Swept to Sea

by Heather Manning

  "What's the matter, sweetheart? Please, don't cry. Everything is all right."

  She pushed away from him, flailing her arms and legs in an attempt to stay above the water, and clambered up the ladder.

  What had he done wrong? Had he offended the dear girl?

  He prayed not.

  And yes, he did pray. He suppressed a grin when he remembered how Eden had scolded him for saying he prayed while he had no faith in a God he thought cared nothing about him.

  How Caspian loved the woman's spirit, her bravery. He believed Eden had led him to trust in this loving God of hers as he had in his childhood. Maybe the Lord had taken Isabelle away from him just so Caspian could meet Eden. He never would have been in London and heading for Port Royal if it had not been for Isabelle’s death. Even if he had somehow met Eden, he could never have fallen in love with her while he was married to someone else. No, it appeared only God could have brought them together. And he certainly was grateful it had happened. He might even visit a church when they stopped at the port.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Eden stripped off her soaked undergarments and replaced them with dry ones and a simple yellow dress she had found in the back of the armoire. She assumed most of the dresses she wore came from other ships or perhaps the captain’s dead wife. A pirate ship did not seem to be a place to find miscellaneous dresses lying around.

  She wrung her damp hair out and tied it up into a tight bun, all the while trying to put a stop her sobbing.

  Why she had fled from Caspian like that, she was not sure. The poor man certainly had not done anything to hurt her or make her act like that. He did not deserve her childish reaction. But she was so… so touched that someone would say something like that… say that she was special, that she had simply not known what to do. So she had run.

  As she always did to escape anything that troubled her.

  A knock sounded on the door. Startled, she leapt up. Should she open it? It was probably just Caspian, coming in to console her. Again. Did the vexatious man not understand that when she left him like that it meant she wanted privacy, and not to be hunted down by him? Why could he not just leave her be?

  She shook her head and opened the door a crack, lest he become worried because she failed to answer the door.

  But the door was forced open upon her touch, sending her scrambling against the bulkhead to regain her footing.

  Caspian would never be so rude to her. That much she knew for certain. Who could it be on the other side, forcing his way in?

  Kelton’s leering face met hers. His sun-streaked, blond hair hung in disarray around his shoulders, and his black eyes sparkled with lust.

  “What is it you want, sir? The captain is not here. I am afraid I must ask you to leave.” Egad, she should not have said that. She wanted to get rid of him, but she did not want him to realize she was all alone without Caspian to protect her. How foolhardy could she possibly be?

  By the look in his eyes, she had divulged exactly what he wanted to know.

  He gave a lecherous grin that sent a tremble all the way from her spine to her feet and confirmed her fears.

  “Good. I do not want that prissy, little man here anyway. And isn’t it perfectly obvious what I do want, my little trollop?” Placing both hands on her waist, he shoved her backwards in one sharp swoop.

  “I am most definitely not yours, and I am certainly no trollop!” She tripped on a bit of the bulkhead that jutted out before stumbling downward.

  Eden’s head struck the bedpost as she fell and she cried out in agony. It seemed as if she had hit the same exact part of her head as when she had bumped into Caspian’s desk earlier in the voyage. Her vision swirled and she took several long, deep breaths as she struggled to maintain consciousness.

  “So, the captain has left his little mistress unattended? How foolish of him. It is about time he shared his precious treasure with the rest of the crew. It is about time I show you what a real man is, unlike your feeble, diminutive Captain Archer.” He laughed wickedly.

  Eden did not have the strength to rise so she remained on the floor, whimpering and ignoring his jabs at Caspian. He was just trying to make her angry. Maybe he wanted her mad at him so he had an excuse to beat her. A bit like Lord Clive Rutger.

  But maybe he was different. Would shameless begging work on him? “Please — please, sir. I have done you no wrong; please do not hurt me.” She prayed for someone, anyone, to come to her aid.

  “Ah, believe me, lady; you will be begging me for more by the time I am through with you. You will see I am entirely different than your current lover. Now get up.” He chortled at her weak struggles to rise and move away from him.

  “No! He is not my lover, and I can already see he is nothing like you. Caspian is a… a gentleman and you, sir, are nothing of the kind, I assure you of that! You will never even live to be half of the man that Caspian is!” She refused to be a part of this. This could not be happening again. There was nowhere to run this time. He would beat her just like Rutger had and quite possibly do much worse.

  He slapped her across the mouth, hard. Ah. Here was the beating. “I’ll teach you not to be disobedient to me, you wench!” He shoved a handkerchief into her mouth and, grabbing her by the waist, threw her over his shoulder like a wretched sack of potatoes.

  Eden kicked and clawed at him and tried to scream but found her throat was constricted with terror. She could not acquire her freedom. She could not overpower him. Just like she could never overpower Lord Rutger.

  Kelton led her down, down, where she could smell the foul bilge. That familiar bilge which she had slept in on the beginning of this voyage before the captain had discovered her.

  He finally stopped before a door, opened it, and threw her down upon a pile of burlap sacks. She clawed the handkerchief from her mouth and screamed, wishing desperately she could just remain calm despite what was happening. Experience with Rutger had taught her men like him loved panic in their victims.

