herself for a moment.
"Are you ready to go?" Darsey asked
"No. I hope Meg will come back in, but right now I need to
step out."
"Watch yourself," Darsey called to her, but Smokey's head
was in the clouds. The mate watched her go before turning
back to listen to Scully. When five minutes passed and she had
not returned, he began to study his pocket watch. When two
more minutes passed and there was still no sign of her, Darsey
came to his feet in a flash. He checked Meg's private rooms
and found them empty. He and the crew hit the main tavern at
a full run, and on his shout the room quieted.
"Smokey!"
A murmur went around the room before a man cried out.
"That table in the corner is empty, and there were two
men sitting there not five minutes back."
Darsey didn't answer. He ran for the door and out onto the
docks, many men behind him. Frustration rose within him
over the moonless night, but still he ran, telling himself he'd
find her if he had to tear those docks apart.
the sack that had been thrown over Smokey's head, as
well as the sweet-smelling cloth that had been held over her
mouth, were suffocating. Only moments passed before she
lost consciousness, making her unaware for the remainder of
the night that she had been carried and deposited onto a
strange bed in a strange cabin on a ship she'd never seen
before
When she did awaken, it was getting light--that much she
knew without having to look. Her head was pounding, and she
didn't want to open her eyes, but she told herself she must try.
Something wasn't right.
Trying to sort out what felt so wrong, she realized she must
have dozed off before telling Darsey that she wanted to go to
Clancy's. Smokey's eyes flew open with a start. She'd already
been to Clancy's and talked with Meg. On her way back from
the "necessary," someone had grabbed her!
From her place on the bed, Smokey let her eyes roam. She
was in a huge cabin; it was at least four of her own and garishly
decorated in red and black. She'd never seen anything like it.
Her eyes widened in surprise when she caught sight of a
nearly life-size statue in the corner. It was anaked woman, her
arms raised seductively over her head
Realizing the entire room was full of such "art," Smokey
sat up slowly. On the wall opposite her was a painting of a man
140
141
and a woman in an intimate scene. Smokey's face flamed as] she looked at it, and her heart fought down the panic rising:
within her.
She tossed off the quilt someone had lain over her and
swung her feet off the side of the bed Aglance out the window
told her they were docked, but before she could think to call
for help, her head began to hurt so badly that she was forced to
close her eyes again.
Questions as to where they might be, and who had taken
her and why, swarmed her befuddled mind. Her head pounded
on until she knew she would have to lie back down or be sick.
Even after her head hit the pillow, questions surfaced, but no
answers followed Fight as she might, sleep was crowding in
once again.
f _ .*.-
ourrcu again many hours later. "I had begun to despair of ever
seeing your eyes; they are as lovely as I imagined"
Smokey had come fully awake at the sound of that voice
and moved herself backward on the bed until she was pressed
stiffly against the headboard
A huge man with sandy brown hair and a boyish smile sat
in the chair nearest the statue. He seemed as composed and
pleased as if he were entertaining a close friend and not a
woman he had abducted
"Who are you?" Smokey managed
The big man's eyes twinkled, and he stood Bowing from
the waist, he spoke.
"Haamich Wynn at your service, my dear. I'm sorry our
first encounter had to be so rough, but I promise to make it up
to you." This said, he again took a seat.
"Haamich Wynn?" Smokey asked "The pirate?"
Inordinately pleased that she had evidently heard of him,
his grin widened
"One and the same. Now, my dear, you have me at a
image. I know your nickname is Smokey, but I wish to
your real and full name."
"Why?"
"Well, my dear," he spoke as if it were obvious. "We're
going to become intimately acquainted, and I want to know
'what I should call you."
Smokey was silent.
"Oh, my dear," the pirate spoke, his voice tender, almost
hurt, "you're not going to talk with me? How can we ever
be.. .friends--" he said the word with a malicious grin--"if
you don't talk to me?"
"Friends?" Smokey questioned flatly, not at all impressed
with his smooth tone.
"Oh, yes, my dear," the pirate chuckled, "we'll be very good friends."(
It was all said with such smooth confidence that Smokey's
fear escalated until she thought it would choke her. He was
serious, dead serious.
"Now," he went on in that same easy tone. "Most women
do not like surprises, so I'm going to tell you about the
remainder of the evening. You're going to tell me what I want
to know, and then I'm going to leave and give you some time to
get used to the idea of our friendship"
"Speak plainly." Smokey's eyes smoldered with disgust.
"It is not for friendship that you keep me here."
