Pirate Hunter's Mistress (The Virginia Brides)

by Vinet, Lynette

  Marlee started to climb onto the cart, but she stopped and smiled at Doña Carlotta. “Are you coming with me?”

  “No, no, señora. I’ll stay here with my friend.”

  “But—but what about Silva? He’ll know you helped me leave. He might harm you.”

  Doña Carlotta clasped Marlee’s hands in hers. “I shall be safe with my friends. I’ll not return to the house. One day, maybe God shall give me back my home, but you mustn’t worry about me. I can take care of myself, Señora Marlee.”

  Marlee kissed the old woman. “I wish you well, and thank you. Thank you and your friend.”

  “Hurry for time grows short,” Doña Carlotta implored.

  Not risking another look at either one of the women, Marlee climbed onto the cart and gingerly made her way through the produce before getting into the large crate. The women helped close the lid and Marlee was encased in darkness, except for a bit of light that shone through the wooden slats. A fruity scent like oranges and tangerines wafted over her as the driver clucked lowly to the mule and the cart started across the cobblestoned yard for the street.

  She could hear her heart beating, and as each roll of the cart wheels reverberated in her ears, she almost imagined she heard Silva’s shouts. But that was impossible, for if he were calling for her, his voice would have been lost in the roar of the cannons which echoed from the Castillo. At any moment she expected the cart to stop and for Silva to wrench open the lid and pull her from the crate. A shiver slid down her backside to imagine his rage. “Dear Lord, please don’t let him find me, please let me get away,” she prayed out loud.

  Finally, the cannon blasts grew so faint that she no longer heard them. It seemed the cart had been moving for a long time when her legs grew numb from maintaining her cramped, fetal position. Soon the quiet of the night gave way to the slight tinkling sound of bells in the distance, and ever alert, Marlee recognized the sound as a ship’s bell. They must be near Matanzas Bay!

  The cart stopped moving, then three taps on the lid was the signal for which she’d been waiting. She pushed the lid from the crate and stared into the dark night. There wasn’t a moon or stars by which to see, but she made out the shadowy figure of the old man as he came to help her off the cart. Extending a hand to him, Marlee was visibly surprised when the old man grasped her around the waist and swung her from the cart to land on her feet with ease. “Thank—thank you, señor.” She was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t think of anything else to say, didn’t know what to say when he pulled her along to the sandy shoreline like a man who was half his age. They came upon a longboat and without saying a word to her, he helped her in the boat and took the seat in front of her. The oars he used to navigate through the dark waters were held firmly in his hands, and he didn’t have any trouble cutting through the waves.

  Marlee could only marvel at his strength which was surprising for an elderly gentleman. She remembered seeing the man on the day she’d visited the market with Manuel Silva, but she’d only seen him from the back as he bent over the produce. She’d assumed he was advanced in years because of the age of his wife, but she’d never actually seen the man’s face and couldn’t see it now. The hat’s brim obscured her view and the night was so dark that his features were obliterated. But she no longer thought of the man as elderly. His movements were too robust, too certain of where they were headed to be a fruit vendor.

  The ship’s bell echoed nearby, and suddenly Marlee saw lights on board. In fact, she saw two different sets of lights and realized that there were two ships waiting in the bay. As they grew closer, she saw that one of the ships was Sloane’s and she giggled, startling the man in the longboat with her. “For goodness sake, Sloane, why didn’t you tell me that you were my rescuer? Your silence is out of character.”

  The man continued rowing, not responding. Marlee shivered in the warm sea breezes. The man must be Sloane. Who else would have rescued her but Sloane unless—Her face grew horribly warm, her breath dying in her throat. It couldn’t be Lark. He didn’t care a whit about her, he’d never risk life and limb to save her. Or would he?

  But she heard another ship’s bell; the clear sound struck a familiar chord within her for she’d heard it often enough the last few months when she’d been aboard Lark’s ship. Her hands tensed in her lap. “Are you fearful that I’ll throw myself overboard if I recognize you, Lark? Is that why you’ve been so quiet, or is it that you’re a coward and can’t face me as yourself?” she challenged in a surprisingly steady voice despite the anger which welled within her and threatened to overwhelm her. “Answer me, you coward.”

