“Little brother?” Aaron repeated. “We’re back to that again, are we?”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
“Mardon, I know you too well to believe that you don’t have any feelings for the girl. Now, tell me, what the hell is going on?”
“I wish I knew,” said Mardon, biting the inside of his cheek. He did have feelings for Emmaline, and that is the last thing he wanted to have right now. Damn it, what was happening here? She was just a wench, he told himself, and nothing more. He thought of the tears in her eyes and pain he saw on her face when she told him about her bastard of a husband. His heart ached for her. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and protect her. But he couldn’t. If he did, he would like it too much. And if he wasn’t careful, he was going to end up just like his brother, Tristan.
Chapter 8
Nightfall seemed to come quickly. Emmaline had helped Nairnie all day preparing food and getting the galley back in order. Most of Emmaline’s time was spent trying to get out of the pirates’ way as Peg Leg Pate and his crew rebuilt the entire galley in one day. It was just a simple, small room near the front of the ship used for storing and cooking meals. Still, it provided shelter and privacy – something that was scarce on this ship.
Emmaline was used to living in a castle, having space. She also used to have a large chamber all to herself. Being around so many pirates made her nervous. They were just too close and always seemed to be looking at her. She could only imagine each and every one of them staring at the naked painting . . . looking at her! The thought made her shiver and she wrapped her arms around her in a feeble attempt of hiding away.
Mardon and his brothers had originally proclaimed the galley as Nairnie’s private quarters, letting her sleep there on a raised pallet at night. It was so once again. Emmaline almost envied the old woman, wanting to use the galley for herself. To hide away.
The wood frame and walls went up quickly. This time, Pate had even added a door, whereas she was told before there was only a hanging curtain.
“Now, that’s better. Much better,” said Nairnie, crossing her arms over her chest and nodding. She inspected the work of the pirates, giving them her approval. “It’s goin’ to feel good to get back in my own bed.” Her words only made Emmaline long for her own bed as well – back home, not in France. Her memories of sharing a bed with Jean Philippe were only nightmares that she hoped to someday be able to put behind her.
“It’s nice,” said Emmaline, realizing that if Nairnie slept in the galley, that meant she would be sharing the cabin with Mardon. Alone. After the kisses they’d shared and the way she felt in his arms, she knew it was a bad idea. The last thing she wanted was to fall for a pirate. All that mattered to her was to be a lady again. She wanted to marry an English knight or baron and live the life she was meant to live. The faster she got off this cursed ship the better. “Nairnie, let me sleep in the galley with you,” she said, collecting up the dirty wooden dishes in her arms and following Nairnie into the new galley.
“Dinna be silly. There isna room in here for both of us. Just put the rest of those dishes in that bucket of water,” she told Emmaline. “I swear, I am goin’ to have to train these men to clean up after themselves. I wonder what they did before I arrived?” She rolled up her sleeves and started to wash the dishes. “Ramble said they just wiped off the plates since they’re wood, but I dinna think that is a guid idea. Yuck,” she said, holding up a plate that had a sauce smeared over it. “I guess someone wasna happy with my new sea-based sauce. And ye’d think pirates would eat bugs or rats and lick the plates clean.”
“I’m afraid that was my plate, Nairnie. I’m sorry, but I’m not used to this type of food.”
“Well, ye’d better get used to it or ye’ll go hungry, lass. One thing is for sure – ye’ll no’ find yer fancy foods, clothes or ways of a noble while ye’re a passenger on this ship.”
“I know. I understand. I’m doing all I can to accept things for now. But please, Nairnie,” begged Emmaline. “Let me stay with you. I don’t want to sleep in the cabin alone with Mardon.”
“Why no’?” asked Nairnie, looking at her work rather than at Emmaline. “As long as my grandson thinks ye’re a nun, ye have nothin’ to worry about. He’ll never touch ye.”
“He already has. And we’ve kissed.”
“What?” Nairnie dropped a plate into the water, splashing the front of her apron. “I swear, I am goin’ to slap Mardon so hard that he’ll end up in the sea. What the hell is he thinkin’ makin’ passes at a nun?” She took off her apron and grabbed her ladle and headed for the door.
“No, wait.” Emmaline took a hold of Nairnie’s hand. “You don’t understand. He knows I’m not really a nun. I told him the truth.”
“Ye told him?” Nairnie slowly turned around. “Why in heaven’s name would ye do such a doitit thing? Are ye addled? Dinna ye understand how much danger ye’ve put yerself in by makin’ this choice?”
“Sit down, Nairnie. I need to talk to you. Please.”
“All right.” Nairnie let out a deep sigh and sat on a stool. “If someone’s goin’ to set ye straight, it might as well be me since no one else on this ship has a lick of sense, I swear.” Emmaline pulled up another stool and sat across from her. “Spill it.”
“I haven’t been totally honest with you,” she said. “You see, I knew Mardon before I ever stepped foot on the Falcon.”
“Ye kent him?” Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “How? My grandsons are pirates and ye – ye’re a lady.”
“Your grandsons boarded and raided my late husband’s ship. Actually, Mardon killed my husband who was a Frenchman.”
“Och, nay! I’m so sorry, lass. My grandsons have turned to the darkness, and I am tryin’ my best to bring them back to the light.”
“It’s all right,” Emmaline told her. “Mardon did it in self-defense. Besides, I despised my husband, so I’m glad he is dead.”
“Glad he’s dead? I think ye are turnin’ to the dark side, too. What kind of nonsense are ye spoutin’? Ye were married to the man. Ye shouldna have hated him.”
“Nairnie, you know as well as anyone that marriages amongst the nobles are only done for alliances. Often with the enemy. Marriages have nothing to do with love.”
“Well, they should! Like the love between my grandson, Tristan, and his wife, Gavina.”
“I don’t know them, but if they truly love each other then they are an exception. Most married couples never know love. My husband had many mistresses and he was – he was sick in the head.”
“Now, now, that isna a nice thing to say.”
“It’s true! He made me do things. Things I am ashamed of.” She couldn’t even look at Nairnie when she said it.
“Come now, I’m sure it wasna that bad.”
Emmaline raised her face, pulling off her wimple. Her hair fell down past her shoulders. “Tell me, have you ever seen hair this color before?”