Loves' Conqueror. Renee Hand

arms, and stood. He reached for her, but was unsure how to take her without waking her. She was so small and fragile, and Stratton’s hands were large and callused from life at sea. The priest, upon seeing the dilemma, again placed the baby in Stratton’s open arms. Stratton held the baby tightly to his chest, tears of joy running down his cheeks.

      “She’s a precious child, Stratton. Do you have a name for her?” asked the priest. Stratton stroked his daughter’s cheek as he thought of a strong name to give her. He then glanced at his wife, remembering what she had requested of him.

      “Her name will be Miranda, after her mother. Isn’t that right my little angel?” Stratton stared at his daughter. The child was still sleeping, but her lips moved slightly in response.

      “What are we going to do now, Captain?” asked Davy.

      “We’re going to return to the ship and set a course for Eleuthera, Davy.”

      “Eleuthera? But, Captain,” replied Davy. His words stopped when he saw the hard, determined look upon Stratton’s features.

      “My wife needs a proper burial. I won’t leave her here. I won’t toss her body into the sea. She deserves better, Davy. She deserves to be home where she should have been. I promised the men more booty, but there’s something I have to do before we can sail again. I’m all that my daughter has now. I cannot continue this reckless life and bring danger upon her. The Fighting Spur will be dry-docked until my daughter’s old enough to sail. Then, when we are ready to sail again, our destination will be for England.”

      “England, Captain?” asked Davy in disbelief.

      “Yes, England,” replied Stratton. “Will the men stick with me?” The thought of not having a crew alarmed him at first, but then he laughed. He could always find willing men to serve under him. His reputation was good enough for any man to want to join his ranks.

      “Of course, they will, Captain. You’ve brought the men much wealth these past years. I’m sure that some of them would welcome time to enjoy their plunder before they die. All we need is about a half dozen faithful and trustworthy men to stay with us. The rest can be let go until we need their services again. I’ll make sure they get paid in full. We do not wish to have any grievances.”

      “That sounds good, Davy. Thank you. Now, as my first mate and most devoted friend, it’ll be your job to look after my daughter’s welfare when I’m not able to be with her. If she’s anything like her mother, she’ll need us both to guide and love her. Can I trust you to keep my daughter safe?” Stratton turned toward Davy and placed his daughter gently into his arms. Davy looked down at the sleeping baby and felt honored for being given the task. His heart melted as she turned her head and moved her arms farther into the blanket. His blue eyes admired the beautiful child he was holding to his chest. He had always wanted a child of his own but did not see one in his future, especially not with his love of the sea getting in the way of settling down. He didn’t want to change his ways for a woman and yet his heart started to melt at the sight of the infant in his arms.

      “Yes, Captain, I’ll take the responsibility of protecting your daughter when you cannot. From this day forward she will be my daughter as well, and I promise that no harm will ever come to her whilst I’m watching over her. You can have my life upon that oath.” Satisfied, Stratton moved away from Davy’s side, already thinking of the sad trip ahead of them. Miranda’s last voyage.

      “Good, then we’ll raise her together, and she’ll have the love and protection of two fathers. At this point I don’t think I’ll ever love another woman as much as I loved my wife, but a daughter is different. She’ll always have my love. My heart aches, though, because I’ll never be in love again. How could I? There’s no woman out there who would accept me for who I am the way Miranda did. Love is a joke for fools like me who believe they’re deserving of it. Oh, how I loved Miranda, Davy.” Davy placed his hand on Stratton’s back and patted it as tears came to his own eyes.

      “You are young, Stratton. Miranda was a great woman, a great pirate who was as slippery as an eel when it came to stealing booty.” The comment made Stratton laugh as memories of his wife’s past exploits filled him. “She’ll always be in your heart,” Davy continued softly, “but don’t scoff at the idea of finding love again. It is possible. Look at me. I once thought I’d never have a child to love and raise—now I do.”

      Stratton patted Davy on the arm and then shook his head and stared once more at his wife’s lifeless body. He couldn’t help but to go to her, caress her cheek and kiss her lips one last time before he stepped away from her and covered her with the blanket laid upon her.

      “Some of my people can help you carry Miranda’s body back to your longboat. She’ll be sorely missed,” spoke the priest. “Her laughter illuminated this place and brought music from the trees. I’m so sorry for your loss.” The priest then left as a few tears escaped his eyes and ran down his cheeks.

      Stratton nodded as he thought of his daughter’s future. He wanted a new life for her. A life he knew would be hard for him to bear. He then thought of Davy’s promise and smiled. He was thankful for his friend’s help. His thoughts then fell upon his beloved wife as he watched a few of the natives walk through the door of the priest’s house toward him. As they saw Miranda’s body, their heads immediately bowed in sadness and respect. Stratton’s hand moved swiftly to his lips as he closed his eyes, his heart aching. Tears began to flow like a river down his tanned skin, his chest filling with loss. He would miss Miranda dearly.

      CHAPTER 1

       Twenty years later

      “Are you ready, Miry?” asked the deep voice behind the door. Miranda Mayne checked her appearance one more time before moving to the closed door. Her golden skirts flowed side to side as she adjusted the crystal necklace around her neck, tucking the crystal between her breasts and out of sight.

      “Yes, Davy, I’m finally ready.” Miranda opened the door with a smile, knowing that her faithful friend had asked her at least twenty times if she were ready.

      “I don’t know what takes you so long in your appearance. I take less than an hour,” remarked Davy. Davy was the same man that he had been twenty years ago, except now his pitch black hair had various shades of gray mixed in. He had become much wiser with his age, as well as a tad bit softer. Raising Miranda had taken its toll, and he had changed into a different man. He had not only become like a second father to Miranda, but a mother as well, constantly nagging at her to behave. He was devoted to her and rarely left her side. Because of his guidance, Miranda had turned into the woman her father wanted her to be, and yet she had a wild side to her, too. Just like her mother, she loved the sea, cursed often, and was too free with her words, but she was also courageous.

      "I have more to put on, I assure you. I am more than willing to make a trade and wear your breeches while you wear my dress.” Miranda placed her hand on her stomach, adjusting her shoulders slightly. The dress had a low neckline and a tight waist, so tight in fact, that Miranda had a hard time breathing. “If father buys me one more corset I will scream.” Davy grabbed Miranda’s hand and placed it on his arm as he glanced over at her. He escorted her from the room, closing the door behind her, and walked down the hallway quietly. They were descending the stairs when he responded.

      “Child, be thankful of your father’s generosity. He only wants what is best for you.” Miranda’s brown eyes expressed her frustration with the dress.

      “I am thankful, Davy. Forgive my outburst, but I can hardly breathe in this damn thing. Whoever makes these corsets should be shot, because apparently they have never worn one. A man probably created it. No offense to you, my faithful friend.” Davy only smiled at the beautiful girl beside him as he placed his hand over hers. Miranda had grown into a beautiful and enchanting woman. She was almost the spitting image of her mother and had her spirit. Her hair was the color of a pale yellow satin, while her eyes shown their light brown splendor. Her skin was pale but had a hint of a tan from her time in the sun without a parasol aboard her father’s ship. He let her sail with him every time he