Karen Michelle Nutt (36 page)

“What do ye mean, not exactly?”

Vincent cleared his throat. “Nicholas Sherborn sent it."

"What kind of fool trick is this?” Leighton’s curt voice lashed out. “Keldon is surely dead then, for his betrayer wouldnae send for us."

"We must go. How can we not?" Vincent leveled his gaze on Leighton.

"If ye go, ye might as weel dig yerself a hole and put yerself in it because that's where ye'll be soon enough.”

Arianna stood and faced Leighton’s wrath. "I'll go to him."

"Ye'll go?” Then Leighton added sarcastically, "Ye mean, ye’ll go to Sherborn. I ken verra weel now what yer plan be."

She ignored his last remark. "I'm going and if it is a trap, Leighton, you'll be able to celebrate my demise."

"That is weel and good, but how do ye plan on gettin' to the meetin' place with nay crew to man the ship?"

"We'll persuade as many of the men as we can," Vincent offered, ignoring Leighton's disapproving frown.

"Miss Arianna.” Thaddeus drew everyone’s attention. "I will go with you and I know dere be others dat will help. Ef you says de word."

"What spell have ye cast, witch?” Leighton looked at Arianna. His lips thinning with anger, his nostrils flaring. "Ye have all the slaves doin' yer whim, when nay long ago they would have spit on the verra ground ye walk on.” He took a menacing step toward her, but Vincent intervened, blocking his path.

"That is enough from you, my friend," he warned gently, but there was no doubt there was a threat beneath the words. "You are unjustly accusing Arianna and I'll not stand for it."

"Ye doonae understand. Ye dinnae live with the witch. Ye ken?"

"You's wrong," Maeve defended Arianna to Leighton. "Dat evil woman you talk of be dead."

"Ye doonae know what ye’re sayin'.” Leighton waved his hand at Arianna as he ranted. “Ye’re all so willin’ to believe that
Annabelle
has become this
Arianna
, but I willnae be fooled.”

"I never said I was another person, Leighton.” Arianna moved around Vincent to face him. "I only want you to give me a chance to prove I’ve changed."

"Aye. Ye proved yerself weel enough when ye spread yer legs for Sherborn. I know that wee bairn is his, for ye wouldnae be carryin' it otherwise."

"What is that suppose to mean?" she demanded to know.

"Years before ye dinnae hesitate to rid yerself of Keldon's bairn."

For a second she froze as self-doubt gnawed at her. “You’re lying,” she choked out the words, her face draining of color as her chest tightened. She teetered on her feet and Vincent grabbed a hold of her, supporting her weight. "I wouldn’t.” She spoke in a broken whisper and shook her head. “I would never do such a thing."

"Ye did. Ye have never cared for Keldon. Ye have proved it over and over again."

"Miss Annabelle be de one who done it not Miss Arianna.” Maeve again came to her defense.

Arianna looked at her for confirmation. “Was there another child?"

Maeve hesitated piercing her lips together.

“Maeve, you have to tell me.” She bit her lip until it throbbed like her pulse. She desperately needed Maeve to tell her it wasn’t so, but the spark of hope was quickly extinguished when she witnessed how Maeve’s shoulders sagged.

Maeve nodded. "Yas'm, but it wuz Miss Annabelle's chile not yours.”

Arianna felt like her world was ending as a new anguish seared her heart. How could she have rid herself of her own child? A suffocating sensation tightened her throat. She smothered a sob as she covered her mouth.

Vincent turned to Leighton. "We have heard enough from you, today. If you want to help Keldon, you'll find out how many of the men will go with us."

"Ye plan to go into the trap? After all I’ve told ye.” There was a cynical tone in his voice as he threw up his hands in disgust.

"Oui. I cannot stay here and do nothing. I must go, but that does not mean you have to join us. Thaddeus has already offered his help. We will manage.” Without looking back, Vincent turned his attention to Arianna, ushering her inside the house. He led her to the drawing room and forced her to take a seat. She finally looked up at him. Her eyes pooled and huge tears rolled down her cheeks. "Why are you still here? How can you even want to talk to me after all you’ve heard?"

“You are my friend. No?" he said as he took a seat next to her.

"Yes, but—"

"Shush now. What you have or have not done in the past does not matter to me. I see now a beautiful and kind-hearted woman."

"But all those horrible things I did,” she stammered in bewilderment. “It is no wonder I’ve chosen not to remember them."

"Then keep it that way. Don't cloud your thoughts with what you cannot change."

She lowered her head assaulted by a terrible sense of shame. "What you ask me to do won’t be easy. Everyone hates me and with good reason. I don’t like who I was. How can they forgive me when I don’t think I can forgive myself?"

He gently lifted her chin so she met his gaze. "Often many things we do are not easy to forgive, but you will have to do your best.” He touched his fingertips to the corner of her eyes and wiped away the tears. “Stiff upper lip now, we have to make ready to sail.”

She nodded and swallowed an upsurge of sobs.

****

Bernadette and Vincent waited for Arianna outside in the carriage, but after twenty minutes and she still hadn’t emerged from the house, they began to worry.

“I’ll check on her,” Bernadette offered.

“Oui, please do so. I don’t want to rush her, but the day is dwindling.

Already Laffite’s man waits for us.”

Bernadette found Arianna in the study. She was lovely in her light blue dress with darker blue ribbons to match. She wore her hair in a mass of curls over her forehead and ears and the longer tresses drawn up into a loose bun. She sat behind the desk, staring at something in her hand. “Arianna?” Bernadette approached, realizing she was crying again. “Are you all right?”

