The next morning Kalinna was woken up by the sound of drapes being pulled back and a woman humming. Carefully, she cracked an eye open to discover the source and found a slim woman bustling cheerily about the room, cleaning. Relieved, Kalinna opened both eyes and began to sit up.
“Goodness me, ye are awake,” the woman, who appeared to be in her mid-forties, stated as soon as she noticed movement from the bed, “Ye stay right there while I alert Mr. Anthony and the captain.”
Before Kalinna could utter a word in protest, the woman was gone in a rustle of skirts and sweet-smelling perfume. Kalinna sat back into the pillows, quite aware that the pirate captain must not have breathed a word to anybody about their encounter late last night. She was relieved, however, that didn’t keep the blush from her face as she thought about the kiss they shared. She couldn’t resist running a hand nervously over her lips, a faraway look in her eyes.
She didn’t have much time to ponder the kiss though, for it was not a moment later that the woman was back, Anthony following right after her. He wore an anxious look on his face as he strode in. Kalinna immediately shrunk back into the pillows as she recognized her friend’s fiancé, and knew that she’d have a lot of explaining to do.
“Kalinna, thank god you are alright. How are you feeling?” Anthony stated as he came forward and enveloped her in a hug. She was shocked.
“I, I am fine,” she stuttered, hesitantly hugging him back.
“You gave us quite a scare there,” the young man stated as he broke the embrace, pulled a chair up next to the bed, and sat, “Now tell me, what in heavens are you doing in the company of a band of pirates? And dressed as a lad no less.”
Kalinna blushed at the inquiry. What was she to tell this man, whom had befriended her all those years ago when she had been an awkward young girl? What would his reaction be?
“Do not worry Kal, I shall not be mad for I know you are not the type to make a rash decision,” Anthony encouraged; she smiled at the familiar nickname.
“My father believes that it is time I marry – to the richest man he can find,” Kalinna softly began, staring down at her hands as she spoke.
“Why did you not write me? You know very well that my family would not hesitate to take care of you,” Anthony gently stated, taking one of her hands in his own, “They consider you their daughter.”
“I know. And I tried to write, oh how I did try. But every time I would send a letter out, my father would intercept it, no matter what time of day,” Kalinna explained, “It was as if he was trying to keep me a prisoner in that house. I was never allowed out unless he went with me, and even then it was only for short periods of time.”
“But why?” Anthony questioned, curious.
“I have no idea,” the young woman responded with a delicate shrug of her shoulders, “I think something happened between him and my mother before I was born, something that he will not tell me. I do not understand in the least, though he has been unbearable since my mother died.”
“I am sorry that you had to go through that and I was not there to help,” Anthony said, squeezing her hand and knowing that he would mention all this to Justin.
“It is not your fault. I just could not take being there anymore, so I did the only thing I could think of, I ran away. Of course, I believed that I would be safer as a boy,” Kalinna continued, relaxing.
“It was a smart thing you did, for I do not believe you would have gotten far looking as you do now. Why, I hardly even recognize you as you look nothing like that scrawny kid I knew all those years ago,” Anthony stated, smiling at her, “You have grown into a beautiful young woman Kalinna.”
Kalinna blushed at the praise, not quite knowing what to say in reply. It had been ages since she had received such a sincere compliment; her father never paid her any mind other than to introduce her to every fop and phony with enough money to make his eyes glimmer with anticipation. It never occurred to Richard Davenport how much using his daughter for his own personal gain actually hurt her.
“Now, I have received a letter from your uncle,” Anthony began after clearing his throat to disperse the awkward silence.
“My uncle?” Kalinna began, eyes widening. Maybe Justin actually had told Anthony of their late night encounter after all.
“I know this may come as a shock, Kal, but your mother actually has kin whom are alive, namely a brother and a sister,” Anthony began, unaware that Kalinna already knew all this, “Your uncle is Colin Wickham, the 8th Duke of Barclay. Perhaps you have heard of him?”
Kalinna mutely nodded her head as she allowed Anthony to tell the full story of her heritage and family connections. After all, the bible she had poured over the previous night, as well as those few letters she managed to read, only provided a partial picture. It appeared that Anthony would be able to provide her with the entire tale, start to finish.
“The story, so I am told, is that your mother and your grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Barclay, had a rather heated argument about your mother’s choice for a husband. Your grandmother did not like the fact that Richard Davenport was a mere merchant, nor did she even like the man himself,” Anthony continued, “One thing led to another, and somehow the two of them never resolved the rift before your mother passed away.”
“My father never mentioned any of my mother’s family,” Kalinna stated, her brow furrowing in thought, “Why would he do such a thing?”
“Maybe it was because your mother’s family did not approve of him,” Anthony suggested, shrugging, “Either way, your uncle wishes to see you, so I agreed to send you back to England the first chance I got.”
Kalinna felt her mouth drop open in shock. How was she to face the relatives she had never met before, especially after running off and disguising herself as a boy? They would never approve of her!
