His touch had taken her fear away. She glared at Chester and said, "Were you born with a sour disposition, sir?"
The seaman didn't have a ready answer for that question and shrugged in reaction.
"All right, then," Sara shouted. "Have your vote." She pushed Nathan's arm away and took a step forward. "Just remember this," she hastily added when the hands shot back up in the air. "I'm going to be very disappointed if any of you vote in favor of death. Very disappointed," she added in a dramatic tone of voice. "If, on the other hand, you vote to toss the villains overboard and let them swim back to their ship, I would be very pleased. Does everyone understand my position?"
She scanned her audience until each man had given her a nod.
"That's it?" Nathan asked. He sounded incredulous. "That's all you have to say to sway the men?"
He actually smiled at her. She smiled back. "Yes, Nathan. You may vote now. I don't think you should be allowed to vote, though."
"Why not?" he asked before he could stop himself.
"Because you aren't thinking straight now."
The look on his face told her he didn't understand. "You see, Nathan, you're still very angry because… your dear wife was injured."
"My dear wife?"
She gave him a disgruntled look. "Me."
God, she was exasperating. "I know who the hell my wife is," he grumbled.
"Just leave it to your crew to decide," she prodded.
He agreed just to get her to leave. Sara forced a smile when she picked up her skirt and strolled toward the steps.
"Stay inside your cabin, Sara, until this is finished," Matthew ordered.
She could feel every man's gaze on her. She knew they were all waiting until she was out of sight before going forward with their shameful intentions. Jimbo had even closed the trapdoor to her cabin, she noticed, probably so that the horrid noise wouldn't reach her.
She didn't feel at all guilty for what she was about to do. Her motives were as white as fresh snow. She couldn't let her staff murder the pirates, no matter how dastardly their behavior had been; and once her men rid themselves of their anger they'd be thankful she'd intervened.
Sara stopped when she reached the top step. She didn't turn around. Her voice was very pleasant when she called out to her husband. "Nathan? I won't be waiting in the cabin, but do send someone to tell me how the voting went. I want to know if I should be disappointed or not."
Nathan frowned over that odd request. He knew she was up to something, but he couldn't imagine what she could possibly do to sway the men's minds.
"Where will you be waiting, m'lady?" Jimbo called out.
Sara turned around so that she could see their expressions when she gave her answer. "I'll be waiting in the galley."
It didn't take most of the men any time at all to catch her meaning. They looked horrified. Nathan, she noticed, was grinning at her. She glared back. Then she addressed her staff. "I didn't want to have to resort to such tactics, men, but you've left me with no alternative. The vote had better not disappoint me."
A few of the less astute seamen still didn't understand the hidden threat. Chester fell into that group. "What would you be doing in the galley, m'lady?"
Her answer was immediate. "Making soup."
Chapter Ten
The vote was unanimous. No one wanted Sara to be disappointed. The pirates were tossed overboard and allowed to swim back to their ship.
Nathan did have the last word, however, or rather the last action. He ordered two cannons made ready and took great satisfaction in putting a large hole in the pirates' vessel. When Sara asked what the noise was he told her they were simply emptying the cannons.
The Seahawk had suffered damage as well. Most of the repairs that needed to be seen to at once were above the water line. The very same sails Sara had nearly destroyed with her parasol had been sliced in half by one of the enemy's cannon shots.
The crew set about righting as much of the damage as possible. They smiled as they worked-a rarity-and every one of them had tossed his necklace of garlic cloves away. They were feeling safe again, for they believed the curse had been removed.
Their mistress had saved their hides. Why, even sour-tempered Chester was singing her praises.
Sara went with Matthew to fetch Nora from the hold, and it wasn't until the hatch was opened that she remembered the captives trapped below. Nathan waited until Sara had turned to leave the deck, then slammed his fist into the midsection of each man. The loud groans caught Sara's attention, yet when she turned around and asked her husband what the awful noise was he simply shrugged at her and then graciously helped the doubled-over captives to take flight over the rail.
Sara took great delight in retelling the sequence of events to Nora. Her aunt was an appreciative audience of one. She praised her niece for her courage and her cunning.
"I cannot let you believe I was completely courageous," Sara confessed. She stood with her aunt in the middle of the wardroom area. She'd already shown Nora where she'd hidden behind the screen. "I was terrified all the while," she added with a nod.
"That doesn't signify," Nora countered. "You helped your husband. It means all the more because you were afraid and yet you didn't fail him."
"Do you know Nathan hasn't said a word of praise to me?" Sara said. "I hadn't realized that until this very minute. You would think-"
"I would think he hasn't had time to say thank you, Sara, and I doubt he will when he does have the time. He's a bit…"
"Stubborn?"
Nora smiled. "No, dear, not stubborn, just proud."
Sara decided he was a little of both. The rush of excitement was over, but Sara's hands started shaking. She felt sick to her stomach, too, and the side of her face was throbbing quite painfully.
She wasn't going to worry Nora, though, and so she kept her aches and pains to herself.
"I know you've heard the whispers comparing you to Nathan's sister," Nora said.
She hadn't heard any such whispers, but she pretended she had just so that her aunt would continue. Sara nodded and said, "Jade was mistress of this vessel for a long while, and the men were very loyal to her."
"I know their comments must have hurt your feelings, child," Nora said.
"Which comments are you referring to?" Sara asked. "I've heard so many."
"Oh, that you cry all the time," Nora answered. "Jade never cried. She kept her emotions under lock and key, or so Matthew likes to boast. She was extremely courageous, too. I've heard such wonderful stories about the feats she and her men accomplished. But you've heard all that," Nora continued with a wave of her hand. "I'm not bringing up this topic to make you think the men still believe you inferior, Sara. No, quite the opposite is the case now. Why, you've won their hearts and their loyalty today. They won't be making comparisons in future, I'll wager. They've seen you're every bit as courageous as their Jade."
Sara turned to go into her cabin. "I believe I'll have a little rest, Aunt," she whispered. "The excitement has worn me out."
"You do look pale, Sara. It was quite a morning, wasn't it? I believe I'll go find Matthew and, if he isn't too busy, spend a few minutes with him. Then I'm going to have a rest, too."
Sara's light blue walking dress was on the floor of the cabin. As soon as she shut the door behind her and spotted the gown she remembered how the infidel had clutched it in his arms. She remembered all the foul words they'd said, too.
It was finally settling in. The realization of what could have happened made her stomach lurch. "I mustn't think about all the possibilities," she whispered to herself.