“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’m here for you, Wife.” He strolled into the room and picked up the rolled-up painting, opening it and smiling. “I see you’ve been busy. This tells me you’ve been in contact with the pirates that stole the painting from me in the first place.”
“Give me that!” She reached for it, but the man swiped her hand away, grabbing her by the wrist. “It’s time to come home, Emmaline,” he told her. “We have so much to catch up on.”
“I’ll not go anywhere with you. I hate you!”
“Get her out of here,” said Aldusa. “Priest, fetch the undertaker to bury my husband’s body.”
“Aye, my lady,” said the priest.
Emmaline had a thought. “Please, Jean Philippe. Let me give my father one last kiss before I go.”
“Fine. But hurry. My ship is docked and ready to leave. I saw that damned pirate ship, and I don’t want them coming after us.”
Emmaline walked over to her father, kissing him goodbye one last time. “I’ll miss you, Father.” Then she leaned over and whispered in the dead man’s ear. “I will make sure she is caught and dies for doing this to you.”
“Let’s go,” growled Jean Philippe from the other side of the room.
“Father Elroy, thank you,” said Emmaline, giving the priest a hug. When she did, she took his hands, pressing her wedding ring into his palm. “Take this to the Falcon docked on the shore. Give it to their captain and tell him I’m in trouble,” she whispered.
“What are you talking about over there?” asked Aldusa.
“I am saying a prayer,” she answered, thinking it wasn’t a lie. She needed more than a prayer to save her now, and Mardon was the only one who could possibly keep her from a future of doom.
“Mardon, let’s go,” said Aaron, leaning over and putting his hands on the table. They were drinking in The Mermaid, a tavern near the docks of Canterbury. “I told you, I saw the clue before the girl stole it from me and left with Nereus. Hopefully, we can still find the treasure before them if we hurry.”
“Why did she do it? Why did she leave?” Mardon picked up the glass of whisky and swallowed it down in one gulp. The burning sensation did nothing to help fill the emptiness within him since Emmaline left without even a goodbye.
“Who the hell cares? She’s just a wench,” said Aaron. “You can get another.”
Mardon reached up and grabbed his brother by the front of his tunic, standing up, towering over him. “Do not say that, little brother,” he said through gritted teeth. “Lady Emmaline is not just any wench. She was special.”
“God’s eyes, you are besotted with the wench.” He pushed Mardon’s hand away. “I’ve never seen you like this. What’s gotten into you, Mardon?”
“I – I don’t know.” He raked his hand through his hair. “I don’t quite understand it myself.”
“You bedded her, didn’t you?”
“You know I did.”
“How is this different than any of the other wenches you bed?”
“Emmaline was different. I – I cared for her.”
“Well, don’t. The crew as well as myself only cares about the treasure. We need to figure out where the next clue leads us. The treasure is all that matters.”
“I tire of our dead father’s games.” Mardon knocked over the glass on the table in aggravation. It hit the floor and shattered. The proprietor looked up in concern.
“We’re going,” said Aaron with a smile and a wave. “Here’s for your trouble.” He threw a coin down on the table and looked back at Mardon. “If we had time, I’d suggest we just raid this place, but it’s important to set sail. Stitch told me he already saw the Poseidon leave and head south down the channel.”
That brought Mardon back to his senses. His nemesis, Nereus, was not going to get there first. “I won’t let Nereus walk away with one gold coin from that treasure,” said Mardon. “That treasure should have been ours. I hate father’s little games, but you’re right. We need to find it. It’s our inheritance.”
“Let’s go.” Aaron led the way to the door. Once they got to the docks and boarded the ship, Goldtooth came running over to greet them.
“Cap’n. There’s someone here to see ye.”
“What in God’s name are you talking about?” growled Mardon. He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Is it Emmaline? Has she returned?” His hopes climbed as his heart speeded up.
“Nay, the nun isn’t here,” said Goldtooth. “But there is a priest here askin’ for ye.”
