Part 17 (2/2)
There was a pause Then, in an even quieter voice than before, Miss Bishop asked: ”Who killed him?”
Pitt answered readily There was no reason why he should not, though he began to find the catechis
”Captain Blood killed him”
”Why?”
Pitt hesitated It was not a tale for a maid's ears
”They quarrelled,” he said shortly
”Was it about a a lady?” Miss Bishop relentlessly pursued hiht put it that way”
”What was the lady's name?”
Pitt's eyebroent up; still he answered
”Miss d'Ogeron She was the daughter of the Governor of Tortuga She had gone off with this fellow Levasseur, and and Peter delivered her out of his dirty clutches He was a black-hearted scoundrel, and deserved what Peter gave him”
”I see And and yet Captain Blood has not hed Pitt, who knew the utter groundlessness of the coeron the Captain's future wife
Miss Bishop nodded in silence, and Jeremy Pitt turned to depart, relieved that the catechism was ended He paused in the doorway to impart a piece of information
”Maybe it'll comfort you to know that the Captain has altered our course for your benefit It's his intention to put you both ashore on the coast of Jaone about, and if this wind holds ye'll soon be ho of hi that Miss Bishopinto vacancy
”Indeed, yerisks that feould take in his place But that's always been his way”
He went out, leaving his lordshi+p pensive, those drea Miss Bishop's face for all their dreath Miss Bishop looked at him, and spoke
”Your Cahusac told you no more than the truth, it see it,” said his lordshi+p ”I a no answer, he continued to observe her silently, his long, tapering fingers toying with a ringlet of the golden periwig in which his long face was set
Miss Bishop sat be to study the fine Spanish point that edged the tablecloth At last his lordshi+p broke the silence
”He auid voice that never seee its level ”That he should alter his course for us is in itself matter for wonder; but that he should take a risk on our behalf - that he should venture into Jamaica waters It amazes me, as I have said”
Miss Bishop raised her eyes, and looked at hihtful Then her lip flickered curiously, alers dru is that he does not hold us to ransom,” said she at last
”It's what you deserve”
”Oh, and why, if you please?”
”For speaking to his by their naues either extreme youth or extreed to my Lord Sunderland's school of philosophy He added after a ratitude”
A faint colour stirred in her cheeks ”Your lordshi+p is evidently aggrieved with rievance is sounder than your views of life It is news toand the foolish”
”I didn't say so, ma'am” There was a tartness in his tone evoked by the tartness she had used ”If you would do me the honour to listen, you would not misapprehend me For if unlike you I do not always say precisely what I think, at least I say precisely what I wish to convey To be ungrateful may be human; but to display it is childish”
”I I don't think I understand” Her broere knit ”How have I been ungrateful and to whom?”
”To whom? To Captain Blood Didn't he coid ”I wasn't aware that he knew of our presence aboard the Milagrosa”
His lordshi+p peresture of impatience
”You are probably aware that he delivered us,” said he ”And living as you have done in these savage places of the world, you can hardly fail to be aware of what is known even in England: that this fellow Blood strictly confines hi war upon the Spaniards So that to call hiainst him at a time when it would have been more prudent to have understated it”
”Prudence?” Her voice was scornful ”What have I to do with prudence?”
”Nothing - as I perceive But, at least, study generosity I tell you frankly, ma'am, that in Blood's place I should never have been so nice Sink me! When you consider what he has suffered at the hands of his fellow-countrymen, you may marvel with me that he should trouble to discrilish To be sold into slavery! Ugh!” His lordshi+p shuddered ”And to a da your pardon, Miss Bishop For the moment”
”You were carried away by your heat in defence of this sea-robber” Miss Bishop's scorn was alain Then he half-closed his large, pale eyes, and tilted his head a little ”I wonder why you hate him so,” he said softly
He saw the sudden scarlet flame upon her cheeks, the heavy frown that descended upon her brow He had ed But there was no explosion She recovered
”Hate hiard the fellow at all”
”Then ye should, ht frankly ”He's worth regarding He'd be an acquisition to the King's navy - aHis service under de Ruyter wasn't wasted on hireat seaman, and - blister e of anything I doubt if the Royal Navy can show his equal To thrust hie, and so turn the tables on thee, resource, and invention And we land-lubbers were not the only ones he tricked by his uessed the intent until it was too late and Blood held hi”
Miss Bishop was moved to sarcasm
”You should use your influence withoffer hihed softly ”Faith, it's done already I have his commission in my pocket” And he increased her amazement by a brief exposition of the circumstances In that amazement he left her, and went in quest of Blood But he was still intrigued If she were a little less unco in her attitude towards Blood, his lordshi+p would have been happier
He found the Captain pacing the quarter-deck, a h of this particular occupation his lordshi+p could have no possible suspicion With the ah one of the Captain's, and fell into step beside him
”What's this?” snapped Blood, whose mood was fierce and raw His lordshi+p was not disturbed
”I desire, sir, that we be friends,” said he suavely
”That's nored the obvious sarcasm
”It's an odd coincidence that we should have been brought together in this fashi+on, considering that I came out to the Indies especially to seek you”