“What about my father?” the young woman finally managed, “I do not think I could face him, not after running away on him like that.”
“Kalinna, your father has disappeared,” Anthony gently said, unsure of her reaction. He was surprised to see relief and just a touch of joy in her eyes.
“Well then I guess now would be the perfect time for me to meet my long-lost relatives,” she cheerily stated.
Anthony was a little bewildered by Kalinna’s lack of concern for her father, especially when nobody had heard any word from the wayward merchant for going on two weeks. Then again, Kalinna was merely a pawn in Richard Davenport’s game to get rich. Therefore, Anthony knew he would do whatever it took to see that she stayed out of his clutches.
“Well, first things first, Mrs. O’Brien is going to help make you presentable to good society,” Anthony said, referring to the woman who had been cleaning the room earlier, “Then we will talk about getting you back to England, okay?”
“Okay,” Kalinna agreed, her eyes welling up with tears, “Thank you Anthony. I do not know what I would do without you.”
“Anytime, Kal, anytime.”
Justin groaned as he rolled over on the makeshift bed and tried to block out the sunlight from one of the small attic windows. Damn the blazing orb for coming out so early in the morning and interrupting his much-cherished hours of sleep. It had been late – altogether too late for that matter – when he had finally stumbled up the stairs and collapsed on his pallet next to Jackson.
He had reflected on the entire situation over and over again, long after Kalinna had fled the room. Though he dreaded doing so, an apology would be best in this situation. After all, he did not want to jeopardize the mission, or compromise her good name any further than it already had been.
It was a mere few moments later when he realized that sleep had deserted him, so with an aggravated sigh, he threw off the bedcovers and rolled slowly to his feet. After a quick stretch of his sore muscles, he pulled on his boots and tunic and made for the stairs that led down to the main floor. His footsteps echoed through the quiet house and he was suddenly uneasy.
“Anthony?” Justin called as he wandered into the empty, and spotless, kitchen, “Jackson?”
Just when he was about to head out the front door in search of some form of life, the door burst open to reveal Anthony and Jackson, arms loaded with parcels wrapped in brown packaging. The two men quickly set their burdens down in a pile on the floor when they noticed their comrade staring at them in bewilderment.
“What in god’s name is going on here?” Justin demanded as the two men stood silent under his studious stare.
“Have you returned with all I have asked for?” an unfamiliar feminine voice suddenly intruded from somewhere behind Justin’s right shoulder, thus preventing the two men from responding.
The pirate captain quickly jerked around to discover an older woman, blond hair tinted with the smallest threads of silver and blue eyes still snapping with life, standing with her hands on her small hips and looking expectantly in the direction of the three of them. Justin blinked in shock as his two friends immediately picked up the packages and brought them back into Kalinna’s room. The older woman just followed after, her hands crossed over her chest as she mutely watched over them as if to make sure everything was put precisely where it needed to go.
A few moments later, after thanking Jackson and Anthony, the woman shooed them out of the room and shut the door. Justin just stood there, hands resting on his slim hips as he tried to process what had just happened. He was startled out of his reverie by Jackson, who let out a great bout of laughter.
“What precisely did I miss?” Justin finally demanded after sending his first mate a glare.
“Kalinna will be heading to England this evening,” Anthony began, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms over his chest, “She will be meeting her relatives for the first time and therefore needed some proper clothing. I hope you can put two and two together from there, or else I may have to disown you as my friend.”
“You are quite the comedian today,” Justin retorted, rolling his eyes at his friend, “So the lass will be leaving this evening? And there is still no word on her father?”
“Nah, no word at all,” Jacks0n confirmed as he attempted to fit his burly frame into one of the chairs situated about the room.
“Maybe we should ask the lass again. Are you certain that she has no knowledge of her father’s whereabouts and the fact that he might indeed be a traitor to England?” Justin stated.
“I do not doubt Kalinna does not know a thing about her father’s plans,” Anthony began, closely eyeing his friend, as if daring the taller man to challenge his words, “Her whole reasoning for disguising herself as a boy was so that she could experience the freedom Richard Davenport never allowed her.”
“You are sure of this?” Justin demanded as he paced the wooden floor. He completely missed the annoyed glare that Anthony sent him.
“Absolutely sure,” the blonde got out between gritted teeth.
“Well Jackson, I want you to make the rounds of the port, even if you have already done so, to see if you can scrounge up any other information on the whereabouts of Richard Davenport and any plans he may have up his sleeve,” Justin ordered, still pacing, “Anthony you and I need to…”
Justin came to an abrupt stop and trailed off as the door to the bedroom opened and he stared at the figure outlined in the early afternoon soon. That couldn’t be Kalinna. Could it?
Kalinna took a deep breath as she stepped out of the bedroom and found three pairs of male eyes trained on her. It had been months since she had worn a dress, and though she had worn less clothing when she had been disguised as a boy, she felt more naked now. Maybe it was the low neckline of the gown, or the fact that her full figure was well-enhanced by the beautiful dress.
