The Pirate's Secret Baby (3 page)

That, however, was not his problem.

"This other position as a governess--I will need someone to care for the child--"

"Mathilde."

"For Mathilde on the voyage. I will pay you double whatever this other family is paying if you accompany us to England."

"Back to England? I cannot return to England," she paled at the thought.

"Why not? I realize the climate there is atrocious, but they tell me there are warm and sunny days. At least one or two a year." He drummed his fingers on the table. "If you take the voyage with us I will pay for return passage to the Indies, if you desire."

Her fingers trembled as she set down her cup. Was she afraid of traveling on the water? That made no sense since she was in the islands and the only way to get about was to get on a boat.

"I cannot return to England," she said with finality. "I told Mrs. Milton I will be in Charlotte Amalie in the beginning of the month. I have already accepted money for my passage."

"You are not tempted by my offer to double your wages?"

"A foolish gesture," she said. While she didn't smile, her mouth lost some of its thin-lipped stiffness. "What if I told you I was earning twenty pounds a year?"

"I'd tell you that you should consider employment here with Madame Olifiers. Better wages, easier hours and you'd be off your feet." He ignored her gasp and swallowed his coffee, thinking fast.

"I will pay you one hundred pounds to work your passage across the Atlantic as Mathilde's governess, and then pay your passage back if you wish."

"That is a fortune for a few weeks of work! However, I gave my word, and will head to St. Thomas."

He looked at her, consideringly.

"Given my changed circumstances I will be returning to my vessel rather than stay here, Is there a way to contact you in town if I have any questions about Mathilde before we leave?"

She bit her lip, as if gauging whether to release the information to him. It left her lips reddened and he found himself looking at her mouth while she spoke. That small gesture sparked...something. It was likely only an aftereffect of the previous night's debauchery.

"I am boarding with the widow Dupre. You can leave a message for me."

"Are the child's belongings there?"

"No, because I expected to leave Mathilde here if you were not in residence. Madame has them. Nanette and I shared lodgings over the shop, and when she died I found a buyer for the property. The remaining money from Nanette's estate is also with Madame. Nanette trusted her, so I had no reason not to."

He waved his hand negligently.

"Keep the money. You earned it taking care of Nanette and Mathilde."

She shook her head.

"I cannot keep what does not belong to me, Captain St. Armand."

"You would make a poor pirate with that attitude."

Unlike Mathilde, she just sniffed at the idea of a pirate's life, then rose from the table and he stood also. "I will say goodbye to Mathilde now."

She hesitated, then straightened her back and clasped her hands at her waist.

"Mathilde is a good girl, Captain. Lively, intelligent, eager to learn new things. You are a fortunate man to have such a daughter, and I hope you will remember that. I will miss her," she added softly.

He'd never considered it, but caring for other people's children might be the closest a governess such as the plain Miss Burke would come to having children of her own.

"Are you certain I cannot convince you to come to England?"

"I am certain. I will not return to England."

"Then this is goodbye, Miss Burke." He stepped closer to her and noticed the pulse fluttering at her neck, just above the ugly gown. It seemed she was not as impervious to him as she wished to appear. He took her hand from where it was clasped at her waist and she released it into his hold with a small intake of breath, a tiny puff of nervousness. Never taking his eyes off of hers, he leaned down and at the last moment turned the slim hand over. She made a movement as if to tug it from his grasp, but it was half-hearted at best. He lowered his lips to her wrist where the pulse raced, and he smiled inwardly before placing a soft kiss there. If the tip of his tongue darted out and licked the sensitive skin it was surely an accident.

She snatched her hand back and cradled it as though it burned, starting at him through eyes gone large as jade teacups.

"Captain St. Armand!"

"
Adieu
, Miss Burke. Meeting you has been memorable."

He gave her a small bow, and she hurried out as Madame Olifiers walked in, carrying a sheaf of papers. She nodded at the younger woman as they passed.

"Cornelia, do you know where I can find a governess?"

