Pirate's Ransom

Chapter 9

Jonathan sat, seething and cradeling his hand in the other. It had been days since Isabella had been taken. They were no closer to getting her back. Frank and the Lord's men were coming up with a plan on how to storm the ship. Of course Isabella was worth the men's lives, at least in his case. He needed that damn money. Though, as a woman, he could care less about her and she certainly wasn't worth the hassle to everyone else. Thanks to her disapearance, he now had two broken fingers. The only reason he didn't currently have more was because he'd managed to convince his attackers that the money would be here shortly. He just had to get the little bitch back.

Isabella hated him, and rightfully so. He supposed he really only had negative intentions toward her anyway, she just happened to be astute enough to realize that. He needed to come up with a plan to make sure she was his the moment she was returned. If he could do that, everything would work out properly. If he couldn't figure it out, she'd reject him instead and fight her father. He needed to take the choice completely out of her hands. Perhaps make it law abiding. 

He tapped his unbroken fingers on the desk. There was really only one way to do that. But how he would convince her father to write up a betrothal contract, he just didn't know. It wasn't an uncommon thing to do, except for the bizarre circumstances, and she was passing the betrothal age. Jonathan needed some kind of leverage. 

Leaning back in his chair he staired up at the celing. Without the money, he'd be dead, and his home would fall into shambles. With it, he could go back to a comfortable state of living, and when his money ran low, he could dispose of Isabella, making him a widower, and remarry. Right now, she was his chance at clear debts, he doubted many other eligable women would come with such a dowry and a pretty face to boot. Sure, no one would want her once she'd been deflowered by one or all of the pirates, but he couldn't guarentee her flight into his arms if there was any chance she had been untouched. 

As his fingers were snapped, he'd explained to the men that he would get their money. He'd told them about how Isabella was kidnapped by pirates on the night she was suposed to be given to him. Had the men not been in the town that night, the probably would have thought him a liar. Instead, they'd heard about what happened, thus, saving him from a third broken finger. The largest of the men mentioned having heard that other Pirate communties were taliking about the incident, claiming that the Captain was an idiot for only taking the girl. 

Maybe if he could convince another ship of pirates to go after him...the Lord's men would be spared. Richard's main downfall was that he cared too much about the people that worked for him. He cared too much about the farmers, and the guards that protect him. Jonathan could easily use that against Richard. The thought that he'd be able to spare his men, and their families would be enough of a trade for the old man to offer her hand to Jonathan. Richard would only have to pay the wages of the pirates who went. Surely, he would do that for his precious daughter, he thought dryly. It was clear what he had to do. Find some pirates, and sell them on the idea of plundering another group of Pirates for pay. There was no doubt one group of those crazy barbarions would jump at the chance. There certainly couldn't be any loyalty between pirates. 

Yes, he thought, she was going to be his after all.