by Lora Thomas
“Fine.”
“The rooms have been booked by Aunt Charlotte and her friends.”
Oliver’s mouth dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Jacob relaxed his stance, resting his forearm upon the frame of the door. “‘Fraid not. So, if you tell everyone she is your wife, what do you think Aunt Charlotte would do?”
“Demand to see proof.”
“And since I feel pretty damn certain that you don’t have proof, she will demand that I perform a ceremony, hence making you man and wife.”
“What are we to do?” Madelena asked. “I cannot go back.”
“Would you mind sharing the reason why?” Jacob inquired.
“She has her reasons, Jacob,” Oliver interjected.
The sound of a door opening caused Jacob to lean back and peer into the hallway. “Well, better make your tale up quick for our dear Aunt Charlotte approaches.”
“Shit,” Oliver mumbled, raking his hand through his hair.
“Jacob!” Charlotte sang out approaching. “There you are, my favoritest nephew. I need to have a word with you when you finish…” Charlotte's words stopped as she peeked inside the room. “Oliver! How wonderful! Why Jacob, you never mentioned that my other favoritest nephew would be traveling with us.” She looked at Madelena and asked with interest, “Who is this?”
Oliver looked like he had been caught with his pants down. His eyes widened in horror as he spotted Charlotte. He needed to think of something to tell his aunt. If she knew the truth, then she would demand that they take Madelena back to Rome, and from the frantic way Madelena spoke earlier, Oliver did not think that would be a wise decision.
“Aunt Charlotte, I would like to introduce you to Maddie.”
“I’m his wife,” Madelena blurted out.
“Wife!” Charlotte exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “How wonderful! She is simply lovely.” Charlotte pushed her way past Jacob and flung her arms around Madelena. “Welcome to the family, my dear.” Charlotte held Madelena at arm's length, turned her head and tsked her tongue. “Shame on you, Oliver St. John. You marry such a beautiful woman and have her wear nothing but rags! Dressed as a servant! We are St. Johns!”
Madelena looked between the occupants of the room. Why had Oliver not protested when she said that she was his wife? He appeared so indifferent towards her the last time she saw him at the Cancios. In fact, he was rude. It tore at Madelena to have him turn so cold towards her, especially after what had transpired between them only moments before that night. And now? Now, he was putting his bachelorhood at risk in order to help her escape Rome. Why?
Oliver kept his focus on his aunt, his mind trying to come up with a reason for his marriage. If he told the truth, then Jacob would take Madelena back to Rome. He could not allow that. She appeared terrified of the notion. If he kept up the ruse, then he would be foregoing his carefree bachelor ways, tying himself down to one woman for the remainder of his days. Would that be such a bad thing? He did enjoy Madelena’s company. He thought his world was crashing down around him when he learned of her marriage and eagerly began looking for a way to leave Rome immediately. And now? Now she was standing beside him, either a widow or a new bride running from an unwanted marriage, in fear of her life.
“We eloped,” Oliver said.
“Ah. I see. She had to pack lightly. But that does not explain why she is dressed in such a fashion.”
“Her father does not care for me. Her mother wanted me to wed her sister and had paired Maddie with another. Despite Maddie’s insistence that we loved each other, her parents would not listen to reason. They became suspicious of our plans and began watching her more closely. So, she dressed as a servant to be able to slip out of her home undetected.”
“Brilliant!” Charlotte’s brows came together as her eyes widened. “Then you were not properly wed, by an officiating individual. We cannot have that. No, we simply cannot! Why my dear daughter, Anne, she eloped herself with a Scot! He’s a farmer! My Anne knows nothing about farming.”
“That was several years ago, Aunt Charlotte,” Jacob said. “She probably knows a thing or two about farming now.”
Charlotte waved away the observation and made a funny noise. “That is beside the issue, Jacob.” She took Madelena’s hand. “Come, my dear. I insist on a proper wedding. Jacob, you draw up the proper paperwork while I find Maddie a suitable gown to wear.” Her eyes traveled over Oliver. “And you clean yourself up. You look like you have been on a three-day drinking spree and not your honeymoon.”
