A Regency era courtesan gives up her empire for love and discovers how truly binding her connections are to the noblemen she used to serve.
*****
In the sequel to Courte...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The day passed and the sun remained undisturbed by clouds, turning the ship into a sauna. Duncan and Norris took turns checking on me while I sweated in my petticoat. When I could not take it any longer, I called out to Duncan.
"This heat is unbearable. Please, untie me so I can remove my petticoat." I said this as he stood in the doorway cutting bread with an overlarge knife. I tried not to be impressed by his bare chest showing through the large gap in his shirt.
"I was wondering how long you would wait. On days like this, you will rarely find a man below deck."
He set down his dinner and walked over to help. When my hands were free, he pulled me off the cot, and I teetered on my feet until I found my balance. The trouble began when I attempted to reach the ties at my back, and I nearly crashed into him as I pitched forward.
"Here, let me." He carefully turned me around and proceeded to unlace my bodice from behind. The moment felt surreal as I imagined him as Mister Faircloth. He always enjoyed the task of undressing me before we engaged in...
When Duncan had finished, he tugged on the sleeves to loosen them, and the petticoat slipped off my shoulders. I hurried to push it all the way down, then he turned me round again and nudged me backwards. I landed heavily on the cot, failing to catch my fall in time, which I blamed on the fact that my hands felt quite numb. As I shook the blood into them, Duncan lifted my feet and yanked the petticoat off, laying it over the bed.
"Better?"
"Much."
He rebound my hands and when he was done, he stood there for a long moment, his lips pinched and his brows bunched in thought. I knew my chemise provided proper cover, and he did not wear the look of a lustful man. So, I could not deduce what might have been occupying his mind. Being a pirate, I assumed it was nothing good. Wordlessly, he turned and left.
When nightfall came, Norris visited me with refreshments – water and a scone. He untied my hands, but I had not been forced to wear the gag since Duncan arrived on board. Although thick curls of hair covered most of his face, I could tell that his complexion had paled, and his eyes were glassy. Perhaps, he was suffering the effects of his opium addiction. Or it may have been a simple case of sleeplessness.
"The captain got this for ye special," he said as he handed me the scone.
"Hmm. I suppose I should thank him."
"He jes left." He coughed violently, which made me think it was more than sleeplessness.
"Are you unwell, Norris?"
"A bit. Been lacking my usual vigor. Too much time at sea, I 'spose."
"I'm thinking you need proper nourishment. What have you taken in since you docked?"
"Bread. That's about all I need."
"Oh, dear. Your body cannot function on bread alone. What about the fruit? Did you eat any of that?"
