Jillian Chantal

Today’s Tuesday Tale word is cry. I am still working on my 1739 story and the hero and heroine are on their way to visit an old pirate to question him about the heroine’s putative father. They have been accosted on the road by two pirates.He knows one of them and not the other. He has them tied up after he shot one and she shot the other.

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When Lydia threw herself at me as if she’d scratch my eyes out, at first I was amused. She was as wild as a polecat and that boded well for passion in the bed. Once I realized she was hurt as well as angry, I realized it really wasn’t humorous.  I could see, down deep, something I said had wounded her at soul level.

Having no idea what it was at first, I kept goading her to try to get her to realize I was merely teasing and meant no harm. Then I realized it was making her even angrier. I wished she be like the other ladies and either cry or flirt her way out of the situation. But Miss Lydia Vane was no ordinary girl. The more I was around her, the more I knew that.

I didn’t know how she planned to prove she was related to Charles or even if she needed to. What I did know was she definitely had some wild man’s blood in her veins.

Other than that one moment I could see fear in her smile, she’d been uncowed and even rabid there for a while.

“I’ll make you a proposal, if you’d like,” I said to John and the other pirate. “Just to make the lady happy, of course.”

“And what’s that? You’ll kill is now and not leave us to die a slow death out here?” John asked.

Rubbing my chin as if contemplating it, I said, “That could be the third option.”

“What are the first two?” Lydia asked. She seemed a little more on control of herself. She’d sat up and her breathing had slowed. Alas. She’d been very alluring as her chest rose and fell rapidly.

Forcing myself to look away from her comeliness, I addressed the pirates again. “First choice is to take you both to Nathaniel’s place and call for soldiers to take you away for accosting a couple of travelers.”

The second pirate spat on the ground. “That ain’t no option”

I held up my index finger to stop his whining. “Option two. I let you both go. Untie you and leave you to find your own way back under whatever hole you climbed out of.”

“We’ll take that one,” John said.

Holding up my second finger. “But there’s a caveat to option two.”

“What’s that,” Lydia asked, letting me know she was paying close attention

This lady and I will be coming back this way and if I see you—And I mean even the top of your head—I will kill you on the spot.” I glared from one man to the other. “Understand?”

“We do. You won’t see us,” John said.

“Don’t get wise with me. Don’t think you can hide behind a rock, tree or bush and take a shot at me. If you really think you know who I am, you’ll know that’s a mistake. Underestimating me would be deadly.”