A Pirate’s Price

For Anne

The lengths we go for the ones we love..

“You don’t have to escort me all the way back to the home,” Raine muttered irritably some moments later.

“ ’Imself says we do, and so we do,” Harry said somewhat obscurely. He took one step for every two of hers and might’ve been out for a late afternoon stroll. The buttons of his frayed brown coat strained over his barrel chest and he wore a bright red scarf wound around his neck, the ends flung debonairly over his shoulders. The scarf was at odds with his battered face and massive broken nose—Harry looked like a pugilist who had lost one too many rounds. The early spring wind was chill with a nasty edge of damp, but Harry didn’t seem to notice as he stumped along, his old c****d hat at a jaunty angle.

The same couldn’t be said for his companion.

“And ’oos mindin’ the palace, is what I’d like to know,” grumped Bert. He was half a head shorter than Harry and was hunched inside the collar of his bottle-green coat like a turtle. A huge gray scarf wrapped around and over both his face and the seedy wig he wore, making his head look disproportionately swollen “ “Sendin’ us off in the middle o’ the day with a wench!”

“There’s a dozen o’ the crew at the palace,” Harry pointed out. “And Bob.”

“Bob! Jaysus, Bob,” Bert said in disgust. “Couldn’t guard a kitten, could Bob.”

“When ’e’s not three sheets to the wind ’e can,” Harry said judiciously.

“ ’E’s always fuckin’ drunk!”

“Watch yer tongue,” Harry said, and then as an aside to Silence, “ ’E’s missin’ ’is afternoon tea is Bert, and it makes ’im tetchy like. Normally the most placid o’ men is our Bert.”

Raine, watched as “our Bert” spat through his missing two front teeth, almost hitting a passing mongrel. She was rather doubtful that the man was ever in a good mood, tea or no tea, but she wisely decided not to share this thought. For whatever reason Harry seemed to have taken a liking to her, and she was loath to spoil their accord.”

“If she was to live with Charming Danny O’Connor she would need a friendly face.

Dear God. Only now as she walked the grimy streets of St. Giles, did the full impact of her decision hit her. She’d pledged to live in the same house as the most notorious man in St. Giles—a man she’d spent over a year hating and fearing. Whatever shreds of respectability she’d been able to pull together over her battered reputation in the last year would be truly torn asunder now. But what choice did she have? One look at Anne’s face and she would’ve walked through fire.

Raine shivered and pulled her cloak more firmly about her person.Danny O’Connor had never actually hurt her—not physically anyway—and she had Harry as an ally. She would draw on her own strength, keep to herself, and avoid the company of ‘Charming’ Danny and his men as much as possible until his enemies were defeated and she could go home.

Pray that was soon.

“She turned into a small lane and the modest door to the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children came into sight. It was the temporary Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children, sadly, ever since a fire had burned down the original home a year ago. A new building was being built for the home, but a series of setbacks had delayed their move to the new place.

The door was flung open before Raine could touch it. “

Have you found her?” Nell Jones, the home’s trusted maidservant, looked eager, but her bright blue eyes dimmed when she saw Raine’s empty arms. Nell’s pretty face was flushed, one blond lock fluttering around her ear—her disorder a measure of how worried she was about Anne.

“I did find Anne,” Raine said hastily. “But… well, it’s a long story.”

“And who are these two?” Nell asked suspiciously, eyeing Harry and Bert.”

“Gentlemen what ’as seen yer mistress safely ’ome,” Harry said.

He removed the battered tricorne from his head, revealing a thinning patch of straggly brown hair, and bowed rather elegantly, considering his size.

“Huh,” Nell sniffed, though her tone was less strident. “Best come inside, then.”

The entryway to the home was narrow and cramped and the two men seemed to take up not only what little room there was, but the air as well.

Nell stared at them disapprovingly for a moment and then turned to a small boy loitering curiously behind her. “Joseph Tinbox, take these, er, gentlemen back to the kitchen and ask Mary Whitsun to make them a pot of tea.”

“Why, that’s quite kind o’ ye, ma’am.” Harry beamed.

Raine was surprised to see Nell fight to keep her face stern.

“Mind nothing goes missing in there,” the maid said gruffly. “I know everything in that kitchen down to the vinegar shakers.”

Harry placed his hand over his heart. “I’ll keep me eye on Bert, ’ere. See that ’e don’t pocket a spoon or nothin’.”

“With an indignant snort from Bert, Joseph Tinbox led them off.

“Hurry,” Raine said as she made for the stairs. “I had to leave Anne behind and I want to get back quickly.”

“Back where?” Nell cried as she followed Raine up the stairs, panting.

“To Danny O’Connor’s house.”

“Dear Lord in Heaven,” Nell muttered. “Is that where you rushed off to after reading the note? To see that devil?”

Raine had returned from the shopping that morning to find that Anne had somehow disappeared from the home. Everyone in the house—all eight and twenty children, three maids, and the lone manservant—had immediately begun searching for her. But it wasn’t until a mysterious note had been delivered hours later that Raine had even thought of Danny O’Connor.”

“The note was from Mr. O’Connor saying he might have something I’d want,” Raine said breathlessly as they made the top floor of the house. The room she shared with Anne was up here under the eaves. “He’s Anne’s father.”

