Call Of The Siren

Chapter 2

Alexandra sighed with barely restrained annoyance.  This evening was entirely too tedious to her taste.  The men that had shown up to her season were as frivolous as the dress she was in.  And she had no regard for frivolous things.  At least the ones she had managed to see with the amount of men crowding her at all times and demanding her attention for a dance or a few words traded before another called her name.  This was ridiculous!

The best description was that she felt like a horse at auction and yet some ladies seemed to enjoy the attention they received at these balls, though apparently not this specific ball.  She was sure most of the eligible men were milling around her in their apparent curiosity.  She had spotted Gary in the shadows by the French doors and she smiled faintly while she feigned attention at the words of her latest admirer, at least they were doing what was expected of them.

She did not find it hard to be the quiet seeming attentive lady of the court, since the men that had approached her up to this moment had all discussed inane matters.  Mostly praising her beauty and pompously drawing her attention to their political and social standing and their financial standing as members of the king’s court.  Was there nothing of more import to discuss; perhaps the plight of the poor in the slums, or the state of the docks and the buildings surrounding it?  What of the poor houses filled to overflowing with the miserable that were unlucky enough to be born on the wrong side of the social standings?

As she danced and listened to the men she wondered how she would be able to choose amongst the suitors that bored her to tears.  This was such a ridiculous situation.  Her aunt had been watching her, giving a slight nod or headshake whenever a man approached her, giving her some idea as to which one would be more acceptable, since she knew of the men, their reputations and the whispers around the ton.  It simply would not do to pair her family name with someone of ill repute.

Thankfully she was not expected to speak too much, since the breathy modulated tone paired with the unforgiving corset that she was expected to use made her feel lightheaded and she would not know what to say to these men at all.  The jests they had used to be witty had not come across as such to her and she feared that she might very well say something derogatory, which meant that she had settled for the expected smiles and delicate titters they were hoping for.

She had given them odd nicknames in a bid to remember them, so if her aunt would ask her afterwards, she could answer.  She had just finished dancing with a man she had nicknamed pickles, since his face was flushed from the vast amounts of liquor he consumed and his build showed that he did not just overly indulge in alcohol; it was reminiscent of a stuffed pickle she had seen being offered to the guests by passing waiters.

After another few minutes she excused herself from the group of men currently surrounding her and stepped outside the French doors for some fresh air.  The vast amounts of clashing colognes were dizzying and she breathed gratefully of the untainted cool air of the garden.  Gary was sitting in the bushes nearby, no more than a few feet away, and she heard him chuckle with his ever present amusement.

“Not many men at this party.”  He stated with mirth.

“Aye.”  She agreed on a weary sigh without glancing his way so anyone observing her would consider her alone.  She would have said more, but she did not want to give away his presence in case someone could hear her words.

She had not yet met one that she could even entertain a single thought of marrying.  If this was what she had up for offer then perhaps she should cause a scandal and marry a lower class man that could be considered a man.  She could hardly show a man respect if she reacted more manly than he did and that was all she could see at this point in time.

She was about to ask Gary to bring the carriage to an obscure corner of the garden so she could escape when she became aware of someone’s shadow falling next to her and she turned with her ladylike air and she glanced over her shoulder.  She congratulated herself on her flawless performance and considered doing the complete act of gasping in surprise and holding her hand to her lips, but changed her mind.  It was such an absurd action to begin with and she would not be caught doing such a thing in front of one of her crew.

The shadowed figure in the doorway was tall and broad-shouldered, she could see he had blonde hair that he wore long and was currently tied back as was expected of men in their social standing, the material of his jacket was mint green and high quality material, but the rest of his features were shadowed by the light behind him.

She narrowed her eyes in a bid to make out his features while he was just standing there staring at her.  “Can I assist you?”  She asked in her carefully tempered tone when he made no other move; it would not do for her to use the demanding tone she would when she was on the ship.

His only answer was to step into the shadows with her.  She watched him suspiciously when he came closer, turning to face him proudly and wishing she could see more detail, but the dark moon made it difficult to see much of anything outside aside from their shadows if someone were to pay more attention than a mere glance outside the French doors.  She glanced inconspicuously over his shoulder into the ballroom, but no one seemed to have noticed her disappearance or his presence. 

