The Fool Ch. 12

"Your father would kill you, and that would seem a tad ungrateful, considering I just saved you from certain death at the hands of some powerful enemies," Carrie gave a light laugh.

"I believe that is why my father would be more than happy to use it to repay the debt we owe you," he grinned at her before turning serious. "I want you to have the freedom of choice to live your life where and how you want, so I am releasing you from any promise you made to me. I assume your grandmother told you about the deal she offered me, and I want to know that, if you decide to marry me, it is because you choose it, not because of a promise you made out of fear or out of duty to this new family. I will be content in the position I have always held within the Brotherhood if you choose to walk away and live your life far away from Windsors, Bonnets and the rest of the families here. Not happy, perhaps, but content knowing you have done what you needed to do to heal."

"You still want to marry me?" she asked in a quiet, unsure voice. "Or are you releasing me so that you are not bound by the rings we wear anymore?"

"Me? I want to find the Captain of the ship and make it legal right now," Sinclair told her. "Just say the word and I will ransack this ship looking for him."

"Slow down, why the rush?" she looked at him, confused, and he led her to a comfortable looking couch and sat down, pulling her close.

"The Windsor's have offered me a unique position within the Hats. Should we be married, I would become a Lord of Windsor through marriage and lead the Hats while Oliver took the Mansvelt seat at the table. Alternately, we can be married, and I can let a stranger come in to lead the Hats and retain my seat. Your grandmother would like me to be the Windsor liaison and lead the Hats into a new era of prosperity; it is why she invited Oliver here and is giving us the time to decide if we are still serious about being married." Sinclair paused to let her take that all in.

"I wasn't sure you'd forgive me," Carrie admitted. "I believed she brought Oliver here to boost my confidence that things would work out. When I met him, he looked so much like you I wondered if she bought him in as an alternative option for me."

"I suppose he is an option, he's a much nicer man than I am. You could go back to a cosy life in the suburbs, have your two or three kids and live a perfect life," he admitted. "I'm not sure I will ever settle down completely. I want my children well-travelled and able to speak several languages, as if they were born to it. I want them to attend the best schools and be well connected. I want them to pursue any dream they have from the youngest of ages. If a boring life in the suburbs is what you're looking for, then I am not the man for you. If, however, you are as excited as I am to explore the world together and experience all it has to offer, then marry me, right here, right now."

"Yes, please. I want that life, not just for me, but for my children," she looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Sinclair, I need you to be very sure about this," she paused. "Think about your time here today and the people you've spoken to, Marina, Charlotte and Helena have been the Windsors to present the terms to your colleagues in the small groups," she said, and noted his frown as if he didn't understand what she was saying.

"The Windsor's are the power behind the thrones, so to speak," Carrie did her best to explain. "The Windsor's are all women. They bestow Lordships on those they favour, but even my father is not a true Windsor, when he was born he was adopted out to the Wordsworth's in Australia. No man can be a true Windsor in their eyes." She paused as he took this in. "You would be a Windsor by marriage only." She stopped and let the information sink in.

"Do you think I care?" he asked. "I am a Mansvelt; I'm not willing to give up my name any more than they are willing to give me anything more than a token title while you hold the real power of the Windsors."

His understanding and seemingly uncaring attitude toward the Windsor family and their structure surprised her, and she said nothing else.

"Can I go and find the captain now?" he asked.

"Would you mind if I talked to Jordan first?" she asked.

"If you must," he agreed, but thinking of him as an orphan twice over had softened his heart against the man she thought of as her brother.

"I must," she said gravely. "He's still my brother, and I want to be there for him. He's lost everything, Sin, including me. Seeing me marry you will be hard for him. It may be the last straw, and I couldn't bear it if he hurt himself." Sinclair was shocked at her words and held her tightly.

"Go find him then, I understand," he said softly. He kissed the top of her head, "I will go and tell Oliver the good news. Then maybe we can make some arrangements for a proper ceremony for everyone to witness once we get home."

"I'd be just as happy to announce that we eloped," she groaned, thinking of having to deal with Georgia and her preparations again. Carrie pushed herself up from where she had been leaning against his body and stood.