“What?” Nell had finally caught up with her and she laid a hand on Raine’s arm. “How long have you known this?”

Raine bit her lip. “I’ve suspected it for some time. You remember Anne’s mysterious admirer? The one who used to leave presents for her on the step?”

“Yes.” Nell sank onto the narrow bed in Raine’s room, her pretty face creased with worry.

“A couple of months ago, just before Christmas, he left me a lock of black hair.” Raine pulled a small trunk from under the bed. She straightened and looked at Nell. “The lock matched Mary Darling’s hair.”

“And you think Danny O’Connor left it for you?”

“I don’t know.” Raine shrugged. “But I think it must’ve been him. I thought I saw him watching me and Anne once or twice last fall.”

“If he’s her father, why did Danny O’Connor leave her with you?”

“He says he was trying to protect her from his enemies.” Raine began to throw clothes into the chest. “Perhaps he thought her safely hidden with me. Perhaps he was merely playing a game to amuse himself.”

Nell shook her head as if dazed. “But what of the baby’s mother? Surely she had some say in the matter?”

Raine froze, her hand outstretched for one of Anne’s frocks hanging on a hook. She turned her head and stared at Nell. “Her mother—my goodness, he never even mentioned the woman.”

“Perhaps she’s dead.” Nell frowned. “Do you think Danny O’Connor was married? I never heard of such, but he’s a secretive scoundrel.”

“I don’t know.” Raine took the frock with shaking fingers and placed it carefully in the trunk before closing the lid. “I only know that I must go live with him now.”

“What?” Nell jumped to her feet in alarm.

Raine locked the trunk. “He says that Anne is in danger from his enemies and he won’t let her leave his house. If I’m to be with her, I must live with him.”

Nell lifted one end of the trunk even as she moaned. “But after what he did to you—”

“I haven’t any choice, don’t you see?” Raine walked to the door, the heavy little trunk between them.

“But the home—”

“Oh, goodness!” Raine stopped and stared at Nell.

She’d been so busy worrying over Anne, she’d not thought of what her actions would do to the home. In the last year the Home for Unfortunate Infants and Foundling Children had gained the patronage of several aristocratic ladies—ladies who cared terribly about appearances and reputations. The home depended on their donations. If they found out that Raine was staying with a man—a pirate—without benefit of marriage..

Raine’s eyes widened. “You mustn’t let anyone know where I am. We can say that I’ve gone to attend an ill aunt in the country.”

“And Mr. Makepeace?” Nell muttered as they began to descend the staircase. “What shall I say to him?”

Raine stumbled, nearly dropping her end of the trunk. She’d forgotten she’d have to deal with Winter’s disapproval as well. Her brother had made a journey to Oxford on business and thus had been away from the home when Anne’s absence had been discovered. This morning Raine had wished desperately for her brother’s support in searching for the little girl. Now she was thankful he was away. Winter was a mild man, a schoolmaster by trade, as well as manager of the home, but she had no doubt at all that he would’ve locked her in her room before letting her go to Danny O’Connor.

Just the thought made her hurry her step. “I’m truly sorry, Nell, to leave you with the chore of telling Winter but I can’t stay. I need to go to Anne.”

“Of course you do,” Nell said stoutly. ”

Raine shot her a quick smile. “None of this is your fault and Mr. Makepeace will understand that.”

“I surely hope so, ma’am.”

By the time they’d descended the rest of the stairs Raine was perspiring from exertion and anxiety. Winter wasn’t expected back for days, yet she couldn’t help jumping when the door to the kitchen opened.

“Take that, shall I?” Harry asked as he strolled out, a bun in one hand. He grasped one of the trunk’s handles and easily swung it to his broad back.

Nell straightened, hands on hips and glared. “Watch you don’t drop the mistress’s things.”

“O’ course not,” Harry said easily, earning himself a disgusted grunt from Bert.

Nell looked at Raine and her face seemed to crumple. “Oh, ma’am!” She threw her apron over her face and let out a loud, hiccupping sob.

“It’s all right, Nell, really ’tis,” Raine said helplessly.”

“She didn’t know whether or not she believed the words herself, but what else was she to say? Tears were pricking her eyes now as well. She’d lived at the home for just over a year, learned of her husband William’s death last fall here, discovered she was more than a wife here—that she could stand on her own two feet and be of use to others. Now she was leaving suddenly and without warning. She felt as if the very ground beneath her feet was unstable. She had no home now—hadn’t since William’s death, really—all she had was Anne

“I’ll be back,” she whispered, not even sure she spoke the truth.

Nell pulled down her apron, her face reddened and damp, her blond hair trailing from its pins. She marched up to Harry and stuck a finger in his chest. “Just you watch out for her, you hear me, you great lout? A hair on her head gets harmed and it’s you I’ll be coming after.”

“The threat was ludicrous, Harry towered over Nell.

Raine blinked, Bert scowled, but Harry himself was quite solemn. He took Nell’s hand gently in his big paw and spread her fingers until he could rest them on his great chest, just over where his heart might be.

“Never you fear, ma’am,” was all he said. “Never you fear.”

And then Raine was out the door, the wind whipping her skirts flat against her legs as she headed into a new life.”