The Captain's Pearl

by Jo Ann Ferguson

Her contented thoughts disappeared into pain. When she shrieked, she heard Bryce ask, “Must you do that?”

  “Her feet are nearly frozen. If we don’t massage feeling back into them, she will lose them.” That was Great-Aunt Tildy speaking.

  “But she is in such pain!”

  Great-Aunt Tildy snapped with rare heat, “If we don’t get real feeling back into her limbs, we may lose her.”

  A motion in front of her drew her pain-filled eyes to Bryce’s face. He should not be here in her bedroom, but she was glad he was. He must have saved her as she had hoped he would. Odd that she could always depend on him to be around when she was in trouble … or to make trouble for her. She wanted to thank him. Exerting all her strength to lift her right hand, she could move no more than a single finger before the excruciating waves washed over her again.

  Bryce cursed under his breath as Lianne’s colorless features contorted with pain. He touched her heart-shaped face. It was still too cold, but her skin had lost the clammy lifelessness it had had when he found her unconscious in the hold of the China Shadow.

  How could she have been so foolish? While he had been playing cards with the captain and Chester Simmons, he had not guessed that she was anywhere but here in her room or with her great-aunt. He shook his head. It had been a convivial evening with Simmons laughing over everything, even his losing hands. Bryce was amazed what good friends the two old sailors were, for when Bryce first sailed with Captain Catherwood, the two men had been at odds all the time. After the fall from the mast that had left the captain in his chair, they seemed to have become friends—probably because Captain Catherwood was grateful that Simmons had been there to nurse him during the rest of the voyage back to Stormhaven.

  Then, after the evening was over, the captain had sent for Bryce, frantic that his daughter was missing. Bryce had guessed where Lianne must be. Her curiosity about the true condition of the China Shadow, the truth he had tried to keep her from seeing, had led her into trouble. He doubted if he would ever forget opening the locked door to find her huddled in the freezing brine. He had paused only long enough to confirm that she was alive before he swept her into his arms, calling for someone to row the jolly boat for him. Carrying her back to the house, he had placed her in her bed while he sent a lad for the doctor.

  At that thought, he stamped to a window overlooking the road. “Where in hell is Newberry?”

  Miss Catherwood said, “You know he will not come.”

  “What kind of doctor is he?”

  “One who believes Lianne lied to him and humiliated him with your help.”

  Bryce did not bother to keep his curse quiet. He had not guessed that trying to protect Lianne from that greedy landlubber would lead to this.

  A bell rang from beyond the door. Miss Catherwood smiled sadly. “That is Samuel. He is anxious about her.”

  Bryce looked back at Lianne. Her face was bleached to the shade of the muslin sheets. Never had he been so frightened as when he discovered her in the water with her back pressed against the door. The forlorn expression on her agonized face had matched the horror in his heart. He nodded. “Go to the captain. I will stay with Lianne while you assure Captain Catherwood that she will live. Then why don’t you get some sleep?”

  “Will you call me if she awakes?”

  “Immediately.” It was a vow he did not intend to keep, for he was worried about Miss Catherwood’s gray face.

  When he opened the door, Bryce was not surprised to see Hyett sleeping in a chair on the opposite side of the hall, even though it was nearly dawn. The butler leapt to his feet.

  “Lianne is resting,” Bryce said to the unspoken question. “Will you escort Miss Catherwood to the captain’s room? I don’t want to leave Lianne alone.”

  Bryce was not surprised when, before he could close the door, a woman slipped in. He recognized her as Lianne’s maid. A smile tugged at his lips. Miss Catherwood was making certain he did not do further damage to Lianne’s reputation. A groan from the bed intruded on his amused thoughts. He hurried across the room and leaned over the pillows to see Lianne’s eyes were half-opened slits.

  “Bryce?” she whispered.

  “I am right here with you, blue eyes. You are home.”

  A smile tried to form on her lips. “Mother?”

  He wondered how her hope could still exist. There had been no sign of Ch’en Mei on his previous trips to Canton. Both the captain and Lianne had asked him to search for her, but there was no sign of her living or dead.

