Capturing the Pirate's Heart (The Emerald Quest Book 1) (18 page)

“As soon as we awake, I shall
take you and show you. We shall then book a passage for England as I believe
there is a three week wait, so time is of the essence.”

Madeleine’s happiness was
complete. It was the first time since her family had been killed that she felt
free and happy. If indeed, they found the actual necklace in the next few
weeks, she would give deep thought to her future. She must have stiffened in
his grasp as he dropped his head and ran a soft kiss along her cheek.

“What is it?”

“You read me so well.” Madeleine
turned her face to meet his lips. “I just need to be sure of what I will do.”

Sébastien lifted his head and stared
at her, his dark eyes shining in the soft moonlight. “You are the only one who
can make that decision. If you have any doubt, you must think long and hard.”

Madeleine swallowed her doubt
and smiled up at him as her fingers found their quarry. “Speaking of long and
hard…”

It was a long time before they
slept.

Madeleine’s anticipation at
seeing the necklace and the portrait of her Great Aunt Josephine was satisfying
to watch. Her belief in the existence of the necklace had been confirmed and
she drew in an excited breath as she grasped Sébastien’s hand.

“Can we go and seek it now?”

Sébastien had not shared with
Madeleine his knowledge that Josephine’s house had burned to the ground. It was
not the right time to deflate her excitement. He would take her to the land
where the house had once stood and perhaps they would find a clue of what may
have happened to the precious necklace. He would get Madeleine to tell him what
she knew and together they would search.

Despite his joy in her
excitement, a heavy feeling settled in Sébastien’s stomach as the time came
closer to booking their passage to England. His dream of starting anew and
moving to the islands was slowly dissipating like the morning mist over the
Mississippi river and he was beginning to wonder if he had made too hasty a
decision. When he was in Madeleine’s presence, and particularly when her hands
and mouth were on him, he had no doubt that he wanted to be with her. When he
was alone, the doubts crept in and he struggled to make sense of the joy he
took in being with her and the need to accompany her to fulfill her quest…which
would put his own dreams in jeopardy.

“Mr. Abrahams has told me of a
ship that is departing for England next week but the berths are filling
quickly.” Sébastien said as he opened the cabin door. He shook his head with a
smile. “Still abed, you lazy strumpet?”

Madeleine slid her long bare
legs over the side of the bed and her dainty feet rested on the carpet. The now
familiar jerk of desire ran through his blood and Sébastien pushed it aside.

“I shall go into town and book
our berths while you prepare yourself to go ashore to see the portrait.”

“I can be ready quickly.” She
smiled up at him.

“No need. I will simply be
standing in a crowd for a long while. There is a great demand for berths
because there is a shortage. The information came to Mr. Abrahams and I must go
quickly.”

“Sebastien?” Madeline chewed her
lip and frowned at him. A shaft of worry shot through him and he wondered if
she had changed her mind.

“Yes? What is it?”

“When you are ashore, would
you…would you see if there is any sign of my uncle?”

Sébastien chastised himself
silently as the guilt of taking Madeleine’s innocence came hurtling back. He
had forgotten about her uncle entirely since he’d noticed the frigate had
departed. The pleasures of her body had addled his brain. Perhaps the decisions
he had made were equally as foolish?

He nodded. “I will.” He cast a
long glance at her and tried to ignore the bewitching pull she had over him,
and his voice sounded terse even to his own ears. “Ready yourself and we shall
go to the salon to see the portrait as soon as I return.”

Her wide smile, her beauty, her
innocence all presented a picture that caused great confusion in him. Sébastien
forced a smile to his face and turned quickly and closed the door behind him.
He would consider his actions on his way to book the berths…or one single berth
for Madeleine. He had some serious thinking to do.

***

Madeleine took time to wash and
dress herself suitably to travel into town. She managed to put together an
outfit that bespoke of a lady…of sorts. She waited in the cabin for Sébastien
to return. It had been almost midday when he had left and now he had been gone
for hours. She began to worry about his safety…and then she began to worry that
he had changed his mind. Foolish thoughts. If he had changed his mind about
her, he would not abandon her on his boat.

