It was sometime later when Teach reined in his horse, slowing down to a walk. It had been quite a while since they’d last seen or heard a passerby. The city of Bristol was well behind them in the distance. Anne pulled in beside him, aware of the flush in her cheeks and the tangle of her hair.
“That was . . . amazing,” Anne said, unable to contain her joy. It reminded her of spending time with her father, before he’d become ill.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. While I was gone, I was almost afraid I’d forget how to ride.”
Leaning forward, Anne patted her horse. “You can never forget something like this.”
“You said your father taught you?”
“Yes, when he had access to horses,” she said, hoping to steer clear of any personal conversations. She could have told him her relation to Henry, but she would soon leave Bristol in search of her mother’s family, and the less people knew of her past, the better. “Who taught you?”
“My mother. She loved animals. When she was alive, the stables were full. We had chickens, dogs, and cats, all living harmoniously under one roof. After she died, my father had them either killed or sent away.” Whenever Teach mentioned his father, a hard mask slid over his features, making him look much older and fiercer.
“So you didn’t ride for an entire year?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
Teach paused, his head tilted to the side as he tried to remember. “It must have been at least six months,” he said. “It was on Jamaica, and I rode along the beach.”
Anne couldn’t help a slight tinge of jealousy. “That sounds wonderful. Have you missed it?”
“Yes. But being away at sea was its own reward. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” As Teach spoke, there was a look of sadness in his eyes. She knew, if his father had his way, Teach would not be returning to sea anytime soon.
Sympathy pierced Anne’s heart, for as long as Teach lived under his father’s roof, Teach would have to do as he commanded.
They rode in silence for a time, each one lost in thought. The guarded feeling Anne had whenever she entered the Drummond household was gone now, replaced with a calm she hadn’t known for quite a while.
“Let’s stop here,” Teach said, dismounting.
Surprised, Anne looked around, seeing no reason for them to stop. They were at least ten miles from the city. On their right, scattered across the ground were several large stones covered with lichen and moss, the tree line not far behind. It was not the kind of place she would have chosen to take a break.
“Can we not keep going?” she asked. She could have ridden for hours and not tired of it.
Teach shook his head, taking the reins from her hands. “Trust me. You’ll want to see this.”
Anne most definitely did not trust him, but she had little choice. Teach caught her as she slid down. Pulling away from him, she pretended to fix her skirts. In truth, she was flustered at his proximity.
Teach approached the woods and then entered through a slight opening in the trees. The scent of pines and wet leaves filled the air, and Anne breathed in deeply. He tied the horses to a large branch that looked as if it had been placed there. It’s positioning was too careful for it to have simply fallen. A small stream flowed near their feet.
The trail upon which they walked was overgrown, yet still visible.
“What is this place?” Anne asked, her voice loud in the silent surroundings.
Teach did not respond. He continued to walk forward into the dense forest, sunlight filtering down through the branches and leaves.
“Sir?” she said.
“Please stop calling me ‘sir.’ That title is reserved for my father.”
“Well, what shall I call you? ‘Mr. Edward’?”
“Teach,” he said.
“Your father would not approve,” she said, noting with satisfaction the stiffening of his shoulders.
“Since my father isn’t here to object, there’s no reason you can’t simply call me Teach. Now come. It’s not far.”
“What’s not far?” she asked, deciding not to call him anything at all.
“This way.”
Anne froze, the hair on her neck standing up as she realized how stupid she had been. She’d been so eager to escape the confines of the household that she’d ignored the hazards of going off alone with the young master. He was becoming far too familiar with her.
Teach, no doubt sensing something amiss, turned back to her. In three long strides he closed the distance between them. “Is something wrong?” he asked, scanning her from head to toe.
“I wish to return to the house,” she said.
“Why?” he asked, clearly puzzled. “I want to show you something.”
A hysterical laugh rose in her throat. “I’m sure you do, but I have no desire to see it.” She spun around. Several leaves clung to her skirts as she returned the way they had just come.
Teach leapt in front of her, blocking the path. “You promised you would come with me.”
“And you promised to behave yourself!” she snapped. What a fool she was! Anyone who could be friends with someone like the Earl of Lorimar was not to be trusted.
Teach’s eyes grew wide. “What have I done?”
“You’ve led me here,” she said, gesturing to their surroundings.
He waited expectantly. When she remained silent, he nodded. “Yes, I know.”
“Well, what is this place?”
“Blast it, that’s what I’m trying to show you.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I am not in the habit of bringing helpless maids to the middle of the forest.”
“I might not have a pail handy, but I would not characterize myself as helpless. Why can’t I return to the house?”
“Because I simply wanted to show you something. Why is that so hard to understand?” His voice echoed around them, and a quail, upset by all the shouting, shot upward, wings flapping wildly to escape. After a few failed attempts at flight, it settled several paces away. Just because it had wings did not mean it could fly well.
