Pirates and Prejudice (16 page)

He
and his first mate spent some time with the crew and then went up to the
quarterdeck, replacing one of the men who had taken the helm. Bellows took the
wheel, and Darcy looked about him with the spyglass pressed to his eye. He
scanned the horizon watching for any sign of approaching ships. He then slowly
lowered it to the port side of the ship, catching Elizabeth in its scope.

She
was looking out on the horizon while engaged in a conversation with the ladies.
The setting sun behind her painted the sky and spattering of clouds an
ever-changing array of colours. 

It
was a peaceful evening, and as the sun dipped down in the western sky, the
passengers gathered at the railing to watch. A warm light breeze made the
evening air pleasant enough to remain on deck. But Darcy felt anything but
peace within. He wondered whether he would fall back into his former destitute
state when he returned to London. He had allowed himself to enjoy Elizabeth’s
presence and person too freely. He wondered what had happened to the man he
believed was so regulated, who lived sensibly and rationally, and who – he
believed – would only behave with the utmost decorum.

“See
anythin’ o’ interest?” Bellows asked, a knowing smile spreading across his
face.

Darcy
put the spyglass down and looked at Bellows, a knot forming on his brow. “I
know you suspect that Miss Bennet has become an object of my admiration.” He
spoke clearly and precisely.

“I
don’t suspect it, man; I know it!”

Darcy
shook his head. “What you do not know is that I have admired her for quite some
time. Since autumn of last year, in fact.”

Bellows
looked stunned. “Ye’re acquainted wi’ her? She knows who ye are?”

“No,”
Darcy answered. He took in a breath. “It was a brief acquaintance, and I doubt
with my manner of speaking and my appearance that she has recognized me.” Darcy
leaned in to Bellows. “You did not reveal my true identity at dinner, did you?”

Bellows
shook his head. “No, I promised I wouldn’t. But why not tell ’er who ye truly
are?” Bellows nodded his head towards Elizabeth. “If yer feelings are what ye
say they are… It appears as though this Mr. Adams is quite fond o’ her, too.
I’d let her know, I would!”

Darcy
narrowed his eyes at David Adams. Shaking his head, he said, “There are some
complications to my doing so.” He shook his head. “I cannot tell her who I am.”

Bellows
let out a moan. “I ken’t imagine what that could be when she seems as enamoured
wi’ ye as ye are wi’ her.”

Darcy
turned sharply at his first mate. “What?”

“Ye
must be blind as a bat!” he exclaimed. “Here, ye take the helm. I must needs
attend to somethin’.”

“You
are not going to go tell her, are you?” Darcy demanded. “I will not deal
lightly with you if you do!”

“No
worry, Captain. I jest think the crew and our guests need some lively
diversion!”

Darcy
kept an eye on Bellows to make sure he was not going to speak with Elizabeth.
Instead, his first mate took the steps down and disappeared.

A few minutes
later Bellows reappeared with Michael Jenkins, who went to the forecastle deck
and began playing his flute. A few of the men began dancing a reel together to
the lively music. At length, a few couples joined in as Jenkins played his
repertoire of music.

Darcy
watched from the helm as Elizabeth clasped the good hand of David Adams, and
the two began to dance. Darcy let out a moan and brusquely rubbed his chin in
frustration. Bellows returned and stood at his side.

“It
appears as though they are enjoying themselves,” Bellows said, casting a
side-long glance at Darcy, who did not answer.

Darcy
continued to watch as the couples danced. As each dance ended, the couples laughingly
gave elaborate bows and curtseys and then moved on to different partners. He
felt a sense of relief when Elizabeth was no longer dancing with David.

At
length, some of the older couples grew weary and thanked Jenkins for the music.
Darcy watched as Elizabeth stood by her father and David. The two men were
conversing. Jenkins announced there would be one final dance.

“Take
the helm, Bellows,” Darcy suddenly said.

“What
are you doing?”

Darcy
took in a deep breath. “I am going to ask Miss Bennet for the next dance!”

Chapter 16

Darcy determinedly took the steps down and walked
towards Elizabeth. He felt the same rush of excitement and silly boyhood
anticipation he had felt when he first asked her to dance at the Netherfield Ball.
This was quite different, however. That time, he had felt that Elizabeth
knowing who he was had been in his favour. This time he had in his favour that
she did not.

He came up to
her and gave a quick bow.

“May I have…
’ave the pleasure of the next dance, Miss Bennet?”

Elizabeth turned
to him with a look of surprise. He half expected a lively retort, but she was
silent for a moment.

“Thank you. I… I
should like that very much,” she said.

Darcy bowed and
claimed her hand. His fingers enclosed about hers, giving them a gentle squeeze
as they took their places in the set. Jenkins began to play a slow, rhythmic
tune, allowing the couples to walk and turn with each other, providing ample
time for conversation. Darcy, however, could not conjure up one thing to say.
It was enough to enjoy her sparkling eyes, ready smile, and radiant face.

“Do you not talk
as a rule while dancing, Captain?”

