Angelina's Secret Read online

  “I never took you for a hysterical female, so I need you to take a breath and calm down,” he said while placing his face only a few inches from mine.

  “I never learned to swim, and I am not going across that cavernous gap on that little rope,” I anxiously said while pointing to the rope.

  “Well, I am afraid that is the only way to get there,” he said, indicating the other ship with his one hand. “Of course, we could forget the deal we struck, and I could cut your ship loose if you would prefer,” he informed me in a tone that suggested something more as he smiled provocatively.

  “Where exactly do I hold on?” I retorted with a sober expression.

  Leading me to the railing, he stepped up and onto a board that had been secured and extended out. Taking hold of the rope, he turned and offered me a hand. I hesitated for an instant, then finding my backbone, I reached out and took his hand. He pulled me up and led me out onto the board as I lost my balance and screamed.

  Clamping his strong arm around my waist, he lifted me up. I grabbed his neck so tightly that he momentarily gasped for breath.

  “Madam, if you wish for us both to arrive at our destination and not in the drink, might I suggest you allow me to breathe,” he rasped.

  Unable to speak, I loosened my death grip and dared a peek. I tightly closed my eyes again and buried my head in his neck as I felt all the color drain from my face.

  I shook every paralyzing second it took us to swing through the air from one ship to the other, landing on the deck with a thud. The sour taste in my mouth made me nearly throw up.

  My legs felt like wet noodles as they gave out. His hand reached out to steady me. Taking several deep breaths to stop the buzzing between my ears and calm my rapidly beating heart, I tried to give a reassuring smile.

  “I think I will be fine now,” I said formally.

  “Last chance to change your mind and become a privateer,” he said, looking at my face and attempting to judge whether or not I was going to faint.

  “I thank you, sir, for my safe return in one piece and for keeping your word. And as much as I abhor the crush of societal demands, I do not believe I could live confined to a cabin below decks for the rest of my life,” I said as my confidence returned along with the color to my face.

  “In that case, Ma belle Ange, I will bid you adieu and be off,” he said as he gave me a courtly bow and backed away. “It’s really a shame.”

  “What is?” I inquired.

  “You would have made a wonderful pirate,” he answered with a wink.

  “Privateer,” I corrected.

  Then turning with a hearty laugh, he walked to the railing. The other man waiting for him released a rope that held the two ships together. They both grabbed hold of a rope and swung across in unison with grace and ease to the other ship.

  Immediately barking orders to his crew, each man turned around, and they all moved like the gears of a well-oiled machine, moving as one. The sails were hoisted and the wind caught hold as the ship pulled away at a good clip.

  The captain and his first mate stood together near the wheel on the upper deck. Shoulder to shoulder, they watched the distance grow between our two ships.

  As I stood on the deserted deck of the Lady Clarisse, melancholy began to set in. I was not exactly sure why the tears sprang to my eyes as my mind wandered. I didn’t leave the deck until the other ship was a mere speck on the horizon.

  The wind had picked up, and a shiver went up my spine. Pulling my wrap tighter around my shoulders, I turned toward the crew’s quarters below deck. Reality had hit me like a cold bath, and I sobered up suddenly having the desire to see Uncle Jamie and make sure everyone was alive and well.

  The darkness below deck was palpable and the stench of chamber pots left too long assaulted my senses. But I would not be deterred.

  I searched for something to light my way. Finding a lantern that had been left burning, I looked for others that I could light.

  Hanging two lanterns up, I carried a third one with me as I called for Uncle Jamie. The men had been tied by their wrists to the supporting poles, and blindfolds covered their eyes. They did not look any worse for wear. I untied the first two men I came across as I made my way through the darkened chamber.

  “Is anyone hurt?” I called out.

  “No, miss, they didn’t harm us,” answered one man.

  “You untie the others, and I will find Captain Kincaid and my uncle“

  “James Stewart, you answer me! Where are you?” I called out, feeling a bit disconcerted not hearing him call back to me.

