Carried Home Read online

  Carried Home

  by Heather Manning

  Published by Clean Reads

  www.cleanreads.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  CARRIED HOME

  Copyright © 2015 HEATHER MANNING

  ISBN 978-1-62135-412-3

  Cover Art Designed by AM DESIGNS STUDIO

  Carried Home is dedicated to everyone who helped me get here.

  Thank you to God, because without Him, I’d be nowhere.

  Thanks to my whole family, especially my sister, Cortney, for helping me edit my first draft (and drawing some pretty awesome sketches in the margins!), and my brother, Nathan, for helping me detect “teleporting pistols” in my next draft.

  Thanks to my friends for putting up with me, especially Kira. (There may or may not be an orange velociraptor in this book. It’s your job to find it.)

  Thanks to my awesome publisher, Astraea Press (Clean Reads), for helping me get here. (You rock, Stephanie!)

  And finally, thanks to my readers, because without you, my work would be meaningless.

  Chapter One

  Near Port Royal, Jamaica

  1696

  “We simply cannot!” Lady Ivy Shaw panicked. She had spent far too much time away from her home in England; far too much time away from her family. Why, with her gone for such a time, something terrible could have happened to poor little William! Already, she could imagine him accidentally toddling out a window or into the street to his demise. Or coming down with a fever and having a hard time recovering. Or…

  “I’m sorry, Lady Shaw, truly I am, but the ship needs to be careened. I assure you it is for our safety. Careening will make our voyage back to London faster and safer in the end. It will take more time, but it is necessary. Besides, I have some business to do here in the colonies before we go back home. Those duties and the work that needs to be done on the ship could take longer than a fortnight.” Captain Matthew Emery offered her a sincere look.

  Inside, she knew he was doing what was best. Why would he intentionally do something to prevent her and Aimee from returning home, especially when he was aware of Ivy’s worry for her brother?

  But she could not wait any longer. She wrung her hands, fixing her gaze on the floor. A soft scuffle sounded from behind her and she spun around to find Aimee joining them on the deck. Her golden blonde curls flew behind her in the warm, salty breeze.

  “What’s the matter, Ivy?” Aimee’s concerned gaze morphed into a glare when she took note of Emery.

  Ivy sighed. “We will have to wait for Captain Emery to careen the ship and do some business here in town before we return to London.”

  Her friend’s brow furrowed. “How long will it take?”

  “Possibly much longer than a fortnight, milady,” Captain Emery answered. “There is nothing I can do to prevent it. I already avoided the task of careening before we left London in search of Lady Trenton. And I am in need of the sums business here will provide.”

  Ivy shook her head, trying to think of an alternate course that would get her home to her brother in less time. Nothing. There was no choice. She glanced out over the bow of the Cross’s Victory. The sun was setting, casting a slight shadow over the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Her gaze slid to the back of the ship, where another vessel sailed just behind them. Eden’s husband had sent his friend, Captain Thompson, to follow them until they reached Port Royal to ensure their safety. Ivy may never understand why her best friend, Eden, had married a pirate captain, but at least she was happy.

  “I am utterly shocked to admit this, but for once, I agree with Captain Emery. If the ship needs to be repaired, then we should see to it before we are stranded in the middle of the Atlantic. Goodness, I cannot imagine being stuck on this ship with this…company for so long.”

  Ivy jerked her gaze to Aimee.

  “Ladies, we can discuss this further when we reach Port Royal. We are nearly there. Right now, I must see to my duties to get the ship to shore. Again, I truly apologize, Lady Shaw, but this delay is unavoidable.” Captain Emery nodded before turning and striding towards the forecastle deck.

  It looked as if her case was absolutely hopeless, but she had to keep thinking and praying. There must be some solution.

  ****

  “Land ho!” A shout drifted down from the shrouds.

  Captain Gage Thompson lifted a spyglass to his eye and immediately recognized the cliffs surrounding Kingston Bay a few hundred yards off their bow.