Perhaps he had found Uncle
Titus?

Even worse, perhaps he had gone
to look for the necklace by himself. She paced the cabin, her hard-soled
slippers clicking on the wooden floor each time she stepped off the square of
carpet.

The light faded as night fell
and the lamp cast soft shadows around the cabin. Sébastien had been almost the
whole day and Madeleine prayed he would return soon. Her worry dissolved and
impatience filled her as she wandered around the cabin, picking up unfamiliar
instruments and examining them. She was ready to leave with him as soon as he
returned. Another hour passed and she walked to the aperture in the hull and
looked out. She tapped her fingers against the timber as the glimmers of doubt
came back.

What if he doesn’t come back?
What if he just leaves me here?

All was dark and quiet on the
quay, and there was no sign of any movement on the wharf. If it had been like
that the night she had escaped Uncle Titus, her life would be very different
now. A tap sounded at the door and Madeleine ran lightly across the cabin as
relief filled her. Her doubts had been unnecessary. He wouldn’t leave her.
“Sébastien?”

“No, Miss Madeleine. It is Jake.
I came to say goodbye before I leave.”

Disappointment was like a stone
in her stomach. “Where are you going?”

There was a hesitation and then Jake’s
voice came through the door. “I have found…a better vessel.”

Madeleine was surprised as she
had understood him to be happy on the
Maiden
and had assumed that he
would continue on the vessel when Mr. Abrahams took over as captain.

“I am leaving now, so can I…come
in…to say goodbye?” His voice was shaking. “Or maybe you can come out?”

Madeleine frowned as she
unlatched the door. Jake sounded upset and he had been a true friend to her.
She pulled the door open slowly but the young boy did not enter.

“It’s all right to come in,
Jake. The captain is not here.”

“And isn’t that unfortunate for
you.” She gasped as the door was flung wide open and two men pushed past her
before grabbing her arms roughly.

“Oh miss, I am so sorry. They
made me do it.” Tears rolled down Jake’s face from eyes which were wide with
fear.

The crew man who had assaulted
her had his arm curled around Jake’s neck and a knife against his throat.

“It’s all right, Jake.” An icy
calm descended on Madeleine as she reassured him. She did not want to move for
fear the knife at his throat slipped.

“Shall I slit his throat in
front of you, madam?” The man she knew as Dirk pushed Jake in through the door
and she turned her head to watch them enter. “Or shall we wait for the captain
to return and kill you both together?”

Madeleine held herself rigid and
tried to catch Jake’s eye but the young boy had dropped his head. She opened
her mouth but the man to her left put his filthy hand on her lips. For a moment
she was tempted to bite his fingers, but realized she must be compliant if
Jake’s life was to be spared.

She shook her head and he lifted
his hand.

“I will not scream. What is it
you want from me?” While ever the knife was at Jake’s throat she would do as
they asked, no matter what.

She prayed that Sébastien would
return, and then in the next thought, she hoped he would not. There was too
much danger and the space they were in was too confined and there was no one
nearby to help. If they had been up on the deck there would be more of a chance
of getting away.

“You will come with us and lead
us to the treasure you told the boy about.” The man’s voice deepened with
suspicion. “Or has the pirate gone to get it already?”

Jake squealed as the sailor
pressed the knife against his neck and Madeleine watched with horrified
fascination as a trickle of blood ran down the blade.

“No! No, leave him be or I will
tell you nothing. The captain has gone ashore for a short time.”

Two of the men exchanged a look.
“I would wager he will return with his pockets full of gold. This night gets
better as each minute passes.”

“Come, we are wasting time. We
will come back for his gold after she leads us to the necklace.” His cold eyes
flicked a glance toward her and she shivered at the intent in his eyes. She
wondered what her fate was to be.

Rough hands dragged her through
the door and she looked around in panic, wondering if she would ever see Jake
and Sébastien again. But one of her fears was allayed.

“The boy will come with us. It
will be good leverage to get the wench to talk.” He pushed Jake ahead of him
toward the door, the knife still glinting in the lamplight.