"I believe one just came close to running me down, Robert."

"Miss Burke does not want to return to England." He sighed. "And I must take the child and return to the
Prodigal
."

She went to a cabinet, unlocking it and returning with a valise.

"These are the child's belongings and Nanette's funds."

Madame refreshed their coffee, then pushed over the papers.

"I suspected you'd be leaving us. Here is an accounting of your time in the house."

He took the list from her and couldn't help feeling warm with pride. His reputation was secured. And to his relief, there was no mention of a donkey.

"A night with the twins? I do not recall spending the night with Dawn and Dusk."

"There was also opium that night, and a great deal of rum. You do not get your money refunded for not remembering. I am considering reproducing that account in needlework and hanging it on the parlor wall. I doubt I'll ever see the like again."

She looked up at him with eyes gone serious.

"You will not return, will you, Robert?"

He wanted to reassure her nothing would keep him away from the islands, but he knew better. Changed circumstances--and the discovery of a child was only part of it--meant his time in paradise was coming to a swift end.

"I had a good run, Cornelia. Fair winds and loyal friends, my coffers enriched. I cannot complain. Now that the wars are finally ended it seems prudent to retire from this life and begin anew elsewhere."

"As you say, Robert, it is a different world than when you arrived here. Your belongings will be sent to the ship." She set her cup down and stood. "Fortunately, what I sell is always in demand. If it's not successful pirates coming here, then I can count on the merchants and planters to keep the house busy."

She took his hand in hers and he held it. He remembered when her hair did not have silver in it, her soft eyes unlined at the corners. Like Nanette, she'd brought comfort when he needed it. Sometimes it was only the opportunity to speak with a friend and unburden himself that brought him to Madame Olifiers's establishment, and that was more than enough.

"Goodbye, Cornelia," he leaned down and kissed her on her cheek.

She reached up and patted him on his own cheek.

"Goodbye, Robert. I wish you luck in all your future endeavors. Raising a daughter, you will need it," she finished dryly.

He left her there and walked out to the kitchen. Mathilde sat at the wooden table, peeling vegetables for the cook. There were tear tracks on her round cheeks, but he said nothing, and her face lit up at the sight of him.
It had been eons since anyone had been so thrilled at the sight of Robert St. Armand,
he thought ruefully.

"Look, Captain! This is a sharp knife I am using."

"Good," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "One's blades should always be sharp and ready for action."

Probably not the typical advice for a father to give his daughter, but it was true.

"Are you ready to go now, Mathilde?"

"Yes, Papa. Cook says I can have one of the kittens? May I take one? I will take good care of it."

"No, no cats," he said, more firmly than was needed because her lower lip began to quiver and he began to panic.

"We cannot have a cat because cats make me sneeze, Mathilde. However, when we are in England we will discuss your having a dog."

The lip stopped quivering and she fixed him with a look he'd seen on the faces of the shrewd ladies who sold baskets in the market.

"Is that a promise, Papa?"

"It is a promise we will discuss it in England."

"I will not forget," she swore.

"Neither will I, child. Shall we shake on it?"

She liked this idea, and stuck her hand out. He gave it a firm shake, then picked up her bag.

"Say goodbye, and thank you to the cook."

"Goodbye, Lucille. Thank you for letting me help."

A grin split the cook's wrinkled face, gleaming from the heat of the day and the cooking fires.

"Farewell, Mam'zelle Mathilde. You be good for your papa now."

Mathilde nodded vigorously.

"If I don't he might make me walk the plank!" she said with enthusiasm.

As they stepped out into the sunlight, Robert looked around, but the governess was gone.

"Did Miss Burke say farewell?"

Some of the light went out of Mathilde's small face.

"Yes, sir. I will miss her very much."

They headed out to the road, the ladies calling farewells that Robert returned with a wave. It was a pleasant day and Mathilde's mood lightened as she skipped alongside him, chatting as they walked down to the Marigot harbor. Her voice was a charming blend of island lilt and French accented English.

