Blackhearts (Blackhearts, #1)(39)

sail, but not even he had that good an imagination. Henry was

quite content to have things done for him. He was soft and

compliant.

Not unlike William, Teach thought. Before, Teach had

often found William’s inactivity amusing, for William used any

excuse not to exert himself. After seeing Henry Barrett, Teach

was uncomfortable with William’s and Henry’s similarities.

“Does Henry Barrett still do business with your father?”

Anne asked.

Teach’s voice was gruff. “Not that I am aware of. This is the

first time I’ve seen him since I left school. As I said, if I give him back his money, it should keep him away for a bit.”

“How did you steal it?” Anne asked.

There was a strange look in her eyes that he couldn’t quite

decipher. “It wasn’t as if it were his money. I’m quite sure he cheated 13 8

every hand he played last night. What’s the harm in taking something that never really belonged to him in the first place?”

Anne hesitated before answering. “Did you fight with him?”

“I simply took what wasn’t his.”

“Someone could have gotten hurt,” she protested.

“What’s this? Do I detect concern in your voice? Can it be

that, despite your protests, Queen Anne has feelings for one of

her subjects?”

Anne rolled her eyes but refused to be baited. “I hardly

think this is a laughing matter. What if he’d drawn a sword? Or

worse, a pistol?”

“He was in no position to draw anything,” he said, remembering the shocked look on Henry’s face.

“How can you be so sure? What if he’d had some hidden

weapon?”

Teach shrugged. “He would not have bested me. I wouldn’t

have allowed it.”

“You take far too many chances,” she murmured.

“And you don’t take nearly enough. I propose to change that.”

Before she could inquire what he meant by his statement,

Sara and Mary entered the house, covered in dust and carrying

the floor rugs between the two of them. They stopped short

when they saw Teach leaning against the table and Anne standing near him.

“Ah, I’m glad you decided to come inside. I would like to

give you the day off,” Teach said.





13 9


Sara’s mouth dropped open, mirroring the look on Anne’s face. Mary stared at him, as if he’d just grown horns. Or perhaps a halo.

It was Sara who found her voice first. “Have we done something wrong, sir?”

Teach shook his head. “No, quite the contrary. I was just

telling Anne I think you’ve all worked very hard. I’m quite sure the house has never looked better.”

The two girls preened beneath his praise. Anne’s eyes narrowed, no doubt wondering what he was playing at.

Teach reached into his pocket, produced several gold coins,

and handed some to each of them. It was Barrett’s money, and

he wouldn’t miss a few schillings. “Here. I want you to take

these and go into town to buy yourselves something new. Or

useful. Or whatever it is you feel you can’t live without.”

Teach would have been hard pressed to determine who out

of the three of them was more surprised by his actions. “I’ve

never had this much money to spend on myself before,” Mary

said, a wary look on her face.

Sara gazed at Teach with adoring eyes. “Thank you, sir.

Thank you ever so much.”

Embarrassed, he brushed aside the praise, for he’d done it

for only selfish reasons. He still thought Mary was a harlot, and Teach had decided to tell John the truth before it was too late.

“Think nothing of it. You just make sure you go and enjoy

yourselves for the rest of the day.”





14 0


“The whole day, sir?” Sara asked.

Teach nodded. “The whole day. But I don’t want you resting

upstairs. I want you to treat yourselves to something in town.”

He took a slice of bread and broke it with his hands. “But you

can’t mention this to my father. This is to remain between the

four of us, do you understand?”

“Oh, don’t worry about us, sir. We won’t tell a soul,” Sara

assured him. “Will we, Mary?”

Mary shot a glance between Anne and Teach, her head

tilted to the side, a shrewd look in her eyes.

“I’m sure John wouldn’t mind a visit from you, Mary. He’s

eager to see you,” Teach said.

Mary’s lips moved, but Teach wouldn’t have called it a smile.

“Oh, yes, well . . . perhaps.”

It was left to Anne to be the voice of reason. “What about

Margery? She’ll be back before long and wonder where we all

have gotten to.”

Sara’s face fell, but Teach was unaffected.

“Margery won’t say a thing. Where do you think she’s