“Aunt Charlotte, I must protest,” Oliver said. Perhaps he could forgo this faux marriage by persuading Charlotte otherwise. Besides, he needed to speak with Madelena and see if Drakos was truly dead. If he weren’t, then their marriage would not be legal, and Drakos could forcibly cart Madelena to Greece, despite both of their protests. “We are married. Why do you insist upon having us do it again?”
Charlotte proudly raised her chin. “I know how randy you St. Johns are. I would not put it past you to say this lady is your wife in order to travel with a female companion. It is for the best, Oliver. If you truly are married, then you will not care to do the ceremony again. However, if this is just a ruse, and you refuse, then it will be up to me to see to the reputation of this young woman who apparently has fallen victim to your bad influence.”
Oliver stared at his aunt as her babbling words rolled around in his head. “What?”
“You will either marry this girl in front of proper witnesses, or you will never see her again without me present. If she is truly your wife, that would not be the ideal situation.”
Oliver glared at his aunt. Damn her! The old fox was smart. She had seen through his ploy. And Jacob was not helping the matter. Instead, he was standing there grinning like a fool.
Madelena locked eyes with Oliver. She had as much say in this fiasco as he did, but she appeared to be as much at a loss of words as Oliver.
“Well?” Charlotte asked. “Are you going to marry this girl again? Or is it as I suspect and that you brought her aboard for your entertainment?”
Madelena gasped. “I am no man’s entertainment.”
“Then I take it a wedding will take place? Say this afternoon? I know Jacob needs to see to his duties as we depart. Who is seeing to that by the way? You know, since you are here?”
“My first mate, Mr. Jamison.”
“He’s a fine man,” Charlotte said. “I always thought that he and Anne would be a fine pairing. But she is as strong-willed and defiant as every other person with St. John blood in their veins. So?”
“I’m going up top,” Jacob said. “The three of you can discuss this.”
“Oh, no,” Charlotte protested, turning and taking Jacob’s arm to keep him from leaving. “You must oversee this venue.” Charlotte’s eyes widened again. “And Matthew can stand in as your best man.”
“Matthew?” Oliver repeated. “You neglected to tell me that Matt was here.”
“Matthew’s here,” Jacob said.
“Thanks.”
Jacob shrugged.
Charlotte began. “Now, Matthew will stand with you.”
“What am I witnessing?” a deep voice said from the hallway.
Madelena watched as one of the broadest men she had ever seen came to the door. He was massive. The material of his jacket strained under the size of his arms. He possessed the same black hair as Jacob along with piercing blue eyes. She could see the resemblance between the three brothers present…now that she knew they were related.
“Matthew, my other favoritest nephew. Just in time,” Charlotte said. “Your brother here is going to get married.”
Matthew’s right brow rose upward. Drolly he asked, “He is?”
“Yes. To this lovely lady here, Maddie…was it?”
“Madelena, actually,” Madelena managed to say.
Matthew looked between the occupants of the room. “What did I miss?”
“I’ll explain it to you
later,” Oliver said.
“I truly hope so.”
“Now, what time is the ceremony, Jacob? I have no idea how long your duties take,” Charlotte said.
Mischief twinkled in Jacob’s eyes as he watched Oliver squirm. “It will take about an hour to navigate the river and another to make it past the coast. I will draw up the paperwork.”
Charlotte rubbed her chin. “I must find a proper dress for Madelena to wear. She will need a bath and Lidia,” she said, referring to her servant, “will insist upon fashioning her hair. Let’s say three, shall we?”
“Won’t Uncle Hugh protest all the extra visitors in your quarters? I know he doesn’t like interruptions,” Oliver said, hoping to keep his aunt from her desires to see him wed.
She waved away the statement. “Hugh will be thrilled.”
“Mother will be furious if you see me marry instead of her. We should wait.”
A giggle left Charlotte. He should have known that wouldn’t work. Elizabeth and Charlotte never saw eye to eye.
“That is precisely one of the main reasons for this to happen now.”
