Take Me Forever (3 page)

“That is wonderful news.
 
I will start arrangements right away.
 
We can announce at the next ball,” Michael proclaimed as he called for
Melany and Mercy to join them.

“Mercy, Cole has graciously announced that he would like to
offer his hand in marriage to you.
 
Isn’t
that wonderful news?”

Mercy almost fainted.
 
How could this pompous ass want to marry her after she clearly let him
know she had no interest in him at all?

“Mr. Massey I do not see how you could possibly want to
marry me after only one brief meeting,” Mercy exclaimed.

“Oh my dear, you are just what I have been looking for,”
Cole said.
 
As much spunk as you have in public, I can only imagine how wild you
will become in the bedroom,
thought Cole as he smirked.

“But….,” Mercy pleaded.

“With your age, I see no reason for a long engagement.
 
We need to get started on heirs as soon as
the wedding takes place.”
 
Cole stated
before whispering in Mercy’s ear, “You look like you are built to birth many
children and I look forward to making each and every one of them.”

Mercy shuttered as her future husband stood so close to
her.
 
She despised him.
 
There was no way she was going to be forced
into marrying him.
 
She claimed she had
too much excitement for one day and excused herself from her company.
 
She slammed the door to her room and moments
later her mother entered.

“What is the matter with you?
 
Cole seems like a fine catch and he is
willing to marry you,” her mother accused.

“Mother, he is a crass man.
 
I want nothing to do with him.
 
He
tried to take advantage of me in the garden and thought I was well experienced
when it came to men.”

“Oh honey, is that all?
 
He was just trying to see if the two of you were going to be
compatible.
 
He was probably just judging
your reaction to see for himself that you were inexperienced.
 
I wouldn’t worry about it since he came in
and asked for your hand.
 
You will make
such a beautiful bride.”

“You are not listening.
 
I do not want to marry that awful man!”
 
Mercy practically screamed.

“Calm down dear.
 
Your
father would not have arranged it if he thought it would not be a good
match.
 
I’m afraid what’s done is done
and there is no backing out now.
 
If you
break your commitment no other man will chance courting you.
 
Cole is your only chance.
 
Sleep on it and I’m sure you will come to
your senses by morning,” Melany said as she kissed her daughter on
the forehead and wished her good night.

Mercy was furious as she lay on her bed.
 
No, no,
no!
 
She thought over and over again
until she finally gave in to slumber.
 
When she awoke the following morning, she thought perhaps it had all
been a bad dream.
 
She was disturbed by the
knocking at the front door and went down to see who it was that was calling on
them so early this morning.
 
It was a
messenger.

“That was fast,” Michael said as he opened the envelope.

“What is it dear?”
 
Melany asked.

“It is the special license for Mercy and Cole to get an
expedited marriage and a letter from Cole saying that he wishes to forego an
announcement at the next ball and get married tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” both Melany and Mercy said at the same time.

This can’t be
happening to me,
thought Mercy as her mother could not control her
excitement.

“Oh Mercy, we have so much to do today.
 
We have to get my wedding dress altered to
fit you, pick out the reception food, ….” Melany went on and on while Mercy
tuned her out and willed it to all be a nightmare.

Moments later another knock came at the door.
 
Cole greeted her parents then turned to find
Mercy glaring at him.
 
“My dear, I hope
this is not too sudden for you.
 
I have
pressing business to attend to later in the week at my country estate and I will
not be available to attend the next ball so I thought I would it would be in
our best interest to tie the knot as soon as possible.
 
We do not have to have a big affair since it
is such short notice.
 
All we need are a
couple of witnesses and an officiator.”

“We will manage it in such short notice.
 
We can use the garden for the ceremony and
have the reception right here if that pleases you,” Melany stated.

“Wonderful,” Cole said as he was still receiving an icy
stare from Mercy.
 
“Will that be alright
with you?” he asked Mercy while he tried desperately to keep from smiling at
her misery.

Mercy could only nod before she passed out.
 
When she came to she was in her room.
 
Melany was calling her name and bathing her
forehead with a cold cloth.

“I’m fine Mother.
 
You
can stop now,” Mercy said as he sat up.
 

“Cole left to find an officiator for tomorrow.
 
We set the time for noon.
 
We need to get you fitted for my old dress as
soon as you are ready.”

“I can’t do this,” Mercy pleaded.

“Yes you can and you will.
 
Now let’s get busy,” Melany said as she whisked Mercy out of bed and
practically dragged her to the sewing room and rushed off to get the dress.

For the remainder of the day everyone was busy preparing for
the next day’s festivities.
 
The entire
household was a buzz.
 
Mercy had stood
for alterations, listened to the menu being planned, saw most of her belongings
being packed up so they could be ready to go to her new home, and not one
person in the house seemed to see how much grief she was going through.
 
Over dinner that evening she made one final
plea to her father to stop this madness.

“Mercy, every young woman has pre-wedding jitters.
 
I think you would still be feeling the same
way no matter who you were marrying.
 
Trust me, it will work out just fine,” her father stated and resumed
silently eating his meal.

Seeing no other way out of this ridiculous situation, Mercy
decided to take matters into her own hands.
 
She would go see Cole and try to talk some sense into him.
 
