Silver threads of pleasure tingled up my spine and wrapped around my heart. I couldn’t hide my feelings from him, no matter how hard I tried.
“Caroline...” He said my name with such longing, hope flickered to life within my chest. For just a moment, he opened thedoor to his soul, and I could see the internal battle he was facing before he shuttered it again, gently pulling his hand away. “I don’t want to hurt you the way I have everyone else I’ve ever cared for.”
“You won’t hurt me,” I said, though I knew it wasn’t true. Every time he robbed another ship, it would hurt me.
“The other day, when I watched you get lowered in that diving bell, I felt powerless to protect you, and it was the worst feeling in the world. And then, when you became sick, it felt like my heart was pulled from my chest. You don’t belong here, lass, and the longer you stay, the more powerless I become.” The emotions upon his face became so intense, he stood and walked to the window, where I couldn’t see them. “I can’t protect you like I want, and I can’t watch you suffer, as I have the past two weeks. It would kill me.”
“Then come away with me,” I pleaded, leaving the table to join him. I stood just behind him—so close, yet it felt as if the ocean stood between us.
“I wish it was that simple,” he said quietly. “My life is bound to Captain Zale’s. I hold too many of his secrets for him to let me leave without a fight.”
I slipped my hand into his, taking a step closer, and lifted my other hand to wrap around his arm, leaning into him.
He curled his fingers around mine and then turned, his eyes searching mine, before he lifted his free hand to my cheek.
My heart felt as if it stopped beating. Was this how my mother felt when she fell in love with Sam Delaney? Throwing all caution to the wind for the man she loved? Because in this moment, I was willing to sacrifice almost everything for the man who stood before me.
Marcus lowered his forehead to mine, and I closed my eyes, loving the feel of him being so close yet hating the things that were pulling us apart.
“I can’t let you throw your life away.” His words were so strained, I knew it took strength for him to speak them. “Every night I go to sleep, I wonder if tomorrow will be the day I die. ’Tis a miracle that I’ve lived this long. I can’t bear to wonder if the same fate awaits you or what might happen if I died and you were left herewithout me. I want you to be happy and safe—I want you to have the life you desire.”
He was the first person who had ever uttered those words to me. Grandfather wanted me to have the life that would benefit him. My mother and father in 1927 wanted me to have the life they deemed right for me. And Annie Barker didn’t seem to care.
Marcus wanted me to have the life that I desired, yet I couldn’t imagine what kind of life that would be without him.
He slowly pulled away, resolve in his face. “When you were unconscious, and I didn’t know if you’d live, I thought a lot about your grandfather and your nanny. I imagined how hard it would be for them to learn that you had been taken captive on a pirate ship and then perished. I’m sure they’re sick with worry and would like to know where you are. And I realized you were right. I need to find my mam and tell her I’m sorry. Just like your grandfather, she shouldn’t live the rest of her life wondering about me.”
“At least my illness brought about something good.” I tried to smile.
“Your people need to know where you are, lass,” he continued, his resolve stronger.
I took a step away from him. He didn’t let my hand go.
“I can’t return to South Carolina. My grandfather will force me to marry—”
“You needn’t return home unless you want. But you should post a letter to him, at the very least.” He took a deep breath and finally let my hand go. “And then I will take you to Massachusetts and find my mam and see if there is a place there for you.”
My heart was too heavy to speak, but I finally asked, “And what will you do?”
He turned back to the window. “The only thing I know.”
Marcus would stay the course as a pirate. Not because he wanted to, but because he believed he didn’t have a choice.
AUGUST 14, 1727
FLORIDA COAST
I’d had time to think about Marcus’s words as I gave piano lessons in 1927 and listened to my father’s plans for his tent revival. The truth had settled in my heart, and I knew Marcus was right. I owed my grandfather a letter, at the very least, though I couldn’t think of a way to explain why I’d left.
Marcus was gone when I woke up the next morning, but he’d left breakfast on the table for me. I was tired of being idle, so as soon as I finished eating, I decided it was time to return to my duties.
I was still a little stiff and sore as I exited Marcus’s cabin that morning.
The sun was bright, and it blinded me as I stood on the poop deck and surveyed the ship. The tall masts, sails, ropes, and cannons had become familiar to me. At least a hundred pirates were going about their work or resting on the main deck under the hot Florida sun. Some were mending clothing, a few were playing cards, and still others were napping.
The nearby island was marshy and uninhabited, offering cover from passing naval vessels that would recognize theOcean Curse. The birds that inhabited it were making a cacophony of sounds.
After I deposited the dirty dishes in the galley, I went back up to the main deck and Timothy spotted me as he came out of the forecastle. I hadn’t spoken to him since the morning of the diving bell incident.