“A priest?” He looked up, first seeing an elderly, tall man standing on the main deck. Nairnie was talking to him. He looked nervous and anxious and rightly so. Mardon was sure he had never been aboard a pirate ship before. Whatever he wanted, it must be important or he wouldn’t have risked his life coming here. “What does he want?” asked Mardon.
“I don’t know. He asked for the captain. Nairnie told him to wait and that ye’d be back soon.”
“I see.” Mardon strode over to the man with Aaron and Goldtooth right behind him. The crew watched on from their positions on the ship. “I’m the captain of the Falcon,” said Mardon, acknowledging the man with a small nod. “What is it you want?”
“This is the – the pirate ship?” the priest asked, looking around.
“It is.” Mardon didn’t feel the man was a threat, but he didn’t like a priest on the ship. Still, curiosity kept him from throwing the holy man overboard.
“I have a message for you, Captain. A young lady asked me to find you.”
“What young lady?”
“Her name is Lady Emmaline,” the priest answered.
“Lady Emmaline?” asked Goldtooth. “Ye mean Sister Emmaline, don’t ye?”
“Everyone, back to your posts,” said Mardon. “Father, I’d like to talk to you in private. Please join me in my cabin.”
“Well, I . . . I really need to be getting back. A man has died and I’m needed.”
“Dinna worry, my grandson willna harm ye,” Nairnie assured the man. She took him by the arm and led him to the cabin. “It’s this way, Faither.”
Mardon entered the cabin with the priest, Nairnie and Aaron.
“Close the door, Aaron,” said Mardon, seeing his crew watching and listening. Aaron closed the door.
“Where is Emmaline? And what is her message?” asked Mardon.
“She is in trouble.” The man held out a ring. “She asked me to give this to you.”
Mardon’s eyes fastened to the ring in the priest’s palm. He picked it up in two fingers to inspect it.
“Isn’t that the ring you stole from that French ship?” asked Aaron.
“It sure as hell looks like it,” Mardon answered, getting a swipe on the arm from Nairnie.
“Watch yer language. We’ve got a priest on board,” Nairnie scolded.
Mardon hurried over to the chest on the table and flipped it open. Sure enough, the ring was gone. “She stole it from me?” he mumbled.
“Mardon, ye were the one who stole that ring from her in the first place,” Nairnie reminded him. “It’s her weddin’ ring.”
Mardon’s eyes roamed over to the covered painting. “Aaron, uncover that,” he ordered his brother.
“Mardon, nay,” protested Nairnie. “Ye dinna want the priest to see it.”
“Do it,” he commanded.
“All right, Brother, calm down.” Aaron went over and pulled the blanket away to reveal an empty wooden frame. The painting had been cut out of it and stolen.
“I see now why she wanted to get on the ship. She’s nothing but a thief.” Mardon threw the ring into the box and slammed the lid. “Father, you can tell her that after what she did, I wouldn’t help her for anything.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell her that,” said the priest. “You see, she is no longer at her father’s manor. After her father died, she left.”
“Her father died?” This didn’t sit well with Mardon. “So she w
ent home because her father was ill?”
“I suppose so,” said the man. “I thought I heard her tell her father that she wanted to clear their family name and change her reputation.”
Mardon’s eyes wandered back to the empty frame. Now he knew why she’d done it. Still, she’d left him and never asked for his help and that bothered him immensely after they’d been intimate together. “Well, I’m sure she’ll find what she’s looking for. I can’t help her. If you haven’t noticed, she’s a lady and I’m just a pirate. What could I possibly do?”
“Well, I’m not sure,” said the priest, looking down at the ground. “Lady Emmaline asked me to give you the message, so I did.”
“Thank you,” said Mardon. “Aaron, please escort him off the ship.”
“Mardon, what are ye doin’?” spat Nairnie. “If Emmaline said she’s in trouble, ye need to help her.”
“Quiet, old woman,” he told her. “It was Emmaline’s choice to leave me. When she did, she took what she wanted. It’s over. Do you hear me? I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
“I suppose you’re right,” said the priest, walking out the door. “I’m sure her husband will watch after her now.”