  “Lassie, over here, could you be helping an old feller out just a bit?” came the voice of Mr. Jones, the cook. Running to his side, I quickly removed his restraints and helping him up. “Oh, how grateful I am to be sure, seeing a lovely sight such as yourself, lassie,” he crowed, finally free from his ties.

  “Have you seen my uncle or the captain? I don’t see them and Uncle Jamie isn’t calling out. Is he still alive?” I cried as I looked around with one of the lanterns held high above my head trying to peer into the darkness.

  “To be sure, little lassie, he’s fine. Heard one of those packs of thieves say something about taken them to the captain’s quarters. You have nothing to worry about,” Cook replied as he worked to free someone else.

  “Thank you so much, Mr. Jones.” And with that, I handed him my lantern and headed for the captain’s quarters.

  Throwing the door open, I found Uncle Jamie and the captain blindfolded and tied to chairs. Relief washed over me, and I ran to Jamie and wrapped my arms around him so tightly that I nearly choked him.

  “Angelina, is that you? Are you harmed, child? Did that pirate touch you? Untie me so I can kill the bloody beast. He calls himself a man. I am going to —” Uncle Jamie muttered as I untied his hands.

  “Lord Stewart, there is a lady present, sir,” the captain said, not allowing Jamie to finish that sentence.

  “Sorry, old chap. I apologize to you, Angelina,” he said as his hands came free, and he could see me for the first time since our capture.

  Looking between Uncle Jamie and Captain Kincaid, all I could do was wrap my arms around them and laugh, then cry, then laugh again. Jamie had sustained a black eye and his limbs were stiff from being in one position for so long, but the two were unharmed. They had a million questions, some of which I didn’t wish to answer with complete truthfulness, so I lied. May I be forgiven for my sins, but I couldn’t be completely honest. The scandal would be social suicide, there would be endless questions, and my reputation would be destroyed, not to mention the family’s good name being raked over the coals and through the mud. No, we couldn’t have that.

  So my story went something like this: I was taken aboard the pirate ship and blindfolded like everyone else. The captain was a perfect gentleman, and he never laid a hand on me. For this part of the story, I had to turn to the side because a flush came to my cheeks every time I thought of the pirate captain.

  I stayed in the captain’s cabin since he was on deck all night dealing with the storm. The next day, the captain and I played a little game of chance, which I won, securing the safe return of the ship, its cargo, and crew. End of story, nothing more to tell. I figured if my story were simple, the easier it would be to keep it all straight.

  My uncle and Captain Kinkaid seemed to believe my version, which made the long trip home easier. And what a story the men of the Lady Clarisse would have to tell of their harrowing encounter with real pirates on the open seas.

  “SO WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?” Honore Lacroix asked of his best friend and captain as they stood shoulder to shoulder on the deck of the Miranda.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” Jude said to the man he had not only grown up with but had fought beside in many battles.

  “Oh, my friend, why do you insist in lying to me, unsuccessfully I might add? I know you better than you know yourself. So you might as well come clean with it. Why are we still
standing here on this deck when there is so much to do? And why do we not have a new ship to call ours?” he asked, pointing to the Lady Clarisse. He had been with Jude when that witch Juliette Moreau had destroyed him.

  “I do not think that you can comprehend what I see in her,” Jude told him still, staring at the other ship, his gaze never leaving the figure of Angelina standing alone on the deck of the Lady Clarisse.

  “Why don’t you humor me then?” Honore insisted.

  “Well, I could explain it to you, but it would require charts and graphs,” Jude replied, trying to make a joke of it, but his emotions were a tangled knot in the pit of his stomach.

  “Have you fallen for the little enchantress, Jude? I think she has put a spell on you, and you had better snap out of it and soon,” his friend and first mate advised in all seriousness.

  “Look, Honore, she is different! She is passion and fire, refinement and elegance all rolled into one exquisite, dare I say extraordinary form. Did I mention she is intelligent too?”

