Authors: Heather Manning
Kelton begrudgingly minded his captain.
"I trust you are unharmed, milady?" Caspian held a hand under Eden's chin to examine her profile for any newly acquired wounds. Thankfully, she appeared unharmed. He grimaced when he remembered the bruise on her collar bone that was no doubt turning a shade of yellow-green by now.
She nodded and shriveled away from him. Caspian sighed. Why did she fear his touch?
He
had never hurt her. For goodness' sake, he had given her no reason to fear him. He had given her every reason to
trust
him.
She noticed him looking and moved some curls from her coif, attempting to cover the bruise from his sight. Too late.
"What brings you up on deck unescorted, milady? It is best for you to stay below in our — my cabin."
"Well I-I simply… I needed some fresh air, Captain Archer. I hate being cooped up in a place where I can barely move around," she stammered, backing away from him.
"Next time, all you need to do if you want to go for a walk is ask me. I will happily escort you on deck so you will not be harassed by Kelton again."
Anger coursed through his veins like boiling, hot oil when he looked down at her; when he noticed the delicate curve of her chin and the graceful tilt of her dark eyelashes. How dare Kelton scare this precious girl? Even a fool would realize she had been abused by a man quite similar to him before. Men like him deserved to rot in hell for their actions.
Blast it, why was he so protective of this blasted woman? The only other woman he had ever desired to protect, cherish, and comfort like this was Isabelle, even though that had felt a little different. And that had ended in nothing but disaster. He might as well have not even been present to defend her against Moore.
Lady Trenton chewed on her bottom lip, drawing his attention to it. He pulled his gaze away, knowing it was rude to stare.
"Now, if you please, Lady Trenton, go below, and be safe." A cool breeze drifted onto the deck from the ocean, only slightly cooling Caspian’s anger.
"No. Please — please, let me stay up here. It is terribly boring and stifling in the cabin." She folded her hands together and looked up at him through those pretty lashes of hers.
He let out an exasperated breath.
He did not need her to be hurt and in truth, the woman was a distraction to both him and his crew. She was quite fetching in her coral-colored dress, her dark curls cascading down her back like a delicious waterfall of the cocoa he had once drunk in Jamaica. Those curls could not stay in that bun of hers for long with the wind and humidity of life at sea.
He shook his head. The lady had distracted him yet again. Yet how could he refuse something as simple as fresh air and a stroll? "Yes, I suppose you can. For now."
She smiled sweetly and then strutted over to the rail in triumph. Caspian followed closely behind her, enjoying the gentle sway of her shapely hips despite his efforts to ignore it. He cleared his throat. "Well, you have been on my ship for nearly a week now, milady. Are you enjoying life at sea?" He asked, stopping beside the lady. When he spoke to her, his voice cracked nervously, like he was nothing but some weak, little schoolboy with a hopeless infatuation. He certainly did not take a liking to the feeling.
She nodded cheerfully, not seeming to notice his indiscretion. "I don't know how anyone could be happy living on land after they have experienced life on a ship. I love the feel of the waves beneath me and the smell of the salty air. I suppose I get it from my brother.”
He flashed a grin at her. "I completely agree with your sentiments, milady. Was your brother a sailor, may I ask?"
"My father is an owner of a trading company centered in London, and he expected Adam to become a wealthy businessman like him. When I was twelve and Adam fifteen, Adam hopped aboard one of the ships heading to the Caribbean. He paid his way as a cabin boy, not telling the sailors he was the son of the owner of the company. When he returned home, boasting of the beauty there, Father nearly disowned him. Father said no son of his would be a common sailor, but Papa's anger cooled down after a few weeks. Adam fell in love with the sea and soon he worked his way up to becoming a first mate, all against our father’s will. I have not heard from him for a year or so. I wonder what he is doing now." She looked away wistfully, chewing on her bottom lip.
"It sounds like your family has a propensity for running away from home, Lady Trenton," he teased, tweaking her nose playfully. He delighted in the grin she rewarded him with.
