Maxwell kissed me deeply as we stood on the church steps in the gloaming. When he broke the kiss, he said, “I’m taking you somewhere very special.”
He led me toward the harbor as we reveled in the newness of our marriage. He held my hand and stopped to kiss me several times, not caring what the passersby thought.
When we arrived at the harbor, I smiled to see Hawk waiting at the long wharf.
“Are we going to theOcean Curse?” I asked Maxwell.
“Nay, ’tis now theRedemption, lass. And it will be the first of many ships in our merchant fleet.”
Our fleet. I liked how that sounded.
“Welcome, Mistress MacDougal,” Hawk said with a wide grin as he took my hand and helped me onto the launch.
The sun was just setting on the western horizon as the crew—no longer pirates—rowed us to theRedemption. It was the same ship, sitting in the same harbor, yet it was a new vessel, for a new purpose.
Just like Maxwell and me.
When we reached the ship, Maxwell helped me to board. It felt strange and wonderful to return to a ship that had once been my prison and was now part of my freedom.
The crew had waited for our arrival, and the second we stepped onto the main deck, a cheer arose from those who had chosen to stay. Timothy was there, cheering the loudest.
“Timothy went home to see his father,” Maxwell said. “But he learned that his father’s tale of the Queen’s Dowry was just that—a tall tale.”
“Will you ever return to look for the treasure?” I asked him.
“Nay.” Maxwell smiled and lifted my hand to kiss it. “My treasure is standing beside me.”
He placed his hand at the small of my back and led me up the steps to the quarterdeck. Everything had been scrubbed and was gleaming under the setting sun.
He opened the door to the outer room, and we walked to the captain’s cabin together.
When he opened the second door, I caught my breath, surprised at what I found.
“Does it please you?” Maxwell asked as he stood close to my back and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Aye, ’tis very pleasing. But how did you do it?”
“I came to the ship this morning and told Hawk and Timothy my plans, and they worked all day to make it happen.”
The captain’s cabin had been completely made over, from the new table and chairs to the curtain and bedding in the alcove. The walls were freshly whitewashed, and the floors and windows scrubbed.
A meal was on the table, complete with two silver candelabras with dripping candles.
But the most amazing gift was the wall of bookshelves that had been added since the last time I’d stood in the room. They were filled with all of Maxwell’s books and others, besides.
“Timothy must have bought out a bookseller,” I said with a laugh as I laid my head against his chest. “’Tis a new room.”
“Aye. A new room, for a new life.” He turned me around until we were face-to-face, and then he slipped his arms around me. “My hope is that you fill it with the beauty of your song, both day and night, because you never have to hide it again, love.”
I laid my hands on his cheeks, tears of joy coming to my eyes. “Thank you.”
He grinned. “Have I told you how bonnie you are?”
“Aye.”
“Or how much I love you?”
“Aye,” I said with a smile.