  “But you will never see this one again. There she goes, never to be seen by you in this lifetime,” Honore pointed out. “And might I just say good riddance. Women, as a whole, are nothing but trouble.”

  “Not so fast, my dear friend. I know exactly where to find her. You did not think that I would let her go so easily if I didn’t have a plan?” Jude informed his skeptical friend with the confidence of a man holding a winning hand. “And might I just add that if that is trouble, I wish to be in it up to my head all the time,” Jude said, soberly pointing at Angelina, then turning to look at Honore. “All the time, my dear friend.” His smile speaking volumes to his oldest friend.

  5

  APRIL 12, 1763;

  THE SEASON WEARS ON

  HE VOYAGE HOME HAD GONE relatively smooth barring a small storm or two but uneventful nonetheless. The men’s nerves were raw, and who could blame them? My nerves had been on edge as well but for a far different reason than the crew’s.

  I could still smell him in the sea air, and his scent clung to my dress and wrap that I refused to wash. I couldn’t get away from him, even in my dreams and, to tell the truth, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to.

  Upon arriving home, the wild stories started circulating almost the instant the ship docked. I was made out to be some kind of heroine, though I tried to tell everyone that I hadn’t done half the things they were hearing. It didn’t matter what I said. The stories got bigger and more outrageous as the season wore on.

  One account of the story actually had me sword fighting with a one-eyed grizzly pirate who would rather eat the crew’s livers for supper than look at you. But there was no stopping insanity, so I just went along with it and hoped that it would all blow over soon, like a fast-moving rainstorm.

  When things got too crazy, I took Dante out for a strenuous ride to give my nerves and muscles a good workout. It tended to clear my head and help me forget the rakish pirate that haunted my days and nights.

  People didn’t say too much about my independent demeanor after that, or about the fact that I preferred to ride astride my horse instead of sidesaddle. People gave me plenty of leeway because, after all, I had stared down a treacherous, unscrupulous, one-eyed pirate and lived to tell the tale with my virtue intact.

  Today was a good day. The sun was out, the rain had ceased, and I was enjoying my midmorning ride through the park when Darcy Montgomery rode up alongside me in his carriage.

  Darcy was an interesting enough fellow of average height. In fact, he and I could stand side by side, and he would be at eye level. But that would be the only time Mr. Montgomery and I would see things eye to eye. I didn’t particularly like his politics, nor did I appreciate his views on women and where they belonged. He had always been polite to me, sometimes overly so. The man had never done anything to truly offend me, except sharing his views of the woman’s role in society; however, I always got this strange feeling when he was around. He made my skin crawl!

  An attractive man with blond hair, handsome brown eyes that were large in size, his features were slightly feminine in my opinion, but some women liked that about him.

  He came from a prominent family that had been well managed while his father was alive, but I heard Darcy liked to gamble in the gentlemen’s clubs at night and that he was neither a very good gambler nor a gracious loser.

  I didn’t particularly like the way his eyes shifted when he was talking to me or how he talked to me as if I didn’t have a brain in my head.

  “Good day to you, Lady Stewart,” Darcy said in his best gentlemanly fashion.

  “Good day to you, Mr. Montgomery,” I replied politely while giving him a passing glance in hopes that he would move on.

  “Lovely weather we are having, don’t you think?” he continued in his effort to strike up a conversation.

  “Yes, Mr. Montgomery, very lovely weather,” I replied again.

  “Are you planning to go to Lord and Lady Burgess’s gathering this evening?” he asked while trying to hold eye contact with me.

  “I had intended to, Mr. Montgomery. Thank you for inquiring,” I said even more politely than before.

  “Please, call me Darcy. We have known each other for two years now. I think we should be on a first-name basis, don’t you?” he said, trying to be cordial.

  “I am not sure that I am completely comfortable with that, Mr. Montgomery,” I replied, rebuffing him.

  “Oh, I mean no impropriety in my suggestion of it?” he simpered.