Darcy started,
observing her expression as she spoke these words. He searched her face,
wondering whether she had any recollection of him asking her a very similar
question when they danced at Netherfield. He wondered whether she knew that the
man dancing with her now was the one who had danced with her then.

“’Tis the
purpose of the dance, I suppose, to git a little more acquainted wi’ yer
partner.”

“I am quite glad
you feel that way, as I must admit I have found you a most perplexing character
to sketch.”

Darcy raised a
single brow as they parted for a few movements. When they came back together,
he continued, “So ye are a studier of character, are ye? An’ why is mine so
perplexin’?”

“For one, you
are a very peculiar
pirate
! I am hard pressed to know what to make of
you!” A smile touched the corners of her mouth.

“Well, ye know
I’m
not
a pirate,” he said softly.

Elizabeth laughed.
“So you say, but you chose to impersonate one. I find that peculiar, indeed!”

“I ’ad not
planned to do it; it jest ’appened. As there was an apparent similarity in our
looks, I agreed to it.”

“Oh, yes, I
noticed the similarity,” Elizabeth said as they parted again. She walked around
the couple beside them, and she came back to stand across from Darcy while that
couple walked around them. When they stepped closer, she said, “In your
appearance, I will concur, but that was the extent of it.”

“An’ what do ye
mean by that?”

Elizabeth looked
up into his face, as if searching for something. “Your manner of speaking,
while at times is in the way of the commonest man, at other times hints of
refinement and education. You occasionally exhibit mannerisms of a well-bred
gentleman, as well. It puzzles me exceedingly!”

He took her hand
as they promenaded down the line. “Per’aps,” he said softly, hoping for more
time to keep his identity from her, “I’ve been makin’ an attempt at speakin’ in
a more refined manner to impress a young lady.”

They turned
again to face one another and a lovely blush covered Elizabeth’s cheeks, but
she did not look away. “At times you behave like the perfect gentleman, and at
other times… I do not know whether you are teasing or brazenly flirting.”

“I rarely
flirt,” Darcy said in a grave tone. He shook his head slightly. “An’ if I do,
’tis never brazen.”

Elizabeth’s
brows pinched together, and she tilted her head. “It certainly begs the
question of who truly is this Captain Smith.”

The curls that
framed her face bounced; one fell across her face. Darcy was tempted to reach
over and gently pull it aside with his fingers.

They parted
again, giving Darcy a moment to collect his thoughts – or perhaps to gather the
fortitude to confess all to her. They returned to their place in the set, and
he stared across at her. He would take this image of her and burrow it into his
heart forever. Once she knew who he was, it would change whatever regard she
held for the captain.

He had to wait a
few more movements before he was close enough to speak to her again. They
stepped forward and joined their hands. Darcy met Elizabeth’s raised brow with
one of his own.

“Who do
ye
think Cap’n Smith is?” He held his breath as he awaited her answer.

She bit her lip and
looked up at him intently. “Do you truly wish to hear my thoughts? No, I shall
refrain for the moment. But my curiosity impels me to insist you tell me more
about him.”

Darcy drew in a
sharp breath, fearing she have guessed his true identity. “I fear it would be
of little interest to you.” Darcy winced, realizing he had not spoken with an
accent.

“No,” Elizabeth
said softly, “perhaps the life of a ship’s captain would
not
prove interesting,
but tell me, have you had other adventures at sea as exciting as this one?”
Elizabeth tilted her head and looked at him with questioning eyes.

“Nothing at all
like this.”

“No storms, no
pirates, no crashing upon the rocks? What about mutinies or dealing with an
unruly sailor?”

Darcy shook his
head briefly.

“Hmm,” Elizabeth
murmured. “I would think a sea captain would deal with at least some of those
on a regular basis.” She sent him a challenging look. “Another peculiar piece
of the puzzle.”

Darcy felt his
heart begin to race, as he contemplated what she might suspect. They parted
again and when they came together, there was silence between them for several
movements.

Finally, Darcy
asked, “Is there anything else ye find peculiar?”

Elizabeth glanced
down at their hands, and just as they released them to step around the dancers
on either side of them, Elizabeth exclaimed, “There most definitely is.”

It was several
movements before they came back together, and as they did, the music came to an
end. Michael Jenkins thanked everyone for indulging his playing, but said he
had to report to duty. Everyone thanked him for the lively diversion.

Elizabeth
curtseyed, and Darcy bowed, taking her hand. They walked to the rail of the
ship.

“You were
saying?”

Elizabeth looked
down again at their joined hands, lifting them up. She turned his hand over in
hers. With her other hand, she ran her fingers softly across his open palm.
“Would you say that a ship’s captain does a lot of hard work?”

“Aye,” he
answered, barely able to formulate a coherent thought. His mouth was dry, and
he fought every impulse to pull her close. “Do
ye
flirt brazenly, Miss
Bennet? For ye are treadin’ in some deep an’ dangerous waters here.”

Elizabeth
quickly released his hand. “Pray forgive my impertinence. But I fear I cannot
come to understand how your hands could be so soft and smooth. It is almost as
if you have never done a day’s worth of hard work in your life.” She sent him a
challenging look.

