The Cabin Boy (The Bastard Girl Series, Book #2)

Chapter 1~ Before William Kidd

A/N: Thank you all so much for taking the time to hit a few buttons and stumble upon this story! This is the sequel to "The Bastard Girl" which takes place in England 1694. This is a story of pirates, adventure, romance (of course), and the resilience of the human spirit. This story, if you haven't already guessed, is told through the perspective of Edmund Hemingway. If you can, PLEASE read "The Bastard Girl" before starting this title. Most of what is here is based on the first book. But, if you feel like jumping right in, go ahead. I won't stop you! Thanks again to everyone. I try to update weekly. And let me know what you think in the comments--I always enjoy your thoughts! Finally, enjoy "The Cabin Boy"...

Prologue

Constantine Every, the seventeen-year-old daughter of Captain Henry Every, has been searching for her father and his ship for months. She's left her home and all that was left of her life since her mother died. Suddenly, finding herself captured and held hostage by her father's greatest enemy Captain Thomas Tew in the middle of the ocean, Constantine must fight for survival through the tortures and horrors she faces every day. Fortunately, she meets the ship's cabin boy Edmund Hemingway, a boy with dreams of becoming a doctor like his father, who heals her wounds and forms a friendship that soon leads to something more. As the days turn bleaker and her father's downfall looms closer, Constantine still holds hopes that her father will save her and give her the life they'd always dreamed of. But, Thomas Tew catches up with Henry Every, sparking a battle to the death and Tew's own end. However, Constantine has been left scarred and incapable of walking on her own after these torturous events. Edmund and Constantine fight for survival, finally reaching Henry Every's ship. But, the reunion is bitter as Henry never knew of Constantine's capture and hadn't planned on returning to her ever again. Constantine, realizing what she must do, swears off her father, seizes his summer home in Bombay and part of his vast riches, and escapes with Edmund to form a life all their own, hoping that that's the last bit of adventure they'd ever see...

Chapter 1~ Before William Kidd

December 1696

I'd fallen in love with a hurricane of the most perilous, fascinating sort. I'd fallen so deep in love that drowning was an understatement. I was submerged in her—everything of her. And she was a lethal poison in my veins that burned when I drifted too far away. But I couldn't get enough. I would never have enough. So, I decided to marry her.

"What's it like?" she asked, delicate fingers curling around the locks of my hair. Our heads rested on cotton, feather-stuffed pillows. Her raven curls billowed out from under her and rooted into the white pillows like some invasive species. Her skin was light and fair, like an angel's. And I could hardly recognize her from the ruffled sheets. She camouflaged into them, beseeching me to find her voluptuous body hidden deep underneath. We were bare, and the night air danced over our flesh, raising goosebumps and healing the warm, tender bites on my chest. Her neck. My jaw. And her breasts.

"I've already told you," I hummed, pressing my cheek to her palm.

"Tell me again, Edmund." She smiled with a twinkle in her excited eyes that she knew I couldn't resist. "Please."

I gave up the little game and let my hands fall onto my chest as my eyes drifted up to the ceiling of the bedroom. Every day she asked. She would lie there and listen with the focus of a scholar. Most of the time, I romanticized the story for her benefit. A boring day for me was a boring day for her.

"Well, we started loadin' the ship today for the weekend's trip. And I swear Owen gets drunker every time I see the bastard. He nearly fell overboard in the middle of the day! A good, wet smack in the face would be good for the old bugger. Oh, I almost forgot! Guess what I saw?"