I took several deep breaths, trying to remember why I’d come.“I need you to get rid of Andrew’s ... paramour.” I didn’t know what else to call her. “She will hurt our parents if we don’t do something about it, and Andrew doesn’t seem to care.”
Something caught in Thomas’s gaze at the mention of Alice, but he said, “What makes you think I do?”
“Please, Thomas. For Ruth, if for no other reason.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know. You can think of something. I’ve asked her to leave, but she refuses. I can’t tell our parents who she is or what we know about her without hurting them. Lewis said you might know her. Is that true?”
Again that same look. “I met her before Andrew did, while she was working at the Wabasha Street Caves. I was the idiot that introduced them.”
“So it’s true? Were you in love with her?”
He glanced toward the river, and his lack of a response was all I needed to know.
I had never heard of the caves, or that Thomas had been interested in Alice, and I didn’t want to hear any more. “Please get her to leave. That’s all I’m asking.”
He let out a long breath. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”
“Now go home. You don’t belong here.”
“Come on,” Lewis said. “I’ll walk you back to the streetcar stop.”
Thomas didn’t bother saying goodbye and strode back toward Washington Street.
Lewis was silent for several minutes, and I had nothing left to say. I knew my brothers were living dishonorable lives, but I’d had no idea how debauched they’d become.
When we arrived at the courthouse, I tried to keep my chin up. Even though Lewis was aware of our family’s secrets, I didn’t know until today how much he knew. It was hard to look at him.
The streetcar bell rang as it drew closer. I turned to Lewis to say thank you, not sure how I would find my voice.
But he surprised me by taking my hand. “I’m sorry, Carrie. I wish I could give you a better world.”
Then he lifted my hand to his lips, pressed a kiss, and headed back into the courthouse.
13
JULY 9, 1727
NASSAU, BAHAMAS
Nothing else mattered the next day as I walked along Bay Street in Nassau with Marcus and Hawk. Captain Zale had stayed on theOcean Curse, since his face would be unwelcome in the old pirate capital. Marcus and Hawk were taking a risk to be seen, but they weren’t as notorious as their captain.
Thatch-roofed homes and businesses were interspersed among the palm trees and sand. On the top of the hill, Fort Nassau dominated the town with views of the surrounding harbors. The smells of roasting meat, smoldering fires, and animal pens assailed my nose. The only reprieve came from the breeze, which rustled the palm leaves above my head and carried the scents away for a moment or two.
I searched the faces of everyone we passed, looking for a sign of familiarity. Would I even recognize my mother if I saw her? No one had ever told me what she looked like. I’d assumed I resembled her in some way, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Remind me of her name,” Marcus said, for my ears alone.
“Anne Reed.”
Tension still reverberated between us, though he had made noattempt to speak of the captured frigate after the night of the storm. We’d returned to our normal routines, but things were strained between us. I wanted him to tell me that what he did was wrong and he wouldn’t do it again, but just like I had to deal with the reality of my brother’s choices—I had to deal with the reality of Marcus’s. He was a pirate. He belonged in this place of coarse men and women, drinking, carousing, and conducting business that made my cheeks fill with heat. Was this the kind of life Marcus wanted? He said he regretted leaving his mother fifteen years ago, so why didn’t he change his life now?
“Keep to yourself,” Marcus said to me as he nodded at Hawk to start inquiring about selling the plunder. “I’ll see if I can find someone who knows your mother.”
Hawk walked in one direction and Marcus in the other, though I kept my eye on Marcus. I didn’t want to lose him in the crowd. I stayed on the sandy street, trying not to fidget as I waited. People approached, trying to sell their wares to me. I inspected some of the fine jewelry and cloth, but kept shaking my head no. The money I had been earning on theOcean Cursewas tucked safely under my mattress, but even if I had brought it with me, I wouldn’t be tempted to purchase anything. I had nowhere to wear fine jewelry or pretty clothing.
