The Princess and the Pirate Chapter 4

Anna lit the candle and watched as the candle flickered back and forth, causing a glow across the wall. She stared at her shadow on the wall and sighed deeply. The day was slowly coming to an end and night was creeping upon her. She feared the night for she feared that he would make her forget her senses again. Never in her life had she ever thought she’d feel those senses. She had been wondering what being with a man would feel like and now as she pondered she wondered if the Baron would be able to make her feel as Jedidiah did.

            The door opened and she heard him walk in. She turned to find him wearing nothing but a pair of black pants. His muscled chest was strong and covered in rain and she looked out the window, not realizing how it was that it had passed her that it had rained. When she turned back to look at him, he was sitting in a chair removing his boots. His dark hair was drenched and rain drops were dropping onto the floor causing a puddle. When he had finished removing his boots, he stood up and grabbed a towel to wipe his face and hair. She continued staring at him; the muscles that flexed when he worked his arms; the way he breathed as he dried himself; and the hair that peeked from underneath his pants. Suddenly, she blushed and turned away, ashamed of herself.

            “You’re more than welcome to stare, little dove,” Jedidiah said with amusement.

            She knew he had seen her and her cheeks felt on fire as she turned her attention to the candle flame. When she felt his hand on her neck, she stood up and shoved him away from her. He didn’t even stumble back as he stared at her with dark eyes.

            “You’re not going to make me give in to you tonight,” Anna warned.

            He laughed. “I just wanted a kiss, little dove. It’s been all day since I’ve seen you. But if you have other things on your mind, I’m sure I can oblige.”

            “If you want to get hurt again, you can try. But this time I’ll be sure to kick where you won’t recover so quickly.”

            Jedidiah walked toward her and stopped short of arm length. “Milady, why do you insist on hurting me?”

            “Because you’re a thief! You took what is not yours. You can die a thousand deaths and I won’t be happy.”

            He cocked his head.

            Anna smiled and straightened herself. “You just march out of here and don’t come back or I will hurt you.”

            “You think I’ll let a woman order me about my own ship? You’re wrong, Anna. Where I come from, women speak only when spoken to and they obey.”

            “Why should I obey you? You’ve no right to me.”

            “Enough!” he growled. “Get into bed now.”

            “No.”

            Anna stood her ground as he stared at her with his teeth clenched. She jumped when he reached for her and she grabbed a candle stick holder behind her. She tossed it toward him and it hit him directly above the eyebrow. Jedidiah fell over on the floor and Anna gasped with fear and shock. Did she kill him? Breathing unevenly, she slowly walked over to where he lay and stared at him. He was lying on his face and she could see blood seeping from his head.

            “He’s dead,” she whispered.

            Without waiting, Anna reached for the door and ran out. She made it to the gallery where Maddy was peeling potatoes and grabbed her arms. The older woman, shocked to see her, almost cut herself.

            “What in God’s name? Child, what are you doing out here? Where’s the captain?” Maddy asked.

            “He’s dead! I killed him!” Anna cried in excitement.

            Maddy’s face paled. “What? You killed him? Anna! Are you crazy? Do you know what his crew will do to you if they find out you killed their captain?”

            Anna’s face paled and she realized that thought hadn’t crossed her mind. She slowed her breathing and shifted her eyes to Maddy, who was now biting her lower lip in a frantic. Anna covered her face and her shoulders sank. She hadn’t thought of the consequences that would follow should his men find him lying dead in his cabin. But before she could find a way out, she heard Hank’s loud voice calling her name.

            “Oh, dear lord,” Maddy said as Hank appeared before them.

            “There you are! Do you know what you’ve done? We punish murderers and you’ve murdered our beloved captain. He was like a brother to me. I will make you scream before I kill you myself!” Hank shouted.

            Anna’s eyes filled with fear as she was ripped from Maddy’s hold and brought up to the deck. She saw the crew shouting for punishment and heard Maddy’s cry for mercy. Hank ordered Maddy to be locked up as he pushed Anna to the ground and tore her gown, revealing her back and pushed her to the railing.

            “Hold her!” Hank ordered.

            “No! Please!” Anna pleaded.

            Hank took out the whip and fear drove deep in her as she saw the heaviness of it. Against her skin, it would probably rip it apart. She screamed out loud as she felt the first whip against her skin and then darkness took over her.

 

            Jedidiah woke to a pounding headache and the first thing he heard was Anna’s scream. He dragged himself to a standing position and stumbled up the stairs to the deck. He saw Hank whipping her and he let out a growl. All his men turned toward him and Hank stopped midair. He dropped the whip as Jedidiah stumbled across the deck.

            “What the devil are you doing?” Jedidiah asked as he stared at an unconscious Anna.

            Hank stared at him with disbelief. “You’re alive?”

            “Of course I’m alive, you beef wit! What, did you think I was dead?”

            “Yes! I thought…we all thought the girl had killed you.”

            Jedidiah walked to him and then his eyes shifted to Anna who was lying on the ground with four whips across her back. The whips had broken her skin and had drawn blood. He swore and turned to Hank. He drew his fist and slammed it against Hank’s jaw. The man stumbled backwards and looked up at Jedidiah with surprise.

            “Why would you whip her?” Jedidiah asked.

            “I thought she had killed you!”

            “Didn’t it occur to you to check first?”

