Captain's Mercy

By Kate Hill

When Mercy Brown accepts a position as companion to the sister of Jonah Barnes, a wealthy and rugged former sea captain, she has no idea that she'll soon be entangled in their quirky family's secrets.

Prowlers, disturbances from the attic, and eerie howls on the property are just the start. After meeting several strange members of the household, including a groundskeeper who works by night and the mischievous Maxwell Barnes, Mercy wonders if she should flee while she can. Her fondness for her young companion, Faith, and her deep attraction to Jonah prevent her from leaving.

Jonah's mixed messages regarding his feelings for her leave Mercy confused. With encouragement from Faith, she begins her first novel, an erotic adventure featuring a hero modeled after Jonah. When pages from it go missing, she fears that her gruff employer will discover the nature of her feelings for him and possibly dismiss her. That might be for the best, because if she stays, her attachment to the Barnes family could endanger her life.

Note: Captain's Mercy was previously published. It has been re-edited and includes two extra scenes after the main story. Captain's Mercy is an opposites attract historical romance with suspense, some spice, and a story within a story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kate Hill
• Release date: Dec 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215334454

Kate Hill

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who started writing many years ago for pleasure. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, watching horror and action movies, working out, and spending time with her family and pets. She also writes under the name Saloni Quinby.

Book preview

Captain's Mercy

The Barnes Family Book 1

Captain's Mercy

Smashwords Edition Copyright 2024 Kate Hill

First electronic book publication Siren Publishing 2016

Cover art designed at Canva.com

This book has sexual content and is for those 18 or over.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, and events is purely coincidental.

When Mercy Brown accepts a position as companion to the sister of Jonah Barnes, a wealthy and rugged former sea captain, she has no idea that she'll soon be entangled in their quirky family's secrets.

Prowlers, disturbances from the attic, and eerie howls on the property are just the start. After meeting several strange members of the household, including a groundskeeper who works by night and the mischievous Maxwell Barnes, Mercy wonders if she should flee while she can. Her fondness for her young companion, Faith, and her deep attraction to Jonah prevent her from leaving.

Jonah's mixed messages regarding his feelings for her leave Mercy confused. With encouragement from Faith, she begins her first novel, an erotic adventure featuring a hero modeled after Jonah. When pages from it go missing, she fears that her gruff employer will discover the nature of her feelings for him and possibly dismiss her. That might be for the best, because if she stays, her attachment to the Barnes family could endanger her life.

Note: Captain's Mercy was previously published. It has been re-edited and includes two extra scenes after the main story. Captain's Mercy is an opposites attract historical romance with suspense, some spice, and a story within a story.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Extra Scene 1

Extra Scene 2

Author’s Note

About Kate

Also by Kate Hill

Chapter One

Faith’s Companion

1871

Mercy Brown stood in the office of Barnes Brothers Shipyard located on the southeastern coast of England. She awaited the company’s founder, Jonah Barnes. As requested, she had arrived at one o’clock sharp for her interview. However, she had already waited nearly a quarter of an hour for her potential employer to appear.

With a sigh, she shifted her travel bag to her other hand. She had spent the night at an inn, but planned to return to London once the interview ended—if it even began. She glanced around the spacious room. A rectangular table rested in the center of the floor and a desk stood off to the side, close to a window that overlooked the dock. With nothing better to do at the moment, she crossed the room to look outside, but her gaze drifted to the wooden desktop scattered with paperwork. A photograph in a simple brass frame caught her attention. It included three attractive men standing behind a pretty young lady seated in a wheelchair. Mercy guessed the lady was Miss Barnes, Jonah’s sister for whom he was hiring a companion. If this interview went well, Mercy would have the job—providing Jonah Barnes ever showed up. She wondered if he was in the photo. All three men appeared tall and athletic. They were clean-shaven with dark hair. One looked quite a bit older than the others, though no less handsome. In fact she found his piercing eyes and weathered face riveting.

