An Officer but No Gentleman(103)
Daniel opened the door and he and Betsy entered.
“Millie shot Jayne,” Jax said without preamble.
“I’m all right. I just got winged in the wing.”
Charlie shook her head with a chagrined expression.
“Charlie stitched me up and in a couple of weeks, it’ll be like it never happened.”
“Where’s Millie? Did she get away?” Jaxon asked.
“I subdued her and tied her up and Morty got the sheriff to take her to jail.”
“Thank heavens,” Betsy said taking her daughter’s face in her small, but steady hands. Her arms suddenly surrounded the young woman and held her tightly for a brief embrace. “Maybe I should take you home so you can rest.”
“No, Mama. I want to shoot the cannons with everyone else.”
Jaxon and Charlie planned to take the wedding guests out into open water on The Dragon’s Lair and shoot the cannons to celebrate their nuptials.
“She can lie down in our cabin if it’s too much for her,” Charlie suggested. “It’s little more than a bad cut. It took about a dozen stitches to close up, but Jayne has been a model patient.”
Betsy insisted on seeing the wound for herself. Jaxon and Daniel gathered behind Betsy as Charlie unveiled Jayne’s wound. The injury was red, but sewn up neatly. “I think it’ll be all right for Jayne to see the cannons fired.”
“Thank you, Mama.”
“Now we must get back out there and greet everyone.”
37
Charlie held onto her veil as the wind picked up and the sailors prepared the ship to make way.
“Take off the veil and I’ll put it in our cabin,” Jaxon said tired of watching her struggle with it.
Charlie smiled. She liked the way he so easily referred to it as their cabin. “Thank you,” she said divesting herself of the troublesome veil. “Have any of my jackets or coats been delivered to the ship?”
“I bet I can find you something. I’ll be right back,” he said and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
“Charlie, Charlie!” Jaxon heard Sloane and Grace yelling, drawing her attention as he took the troublesome headpiece below. They would keep her occupied until he returned.
Jaxon stepped into the corridor and found two men he didn’t know there. They were big men and each wore a gun on his hip. They stood with arms akimbo blocking the door to his quarters.
“Who are you and what the devil are you doing in here?”
“Mr. Bloodworthy told us not to let anyone in here.”
“I’m Captain Bloodworthy. This is my ship and that is my cabin.”
“Mr. Bloodworthy said no one.”
“Which Mr. Bloodworthy?”
On deck, Charlie tried to figure out which twin sister was which. The girls giggled and whispered to each other. Suddenly a hand covered Charlie’s eyes and another arm went around her waist pulling her against his body.
“Guess who, baby,” came a familiar male voice, that if she hadn’t known better, she could have easily mistaken for Jaxon.
“Damn it, Grayson! Get your hands off me!”
“Grayson? Baby, how could you think I’m Grayson?” he asked not uncovering her eyes. “Maybe you should kiss me to make sure.”
In a second’s time, she had his arm twisted behind his back.
“Never, Grayson.”
“Ow, leave off, Charlie. I was just playing around.”
Charlie, suddenly realizing that all the wedding guests were watching, let go of Grayson’s arm. “This is not the place or the time, Gray, unless you’ve come to apologize.”
“Let’s go below so we can talk privately. I have a surprise for you.”
Charlie hesitated. Considering his accusations and demeanor before he left, she didn’t trust this new friendly Grayson. Whatever he was up to, she’d rather deal with it below in private than in front of everyone. Besides, that’s where Jaxon had gone and she preferred to have him by her side while Grayson sprung his little surprise.
“Jaxon!” Charlie called seeing him racing up from below still holding the veil. His expression dark as he spotted his twin with his wife.
“Gray, what is the meaning of this?”
Grayson put his hand on Charlie’s back, compelling her forward.
“This is between my client and me, Jax. May we use your cabin?”
“She’s my wife now.”
Grayson shook his head, his lip twitched upwards into a smirk. “Actually, I doubt that. I’m guessing it’s not quite legal.”
Charlie saw Jaxon pale and felt sick herself. She held her hand out to Jaxon. “Jax is coming with us. I don’t trust you and I have no intention of being alone in a room with you, Grayson.”