            Hank blinked. “Uh…no, when I walked in and saw you lying there, I thought she had killed you. I was going to torture her for killing you. You were like a brother to me.”

            Jedidiah sighed and walked to Hank, pulling him in for a hug. “I’m sorry I hit you.” He pulled away. “But next time, make sure you check first. You should know by now that I don’t die easy. Damn, those whips will leave scars on her back.”

            “I’m sorry,” Hank said.

            Jedidiah shook his head and picked Anna up in his arms. He looked over his shoulder and shouted orders for the men to continue on with their work. He walked to his cabin and laid her on the belly. He then walked to the gallery where he unlocked the door to find Maddy in a heap of fear.

            “You’re dead!” she cried.

            “So it seems and your lady was whipped for killing me. She failed at her attempt where my first mate succeeded in hurting her.”

            “What did you do to her?!” Maddy cried.

            Without waiting for an answer, she rushed past him and into his cabin. When Jedidiah arrived, Maddy was crying over the mess on Anna’s back. She looked up as Jedidiah entered and gave him a dark glare.         

            “I hope the next time she aims to kill you, she succeeds,” Maddy said.

            Laughing, Jedidiah replied, “Ma’am, the reason why she’s in the state she is, is because she tried to kill me! Be glad I woke when I did and stopped the whipping. Otherwise she’d be worse off.”

            “I suppose you expect me to thank you?”

            “No. I expect you to fetch water for me and I’ll clean her up.”

            “Nonsense! I will do the cleaning myself.”

            Jedidiah sighed. “What is it with you two? Did the two of you go to the Academy of Stubbornness together?”

            Maddy opened her mouth in shock. “How dare you insult my lady!”

            Jedididah ran a hand through his hair and was at a loss of words. “Fine, fine, you take care of her.”

            He walked out of the cabin and into Hank’s cabin where the man was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at his hands. Jedidiah sighed and pointed to his head where the wound was still raw and pounding. Hank laughed and got up to fetch some antibiotics as Jedidiah sat down on a chair.

            “You’ve been beaten…by a girl,” Hank said.

            “So you say. But remember, she’s just a girl who I want for now. You know that I don’t have any room in my life for love.”

            Hank began cleaning the wound. “I’m beginning to doubt that, my friend. You seem to be quite taken with this one. I can see it in your eyes.”

            Jedidiah winced as Hank finished. “You’re wrong, Hank. I have never felt love for any woman except my mother. She’s the only woman who will hold me down.”

            Hank sat back down on the bed. “We’ll reach the shores at dawn. What do you want to do with the women?”

            “I’ll keep her for a while longer. She’ll be good company for me.”

             When Jedidiah returned to his cabin, Maddy had gone and Anna was lying on her belly, still unconscious. He closed the door and walked over to where she lay. Her black hair spilled across the pillows and he groaned softly as he saw how the whips had turned into big welts and was now swollen. It was no longer bleeding, but she would be in pain when she woke. He sat down on the bed and his weight on the bed stirred her, waking her up. She sat up suddenly and then cried out in pain at her back.

            “Be thankful I stopped Hank before he did worse,” Jedidiah said.

            She finally turned toward him and he could see surprise and shock in her eyes. He moved closer to her and tilted her chin up. He saw fear in her eyes and saw tears forming. When one tear trickled down her cheek, he caught it with his finger and wiped it away. Her lower lip began to tremble and he stilled it with his fingers by brushing it across her lips.

            “Now I know what you fear,” he said as he stood up from where he sat.

            “I should have killed you,” Anna said in a low whisper.

            He laughed and turned around to stare at her. “Be careful, little dove. I can whip you too if you should try to kill me again.”

            He saw her eyes widen and he smiled, knowing now what he could use to get his way with her. She swallowed hard and Jedidiah walked to his chest. He pulled out some salve and walked to her.

            “Turn around, Anna, I’ll put this on to keep the pain from being too strong,” he said.

            “No.”

            “No? We’ll be reaching shore at dawn, little dove. If you refuse, you won’t be able to wear a gown at all.”

            He saw how she cursed him with her eyes, but she turned around and pulled her hair back from her wounds. The moment his fingers touched her wounds, he heard her cry out in pain. He tried to be gentle, but his hands were that of a sailor and they were hard. When he saw her shoulders shaking, he knew she was crying. When he finished, he walked around to the other side and sure enough she was wiping her eyes. He pulled her into his arms and held her as she emptied her tears.

            “Please, just release me,” she cried.

            “I can’t, little dove. I still want you.”

            She shoved him back. “So you’ll keep me until you no longer want me?”

            He smiled. “That thought has crossed my mind.”

            “What about the Baron? He’s waiting for me. What about my parents? They sent me off to wed a Baron, not to be held captive by a pirate. You must let me go. I promise you I will ask the Baron to send you money for any trouble it causes you.”

            He leaned forward. “Money is not what I’m interested in, Anna. Despite what you think of a pirate, I am still a man underneath it.”

            “You’re not a man; you’re a coward! You stole me because you knew you couldn’t have me.”

            Laughing, he replied, “Now there you’re wrong, milady. I stole you because you said you couldn’t be stolen. Get some rest. Rest while you can because once you heal, rest will be the last thing on my mind.”

            He smiled as she heard her grunt in frustration. He walked to the chair and sat down, watching her as she slowly settled into a sleeping position on her belly.