  It was then he looked directly at her. Even in the darkness, she could feel his black eyes upon her, familiarizing himself with her face again. She felt stripped to her very soul.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-TWO

  “I am a coward, where you’re concerned.” Lark’s voice washed over her like a lapping wave in the inky night. “Forgive me, Marlee. There’s so much I need for you to forgive—”

  “Never! I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done to me.” A sob rose in her throat, nearly choking her.

  “I understand how you must feel,” he said and continued rowing to the ship but his gaze was riveted upon her. “But first, I need to know if you’re all right. Did—Silva touch you?”

  “Do you care if he did?” she blurted out, not wishing to answer Lark, wanting to hurt him for the pain she’d forever carry in her heart.

  “I care very much, Marlee. Tell me if you’re all right.” His voice sounded like a caress, and she shivered from the perverted wanting which suddenly consumed her.

  “Please—don’t question me now. I don’t want to talk.” He probably thought that her silence was a way of punishing him, but she could barely speak as memories assailed her, precious memories of the moments she’d spent in Lark’s arms. Never again would she experience passion, because no man but Lark could inflame her. And he was no longer hers but Bettina’s.

  Lark anchored the longboat beside Her Ladyship. With his help she managed to climb the rope ladder to the deck of the ship. The whole time she was very much aware of Lark behind her, how he was there to catch her if she stumbled. The warm pressure of his hand on her waist as she made her way up the ladder was a sensation she couldn’t shake even after he’d removed it. Holcombe appeared and helped her over the edge of the railing. He smiled at her and told her how glad he was that she was safe.

  Sloane was the next person she saw. He rushed forward and took her in his arms. “I’ve been worried sick about you, Marlee. Did that bastard hurt you? God, I’ll never be able to make any of this up to you—never. I never dreamed Silva would hold you against your will. I’m so sorry, so very sorry.”

  His apology was sincere. Marlee could see the worried frown that marred his brow, his fear that she’d not forgive him for being unable to protect her from Silva. But in his own way, Sloane was as much to blame for her situation as Lark. Because of his hatred for Lark, she’d been left at the mercy of a despicable pirate. “I’ll be all right in time,” she told him but wouldn’t absolve him for what he’d done. Maybe one day she could forget and put all that had happened behind her—but not now—not when she was on Lark’s ship and in his very disturbing presence.

  Lark removed his hat and pushed his hand through his thick hair. Even dressed like a Spanish peasant, he looked magnificent. Her foolish heart speeded up its beat when his gaze met hers, but he spoke to Sloane. “Marlee needs her rest. I think you better get back to your ship before Silva discovers what happened and decides to come looking for her.” He held out a hand to his brother. “Thank you for sailing alongside of me. I appreciate your offer of help.”

  Taking Lark’s hand, Sloane almost smiled. “I owed it to Marlee. I did it for her, not for you. You’ll see that she’s safely returned to England?”

  Lark nodded. “I’ll protect her with my life.”

  “You better,” Sloane observed wryly, “otherwise, it wo
n’t be worth a tinker’s dam if anything happens to her. You’ll answer to me, I promise you.”

  Lark made a mocking bow. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Planting a gentle kiss on Marlee’s cheek, Sloane squeezed her hand. “I wish you only the best of luck, my lady. If you ever have need of a strong shoulder, you’ll know where to find me.”

  “Thank you,” she mumbled and did her best to smile gratefully but was so weary from the night’s happenings that her eyelids started to close. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted from her feet and discovered that Lark was carrying her down the stairs to the rooms below. Her dismay and embarrassment was witnessed by Todd who stood quietly in the passageway and two other crew members who watched with eyes agog. “What in the name of heaven are you doing?” she asked and struggled to be put down but found herself held firmly in Lark’s arms.

  “You need to go to bed and rest.”

  “I don’t need for you to carry me like an invalid. What will your crew think? Put me down, I insist that you do!”

  “God, I hate it when you sound like a haughty dowager.” He kicked open the door to his cabin and placed Marlee on his bunk from which she quickly bolted.