“Wait!” shouted Mardon, stopping the man in his tracks. “What do you mean, her husband? Her husband is dead. I know, because I killed him myself.”
“Oh,” said the priest, looking very uneasy now. “I don’t doubt your word, but I assure you, her French husband, Jean Philippe de la Croix took her away with him not more than an hour ago.”
“That can’t be,” said Mardon. “Where did they go?”
“I believe they are sailing back to France.”
“Damn it,” spat Mardon, getting a glare from Nairnie. “That must have been the ship with the French sails we saw.”
“I told you we should have boarded it,” griped Aaron.
“Captain, if I’m no longer needed, I must get back to assist with the funeral arrangements for Lady Emmaline’s father.”
“Of course. Thank you. You are free to go,” Mardon told the priest. “Father,” he called out, stopping the priest. “What did Emmaline’s father die from?”
“The healer says he was poisoned,” answered the priest. “If he could have discovered what the poison was, he might have been able to prepare an antidote. Unfortunately, the poison was never found, and so the man died.”
“Thank you,” said Mardon, his eyes roaming over to the stairs. Emmaline hid a bottle of poison there. Could she have been the one to poison her own father? Mardon didn’t believe so, but wasn’t sure what to think anymore.
“Well, now that that is over, can I tell you about the clue to find the treasure?” asked Aaron.
“Yes, the treasure,” said Mardon, pulling his thoughts away from Emmaline. He called out to his crew. “We’ve got a treasure to find, now everyone gather around. My addlepated father has seemed to leave us another clue, and we need to put our heads together and find it, because the treasure is the only thing that matters.”
Chapter 11
Emmaline watched over the sidewall of the French ship as they set sail, leaving Canterbury behind. Her heart ached. Not only had she lost her father, but she’d lost Mardon as well. The last thing she wanted was to be Jean Philippe’s wife again. She would rather die than to go back to France and have to live in shame with a man who whipped her and demoralized her every chance he got.
“Wife, come away from the sidewall before you fall in.” The cur put his hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t touch me!” She spun around, pushing his arm away. “I would gladly die by being claimed by the sea, rather than return to France as your wife. Why did you have to survive the pirate’s blade?”
He chuckled, his hand going to his side when he laughed, as if he still hurt from the thrust of the blade that almost took his life. “Now that I have you returned, as well as this, I’m back in business again.” He held up the rolled-up painting. She tried to grab it from him, but he pulled it away. “Uh, uh, don’t do that, Wife. You will make me angry, ma chérie.”
“I’m not your darling and I’m certainly not your wife either.”
“You are my wife, whether you like it or not.”
“I hate you!” she spat. “And I hope Mardon’s next thrust of his blade goes right through your heart. I want you dead.”
“Now, is that any way to talk to the man who is your master?” He reached for the whip at his side. Her eyes opened wide.
“I – I’m sorry,” she said, hugging her arms around her. The thought of the sting of his whip against her skin already had her body trembling.
“You called the pirate who raided our ship by name,” he said, hooking the whip back on his waist. “That tells me you know him. Plus, you seem to think he’s coming after me. Tell me how, s’il vous plaît.”
“It’s none of your business.” She looked back at the shore and could see Mardon’s ship still docked. She hoped Father Elroy had been able to get her message to Mardon. Of course, Mardon was probably so angry with her right now that he wouldn’t come for her, and she couldn’t blame him. Her heart sank. After all, she’d made him look like a fool. She’d stolen from him and reneged on their deal. He’d given her his heart and she’d pushed it away because he was a pirate. What made her think she’d ever be happy being married to another nobleman? It was only when her father accepted Mardon and told her to marry for love that she’d realized her mistake.
She did love Mardon, but dismissed the idea of staying with him because she was judging him. Emmaline had felt she was better than him since she was noble and he was a cutthroat. But now, she knew she was wrong. Jean Philippe was noble, but acted more like a pirate than Mardon. Oh, how life took its twists and turns. It made her wonder if Mardon would ever find his precious treasure.