Alexandra considered reaching for her knife, but she did not think he was threatening her just yet, besides she could probably catch him by surprise if he did try something untoward; he would certainly not expect it.  His stance was not dangerous; if anything he seemed purely curious about her, much like the other men at this ball seemed to be.

When he was standing two feet away she still could not quite make out his features, but she could see he was smiling at her or sense it, was perhaps the proper word.  “You are quite popular; it is very difficult to get a moment with you.”  He spoke in a soft baritone voice, his stance was casual and she snapped her fan open to hide her features in a bid to keep her thoughts shrouded since she did not like for him to have the upper hand in this meeting.

“I do apologize; I have been trying to accommodate everyone.  I fear I did not consider that this would be such an occasion.”  She stated in her carefully modulated ladylike voice.  How women managed to speak constantly in a soft, melodious and breathy voice without fainting from lack of oxygen was puzzling, to say the least?  She had decided to spend most of the time listening to avoid just such a fate, which only seemed to spur the suitors’ concentrated interest on.

He took another step forward and then bowed to her, taking her hand in his and gently kissing her knuckles while she curtsied to him.  She had no idea who he was but he was different from the other men; he did not seem as frivolous as the rest since he moved his large frame with purpose and a grace borne of muscles that knew physical labour and she wondered why she had not met him earlier; not to mention that his cologne was not so overpowering and very much different from the rest. 

In truth, she enjoyed his scent more than the flowery colognes of some of the other men, so much so that she took a deep breath when he came closer.  Sandalwood and leather; perhaps since it was a more woodsy scent compared to the flowerlike scents of the others, she found it much more palatable to her senses.

He was entirely unfamiliar but his rough hand on hers made a peculiar impression on her.  The others had all had soft hands, this man had known work, at least, his hands and graceful movements implied that he did as did his broad shoulders.

“Might I request a dance?”  He asked quietly where he stood so she still could not make out his features, his presence intense as he stood before her.

She hesitated a moment since he had not introduced himself as of yet, but then nodded and made a move to take her hand out of his and head back inside.  But he surprised her by pulling her into his arms where they stood and moving into a dance to the music that was drifting out through the open doors.  Alexandra could not understand why he had not simply taken her inside but she allowed him to dance with her in the shadows.  And then suddenly he leaned down and his lips claimed hers in a gentle touch while she stood frozen.

This was entirely out of the ordinary and absolutely not proper, but she was so stunned by the sudden touch and the sensations that were rushing through her that she could not think to react as she should.  What an odd reaction to a touching of lips!  Her heart raced and her body heated up to the point where it felt like she was scorching.  Her lips tingled and her stomach fluttered before clenching into a knot and she was sure her cheeks were flushed.

She still had no idea who this man was since he had not introduced himself and to add to the oddity of the situation he had just taken a liberty that was not entirely proper.  She ought to step away from him and find her way inside to discourage such behaviours.

She pushed him away and glared at him, her lips slightly parted from her surprise.  “That is not proper, sir.  Not only did you not introduce yourself, but you take liberties you cannot afford.”  For some reason her voice was breathy of its own accord when she had attempted an unsympathetic voice.

“Truly!”  He answered tauntingly before he suddenly claimed her lips once more and this time his tongue slipped through her lips like rough velvet and she felt blood rush through her veins and her heart pounded fiercely in her chest; the knots in her stomach doubling themselves as she felt her breath catch at the intensity.

And then suddenly he released her and she watched in open astonishment when his proud form stalked into the ballroom and then away, out of the house without a backward glance.  Alexandra was leaning against the concrete bannister behind her and she wondered with some confusion what that had been about.

Well, she had had her first kiss and it had been strangely disconcerting in the way it made her feel weak and hungry all at the same time.  Her lips were still tingling and her heart still beating wildly.  But the whole experience did not make much sense.  Why would he come outside to dance with her in the darkness and then kiss her in such a way before walking away, all without introducing himself or giving her a glimpse of his face?