The ship plunged over a swell and Caspian instinctively placed a hand on the small of her back to keep her from faltering. She scooted away from him once she was righted, a gorgeous shade of pink staining her cheeks.
What did he expect from a proper lady?
"That — that reminds me, Captain. I apologize for my brazen behavior the other night. I know this is no excuse at all for me sitting on your lap and letting you hold me and… and falling asleep in your arms, but… I was just so frightened and… well, there is no excuse whatsoever, sir. I know not why I am trying to manufacture one. My sinful nature, no doubt. I am deeply sorry, sir."
"There is no need to apologize, milady. What you did was completely understandable given the circumstances."
Their conversation came to a quick halt when Reed skipped up to them, the usual grin plastered on that little face of his. That little face that was just like his mama's. "Lady Trenton! I have been looking for you for so long! When I saw the men grab their weapons, I was worried for you. They told me to stay below, but I came up because I was scared for you."
Caspian knew he had been a terrible father to Reed. He longed to take the child in his arms and change that but was afraid of his reaction. The boy might not want a hug from the papa who paid little attention to him. Why, Gage probably spent more time with Reed than Caspian did. What kind of father was he? Besides, the child had called for Lady Trenton, not him. Reed was looking for the lady he had met only a week ago and not his father.
Lady Trenton hugged the boy in his stead.
"See what I found, Lady Trenton?" The boy exclaimed, holding up the sapphire necklace he had found the same day Lady Trenton had been discovered in the hold.
It dawned upon Caspian that the trinket most likely belonged to Eden.
****
Eden recognized the pendant as the one Lord Rutger had
so graciously
bestowed upon her as a token of their one-sided
betrothal
.
"Oh! That used to belong to me, Reed. I must have dropped it when I was… when I came aboard the ship a couple of days ago."
"Oh.” Reed lowered the bauble slowly as his lashes lowered over his eyes.
"Give the necklace back to the lady, son. It does not belong to you,” Caspian commanded, his eyebrows drawn close together.
Reed glanced down, a despondent expression on his adorable little face.
Eden had to stop those tears from welling up in his violet-blue eyes.
"Nay, Captain, Reed may keep it. It was simply a gift from… from a man. I certainly do not need it. Reed will enjoy it far more than I ever will, I assure you." A wave of nausea washed over Eden at the memory of Lord Rutger’s overly familiar hand, the night he had clasped the necklace around her throat. His warm, sickening breath had washed over her shoulders, and he had pressed a lingering kiss beneath her earlobe. Before she could control it, a shudder shook her whole body.
Her thoughts transferred when the child grinned up gleefully at her. "Really? May I please, Lady Trenton? Please?"
"Ed — Lady Trenton, surely you can use it more than Reed. He will no doubt have it lost within the week. You can’t get rid of something like that with a simple shake of the head," Caspian objected.
Eden softly placed her hand on the captain’s arm but removed it the second she realized how improper her action was. "I truly do not care for the bauble. Honestly, I am much happier without it."
"But even if you don't like how it looks, it must be worth a fair amount of money. You could use it when we reach Port Royal; you could sell it so you have a place to stay and food to eat."
"No." She honestly did not want to even touch something the monster had given to her. The mere sight of it made her feel sick. "God will provide for me. In truth, I want no memory of my life in London. It was terrible, and I do not need to remember it when I begin anew in the Caribbean."
Reed glanced up at her with grateful eyes. "Oh, thank you, Lady Trenton. Thank you!" He wrapped his little arms around her waist, smiling appreciatively.
"You are quite welcome, my dear." Eden patted his back gently. After his hug, the child skipped away once more.
The captain moved closer to her. "That was quite kind, milady. You did not have to give my boy the necklace. Thank you. I promise I will pay you back for it somehow," Caspian said, staring into her eyes.
She backed up slightly, keeping a decent space between her and the intriguing man. "Captain, I assure you, it was fine. I have no need for that frivolous necklace. Consider it as a payment for my voyage."
"Milady, I would be leaving this bargain with much more value than you would. I will not be counting it toward your voyage. Thank you, though. Reed seems to be quite fascinated by that little sapphire." He chuckled.