"Where are you going?" he reached up and grabbed her hand.

"You told me to go find Jordan," she shook her head, "You were going to go find Oliver, remember?"

"I changed my mind," he stood beside her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. "I think I would like to see your cabin first. You made me suffer through too many long sleepless nights alone in an empty bed."

"They will come to find us, it's getting late," Carrie lowered her voice, even though she knew they couldn't hear her.

"Trust me, what I have in mind won't take long, I think I'm halfway there already," Sinclair groaned into her ear, pressing up against her body.

Carrie's breath caught. She couldn't pretend that she wasn't just as eager to become physical with him again, so she took his hand and led him to the deck below the lounge where her suite was located. She had barely opened the door when he pushed her through it, slamming it closed behind them and pinning her to the wall.

"This is the second time you've run from me, and there won't be a third," he growled, sounding almost desperate behind the obvious heat and desire in his voice. "Promise me."

"I promise," she whispered, as he kissed her again.

There was no finesse or foreplay in his movements. He ran his hand up her leg and ripped her panties off her and almost simultaneously pushed his pants over his hips. Trapping her between his body and the wall, he pulled her leg over his hip and entered her, forcing her open to him as he pushed deeply in a few short strokes.

Carrie whimpered and clung to him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as he took her hard, releasing all the pent up worry and anger that had driven him since her disappearance. She was his perfect mate, physically, mentally and emotionally he'd never met another woman like her, and was sure he never would again, and he buried himself in her as if claiming her as his own and proving to her that he was her perfect match.

The suppressed need she had for his touch, and the physical closeness of Sinclair crumbled away as he took her, and Carrie felt every nerve ending react to him. Her climax built rapidly as he dominated her, pinning her to the wall and lifting her so both legs dangled around his hips, restricting her movements. She wanted this, she wanted him, and she was beyond relieved that he had forgiven her for disappearing the way she had.

Their sense of mutual relief at being with each other again drove them, and Sinclair sunk his teeth into her shoulder while she scored his back with her nails during their twin climaxes. He stumbled with the power of it and pulled her with him to collapse onto the floor beside the door, having barely made it three steps into the room. Unwilling to release her yet, he held her tightly in his arms.

"You may hold all the power here in this place, Lady Windsor," he said breathlessly. "When we leave this ship, however, there will be consequences for running away without a word."

"Consequences?" she asked, looking up to try and read his face to see if he was serious or if the dreaded smirk was in place.

"I am thinking one week for a honeymoon should be sufficient for you to show me how much you regret the decision to run away without confiding in me," he said softly. "I have a friend with a castle in a remote area of Germany; it has a working dungeon. Not like the one we visited on Valentine's Day, but complete with all the medieval ambience of a torture chamber," he couldn't keep his mirth from his voice as she looked up at him in horror. "On the other hand, I could be just as satisfied with a week on my sailboat, if you play by the rules."

"The rules?" Carrie asked nervously.

"I'm the winner in all of this," he said easily. "My enemies are vanquished, and I got the girl. I think the Victor's rules should apply, at least for a week." He leant down and kissed her, "You can even make it a wedding present to me," he grinned.

"This isn't Diego's, Sinclair; you can't just impose those rules whenever and where ever you want," Carrie laughed.

"True, but considering you put me through hell for the last few days, you could indulge me just for one week, surely," he laughed, "Or we could arm wrestle for it," he offered. "Prove why I should be able to impose Victor's rules."

"You're right, I did put you through hell, and I'm sorry about that," she said sincerely. "Okay, I will wrestle you for it, but be warned; I have been training since being here and learned a few new tricks."

"Took your frustrations out on a sparring partner, did you?" he chuckled.

"Maybe," she admitted. "You better get back before this turns into something else again. You have a lot to do to cement your position in the association before we can tie the knot."

"Fine," he grumbled, getting to his feet. "From the moment we get married, though, you don't leave my side for one complete week."

"It would be my pleasure," she giggled and went off to find some underwear to replace the ones he had destroyed.

