“Aren’t you going to eat with the men?” Kitts asked, blocking the way as Teach attempted to leave the galley. The ceiling in the hallway was low and cramped and Teach had to hunch his shoulders so as not to hit his head on the crossbeams. The Triumph had been at sea for over twenty-four hours.
Balancing the plate of bacon and biscuits in one hand, and the full bucket of water in the other, Teach didn’t bother hiding his annoyance. “No. It’s not common practice on a ship for the captain to eat with the crew. And I’m fairly certain it’s the same on a naval ship.”
“But aren’t you going to address the men?”
“We all know why we’re here.” They were essentially privateers, tasked with searching for and apprehending a pirate. Teach couldn’t help wondering what his father would say if he could see him now. With a disgruntled shake of his head, he attempted to step past Kitts, but the sergeant remained where he was.
“Your men are insubordinate and don’t listen to me.”
“That’s because when I’m not on deck, John is in charge. Not you.”
An angry flush surfaced Kitts’s cheeks. “But it’s your duty as captain to gather the crew and discuss the nature of the voyage. It’s up to you to make the rules of conduct perfectly clear.”
“Then let me start with you. I wish to eat my meals in peace. Alone. In my cabin.”
“Not four hours ago, you took in an entire pineapple. If you continue to eat like that, our rations won’t last long,” Kitts said, eyeing Teach’s plate.
Teach gritted his teeth. How did the blasted man know that? In order to conceal Anne’s presence on board, Teach had decided to stockpile some food to help her regain her strength. That way, he wouldn’t have to traipse to and from the galley like he was now. “I’ve made sure there are enough rations to last us for several weeks. And since we aren’t leaving the islands behind, if we need more supplies, we can always stop.” He shouldered his way past the sergeant, drawing some satisfaction when Kitts bumped into the wall with a loud grunt, not caring that some of the water spilled down the front of the man’s shirt.
Walking up the stairs, Teach was aware of Kitts following him, and Teach stopped mid-stride. “I’m sure you have more pressing duties than to follow me around the ship. I suggest you get to them.” Not waiting for a response, Teach turned and continued up the stairs and down the hall before arriving at the captain’s cabin, where he set the bucket down at his feet. Reaching for the handle he glanced one last time over his shoulder. Kitts watched him from the top of the stairs.
Teach opened the door and quickly entered, before shutting it behind him. Exhaling, he waited until he heard Kitts’s footsteps continue up to the top deck. He wouldn’t put it past the man to come barging in. Kitts was proving to be even more of a problem than Teach had first anticipated. But Teach’s annoyance with Kitts faded when he was confronted with the sight of Anne’s back.
Before she’d left the ship, Cara had dressed Anne in a pair of breeches and one of Teach’s large shirts. She’d also cut the material, so that Anne’s back was fully exposed. Angry red welts crisscrossed her skin, stretching from her neck down to her waist. Teach had stitched the largest gash shut, while Anne was still unconscious. It had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. John had held a candle for him, while he’d pinched the skin together, trying to maintain his footing as the Triumph had sailed out to sea. As soon as she was well enough to move, he intended to switch out her clothing as well as the hammocks beneath her.
As if sensing his presence, Anne stirred, her crystal blue eyes blinking up at him.
“Hello,” he said softly.
“Hello.”
“Would you like something to drink?”
She nodded and Teach put the bucket of water down as well as the plate of food. Refilling the skin of water, he held it to her mouth.
“I have some food. Do you think you can eat it?” Teach asked, once she’d satisfied her thirst.
“Please,” she said.
Bending forward, Teach picked the plate off the floor. “I was hoping your appetite would return.” He lifted a piece of crispy bacon and held it up to her mouth.
“I can feed myself,” Anne said, her voice tired.
“If I remember correctly, I was a model patient when you nursed me back to health.”
Anne snorted. She opened her mouth to argue, but Teach popped the bacon between her lips, preventing further comment. Scowling, she began to chew.
“And now I’m asking you to do the same.” He held her gaze intently. “I need you to do this, Anne. You have to get better, so that when this is over, we can go away somewhere. And start new.”
Teach was relieved when the corners of Anne’s mouth tilted up into the semblance of a smile. “All right,” she said.
Despite the obvious pain in her voice, Teach could see a glimpse of the Anne that he knew. She needed time to work through what she’d endured, and as much as he wanted to help her, he didn’t want to force her to talk about it. Anne would dictate the pace of her own healing.
Standing upright, he went and opened the small, circular window on the starboard wall, allowing the sea breeze to blow through the cabin, before returning to her side.
“When will you tell your men?” she asked.
About to hand her another piece of bacon, Teach paused. “About what?”
“That I’m here.”
“We can’t let the others know that you’re here.”
Anne’s eyes widened. “But I thought you trusted them.”
“I do, but Webb didn’t trust me. He kept part of my crew back in Nassau, and replaced them with his soldiers.”
Anne was silent for a moment. “And you’re still supposed to go after Easton.”
“Yes.”
Closing her eyes, she drew in a shallow breath. It was clear when he’d said they were on the Triumph, she’d assumed they were escaping. “So I’m to remain in this cabin?”
Teach didn’t respond, noting the hint of desperation in her voice. She detested being confined, and he detested telling her that that was exactly what she had to do.
After a moment of silence, Anne opened her eyes once more, pinning him to the spot. “What about Alastair and the others? Will we still be able to meet them as planned?”
“Benjamin is here. Apparently he did some work as a carpenter before, and we’re lucky to have him on board. As for the others, Alastair said they’d find passage aboard another ship.” Teach seriously hoped they’d been able to do just that.
“Who will go after Webb?”