Ill Wind and Dead Reckoning: Caribbean Pirate Adventure (Valkyrie) Read Online Free

calm, but it was an effort.
    ‘I could cut down one of the hogsheads for her,’ Sharpe said from behind Hornigold. ‘That may work as a bathtub.’ Hornigold turned and glared at him, and I was interested to see him take a breath to calm himself. Sharpe was unaffected by his anger.
    ‘You sort it then,’ Hornigold snapped. ‘And get one of the deckhands to fetch warm water from the galley.’ He turned back to me, calm now. ‘It’s all organised, my crew will arrange your bath, Klara is not needed.’
    ‘I’m not having any of your filthy crew in my cabin!’ I retorted. ‘They can leave the buckets of water outside the door, and Klara will take it from there. I’ll also need her to help with my dressing. I cannot possibly spare her at all tonight.’ I looked him in the eye and refused to blink or let my gaze drift up to those eyebrows. I noticed Sharpe wink at me from behind him and felt myself blush, but I didn’t back down.
    ‘Klara is my slave, and is here to attend to me ,’ I continued. ‘I am sure my fiancé will be very interested to hear all the details of my journey.’
    Hornigold clenched his fists and made a noise like a growl, then spun round and strode away. Sharpe smiled at me and followed. I closed the door in relief, then sighed. I was shaking and felt faint, but was cheered by the flicker of a smile from Klara. Why couldn’t I have stood up to Father like that? Why did Mam not resist Father like that?
    My return smile dissolved into giggles that I couldn’t stop, and Klara soon joined in. I’d been terrified defying the captain – a pirate – like that and had expected a blow. Who’d have guessed a villain would stay his fist where Father would not? Eventually, my relieved hysteria subsided, and I sat on the cot to wait for the bathtub and water. I had to focus on the future and not the past if I was to survive this.
    ‘This worked tonight, but we need to find more reasons why I can’t spare you,’ I said.
    Klara looked up, then smiled and crossed to the cot. She knelt down and reached underneath it, then pulled out a chest I hadn’t realized was there. I moved out of her way as she opened the lid and looked inside at lace, ribbons and a parcel of white silk.
    She lifted out the silk, and said, ‘We have to make your wedding gown. It could be a lengthy task.’
    I stared at the material, feeling numb as it finally sank in that I was to marry into this life, and Mam would not be there to guide me.

Chapter 6
     
     
    Mr van Ecken summoned me, and I left Klara packing my chest and joined him and Captain Hornigold on the deck at the back of the ship above the cabin. I looked shoreward. There it was – Sayba. We’d entered a small bay, bathed in sunshine, around which a town huddled.
    ‘Eckerstad,’ Mr van Ecken said with pride. Klara had been tight-lipped about my fiancé, Erik, but she had told me about the town. Eckerstad had been founded by the man beside me – Jan van Ecken – and he was also Governor. It was the only town on the island, and Jan and Erik lived in the largest estate – my new family was the most important in Sayba.
    Captain Hornigold shouted, ‘Let go anchor!’ and a man on the foredeck swung a large mallet. The anchor, which had been suspended on a wooden frame to the side of the bow, dropped with a tremendous splash. The ship slowed and swung round until the anchor warp jerked tight and we were held in place.
    ‘Ready the longboat!’
    It was time to go and van Ecken led me to the side of the ship and that carrying seat suspended from the spars above. I didn’t protest this time but sat in silence, drenched with sweat in the heat, as I was lowered to the small boat already loaded with our chests. Van Ecken then Klara followed and we were rowed ashore.
    A short, heavy, red-faced man with a basic open carriage was waiting for us. My fiancé?
    ‘Rensink,’ van Ecken gruffly greeted. ‘Where’s my son?’
    Not Erik then . I sighed in relief.
    ‘He