Before he
answered, Elizabeth stopped. She looked intently up into his face. “It is not
important.” She looked towards the stairs and said, “The men have gone to the
dining room. I can go on from here.” Curtseying, she said, “Thank you, again,
for the dance, Mr. Darcy.”

Darcy bowed. “It
was my…” He gasped and he widened his eyes. He felt as if his heart had
stopped. “You know?”

“Oh, I was not
certain,” she said with a nervous laugh, her eyes reflecting confusion,
however, instead of glee. “It was just as we ate dinner that I began to
suspect. It was something Mr. Bellows said after the meal that gave me pause.”

“Bellows? Did he
tell you who I was?”

“No,” Elizabeth
reassured him. “He merely recounted to me that you told him disguise is your
abhorrence. I recalled you saying that very thing to me when… well…” Elizabeth
trailed off, and she cast her eyes down.

Darcy lowered
his brows. He knew exactly when he had uttered those words and felt anew those
feelings of despair and awkwardness that had marked their last meeting at
Rosings.

“I am grateful
you can laugh about it now. I, unfortunately, cannot.”

Elizabeth lifted
her eyes in confusion. “I am not laughing, Mr. Darcy. Pray, I do not know what
you mean.”

“Last night…
Mrs. Keller…”

Elizabeth tilted
her head at him. “I fear I do not understanding your meaning.” A moment later,
she gasped. “Oh, my!” Elizabeth drew her fingers up over her lips.

Darcy looked
intently at her. “You remember what she asked you.”

“Yes, I do,” she
whispered fervently. “But I assure you, the proposal I told them about was not
yours!”

Darcy raised his
brows in curiosity and drew back. “You received another proposal more foolish
than mine?”

Elizabeth sent
him a sympathetic smile. “It was Mr. Collins over whom we shared a laugh last
evening!”

“Mr. Collins?”
Darcy could not check his reaction. His eyes widened. “Mr. Collins? He made you
an offer of marriage?”

Elizabeth
nodded. “The morning after the Netherfield Ball. I refused him – of course –
and he moved directly out of our house to the Lucases’ home, where Charlotte was
more than ready to convince him to seek
her
hand in marriage.”

“Mr. Collins?”

“I am so sorry!
I can only imagine how much humiliation you must have felt, thinking we were
speaking about you!”

“Well, I cannot
doubt that I deserve as much. I was as much of a fool in my entreaty as Mr.
Collins most likely was.”

“Oh, pray, do
not be so hard on yourself, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said softly.

They stood
silent for a moment, and then Darcy said, “Please, Miss Bennet, I do not want
word of my identity to get out to my crew. Bellows is the only one who knows
who I am. I would beseech you not to inform anyone of this until we are off the
ship.”

“You have my
word, Mr… Captain Smith.”

“I thank you.
But, I would tell your father and cousin. Please, would you be so kind as to
bring them directly to my quarters? I wish to explain all to you.”

“I shall.”

“I shall escort
you to the dining hall and then meet you in my quarters.”

He walked her
down to the stairs, bowed, and then walked away.

*~*~*

Elizabeth stood stunned
for a moment, as she considered that what she just recently had come to suspect
was true. Captain Smith was, in fact, Mr. Darcy! She knew something about why
he had agreed to impersonate a pirate, and then to pass himself off as a ship’s
captain, but there was a greater question pressing on her. Why had he not
revealed his true identity to her?

She was barely
able to put one foot in front of the other as she took the few more steps to
the dining hall. All she could think about was how she had enjoyed the
captain’s smiles, his kindness, and his brave acts of valour. As she reached up
to open the door, she suddenly thought of being held tightly in his arms. She
brought her hands up and covered her warm cheeks. And all along it was Mr.
Darcy!

Could he still
have feelings for her? She shook her head.

Not after
everything she had said to him the last time they saw each other in Kent. She
had lashed out at him in anger, accusing him of acting despicably, only to
discover when she read his letter that she had foolishly believed Mr. Wickham’s
lies.

Elizabeth turned
to look in the direction he had walked, her mind in turmoil. He could not still
care for her! Perhaps he had been hoping to humiliate her once she knew it was
him. After all, she had refused an offer of marriage from the illustrious Mr.
Darcy, one which most women would have yearned to receive.

To still her
shaking hands, she clasped them together as she walked into the dining hall.
She found her father and David playing cards with Mr. Joyner and Mr. Dillard.

“Your dance is
over with the captain, is it, Lizzy?” her father asked. “I wish he had been a
true pirate. It would have made the story much more entertaining!’

Elizabeth bit
her lip. David looked up at her, and his brows narrowed. “What is it, Elizabeth?
Is something amiss?”

Elizabeth let
out a nervous chuckle. “No, but the captain wishes to speak with the three of
us.”

“Now?” asked Mr.
Bennet. “I have such a good hand!” He slapped a card down on the table.

“Yes, now,
Papa.”

Mr. Bennet
resignedly put down his cards. “So what is this matter that is so pressing?”

They stepped
away from the others, and Elizabeth drew her father and cousin close. “You may
not readily comprehend this at first, even I am somewhat mystified by the whole
affair…”

“What is it?”
David asked.