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  The Pirate’s Betrothed

  Sea Scoundrels, Book One

  by

  Kimberley Anne

  Table of Contents

  THE PIRATE’S BETROTHED

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Thank You for Reading

  About Kimberley

  Ebooks/Books are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Kimberley Anne, Publisher

  PO Box 714

  West Kingston, RI 02892

  The Pirate’s Betrothed

  Kimberley Anne

  Copyright © 2019 Kimberley A. Dias

  All rights reserved

  Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9965706-0-2

  Editor: Judith Roth

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Kimberley Anne Publishing August 2019

  Chapter One

  Newport, Rhode Island

  October 1742

  “I’m scared.” Abigail Murphy’s whispered words hung in the blackness, a cruel betrayal of the young woman who spoke them.

  The wind whipped, driving a hard rain against the boardinghouse and rattling the shuttered window of the tiny room.

  Hannah rolled onto her side, making sure not to disturb the blankets that covered them lest the little bit of warmth they shared escaped. “You’re a strong girl. You’ll do fine.” Reaching over, she lay her hand on Abigail’s swollen belly and felt the babe within give a series of kicks. “You made it across the ocean to get here…head hanging over a bucket the whole time, but you did it. You can push out a baby.”

  “Aye. But…I’m…” Abigail’s voice cracked. She drew several breaths before finally exhaling a long sigh. The darkness amplified the sniffle and loud swallows that followed.

  The two friends lay silent for a long time.

  Hannah rubbed Abigail’s firm belly. “Everythin’ will work out, Abby. Have faith.”

  Abigail huffed a strangled chuckle. “You always say that. Look where it’s gotten you.”

  In the five months since they had met in the hull of a merchant vessel where they’d managed to squeeze together in a space the size of a barrel of rum they’d become devoted friends, who’d sworn an oath to keep each other safe.

  “Aye, look where it’s got me. I’m a free woman, making a life for myself.”

  “You’re a poor woman who barely has any food. You have no money in spite of all your hard work. No land. Not a thing to call your own, and you’re sleeping in a boardinghouse bed with a ruined woman. Lotta good faith has done ya.”

  “We have a roof over our heads. I don’t care a bit that we have only two feet of floor space in this room. At least we’re not lying in the mud. We’re not doing as badly as some.”

  Abigail rolled toward Hannah. “We’re two blooming idiots. We should have stayed in Ireland.”

  “What?” Hannah pinched Abigail’s arm. “Are you mad? The man I was to marry was not a good man, and I was certainly not goin’ to be forced to bed with him.” She shook her head, making her nightcap twist around her hair. “I’d much rather sleep with you and your giant belly. You don’t think I wanted to be big and round as you are with a bad man’s child, do ya? Stay in Ireland. You’ve lost your mind. Must be the babe that’s caused this crazy talk.”

  “The child’s father was not exactly a bad man,” Abigail mumbled. “And I’m not mad either.”

  “Not exactly a bad man? ’Tis a funny thing you’re sayin’. He poked ya without marrying ya first. Then he left. He’s not exactly a good man, Abigail.”

  “He didn’t leave. I left.”

  “You had no choice. He wouldn’t marry you.”

  “No. He wouldn’t.” Abigail sniffled. “I should have told my family where I was going. I shouldn’t have snuck off like I did. But I would have brought such shame to them had I stayed.”

  “Abigail, do you honestly believe they’d have let you leave?”

  “No, Da would never and me brother, oh, he’d have…” She gave a short laugh. “They’d have killed Ali…I mean, they’d have killed the man, and then they’d have forced him to marry me.”

  “Ah, the old sayin’, ‘better a dead husband than none.’”

  “I loved him so.” She sniffled. As the date of her baby’s arrival grew closer Abigail grew weepier, and Hannah had no idea how to console her. “Ma and Da must be so angry and worried. I feel so guilty, and I miss them terribly.”

  “I miss me ma and brothers, all of them. I miss home, but we had no choice other than to sneak away. Our families put us in these situations. Well, our families, one bad man and one supposed good man’s poking.”

  “I wonder if he even misses me.” Abigail sniffled again, and Hannah had no idea what to say. If he hadn’t been willing to marry her when he knew she was carrying his baby, it was likely he wasn’t missing her now.

  “Let’s not think about it. We can’t know how anyone is feeling about us at the moment.” Hannah slipped her arm over Abigail’s shoulder to hug her.

  “You don’t know my family. I’m certain me ma is worried sick. I feel awful to have brought this on her. I hope she don’t go off searching for me.”

  “You don’t know my family. I’m certain Da is nothing but angry he didn’t get whatever bounty he had coming to him for selling me off to some pirate. He’s not worried. He’s probably cursing me name and the day I was born. I hope never to see him again.” Simply saying the words hurt. In fact, Hannah’s throat tightened as if trying to keep them from being spoken.

