Once Upon a Midnight Sea (33 page)

"There is nothing to forgive."

He squeezed her hand. "Yes, Adriana. My arrogance. My greed. If only I had lis-ened 'o you..."

She tried to quiet him with a whisper, but her father was agitated.

"I am so sorry I have brought this horrible misfor-une upon you."

"Do not blame yourself for the evils of others, Father."

He tried to smile, an effort so pitiful it made a piece of her die inside.

"We shall prevail. Christian will come for me, I know it."

His expression crumbled then, and his gaze again fell to the floor. "No, he won'."

"He loves me, Father. And I love him."

He covered his eyes as a great sob wracked his frail shoulders. "I have robbed you of the chance to be 'ruly happy."

She gently took her father's wrist. "You have done no such thing. This is not your fault."

"I left a letter for Christian in the safe in my cabin. If he hasn't found it yet, Henri will tell him of it if he 'ries 'o come after you."

* * *

Christian stopped pacing. "What are you talking about, old man?"

"Didn't you read the letter?" Henri demanded. "You opened the safe in Adriana's cabin, that is how you knew the necklace wasn't there."

Christian glanced over to find his father watching him with worried eyes. "
Oui
," he answered. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Didn't you open Edmund's safe, as well?"

"You are speaking nonsense."

"Edmund agreed to let you take the ship, and even the necklace, but he would never let you have Adriana."

The words hit him like a bucketful of icy water. Christian turned and stalked down the narrow hall to the cabin he'd called home for nearly four weeks. He threw the portrait of Anne Marie aside and spun the tumblers. He gambled right; Adriana's birth date opened this safe too.

Lying flat on the bottom was a single envelope. His name was scrawled neatly across the front.
Christian De la Croix
.

He turned to find Henri standing behind him. "You knew about this?"

The old man nodded.

"You told him I wanted to harm him."

Regret melded into Henri's grizzled face. "You left me no choice."

"Does he think I am the assailant who shot him?"

"No."

His father appeared in the cabin doorway behind them. "Edmund was shot?"

"It is a long story," Henri said. "Better left for another time."

Christian tore open the letter and skimmed over Edmund's exquisite handwriting. The first two paragraphs equaled nothing but feeble apologies and paltry excuses.

...
whatever funding necessary to carry out the rescue of Gilbert De la Croix. Additionally, Lady Luck will be listed in Lloyd's registry with changed ownership
...

He skimmed further, not interested in any of this unimportant waffle.

...
but my generosity ceases at my daughter. Do what you will to me, my reputation, or my standing, but I refuse to let harm come to Adriana. Should you marry her by force, or by some miracle convince her to marry you willingly, I will disown her as my child and cut her out of my will. She will receive none of her dowry, her trust fund, nor will she inherit one American cent of my properties, holdings, or a single share of Montague Shipping. Perhaps it sounds cruel of me, but I will take whatever steps necessary to protect that which I hold dearest
.

His hand drifted to his side and he stared off at nothing. Renewed hatred flash boiled in his gut. "That bastard."

"He loves his daughter."

"So do I!" Christian roared.

"You would do that to her?" Henri demanded. "Leave her with nothing?"

His father pushed into the cabin and stood beside him. "It is for the best, son."

Mrs. Bailey stepped into the cabin's doorway. "You should have known there was never any chance for you. She is simply above you." She stared down her nose at him as people had all his life, one plump hand gripping that reticule.

Christian balled up the letter and threw it to the floor. "She doesn't want any of that. She told you so herself. She just wants to be free. With me, she can be."

The chaperone sniffed. "What have you to offer her? A life spent continuously on the run from the authorities? Scraping for sustenance through the wastelands of the west? Adriana is accustomed to the finest in life. She would tire of you and your lawless ways in mere months."

"She wouldn't. She loves me."

"Perhaps. But one cannot live on love alone."

"We have the ship, and the remaining sapphire." He straightened his shoulders. "And I am not completely without resources."

"Ha! Your thieving ways will earn you your own sentence to Devil's Island." She snorted. "Where conveniently there is already a domicile marked De la Croix."

Christian had heard enough. His patience with this meddling old marm had reached its end. "She despises Preston Weiss. Adriana is miserable at the thought of marrying him."

"But marry him she will," Mrs. Bailey said. She plunged her fat hand into the tiny pouch she'd been clutching.

"Not if I have anything to say about it. Henri, turn this ship around," Christian demanded. "I'm going after the woman I love."

Mrs. Bailey withdrew her hand from her reticule. In it, she held a pearl handled derringer. She pointed it at him. "You will do no such thing."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Adriana felt as though she were waking from a nightmare only to discover it was real. She rocked back on her heels. "What did it say?"

"I would disown you if you wen' with him."

She stood and turned away. Coherence began drifting away and her entire body turned cold. Was Christian just like everyone else? Did he only want her legacy?

"Dear Daugh-er, I am so sorry."

"Christian is better than that. He will sense something is wrong and come for me."

She glanced down at her hands as she squeezed them together, forcing the blood back to her fingertips. She'd told him to leave. Demanded it. He'd achieved what he's set out for, he had no reason to come after her.

Perhaps he'd meant what he said. If he truly did love her, he would let her go to protect her. She squeezed her eyes shut. The irony was laughable.

* * *

"You really are an arrogant fool. To think you could interfere in the marriage of two of society's highest standing patrons." Mrs. Bailey swept the derringer's aim over each of them, as if she couldn't decide which she wanted to shoot first.