  “Any orders, Cap’n?” the sailor commanding the helm asked.

  Gage had to stop himself from looking around the deck for his previous captain, Caspian Archer. He still was not accustomed to holding the title for himself.

  “Sail her true to port, men!” Gage glanced about the decks, where his entire crew moved about, some climbing into the rigging to tighten the sails. He only had ten men, all of whom came from Caspian’s ship. To run the ship smoothly without exhausting everyone required a crew of thirty.

  At Port Royal, he needed to sign on some men so he had a substantial number to sail the ship and go into battle if they needed to. Right now, almost all of the men were needed above deck at all times. With the little rest they managed to snatch, the tired crew would never be able to keep the ship in tip-top shape.

  Gage twisted to view the ship he escorted to Port Royal. Caspian had asked him to see the Cross’s Victory safe to land. Eden—Caspian’s wife now—had encouraged that request because her two dear friends were aboard it, and Gage had obliged quite willingly. Since the day he had seen her he could not clear the image of Eden’s redheaded friend from his mind. Lady Shaw, her name was. She was enchanting, and something about the look on her face had made him unable to forget her. There was something haunting, some deep sadness he sensed in the gray-blue depths of her eyes. He longed to at least properly introduce himself to the lady.

  When both ships were anchored at the docks, he would talk to the women and make sure they had everything they needed before he headed his separate way. Perhaps he could even learn what made her so mournful.

  ****

  Ivy stood on the docks, clutching Aimee’s arm and watching the scene in front of her with interest. Behind her, Captain Emery’s ship bobbed in the docks among dozens of others. As the ocean lapped against the wood, a playful breeze danced around Ivy, causing some locks of hair to escape their confinement. She batted them away from her face.

  Before her lay a bustling little city. Men carrying boxes, crates, and sacks called to each other and scrambled about. Sailors and what Ivy could only assume were pirates ambled in and out of the countless taverns that lined the streets.

  If one could ignore the ragged sailors, this city seemed more civilized than she had imagined from the stories she had been told of a wicked town, filled to the brim with sordid pirates and shameless women.

  “Ladies!” A shout came from her left, but when Ivy turned, no one seemed to be looking at her or Aimee. She glanced back at her friend and shrugged her shoulders. Whoever it was must be summoning someone else.

  “Ladies!” A head, covered in wavy brown hair popped into her view. A few seconds later, he was at her side—the pirate Eden had sent with them.

  What was he doing here? A spark of fear set her belly on fire. What was he capab
le of doing to two women alone?

  The pirate seemed to be a charming man, she had to give him that. His chocolate brown eyes sparkled, and the deep tan of his skin set off the glistening white of his smile. Dark stubble peppered his chin. He bowed before Aimee and Ivy, bringing their fingers to his lips briefly as he did so.

  Ivy stared at him, unabashedly curious. In all her life, she had never met a real pirate. She did not know what to expect from a man like him.

  “My ladies, C-Captain Gage Thompson, at your service.”

  His face had warmed to a slight shade of pink as he gazed at her. Ivy shifted and absently patted her hair.

  Silence stretched for a few moments. Ivy glanced at Aimee, who gawked at the man as if he had just jumped out of the sea like a wild fish. Finally, Ivy chose to break the silence. “You are Eden’s friend?”

  “Aye, milady. I have sailed under h-her husband’s flag since I was sixteen years old. He asked me to ensure you arrived in Port Royal safe and sound.”

  “Well, as we have done so, you may now take your leave, sir. I thank you deeply for travelling with us,” Ivy answered. She regretted the curtness of her words, but she was eager to get away from his piercing dark gaze.

  “I-I would, milady, but I have not had the privilege of being introduced to you two fine young women.”