  In all the months that had passed since finding the letter tucked in the back of a bible she’d not been able to think of Da without feeling betrayed. Until that moment she’d believed he loved her as much as her brothers, maybe even more. But in a few short lines everything changed.

  Consider the matter settled. I agree to the cost and look forward to taking her from you.

  Sincerely,

  Sean Black

  Captain of The Sea Maven

  The Sea Maven had been plundering ships off Ireland’s cost and across the Atlantic for years. Everyone knew of her exploits and the cruelty with which she’d dealt with prisoners. Learning her father could even conceive of the idea of selling her to such an awful man had broken Hannah’s heart and knowing how he never made any decisions without first consulting Ma, she knew there was no hope to change his mind.

  By nightfall she’d made up her mind to leave and by morning she was gone.

  “I can never go back, not like this,” Abigail said.

  “Luckily, you won’t stay like this for much longer. A couple weeks at most before your baby comes out.”

  “What will I do with a baby? I’ve never even held one. I need me ma.”

  “You’ll love it. That’s what you’ll do. That’s what all mothers do. Do you think your ma knew what to do with her first baby?”

  “Aye, I do. She always knows what to do.”

  Not b
eing one to judge, Hannah didn’t care a bit that Abigail was carrying the child of a man who had not made an honest woman of her. Just the same, it was a terrible predicament for any woman, and Hannah was equally as inexperienced in childrearing. Other than to love it, she had no idea what else to do, and her worrying was more for the baby than either of them. The poor child was to enter the world to be cared for by two inexperienced, poor women who’d run off to a land where they knew no one and had not one prospect.

  “I should have told him.” Abigail blew her nose.

  “Should have told who?”

  “Him.” She drew in a ragged gasp. “I can’t say his name. You made me swear never to mention his name.”

  “Are, are you saying you never told the man about his baby?” Hannah sat straight up, knocking the blanket down, instantly feeling the chill in the air.

  “I couldn’t.” Abigail blubbered.

  “What do you mean you couldn’t? Of course, you could. He put the baby in there. He has a responsibility to you and it, him, her, whatever it is.”

  “I’m freezing.” Abigail reached for the blanket, still crying. “I didn’t tell him because he so quickly refused to marry me that I didn’t want him to feel tricked into marrying me.”

  Hannah tucked the blanket back around Abigail’s shoulders and lay down beside her. “I’m completely confused. I thought you were running because he wouldn’t make a proper woman of you, but it seems you’re running because you didn’t tell him he had to make a proper woman of you.”

  “I didn’t want to force him. I love him. I wanted him to love me.” Her voice was a garbled mess. “I thought he did love me. That’s what he told me.”

  It took a couple extra seconds for Hannah to parse out what Abigail said, which was just as well because it kept her from yelling at Abigail for being such a fool. The poor girl could be living with a husband, home in Ireland close to her ma. Instead, her foolishness landed her in a foreign land with only Hannah.

  “I’m sorry this has happened, Abby.” They were the only words Hannah could think to say that might not make Abigail feel worse.

  “Thanks,” Abigail squeaked.

  Each day her state grew more fragile and each day Hannah tried very hard not to make it worse. Watching Abigail’s fears mount made Hannah’s own anxieties rise.

  “There’s no sense in dwelling on our situation. Let’s think of something nice. What are your choices tonight?” Hannah asked.

  Each night Abigail changed her mind on what to name the child, some nights she swore she wouldn’t decide on a name until the first birthday just in case some misery befell the child. “’Tis best not to get too attached and naming it will surely lead to that,” she’d explained, though it was plain as could be that Abigail loved the baby already.

  “Tonight I’m leaning toward Eileen or Sean.” Her voice lightened for the first time that night.

  Hannah bristled.

  “Which name don’t you like?”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t like a name.”

  “You tensed. I felt it. You can’t deny it. Which name and why? You’ve always got a reason.”

  “I didn’t tense.”

  “Now you’re lyin’. Hannah Doyle, I can’t abide lyin’ around the baby.”

  “The baby’s not here.”

  “The baby’s right here.” She patted her belly.

  “Why don’t you name him Padraig? It’s a wonderful Irish name and you must know someone with that name. Everyone knows a Padraig.”

  “What’s wrong with Sean?”

  There were hundreds of things wrong with Sean. Yet, there was not a single one Hannah could share. Sharing would breach their oath. She would never break it, not even to save a poor baby from being named after a dreadful man.

  “Padraig is a better name than Sean. It’s stronger. He’s our country’s patron saint. Don’t you want your baby named after such an important man? Who is Sean? It’s just a name.”

  “I happen to think Sean is a very strong name. Strong and courageous. Kind, loving. It’s a beautiful name.”

  “None of those words match the Sean I know.”

  “You should meet my—”

  “Ah! Don’t say it.” Hannah pressed the blanket to Abigail’s mouth. “Remember our promise.”

  The moment Hannah had decided to flee home she’d committed to keeping her true identity a secret. For the first few days that task had been easy. Then she’d met Abigail, the one person she came to trust, and keeping their secrets to themselves had proven to be a struggle.