Finally she managed to compose herself and took a deep breath, before she returned to the party.  She had no idea who that man was or why he had kissed her without introduction, but she soon put him out of her mind while she put her thoughts to finding an eligible man once more.

She had been so confused that she had not seen the shadow slip past her in the darkness and out of sight with only a whisper of sound to announce the passing, but other watchful eyes did.

But as the evening progressed, she became assured of the fact that she would not find a good match amongst the men assembled around her.  And when the night thankfully drew to a close and they sent the last of the partygoers off, her aunt glanced at her questioningly.

Alexandra smiled weakly in a bid to ease the blow when she shook her head.  There was none that she could consider in good conscience.

“Not even one?”  Her aunt asked sadly.  It was apparent that her hopelessly romantic aunt had hoped for a man to sweep her off her feet at their first meeting.

“Nay, none of them knew work or would be the right match for what we need, Aunt Sophia.” 

She could not mention the odd man that had kissed her since she had not seen him clearly or been introduced.  And his actions did not speak well of his character; he had taken himself out of the running, despite him obviously having some of the attributes they had hoped for.  He knew work and he would have been a good candidate for his strength and knowledge of working.  It would have been welcomed with their country estate that was a fully working breeding estate for both cattle and horses.  Unfortunately she still had no clue who he could be so she could neither include or exclude him from the list of suitors.

“Perhaps we can keep looking…”  Aunt Sophia said hopefully.

She smiled at her.  “Aye, Aunt Sophia, but another time; I have to go soon.”

Aunt Sophia pulled her into a warm hug while her carriage appeared in front of the door.  “Do take care of yourself, child.”  She said worriedly.

“I always do.”  She answered before she drew her light cloak around her against the late summer breeze and she kissed her on the cheek and then walked to her carriage where Gary held the door open for her.  “Thank you.”  She breathed tiredly when she sat down inside and leaned her head back. 

She had not intended to stay out till the early morning hours and she considered going straight to the ship, but she could still catch a little sleep before setting sail and once she was on the ship she knew she would not allow herself to sleep until they cast off.  She desperately needed some sleep after the tiring evening on top of the previous evening of little sleep; she feared that she would fall asleep while working if she did not see to the matter soon.

Alexandra had almost slipped into sleep when she felt the carriage stop and she glanced out to see that they had stopped in front of her town house.  Taking a deep breath she watched as Gary opened the door for her and she stepped out.  “Good night, you two, see you on the ship, I shall use the coachman to bring me, see that he is not late.”  She stated tiredly before she walked up the steps to where Jennings was holding the door open for her, she knew that her men would order the coachman on their way back to the ship.

“I am sorry, Jennings, I did not anticipate that the festivity would go so late.”  She apologized when she stepped inside, laying her hand on his shoulder after he had taken her cloak.

“It is to be understood, Milady, you are quite the talk of the ton; have been for quite some time.”  He stated almost proudly and she realized that her parents’ servants seemed about as proud of her as her parents would be.

“Let us go to bed afore the sun rises and we should start the day.  Good morning, Jennings.”  She answered tiredly before she traipsed up the stairs and to her room.

She would sleep until dawn and then rush to the docks so no one would see her board The Siren.  It was the way she always did it, so her aunt’s explanations that she had returned to the country for an unforeseen emergency at their renowned stud would be believed.  She truly was grateful for all the work her aunt assisted with while she was at sea.

Not only did she assist with the tales of her being in the country most of the year, but she also tended to the two houses with all the servants while Alexandra was at sea.  She would reply to missives in her stead, mostly with excuses, but whenever she knew she would be on land she would accept the odd invitation on her behalf and make sure that she had something acceptable to wear.  She did not know what she would do without her.

She sighed when she entered her room, closing the door behind her; she pulled the pins out of her hair and then stepped out of the gown, unstrapping the knife from her thigh.  She fell naked onto her bed and snuggled up to her pillows, shoving the knife beneath them, with a sigh of contentment while she fell asleep almost instantly.

