This was not the conversation Teach had expected. “But
they know nothing about seafaring,” Teach blurted out.
“True, but then, neither did I when I began. Knowledge
can be acquired.”
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Teach should have stayed with Patience. Preparing for an argument, he drew himself up to his full height. “Knowledge doesn’t need to be acquired when I’m fully capable of running things myself. I’ve just returned from a year at sea and would be more than qualified to take over for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I know what it takes to be a merchant. From the
office work you taught me before I left, to the running of the
ship itself. I can help you if you would let me.”
“Are you saying you want to become a captain?” Drummond
asked, clearly horrified.
“Why not? I’m as capable as the next person.”
“But you’re going to marry Miss Patience. Does she know
you want to command a ship?”
Teach shrugged. “Well, no, not yet—”
“Good. She never will.”
“Your father never stood in your way.”
“Because my father could not afford to give me a better life.
If I’d stayed home instead of joining that merchant crew, my
mother would have died. I could not stand by and watch her
starve to death.” It was rare that Drummond showed any emo—
tion other than anger or disdain, but whenever he mentioned
his mother and how she’d always given him her portion of their
meager meals when he was a small boy, the look in his eyes softened and the lines in his face were not as pronounced.
Teach was filled with a mixture of sympathy and frustra-
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tion. It was truly amazing what his father had accomplished in thirty years. At the same time, it was maddening that he refused to let Teach determine his own future.
A knock at the door prevented further discussion.
“Yes?” Teach and his father called out simultaneously. Anne
entered the room with Drummond’s tea. She walked to the
small table situated between them and set it down.
“I don’t wish to have this conversation again,” Drummond
said, his mouth tightening.
Teach shot Anne a dark look. He didn’t want to have it in
front of her, but his father never noticed his staff. The only time he paid any attention to them was if they did something wrong.
Like stealing silver from him.
“Father, please—”
“You will not set foot on the Deliverance. Is that understood?” Drummond fairly boomed.
The full teacup dropped to the tray, and Anne, clearly
startled by the outburst, bit her lip as the scalding water
splashed over her hand. Teach cringed and moved to help her,
but Drummond waved them both away. “Go. I’ll pour my
own tea. I don’t wish to discuss this any further.”
Teach practically wrenched the knob from the door in his
haste to exit the room. Outside, he whirled on Anne the minute
the door was closed behind them.
“Are you all right?”
“Excuse me?” she asked, wide-eyed.
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“Let me see your hand.”
She held it behind her back. “It’s nothing.”
“It is not. That water was hot enough to boil an egg. Now,
show me your hand.”
With obvious reluctance she held it out to him. The skin
was an angry red in one spot, and small blisters were already
forming. He dragged her several steps to a small sideboard.
Atop was a large vase with several red roses resting inside. He
threw the roses down. “Is it fresh?” he asked her.
Anne nodded. “Yes, from this morning.”
“Good,” Teach said, and stuck her hand into the water. He
had seen quite a few burns in the last year. Working on the ship, several sailors had had to take turns manning the kitchen. More than one had left the encounter scarred for life.
For some reason Teach felt responsible for her injury. If he
hadn’t pressed his father about captaining the ship, he wouldn’t have become so upset. “I’m sorry my father startled you.”
Anne glanced down at her feet. “He meant you, didn’t he?
About not stepping foot on board the Deliverance?”
It was a strange question to ask, for a maid would never be
banned from a ship. More than likely, she would never set foot
on one in the first place, unless she was accompanying a lady.
“Of course he meant me.” Teach couldn’t help the bitterness
that crept into his voice.
The look she gave him could be described only as pity. “And
yet you’re his only son,” she said, almost to herself. Shaking her 6 2
head, she withdrew her hand, and then cupped it inside her apron so as not to drip water across the floor. “I . . . I’m sorry. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”
Teach watched her dart away. Only after she was gone did
he realize he had yet to put her in her place. It would have been the perfect opportunity, for the two of them had been alone.
Oddly enough, he wasn’t as keen on it as he had been
before. He had a disconcerting feeling that despite their short
acquaintance, Anne, the maid, understood him better than
Miss Patience, the baron’s daughter, ever would.
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