After dinner, Mercy told her parents she
wanted to take a stroll into town for some last minute things she was going to
need and took the youngest servant girl along with her as her chaperone.
 
She could easily get her to keep quiet about
where she was really going.

An hour later Mercy was knocking on the door at Cole’s
townhouse.
 

“What do I owe this pleasure?”
 
Cole asked.

“I want you to call off this ridiculous engagement.
 
You don’t want to marry me and you know I
will not marry you,” Mercy said as she fidgeted with her gloves.

“Nonsense.
 
I think
you will be a very high spirited wife and I look forward to our nuptials and
breaking that spirit as I see you squirm on our wedding night,” Cole retorted.

“Why?
 
Why are you
doing this to me?
 
How can you be so
cruel to someone you just met?”
 
Mercy
asked almost in tears.

“For the game of it.
 
I will marry you but make no mistake, once I tire of you I will leave
you at the smallest house I own and forget all about you once you have given me
an heir.”

“You’re despicable!”
 
Mercy yelled as she stormed out of the house.

With her mind made up, Mercy walked into her home and acted
as if nothing had happened and bid her parents good night.
 
Once in her room, she hatched out her plan of
escape.
 
This was how she came to run
away and how she found herself in her current predicament.

Mercy was started awake by a man’s voice.

“Why are you still on my ship?”
 
The man demanded.

“I…, I…,” Mercy stuttered.

“I said, why are you still on my ship?
 
I thought I made it clear last night that you
were to get off when we were finished,” the man said gruffly.

Finding her courage Mercy answered, “It’s not what you
think.
 
You brought me aboard last night
by mistake and you passed out before I could explain.”

“What are you talking about woman?” the man asked
impatiently.

“I was merely on the docks last night seeking passage out of
France when you abducted me and brought me here.
 
I am not the kind of woman you think I am.”

“Oh, what kind of woman are you then?”

“I need to leave France and I have this to offer you if you
will help me,” Mercy said as she tossed her bag of coins to him.

The man got a glimmer in his eyes when he saw the fancy
insignia on the bag holding the coins.
 
“Fancy bag you got here.
 
I bet
whoever you are running from will pay much more than this to have you back.”

“I can’t go back,” Mercy gasped.

“It seems to me like I just stumbled across an
opportunity.
 
My dear, you have found
yourself captive aboard a pirate ship,” the man said.

“What are you going to do to me?”
 
Mercy whispered as she realized the danger of
her situation.

“It depends.
 
Tell me
who you are and why you are running and I will determine what to do to you.”

“Please…,” Mercy pleaded as the man grabbed her hands and
towered over her.

“Start talking,” he demanded.

“My name is Mercedes McMillan.
 
I was being forced into a marriage to an
awful man and I ran away from my parents’ home before the ceremony could take
place.
 
My father will disown me after
they discover how I have disgraced the family name so if it’s money you are
after, you won’t be getting any,” Mercy stammered until she told the pirate everything
that brought her to the docks.

Laughing the pirate said, “Silly girl.
 
You run away on the eve of your wedding and
you do not think someone would pay handsomely for your safe return.
 
I bet they are scouring the streets as we
speak searching for you.
 
I could get
quite the ransom for you.”

Scared, Mercy remained perfectly still as the pirate gave
her body a once over.
 
He leaned down to
her ear and whispered, “Are you still a virgin” as he nipped her ear with his
teeth.
 
She jumped at his action and
started trembling.

“You are aren’t you?
 
I remember touching breasts last night but then I guess the rum took
over and I passed out.
 
I didn’t hurt you
did I?
 
I want you perfectly untouched
when I deliver you back to your betrothed.”

“I have never known the company of a man and yes you did
touch me inappropriately last night but I was spared since you passed out.
 
I was hoping you would come to your senses
today and simply drop me off at the next port.
 
I did not know this was a pirate ship,” Mercy said quietly.

“My lady, you have found yourself aboard the
Devil’s Dilemma
and I am notorious
pirate, Cain Corbin.
 
I must admit it was
brave of you to venture down to the docks in the middle of the night, but
extremely stupid.
 
I do not rescue
damsels in distress, I cause them to need rescuing.
 
Before I decide what your fate will be, I
will send word back to France and find out what the reward for your safe return
will be.
 
In the mean time, you will be a
captive aboard my ship and you will be locked in here.
 
I cannot guarantee that my crew will not try
to have you, they are pirates after all.”

“No, you mustn’t,” Mercy begged.

“As for now, I need to see to my ship.
 
I will bring you some food in a little
while,” Cain said as he left her locked in his cabin and went out about his
business.

As soon as he left, Mercy ran to the door and tried to open
it.
 
He had locked it from the outside
and she could see from the small round window that there were many crewmen
lurking about.
 
They looked like very
seedy characters.
 
She was sure she would
find no help here.
 
She waited
impatiently for Cain to return so she could plead her case again.
 
When Cain brought her food, he was in a hurry
so he forgot to lock the door when he left.

Mercy crept out of the cabin and walked about ten steps when
a large smelly pirate found her.

“Well now, what do we have here?
 
Captain usually leaves his whores
ashore.
 
You must have been a great lay
for him to sail with you onboard.
 
I
don’t mind leftovers,” the vile man said as he ripped Mercy’s dress and shoved
her up against the wall.