The gown she wore was made of the softest emerald cotton and clung to her form like a second skin. The sleeves, adorned in white lace, came down to her elbows and bunched up in the latest fashion; the neckline scooped and was lined with the same white lace to accent her décolletage. The skirt of the gown was full and layered, accentuated by ribbons and lace, all in creamy white, while the waist of the gown was drawn tightly in by two thin strips of ribbon that betrayed her slip hips and small waist.
She wore a small strip of white ribbon about her neck on which a small emerald pendant dangled. All in all, the outfit brought out the green in her eyes and made the specks of red in her hair more noticeable. Justin thought she looked like a goddess of olden day.
Hesitantly she stepped forward as Anthony quickly snapped out of his daze and came to offer her his hand. She blushed as he bent over and kissed her hand before tucking it into the crook of his arm as was proper. The two walked fully into the room, Kalinna biting her lip as she concentrated on keeping her balance in the shoes she wore. Therefore, she was blissfully unaware of the hungry stare the pirate captain was sending her.
“I believe you may have outdone yourself Anne Marie,” Anthony stated a moment later as he caught sight of the older woman coming out of the bedroom.
“Thank you sir,” Anne Marie responded, curtseying, “And the young lady has two other dresses for the journey home, so she shall be sure to meet the duke in proper attire.”
“Well then, now that this business is settled, we must see to your departure this evening,” Anthony concluded as he glanced down at Kalinna, who mutely nodded her head, “Jackson?”
“Yes sir?” the burly man questioned as he stood from the chair he had been lounging in.
“I would like you to prepare Kalinna’s belongings so they may be loaded onto the Shadow Dancer as soon as the captain gives us the go ahead. Ask Anne Marie to help you,” Anthony instructed, “Justin, you are coming with me.”
All the pirate captain could do was pick his jaw off the floor and follow after his friend and the beautiful lady that used to be his cabin boy.
A Few Days Later
Kalinna was nervous. She paced the floor of her small cabin aboard the Shadow Dancer as the ship slowly crept into the London port. She smoothed down the emerald dress, which she had taken off the moment the ship had left the pirate port and had traded for day dress, which was much more suitable for travel by ship. She wanted to impress her relatives; she wanted them to actually like her.
It had been bad enough leaving Anthony, Jackson, and yes, even Justin behind. The pirate captain had been nothing but polite and perhaps a tad bit cold towards her as she had prepared to leave the island. He had offered her a formal apology for the kiss, privately of course, and after he had bid her farewell, that had been the last she had seen of him.
It had almost made her sad to see him go, knowing that was probably the last time in her life that she would interact with him. After all, their lives were worlds apart; there was hardly any chance that they would run into each other again. So she had pushed the memory of the dashing rogue out of her mind and instead concentrated on the day she would be meeting her relatives.
Now that day was finally here. A single, sharp rap on the cabin door startled her out of her tumultuous thoughts and she quickly went to answer it. It was the captain of the ship and her heart lurched violently in her chest.
“M’lady, we have arrived in the London port. I will escort you ashore where your aunt and uncle await you,” the captain, an older gentleman with kind blue eyes, announced.
Silently, Kalinna gathered up the few small belongings that she had carried on the ship with her. The trunks that had been packed and provided for her would be unloaded by the crew in the next few hours, and sent on to her uncle’s house. She was glad she did not have to worry about that; however, she would have taken that over meeting her long-lost, well-connected relatives any day.
With a deep breath, and knowing she could avoid the inevitable no longer, she took the arm the captain offered her and allowed him to lead her above decks. The sun was shining brightly as they reached the deck, and Kalinna had to blink to adjust to the new setting. Quietly she scanned the docks, searching for a possible telltale sign that would announce the presence of her aunt and uncle.
She was shocked, however, when a dashing-looking man, with dark hair and eyes that matched her mother’s exactly, boarded the ship and approached the two of them. With a slight bow, the captain let go of her arm and left her standing there, trembling under the intense gaze of the man that could only be her uncle. The older man studied her for a moment, before a boyish grin broke out on his face and he pulled her in for a great big hug.
“Kalinna, my dear, you look just like your mother,” the man stated as he held her close; she could do nothing but hug him back, “I am your Uncle Colin, and I want to be the first to welcome you home.”
“Thank you,” Kalinna softly responded as her uncle released her and she stared at the planks of the ship, embarrassed.
“My dear, do not be shy. You are family, and you will be treated as thus,” Colin commanded as he lifted her chin with a finger, “Now come, meet the rest of the family. I assure you, you shall enjoy your stay with us.”
“Thank you Uncle Colin,” Kalinna said, tears welling up in her eyes.
She surprised them both by throwing both her arms about his neck and squeezing tight. The older man felt tears well up in his eyes as he held tightly to the only child of his beloved younger sister. Too many years had been wasted; too much time had been lost. Well it was time to make up for that.
It was time for Kalinna to know her true family.