******

"Remember when we used to talk about running away," Carrie said as she stood on the bow with Jordan. "We'd sail the world like the pirates we read about, stealing what we needed as we went."

"I would have done anything for you then. I'd do anything for you now," Jordan admitted reluctantly.

"We can't go back, Jordie, too much has happened, and I think of you as a brother now. Just a brother. I'm sorry. I know this whole crazy plan for us to marry wasn't your idea, but you went along with it, and I do love you, but like my brother," the words spilt from Carrie's mouth. "I can forgive you for the attack on Sinclair, the threats and the manipulation, but I can't make myself feel something that's not there. It would have been a loveless marriage if you had forced me into marrying you."

"I loved you from the first moment I met you," Jordan said softly. "I wanted to be the one. I wanted to be the one to protect you from Robyn, to make you smile, to unlock the hardened heart Robyn had purposely cultivated. I hated Sinclair for being the one to melt the ice princess even a little. My feelings made it easier to manipulate me, I guess, but those feelings were real, Carrie."

"I'm sorry, Jordie. I never saw a real future with you, even when we were younger and experimenting..." her voice trailed off. "Emotions were for the weak, Robyn said. I cared about you, I cried when she sent you away, but even now I don't think I understand the full range of emotions I felt, or even could feel at the time. Robyn messed with my head on so many levels," she shrugged and went to stand at the rail.

"Then how do you know you love Sin?" Jordan went after her.

"He makes me feel accepted for all my messed-up emotions and childhood. He makes me feel desired and needed. He makes me feel safe, Jordan," she said meaningfully. "He's never threatened me or anyone I loved, even when we were at crossroads. We fought far more than you might believe. Each time we fought, though, he never withdrew his love, never tried to manipulate or threaten me. He was always just there loving me for who I am and accepting me, no matter what was happening. He never just gave in to any of my demands; he challenged me with demands of his own."

"You fought?" Jordan asked.

"All the time," she nodded. "Sinclair fought to know me and understand me on a deeper level. I fought letting down all of the barriers I had put up in response to Robyn's training. He persevered, never expecting me to be meek and mild, even though he asked for my submission all the time. He made fun of the museum mouse persona I had," she laughed. "He preferred the wildcat who fought him and knew her own mind."

"I knew both personas," Jordan said, starting to understand what she was saying. "It didn't matter to him, though, did it?"

"No, I think if I'd have turned into a raging hose beast he would have just accepted it as part of me and adjusted his needs to suit rather than making me into something I wasn't," she smiled, finally satisfied with her explanation of why she loved Sinclair.

"I've seen that hose beast, it isn't pretty," Jordan chuckled. "I guess if he could weather that storm he's a better sailor than me."

"Jordan, you're the one person in the world who can understand what it was like growing up with Robyn. I care about you so much, and I want you to be happy, really I do, but I'm going to marry Sinclair, tonight, on board this ship. I would like you to be happy for me, but if you can't be, don't come to the ceremony," Carrie tried to sound confident, but knew she sounded needy as she asked him to be happy for her.

"All I ever wanted was to make you happy," he said woodenly. "The truth is, I am possibly even more messed up than you by a childhood steeped in secrets, lies and manipulation. You were my rock, Carrie. My touchstone. The one real thing in my life that wanted nothing from me but trust and affection." He paused. "I can't bear the thought that I let you down and a future without you in it somewhere, so, if I need to accept Sinclair as part of that life, then so be it," he said in a strained voice.

"Thank you, Jordan. I will make sure Sinclair understands how important our relationship is, to both of us," she said quietly and embraced him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Joseph said almost shyly. "We're all headed back to the conference room for a short conversation before dinner."

"Alright," Jordan disengaged from Carrie, grateful for the fact that she didn't hate him, and determined not to disappoint her again.

*****

It was Christopher Davis who presented the facts as he and the rest of his group saw them, and introduced the idea of Sinclair as a Lord of Windsor. When he fell silent, he opened the table for discussion as Sinclair sat ready for the barrage of accusations.

"It's got to be better to have someone you all know and trust as the Captain than a stranger," Jordan said, surprising everyone, not the least Sinclair. If he had suspected he had any support it was not from the young man he had treated so badly over the last few days.

