Heather Graham (35 page)

In the darkness, his arms came around her. He dragged her up with him, forcing her head above the surface. She choked, then gasped. He clutched her chin, keeping her face above the water. “Hold on!” he told her desperately. “Hold on!”

A dinghy had been lowered and was now lapping through the water toward them. Sean was rowing hard. He pulled back on the oars, bringing the boat around. He reached out, and pulled Rose in while Pierce crawled aboard of his own power.

He grasped his wife immediately, sweeping her into his arms. She lay with her back against his chest, her eyes closed. He chafed her wrists, stroked her cheeks. “Rose! Rose!” She was breathing, no longer choking. Her eyes flew open.

“Jesu!” he whispered with fear, his hand upon her cheek, twisting her face, meeting her emerald eyes. “What the hell did you think that you were doing?”

“I didn’t think that I was doing anything!” she gasped. “I—”

“You’d kill yourself to escape me!”

“I wouldn’t—”

“You almost did!”

“No! I was only jumping into the dinghy! I would have been fine if you could have managed to pirate only one ship a day!”

“I’m not attacking the Spaniard, Rose! The damned Spaniard is attacking me!”

“Serves you right for being a pirate!”

“If you hadn’t tried to escape—”

“If you’d just told me that we could go back for the baby, I wouldn’t have been trying to escape!” she cried.

Sean suddenly cleared his throat. “Perhaps you might continue this discussion later, milord. It seems that we still have problems at the moment.”

They did have problems. They had come alongside the Spaniard. The men had taken her cleanly and were transferring the hostages to the
Lady May.

“Take milady,” Pierce quickly told Sean. “Jesu!” he sighed in exasperation. “No patch, no hat, nothing!”

“The naked pirate!” Rose muttered.

He cast her a warning gaze, leaping for the rigging as the dinghy reached the ship. It was all right. One of his men had his sword and hat ready as he leapt over the railing and came upon the deck. Manuel was there, ready with the patch. Except for the fact that he was dripping wet, he was the Dragonslayer once again.

He strode before his hostages, a group of dons and their ladies on their way to Cartagena, so the
capitán
told him. He was an old man, very straight, with a curled gray mustache. He looked dead ahead while he answered the questions put forth to him by Pierce in Spanish. “Why did you attack these ships?” Pierce demanded, perplexed.

“I sought the advantage of first fire,” the
capitán
told him.

He was about to give the man his usual speech and send him on his way, but even as he opened his mouth, he heard a soft entreaty.

“Dragonslayer!”

Rose stood behind him. Her sea-soaked gown hugged the perfection of her figure. Her eyes were enormous, and the great wealth of her hair hung upon her, darkened by the water. She was still stunning. Beautiful beyond belief.

“Milady!” he snapped, his teeth grating. “If you’ll let me handle my affairs—”

“Please!” she begged, stepping forward. “Please! Let them go!”

What the hell had she thought that he intended to do with them? Then he wondered wryly if she could possibly have believed the rumors that he had purposely started himself.

Jesu, he just wanted out of this now!

And he didn’t want to think about innocence or guilt or betrayal. He just wanted his wife.

He lifted his sword. He smiled. He bowed gallantly to her. “As you wish, milady.” He turned back to the Spaniards, and his men. “Set our guests aboard their vessel once again. Let them go.”

The old
capitán
understood his English. He looked from Pierce to Rose, then rushed forward, dropping to his knees, kissing her hand. “The Virgin will bless you, milady! God will bless you—”

“Yes, yes, yes, she’s the saint of all saints!” Pierce said irritably. “Now, go! Before I change my mind!”

They was a scramble of footsteps and noise behind him. The old
capitán
hurried away. Pierce stared at Rose. He walked toward her slowly. Her eyes met his. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“Are you really grateful?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Grateful enough to stay aboard the damned ship?”

She smiled just slightly. “You saved my life. Only because of the cannon ball,” she said quickly. “Otherwise, I swim very well—”

“And you ride very well, too?”

Her lashes covered her cheeks. “You know, Pierce,” she said very softly, raising her eyes to his once again, “I did plow into you that day on the hunt. It seems like forever ago, doesn’t it? But now I can admit it. I was guilty of that. But of nothing else. I had no part in Anne’s kidnapping. And upon my son’s life, milord, I swear that I sent you to Anne with my heart raging with both jealousy and fear. I didn’t want to lose you, but I didn’t want her to die. Jerome tricked us all—you, me, and even Jamison. For all that has happened, I am heartily, bitterly sorry.”

