against William. He had a hard time controlling his anger when he thought of it.
He and Anne had decided not to tell his father about their
plans to marry. Not yet, at least.
She was the daughter of a respectable and admired merchant, not to mention Master Drummond’s closest friend. She
would be a worthy match, and with time Teach was sure his
father would see it.
Without a wedding to plan, Drummond had thrown himself into preparations for the launch of the Deliverance and was hardly ever at home. Teach was glad, for it left him time to spend with Anne alone. They dined together at the house and
took walks through the garden, talking about everything and
nothing. When they were silent, it wasn’t the awkward silence
of two who had exhausted their conversation. It was simply
companionable, each one at peace with the other.
Now Teach hurried his pace, oblivious to the busy city
streets. He was supposed to meet up with Anne and Elizabeth
within an hour, and nothing was going to make him late.
Anne had been reluctant to go into the city, ever since the
3 16
party, and he’d told her he would meet her near the docks in an hour. Anne had shaken her head at him. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this. You’re like a young boy on Christmas Day.”
“And you are my gift. Just so you know, I was never very
good at sharing.” Laughing at the shocked look on Elizabeth’s
face, Teach had left the two of them at the dressmakers.
He could not wait to see Anne again. She was more honor—
able than most landed gentry he knew. Including his ex-fiancée.
Once he and Anne were married, he would show everyone just
how remarkable she was. The fact that Anne’s skin was a shade
darker than most should not exclude her from anyone’s drawing
rooms.
Teach quickened his pace as he neared his destination,
unwilling to let anything ruin his plans or his mood. He pulled the heavy wooden-and-glass door open and stepped inside.
The shop gave off a clean, sharp scent of linseed oil. Teach
glanced around at the simple interior. Several chairs were
arranged in groups of three at small desks, a curtain hanging
between each grouping, giving the occupants privacy.
Teach nodded to the shopkeeper, who withdrew into a back
room, only to return with an ornate velvet box in his hands and a shiny gold object.
“Please sit down,” he instructed Teach.
Teach settled into his chair, his heart racing. Anne was
right. He hadn’t been this excited since he used to wake up on Christmas morning, waiting to see what gifts he’d been given.
3 17
“Here is the watch you asked to be repaired.”
Teach held the familiar object in his hand, clicking it open.
“Thank you. Excellent work.” He slipped it into his pocket.
“Now for the other matter. I took the liberty of picking
these out myself, once I read your message.” With a deft movement the shopkeeper opened the velvet box, and Teach smiled
at what lay before him.
Rings in all shapes and sizes lined the interior, covered in
diamonds and pearls. “Which one shall it be?” the jeweler asked.
Teach was momentarily overwhelmed and shook his head,
wondering if he should have brought Anne along with him. “I
can’t pick. They’re all so beautiful. That would be like picking a favorite child.”
The shopkeeper smiled indulgently, no doubt used to such
astonishment. “Perhaps it would help if you held them up to
the light.” He reached out and picked up a gold ring with a
large pearl, then slipped it into Teach’s hand.
Teach held it up, admiring the ring as it shimmered in the
sunlight streaming through the windows. “It’s . . . quite large,”
he said at length.
The jeweler’s eyebrows drew together.
Teach sensed his displeasure and placed it back in the tray.
“How about this one?” the jeweler asked, picking a large
diamond ring.
Teach frowned and held it up as well. It didn’t feel quite
right for her. “I’m afraid she would cut me with this,” he said
3 18
after a moment. “Or scar me for life.”
The shopkeeper was clearly not amused. “I have some other
rings I could show you,” he said haughtily.
Teach nodded. “Please.”
The jeweler probably thought Teach was too cheap to buy
anything this extravagant. Quite the contrary. He wanted to
show the world how much Anne meant to him, but he also
wanted to prove it to her. A large ring might impress the residents of Bristol, but it wouldn’t impress Anne.
She already had several new dresses and gowns. Teach was
even worse than his father when it came to dressmakers. He’d
gone so far as to have an ivory gown made, to replace the one
that had been ruined at the party. She’d protested the entire
time, but Teach had managed to override her objections.
As the shopkeeper left, his back stiff with his displeasure,
Teach drummed his fingers on his knee. He couldn’t wait to see her reaction when he presented her with a ring.