  Ivy flinched. This man seemed nice enough, but his flattery was useless on two ladies of class. That was just the way society saw things. She peered back at the Cross’s Victory, anxious for Captain Emery to return to them. The pirate may have been Eden’s friend, but she had no idea what he was capable of doing to two females who were without the benefit of an escort.

  He raised his eyebrows, a charming grin curving his mouth.

  Ivy remained still. His look erased his words from her mind.

  Aimee stepped forward, covering Ivy’s sluggishness. She curtsied and said, “I am Lady Aimee Dawson, and this is Lady Ivy Shaw.” She nodded towards Ivy.

  Ivy dipped her head politely, and when she raised her eyes, the pirate’s gaze had not left her. He winked. She fidgeted with the end of her sleeve, glaring at him. She wanted no part of this pirate and his charms. Where is Captain Emery?

  “Ladies, is there any way I can help you? D-do you need anything while you are here in Port Royal? I will be leaving tomorrow at dawn, so if you would like anything, please just ask it of me.” He flashed them a charming, perfect smile.

  Ivy sighed and looked around, then down, anywhere but at his attractive physique. His perfectly polished black boots filled her gaze. A thought occurred to her, and she jerked her head back up to his face. She had no idea why she had not realized it sooner.

  “Captain…Thompson, is it?”

  He nodded.

  “Where is it you are going when you leave tomorrow, sir?” she asked, studying him carefully.

  “The Carolinas, milady.”

  Ivy furrowed her brow. “What business do you have in the Carolinas?” She shook her head, envisioning what type of business a pirate might attend to. “No, never mind, I probably don’t want to know.”

  Aimee let out a little puff of air next to her.

  A grin stretched across Captain Thompson’s lips. “Miss, it is not what you may think.” Why did the man not address her and Aimee by their proper title? He probably did not understand how to do so. “I have no intention of raiding the town or any other mischief. Nay, I go there to visit my sister, whose husband passed away recently.”

  "I'm sorry for her loss, sir.” Ivy glanced down. She didn’t wish such a tragedy on anyone. A wave of guilt washed over her. She had judged this man from the moment she saw him, but he seemed to be quite caring and his sister was in an unfortunate state. Really, she should apologize.

  "Aye, well, he was a brute of a man. I'm not sorry for her loss in the least, if you can forgive me speaking ill of the dead." Captain Thompson's gaze latched onto Ivy's for a second, before quickly diverting to the wood planks of the dock below them.

  ****

  "Oh. Well. I'm sorry, I suppose."

  Gage nodded.

  Lady Shaw, the enchanting redhead, stared at him unabashedly. He suddenly felt flustered since she had managed to not look him in the eye since she had caught him staring at her from the deck of his ship. With her in front of him, he scarcely noticed her friend next to her.

  After a few moments of rather awkward silence, Lady Shaw opened her mouth as if to speak, stopped, opened it again, and then closed it yet again.

  Finally, she took a short step closer to him.

  “Sir?” she inquired, her eyes fixed on his boots.

  “Yes, miss.” Gage stooped down to look at her pink face. “What may I do for you? Name anything, and it shall be done. You are Eden’s friend, so you are my friend as well.”

  “Well, sir, you said you are sailing to the Carolinas…May I ask how long that extra trip would take and where you plan to go afterward?” Lady Shaw said, stuttering a little. The blonde woman, Lady Dawson, reached out and clasped Ivy’s arm the second she finished speaking.

  Lady Shaw glanced at her friend for a second before pulling from her grasp and stepping closer to Gage.

  He could not seem to move properly. Or speak properly. "I—well, I can't be saying for certain, miss; it could take up to a fortnight to get to her—"

  "Would you consider sailing to London in all haste, once you have finished your business in the Carolinas?" Lady Shaw spoke rapidly, pleading with her stormy gray eyes.

