Free The Pirate Lord by Sabrina Jeffries Page B

did nothing to lift her spirits. The last thing she wanted was to enter the private cabin of a self-proclaimed satyr. But she put a brave face on her terror as she set her shoulders and wove her way through the crowd to the stairs.
    When she reached the pirate, he stood aside, gesturing to her to ascend the stairs first. She hesitated only a moment before doing so. It was difficult to keep her skirts close about her as she climbed the steep stairs. Why she was bothering to be so modest, she didn’t know. The odds were that she wouldn’t be allowed to retain her virtue much longer. Still, such habits of gentility were too ingrained for her to relinquish them easily.
    As soon as they were both on deck, the pirate took her arm in a surprisingly gentle grip and stopped.
    “I’m Barnaby Kent, the first mate. And before I take you to meet the captain, I wish to caution you about your behavior in his presence.”
    She forced all the haughtiness into her tone that she could muster. “My behavior? Are there rules of pirate etiquette that I’m unaware of?”
    His lips twitched as he stared at her. “No. But you could benefit from some advice concerning our captain.” He jerked his head in the direction of the stern. “I wouldn’t make too much of your relations to the Earl of Blackmore, if I were you.”
    “Whyever not?”
    “Haven’t you heard of the Pirate Lord? I know he’s been much spoken of in the London papers.”
    For some reason the words “Pirate Lord” rang a bell where the words “ Satyr ” and “Captain Horn” had not. Her heart began to pound. “The Pirate Lord. You mean that…that awful man who makes it his practice to attack noblemen whenever possible?”
    “Yes,” he said dryly. “That ‘awful man’ is Gideon Horn. Your captor.”
    She swallowed convulsively. Good heavens. So that’s where she’d heard of the Satyr , from the papers. No wonder the pirate captain had been so furious when she’d thrown Jordan’s title at him. She’d thought to help them all by telling him about Jordan, and she’d worsened the situation instead. “I-I see.”
    “No, you don’t see. Captain Horn hates the nobility, so you should refrain from reminding him of your noble blood if you want to stay on his good side.”
    “He has a good side?”
    A slow smile spread over the English pirate’s face. “He does.” His gaze trailed down her length, and his smile widened to a grin. “Especially where a woman as pretty as you is concerned.”
    She jerked her gaze from his, the color rising in her cheeks. “In this case, I think prettiness is a liability rather than an asset.”
    “He won’t hurt you, you know. He’s not that sort of man. But I can’t vouch for his temper if you taunt him with your connections. I suggest you watch your words. It’ll go better for both you and the women if you do.”
    He seemed so sincere, she couldn’t help but be affected. Here was a man who cared. Perhaps that couldbe used to their advantage. “You’re English, aren’t you? You know that what Captain Horn is doing is barbarous. Please, convince him to let us go, to bring us back to Santiago and abandon his purpose.”
    All signs of concern for her welfare vanished as his eyes hardened to shards of black coal. “I long ago lost any loyalty I might feel for the English, milady. Besides, I’d be the last person to convince the captain to release all of you.”
    “Why?”
    “Because it was my idea to take the convict ship in the first place.”
    Her mouth dropped open. Then she shut it with a snap. She should have known. A pirate wasn’t to be trusted, no matter what his nationality. He would never help them. They were entirely without hope.
    “Take me to the captain,” she said dully. There was no point in delaying any further; she might as well discover her fate now.
    They walked in silence beneath the rigging to the quarterdeck that loomed before them. She caught a glimpse of the captain standing with his back