Paid to the Pirate by Una Rohr

Chapter 23

Charlotte

After a fitful night’s sleep in the brig, I was released in the late morning to a bustle of activity as the crew ferried to and fro, transporting men to the boisterous merriment of Nassau’s lawless port, and carrying goods and supplies from town aboard The Dread Night.

It would be easy to get lost in that bustling town just beyond the beach, but where exactly? And what would I do next? I had no coin nor any items of value to trade. Finding a fellow woman would be wisest. Someone sympathetic to my plight. Someone refined.

I frowned. Or as civil as one could get in a port of such debauchery and corruption.

If I could negotiate assistance in hiding, and the eventual transport back to my settlement, then I could guarantee payment from Mrs. Penningham upon my delivery to whomever helped escort me.

Though staying at the tavern is no longer an option. Colt knows where to find me.

I chewed my lip and resolved to think about that later. Perhaps Mrs. Penningham could help me come up with a plan.

The sun had nearly set by the time it was my turn to stretch my legs, and Colt had cooled down enough to escort me to the docks. Contrary to what I expected, he looked a little excited to share Nassau with me as the captain, Johnson, Conks and I all climbed into the jolly boat and rowed through the calm, sparkling waves of the harbor. In the distance, pelicans swooped and dove from the sky, searching for their dinner amongst the turquoise water.

“We’re headed to a special tavern tonight,” Colt said, with a gleam in his eye and an annoyingly handsome smile tugging at his lips. “Unfamiliar to a lady such as yourself,” he teased, “but I knew a girl once and it was her favorite establishment for their fried cod.”

The captain watched me carefully for a reaction, but I only stared. Eventually, he shook his head and scoffed, gazing up to the skies with a why me question in his eyes, as if I were nothing more than a troublesome burden he’d been forced to contend with, as if he suffered my presence, instead of having required me to be at his side.

Well, I thought, proudly, you’ll soon be rid of me.

It wasn’t a far walk into town and to the dining establishment Colt chose. I ate whilst plotting my escape -- I wasn’t foolish enough to run on an empty stomach -- and the captain was infuriatingly correct. The fish was delicious. As it was placed before me, my mouth watered at the smell, and I had to resist the urge to lick the salty, greasy crumbs from my fingers once I’d finished. Fortifying my courage, I washed my meal down with a generous pint of ale.

Standing quickly, I stumbled a bit upon my feet. Perhaps the ale hit me harder than I thought.

“Excuse me gentlemen,” I said. “I have needs to which I must attend.”

“That way,” Johnson said, tilting his head to the rear of the tavern.

I smiled gratefully and nodded. To my surprise, Colt followed me with his eyes, but allowed me to leave without protest. I supposed he didn’t have much choice, given what I inferred I was going to do. Also, enough patrons saw us dine together, so I doubted a single man would try anything untoward. And I supposed Colt didn’t think me stupid enough to try to run.

Well, my dear captain, you have no idea how wrong you are.

Wait. That sounded wrong.

Brave, bold, clever, I corrected, as I rounded the corner and ducked out of Colt’s sight.

In fact, I thought, gathering my skirts to pick up the pace, I know the best place to hide for a while. The place where Colt would least expect to find a lady.

Under the moonless night, I slipped through the crowded street as quickly as I dared and headed directly toward the flickering torches of the brothel we’d passed on our way to dine.

It was the last place in Nassau Colt would ever think to check. I’d simply hide until he gave up the search for the night, and then find myself a kind ear in the morning.

#

I entered the wicked establishment and immediately found what I believed to be the proprietor. Dressed stations above the others, the lady couldn’t be missed. As I approached, she made no attempt to hide her perusal of my body with both the boldness of a man and the calculation of a businesswoman. Her scrutiny ended with one side of her lips pulling up into a small smile.

I dusted my skirts and tried not to fidget.

“Hello, my name is Constance,” I introduced myself falsely.

“Lady Wick,” she replied, evenly, and I couldn’t tell if she’d bought my lie.

My heart sped up as I didn’t like speaking in the open room where I could get caught at any moment. I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder, sure that would tip her off to the fact that I was hiding.

“I need a place to spend the night and was hoping you’d be so kind as to assist. I was separated from my party during a scuffle and lost my purse…”

Lady Wick snorted.

“Rooms upstairs are for clients only and you’re distracting from my girls down ’ere,” she said, unabashedly giving me another once-over. Lady Wick crooked an eyebrow. “Unless you’re lookin’ to earn back some of that coin you lost? Seems to me you shouldn’t be turnin’ away any chances you have to improve your situation.”

I blinked, shocked. My she worked fast to seize upon an opportunity and turn it to her favor.

The door opened behind me and I jumped a little, exhaling when two men I didn’t recognize stumbled into the room.

Running out of time and not wanting to be tossed onto the street, I lied, “Yes, yes, fine. I’m amenable to work.” I thought that squaring my shoulders and tossing my hair as I spoke gave me the bold look of a fallen woman, but Lady Wick only laughed.

“Clearly, you’re a shiny new pearl. Why hide it? You’ll fetch a bigger price. My terms are more generous than any other establishment you’ll find. And for a fresh maid such as yourself?” Lady Wick winked. “Fifty-fifty. Though I doubt we’ll find a man to pay such a price as I’m going to ask. There’s always tomorrow evening, and the next, for as long as you’d like to stay.”

How easily she could lure new girls to the work, I marveled. The prospect of a soft bed and a hot meal each night were powerful motivators.

Sweat gathered at the back of my neck as the seconds ticked by -- seconds in which I could get caught. Two facts worked in my favor if I accepted. One, she’d said it was unlikely that we’d find the appropriate customer in one night. Clearly, she took me for an unsoiled woman and wanted to charge the maximum price for a man to do the soiling. And two, if what I’d heard from the crew was true, the exchange between a lady and a gentlemen had to be mutually agreed upon -- meaning I could reject any customer who repulsed me. Which would be all of them.

Lady Wick struck out her hand.

“Fair?” she asked.

“Fair,” I whispered, shaking it and wondering what I’d gotten myself into. The hour grows late, I reassured myself. I can reasonably hide for the remainder of the evening.

“You’re fresh as the morning dew, but those clothes won’t work,” Lady Wick said, signaling to someone over my shoulder. “Get upstairs and get yourself into a new dress. Anna will take you.”

I followed a shy girl up a set of stairs, grateful to find a place to stay for the evening. I shed my clothes as if I could shed my memories of Colt along with them, though I wasn’t keen on the scandalous dress I was offered.

Properly attired, I reluctantly returned to the bar downstairs and was pleased to see it had further emptied for the evening.

Sequestered in the darkest corner, I hid, biding my time.