"Edwina, why?" Henri asked, his voice raw with disbelief.

"For the same reason anyone does anything. Money, of course."

"Not I," Christian growled.

Gilbert let out a pitiful moan. "Good heavens, I don't understand any of this."

"Well, dear man, do not trouble yourself. Soon you shall be back in your little hut on
Île du Diable
, suffering your wretchedly simple existence, and none of this will matter."

Christian's fear bristled. "I won't allow you to do this."

Mrs. Bailey turned a mocking scowl his way. "I have already done it! You cannot stop me, you foul, thieving gutter scum!" She swung the aim of the derringer at Henri. "Turn this ship toward the mainland. I am quite certain the French authorities will be grateful to pay a generous reward for the return of their prisoner, and the men responsible for his escape."

Henri remained rooted. "Not without an explanation first."

"I am surprised you did not figure it out, Mr. Dupree, as it seems you knew more about Edmund's personal affairs than anyone." She pinched her fat face into a malicious smile. "I will provide you with your explanation, because I am certain it will make your imprisonment all the more bitter."

Christian started for her. "You can only shoot one of us."

"Christian, no!" Gilbert leapt to his feet.

Mrs. Bailey swung the derringer his way. "Your knowledge of firearms is disappointing, given your chosen profession. This is a Gem thirty-two caliber five-shot pocket revolver. My late husband kept an extensive collection of dueling pistols. I assure you, I am an excellent shot. I would like to shoot you simply for this terrible inconvenience you have inflicted upon me. I do so hate to sail."

"Easy with that pea shooter, Edwina." Henri chuckled nervously. "I'll wager this trip was a surprise to you."

Christian could see the old man was trying to distract her. He did not doubt she would love to shoot him. He glanced at Gilbert. His father looked like he was about to crawl out of his skin.

"You are correct, this voyage has been a rather sour inconvenience." She backed toward the door, thankfully relaxing her aim with the gun. "As for your explanation, it is very simple, really. Edmund showed reservations about marrying Adriana off to Preston. For a sizeable recompense from the Weisses, I convinced him he was wrong. A few deliberately placed papers, some creatively conjured rumors, and his suspicions about R.L.W. Steel's financial troubles were invalidated."

"All for greed." Henri spat the words as if they made him sick. "How could you?"

"Easily enough!" she snapped. "I spent twelve years of my life chiseling that tomboy into a halfway decent lady. I am owed my due. For my troubles, Charles Weiss has promised me Edmund's townhouse in Baltimore and a sizeable payment from his newfound fortune. She was the last little brat I shall ever have to coddle."

Christian ground his teeth. Was no one a true friend to Adriana if there wasn't some amount of gain in it for them? No wonder she found trust so hard to come by.

If Mrs. Bailey was so rotten, Preston Weiss was probably a hundred times worse than he'd first believed. A chill skittered across Christian's flesh exactly like the day he'd narrowly escaped the gendarmes outside Baroness Lockeford's boudoir.

Adriana was in danger
.

"Was it you who shot Edmund?" Henri asked. Apparently he sensed it too.

"Of course not. I would never be so stupid as to shoot him before Adriana had married. The bumbling Mr. Locke can take all the credit for that near disaster. Though it is Charles who is truly to blame for giving the order before it needed be carried out. He never was the most brilliant fellow in the world. He's gambled away most of his personal funds, and put R.L.W. in jeopardy. I suppose he'll do the same to Montague Shipping, though I shall hardly care after I've received my disbursement–”

A hollow sounding "bong" echoed across the cabin and Mrs. Bailey slumped to the floor.

Mr. Ling examined the dent in his skillet. "Confucius say, person who much condemn others, usually most contemptible of all." He smiled as happily as if he'd just fried up two eggs. "She not nice lady."

"Good show, Mr. Ling." Christian snatched up the derringer and hopped over the unconscious woman. "Henri, hoist the mainsails. We've got an heiress to rescue!"

* * *

"I thought I told you to stay inside and watch them." Charles Weiss's angry voice carried through the door of the crewman's cabin.

John Locke started to protest.

"Gah, away with you, fool." The door swung open and Charles filled the doorway. Preston stood behind him, recently changed into a silk shirtwaist and coat. "Ready for your nuptials, darling?"

Adriana backed away. "Never!"

"You hardly have anything to say about it, do you?" He strode into the room and reached for her.

"Leave her alone." Edmund rolled his infirmary chair between them.

Charles shoved him back with his foot. "Edmund, how inconsiderate of you. Captain Drake is waiting to perform a marriage at sea. He is a very busy man."

"I refuse to marry Preston," Adriana stated. She crossed her arms over her chest, maintaining a fierce front while inside she shook with fear.

"You two shall die just the same. Refuse me, and your father will suffer more than necessary before he joins you at the bottom of the sea."

His expression held vicious malice as he seized her wrist.

"Let go of me!" She jerked her arm back.

Charles slapped her hard across the cheek. "Do not defy me, you little ruffian."

Adriana reeled away. As she steadied her twisting vision, she found an unfamiliar deckhand trembling in the doorway.

"Mr. Weiss, Captain Drake needs you on deck. He says it's an emergency."

"Can you not see I am busy? Preston, attend to it."

"The Lady Luck is closing fast on our starboard side," the frightened deckhand finished.

Christian
!
I knew he would come
!

"Blast." Charles shoved her away. He stalked out of the cabin but stopped and wagged a finger in John Locke's face. "Watch them–from the inside this time. We wouldn't want our little
windfall
to slip out the portal window now, would we?"