  “Lianne,” he said softly, “you’re home in Stormhaven.”

  Her lips outlined the name of the village, but no sound emerged.

  “You are safe, blue eyes.”

  “Safe …”

  As she faded into sleep again, he sighed. Pulling a chair to the bed, he put his feet up on the mattress as he prepared to wait out the night and the answers to questions that he needed answered.

  Lianne woke slowly. Her whole body was stiff, and her feet tingled oddly. When she tried to move, she moaned.

  “Awake?” came a mumble from beyond the bed.

  She turned her head on the pillow to see Bryce stretching and yawning. “What are you doing here?” she gasped.

  His green eyes narrowed. “I think it is more important that you tell me what in hell were you doing there?”

  “There? Where?”

  “On the China Shadow.”

  “The China Shadow?” She struggled to sit. His arm beneath her back assisted her, although she bit her lip to swallow the pain ricocheting through her.

  “I found you in a forward hold in about two feet of water.”

  Memory flung her back into the terror of believing she would freeze to death in the heart of the ship. She began to shiver.

  Putting another blanket over her shoulders, Bryce asked, “Lianne, how did you get locked in there?”

  “I wanted to see how work was going on the ship.”

  “You wanted to see all the damage.”

  Lianne met his gaze steadily. “Yes. I took a jolly boat out to the ship. When I was looking around, I heard someone—I thought I heard someone in there. The door closed behind me, and I could not reopen it.”

  “Because it was barred.”

  Lianne stared in disbelief. “But how? Why?”

  “That is something I intend to find out, as soon as I discover who sabotaged the hold.”

  “Sabotage?”

  He smiled grimly. “Don’t worry, blue eyes. The fool overplayed his hand. If it had been done right, the hole in the hull would not have been discovered until we were deep at sea. Then we would be on the sea bottom.”

  “I don’t understand why anyone would try to wreck an almost ruined ship.”

  “Neither do I … yet. Rest, blue eyes. You are going to need to spend a few days in bed. Captain’s orders.”

  “Father!” She closed her eyes. “Oh, sweet heavens, is he all right?”

  Taking her hand between his, he tilted toward her. She backed more deeply into the pillows and clenched her hands that wanted to reach out to him.

  “He will be fine now that you are. How could you be so stupid to go out there like that?”

  “I had to see what you would not show me.”

  His finger slipped along her cheek. “There are so many things I would like to show you, blue eyes.”

  He pressed his lips to hers. He threaded his fingers through her hair as he ran his tongue along the inner curve of her lips, sending wildfire through her. The heat banished the iciness around her.

  “Captain Trevarian!” came a chiding voice from past him.

  Lianne tried to clear her dazed eyes as her great-aunt bustled over to the bed. Listening to Great-Aunt Tildy scold him and her maid, who had fallen asleep instead of being a good chaperon, Lianne sagged against the pillows and watched Bryce’s smile widen. He bent and kissed her on the forehead before leaving her in her great-aunt’s care.

  “What an impossible rogue!” Great-Aunt Til
dy said with a laugh. “Was he out of his mind to kiss you like that?”

  She bit back her answer. Bryce knew exactly what he was doing when he kissed her with such enticing passion. If only she was as sure of what she was doing when she kissed him back …

  Eleven

  “Father,” Lianne said quietly from her chair in his bedroom, “I believe we have no choice but to send the China Shadow to be salvaged.” She handed her father, who was propped up in his bed, a sheaf of papers. “The Sleek Shadow was costly, and the work at the mill is depleting our cash. If we sell the China Shadow now, we can get some money to invest in the line.”

  “No,” Samuel Catherwood wheezed. He seemed to have shrunken into the pillows on his bed. “Not the China Shadow.”

  “The cost of repairing her—”

  “The ship is a good one.”

  Angrily she slapped the papers. “You have read Bryce’s reports. If we pay for the ship’s repair and strain our funds, any mishap could bankrupt the company.”

  “I have listened to both sides of this argument.”

  Never had she been as infuriated at her father. “Why have you been having me do all this work when you had no intentions of listening to my opinion?”

