Carried Home (13 page)

****

Gage could make out something pleasant in the midst of all the pain. No, that must have been a dream. Surely there was not a bronze-haired angel hovering over him, tending to him and fussing with his bandages. Surely the angels in heaven did not look exactly like Lady Ivy Shaw. However, it was a pleasant notion, and one he would not give up. Her lemon-tinted scent was almost distinguishable as well. He had not realized how much he thought about the lady until those thoughts were intensified by his pain-fogged mind.

A bump in the mattress inched its way into his back. He tried to roll over, but it was quite difficult to make his muscles obey him. When he finally could move, a radiating pain cut through his left side. It seemed as if his very flesh was being torn open, thread by thread. Suddenly, a soft, warm hand landed on his forehead, brushing away the sweat and soothing him. The angel. What was she doing here again? Not that he would complain. However, he really longed for the angel to kiss him. That would be nice.

Her lips pressed against his skin, searing a hole through his forehead. He tried to raise a hand to pull her closer, but his arm would not obey.

He needed to touch her. To hold her. Even though she wasn't real, he needed to think she was. It was the only thing keeping him sane.

However, after a brief second, a baby's cry rent the air. The noise might as well have split his head in two. To make matters worse, the angel left his side. His eyes, previously opened to slits, now slid closed. It was not worth the effort to keep them open just to see the wood bulkhead.

The angel's voice cooed comforting words to the child. The sound soothed him as much as it soothed the babe. Soon, his mind drifted back into blissful unconsciousness.

 

Ivy shoved her hair back up into the hat Mr. Douglas had allowed her to borrow. He had loaned it to her when her skin started burning from all the time she now spent in the bright sun. She had new respect for the crew and the work they and Captain Thompson did on the deck. Sweat dripped into her face, stinging her eyes. In reality, she was not doing the same duties as the rest of the crew, but she was pitching in somewhat to help. With the captain hurt and a few other men unable to perform their duties because of their injuries, Ivy had offered to help the men on the deck.

Mr. Douglas made it clear he was uncomfortable taking on the role of captain in Gage's place, so Ivy had decided to help. Although she knew nothing about the world of sailing, she helped Mr. Douglas make certain decisions and perform activities. The job was fulfilling, yes, but quite tiring. Since she was not strong enough to do many of the men's activities, Ivy had agreed to do simple chores around the ship, and right now she was on her hands and knees scrubbing the deck.

Ivy glanced upwards. The sun shone high in the sky. Emma would probably be waking from her nap soon, and it would be time to check on Gage. She threw the piece of canvas she had been using to scrub the deck into a nearby bucket and stood. Her limbs protested. Ivy rubbed her lower back with her hand. The men around her chuckled, but she ignored them. She had already heard enough snide comments from them and had no wish to endure any more.

She made her way down to the captain's cabin, where she had been spending her days and nights ever since the skirmish with the pirates. It was much easier to keep the man and the child she took care of in one place. After a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no one followed her, Ivy stepped inside.

Sunlight streamed through the large porthole built into the bulkhead, illuminating the cabin and offering an enticing view of the sea. She had grown to love the water after she had gotten over her seasickness. A low groan drew her attention to the left of the room, where Gage rested on his bed. He was still asleep. The poor man had barely been awake the last few days, and when he actually was awake, he was not fully aware of his surroundings. All he did was murmur words like “I'm sorry” or “angel” or “forgive me.” Those were certainly an odd array of phrases, but what could be expected from a feverish man? Ivy hurried to his side. His eyes were slit partially open, and he raised his hand to touch her arm. She leaned down close.

The poor man's forehead was all bruised from the nasty hit to the side of his head, and the dark color had spread even to his cheek and temple. It looked too painful to even think about. His stab wound, on the other hand, seemed to be healing as normally as could be expected. She cleaned the bandages every day, but with time, it would heal, and he would be left with merely a scar.

After the battle, the ship's surgeon had offered to see to Gage, but Ivy felt uncomfortable near the man. He seemed to be in cahoots with Johnson, and he was not the type of man she wanted near the injured captain. So Ivy had seen to the man's needs and prayed she had done an adequate job of it.