She studied Teach’s face, but his expression revealed nothing except for his annoyance. In return he continued to watch her, waiting for her to make a decision.
“All right,” she said at last. Catching her lip between her teeth, she nodded, indicating that he should lead the way.
As they walked, Anne heard the distant sound of running water. The farther he led her into the forest, the louder it became. Soon they happened upon a small stone cottage with two chimneys, set in a clearing. The old rock wall surrounding it was in ruins. Teach proceeded past the cottage, toward a stone ledge. Holding out his hand, he motioned for her to join him.
His fingers clasped hers, firm and warm, and she took a tentative step toward the edge, gasping at the beauty before her. Far below, a river meandered through a rocky gorge. Both sides of the ravine sported uneven and precipitous cliff faces with a broken line of hawthorns visible near the water’s edge. Upon closer inspection, Anne also recognized the golden leaves of the whitebeams.
“Well?” Teach asked.
She could only shake her head and cast a quick glance at him, noting the satisfaction in his features. “I don’t know what to say,” she said at last.
“‘Thank you’? Or ‘I shall endeavor to trust you in the future’?”
A grin tugged at her lips. “I would not go so far as that.” Teach opened his mouth, but Anne continued before he could say anything. “But yes, thank you for bringing me here. How did you find this place?”
Teach leaned back against a tree, releasing her hand. “My mother had my father build this cottage for her. It was a place for her to get away.”
His own mother had needed to escape the house, Anne thought. Somehow, she was not surprised.
“It’s lovely,” she said, no longer anxious that it was j
ust the two of them. “She must have come here often.”
He shrugged. “As often as her illness would allow. Toward the end she wasn’t able to move much. My father would bring out a chair for her and set it right here.” He indicated a spot in the center of the ledge. “She would hold the dog’s lead in one hand. When she was ready to go inside, she’d release the dog, and he would go and find my father.”
“Your father wouldn’t sit with her out here?”
Teach tore a leaf from an overhead branch and ripped it to shreds. “My father can’t remain still for too long. He never went far, but he could not stand to see her in that state. I think she preferred the solitude as well. He would go and look for willow bark or other roots and plants to ease her pain.”
“No herbs or medicine could cure her?”
Teach’s voice was bitter. “The doctors claimed nothing could have saved her.”
Anne swallowed around the unexpected lump in her throat. Her own father had collapsed and died before any doctor could be summoned.
Teach crushed a spider beneath his boot. “Until then, he did what he could to make her time here on earth as comfortable as possible. But what good are linen sheets and feather beds when your body is racked with pain?”
Anne was reminded of her own mother’s death. After Henry had kicked them out, Jacqueline had found employment in an earl’s household. She’d been beaten when she’d refused the advances of the earl’s son. By the time she’d made it home, she’d been bloodied and broken.
They hadn’t had enough money at the time to call on a doctor. Anne had been so enraged, she’d nearly gone to the house and killed the man responsible. Only the fact that her mother had been in agonizing pain and had needed constant attention had prevented Anne from carrying out her plans. Her mother passed away three days later. A short time later, Henry found her.
What would be more frustrating? Knowing you had the means but couldn’t utilize them? Or not having the means, and knowing there was nothing you could do to help the situation?
“I’m sorry,” Anne said, wishing she could say something that did not sound so trite. She was all too familiar with empty words, having experienced loss of her own.
Teach stared woodenly at the ground. “I am too,” he whispered, almost to himself.
CHAPTER 15
Teach
Teach could not believe that the girl sitting by his side was the same one who’d assaulted him with a pail in the market. Nor could he believe he’d brought her here, to his mother’s favorite resting spot.
Not even Patience knew of this place, and Teach was unsure if he would ever show it to her. Something inside him balked at the idea, for he knew she would fail to appreciate its simple beauty. Patience would only notice what was lacking. It wasn’t a grand residence. It was a cottage, with two rooms and a quaint porch. His mother had had no desire to ruin the natural surroundings with anything large or garish.
Perhaps Teach would keep it for his own, a secret getaway when married life to Patience grew to be too much for him.
Unnerved by his train of thought, Teach bit back a curse. He wasn’t even married yet, and already he was planning trips without his future bride-to-be? It did not bode well for their union.
Neither did the fact that he was quite enjoying Anne’s company. He recognized in her the same restless spirit that he possessed, and he was glad he’d chosen to spend the day with her. Teach could see that in her own way, she was beginning to trust him.
The rays of the sun peered down through the trees, warming the area where Teach and Anne sat. He’d taken the liberty of bringing two chairs from the cottage out to the ledge, and they watched the river flow through the gorge below.
Teach pulled out Dampier’s book from his coat pocket and held it aloft. “Would you be so kind as to continue where you left off?” he asked.
Anne smiled, but shook her head. “No.”
Shocked, he raised his brows at her. “No? I thought you liked hearing about all of their adventures.”
