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back.”
    “I’m not worried that he won’t return. I’m just curious as to what sort of business he could possibly have in a place like this,” she stated smartly.
    “Tis the captain’s business…not yers nor mine,” the man responded curtly.
    She had seen the strong box Captain Jack’s first mate had been carrying when they got into the skiff, and now she tried to imagine what it contained. She was certain that the captain’s business had something to do with the contents of the box, and she wondered if it contained stolen treasure of some sort. After all, Jack and his crew were behaving like pirates, were they not? By abducting her they had broken the law, and as their leader Jack would be hung, or worse, if he was caught. Visions of Jack’s handsome head, stuck on a pike and displayed in the town square for all to see, filled her mind’s eye, and her stomach roiled. Forcing the gruesome image to the back of her mind, she turned instead to wondering where they were taking her. Except for this small rocky island and the one where they’d encountered the navy gunship, she hadn’t seen land in over three weeks.
    About an hour passed before the captain returned, and by then the rain was coming down in sheets. Jack came ducking into the cave, his great coat held over his head. Once inside, he flung the coat off and spread it out on the ground near the fire to dry. Then he squatted and held his hands out toward the flames, rubbing them together.
    “Looks like I was right; the storm is going to be a bad one,” he commented, and the guard grunted in agreement.
    As Katherine looked up at Jack, the first mate entered carrying a small black kettle. He set it in the coals at the edge of the fire before leaving the cave, and when he returned a minute later he had a coffee pot in one hand. After placing the pot where the coffee would stay hot, the man began stirring the contents of the kettle, and a delicious aroma wafted over to her, making her mouth water.
    “Go ahead. You need to eat something,” Jack said, indicating the pot with a dip of his head.
    She could tell that the men were hanging back, waiting for her to begin. There were bowls, cups, and spoons, and hardtack too, but Katherine didn’t move. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was hungry, and whatever was in the pot smelled wonderful.
    Jack shook his head in disgust, and the three men helped themselves to the food, sitting in various locations inside the small cave, Jack the closest to her with his back against the wall.
    “If you don’t eat something, you will get sick,” he said, glancing at her as he ate. Suddenly he put his bowl down and spooned some beans into another bowl. Then he handed it to her. “Sorry, I forgot you’re not accustomed to serving yourself,” he said, a sneer on his face.
    She took the offered bowl, but gave Jack a mean stare. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” she said icily. Then she lowered her eyes and began to eat. The beans contained bits of dried beef, and onions too, and they tasted wonderful. Katherine didn’t stop eating till her bowl was empty.
    When they’d finished eating, the two other men left the cave, and since she was still curious about the strong box she’d seen earlier, she decided to ask Jack about it. “What was in the box you brought ashore?”
    “Something I wish to hide. Actually, it’s a fortune in gold,” he replied, his eyes sparkling mischievously. Her eyes grew wide with alarm, and he laughed. “Don’t go jumping to conclusions, my lady. The box contains wages me and my men earned legally, but were never paid. The man who hired us claimed we did not deliver his goods. He refused to pay us, so we took what was rightfully ours.”
    “I see. But why hide the money here on this remote island?”
    “Because, my nosey lass, it will be safe here until I can come back for it. As you are aware, there is a British man-of-war not far from here, and unless I’m mistaken