“Beautiful.” Gage reached up and brushed a curl of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks heated, but she knew it was only his delirious state that brought forth such words.

“Gage, I need you to get better, all right? You've been like this for two days. Please. We need you captaining the ship. I cannot be captain with Mr. Douglas for much longer. Please, we need you back to help us.” She grabbed his hand with both of hers and pressed a kiss on it.

Emma gurgled, stirring in her slumber. Ivy laughed and scooped the child up off the chair she had been lying on. She could not wait until Gage was well and she could stop working around the ship. Time spent with Emma was precious and far too short these days. The child brought life and light to the entire ship.

Emma smiled sleepily and entangled her little hand in Ivy's hair. Oh, this little one was precious. She made Ivy terribly miss her dear brother back in London. What was William doing now? Was he warm, happy, and well-fed? Did he miss his sister? Ivy gulped. What would he think of her when she finally did return home? Would he ever be able to forgive her for abandoning him?

Ivy sighed. Sometimes she felt as if she did too much to help others, so much so that she was unable to give each person she wanted to help in her life all of her devotion. She had been forced to stop taking care of William when she had chosen to find her best friend, Eden. Now she split her time between caring for Emma and Gage and trying to help Adam run the ship. Although she wanted to give all of these people her best efforts, Ivy had grown mentally and physically exhausted.

Emma giggled as she tugged on a piece of Ivy's hair and watched it spring back into place. The girl's face lit up. “Pretty,” Emma chirped.

Ivy beamed. The child had recently begun speaking a few words, and the thought made Ivy's heart sing. Except for when she thought of what would happen when they arrived back home. She had no idea what would become of Emma, but she knew that apart from the girl, her own heart would never be complete again.

Gage groaned from his position on the bed. Ivy smiled tenderly. Her heart might not be complete without her dear man either. But there was absolutely nothing she could do about her heart. It would not be fitting for her to pursue a life with a sailor, captain or not. Eden had promised her life to a sailor, but she had run from everything she once knew to escape a terrible man and had been all alone in the world. Ivy was not in nearly such a desperate situation. Besides, Ivy had promised Aimee she would not let herself grow attached to a pirate. She was a London-bred English lady. Goodness, did that thought sting.

****

Eden snuggled Reed close against her chest. She loved days when the boy came into her and her husband's cabin in the early morning. Today, they snuggled on the big bed in the center of the cabin. This time with him was precious, and she was glad Caspian now recognized the fact. Caspian propped himself on one elbow and winked at Eden.

She smiled and ran her finger down the length of his jaw. He stilled her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertip.

Reed sighed, interrupting their moment. “What's wrong, dear?” Eden nudged the boy forward so she could see his face.

“I hope we find my uncle soon. I don't like going to all these ports all the time.” Reed scrubbed a hand across his forehead.

“Oh, we'll find him. Don't worry. I know we will find him.” Caspian ruffled Reed's hair.

“Where are we sailing to now, Papa?”

Eden beamed at Reed. Oh, how happy she was to call this fine young lad her son.

“We are going north. Hopefully we can find your mama's brother there.”

****

Gage groaned as he propped himself up on his elbows. His head spun, but he continued until he had forced himself in a sitting position. Next, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. It felt good to be up again. He turned his head slowly to glance about the room and scan its contents without making himself dizzy.

The cabin was empty, save Emma, who slept soundly on the chair. It must be nap time for her.

Gage gripped the end of his mattress and tried to bolster himself up. The room swayed before him. His knees buckled. The cabin door burst open. The abruptness startled him, and he started to topple over. Ivy entered the cabin and immediately braced an arm around his back, preventing him from crumpling to the floor.

“What were you doing? For heaven's sake, you should see how pale you are right now. Lay back down, lay back down.” Her soft voice soothed his nerves and helped steady his vision. He allowed the woman to gently pull him back down onto the mattress until he finally reclined against the pillow. She ran the back of her hand across his forehead. “What were you doing, Gage? Are you well? Did you need something?”