  “Lianne, you have shown me how competent you are and how lucky the Shadow Line and I are to have you.” He leaned back in the pillows and closed his eyes. “What you don’t understand is the tie between a captain and his ship. Give Bryce a chance to prove you wrong.”

  “But, Father—”

  He grasped the center of his chest as he groaned her name. She ran to him and loosened the collar of his robe, hoping that would ease his rasping breaths. His face became a bluish gray. Backing away, she threw open the door and screamed for help.

  Hyett burst up the stairs. His coat tails flapped as he skidded to a halt.

  “Send for Weston!” she cried.

  Lianne ran back to her father’s bed and clasped his hand in hers. She watched him strain with every breath.

  “Father,” she whispered, “fight it.”

  She was not sure if he heard her or not, for his eyes were closed. Pressing her forehead to his hand, she moaned. It was cool, as if his life were flowing away. Fearfully she put her fingers against the pulse in his neck. His heartbeat was too fast and uneven, but he still lived.

  Lianne did not move when Great-Aunt Tildy entered to watch in silence. Slowly Father began to breathe more easily.

  Hyett peered into the room and murmured, “Dr. Newberry, Miss Lianne.”

  Ignoring how her heart contracted, she rose. Weston had refused to acknowledge her in public since the ball, but she cared only that he could help her father.

  Weston nodded toward her great-aunt as he pulled his hat off. He shoved it into Hyett’s hand and brushed past Lianne as if she did not exist.

  “What happened?” He aimed the question at Great-Aunt Tildy.

  “Ask Lianne. She was with him.” The older woman’s taut voice warned that she was furious at his actions.

  Reluctantly he turned to Lianne. “Well?”

  “We were talking. He clasped his hand over his chest and had trouble breathing. He is doing better now.”

  Opening his satchel, he growled, “This isn’t an exhibition, Miss Catherwood. I trust you’ll leave me to deal with my patient, or your father’s condition will be on your conscience.”

  Lianne choked back a gasp. She had not wanted to believe that he had courted her only to obtain the Shadow Line, but she could not deny it any longer.

  When Great-Aunt Tildy put her hand on Lianne’s arm, Lianne said, “I shall wait in the back parlor.”

  “If you don’t leave soon, Miss Catherwood, I shall be able to tell you that you caused your father’s demise.”

  “Weston Newberry!” snapped Great-Aunt Tildy. “Recall your manners.”

  His jaw jutted in rage, but he bent to his task.

  In the hallway, Great-Aunt Tildy framed Lianne’s face in her hands. “Be strong, child. Your father’s pain will pass as it has before, and so shall yours.”

  Lianne did not pretend to misunderstand. “I thought he loved me.”

  “It no longer matters, for you must go on with your life.” She sighed when she heard raised voices from the back hall. “Go to the parlor while I calm the servants.”

  “I can—”

  “Do as you are told, child.”

  Lianne hugged her great-aunt, then went down the stairs. Hurrying into the back parlor, she drew the pocket doors closed. She did not want to be disturbed. As she walked aimlessly through the room, she ran her fingers along the piano and gazed at the hearth, trying not to think about a future without her father.

  When one of the doors slid open, she spun to see Weston. He scowled as he held out a brown bottle. When she turned it to read the label, he snapped, “It’s nothing more than laudanum, Miss Catherwood.”

  “Opium?” Shaking her head, she held the bottle out to him. “I won’t have my father taking this.”

  “It eases the pain of the dying.

  Her face blanched as she heard his pleasure in telling her this. Never would she have guessed he could be so cruel. “There must be something else you can prescribe, Weston.”

  “I would prefer to be addressed as Dr. Newberry, Miss Catherwood. And laudanum is the best I can offer him.”

  “When I think of what my uncle did to get opium, I—”

  “Uncle? The same one who sold you into a brothel?”

  “Yes,” she answered, knowing it was useless to lie. “That’s what it does to people. I shan’t inflict it on my father.”

  He placed the bottle on the piano. “If you wish your father to die in pain, that’s your choice, Miss Catherwood.”