“I thought it was for my reputation?” Madelena finally spoke.
“In part. The other reason is that I simply adore the fact that I can so easily rile my sister-in-law.” Charlotte took Madelena’s hand. “Come along, Madelena. I will tell you all the wonderful tales of your mother-in-law while we ready you for your wedding. Three, Jacob?”
“Three it is,” Jacob answered.
“Splendid!” Charlotte said, pulling Madelena from the room. “Come, child. We have much to do. I cannot leave you alone with Oliver until I know that the two of you are properly wed. Matthew, be a dear and have Chessi come to my room. Cheerio. Much to do! Much to do!”
Oliver collapsed down on the bed and cradled his head in his hands.
“What the hell did I just miss?” Matthew asked.
Jacob’s humor could not be contained. “It seems our dear baby brother has been caught with his hand in the honey pot.”
“I’m not following?”
“Oliver?” Jacob questioned.
Oliver lowered his hands and looked up. “It is a long, complicated tale. Much too long for me to be able to tell you without you neglecting your duties.”
“I’m the captain,” Jacob said. “Who will complain?”
“Hold up,” Matthew said. “I will find Chess and tell her to visit Aunt Charlotte. The two of you meet me by the wheel so we can all hear this tale.”
Oliver cocked his head to the left, viewing Matthew. “I thought sea travel made you nauseous?”
“At first. I’ve been on here long enough that I have acquired my sea legs. Now, I’ll meet the two of you up top.” With that, Matthew left.
Jacob turned. “I’m going topside. You’ve got five minutes, pup. If you’re not up there by then, I’ll tell Aunt Charlotte the truth.”
“You don’t know the truth.”
Jacob shrugged. “I can make it up as I go. Who do you think she’ll believe? Five minutes.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Oliver’s eyes involuntarily closed as he stepped foot onto the deck of the ship. The crew bustling about greeted him with a friendly “hello” but did not stop from their chores. Jacob ran a tight ship. Despite his strict rule and discipline, his crew were loyal to him and defended him. He was not an unfair captain. He treated his crew well and expected each man to pull their weight. Jacob did not ask his crew to do a job that he himself had not done in the past. Jacob knew the dangers and the hardships. He knew the difficulties of what he ordered. And that is why his crew were loyal. They knew that their captain could do any duty ordered.
Oliver spotted Jacob at the wheel, speaking to Mr. Jamison and Matthew. George Jamison was one of those men that gave Oliver the jitters. He was courteous and had never done anything out of sorts. The sole reason was his uncanny knack at predicting the weather. It was as if Jamison could speak to God and know what was coming.
Approaching the wheel, Oliver heard Mr. Jamison speak. “Weather will hold for a few days.”
“And then?” Jacob asked.
“I would steer clear of Africa. If we keep our present course, we’ll encounter a squall. I would recommend heading west for two days, traveling towards Sassari, then head to Gibraltar. We’ll bypass any storms if we do that.”
Jacob nodded. “West it is.”
“Oliver,” Jamison said in a friendly greeting.
“George,” Oliver acknowledged with a nod of his head.
“I will leave the three of you to catch up.” George left.
Oliver watched him leave. “That man scares the shit out of me.”
“George?” Both Matthew and Jacob said.
“He’s a good man,” Jacob defended.
“I know. It's just that thing with the weather.”
Jacob gripped the wheel and gave a gentle turn to maneuver the ship away from the shore. “And that is why his pay is more than most first mates.”
“More?” Matthew repeated. “Hell, Jacob, he makes more than most captains.”
“I know. We pay him well, so he won’t leave. No other company could afford to pay him what we do. Except for East India, and they like to keep their profits for their stakeholders. I insisted that his pay be the same as mine, in order to keep him for myself. I don’t like sharing valuable employees.”
“Speaking of sharing,” Matthew spoke, looking at Oliver. “Mind sharing what is going on, young’un?”
Oliver exhaled. “This will be a treat for the both of you.” He went on to describe how he met Madelena, about her family and their relationship.