  He struck her again, this time square in the abdomen and with his clenched fist. Probably so no one would be able to see it later. So Caspian would not believe her about what had occurred. Just as her father had not.

  Eden gasped for breath at the blow.

  Maybe Caspian would believe one of his crewmember’s words over those of a hysterical woman such as her. Just like the man she had run away from back home. Rutger had been efficient at that. He somehow knew where it would hurt her the worst without being visible.

  Eden doubled over after another painful kick. She wasn't sure if her arm would move again anytime soon with how horribly her shoulder hurt.

  Kelton turned, no doubt to shut the door they had entered the room through. It simply would not do, for him, at least, if her screams were heard by the captain. But Eden did not have time to think of this. He lit a lantern that was hanging from the bulkhead.

  The second his back was facing her, she ran, desperate to escape this fate. Running was her only escape from many things, and she was determined she would escape this harrowing event in much the same way.

  She dove behind some crates — it was difficult to see anything in this wretched darkness — and tried to silence her ragged breathing. Perhaps he would not catch her here. Desperate to find a weapon, something, anything she could use to protect herself against this monster, she pushed open a heavy crate that was behind her. Even a sharp piece of wood would do. After a moment, she located a short knife. It was no match for all of Kelton’s weapons, but surely it would be better than nothing.

  A slim chance was better than no chance at all. She took a deep breath, desperate to calm the frantic racing of her heart.

  A hot hand pressed against her shoulder, gripping her tightly. This was her only chance. She spun around, jabbing the knife.

  But it only hit cold, empty air.

  She tried to realign her aim and hit some flesh. The man roared in pain but she soon realized she had done close to no damage. He clutched his arm,
where she had wounded him, but then charged at her in a mad fury.

  She dropped the knife before she hurt herself accidentally or he got a hold of it.

  He pushed her down to the floor, her back leaning against one of the crates. He grabbed at her dress, tearing most of her skirt off.

  "Please, sir… I’ll do anything, just please, please, please…" her voice cracked and died down, betraying her. She flinched when he ripped the remains of her bodice off of her and splinters from the deck beneath her cut through her chemise, piercing her skin.

  She tried to struggle, but her shoulder hurt from his kick.

  He chortled at every whimper.

  "Caspian!" she wailed for help, even though she knew full well no one could hear her. Why had she left Caspian, in tears? If only she had not run away, she would be safe with him.

  At her rebellious shout, Kelton smacked her head against the crate behind her. An ache throbbed in the back of her head, and she had to blink to keep the tears that were pooling in her eyes from spilling over onto her cheeks. She could not move.

  She prayed for death.

  So this was it. This could not be happening. This had gone further than last time. Last time she had managed to escape before she had been violated.

  She closed her eyes tight, finally accepting her horrible fate. This was actually happening. Was God even with her anymore? Surely He had abandoned her. He would not let a horrible thing like this happen to her if He loved her, would He? No, He could not.

  She felt Kelton's weight press down against her and his foul, moist mouth on her exposed neck.

  She felt sick.

  "Open your eyes, wench. Lemme see that pretty shade of brown the captain gushes so about to Master Thompson."

  It seemed as if she was in a nightmare. "No!" She moved her face away from the probing fingers trying to force her eyelids open.

  ****

  Caspian stood on his deck, gazing out to sea. Reed sat cross-legged on the deck playing with the sapphire necklace Eden had given him. Caspian sighed as he watched the turquoise waves beat against the hull of his ship, resulting in a white froth.

  What could he have done wrong? Egad, the woman was fragile and yet so, so brave and so strong. She was quite baffling.

  Caspian wiped sweat from his brow and looked down only to discover a frilly, lacy little square of white cloth lying on the ground. It seemed so out of place there, so at odds with the grimy, wet wood it sat on, that he could not help but think of Eden. She, a wealthy English lady, was out of place on this rough privateer ship, just like her handkerchief on his deck. In fact, she was completely at odds with him, the captain of this wretched ship.

  Although they did not seem to be made for each other by any means, they had to have been put together by God’s hands.

  Even so, perhaps he should not try to venture any further with their relationship. It was probably for the best he abandon her in Port Royal, like she wanted.

  Like she had wanted from the beginning.

  Yet he smiled to remember how angry she had been with him when he had told her she had to take off her dress to jump into the ocean. He had never actually expected her to take him seriously.

  But she had.

  He had never expected her to actually jump into the water and trust him.

  But she had.

  The woman was a mystery.

  Caspian stooped down to retrieve the little handkerchief and take it to his cabin so Eden did not lose it. He had no idea how many the woman had. Maybe it was her only handkerchief left after running away from home. It would not do for it to be swept away with the ocean breezes.

  When he arrived at the cabin, however, his door swung wide from its hinge. In her fit of anger, Eden had probably forgotten to close it.

  "Listen to me, Eden. I am sorry about whatever happened out there. Really, I never meant to upset—” He quieted when he saw the room was completely, utterly empty.

  Something echoed from somewhere in his ship. Was that a scream?

  He could not quite tell what it was or where it was coming from.

  He rushed amidships.