Mercy tore her gaze from the photo and walked back to the center of the room. The door opened and she glanced toward it sharply, not having heard anyone approach. A tall, rugged-looking man with a scruffy beard and hair that needed a trim strode inside. He wore black boots, trousers, and a white shirt stained with dirt and blood. The rolled-up sleeves revealed muscular forearms and several open buttons exposed an almost obscene portion of a sculpted chest covered in dark hair.

He glanced at her with sharp brown eyes, approached the desk, and sat. He nodded to the chair across from it and said in a deep, rough voice, Miss Brown, have a seat.

She did as he asked, still somewhat taken aback by his appearance. Glancing at his shirt, she asked, Good heavens, sir, are you all right?

I’m fine. One of my workers had an accident. He sighed deeply and rubbed a hand over his bearded jaw. Again his piercing gaze fixed on her. She recognized his eyes from the photograph, though he didn’t look as respectable in person as he did in the picture. Of course he had apparently been aiding an injured man. That surprised her. Not many men in his position would soil their hands with the blood of a mere worker.

On to the business at hand, he said. I’ve looked over your references and education. You seem quite suitable for the job. The only problem I see is that your last employer was an elderly woman. My sister is rather young. She just turned twenty last week. She’ll be quite a change of pace for you.

A welcome one, I’m sure, Mercy said with a faint smile.

While Faith is able to care for herself, your duties will include assisting her in and out of her chair when necessary. Are you physically capable of that task?

Of course. I often assisted my last employer.

Until the end of her life, Mrs. Wren hadn’t been a small woman by any means. The young lady in the photograph on Mr. Barnes’s desk was probably half the size of Mrs. Wren.

Aside from that, your duties will be average for a companion. Conversation, diversions, sharing meals, and taking walks. My sister loves the outdoors.

As I do.

He raised an eyebrow and stared at her in a way that made her stomach clench. She tried to focus on his face, but somehow her gaze kept drifting toward the muscular expanse of his hair-dusted chest. Something hot and tight pulsed deep in her lower belly. She made a conscious effort not to squirm in her seat. Such a movement would no doubt signify either anxiety or lust and she didn’t want this man to think he had such power over her.

Mercy considered herself a confident woman and she was certainly not a superficial one. However, she couldn’t help feeling a bit dowdy in the presence of such a stunning man. With her understated moss-green dress, dark eyes, and brown hair arranged in a neat but unremarkable bun, she doubted he found her attractive. Of course that was for the best. The last thing she needed was for her employer to lust after her, even if she secretly desired him.

Since you’ve been living in London I wasn’t sure if life in the country would appeal to you. It’s not for everyone, he said curtly.

It almost seemed like he was trying to discourage her from taking the job. Strange. And ineffective. Mercy enjoyed challenge.

I grew up in the country, sir. My father is a vicar in a small village.

He leaned back in his chair, those dark eyes cold and unreadable. His jaw clenched visibly, conjuring visions of a growling predator. Still, she continued holding his gaze in what might be considered a belligerent manner.

After a moment, he said, Do you have any questions about the job?

May I inquire about your sister’s health history? Is her disability recent or due to an old injury?

Her legs were abnormally developed at birth, but aside from that she is a completely normal young woman and shouldn’t be treated as an invalid.

I didn’t mean the question to be offensive, sir.

It wasn’t, but I wanted to make that clear. Any other questions?

Mercy asked about compensation and ground rules. Her allowance was generous. She would be given a room next to Faith’s and would take meals with the family.

When can you start? he asked, surprising her. He hadn’t seemed the least bit impressed by her, and she had expected to be dismissed on the premise that he had other interviews to conduct before making his decision.

After a brief hesitation, Mercy replied, Immediately, if that suits.

Excellent. He took a clean piece of paper and wrote on it. I’ll arrange a ride to the house for you. I’d take you myself but I have a business meeting in half an hour. Our butler, Michaels, will give you a tour of the house and grounds and introduce you to my sister. When you arrive, just give him this.

He handed the paper to her, and she glanced at it.

Do you have any further questions? he asked.

No, sir.