Arianna looked up, wiping away the tears that were only replaced by others. Arianna knew she needed to pull it together and move on, but what she found in her husband’s desk had devastated her.

She wiped her eyes again, took a deep breath and met Bernadette’s worried gaze. “We better go.” Without explaining, she folded the papers and put them in her dress pocket.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

They set sail for Lafitte’s home in the bayous near New Orleans with forty-nine men, half of which were recruited by Thaddeus. Leighton at the last moment decided to join them, mumbling obscenities under his breath of how he must have lost his mind to join them on the voyage of doom.

The ship needed a new name after its complete overhaul. She was christened for what they all needed right now,
Hope
.

Weather held and they made good time.

Nicholas Sherborn spotted the ship on the horizon and came to greet them as they docked.

He was shocked Arianna was among the able seamen, though he shouldn’t have been. With her courage and determination, he could see her manning the ship herself if she were forced to do so. Not one person of the former crew gave him a kind glance and he appreciated Arianna greeting him with a wave of her hand.

"You seem to be faring well.” Nicholas addressed Arianna as his gaze lingered for only a moment on her swelling midsection.

"Thank you. I hope you don’t mind if we skip the pleasantries, but I must know how Keldon is?” She looked up at him with her pain stricken eyes.

"I have to be honest with you—"

"That'll be a first.” Leighton interrupted with a sneer as he met them on the walkway. Nicholas wisely chose to ignore his snide remark.

"We thought it was best for Keldon to stay put in one place. He has relapsed.” He held up his hand and rushed on. “The surgeon said there is no need to worry. He needs rest is all, so he can regain his strength.” He shook his head. “He's a bloody stubborn man. We almost had to tie him to the bed. He wanted to set out to sea when he could barely stand. He feared he’d overstayed his welcome, but Laffite can be most convincing. Another stubborn man, I am afraid. I knew you would worry not knowing Keldon’s fate. I persuaded Laffite to let me send word to you."

"And I do appreciate your generosity. May I ask what happened? How did Keldon escape Captain Stevens and end up with Jean Laffite? And how did you and Keldon come to be together?”

Nicholas couldn't suppress a chuckle. "So many questions and I'll answer them soon enough. Come with me for now. Laffite has been a kind host and has offered us the best accommodations."

****

Keldon slept in a fit of restless slumber. His face was pale and drawn and he had lost a considerable amount of weight. If Nicholas hadn’t assured Arianna he would survive, she might not have believed it. She stood in the doorway for a long time before she forced her feet to move. She was certain Keldon wouldn’t want her to be here, but how could she stay away. She sat down on the bed and tenderly caressed his bearded face. His skin felt warm against her palm, too warm. "Oh Keldon.” His name caught in her throat.

Keldon’s eyes fluttered open, but the fever that raged through him left him disoriented. He thought he heard Arianna’s voice, but that was impossible. She wasn’t here. He was alone and always would be. His heart sank so low he could feel the pulse all the way down to his toes.

"Keldon?”

His eyes fluttered open again and his eyebrows furrowed. "Arianna?” He reached out his hand and touched her face.

She leaned into his palm with a kiss. "I'm here.”

Phantom or not, he pulled her to him wanting to feel her against him. He hugged her gently before he fell back to sleep. For the first time since his ordeal, he slept soundly.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Nicholas had not exaggerated. Jean Laffite had seen to their every comfort before he had left, stating he would return in two weeks. There was plenty of fresh food and every room was furnished for comfort.

Nicholas relayed the whole story of what had transpired, including his hand in the lashing. Arianna’s heart wept as she thought of the pain and humiliation Keldon endured.

Arianna walked into the bedroom with her tray of supplies. Keldon looked up, his gaze meeting hers before he looked away again.

“Leave me be, Arianna.”

This had been their conversation for the last week. He wanted her to leave and she insisted he let her care for him. “No, I don’t believe I will.”

His gaze riveted to her.

“And you can stop your green-eyed glare. I’m not leaving until you let me dress your back. I need to treat the wounds to keep the infection at bay or would you rather they festered and you can wallow in your misery a while longer.”

He snorted and crossed his arms across his chest.

“Well?” She arched one eyebrow in challenge.

Finally he gave in, making a production as he rolled over on his stomach.

She cut the bandages away. “Your back looks better.” Finally the flesh didn’t appear so angry and raw. New pink skin replaced the scabs and the puckered tissue smoothed.

Since the first day, Keldon didn’t offer to take Arianna into his arms again. She tried to talk to him, but he distanced himself, refusing to remove the invisible barrier he put forth.

She caught him watching her at times. She recognized the longing in his gaze. Her body heated with each visual caress. She wanted to go to him, but once his eyes fell upon her swelling stomach, his mouth would harden and he would turn away. With a sinking heart, she realized he would always look upon her as the woman who betrayed him and the child would be a constant reminder of it.

If there’d been any hope he would accept the baby, she would endure his cold silence. She could tell him she loved him but he wouldn’t believe her. She grasped the reality of the situation—there would never be a
happily-ever-after
for them and she needed to plan for her future, one without Keldon.

“You can turn over now, I’m all finished.”

****

Laffite arrived home after his successful run, anxious to put up his feet up and relish in his glory. He brought back fine wine, tobacco and fresh meat and vegetables to celebrate his good fortune. His cook was already preparing the feast.

Wanting a few moments alone before he returned to business, he walked around the back of the house to enter through the side doors of his study. He expected the room to be empty, but instead, he found a beautiful lady with blonde hair eyeing his small library of books. She turned toward him now her blue eyes showing her unease. Laffite never forgot a face; he remembered her. She had changed somewhat. Her hair was longer and he didn’t miss her expanding condition.