His gaze snapped to hers. “Miss Warstein, those stories are not fit for a lady’s ears. I promise you don’t want to know.”
Samantha huffed. More likely, he didn’t want to admit he’d been beaten by a woman. Now would be the appropriate time to agree and end this conversation, but something in his eyes tugged at her, and lord help her, she didn’t want it to end.
She stood and smoothed out the pale yellow skirts of her day dress. Thank goodness she’d given in to Anna and forgone her usual breeches.
“Do you think I could fight a pirate?”
“Don’t ever suggest such a thing.” Alarm filled his eyes, and she blinked at the intensity in the words.
He grabbed her by the shoulders and she bit back a gasp at the forward behavior even as her pulse jumped. “Miss Warstein, if you ever found yourself among pirates...” He trailed off and dropped his hands. “May God help you.”
Samantha bit her tongue.If only he knew. Still, the solemnness lacing his voice sent a chill through her.
He waved a hand down the path. “Walk with me?”
She fell into step with him and adjusted her straw hat when they left the shadows of the tree.
“Enough talk of pirates. Tell me what has made you upset. Perhaps I can help.”
He flashed her a roguish smile that made her stomach flop. No wonder every woman in town fawned over him. She pulled her shoulders back. This was her enemy. Two of her men had died at thehands of his crew. And countless others had hanged—or would yet hang—because of his mission. He had no right to come here and charm her. She should leave. But first, she would firmly make sure he never put two and two together.
“I’m afraid the two go hand in hand, Lieutenant.” She quickened her pace and angled toward the house. “You see, last night, I found out I was lied to about my parents’ deaths.”
He frowned. “I heard they died in a shipwreck.”
A rush of heat slid through her veins. “So did I. But we both heard wrong.” Her hand trembled and she clenched her fingers into a fist. “They were killed by pirates.”
The lieutenant came to a stop. “So, this is why you’ve been asking so many questions.”
She stood silent and his forest-hued eyes widened a fraction. “Miss Warstein, I hope you do not harbor any foolish notions of revenge.”
“I thought you said they were all a bunch of cowards.”
“That they are. But I’ve learned that cowards can be the cruelest of them all.” His eyes softened. “Trust me, Miss Warstein, I promise your uncle hid the truth from you to soften the blow. What young girl would want to hear her parents died that way?”
“I would have.” Her words came in a rush.
“It’s easy to say that now. But if you had known, what could you have done, other than be angry?”
Her spine went straight. “I don’t like being lied to.”
He pulled his hat off and passed it between his hands. “Nobody does. But sometimes, I wish I hadn’t been told.” She frowned and he continued. “You see, Miss Warstein, my own mother died at the hands of pirates when I was a boy.”
Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Lieutenant. How selfish you must think I am.”
He shook his head. “Never. But you can rest assured I will do everything in my power to make it so that other children will not have to endure what we have.”
*
Samantha examined thecargo being brought aboard, checking each item off on her ledger. Griff stood next to her.
“You’re lucky to have a second chance.”
She let out a huff. “Shuttling crates of goods to The Bahamas is hardly a second chance.”
No matter how hard she focused on the sheet of parchment in her hands, her eyes kept sneaking a peek at the ship anchored on the other side of the river.
TheFalcon.
