he would ever have to worry about knowing what was on her mind. Nathan, conditioned to sneakiness all his life, found his straightforward bride refreshing. Loud, he added as an afterthought, but refreshing all the same.
After he took care of a few remaining details Nathan joined the last of the crew aboard the ship. Jimbo and Matthew were waiting on deck for him. They were both scowling, but Nathan decided to let them get away with their show of insolence. He had saddled the loyal men with the chore of getting Sara and Nora settled in their cabins.
'Did she finally quit screaming?' Nathan asked.
'When I threatened to put a gag in her mouth,' Jimbo answered. The big man increased his frown and added, 'She hit me then.'
Nathan let his exasperation show. 'I assume she isn't too frightened any longer,' he replied dryly.
'I'm not so certain she ever was frightened,' Matthew interjected. The older man grinned. 'Didn't you notice the fire in her eyes when you dragged her into the offices? She looked bloody furious to me.'
Jimbo reluctantly nodded. 'After you left she kept shouting that it was all just a cruel jest. Not even her sweet-tempered aunt could calm her down. Your lady actually demanded that someone pinch her so she'd wake up and find it was all just a black nightmare.'
'Aye, she did,' Matthew agreed with a chuckle. 'Felix took her to heart, too. For all his bulk, the boy isn't very cunning.'
'Felix touched her?' Nathan was more incredulous than angry.
'No, he didn't touch her,' Jimbo rushed out. 'He tried to give her a little pinch, that's all. He thought he was being accommodating. You know how the boy likes to please. Your little bride turned into a wildcat as soon as he went for her. I wager Felix won't be so eager to obey next time she gives an order.'
Nathan shook his head in vexation. He started to turn away. Matthew stopped him with his next remark. 'Perhaps Lady Sara will do better if we put her in with her aunt.'
'No.'
Nathan realized how abrupt he'd sounded when both men smiled at him. 'She stays in my cabin,' he added in a much softer tone of voice.
Matthew paused to rub his chin. 'Well now, boy, that could be a problem,' he drawled. 'She doesn't know it's your cabin.'
Nathan wasn't at all concerned about that announcement. He frowned at Matthew, but only because the seaman had used the ridiculous nickname 'boy' when he'd addressed him. Nathan knew his unspoken censure wouldn't do him any good, though. Both Matthew and Jimbo called him that insulting nickname whenever they were alone with him. They didn't think he was seasoned enough to merit the name 'captain' in private. Nathan had inherited the pair when he'd taken over the vessel. The two men had quickly proven to be invaluable. They knew all the ins and outs of pirating and had shown him the way. He knew they thought of themselves as his guardians. God only knew they'd told him so often enough. Still, they'd put their lives on the line countless times in the past to save his backside. Their loyalty far outweighed their irritating habits.
Since the two men were staring at him with such expectant looks on their faces, Nathan said, 'She'll find out soon enough whose cabin she's in.'
'The aunt is in a poor way,' Matthew said then. 'I'd wager a couple of her ribs are cracked. As soon as she falls asleep I'm going to strip her raw and bind her tight around the middle.'
'The Winchesters did the damage, didn't they?' Jimbo asked.
Nathan nodded. 'Which bastard brother was it?' Matthew asked that question.
'It appears that Henry was behind the scheme,' Nathan explained. 'But I would imagine the other brothers were aware of what was going on.'
'Are we going to take Nora home?' Matthew asked.
'We're charted in that direction,' Nathan answered. 'I don't know what the hell else to do with the woman. Is she strong enough to make the journey?' he asked Matthew. 'Or are we going to have to bury her at sea?'
'She'll do all right,' Matthew predicted. 'There's a tough hide underneath all those bruises. Yes, if I coddle her real nice, she'll make it.' He nudged Jimbo in his side, then added, 'Now I'm having to nursemaid two weaklings.'
Nathan knew he was being baited. He turned and walked away. From behind Jimbo called out, 'He's referring to you, boy.'
Nathan raised his hand high into the air to make an obscene gesture before disappearing down the stairs. The men's hearty laughter followed him.
The next several hours were spent on chores for every hand aboard the Seahawk. The cargo was secured, the jib raised, the anchor weighed, and the eight cannons given a last spit and oiling before the command was given to sail.
Nathan did his part until his stomach became so queasy he was forced to stop. Jimbo took over command of the forty-two seamen when Nathan went below again.
It was a ritual getting seasick the first couple of days out. Nathan had learned to put up with the inconvenience. He was certain no one besides Matthew and Jimbo were aware of his problem, but that fact didn't ease his embarrassment at all.
From past experience he knew he had another hour or two before he was completely out of commission. Nathan decided to look in on his bride to make certain she was all right. If luck was on his side, she would be sound asleep, and the inevitable confrontation could be put off until later. God knew she should be exhausted. His bride had been awake for over twenty-four hours, and the tantrum she'd thrown when she found out that he was indeed her husband surely had worn her out. Still, if she wasn't sleeping, Nathan determined to have it out with her and get it over and done with. The sooner the rules were set down for her, the sooner she could come to terms with his expectations for their future together.
She would probably get hysterical on him again, Nathan guessed. He braced himself against the inevitable pleading and weeping and opened the door.
Sara wasn't asleep. As soon as Nathan walked into the cabin she bounded off the bed and stood there with her hands clenched at her sides, facing him.
It was apparent she wasn't quite over her fear or her anger yet. It was damp and stuffy inside the cabin. He shut the door behind him, then walked over to the center of the large square room. He could feel her staring at him when he reached up and lifted the square trap built into the ceiling. He propped the makeshift window open with a stick wedged into the third groove.
Fresh sea air and sunlight flooded the cabin. Nathan's stomach lurched in reaction. He took a deep breath, then walked back over to the door and leaned against it. In the back of his mind lurked the possibility that his bride might just decide to take flight. He wasn't in any condition to go chasing after her, and therefore he blocked the only exit.
Sara stared at Nathan a good long while. She could feel herself shaking and knew it was only a matter of time before her fury got the upper hand. She was determined to hide her anger from him, though, no matter what the cost. Showing any emotion in front of the barbarian would certainly be a poor beginning.
The expression on Nathan's face was one of resignation. His arms were folded in front of his chest, his stance relaxed.
She thought he looked bored enough to fall asleep. That didn't sit well. His intense stare was making her toes curl, too. Sara forced herself to stare back. She wasn't about to cower in front of him, and if anyone was going to win the rude staring contest, it was going to be she.
Nathan thought his bride seemed quite desperate to hide her fear from him. She wasn't doing a very good job of it, for her eyes were already getting misty, and she was trembling.
Lord, he hoped he was up to another round of hysterics. His stomach was railing against the pitch of the ship. Nathan tried to block the feeling and concentrate on the matter at hand.
Sara was a beautiful woman. The streamers of sunlight made her hair look more golden than brown. There was a pick of the litter in the Winchester family after all, he thought to himself.
She was still dressed in the unappealing dark blue gown.
The neckline was too damned low, in his opinion. He thought about mentioning that fact to her later, after she'd gotten rid of some of her fear, but her sudden frown changed his inclination. It was imperative that she understood who was in charge.