“Everything to do with you is my business. I own you,” snarled Jean Philippe.
“You do not own me! No one does.”
“When we took our vows, you sealed that deal.”
“I’ll find a way to leave you, I swear I will. I won’t stay as your wife. Not after the things you’ve done to me.”
“There is no rule to stop a man from disciplining his wife. As a matter of fact, it’s expected. So, you see, ma chérie, you have no one on your side but me. You have no family and nowhere to go. My sister will never let you back at the manor since it’ll be hers now.”
“Nay, it’s not hers. It’s my family’s manor! And your sister is the one who poisoned my father.”
“You can’t prove that. If you go around spouting nonsense about a noblewoman, you will be locked away. So, I warn you, still your tongue or I will do it for you.”
Emmaline leaned on the sidewall of the ship again, tears filling her eyes. She had never felt so alone in her life. If she had only returned from the convent sooner, she could have shown the bottle of poison to the healer and mayhap he could have saved her father. But now it was too late. Now, she felt her father’s death was partially her fault, too.
How she longed for the warmth and protection of Mardon’s arms around her. But Mardon was a pirate and had a crew and a grandmother to care for. He wouldn’t care what happened to her. She wiped away a tear with the back of her hand, staring down to the water below. She had half a mind to jump, and let the sea consume her. But if she did, then Jean Philippe would get away with treating her badly, and her stepmother would never pay for the murder of her father. Nay, she had to live to see justice served. She would be strong. She was a survivor. One way or another, she just had to see Mardon again.
“So, what do you think, Mardon?” asked Aaron, pulling Mardon from his thoughts.
“What?” Mardon had been staring out to sea, not even paying attention. Stitch was at the helm, and they were heading south down the channel.
“Mardon, havena ye been listenin’?” asked Nairnie.
“Of course, I have,” he answered.
“Then what do you think it means?” she asked.
&nbs
p; “What do I think what means?” Mardon had been thinking about Emmaline and had no idea what his brother or grandmother had said.
“God’s eyes, focus on the conversation on yer own ship!” scolded Nairnie. “Aaron, tell him again what the clue said.”
Aaron glared at Mardon and let out a frustrated breath. “All right, but this is the last time I’ll repeat it. I was lucky to even see it since that girl took it from me at Canterbury Cathedral.”
“Who do ye think that girl was?” asked Coop.
“Ye said she left with Nereus, so she must be with him,” added Peg Leg.
“She’s a little thief, that’s what she is,” said another of the men.
Aaron cleared his throat. “All right, now listen up everyone, because I’ll not repeat the clue again. The note said, ‘Hastily, find the bright angel with the fish mouth and bow right at her feet’.”
“What the hell does that mean?” asked Mardon, making a face.
“Fish mouth?” Nairnie chuckled. “I think Cato was more addled than we thought. These clues are becomin’ nonsensical. I could have made up better ones myself.”
“Nairnie, you couldn’t have done that since you don’t know where the treasure is,” Aaron pointed out.
“Aye, ye’re right.” She looked down and brushed off her skirt.
“Why don’t we just follow Nereus’ ship?” asked Ramble.
Sometimes out of the mouths of fools, there came a good idea.
“Aye, we’ll do that.” Mardon got to his feet and headed across the deck. “And when it looks like the Poseidon is about to dock, we’ll swoop in and get to the hiding place first.”
“We’re just going to tag along on Nereus’ tail? That’s it?” Aaron ran to catch up with Mardon. “We can’t do that. We need to get there first.”
“Keep the Poseidon in view at all times, Navigator,” Mardon called up to Stitch.
“Aye, Cap’n,” the man answered.
“And keep me posted if anything changes.” He stopped in front of his cabin.
“Where are you going?” asked Aaron.
“I need to rest. To think.”
Mardon (Pirate Lords Series Book 2) Page 13