“I…wanted…to stand.” Gage winced.
Since when did it take so much breath to speak?

“Why? Can I get you something?” Her tone was so sweet it almost made him hurt more. And, he needed to stop looking into those gorgeous gray-blue eyes. He could get lost inside of them. “Gage?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I get you something? You should not be getting up on your own.”

Oh. Well, if he could remember what in tarnation he had gotten up for, he would not want her to get it for him. His face heated. Weren't men supposed to be strong in the presence of women? He was anything but strong at the moment. “No, miss.” His voice came out far more gruffly than he ever intended.

She blinked. “A-all right. Are you sure you are well?”

“Yes, miss…”

She graced him with a small smile. “It's good to see you up, Gage. I was so concerned for you in the last few days.”

Gage's eyelids started to weigh down. He struggled to keep them open.

Ivy brushed a lock of his hair from his face. “Sleep well, sir.”

His last memory was her lips on his forehead before he drifted back into a deep slumber.

****

Ivy bounced Emma up and down in her arms as Mr. Douglas spoke to her. They sat in her cabin, mainly because Douglas did not want the crew to hear them, and Ivy did not want to disturb Gage. Emma yanked on a lock of Ivy's hair, and she bit back a grimace. The girl grew more energetic as each day passed.

“They are unhappy with the direction we are sailing. They say it isn't worth it to go find Captain Thompson's sister—that after everything we have been through, they do not want to do it.”

“What should we do? I know how important this is to Gage. We
have
to get his sister. I understand his need because of how much I need to see my brother.”

Mr. Douglas rested his elbows on his knees and his forehead on his hands. “I don't know, milady. I was never meant to be a leader. I love sailing, but I am much better at following under someone else's command. I don't know how to lead them. Perhaps you could speak to them? That worked well last time.”

Emma settled in Ivy's arms, nestling her head in the crook of her elbow. Ivy snuggled the girl closer as she contemplated what Mr. Douglas said. “I-I could say something to them. Or I could try.”

****

Adam had to stop himself from squeezing his eyes shut. This discussion was not going quite as they had planned.

“What do we care?” Someone heckled.

“Please, men. Please listen to me for a few moments' time.”

After a minute—and some shushing from Adam and a few others still loyal to the captain—the men silenced their protesting to the point where Lady Shaw could actually be heard above them.

She started out timidly. The poor woman had probably not spoken in front of so many people in her life before the speech she had given them two days ago. “Can you please just take a moment and think as if you were Captain Thompson?”

“I ain't that much of a ninny!”

“I beg you, gentlemen. Let me speak. Just please, think of your own families. Think of how much you love them. Do you have a sister at home? A daughter? A mother?”

“I don't have no family!” Another man yelled.

Adam struggled to stop himself from growling. “Silence!”

“Why should we listen t' you?” The man glared pointedly at the left side of Adam's face and Adam felt it like a fresh burn to the spot.

He had always been uncomfortable with the injury to his face, and when people mocked it, he felt sick. Adam clenched his eyes shut, lest the men see the emotion running across his features.

“Don't you understand? Please think back to your childhood. I'm sure there is someone who loved you, who cared for you enough to make sure you were always safe. And even if you didn't have someone like that, surely you felt that way for someone at some point!” Lady Shaw bit her lip, and then moved around the deck. She stopped at one man and rested her hand gently on his arm for a moment. “Sir, what is your name?”

He looked to the left, before finally facing Lady Shaw. “Todd, ma'am.”

Lady Shaw nodded sweetly. “Now, Todd, please tell me, do you have someone at home? Someone who you have known at any time, who depended on you?”

Todd fixed his gaze on the wooden planks of the deck. “Yes,” he mumbled. Adam had to strain to hear him.

“What, sir?” Lady Shaw planted her hands on her hips.

“I said… yes, I have a wife, an' a little girl back home. They need me.”

A grin split across Lady Shaw's face, lighting up her expression. “I understand, sir. So do you realize why we need to help Captain Thompson take one short side trip to get his sister?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, the rest of you men…”