His heart slammed against his chest. His hands clenched hard. For so very long he had lived with the fury in his heart …

And now all his resolve seemed to crumble to dust, and blow away in the soft, salty breeze.

She didn’t wait for an answer. She turned, striding wet and dripping—and dignified still—back to the captain’s cabin.

He turned to Sean, who had been silently awaiting his orders;

Sean smiled. “She really is beautiful!” he said, and added quickly, “Milord!”

“Sail for Virginia, my friend,” he said, and went striding after Rose.

She stood at the captain’s desk, shivering. Pierce quickly stripped the blanket from the bunk and wrapped it around her shoulders. She pulled uneasily away from him, watching him.

“You have to change,” he said. “Then you can prepare your story for your father.”

She moistened her lips, still wary. “We are returning to Virginia?”

He sighed softly. “We were always returning to Virginia, Rose!”

“I’ve no intention of lying to my father.”

How could she wind his heart around her finger so quickly and then be so damned stubborn? “Then you’d best change your intentions. I don’t want to have trouble with him,” Pierce said irritably.

“All right, fine! What am I going to tell my father?”

“You’ll say that you met up with another ship at sea. A DeForte ship. You were warned that there has been some trouble at the castle, and that you are needed to sign papers so that the title and land can come to your son. It’s urgent that you get to England immediately, and so you’re going to leave first thing in the morning on the
Lady May.
Captain Niemens will still be your captain. The crew is prepared to take the ship. We’ll need provisions for the longer voyage, but with your father’s influence in Virginia, he will manage to have that done immediately.”

She didn’t reply right away. She stared down at her trunk. “We can just tell my father the truth,” she suggested. “He—”

“No!” Pierce snapped quickly. “I do not trust men easily!”

“Nor women!” she reminded him. “If he catches you as it is, you might well find yourself hanged!”

“Then you had best be an angel, my love. Because I’ve acquired some very loyal friends as a pirate. If anything were to happen to me …”

“What?” she demanded.

He smiled. “Do you really want to find out?”

She arched a brow. “Fine, milord DeForte. I shall be as careful as I can manage that no one discovers your identity!”

He paused a moment, watching her. He had meant to leave, but he didn’t. Then a sudden, startling rush of emotion flowed from his voice as he spoke. “I fell in love with you, Rose,” he said softly. “Did you know that?”

Her breath caught. No. She felt like collapsing. Had he ever loved her? Really loved her. Had he believed her? Did he believe in her even now? Had her words at last changed his heart?

“I loved you!” she whispered hoarsely. Tears were forming in her eyes. She fought to keep them from falling. “I thought I would go mad when they told me that you had died.” Passion suddenly filled her. Her tears were starting. “You wronged me again and again! How could you! How could you have believed that I would be in league with Jamison! You owe me an apology! You should be begging for my forgiveness—”

“Rose!” he cried, striding to her. She was in his arms. His lips touched hers. Warm, wonderful, so filled with power and desire and naked excitement. She longed to have him kiss her forever. She longed to feel his hands upon her.

“Milord!” There was pounding on the door. “Milord DeForte! We approach the harbor closely now.”

He pulled away from her, his eyes burning into hers. “We will have time later!” he said hoarsely. Then he turned, leaving her.

She quickly shed her wet gown and donned another, her heart and mind a tempest.

Pierce didn’t return. Not until they had nearly come into port, and then he stepped into the cabin for a moment only.

“We must take care here, Rose! I’m warning you, my love!”

As if he might still have some doubts?

“Oh, I’ll not give away your identity!” she told him.

“I didn’t suggest—”

“Neither have you begged my pardon!” she cried.

“Rose!” He pulled her up against him. “There’s just a night here we’ll be apart. And when that night is over, we’ll have time.”

Damn him! He was hardly humble!

He urged her toward the door to the cabin. She exited it, meeting Captain Niemens’ pleased gaze almost immediately.

“’Tis a miracle!” he told her.

“Oh, yes! A miracle,” she agreed.

