Read Capturing the Pirate's Heart (The Emerald Quest Book 1) Online
Authors: Annie Seaton
Capturing the Pirate's Heart (The Emerald Quest Book 1) (20 page)
Madeleine was nowhere to be
found. The thieves had been overpowered and restrained and were on the way to
the new police building that Carondelet had recently established as a response
to the crime in the town. Sébastien’s second mate was ministering to the
elderly woman who had been alone in the house when the men had broken in. She
was crying and shaking her head saying she knew nothing of the chest or a
necklace they had insisted was in her room.
Sébastien’s despair grew as they
searched every room of the house, in case the men had locked Madeleine away.
Dirk and the men denied knowledge of her whereabouts, even under the threat of
keelhauling. The man with the Creole accent had finally admitted he had tied
her up and left her beneath the tree on the vacant lot beside the cemetery.
Sébastien had insisted that Jake
go back to town with the crew but the young cabin boy had refused.
“I won’t leave until we find
her.” Jake was of the same mind as Sébastien. Madeleine was here somewhere; she
had to be close by. “Sir, it’s not your fault.”
Sébastien stood beneath the tree
staring over at the cemetery. “Oh, yes, lad. It is. It has been my fault from
the minute I chose not to turn back to New Orleans when she was first
discovered on the boat.” He ran the length of rope between his fingers. “Can we
trust that they really have no knowledge of where she is? Or did they kill her
when she showed them to the house?” He gave a bitter laugh. “The wrong house.
No matter what, I can’t wait here. I am going to search here.”
“And I.” The boy’s voice was
strong.
“I want you to go to town in
case Miss Madeleine has escaped and is wandering around lost. If you find her,
take her back to the
Maiden
and get a message back to me.”
Jake nodded slowly, obviously
seeing the sense in Sébastien’s words. He watched as the young lad disappeared
into the darkness and then he walked back to the tree. For some unknown reason,
he felt closer to Madeleine there. The trunk of the tree was rough on his face
as he leaned against it. He closed his eyes as a soft rain began to fall.
I have failed her. If she is
dead I will avenge her death.
His dream of the islands no longer held appeal for him and he
knew he had made the wrong decision today when he had booked a single birth. He
loved Madeleine and she was as necessary to him as the air he breathed. His
life would not be worth living if she were gone. He slammed his fist onto the
hard bark of the tree in front of him.
What could I have done
differently to keep her safe?
His chest closed and he clenched his hands in frustration.
“Sébastien?”
At first he thought he was
hallucinating as the soft voice reached him. Opening his eyes, he looked past
the tree. Madeleine was walking through the long grass toward him, an ethereal
figure coming out of the mist. Her hair was loose and the raindrops on her head
glistened in the moonlight. He stumbled back a step, unable to believe his eyes
until she held her arms out, wondering if he was seeing a ghost.
“Sébastien?” This time her voice
shook and with a deep groan he reached for her and enfolded her in his arms.
She was real and warm, and soft against him. He buried his face in her hair and
his eyes were wet with tears.
“I thought I had lost you. I
thought you were gone from me forever and I could not bear it.” His voice was
muffled against her thick tresses. “Where did you go?”
“I escaped and hid in the
cemetery, but I was so worried that they would hurt someone.” Her soft body pressed
into his and he tightened his arms around her. He would not let her go.
“I watched from the cemetery
while your men took them away. Did they…did they…find the necklace?”
“No.” He stepped back and looked
at her. “Because you sent them to the wrong house.”
Madeleine’s shoulders sagged and
she stared at him for a long moment.
“This is where your aunt’s house
was. We are standing on the pavers that formed her indoor garden. This magnolia
tree survived the fire.” He put his forehead against hers. “It was a pretty
room with tinkling water that came from a fountain that was right here beneath
the tree.”
As he watched, her eyes widened
and a smile crossed her face.
“Safe at rest, at home. In the
water, by the water, in the garden,” she whispered. “Now I know.”
“What did you say?” He leaned in
and framed her face with his hands.
“Nothing. It is no longer of
importance. All that matters to me is that you are here…and that you wanted to
find me.”
He whispered her name and then
he brushed her temple with his lips, the relief that she was alive, mingled
with the love that he felt for this woman. As his mouth moved to claim hers, he
felt the smile that still tilted her lips.
“Of course I did.” He would not
tell her of his doubts. They were gone and he knew that he would go with this
woman to wherever she chose.
Together, they stood for a long
time in a close embrace on the pavers.
***
Madeleine had decided that her
future lay with Sébastien and not with discovering the family heirloom. She had
begun this journey by searching for what she thought would bring her true
happiness. If she hadn’t started on that path she would not have found
Sébastien. He was where she would find her true happiness. She looked down as he
held her in his arms. If she was right, the object of her quest was beneath her
feet, Great Aunt Josephine had buried it there for a reason and there it would
stay. Her diary did not say that it was to be found.