"I know our vote doesn't count for much," Joseph agreed. "But, for what it's worth, I agree with Bonnet."

"I'll be honest, if no one else will," Teach said. "It doesn't matter who the captain is, or if he's fucking the Windsor Princess. You are all thinking it, even if you aren't saying it. The fact is they out rank us and out vote us. So what does it matter if we support it or not?"

"Well, I'd trust Sinclair over a stranger," John interrupted the diatribe. "If we have some say we may as well use it. It's simple, Teach, Sinclair or a stranger who doesn't know anything about us but words on paper."

"You're correct, but no one has to pledge allegiance. We didn't have to tell you we chose to, just as we offer you the right to vote without us," Christopher answered the murmurs going around the table. "One barrel, one vote. Friend or foe, brothers, but we need to start acting as one entity, and if the majority don't want Sinclair as Captain and Oliver in the Mansvelt chair, so be it."

The men sat in silence as the barrel was passed around the table. Once it returned to Christopher, he slid it toward Rackham. "You're neutral, you count 'em," he said to ensure no accusations were made against the four men who would lead this association through the next phase of its evolution into the twenty-first century.

"Just as well there are only eight votes, he can use his fingers to count," Vane grumbled.

"Six for, two against," Rackham announced, glaring at Vane. "Majority rules, you're the boss, Mansvelt, congratulations. I doubt it's going to be all sunshine and roses though, so good luck too."

"That's done, so let's not keep the Windsor's waiting for dinner any longer," Freddy announced and got to his feet. He patted Sinclair on the shoulder as he led the way from the room.

"You ready for this?" Christopher asked him once they were alone for the first time since arriving on the ship.

"Seriously, I have no idea. The Windsor's have always had their own agenda, but they did move against traffickers, and I believe they have put a lid on Vane and Teach's nefarious dealings. Roberts has been far too quiet, so he was probably the one to jump the fence. I think what happened to Edith has shaken him up," Sinclair answered in a considered way. "It is what it is now, and it will be good to have Ollie around."

"Plus, you get the girl," Christopher chuckled.

"Yeah, there is that," Sinclair grinned widely and came to his feet, and the friends walked from the room.

By the time they got to the dining room the other men had discovered Oliver's presence and were greeting him warmly.

"This is why we are the newbies," Jordan murmured to Joseph. "This guy may be new, but he grew up knowing all of these people. He will just be able to slot into his seat having already built relationships."

"Gerard's demands for instant equality seems a bit over the top now," Joseph murmured, even though he had felt the same way at the time. "We better go introduce ourselves since we're the odd ones out here."

"Jordan," Oliver grabbed his hand as soon as he approached. "I hear we're going to be a family once the lovebirds get hitched. Between my three sisters and Sin's four sisters it will be good to have a little more testosterone around at family gatherings." He smiled warmly welcoming Jordan into the family.

"I imagine that would have been interesting when you were younger," Jordan chuckled. "Luckily I only had the one sister."

"I hear she can kick ass though," Oliver said conspiratorially. "I imagine that would have been interesting for you growing up."

"That's one way to put it," Jordan rolled his eyes, enjoying being treated like a friend by the man who would take Sinclair's seat. "Have you met Joseph? He's taking the vacant Nau chair," Jordan introduced the young man beside him.

"Ah, L'Ollonais was the better known name, wasn't it. It will be nice to have the French brotherhood back on board. I have a house in the south of France. I love it there, England just doesn't have the same decadent ambience."

"You live in France?" Joseph asked, surprised by the fact.

"Not exactly, my family home is on Tortuga, but until I inherit outright, I am happy travelling between homes and continents."

"Lifestyles of the mega-rich, if not famous," Gerard said scathingly after joining their conversation.

"Well, you're one of us now, Gerry. Better get used to it," Oliver said, having taken no offence. He loved his life and knew how fortunate he was that his family was so well looked after. Not all of the families in the association looked after their extended family so well. Not that his father hadn't worked hard throughout his life, but it didn't hurt to have connections.