“Captain, since I must be but a poor ship’s hand here, would you be so good as to escort my wife to her father?” Pierce asked softly.

“Indeed, milady!” Niemens bowed low to her. Rose smiled, and on his arm, she walked the gangplank from the ship to the deep-water dock.

She saw Ashcroft right away. Someone must have warned him that the
Lady May
was returning to her home port. Wearing a worried frown, he stood at the far end of the dock. She cried out softly, leaving Niemens and her husband as she raced down the wooden walkway.

Let him wonder! she thought. Oh, she was so ecstatic that he was alive, and her heart was filled with the wonder of things that lay in the future. But damn him! He did owe her a very serious apology! Let him worry just a little bit about what she might say to her father! So he was the one with the power! Hmmph!

Damn him! So she was to go home, and spend a night in torture, waiting. And he’d just join his fellows and head for a tavern and drink the night away, and God knew what else.

She had nearly reached her father, but he didn’t have a chance to speak at first. Ashcroft was full of questions. “What happened, daughter? Are you all right? The crew? What’s happened? I’ve been a wreck since the ship was first sighted, wondering what’s gone on. You’re not hurt in any way?”

She shook her head firmly. Behind her, the sailors were coming off the ship.

“No, Father, I just met another DeForte ship on the way out and discovered that it was bearing messages for me. I have to get to England quickly to ensure that Castle DeForte and Pierce’s possessions pass smoothly to Woody. I’m very sorry about Bermuda, Father. It will have to wait.”

Ashcroft shook his head. “As long as you are well. England, though. I don’t like the idea a bit. Not a bit.” He was frowning, looking over her shoulder. “Now, who’s that young fellow?” he demanded.

Pierce had come off the ship. He was standing just off the gangway, talking to the sailor he had called Sean.

This was it! Her father had given her a wonderful plan. Fallen perfectly into her lap, here was the opportunity she had awaited!

Rose raised her voice so that Pierce could hear, and to her amazement, a story quickly came to her. “That fellow? The one with the shifty eyes? Why, he’s—a convict. Sold into labor, he’s to serve Captain Niemens for seven years, so I hear. ’Twas a way to keep the fellow out of Newgate.”

“A convict!” Ashcroft said.

“Oh, yes. But his crime was nothing so serious. He stole food. Since Captain Niemens always sees to it that men eat well, he was quite certain that this one would not be a danger to himself or other men.”

Her father, a compassionate man despite any front he tried to keep up, shook his head. “Imagine! Seven years labor for stealing bread!”

Rose lowered her voice. “He’s not that nice a fellow, Father. Don’t feel too sorry for him.”

“What’s his name?”

“Ford,” she said quickly. “Peter Ford. Actually, Father, I had been thinking that you might want to take him with us for the evening, and put him to work at the manor. There are numerous things I need done.” She lowered her voice. “That way, Father, he will be less of a trial for Niemens. He won’t have to worry about the man getting carried away in a tavern, and not being able to hold his grog!”

Ashcroft was frowning. “Will he be safe for you to travel with tomorrow?”

Safe? Not in the least!

“Oh, yes, of course. He stole bread, Father. That was all. Captain Niemens is very fond of the fellow, so he must be redeemable.”

Her father nodded to her. “Fine then, daughter. We’ll help Niemens out.” He raised his voice—calling to Pierce. “You, you there! Young Master Peter! Come here, my good man. Take my daughter’s things, and load them onto our carriage. I’ll let Niemens know you’re doing an honest night’s work for me, and see that you’re well fed in exchange. Indeed, there might be a gold piece in it for you. Something to save for the day when you’ve earned your freedom! I’ll go speak with Niemens immediately.”

“Oh, no!” Rose cried. “I’ll do it, Father.”

She ran back to Niemens. He was standing with Sean. She offered them both a beautiful smile.

Oh, she was going to relish the night!

“I had to make up a story about my husband for my father, Captain. He saw Pierce and wanted to know about him. I told him that he was a convict, working off his sentence for stealing bread. Father has decided to have him serve us for the night, so don’t be afraid when he disappears.”

“But, milady—” Niemens began.

“I had to do something!” she cried innocently. “Oh! Father is waiting. Don’t worry! We’ll be ready to sail, first thing in the morning!”