He nodded and stood, gesturing toward the door. Mercy rose and he accompanied her out of the office. She couldn’t help being incredibly aware of him. He stood close enough that she felt the heat from his body—or perhaps it was her imagination. He carried the scent of the ocean mixed with a hint of cologne. He was quite tall, and his broad-shouldered body radiated power. He might be the wealthy owner of a thriving business, but there was something basic about him—something gruff and almost animalistic that she found rather daunting. She hoped that despite the fact that they’d be living under the same roof, she would see little of him.

Outside, Jonah summoned a short, wiry man named John and instructed him to drive her to his home in his horse and carriage.

Mercy climbed in, not entirely comfortable with riding alone with this stranger, but in such a rural area she had little choice. This little man was actually preferable company to Jonah Barnes. The very idea of squeezing into a carriage next to the unkempt shipyard owner made her stomach clench. Perhaps she had been wrong to take this position after all. The idea of living in the country again had drawn her to the position, she might have been better off staying in London.

* * *

The Barnes estate was miles from its nearest neighbor. An iron fence stretched around the many acres, disappearing into the woods and emerging on the other side, so far in the distance that it was almost indiscernible. Barbed wire wrapped around the top of the fence as well as the iron gates. Near the entrance, a bell dangled from the top of a post.

John stopped the carriage, climbed down, and opened the gate. No sooner had John dropped Mercy in front of the three-story mansion than he turned the carriage out of the long drive and headed back to the dock.

As companion to Miss Barnes, Mercy was expected to use the front door. It opened before she even reached it. A tall, slim young man in impeccable black-and-white dress clothes stood watching her. He had wavy raven hair and large blue eyes that studied her carefully as she approached. The expression on his chiseled face remained unreadable. She recognized him from the photograph on Jonah’s desk.

Good afternoon, miss, he said in a soft, smooth voice. How may I help you?

Surely this couldn’t be Jonah Barnes’s brother? Two men couldn’t be less alike.

My name is Mercy Brown, Miss Barnes’s new companion. I met with her brother, Mr. Jonah Barnes, about an hour ago and he asked me to give this to his butler, Michaels. It explains everything. She held out the note Jonah had written.

The young man took it. Thank you. He unfolded the paper and gave it a cursory glance. Right this way, Miss Brown. I’ll give you a tour of the house, and then I’ll introduce you to Miss Barnes.

Mercy almost raised an eyebrow. Apparently this man was the butler. Perhaps she’d been mistaken about him being in the photo after all.

Thank you, Michaels, she said.

He glanced at her, a faint smile tugging at his slender lips. My pleasure, miss.

He guided her through the spacious foyer and down a long corridor.

Your room is right this way, next to Miss Barnes’s. I know it’s rather unusual for bedrooms to be located on the ground floor, but with Miss Barnes’s condition it’s easier for her.

Of course.

I see you have no luggage. Am I right in assuming you’ll be sending for it?

Yes. I hadn’t expected to arrive so soon, but—

But it’s best to jump in with both feet. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. This time his smile seemed almost mocking. Her stomach tightened, though in quite a different way than when she’d spoken to Jonah. He had been gruff and almost intimidating, but this man appeared rather shady.

As they passed a door on the right, he gestured toward it. This is Miss Barnes’s room. Yours is here, next to it.

A little farther down the corridor, he paused in front of another door and opened it. He motioned for her to enter. Mercy stepped forward, expecting him to give her enough room to pass, but he stood, half blocking the door, that slight yet annoying smile on his lips. His blue eyes fixed on her, as if challenging her somehow.

She couldn’t pass without brushing against him, so she said, Excuse me, please.

He waited for several heartbeats before moving aside, bowing his head, and making a flourishing gesture with his hand.

Mercy somehow refrained from curling her lip at him. For a butler, his manners were certainly lacking. If he was any indication of how this household was run, she might not last long here.

She glanced around the room, finding it spacious and quite lovely. A white quilt embroidered with pink roses covered the bed. A wardrobe stood against the far wall, and a writing desk rested under a window facing a garden. A sitting area complete with a fireplace and a couch was visible through an archway. Glass doors opened to a small patio rimmed with rose bushes.

