The Duke's Daughter -Wattys2014 Collector's Dream Award Winner-

Chapter Seventy Three

Once Derek's lungs had recovered, he heaved himself into the small boat and began to climb her tie up to the stern of the Lady.

*****

Arianna and the Duchess each labored over an oar in the small boat, intent on catching up with Alejandro before he sailed away on the pirate ship. Arianna had hurried back to camp after she had put Derek's plan together in her mind and had hoped to inform Alejandro that Derek was boarding the Lady.

Arianna was relieved when, half way to the ship, the man she hoped to speak to stepped up to the rail. She was about to call out to him when he shook his head and held a finger before his mouth. She nodded to him and simply continued rowing, correctly surmising that the ship was not theirs yet.

After a few more minutes of the tedious task of rowing, Arianna and her mother finally drew close to the Saucy Wench.

"Buenas Días, Señorita." Alejandro called down in a quiet tone.

"Good morning, Alejandro. I just want to inform you that your captain is currently boarding the Lady." Arianna pointed to where the Lady was heading their way.

"Gracias, Señorita, I will keep that in mind. Would you like me to send down a man to row you lovely ladies back to shore safely?"

"No, thank you, we shall be quite.." Arianna began.

"Heavens yes, good man, we would appreciate that very much. My daughter may enjoy this, but I most assuredly do not." Alejandro grinned at the feisty duchess before sending a man down, Alejandro was thinking that the Duchess seemed to have awoken upon the wrong side of her cot this morning. As the ladies were rowed back to shore Alejandro weighed the information Arianna had given him. If Derek was boarding the Lady he would be hot headed to say the least.

Alejandro issued orders for his men to secure the lower decks and began dropping canvas, thinking he had better be close by to cover his captain's backside.

*****

As Derek reached the railing of the ship, he peered over the handrail to see what awaited him. A few of his own men spotted him and helped their captain onto the deck.

Thirty feet separated Derek from the man he wanted to kill.

"He said he was testin' the repairs, Captain." One of the crewmen whispered to him, as both crewmen quietly removed their rapiers and handed them to their captain, "We told 'im you wasn't gonna like it none."
Derek nodded, but no words passed his lips, and his eyes never left Violet Petals' back.

The sun glinted off of the long blades as Derek quickly tested their weight. In ten long strides Derek stood behind Petals at the helm. One sword slipped around the man's throat while the other's tip pressed up against his belly.

"Give me one reason not to gut you, Pirate." Derek sneered angrily.

Vi laughed gleefully as he spied the blades threatening his life. "Well done, Captain!" Vi may have laughed, however, he was careful not to move too much with the cold steel pressed against his unprotected throat. "I needed to speak with you, Captain."

Derek's arms flexed while he debated whether to hear the pirate out, or simply gut him where he stood.

*****

Alejandro's annoyance returned as the tub he was attempting to sail simply sat low in the water. Years of sailing the Lady must have spoiled him, for he did not have patience to wait for the winds to catch in the puny sheets hanging from the masts. All the sails had been dropped, in an effort to catch the wind, but still the Saucy Wench simply bobbed in the water.