Loves' Conqueror. Renee Hand

becomes a distraction. The weeks we will spend at sea will be lonely and hard for these men. I insist that she stays behind.” Locand glanced again at Miranda who glared at him in response. She was about to say something, but Lord Hammil beat her to it.

      “She will not be harmed, Captain Riveri. She is to become my wife and deserves the same respect and consideration as I do!” The shout was unexpected and it startled Miranda so much that she raised her hand to her chest. She glanced at Davy begging him to intercede on her behalf. She didn’t want Lord Hammil to make a scene.

      “Captain Riveri,” spoke Davy, “you will not need to worry about Miranda. She will stay out of the men’s sight and will not cause a distraction. I will be protecting her and will make sure that she is not a bother to you or to anyone else.” Locand glanced at Davy, a smile touching his lips. He nodded his head in reply to Davy’s words.

      “Captain Riveri, she will be with us until we reach New Providence. It is along the way. Once there, I will leave her at my estate. She will not be coming with us to Port Royal. The queen has approved of my arrangements.” Miranda was pleased to find Lord Hammil speaking calmly once more. Locand narrowed his eyes at Lord Hammil, realizing the change of plan, the smile now gone from his lips.

      “Very well, Lord Hammil, but if she causes a distraction to my men, I will leave her at the first island we come to.” Locand glanced one more time at Miranda before turning his back toward her and yelling at his men to set sail.

      Before following the men carrying her trunks down into the belly of the ship Miranda glanced on shore. She could still see the carriage they had stepped out of and something else. She was surprised to see Madam Fairaday on the dock waving at her. At least she thought that it was her, though she had no idea why she would be there. They had said their goodbyes early that morning. But none the less, Miranda was happy to see her. She would miss having another woman to talk to and confide in. It then occurred to her that maybe Madam Fairaday was waving at someone else.

      She turned quickly around to see if anyone was waving at her in return, but there was no one. In fact, it seemed that she was the only one paying her any attention. Even the captain had his back toward her. Miranda briefly waved and watched as Madam Fairaday left the dock, her head bowed as she brought what looked like a cloth to her face. After several seconds, she stepped into an awaiting carriage. Miranda was puzzled by this, wondering why she would be so distraught, but overlooked it and moved toward the stairs and carefully descended. Her trunks and belongings were taken to a cabin not far from the captain’s. There were bunk beds inside and Davy was to stay with her in the same room. Normally, a man would not be allowed such privileges, but because Davy was her guardian there was no better person to protect her than him.

      Lord Hammil was to sleep in the cabin next to them. Inside, the cabin was small but it was neat and clean. There was enough room for Miranda to spread her clothing and some personal items out onto a table in the room. She didn’t mind the cramped quarters and was used to them from spending time on her father’s ship. She walked over to her trunk and opened it. She brought out her journal, which she wrote in every day and a small stack of books. She also unwrapped a piece of cloth that held two swords. She made Davy promise her that they were still going to practice fighting at sea. Somehow, she told him, they would find a way.

      Miranda wrapped the swords back into the cloth and carefully laid them into her trunk. She grabbed one of her books, laid on her bed and started to read, but not before she looked out the porthole. She could feel the wind pick up and take the sails. They were traveling at a good pace now and she quietly said goodbye to England as it quickly became a speck in the distance.

      Davy made his way to the deck to look for the captain. He was at the helm, overseeing his crew and making sure everything was running smoothly. He had left Miranda in their cabin, knowing she would stay down there for awhile and relax before she would make a fuss to come to the deck. He was just passing Lord Hammil, who was standing on the port side of the ship, and was about to talk to him when he noticed the man was turning pale.

      “Are you ill, milord?” asked Davy. Lord Hammil placed his hand on the railing and nodded his head. Davy noticed how tightly he was gripping the railing and how his knuckles were turning white. “Do you need me to help you to your cabin?” Lord Hammil shook his head, determined not to show Davy any signs of weakness.

      “I’m fine, Davy. Usually during the first week at sea I feel sick, but after that I start to feel normal again.” Davy nodded his head not believing one word Lord Hammil said. All his years on a ship, Davy never once got sick, but the men he knew who did usually lasted longer than a week hanging over the side. Before Lord Hammil could say another word, he turned toward the railing and threw up. The retching sound made members of the crew stare at the person making the noise. Davy shook his head and looked up, his eyes staring into the captain’s hazel ones.

      Davy walked up the stairs to the helm to stand in front of Locand. Locand finished giving orders to some of his men and gazed at Davy, his black hair tied back by his neck with a ribbon.

      “Where’s our Miss Smyth?” Locand’s gaze was strong and commanding.

      “She’s in our cabin, probably reading.” Locand smiled, his white teeth shining brightly. “I’m going to ask you now because I know that eventually she will bring up the question. Will you allow her to come on deck if she is dressed like a man rather than a woman? She knows a dress will draw attention to her, but she does have men’s breeches and a shirt to make her fit in better when she is around the crew.” Locand thought for a moment, amazed that a woman who was betrothed to the man, who was at that moment heaving over the side of his ship, knew the goings on of a ship. Locand glanced at Lord Hammil and glared into his back.

      “Quite a man our Lord Hammil is. You might wish to fetch Miss Smyth to have her attend to him. He’s distracting my crew from their duties. For as much as Lord Hammil sails you would think he wouldn’t have this retched seasickness.” Locand stood staring at Lord Hammil shaking his head at the retching sound. His eyes then glanced back at Davy. “I will give you my answer later.” Davy bowed his head and went to get Miranda. Locand’s features still showed his dislike for Lord Hammil long after Davy had left.

      Within minutes Locand saw a pale blue blur out of the corner of his eye. He knew it was Miranda coming to Lord Hammil’s aid. She walked up behind him and stood there quietly. She raised a mug that she had in her hand and thought twice before offering it to him. She softly tapped Lord Hammil on the shoulder. When he looked at her she noticed that his face was a pale white and that his eyes were watering.

      “Drink this, it will calm your stomach.” She then handed the mug to him, which he took eagerly.

      “What’s in it?” asked Lord Hammil skeptically, bringing the contents to his nose so he could smell it.

      “It’s rum mixed with a tinge of ginger. I found some in the galley. The ginger will curb your sickness.” Miranda glanced quickly at Locand who overheard her words. She noticed his eyes widened and his lips pressed tightly together. He was angry with her, she could tell, so she offered him a sassy smile.

      “After you drink it, why don’t you rest? Captain Riveri has everything taken care of up here. We are out of sight from our homeland and are on our way to the Caribbean. We will be at sea for several weeks, so you must relax and enjoy yourself. I am!” Miranda’s soothing voice and actions brought a slight smile to Lord Hammil’s lips.

      “You’re so thoughtful, my dear,” said Lord Hammil as he drank from the mug. His stomach didn’t calm immediately, but it did feel better.

      “My concern is only for you, Leonard. I hate to see you this way.” Lord Hammil was pleased by Miranda’s concern for him and allowed her to escort him down the stairs and to their cabins. Locand’s eyes followed her until she was out of sight. He then glanced back up at his crew and noticed some of their eyes lingering on the girl as well. He instantly became angry and took it out on his crew. His voice was booming as he threatened them to keep their eyes to themselves and on their duties or they would pay the price. The men instantly returned to their duties, not looking in the area of the stairs again.

      Upset