“I do. It’s like holding a dream in my hands. But you’re no longer ill,” she said pointedly. “And I am no longer required to wait on you hand and foot.”
Teach grinned, liking the fact that he never knew what kind of a reaction he would receive from her. Just when he thought he had Anne figured out, she turned around and surprised him.
“All right. I’ll read to you. What chapter were we on?” he asked.
“As much as I’ve enjoyed the book, I would actually like to hear more about your adventures. You mentioned at dinner the other day that you were attacked by a Spanish sloop and that your captain died of his injuries. If it isn’t too painful, I would like to hear the tale.”
Teach could not picture Patience showing any interest in his activities at sea. Nor his father. Even William, despite professing to be such a good friend, would sooner discuss affairs of the state than listen to any accounts of life on a merchant ship. “Well, I’m not sure where to begin. I left England four months prior to the attack, and we’d managed to trade all of the goods we’d secured. Our captain was a good man, handpicked by Andrew Barrett himself. Barrett expected integrity from all of his employees, whether they were a simple cook or a captain on one of his ships. I was impressed with the crew, for they were all decent men.”
“You seem to hold Andrew Barrett in high regard,” Anne said, folding her hands in her lap.
Teach nodded. “I do, and I was sorry to hear about his death. Henry brings dishonor to the family name.”
Anne grimaced.
“I’m sorry for bringing up Henry. I forgot you used to work for him. That can’t have been pleasant.”
“No, I’m sorry. I interrupted your story.” She gave him a small smile. “Please, continue.”
“We’d just left the port of Tortuga and planned to rendezvous with some others in Barrett’s fleet off the coast of Jamaica. It was near there that we spotted the first war ship. The Spaniards were dependent on the direction and strength of the wind, so we had an advantage, in that we could outmaneuver them. As they bore down on us, we attempted to get to windward, but were unsuccessful. Three of our sailors were hit by a barrage from the ship’s guns as she passed.”
Teach looked off to the woods, somber and thoughtful. “We shot back and managed to wound several of the sailors. With no one at the helm, their ship rounded into the wind and lay helpless. We continued to shoot every man who attempted to take the rudder, and targeted their sails until they were shredded.”
Teach paused in his story to catch a breath. Glancing again at Anne, he noted the rapt attention she gave him, clearly fascinated and aghast by his account.
“What happened next?” she asked.
Teach frowned. “The Spaniards continued to fire, and our captain took two shots to the chest. It was at that moment that I noticed two powder kegs on the deck of the other ship. Knowing it was our only chance of survival, I ordered our helmsmen to bring us closer. The Spanish captain commanded everyone to hit the deck, and I took a shot. It wasn’t enough to destroy their ship, but it gave us the distraction we needed to escape.” Teach remembered with vivid clarity the sights and sounds of the men as some of the Spaniards had caught fire when the keg had exploded. He could still hear their cries as they leapt into the ocean in an attempt to douse the flames burning their flesh.
Anne reached out and touched his arm, seemingly aware of his haunted reflections. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
Teach looked down at the hand on his sleeve, overcome with a sudden urge to cover it with his own. Instead he cleared his throat and looked out across the gorge. It took him a moment to answer. “I have since come to terms with that event,” he said, his voice raw.
“You saved their lives.”
Teach met her eyes and saw in them understanding and compassion.
�
�Yes, by taking the lives of others.”
“If it hadn’t been for you, more men on your ship would have perished, yourself included,” she said.
Teach shrugged. “If it’s God’s will for me to go, who am I to stop it?” he asked.
Anne gave a short laugh. “That might be, but God also gave you a brain and intellect. Would you rather have stood by and let them kill the lot of you?”
“All I know is that I never want to watch a man suffer like that at my hand again.”
The silence that followed was pressing, and Teach realized that whenever the two of them spoke, he revealed more about his past than she did about hers. He was determined to change that.
“Enough about me,” Teach said. “Tell me, do you have any family?”
“No one to claim me.”
Teach was amazed at her ability to avoid answers. “What does that mean, exactly?” he pressed.
“My parents are dead.”
He studied her face. There was an unmistakable look of sadness in her eyes, and he regretted his insistence that she clarify her statement. “I’m sorry for your loss, but that means there is no reason for you to leave my father’s household.”
“It does not matter whether I stay there or not. Once you marry Miss Patience, you will live with her at her estate.”
His head jerked back as if he had been slapped. “Why do you insist on bringing Miss Patience into every conversation?” he demanded.
Anne frowned. “I only speak the truth. Am I wrong in assuming you will soon be married?”
His mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “No. If my father has his way, we will be wed within the year.”
“And if you had your way?”
“If I had my way, I would leave tomorrow on the first ship sailing out of Bristol, regardless of its destination.” And never return. Afraid that once more he’d said too much, Teach stood abruptly. “I believe we should go back.”
Blackhearts Page 12
