The secondcarriage came up right behind us and Henry jumped out before itcame to a full stop. He took two long and quick strides to me, hisarms embracing my body protectively. To my ear his face nuzzled andwhispered desperately, “Say nothing. Do not let on that you are thecaptain. The repercussions will be much different if Wallacediscovers who truly sails The Queen.”
I pulled awayand searched his worried eyes. “But, Henry–”
“No,” hebarked quietly. “I will not put that on you. For today, I am thecaptain.” He saw my unwillingness to play the damsel. “Dianna,please.”
My lips pursedin thought as I fought back my pride. “Fine.”
Henry visiblyrelaxed and opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted byan approaching Finn.
“Aye,Captain,” Finn said to me, “Are ye alright?”
I gave him aquick nod and then replied, voice lowered, “Here, I’m just Dianna.Henry is the captain, okay?”
“It’s for herprotection,” Henry added.
Finn seemedabout to protest, but Henry grasped his shoulder, stressing theimportance of the matter. After a moment, Finn nodded dutifully.“As you wish, Dianna.” He chuckled. “Christ, that feels strange onthe tongue.”
I couldn’thelp but smile. “I promise, if we get through this, you can go backto calling me whatever you want.”
Lottie and Gusjoined us as we stood and waited outside the gargantuan propertyand part of me thanked the heavens that Charlie and the boysweren’t there. It was then that I noticed a wooden sign, swingingin the wind on its cast iron stand near the front door. It appearedto be hand carved and distressed over time, the words etched intoits surface telling me that it was more than just a house. Isquinted to read what it said.
The Siren’sCall.
I peered up atHenry, his hand clasped tightly around mine. “Is this a fancytavern or something?”
“Of sorts,” hereplied vaguely.
“What doesthat mean?”
“Once upon atime, when it belonged to Wallace’s father. The Siren’s Call was aplace for people of stature and title to stay under the protectionand discretion it offered,” Henry explained.
Finn must havenoted my look of confusion because he leaned over and whisperedfrom the side of his mouth, “’Tis a brothel for kings and richbastards.”
At my side,Henry stiffened. “But that all ended when Wallace inherited theproperty and business.”
I found thatfact strange. The amount of money men like that would pay wouldsurely be a lucrative business. “Why’s that?”
The men who’dscooped us from The Kraken’s Den strolled up to the front doors andgripped the golden handles before hauling them open. I stood withmy crew in wait as two more men exited the house and stepped off tothe sides as someone emerged from between them.
A silent gaspescaped my lips. The person exuded confidence with a chin held highand creamy brown skin as radiant as melted milk chocolate. As Itook in the shocking beauty of their heart-shaped face framed with long, shiny black waves, Irealized why Wallace didn’t want The Siren’s Call to be a brothel.I suddenly knew why Henry and my crew always seemed uneased at themention of Wallace’s name.
BecauseWallace was a woman.
The tall, darkbeauty gave a curt nod to her men as she graced the few steps thatled down to the ground where we stood. Her lithe body wrappedtightly with a brown leather corset, arms bathed in a flowing whitesilk, she was almost painful to look at. I suddenly felt like thegrungy, bloated pregnant woman I was, and my cheeks flushed red asshe neared.
“Gentlemen,”she addressed the group and then Lottie, “and lady. I see manyfamiliar faces.” Her dark brown eyes then fell on me and sheapproached like a cat stalking a mouse. “But yours I do notrecognize. Tell me why.”
“Roselyn,”Henry cut in and she regarded him with widened eyes. He cleared histhroat. “Wallace, may I present to you my fiancé, Dianna…Sheppard.”
My father’slast name. I noted how Henry hid the fact that I was a Cobham.Roselyn Wallace must have known Maria. But I began to worry… if sheknew my sister then, surely, myappearance might seem suspicious. I silently begged for her not tosee the resemblance.
“Fiancé, yousay?” Her big, brown eyes flickered to my belly and then back toHenry. “And with child? My, you’ve been busy, Captain Barrett.”
“Yes,” Henryreplied. “A lot has changed since I last left these shores.”
Wallace saidnothing, only wavered in front of us thoughtfully before turning onher leathered heel. I couldn’t figure out her expression; a mixtureof surprise and… jealousy? No. It couldn’t be. What would thiswoman have to envy over me? But my heart clenched in my chest as athought ran through my mind.
Was itpossible that she and Henry were together in the past?
If so, whywouldn’t he have told me? I guffawed internally. Heck, why hadn’the told me Wallace was woman? Suddenly, things made more sense.Recent conversations turning vague and deflecting each time thetopic of Wallace was brought up. I watched as Henry’s eyes followedthe dark beauty away from us and my paranoia began to set in. Werethose looks of longing? Regret? Something else? I didn’t want tothink such things but the pit in my stomach turned sour and my mindswam in circles. The ground rose toward my suddenly sweatyface.
I was passingout.
The strongbars of Henry’s arms dug into my body as he caught me and held meclose. “Christ, Dianna! Are you alright?” My head still spun withcloudy swirls, but I managed a nod as my vision turned black. Henrymoaned disapprovingly. “No, you’re most certainly not.”
I feltLottie’s cool hands on my face. “Dianna, what’s the matter? Whathappened?”
“Christ, she’sas white as a bloody ghost,” Finn threw in. “We best be gettin’ herback to the tavern.”
“N-no,” Iwhispered tremblingly. “I’m fine. I just… I haven’t eaten in awhile.” A big fat lie. Lottie and I had stuffed our faces at themarket. But I didn’t really know what was wrong. Overwhelmingemotions, yes, but that shouldn’t have caused me to faint.
“Is shealright?” I heard Wallace ask, surprised by the string of sincerityin her voice. Maybe I had pegged her wrong. “Come, get her inside.We can talk business in there.” I heard the crunching of thewoman’s footsteps as