  "Ivy!" Her friend whispered, pulling the lady back yet again before spinning to face Gage. "Sir, if you will please excuse us for a moment, I would appreciate it greatly." She smiled at him with a flutter of her thick eyelashes. Gage barely noticed her pretty features because he was far too distracted by Lady Shaw. Why did this woman want him to sail to London in all haste? Well, no matter. With her crystal-gray eyes and fire-tinted hair, he was almost certain she would be getting whatever she wanted from him.

  "Yes. Yes, of course, ladies." He stepped back a few paces and examined Kingston Bay while the women spoke in hushed tones.

  ****

  "Ivy, what do you think you are doing? You cannot just run off with the nearest man who happens to own a functioning ship. Why, you don't even know this person! I thought you were the responsible one."

  Ivy sighed, barely listening to her friend.

  This was her chance. Her one chance to get home, to take care of her brother before something went wrong. She would not be able to bear it if something happened to her brother, or any member of her family, for that matter, while she was away from them.

  "Ivy!"

  She leaned to her friend, smiling apologetically. "I know, Aimee, but he is a friend of Eden's husband. Surely he is a gentleman."

  "He is a pirate! Now, I trust Eden's decision in the man she married, but friend or not, this man is a pirate! You know what that means don't you? Do not tell me you haven't heard stories, because I know you have, Ivy. You are usually the one out of all three of us who thinks rationally." Aimee crossed her arms defiantly.

  "Aimee, this is none of your affair.” Guilt weighed down Ivy’s heart at her snappy tone. There was no reason to take her turmoil out on her friend. “I need to get home to William before something terrible happens. Please, just let me do this." Ivy moved her eyes to the captain, who had turned away politely, seeming to ignore their conversation. His back leaned against a barrel and his legs and arms were crossed as he stared into the bay. “You could go with me, Aimee, and leave Captain Emery. I know you detest his company for some reason.”

  "I am not about to go on a voyage with a pirate! That’s even worse than sailing with Captain Emery. But Ivy, I can't lose you. Eden already moved away with her pirate. What if something happens to you? Besides, I will be worrying about you nonstop until I get home. Don’t put me through this again. You know what it was like when we didn't know if Eden was alive or dead." Aimee reached out, resting her hands on Ivy's elbows gently. Ivy leaned aw
ay, and Aimee was forced to strain her neck to see her downcast face.

  "Aimee, you do not understand. You have no younger siblings; you don't know what it feels like! Do you remember how it is for me back home? With Mama sick most of the time, William depends on me. When I am not there, no one is really left to tend to him. Papa never knew what to do with children. Something horrible could happen without me there! I don't care who I sail with, but I have to get back home as soon as I can, and this man is leaving tomorrow at dawn. What else can I do?"

  Ivy took a step backward, her hand to her aching forehead, and bumped into a crate behind her. She swung her arms to right herself, and then noticed they had attracted a small audience of men. They were a raggedy bunch, all staring at Aimee and herself.

  "You are making a scene, Ivy!" Aimee leaned in close as she whispered.

  Captain Thompson seemed to notice, because he stepped between the ladies and the men, standing tall and giving them a formidable look. The men grumbled, and bit by bit, scurried away back to their duties.

  Finally, Captain Thompson faced Aimee and Ivy. "Are you all right, ladies?"

  Aimee jabbed Ivy with her elbow, giving her one last pleading look. “Do not force me to be alone with Captain Emery on that long voyage."

  Chapter Two

  Eden watched silently from the armchair near the porthole of the cabin as her husband Caspian read aloud to her and their son, Reed, from an enormous Bible. Behind her, the sky was lit only by the twinkling stars that reflected in the black, glassy ocean. She loved the sea at night, when everything was dark and the sky so clear.

  Reed yawned and leaned back in his chair, his eyelids drooping. A curl of tawny hair drooped across his forehead, and Eden smiled. The child's hair was just as unruly as his father's dark locks.

  After a quick prayer, Caspian closed the heavy book. He smiled lovingly at Eden, and her heart fluttered as it always did when her husband looked at her.