  “I won’t stay in your bed! I refuse to sleep—here!” She pointed to the bunk like it was a loathsome reptile and whirled around to face him. All of the pent-up fury was there for him to see. “I’d rather sleep in the galley with the potatoes for company than you!”

  “I never intended to sleep in here with you, Marlee. I have another place to sleep. The cabin is yours.”

  He spoke so quietly that she strained her ears to hear him, very much aware of a sadness that tinged his words. In the candlelight from the wall-sconce she noticed, too, that his face seemed lined in places where there had been no lines before. Since she’d last seen him, Lark appeared to have aged five years. Was it because of her? She didn’t dare think so, wouldn’t allow herself to wonder if he’d missed her. But she felt a part of herself softening to think that maybe, just maybe, he might still care for her. He had risked his life by coming after her. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so many things which ate away at her heart. She needed to thank him for rescuing her, and nearly made the effort, but the words locked in her throat because at that second she noticed Bettina standing in the doorway. The woman was dressed in a green silk gown and looking absolutely beautiful.

  “Dearest Lady Arden, you’re safe! I’ve been beside myself with worry.” Bettina came into the cabin and placed a proprietary hand on Lark’s arm, which he didn’t shrug off. Her ruby colored lips turned upward into a self-satisfied smile, and a defiant spark shone in her sly, green eyes. “Did that beastly pirate harm you, my dear? I sympathize with you entirely for I know what an ordeal you’ve lived through.”

  Marlee nearly laughed aloud. The woman was so obvious that she wondered if Lark didn’t notice, but apparently he didn’t. No doubt Bettina had wormed her way into Lark’s affections again and convinced him that her relationship with Silva had been one-sided. Marlee knew differently, but she didn’t care to tell Lark about Bettina. What good would it do anyway? Let him learn on his own about the whore he planned to wed, she decided. It would do him good to marry a woman who planned to use him, to drain him dry in the same way he’d drained all of the dreams and longings out of Marlee herself.

  Clementina’s self-righteous voice echoed in her mind, “An eye for an eye,” she’d always said, and perhaps that’s how things would be for Lark. But Marlee didn’t take any pleasure in the suffering Lark would experience when married to such a wanton, greedy creature as Bettina. She felt unbearably sorry for him—and for herself.

  “I’m perfectly all right, Lady Gilbert. Thank you for your concern,” was Marlee’s only comment.

  “Please call me Bettina, I insist that you do. And since we’ll be sharing this cabin until we reach Bermuda, I hope we’ll become good friends.”

  “We’ll be sharing the cabin—”

  “Uh, yes,” Lark interrupted Marlee. “I’m bunking with Holcombe. You two ladies can sleep in here. Marlee will take the bunk and I’ve arranged for a cot for you, Bettina.”

  “A cot? I have to sleep on a cot? But I’ve slept on the bunk for the last few days, why must anything change—”

  “Because I say so,” Lark snapped irritably and strode into the passageway to shout for Todd to bring in the cot.

  Bettina grew sullenly silent and waited for the makeshift cot to be delivered by Todd. Before Todd arrived, there was a strained atmosphere in the cabin, and Lark appeared so ill at ease that Marlee nearly felt sorry for him. When Todd finally came and set up the cot, he doffed his cap to Marlee and beamed a smile of pure pleasure. “ ‘Tis good to see you safe and sound, my lady. If there’s anything you want, anything at all, just call for me. I’ll be nearby.” Todd’s heartfelt offer touched Marlee. He was such a sweet young boy. She thanked him profusely before he departed.

  “Hmph! That lad never bowed and scraped to me, and I’m the captain’s fiancée.” Bettina didn’t bother to hide her jealousy but was only quieted by a raised eyebrow from Lark.

  “Now, ladies, I’ll leave you for the night. Rest well.” Lark watched Marlee through troubled eyes and was unprepared for Bettina suddenly lifting her lips to his for a good-night kiss.

  “Sleep well, my darling,” she whispered into his ear and suggestively leaned against him. “Soon, we’ll be married and won’t be parted again.”

  “Er, well—good night.” He started for the door and halted when Marlee called to him. His expression was almost one of hope as she walked toward him.

  “I have here something I think you need,” she said and before he could ask her what that might be, she took off the diamond engagement ring and placed it in his hand. “This doesn’t belong to me.”

