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

chapter 23

"There will be no more duels!" Smith roared feeling suddenly protective of Millicent.

"Sir?" Bailey looked genuinely surprised.

"You are our best sword, Bailey!" Why didn't anyone else see how unfair the match was?

"And she bested me!" Bailey laughed holding out his arms so that the wind waved the rags of his shirt.

"Miss Weathersby is here to lend an air of respectability to our little endeavor, to be a lady."

"Yes Captain." With a devilish smile on his face Bailey bowed low. "But she is also a gifted swordsman. In our particular line of business that's a desirable bonus. If she dueled with me thusly after being away from the blade for a few years imagine if she were to practice. Imagine what an asset such a sword would be disguised as such a beautiful lady as she."

Smith ran his hand over the back of his scalp and sighed. He didn't want to admit it but...Damn him to hell...Bailey had a valid point. If he intended to keep her aboard (and he did) she should be able to defend herself. He took in the sight of his best sword with his shirt shredded to rags and sighed again. If they were attacked he needn't worry about her so long as she had a sword.

He thought back to their argument and was glad he hadn't been wearing his blade when he ordered her to swab the deck. At the reminder of her nocturnal task he marveled that she could even hold a blade. The task surely raised a blister or two and no doubt her muscles were sore. That's when he noticed her left hand bore a bandage.

"You're cut?" He reached for her hand but she stepped back.

"No, I got a blister from mopping. My own fault though. It's nothing." She shrugged.

Smith stared at her a moment before his face wrinkled up in a frown.

"Why didn't you defend yourself when you were first brought aboard?" he asked.

"I came to deliver a package, not fight a duel." She shrugged. "Had I known I was to be the package, I might have plunged a dagger into my father's heart. Lord knows I wanted to use one on Blakeney. By the time I realized what was happening to me I was firmly held by his two..." she growled.

"I was never anywhere near a blade but I certainly thought about what I would do with one. Yes, I thought about it often! I even came close once but the bastard always managed to keep them out of my reach. It's a lucky thing for him too, or I'd have saved you the trouble of planning a mutiny."

"I can well understand that knowing him the way I did." He lifted a hand toward Bailey and his shredded shirttails. "Why now?"

"I was sitting with Mr. Bricker learning to mend sail when Lad cried out. I watched as Lad dueled Bailey with sticks. I told him his error without thinking. They laughed at me and that made me mad!"

"Knowing your temper as I do," he winked, "I imagine you challenged him?"

"Yes." She blushed as his remark brought a round of chuckles from those men still watching. "Lad gave me his stick and that's how it started."

"How is it you came to be dueling with blades then?" Smith looked sharply at Bailey.

"My fault, Captain." Bailey gave her a lopsided grin. "I realized right away that she had training. I wanted to test her metal."

"I imagine you thought you would separate me from my blade and be done with it." She taunted. "I'll wager it was because I was a woman!"

Bailey only laughed.