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

Chapter 40

"As you know, our Mills was taken from us by a rather nasty fellow."

"A bloody pirate." She grumbled.

"Yes, well, when we first learned you were missing father sent out searchers. He notified the authorities and used the weight of his title to get them to join the search. When we realized what happened—"

"Wait—how did you know I was missing? How did you figure out I'd been taken?"

"Cook told us. She came to our cook in tears and told her that you'd gone to the wharf to deliver a package and that you'd never returned. She was hysterical. Our cook knew how fond we were of you so she sent a kitchen maid to tell Lexi. As you know our sister is—"

"—is a dear sweet soul whom you shan't say a word against!" Millicent scolded as sternly as she could manage with a smile.

"Yes, well, be that as it may, she is persistent. She went to mother and they both went to Father."

"And he determined that my father had..." she let her voice trail off and finished weakly, "and he posted a reward?"

"Yes. Father had men hired to ask for news of you or the Charlotte from every new ship in port. They also made sure every ship that left carried word of a reward for your safe return or information about you."

"I imagine you had every sailor in port knocking at the door."

"Nay, only about half." He chuckled. "Finally Lexi heard news.

"Lexi?!"

"She was at a ball. She heard a fluttering of rumors about the Duke's son being back form the dead and married to a pirate."

"A pirate!" Millicent laughed, "Well, I like that!"

"Of course Lexi dismissed it at first but later she heard form one of her dance partners about the new marquess who rescued a lady from pirates and married her right off."

"Now I'm a lady?"

"A regular damsel in distress. Of course the rumor mill had a plethora of variations but Lexi made the connection. She begged me to pay a visit to the duke."

"Which if course you did at once." Millicent chuckled.

"Naturally." He answered softly with a sad smile. "I could hardly do otherwise if it could lead us to you."

Millicent blushed.

"His grace showed me your letter, your lordship."

"Please, call me James. We are brothers of a sort."

Millicent and Clay both looked at their thumbs and rubbed the think white scars. This time James chuckled at their mirrored reactions.

"Yes, well, his grace told me the letters came from a particular solicitor in Barcelona. I took the information to father and he sent me straight away to bring our Mills safely home."

James ignored the continued references to bringing Millicent home.

"But how did you get to Lisbon?" Millicent wondered. "It's a long way from Lisbon."

"I went to the solicitor and inquired after you. He told me there was a messenger of yours staying at the Posada Del Sol. I went there next but the inn keeper said the messenger left for Lisbon at first light. I hired a horse and rode like the devil was after me to try to catch him. I damn near killed two horses but I never caught up to him. I didn't know where in Lisbon to look."