  “What is that, what is that?” Bettina rushed forward and saw the ring. “Why, it’s my ring. How wonderful! Wherever did you find it? I thought it was gone forever.” Grabbing it out of Lark’s hand, she placed it on her finger. The diamond flashed blue fire in the candlelight.

  So engrossed in the ring’s return, Bettina failed to see the pain that crossed Lark’s handsome countenance but Marlee saw it and shivered. He mouthed “good night” and then disappeared into the darkened hallway.

  “Lark always did have the most wonderful taste in jewelry,” Bettina declared with a wicked grin. Her emerald eyes appraised Marlee’s attire, her gaze resting on the ruby necklace at Marlee’s throat for a number of seconds. “My, my, Lady Arden, it seems Manuel has an eye for pretty baubles, too. I underestimated you. You’ve managed to prosper from your captivity. Apparently, you warmed up a great deal to Manuel after my—hasty departure. And to think I thought you were a sweet innocent.”

  Marlee clenched her teeth. She refused to be baited by Bettina, aware that Bettina was jealous of what she believed had happened with Silva but also because of Lark. She must have deduced by now that Marlee loved Lark—or had loved him. She didn’t dare to think of that love in the present tense any longer. No matter what she felt for Lark now or in the past, she wouldn’t allow Bettina to get the upper hand with her. “You’re quite right about looks being deceptive, Bettina, and I’ll call you Bettina. I do feel I know you so well. Manuel was always speaking about you.” She didn’t fail to notice Bettina wince and continued, “I wonder just how long it shall take Lark to see beneath your deceptively innocent facade.”

  “Whatever do you mean by that? Are you threatening me?” Bettina placed her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow.

  “Heavens, no! Why should I threaten you? I was only wondering how long Lark is going to be duped by you. He must realize that Silva didn’t release you in the same pure, untouched state he found you. But to be quite honest, I doubt you were lily white even then. However, that’s something with which Lark must deal.” Marlee stretched out on the bunk.

  Bettina’s hands trembled as she began to pull the pins from her hair and get re
ady for bed. As Marlee was drifting into sleep, she heard Bettina and opened her eyes to find the woman was standing menacingly over her. Her eyes glittered dangerously. “I refuse to be left out in the cold again, Lady Arden. I’d advise you to keep your mouth closed about what you think you know about me and Manuel Silva. I can make things horrid for you. I didn’t live with Silva for a year and not learn something about torture.”

  “Piddle!” Marlee burst out and sat up to stare her down. “Don’t try to intimidate me. Your life with Silva was far from torturous. And I’d advise you to consider what he may have taught me in the time I was with him. Your threats don’t bother me, not after what I’ve lived through the last few weeks.”

  Seeing that Marlee wasn’t about to quiver in fear, Bettina presented a stony face and went to lay on her cot. Before Bettina blew out the candle on the table beside her, she looked at Marlee with a sly glint in her eyes. “No doubt you’re right about Lark. I’m sure he realizes that Silva made love to me, but I never loved Manuel. Lark is the man I’m going to marry, he is the man who’ll love me night after night for years to come. In fact, my time with Manuel hasn’t dimmed my ardent response to Lark. Why, just last night we laid in the very bed you’re on now and—”

  Marlee faced the wall, placing her hands over her ears. She didn’t want to hear the details about how Lark had made love to Bettina. Bettina, seeing that Marlee was trying to ignore her, laughed out loud and settled herself down for the night. Bitter tears slipped down Marlee’s cheeks, tears she’d sworn not to cry. But she couldn’t help herself. Lark was lost to her and she’d have to get over him.

  But how?

  ~

  Lark reclined on a cot in Holcombe’s cabin. Another night spent away from his own bunk. Not that he missed sleeping in his cabin, because he’d had precious little sleep the past few weeks. But Marlee was sleeping in his bed and that made wanting to sleep there all the more unbearable. He knew he should be worried about Bettina. She’d slept alone in the cabin since he’d brought her on board and he hadn’t cared a whit. Yet now Marlee was there. His Marlee was safe and he couldn’t go to her. He had no right to her.