An amused smile turned up the corners of the pirate's lips.
"As you can see," he nodded his head toward a tray of food,
ignoring her words, "I've ordered some food for you, but I
imagine you're too upset to eat. After I leave you, I'll want you
to change. When I come back, we'll continue to talk, but at that
time we won't be separated by the space of this room; in fact
there won't be anything separating us at all.
"And one last thing," Haamich's voice dropped, and his
eyes lost their sparkle. "I want you to keep in mind that I can force you to do anything I wish... but I'd rather not."
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The pirate fell silent to allow his guest to digest this
was satisfied with the fear he saw in Smokey's eyes.
"Now about those questions. Well, first I wish you to stand]
up. Come now," his voice grew persuasive. "I'll not touch you,
yet. Just get off the bed and let me see you."
Smokey, still shaking so badly she thought she might be
sick, came stiffly off the bed She watched his eyes move
slowly over her and when she would have folded her arms
over her chest, forced them back to her sides at the slow
negative shaking of his head.
"Take the tie off your braid," he instructed her. Smokey
looked down to see that the braid had fallen over her shoulder
to lay across her breast. With trembling fingers, she complied
"That's it," he encouraged "Now shake your head so your
hair falls free. Oh, yes, I guessed that your hair would be one
of your lovelier assets, although I'm sure you have many. Now,
yo
u may sit down again if you wish and tell me your name."
Smokey did sit, her hair now a riot about her shoulders and
back, but she did not reveal her name.
"I don't suppose it would do any good to tell you I want to
leave this ship."
"You're right, no good at all. Your name?"
"What if I were to offer you money?" Smokey tried
Haamich Wynn laughed in true amusement. "I've found
you, Smokey, and you're mine. Now for the last time, your
name" His tone changed just slightly and the smile evaporated
Smokey saw no hope for it.
"Victoria Simmons."
'Victoria. I like it, but I also like the name Smokey, so
while you're changing I'll decide what I'm going to call you.
How old are you?"
"Twenty-five."
"Really," he seemed truly amazed "I'd have guessed younger.
And an innocent, no doubt?"
Smokey's breath caught in her chest, and she blushed to
the roots of her hair. Her captor's smile became very tender as
did his voice. "That more than answers my question."
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*Without giving her time to say the angry words that were
Icaught in her throat, he stood. Smokey stiffened, but he did
loot approach. Going to one of two wardrobes, he opened the
-
Smokey could see, even from a distance, that it was very near
her size.
"Now," he spoke as he laid the dress across the chair he
had vacated "I'll leave you to change. When I return, I will
collect the clothes you're wearing, so don't bother trying to
hide them. I actually like you in trousers, but I prefer my
women to look like women."
"How many of us are there?" Smokey finally spat in fury,
which oddly enough seemed to please her companion.
"There have been many, I will admit to that. But after
seeing you, my dear; well, I have quite frankly lost my heart."
"So I'm supposed to be flattered by this abduction?"
"Indeed," he told her sincerely. "Now, do change, my little
love, because if you don't put the dress on, I'll put it on you
myself, and I don't think you want that."
He gave her no further chance to reply, but exited. Smokey
heard him lock the door from out in the passageway. She
stared at the door before her eyes fell on the dress. Bile rose in
her throat.
"I don't know what else to do," Smokey began to sob, even
as she unbuttoned her tunic. "Please help me, Lord," she cried
as she undressed and quickly slipped into the dress. She had
left her trousers on, but the dress was so tight-fitting around
the waist that she couldn't button it without removing them.
She felt utterly bare in only the dress, her underdrawers,
and boots, but she feared what he might do should he come
back and find she had disobeyed. As she buttoned the last
button at the neckline, she stared in horror at her front,
lugging and pulling, she searched for more fabric that might
be hidden, but it was no use. It was the most revealing gown
she had ever seen. A full-standing mirror stood in one corner
and Smokey moved toward it with dread.
144
"I look like a doxy," she whispered to her reflection. Her
eyes slid shut to blot out the image, and she began to pray.
"I'm going to trust You, Lord. Please calm my fear so I can
think clearly. Right now I don't see a way out of this, but You're
a God of miracles, and I pray that You will show me what to
do."
Smokey's prayers were cut short when she heard someone
at the door. She continued to pray silently as the door opened
and Haamich Wynn entered. He looked very pleased to see
her in the dress, and Smokey felt an amazing calm come over
her as she watched him move about the room lighting each
lantern.
Until that moment she hadn't realized how dark it had
become. When every lantern was aglow, Haamich turned to
her and smiled His eyes moved carefully over her.
