The Charlotte Series: Book 1: The Pirate's Treasure

chapter 19

"Ollie sent me to tell you he's spotted Masters coming back sir."

"Good Lad. Find Miss Weathersby and the two of you can wait for me by the boats then. I'll be along presently."

"Aye sir."

Smith smiled after the boy. He thought of today's excursion and sighed. A dog?

He stood and stretched before he reached for his waist coat. From a small box on the desk he pulled a pocket watch and donned it as any proper gentleman would. He tucked a small knife into a sheath in his boot and he tucked a pistol into his pant waist at the small of his back. Lastly he slipped into his jacket and neatly concealed his pistol.

He grabbed the pile of white cloth from the table scowling as he did so. He hated cravats. He fussed with his a few moments then left it hanging loose. He hurried to the deck. The men going ashore in the second party were milling about. Millicent and Lad were sitting atop coiled rope near the boats. Lad was animated as he explained something intricate to her.

"Ahoy!" someone shouted from the water.

Bricker and three others moved to the side and began assisting the first party aboard. The second shore-leave party began crowding.

"Cap'n!" Lad shouted when at last he noticed Smith.

It was as though the dean walked into a room of unruly children back in Eton. The men backed away from the side and parted to make a path for Smith. He nodded greetings to them. Millicent stood to greet him. Her hair was swept up in some stylish do. She wore a pale pink gown with roses and white lace ruffles here and there. He decided he liked her in pink.

She smiled at him twirling her parasol prettily and he bowed.

"Miss Weathersby."

His smile grew as he thought of her in his favorite color, which of course was no color at all. As if she could read his mind, she blushed most prettily.

"Captain."

The way he was looking at her made her remember things best left alone. She tried to control the blush that colored her face. Unable to do so, she chose to ignore it. That's when she noticed his cravat was loose.

"Your cravat has come undone, sir."

"No." I can never get the damned thing right."

His embarrassment manifested in annoyance toward Millicent. Although she just smiled patiently at him, he was instantly sorry.

"I didn't mean to snap at you." He apologized. "A sailor has little use for a cravat and I, as you may have guessed, have been a sailor for a very long time. I shall get Bailey to tie it for me. He fancies himself..."

Millicent handed her parasol to Lad and stepped forward to grasp the loose ends of the cravat.

"Nonsense." She stated as she tugged at the loose ends. "Now hold still."

She fussed with it but a moment and stepped back so quickly he thought she had given up. His hand reached up to discover she was most adept. He arched his eyebrow and she gave him a coy little smile.

"Where did you learn that trick? Have you a brother?"

"No. I have no true brother, though I have a blood brother."

"That is a story that begs to be told, although we shall save it for another time. If not a brother, was it a beau then?" he teased.

"You had a beau, Missus?" Lad caught the one word and latched onto it.