  “You know that’s not true!”

  “Do I?” He pulled the pocket doors closed, then grasped her arm, tugging her to him. “You lied about so many things. How do I know if anything you have said is true?”

  “If you had really loved me, you would have known.”

  “Love? What does a whore know of love?”

  “I am not a whore!”

  “You were.” His lips curled. “And you can be again.” His mouth clamped over hers.

  Lianne moaned as his lips pressed viciously into hers. His arms imprisoned her against him. When his tongue forced its way into her mouth, she gagged. He laughed, the savage sound spiraling down her throat. He ripped the pins from her hair.

  When she drew in a deep breath, he hissed, “Go ahead and scream! How much more do you think your father’s heart can endure? One shriek should kill him.”

  “Weston, please, don’t do this.”

  “Why not?” His brown eyes gleamed with fury. “Why should I be the only one denied you, harlot?”

  His hand slid along her side. His breath burned her face as he stroked her eagerly. When she moaned with disgust, he laughed.

  “That’s right, harlot. Act as if you can’t wait to satisfy me.”

  She tried to push his hands away. “No, Weston, not like this.”

  “Then how?” he demanded viciously. “What was it that Trevarian said? You pressed your head to his feet before you pleasured him?”

  A soft cry escaped from her as he forced her to her knees in front of him. In desperation, she raised her fist and struck him in the abdomen. With a groan, he released her. She leapt to her feet and raced toward the door. He caught her sleeve. Jerking her arm away, she heard material rip. She reached for the latch, but his arm around her waist pulled her backward.

  He pinned her to the wall and gave her no chance to plead for him to stop before he hooked his fingers in her collar. It ripped easily. With a triumphant laugh, he bent to taste the skin hidden beneath her dress. She wanted to scream for help, but she did not dare, even when he shoved her to the floor. She thrashed beneath him.

  “No!” she cried when he lifted the hem of her gown. “Stop!”

  “An excellent suggestion,” said a voice deeper than Weston’s.


  Lianne saw Bryce’s fury as he grabbed Weston and flung him aside. She ignored the crash as Weston struck a table.

  “Lianne, are you hurt?” Bryce asked as he knelt beside her.

  Trembling, she held her ripped dress closed and shook her head. “Behind you, Bryce!”

  A brass lamp crashed against him, sending him sprawling across her. He jumped to his feet.

  Lianne pressed her hands to her mouth as Bryce ducked beneath Weston’s fist. Bryce grinned as he struck Weston’s nose.

  As Weston collapsed, Bryce rubbed his knuckles. “It has been too long since I enjoyed a good fight.” He held out his hand to her.

  She started to reach for it, then hesitated.

  “Blue eyes,” he said softly, “I am not Newberry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “He thought I was what you once accused me of being.” She slowly stood without his help.

  “A whore?” He gave her a lopsided smile. “You don’t play the role well.”

  “He was going to—”

  “He didn’t.” He drew her against him.

  As his arm encircled her, she put hers around his back. His heartbeat under her ear leapt at her touch. Clinging to him, she breathed in scents of salt and tar. He could not leave the repair of his ship to his crew. She thought of Father’s words. Maybe she did not understand the bond between Bryce and the China Shadow. Or between Bryce and her.

  “What is this?” asked Great-Aunt Tildy from the doorway. She stared at Lianne’s ripped gown in horror. “Lianne, what happened here?”

  “Miss Catherwood,” Bryce said, his voice low with his rage, “Lianne has done nothing wrong. This is the result of my instructing the good doctor in good manners.”

  Great-Aunt Tildy examined Lianne’s dress. “Weston did this?” When Lianne nodded, Great-Aunt Tildy jabbed the senseless man with her foot. “Get up, Dr. Newberry.”

  “I’m afraid he’s not quite with us.” Bryce laughed.

  “You shouldn’t have struck him so hard. Now we shall be cursed with him until he wakes.” With a martyr’s sigh, Great-Aunt Tildy said, “Lianne, take whatever medicine he gave you up to your father. He’s awake and wondering where you are. Change first. I don’t want him to see you like this.”