Eden could understand. The only thing she ever did like about the necklace was the sparkling blue gem. But now she realized it was not very pretty, after all. For she peered into Captain Archer’s eyes and saw they were a far more beautiful shade of the color. His masculine scent of salt and leather wafted over her in waves like the ocean on the seashore.
He offered her a sultry grin, and she realized she had been caught staring at him.
"I-I," she stuttered, "I'm sorry… I do not know what went over me…" Her cheeks heated.
"Nay, milady. No need to apologize to me. I only assumed you would find it most improper for an aristocratic lady such as yourself to be gaping in such a manner at a pirate like me." He winked at her.
Was it possible for her entire body to turn pink with a blush? "I do not care a whit for high society's rules. Why, I suppose I can look at whomever I wish now that I am no longer within view of London’s prying eyes."
He smirked. "I didn't think you did care. You are not like many other ladies I have met. Although I admit I have not met a fair share of them."
Was that a compliment or an insult to her? She didn't want to know, unsure which one she would prefer.
“Well, sir. Good day. I feel a… need to lie down for a moment out of the sun.” With one last glance at Captain Archer, she fled to the cabin before she had to face either his admiration or his condemnation.
****
Ivy sank down like an anchor onto her soft bed. How irrational could Eden be? Why had she not told her and Aimee before she had actually run away? Eden should have asked Aimee and Ivy for help before going. For all Ivy knew, Eden could already have been attacked by some sailor when she was by the docks. Even as she sat here now, her friend could be lying in some alleyway, dead or close to dying.
She wrung her hands together, praying her friend was safe. Ivy glanced at the other side of the room, where her little brother slept in a cradle. With her mother’s ailment, Ivy only trusted herself to care for Will, so he slept in her room and she did not mind it at all. William was practically an angel. Assured the boy was settled in for the night, she finally leaned back down against her pillows and felt the cool breeze from her window flow over her body. The aromatic scent of the sweet gum trees outside drifted in, soothing her tension somewhat. Soon, Ivy fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
****
Her curtain swayed. Dim moonlight sprinkled in through her window.
Ivy bolted upright, her heart pounding. What was that noise? She blinked. Strange. There was no wind. Had she been so daft as to leave her window wide open when she fell asleep?
Suddenly, a hand smashed firmly over her mouth. Who would be in her room at this time of night, without intentions of harming her? Or William! A terrible feeling brewed in her belly. She tried to scream, but her voice came out too obstructed for it to have any affect. The man stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth, and then she felt the cold press of metal against her neck. A… knife?
"Let me go!" she tried to cry, but only managed to utter a strangled yelp. Ivy struggled to remove the cloth that muffled her every sound.
She finally twisted around enough to glance up at her captor.
Chapter Six
Caspian sat on the edge of his deck, his legs dangling out over the expansive ocean below him as he laid his forehead against the rail. After he had told the woman she was unlike any other lady he had ever met, a compliment in every sense, she had run away from him to the cabin. What had he done wrong? He had thought she would like a compliment; he had always thought all women liked to hear something good about themselves. Isabelle had. Apparently Eden did not. She was unlike any other woman he had ever met.
Now he heard the soft trill of the infuriating woman's voice drifting from somewhere on the ship. It was followed by his son's giggling. How could she get the boy to laugh in that gleeful manner with her when Caspian could barely force a smile out of the beloved child?
He shook his head.
****
Lord Clive Rutger.
What on earth was Eden’s fiancé doing in Ivy’s bed chamber? With a knife pressed to her throat?
Instinct flooded her after the initial shock had paralyzed her body. Ivy kicked and clawed at him, desperate to escape his tight hold. She jabbed his gut with her elbow. He shoved her to the floor. A soft whimper drifted from the other side of the room. Ivy’s three-year old brother, William, sobbed in his cradle.
Lord Rutger immediately stuffed a handkerchief into her brother's mouth and transferred the knife to the tyke’s throat. He kicked Ivy in the stomach so she could not stop him. Ivy doubled over in pain and clutched her belly. She did not blame Eden for being terrified of this man. Everything made sense now.