“It’s good to see you awake, Miss Anne,” John said as he took a seat on the chair at her side. His movements were guarded, as if he feared making too much noise.
Anne smiled at John, noting how he kept his eyes strictly trained on her face. She knew how unconventional her attire was, but she had to admit, she was grateful she wasn’t trapped by layers of petticoats and skirts. Not to mention the comfort the breeches provided. During the day, the cabin was hot and stuffy, despite the open window. Anne pictured Reva racing out the back door of the Fox in her breeches and Cara’s reaction. If only Cara could see Anne now. “Did Teach ask you to keep me company?”
John flushed. “Aye.”
She waited for him to say something else, but he simply sat beside her, an awkward silence filling the space between them as he played with a hole in the knee of his breeches. Only the sound of the waves against the hull disturbed the quiet. Anne could imagine how uncomfortable it must be for him to see her like this. The first few times she’d seen the scars on Benjamin’s arms, she hadn’t known where to look either.
“What happened to you?” she asked at length, motioning to his bruised face. She had enough silence when she was alone, with nothing but her thoughts for company.
John grinned slightly, a glint in his eyes. “I had a bit of sport with Kitts.”
“Who’s Kitts?” she asked, finding herself returning his smile. He reminded her of an unruly boy, caught doing something wrong, but unrepentant about it.
“An arrogant arse.”
Anne couldn’t stop her bark of laughter. Both she and John froze, looking over at the door to determine if anyone had heard her. After a moment, their eyes met and the two of them dissolved into muffled laughter, each of them shushing the other one. Anne tried to remain still, aware of the pain her movements caused. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the soreness of her back or John’s expression.
Eventually, they quieted down.
“I’m sorry, Miss Anne. I shouldn’t have said that in front of you.”
With her chin resting on her hands once again, she shook her head. “There’s no need to apologize. I appreciate your honesty. But now I’m curious to meet this Kitts for myself.”
“Oh no. You don’t want to do that. He’s a pain in the—” John stopped himself just in time. “He’s not someone you can be around for long. I think Teach is ready to have him committed to the sea.”
“Is he so terrible?”
John nodded. “Aye. Webb sent him to keep an eye on Teach, and the bounder is doing a good job of it. That’s why Teach can’t spend as much time with you, now that he knows you’re on the mend. He can’t risk anyone finding out about you.”
“Surely Kitts isn’t that severe.”
“Kitts makes a clergy look like a sinner. I’ve never seen anyone so intent on following the letter of the law.”
“And you say he’s giving Teach trouble?”
“Aye. Every time Teach turns around, Kitts is there to remind him of his duty. He’s a bit like Richard Drummond in that regard. Just not as old.”
“I thought he would be free of that once he left his father’s house.”
John shook his head. “I’m afraid there will always be a small part of Teach who longs for his father’s approval. Kitts is obedient, something Teach will never be.”
Anne raised an eyebrow at him. “It sounds like Kitts truly is an arse. If that’s the case, perhaps he and Teach have more in common than they realize.”
It was John’s turn to raise a brow at her. “For shame, Miss Anne. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” She rolled her eyes and he winked at her. “Teach won’t let me come back if he knows I’ve been a bad influence.”
“I don’t care what Teach says. He might be in charge of this ship, but he’s not in charge of me. And I’ll be hurt if you don’t come back to visit. You’re saving me from boredom, a most terrible fate.”
John’s smile faded. “Actually, it was Teach who did that. He came to us while we were still in the fort. Asked me to cause a distraction. That’s when he got you away from Webb. Broke you clean out of jail. So you see, he’ll never be submissive like Kitts.” He glanced around the cabin. “I know you don’t like being shut up in here, but this was Teach’s only option.”
Anne cleared her throat. “I know. But maybe I don’t have to stay here the entire time. Perhaps I could come out at night. Dressed like this, nobody would suspect I’m a girl.” Even as she said the words, Anne realized how ridiculous they sounded. By now the entire crew must recognize everyone on board. She would certainly stand out, but she’d never been one to sit idly by and wait for things to happen. And she didn’t suppose Teach would agree to leave her on one of the islands either. Too much could go wrong.
“If it was just the men from the Deliverance, Teach might agree to it. He blames himself that this whole thing happened. He didn’t want to lead the mutiny, but if he hadn’t intervened, the lot of us would find ourselves in Davy Jones’s Locker.”
“I don’t blame Teach. He saved my life.”
John looked relieved. “It’s Kitts’s fault you have to stay in here. With Webb’s men on board, we don’t know exactly who we can trust.”
“I’m beginning to dislike Kitts as well,” Anne muttered.
“I could deep-six him if you like.”
She had no doubt that John would use any opportunity to throw Kitts overboard. “I don’t think Teach would allow you to do that.”
“He’d probably like to do it himself. He’s worried sick that Kitts and the others will find out about you.”
Anne couldn’t imagine the stress Teach was under. “You’re a good friend, John. Teach is lucky to have you.”
John grinned again. “He tells me that all the time. But I’m the lucky one. He gave me a chance when nobody else would. It’s because of him that I’m able to send money home to my family.”
“My mother always said your friend is your mirror.”
Red suffused John’s cheeks. “That’s sounds rather nice. I like it more than what my ma used to say to me.”
“What was that?”
“She said there can be no friendship between a wolf and a goat. Back home, I used to run with a rough crowd. That changed when I met Teach.”
“Are you saying you’ve always been the goat?” Anne asked.
John sat up straight. “Of course not. I’m the good-looking one, so naturally, I’ve always been the wolf.”
Anne smiled.
For a while, they sat in companionable silence. How Anne wished things were different. If only they’d been able to carry out their plans and leave on Alastair’s ship. They could have rendezvoused by now with Cara and the others. Anne sincerely hoped she could introduce John to Cara in the not so distant future. She could imagine the two of them getting on quite well.