Her own father had collapsed and died before any doctor could
be summoned.
Teach crushed a spider beneath his boot. “Until then, he
did what he could to make her time here on earth as comfortable as possible. But what good are linen sheets and feather beds when your body is racked with pain?”
Anne was reminded of her own mother’s death. After
Henry had kicked them out, Jacqueline had found employment
in an earl’s household. She’d been beaten when she’d refused the advances of the earl’s son. By the time she’d made it home, she’d been bloodied and broken.
They hadn’t had enough money at the time to call on a doctor. Anne had been so enraged, she’d nearly gone to the house and killed the man responsible. Only the fact that her mother had been in agonizing pain and had needed constant attention had
prevented Anne from carrying out her plans. Her mother passed
away three days later. A short time later, Henry found her.
What would be more frustrating? Knowing you had the
means but couldn’t utilize them? Or not having the means, and
knowing there was nothing you could do to help the situation?
“I’m sorry,” Anne said, wishing she could say something
that did not sound so trite. She was all too familiar with empty words, having experienced loss of her own.
Teach stared woodenly at the ground. “I am too,” he whispered, almost to himself.
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C H A P T E R 1 5
Teach
Teach could not believe that the girl sitting by his side was the same one who’d assaulted him with a pail in the market. Nor could he believe he’d brought her here, to his mother’s favorite resting spot.
Not even Patience knew of this place, and Teach was unsure
if he would ever show it to her. Something inside him balked
at the idea, for he knew she would fail to appreciate its simple beauty. Patience would only notice what was lacking. It wasn’t a grand residence. It was a cottage, with two rooms and a quaint porch. His mother had had no desire to ruin the natural surroundings with anything large or garish.
Perhaps Teach would keep it for his own, a secret getaway
when married life to Patience grew to be too much for him.
Unnerved by his train of thought, Teach bit back a curse. He
wasn’t even married yet, and already he was planning trips without his future bride-to-be? It did not bode well for their union.
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Neither did the fact that he was quite enjoying Anne’s company. He recognized in her the same restless spirit that he possessed, and he was glad he’d chosen to spend the day with
her. Teach could see that in her own way, she was beginning to
trust him.
The rays of the sun peered down through the trees, warm—
ing the area where Teach and Anne sat. He’d taken the liberty of bringing two chairs from the cottage out to the ledge, and they watched the river flow through the gorge below.
Teach pulled out Dampier’s book from his coat pocket and
held it aloft. “Would you be so kind as to continue where you
left off?” he asked.
Anne smiled, but shook her head. “No.”
Shocked, he raised his brows at her. “No? I thought you
liked hearing about all of their adventures.”
“I do. It’s like holding a dream in my hands. But you’re no
longer ill,” she said pointedly. “And I am no longer required to wait on you hand and foot.”
Teach grinned, liking the fact that he never knew what kind
of a reaction he would receive from her. Just when he thought
he had Anne figured out, she turned around and surprised him.
“All right. I’ll read to you. What chapter were we on?” he
asked.
“As much as I’ve enjoyed the book, I would actually like to
hear more about your adventures. You mentioned at dinner the
other day that you were attacked by a Spanish sloop and that
16 0
your captain died of his injuries. If it isn’t too painful, I would like to hear the tale.”
Teach could not picture Patience showing any interest in
his activities at sea. Nor his father. Even William, despite professing to be such a good friend, would sooner discuss affairs of the state than listen to any accounts of life on a merchant
ship. “Well, I’m not sure where to begin. I left England four
months prior to the attack, and we’d managed to trade all of the goods we’d secured. Our captain was a good man, handpicked by Andrew Barrett himself. Barrett expected integrity from all
of his employees, whether they were a simple cook or a captain
on one of his ships. I was impressed with the crew, for they were all decent men.”
“You seem to hold Andrew Barrett in high regard,” Anne
said, folding her hands in her lap.
Teach nodded. “I do, and I was sorry to hear about his
death. Henry brings dishonor to the family name.”
Anne grimaced.
“I’m sorry for bringing up Henry. I forgot you used to work
for him. That can’t have been pleasant.”
“No, I’m sorry. I interrupted your story.” She gave him a
small smile. “Please, continue.”