In The Arms Of My Pirate

Disguised as a Man

Octavia walked slowly beside Captain Hillington in the garden maze. The other guests were several paces ahead and behind, but they had some semblance of privacy as the cold air muted their words.

"Miss Palmer," Captain Hillington began. His steps slowed, and he cleared his throat.

Her heart jumped. Was this it? Had all her hard work and planning over the past week finally paid off?

She turned kept her torso turned away but looked at him demurely over her shoulder. "Is something the matter, Captain Hillington?"

He swallowed, fiddling with the buttons on his coat. His face, still boyish despite his years at sear, was suddenly red in the chilly morning air. "Miss Palmer, these past few days... have been lovely."

Octavia tensed. She could almost hear the unspoken 'but' tagged onto his words. She turned her face away and straightened her shoulders.

"It seems I have misunderstood. Good day, Captain." She took a tiny step forward, counting down in her head. Three... two...

"Wait!" His hand seized hers and she allowed him to pull her back.

She gasped in pretended surprise and let her ankle give out so that she collapsed into his arms.

He stared down at her, his lips mere inches from her own. His eyes widened and his blush deepened.

Octavia bit back a sigh of satisfaction. Science. Catching a man was pure science.

"Are you alright?" Captain Hillington asked as he set her upright.

She feigned a wince and held up her ankle weakly. "Foolish me, I must have twisted it," she pouted prettily up at him.

He set his face in manly determination and helped her hobble to a marble bench tucked between the hedgerows.

Octavia sat, arranging her skirts and looking down in a shy manner.

Captain Hillington knelt in the frosted grass before her, taking her hand. "May I examine your injury?"

"Oh," she blurted, pulling her perfectly fine ankle away and tucking it under the bench. "Please, do not be so forward, dear Captain."

He swallowed nervously and immediately jerked his hands back. "A thousand apologies, Miss Palmer, I-I—"

He was a dear, Octavia thought. Stupid and easily maneuvered, but still a dear. She rolled her eyes and clasped his hands so he couldn't escape. She needed him to hurry. The rest of the group would catch up any moment now.

Captain Hillington looked from her hands to her face, the red tinge of his neck and cheeks going pale.

"Forgive me, Miss Palmer," he said, brows furrowing in earnest. "But I must tell you the truth. You have quite captured me."

She bit back a satisfied smile. At last, her family was saved. She had found a rich husband and wrapped him tightly around her finger. Now, she just needed to get him to the alter before he changed his mind—

"But we can never be together."

Octavia looked up sharply. "I beg your pardon?"

"My mother has expressly forbidden that I ask for your hand in marriage."

She gawked at him, anger and panic bubbling within her. That overbearing cow—

"B-but Captain Hillington," she protested, clutching harder at his fingers. "Surely two hearts so deeply in love cannot be kept apart like this."

He blinked and his lips parted in shock. "You... you love me?"

Octavia's heart sank like a stone tossed into a stream. Love him? Hardly. But she loved his money, and that was enough.