Excerpt of Sea Change by Darlene Marshall

...Charley was washing her hands and smiling at Mrs.
Denham
as she held her new son to her breast, cooing down at
him,
when the cabin door slammed open and Captain Denham was
shoved into the cabin, followed by the pirate.

"Elizabeth!"

"We have a son, Ronald," his sweet wife beamed at him,
"Oh
look, is he not beautiful?"

Like most newborns he was red and wrinkled and squished
looking, but to Charley’s eyes he also appeared
beautiful,
for she had helped bring him safely into the world.

"This is all very touching," the pirate said, "but I have
waited long enough. Captain, your strongbox, quickly now,
before harm comes to these innocents."

He motioned a pair of his crewmen into the cabin. They
took
Captain Denham’s money and papers while the captain and
Charley stood guard in front of the bunk, keeping Mrs.
Denham and the baby safe. It was a gallant gesture, even
though they each knew they could not stand against armed
pirates.

"And now for our final business. Come with me, Doctor!"

Charley took a step back from the pirate, who was
standing
holding a pistol loosely at his side, but he stood
between
her and the door.

"You cannot take Dr. Alcott prisoner, I will not stand
for
it!" Captain Denham said.

"Really?" the pirate drawled, and cocking his head to the
side, looked down at the baby Mrs. Denham clutched to her
chest.

"You would not harm a baby!" Charley said in outrage.

"You are correct, Dr. Alcott, I would not harm a baby."
The
pirate looked at her, his eyes intent behind his mask. He
was tall and loomed over her as he smiled coldly and
said,
"That child can, however, grow up without a father. You
choose, Doctor. Now. Either you come with me, or I will
shoot the good captain here."

"Ronald!" Elizabeth Denham cried out.

Denham did not plead for his life, but Charley knew she
had
no choice, not really.

"That baby needs its father more than you need a doctor,
Captain Denham. Mrs. Denham, remember what I said—plenty
of
beef broth, have the cook kill one of those chickens and
make a rich soup for you, stay in your bunk and rest.
Your
milk will be in in a day or two. In the meantime, let the
baby nurse as he will and it will help you recover."

She turned back to her captor, who was standing silent
during this speech, radiating tension.

"Very well, pirate, I will come with you."

"How accommodating you are, Doctor."

Charley said nothing to this but buttoned her coat and
brushed her short hair off her forehead.

"Take care of yourself, Mrs. Denham, Captain Denham.
Thank
you for all you have done for me."

"We will name him Charles!" Charley heard Mrs. Denham
call
out as the pirate took her by the upper arm to haul her
from
the cabin.

The cabin doors were smashed in, but Charley saw no
injured
crew, and when she was pushed up the ladder ahead of the
pirate captain, she blinked in the bright sunlight. The
Lady
Jane was alone in the vast and empty sea, save for the
vessel nearby, the one distinguished by the black flag
flying over it.

The pirate took her arm again, Charley tried to shake him
off, but she might as well have tried to shake the
mainmast.

"I said I will come with you, you do not need to
manhandle me."

He did not reply, and did not let go as he looked at a
sailor standing at the rail.

"Did you find it?"

"Aye, Cap’n. We cleaned out the sick bay to the
bulkheads."

"My belongings!"

"Are all aboard my ship now, Doctor, which is where you
are
going."

He pulled her forward and Charley stumbled along with him
to
the rail. Charley did not know what her fate would be
aboard
the pirate’s vessel, but she knew one other thing after
listening to the men talk. Her captors were Americans...