"I can see by your eyes that you have either resigned
yourself to your fate or decided to fight me."
"I have decided to fight you, but not the way you think."
Smokey paused and nodded above her captor's head. "I'll
fence with you. If I win, you set me free; if you win, I'll submit
without a struggle."
Smokey wondered where that came from and why she had
never before noticed the gold foils that sat high on the wall in
a beautiful glass and wood case. If she had seen them, she
would have met Haamich Wynn armed and ready when he
came through the door.
It shouldn't have surprised him, but it took a moment for
Haamich to see that she was serious. It was incredible to him
that she actually knew how to fence. The more he thought on
it, the more he liked the idea. The pirate's eyes glowed with
excitement and lust as he spoke.
"I have never in my life met a woman like you, Victoria,
and I have no plans to let you go."
"Then there is no point in the wager. I thought you might
be a man of honor," she told him coldly.
"Ah, but I am a man of honor. I'm only warning you that I will win the match and you will be mine."
145
"I'm ready to take that risk. Are you?"
"Yes, more than willing."
Smokey watched as Haamich removed his coat and laid it
across a chair. He then flipped a catch at the top of the case,
the back of his hand nearly touching the ceiling. Lifting the
foils out with care, he placed them both on the bed He
selected one, backed off, and waited for Smokey to take her
own. He was quite confident that she didn't stand a chance,
but he would not be so foolish as to give her an opportunity to
strike out when he was unprepared
Smokey grasped the handle and took up her position. The
face of her opponent told her that he found this all to be little
more than an amusing game. Smokey, on the other hand,
knowing this man to be big but not clumsy, realized fully that
she might be fighting for her life.
"En garde," Haamich said, and Smokey took the offense.
In a move that was nothing short of lightening fast, she
sidestepped and cut nearly to the skin across his stomach.
Haamich deflected her next move and held her blade in
midair. His smile no longer in evidence, he was now completely
alert, cursing himself for agreeing to fight her. He was
going to have to cut her to disarm her, and the thought
infuriated him.
While he hesitated, Smokey moved again. For the next
several minutes all was quiet as they fought with equal skill
and dexterity. Haamich's strength far outweighed hers, but
Smokey was so fast and agile that she more than made up for
her lack of muscle. She could see that her opponent was
flagging.
In a move of desperation, Smokey did something she had
never done before--something for which her father would
have thrashed her. She went for his face. Slightly horrified at
the dark red line that appea
red and immediately began to
bleed, Smokey stepped back and stared The pirate seemed to
freeze in his tracks.
Smokey watched as he lifted his free hand to his face. He
touched the cut that was deeper than it first appeared, and
146
brought bloody fingers out to examine. Smokey's eyes were
huge at his reaction. His head began to roll, his eyes went back
in their sockets, and a moment later he fell full-length on the
floor between them. Smokey scampered back, ready to fight if
it were a trick, but he seemed to be completely out. Her breath
coming in quick gasps, she approached and poked him with
her weapon. He didn't budge.
She fell on the bedsheets and began to tear them like a
woman possessed. In less time than she would have dreamed
possible, she had tied his feet and hands. She stuffed a great
wad of sheeting into his mouth and then tied a gag so tight she
knew he would be in agony when he woke.
All the time she worked, she thanked God--and Darsey
for insisting she learn her knots. Her final two moves were to
bend the pirate's knees so she could attach the ties that were
on his feet and hands. Lastly, she secured him to the bed so he
wouldn't be able to roll to the door.
A mad dash around the room did nothing toward finding
her clothes. She hadn't even seen him take them. She had just
started a more thorough search when he moaned. The sound
panicked her, and she knew she had to flee while there was a
chance. She rushed to the door and, with a final glance back,
turned the key.
She moved silently out into the companionway, locked the door, pocketed the key, and stood still, trying to calm the
frantic beating of her heart. She knew that to go on the docks
dressed as she was could be Just as dangerous as staying on
the ship. A sound from within propelled her forward, however,
and with silent steps she gained the upper deck.
No one seemed to be about. She spotted one man by the
wheelhouse, but he was lifting a bottle to his mouth and
seemed oblivious to everything about him. The ship was much
larger than her own, but it made no difference as Smokey
moved with quiet expertise among the familiar surroundings,
staying in the shadows until she reached the gangplank. The
pirate must have dismissed most of his crew for the night,
believing he had everything in hand with his young captive.
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In order to actually leave the ship, she would have to leave