Her dress was neat, but simple in its design. The flowered pink muslin was appropriate for a young girl, but he could see a good two inches of wrist showing at the ends of the sleeves. It appeared his daughter would inherit his height as well as his looks.

For some odd reason he thought of the governess. She was only of average height and when he'd stood close to her she'd had to tilt her head back, which made her resemblance to an annoyed hedgehog even more pronounced, looking up at him from close to the ground.

"'Walk the plank'? Wherever did you get that idea, child?"

"
Maman
told me stories of the buccaneers and the pirates who live in the islands. She said my papa was the fiercest pirate of all!"

He wasn't about to deny such a sterling character reference.

"Fiercest of all, am I? Hmmm...it occurs to me that if you are going to join the crew of my ship we need to give you a pirate name."

She stopped skipping and looked up at him, and one would think he'd just handed her the moon on a platter.

"A pirate name! Oh yes, please!"

They resumed walking and he thought about it, swinging her valise as he walked. She began skipping again.

"Not that there is anything wrong with Mathilde," he assured her. "It is a perfectly lovely name for a young lady. It strikes me though as not being piratical. Women who are pirates have names that are simple, but do not detract from their fierceness. Girls like Anne Bonny and Mary Read."

"There are girl pirates?" If she looked happy before, he feared now she would explode with excitement.

"Yes, indeed there are. I will show you Captain Johnson's book of pirates when we're aboard the
Prodigal Son
. So. What shall your name be?"

"What is your pirate name, Papa?"

"I find being Captain St. Armand is sufficient in the course of a day's work," he said dryly. "For you...what about Tilly?"

She thought about this, her steps slowing as she tried the name out.

"No, Papa, not Tilly. If you give me that name, people might call me 'Silly Tilly' and that would not be a good pirate name."

"An excellent point," he said. They were now in town and people called out greetings to them, some even fit for the ears of an impressionable child. He ignored most of it and concentrated on the task at hand.

"I have it!" he snapped his fingers and looked at her. "Mattie! You will be Mattie! How does sound? Marauding Mattie, scourge of the West Indies!"

She stopped again to try out the name, then grinned up at him. "I like that name! Marauding Mattie! It is fierce!"

"Indeed. It suits you."

She muttered the name to herself as they walked along, clearly pleased with her new
nom de guerre
.

"If I am going to be Marauding Mattie I will need a sword, Papa. And pistols too!"

"What? Was swordplay included in your lessons with Miss Burke?"

Mattie giggled at this question.

"No, Miss Burke with a sword would be silly. She would say it is not ladylike behavior."

"No doubt she would. Hmmm...aboard my ship the crew has to earn the right to use the weapons, Mattie. And remember, a weapon is a tool and we always take care of our tools and stow and use them properly. Perhaps we can start with a clasp knife and I will see how you care for it and use it before I issue you a brace of pistols."

"A clasp knife? Of my own?" She threw her arms around his legs and hugged him, nearly causing him to stumble and fall in the street. He held his hand over her head and then rested it on her curls. So soft, like thistledown. Usually glib, he found he could say nothing as she looked at him with shining eyes.

"You are the best pirate in the entire world!"

He did not disagree, but took her hand in his as they walked along. There was a tooth missing in her smile. Was he supposed to do something about that? As best he could recall, his own teeth at that age loosened and fell out without any assistance, followed by new teeth. He felt that chill again, the one he'd felt when he was first told he had an unknown child. He knew nothing about caring for a little girl and needed help, desperately.

"Papa, there is the boarding house where I stayed with Miss Burke." The child pointed to a modest dwelling where an older woman dressed in black and wearing a black bonnet sat on the veranda sewing. She waved back at the pair as Mattie called out a cheerful, "
Bonjour
, Madame Dupre!"

The governess was not about, but Robert noted the location in case he needed to speak with her again.

By the time they were at the docks Mattie's steps were lagging but she did not complain, and perked up when he said, "There's our vessel, Mattie, the
Prodigal Son
."