Alexandra had pulled a dress on and ignored her raven hair hanging to her waist in chaotic waves before she trotted barefoot down the steps so as not to wake the servants of the house, she trusted most of her more senior staff, but to keep the rouse going with success she did not want the other staff to see her.

She would have to hurry if she wanted to board The Siren without being seen, she had overslept and she was annoyed with herself, it felt like mere minutes since she had lain down to sleep and she promised herself that once they had cast off she would seek out her bed.

The unmarked carriage was waiting for her on her doorstep and she quickly leapt inside and closed the door, grateful that the nobles around her house would not be awake to see her.  This was the carriage she usually used for her escape and the coachman knew where to go, so she heard him urge his horses into motion, knowing that he would have to push them this morning.

Alexandra pushed her fingers through her hair in an attempt to tame them somewhat and she pulled on her boots, she would change on the ship, but for now she had to get there in time.  She was relieved when he pulled to a stop in front of the docks, as close to the ships as he dared. 

She leapt out and tossed the bag of coins to him with a grateful smile before she raised her skirts and ran down the docks to The Siren.  Alexandra paid the coachman and her other informants and helpers handsomely to do her part in helping with the poverty around her.  She was aware of the stares from the few dockworkers that were nearby and awake at this hour, but she ignored them as she always did.  To anyone seeing her in the old outdated dress, she would appear like a captain’s doxy, so her rouse would continue unfettered. 

Her first mate was pacing the deck nervously when she came running and he glanced up with relief when he heard her boots on the gangplank, having just noticed her arrival despite her being in full view of where he was since she had left the coach.

“Captain!”  He greeted and he held his hand out to her, his muddy-brown eyes worried.  “Ye are late this morning.”

“Aye, my duties had kept me later than I had expected.  I came home in the wee hours of the morning.  Is everything loaded and ready to cast off?”  She answered breathlessly when she came to stand before him.

“Aye, Captain, all the provisions are on board as are the men.”

“Good man.”  She nodded while she glanced around the deck, checking on him as she always did and he smiled with amusement, knowing that she would find no fault but that she would keep looking for it in the hopes of giving him some grief.  It was their usual game and in truth the verdict was out on who enjoyed it the most.

“Happy Birthday, Captain.”  He stated with a fond smile when she came to stand in the middle of the deck with her hands on her hips and an annoyed expression on her face like she always did when he had done the job as she had expected, but her expression softened at his words.

“Thank you, Anders.”  She smiled gently at him with a hint of sadness that her father was not here to celebrate it with her, he was still the first mate from her Father’s time and she was very fond of him.  As he held his arms open for her she stepped into them without hesitation; the connection she had with this man was much closer than she had with any of the others.  He was one of the few she would trust wholly with her life.

He pulled her close for a moment and kissed the top of her head in a rare show of affection he only did when they were alone and when they both recalled the absence of her father.  They did not dare show their mutual fondness to the other men with any regularity; since they wanted to show their ranks above all else to make sure the men understood their place.  Alexandra pushed him away and looked fondly up into his crinkling eyes.  “As always, I can find no fault with your leadership.”

He flushed with enjoyment at her compliment and a small pleased smile played across his features.  “We got you a present, Captain; we left it in your cabin.”

“Thank you, Anders.  Do you have the coordinates I had sent you?”

“Aye, Captain, we are about ready to leave.  The men are just tying down everything.”

She nodded and then glanced to the horizon.  They would have a good day from what she saw in the sky.  She watched when the sun peeked eagerly over the horizon and she breathed deeply of the air, she loved the mornings just before they would cast off.  The feeling of anticipation paired with the salty flavour of the sea breeze was a heady combination that she would never tire of.

“You look tired, Captain.”  Anders observed, his shrewd eyes watching her with concerned interest.

“Aye, my aunt had held my season last night.  I had spent the night talking with eligible nobles that could be considered for marriage.  I should doubtless start considering doing all my duties as is expected of me.”  She sighed resignedly and she pushed her hand under her hair and rubbed the nape of her neck where she felt some tension.  Marrying and conceiving an heir for her husband was one of her duties as a lady of the ton and the last of her line, but it was not one of her preferred duties.  She preferred the sea to what undoubtedly waited for her as a lady of the ton.

