Page 51 of A Prince Among Pirates
I sit upright and gasp. “I donot,” I insist. “Do I?”
“We’re at port,” Tristan says as he pushes the dice into his pocket. He reaches down to help me to my feet, and I frown at them both.
“Do I snore?”
“Yes,” Trevor says.
At the same time Tristan shakes his head. “No. Trevor’s just bein’ an ass.”
“What does either of you know about Jeff Reuter?” I ask as I dust off my trousers with my free hand.
My question startles them both. Tristan frowns. “Jeff, the accountant? We aren’t supposed to talk about him,” he says. “It’ll bring down a curse on us.”
I shiver a little and stare at the ledger in my hand. “So I’ve heard.”
“Renard was friendly with him,” Tristan whispers. “Evenhewasn’t safe from the curse after Jeff… vanished.” I’m a little surprised by this revelation. Renard hadn’t mentioned that he and Reuter were particularly close.
“Don’t worry about him, Mr. Kit,” Trevor says, patting my shoulder. “Nothin’s gonna happen to ye.”
I frown, letting them think that I’m worried about the curse and not the assignment Captain Sharpe has given me. “Sure,” I say.
“C’mon,” Tristan says, pulling my shirtsleeve. “Go get yer purse so ye can buy us somethin’ in the market.”
“Tristan,” Trevor scolds, but I laugh and let them lead me from the hold, even as my pulse thrums quietly in warning.
Eighteen
Before disembarking theDeliverance, I go to Captain Sharpe’s cabin to rummage through my trunk for my purse, doing my very best to ignore the anxiety building in my gut. The captain has already left his quarters; he is likely on the dock with his officers, dispensing orders and coin.
I find my purse and lock my trunk, dropping the key into said purse as I turn to leave the ledger in Captain Sharpe’s desk—and jump back a step, swearing under my breath. Renard is standing in the open doorway, watching me with a peculiar frown. “Damnation, I didn’t see you there,” I sigh as I slide my purse into my inside jacket pocket.
Renard lifts his gaze from my pocket and crosses his arms. “Ready fer that drink?”
“I promised the twins I’d go into the market with them.” I slide the ledger into the top drawer, then close and lock it,putting the key into my waistcoat pocket, where I know it will be safe. Not that I think I need to worry about any of the crew—but I still prefer to be careful.
“Market closes at sundown,” Renard says, sounding distracted as he watches me. He lifts his gaze to my face once more and nods towards the bright orange glow off to the west. “Ye can go weth ’em tomorrow.”
“Ah.” I frown a little, then acquiesce. “A drink it is, then,” I say as I step out of Sharpe’s cabin.
Renard glances inside just before I close the door. “Still keepin’ yer things in Cap’n’s cabin, hmm? Dinnae trust the men?”
I laugh as we cross the deck. “I’m not worried about the crew. But unless someone moves it for me, that trunk isn’t going anywhere.”
Renard claps me on the back and squeezes my bicep, which is annoying. I swat him away, even as he laughs. “Yer no’ as wee as ye were when ye came aboard, lad. Ye might surprise yerself.”
“I doubt it,” I say, though secretly I am a little pleased to hear it.
I don’t see Captain Sharpe or the twins when Renard and I make it to the dock. My legs feel strange and stiff as I reacquaint myself with the rigid, unmoving earth beneath my feet. I kind of hate it.
“Fergot how ta use yer land legs again?” Renard asks with a grin that’s more of a sneer.
“Apparently so.”
“It’ll take a minute er two, but ye’ll get used ta it again.”
I already know he’s right, but I don’t say so. By the time we step inside a raucous tavern called the Crown and Cup, I’ve readjusted to walking on land—and the second we step through the door, my senses are overwhelmed. Though it was noisy as we approached, it’s so loud inside that I’m quite certain I canseesound vibrating in my vision. The scent of body odor mixed with burned meat and liquor hangs heavy in the thick, stale air, and it’s all I can do not to gag.
Renard guides me to a table by a back door that is empty of people but covered in dirty mugs and half-eaten food. I grimace as I sit, and when he holds his hand out to me, I reach into my purse without complaint and drop a few coins into his hand. My trunk key lands in his palm and he raises a brow. “I cannae buy us dinner weth this.”