One of the other men was ahead
of her and the other followed as Madeleine climbed the ladder to the deck. It
was dark and only a faint light shone from the wheelhouse. She scanned around
the deck without moving her head, trying to find the first mate, but there was
no sign of anyone.

“You are clever for a wench,
that is for certain.” The voice coming from behind her turned Madeleine’s
stomach to water. “Are you clever enough not to call for help?” She turned and
lifted her hand as his spittle hit her face.

“Do you want your young friend
to stay alive? What say you, wench? Do we need to gag you?” His voice was loud
and she prayed someone would hear and come see what was happening. But all was
still.

“No.” She shook her head and
they pulled her to the gangplank, with Jake close behind. Stepping onto land
for the first time in three weeks, Madeleine’s legs trembled as her feet hit
the hard road and she fought to keep her balance.

The man with the knife gestured
to the man on her left and he let her go briefly as they swapped positions.
There was nothing she could do as the knife was once again at Jake’s neck.

Putrid breath fanned her face as
Dirk leaned in to her. “Now, you will tell us where this treasure can be
found.”

Madeleine thought quickly. If
Jake was to be spared and Sébastien kept safe, she would lead them to Aunt
Josephine’s house.

“I have not been there and do
not know the house but I can tell you where it is.”

“Then tell us.” He pushed his
face into hers and she recoiled with distaste.

“Ah, she thinks she is better
than us because she has been in the captain’s bed. Well, wench, watch how
quickly he and his brother rid themselves of you when you no longer have the
treasure they seek.” Dirk’s voice was hard yet full of amused satisfaction

His brother?
What did Sébastien’s brother
have to do with this? Fear crawled into Madeleine’s throat as all her doubts
came rushing back. One of the final things Sébastien had mentioned as he had
left her had been the necklace. Was that all he sought from her?

“You thought it was your pretty
charms?” Dirk laughed and a shiver ran down Madeleine’s back. “It wasn’t. Nor
the booty between your legs.”

No.
She straightened her back.
I will not
lose faith.
This man knows nothing.

A grimy hand grabbed her chin
and turned her face to his. A mouth with black-stained teeth hovered near her
lips as the man lowered his face closer to hers. His fingers pressed into her
cheeks and she bit back a cry of pain.

“So where are we going to?” he
said. “Where is this treasure hidden?”

“The necklace is in my great
aunt’s house. But I do not know who lives there since she died.”

“Where is this house?”

Madeleine closed her eyes
remembering the inscription in the front of the diary that was imprinted in her
mind. “It is in Rue Toulouse next to a cemetery…but I don’t even know where
that is.”

“Good. We will find it. Now, you
will look like a whore who is out for an evening stroll with some lonely
sailors. If you call for help or try to escape, the boy will die.” His fingers
squeezed her arm so hard she bit her lip to stop the cry of pain escaping her
lips. “Do you understand me?”

Madeleine dropped her head and
whispered. “I understand you.” If she could delay them, perhaps Sébastien or
some of the crew would return. There was no point trying to escape or she would
be responsible for Jake’s death. All she could pray for was that if she told
these men what she knew that they would be able to find the necklace. They must
have looked like a strange group but as they walked through the streets no one
cast them a second glance.

It was strange to be walking on
land. Madeleine looked at the mysterious alleys, covered passageways, two story
houses with ornate lacework and narrow streets laid out in a square grid. Even
though it was late in the evening, the streets were crowded with men and women
in evening dress who paid scant attention to four people keeping to the
shadows. Snatches of unfamiliar languages floated by and there was much
laughter. She kept her head down as they walked until the men came to a stop
outside a tavern.

“Wait here. I’m going into the
tavern to find out where this Rue Toulouse is.” Dirk jerked his head toward
her. “What is your aunt’s name?”

“Du Bois.” Madeleine said. “It
was du Bois.”

“Make sure you watch them.” His
whisper was harsh and the way he looked at her sent a shiver down her back. If
they found the necklace, she feared for Jake’s and her own safety. If they went
back to the
Maiden
, she feared they would hurt Sébastien, too. Her mind
flitted from one thought to another and she fought the helpless panic rising in
her throat.