The crew had proven that by supporting Teach. “And as your leader, I would never abandon you.”
“We know. Things have a way of working themselves out, Captain Blackbeard. Just you wait and see. Some opportunity will present itself, just like it did for me in Madeira.”
Teach smiled at the nickname Jack had given him, wishing he shared the man’s confidence, but he didn’t trust Webb at all. “It might not be easy.”
“I have no intention of dying here, Captain.”
“Neither do I, Jack,” Teach whispered. “Neither do I.”
CHAPTER 14
Anne
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Anne? It might do you good to get out.” Cara stood in the doorway to the kitchen of the Fox, her eyes concerned.
Anne had somehow managed to sleep the night before, but only because she suspected Beth had added something to her tea.
“I want to be here in case Alastair sends word.” Alastair had already left early that morning to go to the fort.
“All right. We won’t be long. Coyle thinks I’m buying material to make breeches for him, which I am. But I also plan to make each of us a pair as well.” Cara’s smile was mischievous. Ever since she’d seen Reva dressed in men’s attire, she hadn’t stopped talking or thinking about it.
“Be careful,” Anne said, cutting up some of the fruit on the table.
Cara blew her a kiss before leaving.
Using a knife, Anne speared a piece of pineapple. She’d grown quite fond of the fruit in the time that she’d been in Nassau. But she wasn’t very hungry at the moment, and after just one bite, she pushed the food aside. Standing, she paced around the table, the pistolman’s pouch hanging low on her hip. Ever since she’d met Webb’s wife, Anne made sure to keep the pistol with her at all times.
“You’re going to wear a hole in my floor if you keep that up,” Beth said.
Anne looked up, startled. “Morning.”
Beth held a basket overflowing with long stems of grass. “Good morning. How did you sleep last night?”
“Surprisingly well. The tea definitely helped.”
“I thought you could use the rest. I only added a bit of chamomile.”
“My mother used to do that when I was younger.”
“So did mine,” Beth said, her voice warm.
A part of Anne was grateful to Beth. She had indeed slept soundly. But Anne also felt guilty. Teach had spent the entire night locked up at the fort, and she’d done nothing to help him. “Can I help you with anything?”
“I just need to dry this fever grass. Alastair woke up with a bit of a headache and I used the last of my supply for him this morning. You can help me tie it up if you like.”
The two women worked in silence. Anne kept glancing at the doorway leading out to the courtyard, but there was no sign of Alastair.
“I understand what you’re going through, Anne. There was a time when Alastair was locked up and I didn’t know if I would ever see him again.”
“What happened?”
Beth took the bunches of fever grass they had tied and hung them in the pantry. Returning to the table, she picked up several more strands and began to tie them as well. “Alastair overheard someone speaking poorly about me. He nearly beat the man to death. Unfortunately, the other man happened to be a member of the aristocracy.”
Anne gaped at Beth. “They could have hanged Alastair for that.”
The older woman nodded. She stopped working and folded her arms across her chest. “They nearly did. Luckily for Alastair, another aristocrat took a liking to him. He helped Alastair escape, but Alastair’s never been back to Jamaica. And neither have I.”
“Is that where the two of you first met?”
“Yes. My mother and I sold herbs in the Spanish Town market. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him. His clothes were old and worn and his skin was blistered red from the sun, but he was proud and stubborn. He strode right up to the stall and bought our entire stock of aloe. The next day he came and bought all our figs. That continued for an entire week. My mother welcomed the coins he brought, but by the seventh day, she grew suspicious.
“When he came the next morning, she asked him what he wanted from us. He looked her straight in the eye and told her he wanted to court her daughter.” Beth laughed, clearly remembering the encounter. “My mother looked him up and down and told him he would have to prove himself to be worthy of me. He spent the next two months trying to do just that. It was only when she heard how he’d nearly killed the man in my defense that she decided he’d done enough.”
Anne could easily picture Alastair wielding his meaty fists and pounding someone into the ground. The love between Beth and Alastair was obvious. “And so you left Jamaica?”
“Yes. Alastair paid for our passage. My mother came with us.” Tears shimmered in Beth’s eyes. “But she wasn’t long for this world. We landed in Nassau and she passed away shortly after. Alastair decided we should remain here, where I could be close to her. He named the tavern The Laughing Fox, because that’s what she reminded him of. She was always laughing at him and his blustery ways.”
Anne hesitated only a moment before she placed her hand on Beth’s arm.
“Don’t give up hope, Anne,” Beth said softly. “Even a faint light will shine far in the dark.”
The door leading into the tavern swung open. Alastair filled the entryway, his gaze immediately finding Beth. But over his shoulder, Anne caught a glimpse of a familiar face, with green eyes and hair as black as thatch. For a moment, she couldn’t react. Rooted to the spot, the blood coursed through her veins in a dizzying rush.
“You found me,” she whispered.
“Always.”
CHAPTER 15
Teach
Teach’s heart clenched and he was certain it would stay that way until he had Anne in his arms. He was riveted by her. Dressed in a simple blouse and skirt and with her hair hanging in a long braid over her shoulder, she’d never looked more beautiful.
Alastair stepped to the side and Teach reached for her, and only once his face was in her hair, her body pressed tight to his, did the pain in his chest begin to subside, the string of tight knots begin to loosen. He was at peace again, the only peace he had ever known.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Anne,” he murmured against her temple, his voice low and shaken. “I never should have left you. I’m so sorry.”