  Abigail nodded, pulling Hannah’s hand away. “I forgot.”

  “Clearly, and that’s the second time tonight. Don’t think I didn’t notice earlier.”

  “Just the same I know a wonderful Sean.”

  “I’m sure you do, but I’ll not call the baby Sean.” Hannah couldn’t do it. The thought of the man turned her stomach and stirred up such a desire to run she feared she’d abandon a child with the name. “I think you should continue to call the baby It until it’s at least a year old, maybe older.”

  “Oh, you’re being silly.” Abigail rolled onto her back, then over to her other side. “Would you rub my back?”

  “You’re making a mistake.” Hannah pressed the palm of her hand into the lower right side of Abigail’s back at the spot where she lately had complained about pain. “He’ll grow up to be—”

  Abigail cried out. Her body jerked toward the edge of the mattress, and she nearly tumbled from the bed before Hannah pulled her back.

  “What’s wrong?” Hannah rolled Abigail onto her back, sitting up to assess the situation.

  Abigail wailed and gripped Hannah’s arm so tightly, Hannah yelped. “The baby. It’s coming.”

  A wave of nausea swamped Hannah. She wasn’t ready. She had no idea what to do. She had never birthed a baby. “I…we need help or a midwife or your ma.”

  Abigail cried and rolled onto her side, curling into a ball.

  “Mrs. MacCarthy! Come quickly. It’s time. We need you!” Hannah yelled as loudly as she could, ignoring the fact the other girls in the boardinghouse were sleeping. “Mrs. MacCarthy!”

  Abigail screamed.

  “Mrs. Mac—”

  The door flew open. “All right, child. I’m right here.” Carrying a candelabra of six flames, the boardinghouse mistress rushed in, followed by her daughter-in-law. “Molly, put that table on that side of the bed and light the candles. Then light the sconces on each wall. We’ll need as much light as we can get.” Mrs. MacCarthy placed the candelabra on a small chair on Abigail’s side of the bed.

  Much more quickly than Hannah could have predicted the round and portly woman climbed atop the bed and shifted Abigail around, propping her up against the pillows. “There, there. We’ll get through this and soon you’ll be holding your baby on your bosom.”

  “I’m scared.”

  “I know. Birthing a baby is a scary and wonderful thing.” Mrs. MacCarthy’s face was bright red by the time she finished rolling Abigail about and removing the linens from the bed.

  Abigail grunted and folded forward before screaming. “How long before the baby comes out?”

  Mrs. MacCarthy caught her by the shoulder and gently pushed her back onto the bed. “Only God and the baby know. Of my eight, not one took less than a day’s work to bring.”

  “A day?” Hannah turned from Abigail, whose pretty face was twisted into a mask of agony. “She’ll be like this for a day?” Hannah knew childbirth was difficult, but seeing someone in this much pain made her question why any woman had a child.

  “Aye. A day. Maybe less. Maybe longer.” Mrs. MacCarthy yanked Abigail’s sleeping dress up over her belly, shoved her legs open and held up the candelabra. “Let’s see what we have. Ah, we’ve got a ways to go. I don’t see the head.”

  Hannah made the mistake of looking.

  “What’s wrong, Hannah?” Abigail asked between panting breaths.

  The awful bloody mess below Ab
igail’s giant round belly was the last thing Hannah remembered seeing. Somewhere in the distance she heard a thud and knew her head hit the floor. She knew it would hurt in the morning, but there was bliss in this unconsciousness and she was more than willing to pay for it in the morning.

  Chapter Two

  “Hannah! Hannah!” A sting on Hannah’s cheek matched the sound of a slap ringing in her ear. “Hannah. Come on, lass. We need you.”

  “Och! Why’d you hit me?”

  “Oh child, you must come quickly. There’s not much time.” Mrs. MacCarthy tugged Hannah to her feet.

  “Why was I lying on the hallway floor?”

  “You were in the way in the bedroom.” Mrs. MacCarthy patted her cheek. “Steel yourself, girl. This isn’t going to be easy.”

  When Hannah’s senses finally returned, she remembered she’d left Abigail in her moment of trouble. “Did I miss it? Is the baby come? Is it a boy? How’s Abigail? Can I do anything for her?” Grabbing Mrs. MacCarthy’s hands, she noticed how warm and sweaty her skin was, how very red her face and eyes were, how she sniffled and used her handkerchief to wipe tears from her cheeks. “What is it?”

  “Come child. You’ve no time to waste.” The older woman ushered Hannah into the tiny room where Abigail lay on the bed, her baby nestled on her chest, a dark blanket draped over them.

  So many buckets cluttered the floor there was barely room to walk. Every bucket overflowed with bloody rags, and dark red blood trailed down the sides, splattering the wooden floor. “Step around and get in close. She can’t speak loudly.” Mrs. MacCarthy guided Hannah through the maze of buckets toward Abigail.