friend, finally I see you again after all these

months. I received your letter from Captain Peek du Toit.'

'My friend,' Roberto said and then turned to Rosa-

Lee. 'Let me introduce you to my wife, Rosa-Lee de Ville.'

'Señora, what an honour. Captain du Toit was very

impressed with you. We thank you for the letter and your

bravery. You do your father proud.'

With her heart soaring, she smiled at the man she

called husband, safely wrapped in his arms. All this time,

he had asked her to trust him, telling her that all was not as

it seemed, and with a foolish heart she did, scolding herself.

But now all was clear and she sighed in contentment,

dropping her head on his shoulder, just drinking him in.

'I am so glad that Captain de Ville has found

happiness with you, my dear. It does us all good.'

'But how?' she asked, remembering something. 'He

was really adopted by the Falcon?'

'Yes it is true. I recruited him ten years ago as an

agent after he came to us with information. Your brother is

also working for us. This was all a plan to capture the

Falcon for his misdeeds throughout the years. Roberto

stayed and gathered all the evidence for the Falcon's day in

court, but it took a lady to bring him down.' Captain le

Roux laughed at her disbelief, looking at the lifeless body

of the Falcon.

'Did Roberto not tell you?'

She could only shake her head and then looked at

her husband with brand new eyes, love visible in the hazel

depths. Roberto placed a kiss on her nose with a conceited

smile. He was proud of this woman. She had married him

for the man he was and not the title he wore. The title of

pirate, placed fear in most, but not her. He hugged her.

Rosa-Lee turned to her brother, who had returned to

her not as a child, but as a young man. Proudly, he stood

there smiling at her.

'Hi, sister,' Pedro said sheepishly.

'Papa will be so proud,' she whispered and he

grinned with delight.

'I recruited him when I met him ten months ago,'

Roberto said with pride in his voice.

'He reminds me a lot of you, the same courage and

persistence. But you definitely are more beautiful.' She

blushed, the look on her husband's face telling her what he

really wanted to do.

'Roberto, why didn't you tell me? Your secret would

have been safe with me.'

'It was better this way,' he replied, smiling,

removing a wisp of hair from her forehead.

'That is why you wanted me to trust you so much,

and now I am glad I did. You are a wonderful man, and I

love you very much.'

She pulled him closer, kissing him in front of

everyone. The arousal she sensed in him made her forget

everyone else.

†††

Pierre and Nora strolled away down to the beach.

Everywhere pirates were either running or fighting the

D.E.I.C soldiers, but each one was successfully captured by

them and tied up. Men cursed as they were led away,

giving no second glance to the young couple.

'But are you not a pirate?' she asked, seeing the

commotion around her. Pierre had managed to get her a

pair of shoes to protect her feet but she was flopping in

them. They were three sizes too big for the delicate feet

scuffing next to him, breaking the silence with every step,

causing a few giggles and chuckles from them both.

'I only pretended to be one. Roberto and I were both

undercover.' She looked at him puzzled, and he explained.

'The man who helped you with Rosa-Lee.' She giggled

again. Everything had happened so fast that her head was

still spinning, but Pierre took his time. 'We worked

undercover for the last eight years on various lootings. I

saved his life and offered my services on the same day.

That is how we met. Since then, we have become good

friends.'

'You are very brave, Captain.'

Pierre grinned. 'And you, Señorita, are very

beautiful.'

A blush appeared on Nora's face. As they stopped

on the white sands, the midday sun warmed their bodies.

He stepped closer, brushing the long blond tresses with his

fingers. Soft, silky strands flowed through them and he

watched as they fell down on her shoulder, her dishevelled

look still appealing to his eyes. Pierre had waited a long

time to find a woman he was interested in. Since he laid his

eyes on the little blond, he was exceptionally interested.

She turned his insides into crashing waves and he wanted to

know if the feeling was mutual.

'Very beautiful.' He swallowed. 'May I kiss you,

Señorita?' he whispered, just above the crashing of the

waves. She leaned in and offered her lips without saying a

word. He brushed against the plum lips, sighing in

contentment.

I am going to make an effort to court her. It is a

long way back. Lots of time to know Nora Denhaag.
His

mouth tasted her sweetness, as she pressed against him, soft

and fitting into his frame.

Perfect.

†††

'What is next for you?' Captain le Roux asked the

next morning, after the hanging of the remaining pirates

just after dawn.

'I am officially giving my resignation. I am going to

be a farmer from now on. I am finished with this life. It was

too long,' Roberto said, looking at Rosa-Lee and then at the

captain, his voice filled with seriousness, leaving no room

for any doubt.