  Another terrified cry, louder this time. From farther below? A feminine scream.

  Lady Trenton.

  Someone was assaulting his Lady Trenton. Caspian sped down the companionway as fast as his legs could carry him toward the sounds of an intense struggle.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Suddenly his weight was lifted from her. Eden opened her eyes to see Caspian pounding Kelton's face with his fist.

  It had all happened so suddenly.

  Caspian paused in his assault only a fraction of a moment to glance at her.

  She held her breath as Kelton drew his sword.

  Caspian kicked the cutlass out of the young man’s hand. He grabbed Kelton by the collar of his shirt and began pounding his head against the wall.

  The rage on Caspian’s face told Eden he would kill this man if no one stopped him. Even though she knew it was terribly wrong to do, she almost wished him success. She had to stop this. She needed to stop this before someone was killed, but she could not even lift her head.

  Just then Master Gage burst through the door. He stared at Kelton's battered head slamming against the bulkhead over and over again. Kelton's body began to go slack. She had no way of knowing, but surely he would die soon.

  "Uh… Captain? Should I take him to the hold for you?" Gage intervened.

  Caspian paused his assault and instead of ramming Kelton’s head again, he grappled the man’s neck in a fierce chokehold as if Gage had not even spoken. Finally, he tossed the vile man to the floor.

  "Yes. Post a guard this time. I do not want the man escaping again." Caspian wiped his sleeve across his face, whisking away the sweat that had formed there. His curly, black hair fell around his handsome face in disarray, and his white, loose shirt clung to his muscles because of the dampness.

  Gage assisted a shaky, disoriented Kelton up but stopped before he left with the young man. He nodded toward Eden.

  "She all right, Captain?"

  "Don’t know yet. Take the mongrel to the hold. Leave him there the rest of this voyage. We will dispose of him when we reach port."

  Gage nodded and dragged the man away.

  Caspian sunk to Eden’s side. "Are you harmed, milady?" He inquired, searching her barely clad body for injuries. To think she had been unwilling to take off her dress to swim only hours ago. Now, Eden did not have the strength to be embarrassed he was seeing her in such an improper state.

  ****

  "I-I—" she stammered. The poor girl was clearly still frightened out of her wits.

  "It's all right." Caspian saw her falter and reached out to enfold her in his arms. "I've got you, Eden. I’ve got you, sweetheart."

  She was shuddering so he quickly removed his waistcoat and wrapped it around her. He hoped she was just shivering because she was cold and not because she was frightened of him.

  He carried her up to the cabin and set her on his bed. Then he rested on the chair next to her.

  After a moment of studying her face, which was oddly void of emotions, he rose suddenly. "I-I should get you some water, milady… or-or something proper for you to wear. Surely it is m-most improper for me to be seeing you like this. I should just leave you be."

  "Caspian, please… don’t go… do not leave me alone." She stretched out her hand.

  He carefully cupped it in his. How he longed to stop those tears from speeding down her freckled cheeks.

  Caspian leaned over her and covered her lithe body with a spare quilt that was lying across a trunk. A dash of blood contrasted the white on the sleeve of his shirt. He had gotten sliced by Kelton's sword before he’d knocked it out of the foul monster’s hands.

  Her eyes followed his down to the small wound. Tears flowed anew from her eyes. "I'm sorry… I am so, so sorry, sir…"

  "Whatever would you be sorry for, love? You have done nothing wrong. There is nothing to be sor
ry for." Caspian felt himself frown at her strange statement. How could she even have said such a thing? He clenched his fists at his sides.

  "You-you… got hurt… because of me. It was… it was my fault, Caspian…"

  "No, sweetheart. Not at all. This is just a little scratch. Besides, I should be the least of your worries right now, love." He leaned down to kiss her hand, his eyes searching hers. "Milady," he swallowed, "did I… did I come too late for you? What did Kelton do to you? Did he…?” He tried to stop his voice from trembling but found he had failed. Please, Lord, have her say “no”. Please, I do not know how to control myself if Kelton took her purity… I may not be able to stop myself from killing him down in that hold…

  Eden shook her head.

  Thank the Lord.

  "You arrived just in time, and I thank you deeply for that, Captain." She averted her gaze and gnawed on her bottom lip.

  "I thank God, milady. I was so… worried… when I saw…" He sighed. It was indescribably hard to get the words out of his ever-tightening throat. When he had seen Kelton's body on top of her barely clothed one, he had most certainly feared the worst.

  “I do, also, Caspian. I was so terrified… and I thought… I had thought… Egad, but it is too terrible to say aloud! I-I cannot say it.” She lowered her head, her face pink.

  “It is perfectly all right, milady. You can tell me anything you want, anytime you want, and I promise you will not regret it. Sweetheart, you have my word.” Caspian stooped down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, brushing some of that gorgeous hair out of her face. He decided he much preferred this woman’s glossy dark curls to his late Isabelle’s straight blond locks, however beautiful they had been.

  However, it did not seem to be beauty that was the main concern. He liked Eden quite a bit without just her looks. And his heart broke that something had happened aboard his ship to give her such a fright while she was under his protection.

  He had to learn to keep those he loved near him at all times.