  “Of course, but I will have to take your suggestion under advisement and get back with you.” Turning my head to look him straight in the eyes, I fixed him with my best aristocratic stare. “Now, if you will excuse me, Mr. Montgomery, my ride is over, and I am headed home.” I tried to politely excuse myself from further conversation and dismiss him with my statement, but I guess some people just can’t take a hint.

  “I would be happy to accompany you safely home,” he said, trying to insert himself into my day.

  “Thank you, but no, I will be perfectly fine. If I can handle a band of pirates, I think I will be fine riding home on my own,” I said in an attempt to make him as uncomfortable as he was making me at that moment.

  And with that, I turned Dante to the left and down a path leaving Darcy Montgomery and his driver with no choice but to continue in the direction he had been traveling.

  Dante was a beautiful Friesian stallion my father had given me two years ago as a birthday present. From the moment I set eyes on his magnificent frame and ebony coat it was love. Granted, he could be a handful from time to time, and Mother was very concerned over Father’s gift, but I wouldn’t trade him for all the gold in London.

  On those long rainy days that Dante and I couldn’t go out for a ride I still found my way to the stables to brush him or bring him a treat or two. I even found myself having one-sided conversations with him.

  My mind had been wandering as I rounded the corner to the stables when my eye caught sight of several horses tied up and saddled next to the stable doors.

  It only took a split second for recognition to dawn, and I kicked Dante into a full run. Yelling like a madwoman, I pulled Dante up short as Jonathan walked through the stable doors.

  I leaped at him from the back of my horse as he caught me in his arms and spun me around, hooting and carrying on like when we were children. He was finally home, and I felt whole again.

  “Am I dreaming, are you really here?” I said between my gasps of excitement. I held his face in my hands. “I don’t believe it, why didn’t you tell me? Did Mother know you were coming?”

  “Well, if you will be quiet a moment and let me talk.” He laughed as he placed me back on the ground while giving me the once over twirling me around to get a better look. “Did you get even more beautiful while I was gone?” he said.

  “Oh, how I have missed you and your teasing!” I said through my tears of joy.

  “No, I am serious, I think you grew six inches, and bef
ore I forget, I brought you something in case you run into any more pirates.” Pulling a package out of his coat pocket, he handed it to me.

  “Oh, Jonathan, you don’t believe all of those crazy stories going around, do you?” I scolded while removing the ribbon from my present.

  I opened the box and discovered a beautiful six-inch dagger with a jewel incrusted handle. “Jonathan, it is lovely, but what am I supposed to do with this?” I asked with confusion distorting my face.

  “Keep it in the pocket of your gowns. It’s just the right size, in case you ever run into any more pirates,” he told me in all seriousness.

  “Oh, Jonathan, you are always so thoughtful,” I teased as I punched his arm.

  Just then a man cleared his throat, and two gentlemen stepped out from behind Jonathan.

  I had some difficulty seeing them clearly because the sun was in my eyes. Using my hand to shade my eyes, I had to look up.

  Jonathan turned as if he just remembered that we were not alone and that he had brought home two companions. Gesturing to the first man, he said, “Allow me to introduce you to my friends, Lord Honore Lacroix and Jude Deveraux, Duke of Bayonne,” he said in his best French accent.

  “We went to school together two years ago. I ran into them at the tavern in town on my way home yesterday. What are the odds?” Jonathan said.

  Offering my hand to Lord Lacroix in greeting, I gave him a shallow curtsy. He had handsome features with shoulder-length hair that curled up on the ends. His eyes were brown and held a look of complete amusement as if someone just told a good joke. He was tall for a French man, standing even with Jonathan and four inches taller than myself.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Lord Lacroix. Please forgive our ridiculous behavior,” I pleaded with him.

  “Think nothing of it. It does my heart good to see such love between brother and sister,” he replied with a polite chuckle that did not mock me.

  Turning to the Duke of Bayonne, I bobbed a polite curtsy and offered him my hand. When his fingers touched mine it was as if an electrical current traveled through his fingers to mine.