“So she is already married?” Jacob asked. “If so, then I can’t marry the two of you.”
“I know that, Jacob,” Oliver replied. “That is why I need to speak with her before our vows. She said that Drakos is dead. I believe her, but I want to know the full story first.”
“Why?” Matthew asked.
“Pardon?”
“Why? You seem to like your bachelor life. If you tell Aunt Charlotte the truth, then you won’t have to marry the chit. Granted, you won’t get her into your bed on this voyage, but you will be single.”
“It’s not that simple, Matt,” Oliver grumbled.
“Why not? That is unless you love the girl.” Matthew raised an inquiring brow upward.
At Oliver’s silence, Matthew grinned. Matthew threw his head back and laughed. “You do love her. Lord help her. A mischievous leprechaun has fallen for a seller of baskets. She going to make the pot for your gold?”
“Shut up, Matthew,” Oliver growled.
Matthew’s right brow shot upward. “Are you wanting to go a round or two, young’un? I can oblige. However, your little bride might not like how you look when you say your vows with a broken nose and missing teeth.”
“I see Chessi has not taken away your charming personality,” Oliver drolly replied.
“Behave, Matt,” Jacob intervened. He knew firsthand the power behind Matthew’s fists. Hell, he was still recovering from their last bout before they left London.
“Very well,” Matthew replied. “It is still a long trip home. I’ll see him in the ring before we dock.”
Jacob looked skyward and watched the clouds float peacefully overhead. Lord help him, this was going to be a long trip with these two aboard.
“What’s the matter, Jacob?” Matthew asked. “Our brotherly love not to your liking?”
“This is not brotherly love. This is you seeking to place your frustrations on someone other than on whom they belong.”
“I am placing my frustrations right in front of me,” Matthew defended. “Oliver needs a good thrashing to remind him of his place.”
Jacob shook his head. “No. I heard that little spat you had with Chessi this morning. Hell, I am amazed Oliver didn’t hear it from Martin’s home.”
Giving an indifferent shrug, Matthew replied, “She has a bit of a temper. Grams,” he said, spea
king of their grandmother, the Dowager Countess of Hyntington, “said give her a few weeks, and her temper will cool. A child in the womb makes women temperamental.”
“A child?” Oliver questioned. At Matthew’s nod, Oliver patted his older brother’s back. “Congratulations, old man.” Then for spite, he added, “I hope she’s having a girl…twins.”
Jacob joined the levity. “Aye, a set of blond-haired lasses to drive you mad. It would be a fitting retribution for your bachelor days. Philandering with married women.” Jacob’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that how you and Chessi met? You were in the midst of having carnal relations with a married woman?”
“No,” Matthew snapped. “She stole Gramps watch.”
“Ah, that’s right. She caught you having sex later,” Oliver added.
Matthew’s jaw clenched.
“We better behave, pup,” Jacob told Oliver. “Our brother here can dish out it out but can’t take it very well. Just like his punches”
“I can take them better than either of you,” Matthew growled. “How're your ribs?”
“Now, Matthew,” Jacob replied. “You cannot harm the captain.”
“I’m not wanting to hurt the captain. I want to thrash my brother. Big difference.”
“Gentlemen,” a voice said, coming from the steps. “Please do not harm each other until we reach our destination.”
The brothers turned and watched Aunt Charlotte’s husband, Hugh Ashford, approach. Hugh was the Marquees of Dunshire and a good match for their aunt. He was tall with blond hair and brown eyes. He kept a pipe either in his hand or mouth at all times. Very rarely had any of them seen him without his heirloom pipe. Yet, he handled Charlotte’s babbling and rants with grace and had the ability to calm her notorious St. John temper with ease by simply puffing on his pipe and offering her reassuring looks paired with his uncanny logic.
“Uncle Hugh,” Jacob acknowledged.
“Your aunt tells me that there are shenanigans afoot or some such fiddle-faddle. Something about a wedding.” He tapped the end of his pipe upon his hand, tightening the tobacco down on the inside.
“She would be correct,” Jacob answered.