The washroom is through there, said her guide, pointing to a door to the left. He walked into the room, his gaze sweeping her from head to toe.

I should see the rest of the house now and meet Miss Barnes.

He didn’t reply, and she had the worst feeling he was going to try to touch her.

Is something wrong? she demanded.

Why do you ask?

You’re staring at me.

It’s just you’re not what I expected.

Excuse me?

It’s not important. Follow me. I’m sure Miss Barnes will be delighted to meet you.

They left the room, returned to the foyer, and stepped into a large parlor off to the side. Sunlight poured in through the picture windows and glass doors opened to a patio where a petite, raven-haired young lady sat at a wrought-iron table. As they approached, Mercy saw that she was engrossed in writing in a journal. However, when they stepped outside, she paused and glanced at them.

Good afternoon, she said with a pleasant smile, her large blue eyes sparkling.

May I present Miss Mercy Brown, your new companion—providing, of course, she meets with your approval.

I didn’t know Jonah had found someone, she said, her brow furrowed. I thought he was going to allow me to do the interviews.

Mercy wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

Faith closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. Goodness, I’m sorry. That was quite rude. I’m sure we’ll get along well, Miss Brown. Max, will you ask Augusta to bring tea for us please?

Mercy turned to the young man with a startled look. I’m sorry. You’re not Michaels?

Michaels? Faith said. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. Max, don’t tell me you’re playing tricks on her already. At the very least let her settle in. Miss Brown, this is my brother, Maxwell.

Really, Mercy said in a dry tone, her gaze fixed on his.

That quirky smile played around his mouth and those blue eyes bore into hers. I’m sure you’ll like her, Faith. I can certainly see why Jonah did.

Max, that’s enough, Faith said, her expression stern, almost like a governess reprimanding an unruly child. Miss Brown, I’m sorry if he offended you, but I assure you Max is quite harmless.

Mercy continued staring hard at him. He certainly didn’t look harmless.

From now on you be sweet to her, Max, Faith ordered.

He raised his eyes to heaven. Lord, Faith, I was only having a bit of fun. I never actually said I was Michaels.

Mercy stared hard at him. Nor did you deny it, sir.

He sighed and shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. Lovely to look at but no sense of humor. I didn’t mean to offend you, Miss Brown. I hope you’ll be happy here. Faith, I’ll have Augusta bring your tea, and then I’m off to the city. Jonah will be home for supper.

Maxwell stepped toward Faith, bent, and kissed the top of her head. He nodded to Mercy and sauntered inside, leaving them alone.

Faith smiled at Mercy. Please have a seat and tell me about yourself, Miss Brown. I’m so looking forward to us getting to know each other.

Doing as the young woman asked, Mercy settled onto the chair near Faith’s and realized that she looked forward to knowing her as well. As uncomfortable as she was around Faith’s brothers, Mercy was already at ease with the young lady herself, and she hoped this situation would work out. If she could somehow avoid the Barnes brothers, she was quite certain she would be happy as Faith’s companion.

Where are you from? Faith asked.

I grew up in a village not much different from this one. My father is a vicar and my mother had been a governess before they married. She was quite particular about education and oversaw my studies herself. She thought it important for a lady to have the skills to make her own way in the world, if necessary.

She’s a wise woman, Faith said. Are your parents still alive?

Yes. They live in the same village I grew up in. We write often. I think my father had hoped I would marry one day, but he’s given up on the idea of me giving him grandchildren now.

You’re far from an old woman, Miss Brown. Perhaps you simply haven’t met the right man yet.

Perhaps. However, I’m quite happy with my spinster’s life.

Faith sighed. I dream about marrying, but I fear it will never happen to me.

Mercy chuckled. If there’s still hope for me, then there’s more for a lovely young lady like yourself.

Your allowance doesn’t depend on lying to make me feel better, Faith said with a quirky smile.

I wouldn’t do that.

Enough about men, at least for now. This conversation is becoming a bit depressing. Tell me more about your family. Do you have brothers and sisters?

"Unfortunately not. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy being a companion. I