The moon painted a ragged silver
edge on the clouds as a chorus of frogs croaked in the cemetery. Sébastien
tilted her chin and placed his mouth on hers. His breath mingled with hers as
he repeated the question he had asked once before.
“So shall I take you back to
England or will you travel with me to the Hawaiian Islands and become my wife?”
He stared down at her. “With no regrets?”
“I have no regrets. I will be
proud to be your wife and I will come with you to your islands.
Sébastien gathered her close and
Madeleine knew she had chosen the right path. She loved her pirate and would
follow him to wherever he took her.
“I would follow you to the ends
of the earth…without any regrets, my love.”
“Shall we investigate further?
Seek Josephine’s belongings?”
Madeleine shook her head slowly.
“No, the necklace can stay safe. I do not believe that it was Aunt Josephine’s
intention that it be found, but we will never know. Not unless we find her
diary.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am sure.”
Sébastien lowered his head and
gently claimed her mouth, and Madeleine smiled just before her lips opened to
his. She knew she was loved for herself, and not for any family heirloom.
Madeleine Leclerc sat on the warm sand watching the gentle
waves break on the shore. The plump toddler who lay back against her chest sat up
and pointed to the water in excitement as a sleek figure swam toward the beach.
“Papa.” The little girl squirmed
with excitement.
“Yes, Catherine, it is your
Papa, and if we are lucky he shall have caught our dinner.” Madeleine watched
as her husband stood in the clear water and waded toward her.
His black hair was plastered to
his head, and his eyes were full of laughter. White teeth flashed in a tanned
and ruggedly handsome face and she remembered the first time she had seen his
face. But no longer was Sébastien in the muddy waters of the Mississippi River.
She looked up at the lush green hills to the house that he had built. Acres of
waving sugar cane surrounded the house, and the jeweled sea surrounded their
island home. She looked to the east and noticed a boat pulling away from the
pier. A red-haired young man ran along the grassy hill toward them.
Sébastien walked from the water
and picked up the cloth she passed to him, wiping the water from his face. “Jake
appears to be excited about something.”
He sat on the sand beside them
and Catherine plopped onto her father’s lap. “No fish today, my sweet girl.”
“Sébastien.” Jake waved a parcel
as he approached them. “The new seeds have come from Kauai.”
“Then we have work to do, Jake.”
He flicked a lazy grin at Madeleine and the warmth rushed straight to her
belly. Even after three years of marriage, he only had to look at her and she
turned into the wanton wench he had introduced to the pleasures of love on the
Maiden
.
“Madeleine, there is a letter
for you as well.” Jake threw a packet into her lap and she picked it up
curiously.
She ran her finger along the
edge and opened it, pulling out a single piece of paper.
“Oh, Sébastien. It is a reply to
the letter that I wrote to Uncle Titus last year.” She smiled as tears filled
her eyes. “He has travelled back to Bellerose Hall and he has hired back the
servants to keep the estate running while he goes on another mission. My
drastic action to escape him made him realize how many lives had been changed
because of what he had done without thought. He has joined the London
Missionary Society and is now in Tahiti. He seems a much softer man, now. And
happier.”
Happiness overwhelmed her as she
read the last few lines of the letter. “He apologizes for arranging my marriage
and for telling that horrid man about the necklace he had read about in the
diary. He tells me that Jed, our gardener, sends his regards and that the roses
at Bellerose Hall are more beautiful than ever this year.” Madeleine stared
across the water. It was thousands of miles to Bellerose Hall. “I only have one
regret.”
Sébastien held the baby firmly
with one hand and took Madeleine’s hand with the other. “Do you miss your home
so much, my love?”
“No… this is my home.” She
smiled up at her husband. “I just wonder what became of Aunt Josephine’s
diary.”
“You may never know.” Sébastien
looked down at Catherine as the baby’s little fingers pulled at his wet hair.
Madeleine looked at Sébastien;
he was bronzed and muscled, and his wide smile showed his happiness. She held
his gaze steadily and let the love shine from her eyes. “No, we may not. But it
does not matter. This is my home and this is where my heart lies. My happiness
is truly complete.”
Continued in
Book
2:
Saving the Soldier’s Heart
Jane
Beckenham December 2014
Book
3:
Winning the Heiress’s Heart
Susanne
Bellamy January 2015
Book
4:
Capturing the Bodyguard’s Heart
Sara
Hantz
February 2015
the Author
Annie Seaton
lives on the edge of the South Pacific Ocean on the east coast of Australia,
and she is fulfilling her lifelong dream of writing, and has been delighted to
discover that readers love reading her stories as much as she loves writing
them.
Annie lives with her own hero of many years. Their two
children are now grown up and married, and two beautiful grandchildren have arrived.
Now they share their home with “Bob” the dog and two white cats.
Annie writes across several imprints for Entangled
Publishing…from Indulgence to Bliss, and Covet to Ignite, as well as self
publishing some titles. She loves creating happily ever afters in different
settings.
When she is not writing, she can be found in her garden or
walking on the beach…or most likely on her deck overlooking the ocean, a
chilled glass of wine in hand as the sun sets
.