She could not wait to cast off; she wanted the movement of the waves to fall asleep to.  “For now, I just want to sleep when I am sure we are headed out.”

“You do not wish to change?”  Anders asked; he knew her well enough to know that she preferred her breeches to the gown she was currently wearing and usually she would choose to change the moment she had a chance to be free of the confining layers.

“Nay, I shall do that when I go below deck to get some sleep.”  Did he seem a little disappointed?  “Anders?”  She asked suspiciously when he noticed her gaze and schooled his features into a deadpan.

“Aye, Captain?”  He asked innocently.

“What are you up to?”  Alexandra narrowed her eyes suspiciously; she was sure the man was up to something.

“Well, I was just curious with what you would think of your present, Captain.”  He answered inquisitively before the men started coming back on deck and he started calling orders to them to raise the anchor and release the sails.

She watched him distrustfully for a moment, before she went onto the steering deck and kept an eye on their coordinates.  Alexandra then turned and watched while the port of London slowly sank into the distance along with the stench as they headed out to open sea with the briny breeze flitting playfully through their hair; where she was most at home in this world.

She sensed an excitement on board that was different from what it usually was when they cast off and she watched the men questioningly, wondering what gift they had got her since the last had been a dress.  The best dress a ship full of men could have thought of and afforded, which was not entirely proper for a lady of her stature to wear, but she tended to wear it whenever they went into the warmer climates and if she wanted to go on shore without drawing attention in her breeches.

She wished she could afford another ship and make him the captain of that ship, like he deserved.  He would be a wonderful captain and his potential was all but wasted as her second in command.  Perhaps one day she could somehow give him what he deserved, maybe when she had to take up her full duties as a lady would she would make  him the captain of the Siren when she could no longer sail.

The thought that she might not be allowed to sail made her throat constrict painfully.  This was the place where she felt most at home; on the open seas with the men of her ship.  Would she ever be able to become a wife and mother with the same passion as she was this ship’s captain?  She doubted that a husband would allow her to sail and she despised the thought that she would have to give up her first love.

As she came back on deck she found the men standing in a group in the middle of the deck and she stood with her hands on her hips.  “There is work to be done, men.”  She stated in a stern voice.

Then they turned with muffled excitement and she found that they had also managed to get a cake along with the mysterious gift in her cabin.

She laughed with amazement as they grinned happily at her, holding a knife for her to cut the cake.  “Happy Birthday, Captain.”  Came the combined call and then they started singing:  “For she’s a jolly good fellow!”

Alexandra felt herself blush and laughed with enjoyment before they all waited expectantly while she cut the cake and handed a piece to each.  Once she had handed a piece to each which they wolfed down happily, she saw Gary bring out the fiddle and then they danced for a while.

She was exhausted, but she allowed a celebration on her birthday and Christmas and that meant that she had to dance with them a while.  It was a tradition.  She would allow them some ale before she would go below deck to her cabin.

She signalled cook closer and handed him the keys, telling him to bring two barrels of ale out for the celebration; she had ordered two extra for exactly this reason.  And she watched with amusement as the men cheered heartily when they saw her gift to them and then broke out once more in song while the mugs of ale were passed along.

“Cap’n, off the port bow!” Peter called from the crow’s-nest with the hand signal that she loved.

She trotted to the front of the ship with Anders at her side and she breathed in wonder when she saw the dolphins playfully keeping abreast of their ship, leaping joyfully out of the water close to the figurehead.  She leaned on the railing and smiled with pleasure at the site.  She had seen it hundreds of times and it was still amazing to her.

“What a gift from the sea!”  She breathed with pleasure and Anders smiled fondly beside her.  They all knew of her love to see the creatures and it had become common practice to call her whenever they spotted something they knew she would like.

Cook showed up with the keys and she took it absently while she still stared at the dolphins playing alongside their ship.  As they eventually moved away she sighed and rubbed her eyes that had started to burn from her exhaustion; it felt as if she had sand in her eyes and she was giving over the battle to stay awake.

“Alright, Anders, I am off to bed, see you in a few hours.”