Page 9 of Mardon

“If only it were that easy.”

“There are two ships approachin’,” called out one of the pirates. “We have to leave now!”

“Well, good luck . . . Sister,” said Mardon with a grin, making fun of their conversation, since he didn’t know her name.

“Sister? Sister?” came a voice, rousing her from her sleep. Emmaline’s eyes popped open. At first, she thought she was still dreaming. There, right in front of her, stood the handsome pirate and his blue eyes were looking directly at her!

Chapter 3

“Sister? Are you all right?” Mardon looked down at the nun sitting half-hidden in the shadows in the Fish Head Inn. He and his crew had arrived just moments ago and it was very crowded inside the tavern today.

“Oui,” she said, clearing her throat. “I mean, yes. I am fine.” The woman seemed flustered. Mardon supposed it was because she was in a tavern, drinking. Not to mention, this was probably the first time a pirate had ever talked to her. This innocent dove didn’t belong here and he wondered what in the hell she was doing here. He was curious to know, but was almost afraid to scare her by asking.

“Is this seat taken?” He motioned with his eyes to the chair across from her.

Her eyes darted upward but quickly looked away. “Nay,” she answered softly, grabbing her tankard and taking a fast, deep swig of ale. Mardon chuckled under his breath. He’d been known to cause women to do many unexpected things in his presence, and he’d prided himself on that fact through the years. However, causing a nun to drink was a first for him. He wasn’t sure what to think about it.

“Good,” he said, looking up and motioning with his finger to his grandmother across the room. “Nairnie, here is a seat for you.”

“Nairnie?” asked the nun, seeming surprised and confused. It seemed as if she had thought he’d meant to sit with her. She almost looked a little disappointed that he hadn’t.

Mardon chuckled again. “Aye, I hope you don’t mind if Nairnie – my grandmother, sits with you, Sister.”

“Y-your grandmother?” The corner of her lips turned up as if she were amused. “Of course not.”

“What is your name?” he asked her.

Once again, her eyes darted over to him and then back to her drink so fast that he was surprised she didn’t become dizzy. “Emmaline,” she finally answered under her breath, her voice sounding like the beautiful song of a bird. Then she squeezed her eyes shut and made an expression as if she’d spilled some kind of deep, dark secret by revealing to him who she was.

“Well, thank you, Sister Emmaline,” said Mardon, pulling out the chair for his grandmother, helping her to get seated.

“You’re pulling out the chair for her?” asked Emmaline, looking astonished.

“Aye. How else is she supposed to sit down?” he answered, thinking it an odd question.

“B-but aren’t you a . . . a pirate?” He almost expected her to bless herself next after saying pirate as if it were blasphemy.

“I might be a pirate, but I’m also a man,” he told her. “That is, a man who knows how to treat a woman, no matter what her age.”

“Well, isna that sweet of ye, honey,” said Nairnie, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek before she sat down. The nun’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

“Nairnie, stop it,” mumbled Mardon with a roll of his eyes, hoping to hell no one saw what she’d just done. Helping an old woman to sit was to his liking, but being kissed by her in public wasn’t going to fare well with his reputation at all. He quickly scanned the room. Thankfully, no one was paying any attention to him and didn’t seem to even notice. His crew was either busy drinking and eating, or finding pleasure with the whores. Aaron was across the room, talking to the proprietor. No one but the nun saw Nairnie kiss him, and she didn’t matter at all. He was certain she’d never repeat such a thing since he didn’t figure nuns would be talking about meeting pirates.

“Hello, I’m Nairnie,” said his grandmother with a smile, eyeing up the nun curiously. “Who are ye and why are ye here?” Mardon’s grandmother wasn’t one for subtlety. If she wanted to know something, she just came right out and asked.

“Her name is Sister Emmaline,” Mardon told her in a low voice.

Nairnie’s head snapped around and she scowled at Mardon. “Thank ye, but I’m talkin’ to her, Grandson. It’s no’ polite to answer for her,” scolded Nairnie. “Where are yer manners?”

“Aargh!” Mardon threw his hands up in the air. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to Nairnie’s act of mothering him and his brothers. He hadn’t had a mother in a long time now, and wasn’t used to being scolded or disciplined like a child. When Nairnie did this, he swore he wanted to dump her back into the sea where he’d found her in the first place.

He wouldn’t take this kind of treatment from anyone, not even if she were his own grandmother. He’d have to talk to her about it later he decided. Right now, he had a much more important mission at hand. “You stay here and talk to the nun. I’m going to find Aaron and look for the – look for the – you-know-what,” he said, his eyes flashing over to the nun who was intently listening to every word he said.

For a brief second, Sister Emmaline’s eyes interlocked with his. When they did, an odd feeling ran through him. He felt as if he knew her somehow, but this wasn’t possible. Shaking off the feeling, he ran a hand through his hair in thought. Hell, he didn’t even know any nuns, so there was no way he’d ever met her before. He surely would have remembered a nun with a face as pretty as hers.

Her skin was smooth, lit up with an orange glow from the flame of the candle burning on the center of the table. She had a long, regal nose and high cheekbones. Her lips were full, and looked like they’d be good for kissing. It oddly excited him, and he cursed himself inwardly for feeling lusty around a nun. Why the hell did she have to be so beautiful? After all, weren’t all nuns old and wrinkled? It had been too long since he’d bedded a woman, and he decided he needed to make a quick visit upstairs with one of the whores while he was here. If not, he’d most likely be dreaming about bedding the damned nun next! Aye, he needed to get away from Sister Emmaline fast.

“Nairnie, we won’t be docked long, so pick up whatever supplies you need from the kitchen and make it fast.”