The Other Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #3)(7)

Poppy’s eyes widened. Who were these people?

And then, just when she thought the two of them might sit down for a leisurely drink, the captain snapped open his pocket watch with precise, almost military movements, and said, “We’re to sail in less than two hours. Do we even know who she is?”

Green shook his head. “She wouldn’t say.”

“Where’s Brown? Does he know?”

“No, sir,” came the answer from Brown himself, standing in the doorway.

“Oh, there you are,” the captain said. “Green and I were just discussing this unexpected development.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“It’s not your fault,” the captain said. “You did the right thing. But we do have to ascertain her identity. She’s finely dressed,” he added, motioning to Poppy’s blue walking dress. “Someone will be missing her.”

He stepped toward the bed, reaching toward her gag, but both Green and Brown leapt forward, Green grabbing his arm and Brown actually wedging his body between the captain and the bed.

“You do not want to do that,” Green said ominously.

“I beg you, sir,” Brown pleaded, “do not remove the gag.”

The captain stopped for a moment and looked from man to man. “What, pray tell, is she going to do?”

Green and Brown said nothing, but they both backed up, almost to the wall.

“Good God,” the captain said impatiently. “Two grown men.”

And then he removed the gag.

“You!” Poppy burst out, practically spitting at Green.

Green blanched.

“And you,” she growled at Brown. “And you!” she finished, glaring at the captain.

The captain quirked a brow. “And now that you’ve demonstrated your extensive vocabulary—”

“I am going to kill each and every one of you,” she hissed. “How dare you tie me up and leave me here for hours—”

“It was thirty minutes,” Brown protested.

“It felt like hours,” she railed, “and if you think I’m going to sit here and accept this type of abuse from a pack of idiot pirates—”

She coughed uncontrollably. The bloody captain had shoved the gag back in.

“Right,” the captain said. “I understand perfectly now.”

Poppy bit his finger.

“That,” he said smoothly, “was a mistake.”

Poppy glared at him.

“Oh, and by the by,” he added, almost as an afterthought, “we prefer the term privateer .”

She growled, grinding her teeth around the gag.

“I’ll remove that,” he said, “if you promise to behave.”

She hated him. Oh, how she hated him. It had taken less than five minutes, but already she was certain she’d never hate anyone with quite the same intensity, with the same fervor, with— “Very well,” he said, shrugging. “We set sail precisely at four, if you’re interested.”

And then he just turned and walked to the door. Poppy grunted. She had no choice.

“Can you behave?” he asked, his voice annoyingly silky and warm.

She nodded, but her eyes were mutinous.

He walked back to the bed. “Promise?” he asked mockingly.

Her chin jerked in a furious approximation of a nod.

He leaned down and gingerly removed the gag.

“Water,” she gasped, hating that she was begging.

“Happy to oblige,” he said, pouring her a glass from the pitcher on his table. He held it to her lips while she drank, since her hands were still tied. “Who are you?” he asked.

“Does it matter?”

“Not just now, but it may,” he said, “when we return.”

“You can’t take me!” she protested.

“It’s either that or kill you,” he said.

Her mouth fell open. “Well, you can’t do that either.”

“I don’t suppose you have a gun hidden in your dress,” he said, leaning one shoulder against the wall as he crossed his arms.

Her lips parted with surprise, and then she quickly covered her reaction and said, “Maybe.”

He laughed, drat the man.

“I’ll give you money,” she said quickly. Surely he could be bought. He was a pirate, for heaven’s sake. Wasn’t he?

He lifted a brow. “I don’t suppose you’ve a purse of gold hidden in that dress.”

She scowled at his sarcasm. “Of course not. But I can get you some.”

“You want us to ransom you?” he asked, smiling.

“No! Of course not. But if you release me—”

“No one’s releasing you,” he interrupted, “so just stop your—”

“I’m sure if you think about it—” she cut in.

“I’ve thought all I need to—”

“—you’ll see that it—”

“We are not letting you—”

“—really isn’t such a good idea to—”

“I said we’re not letting you—”

“—hold me hostage. I’m sure to get in the way and—”