A Captain's Destiny

by Marie Caron

  “That will be all for tonight, Ajith,” the judge told the servant, who then bowed and backed out of the room, closing the doors behind him. “It was lucky that you ended up in my courtroom, young man,” the judge commented in between puffs and sips.

  “Yes, it truly was.” Jack couldn’t have agreed more.

  “Is your home still here in Ceylon?”

  “No. Although I spend most of my time at sea—I own a shipping company—I make my home in Hawaii. After my father died, I had no other relation here, so I decided to seek my fortune elsewhere. I find the climate in Hawaii to be much more to my liking.” The extreme heat and humidity of this region were two things Jack did not miss.

  “I see. Your business is shipping?”

  “Yes. I am the owner and captain of the Lady Elizabeth, named after my late mother. I transport cargo all over the world,” he said proudly. He ran a legitimate business, but this particular endeavor, which had recently brought him back to Colombo, might be considered by some to be less than honest. Not that it was his fault. Last year he had taken a large shipment of cinnamon from here to London. But when he and his men had returned to Ceylon, the grower had refused to pay what he owed, claiming the cargo had never reached London.

  So, just two days earlier, Jack and two of his best men had relieved the plantation owner of the money owed them, and now they wanted to get back to Hawaii, where the money would be dispersed among the crewmen who had served on that voyage. That was why being arrested for the trumped up charge of petty theft had been so upsetting. If the real theft was discovered and connected to Jack and his men, he’d be back in jail, and even Katherine wouldn’t be able to get him out.

  The older man went on drinking and smoking and didn’t speak. And after a few quiet, awkward minutes for Jack, he decided to take a chance and ask the judge a somewhat personal question. “I couldn’t help but notice that Lady Katherine was upset about something as we rode here in the carriage.”

  “You could tell?” the judge asked, eyeing Jack curiously.

  “Yes. I remember that her eyes get very dark when she’s angry, and she always bites the inside of her cheek when she’s trying to hold her tongue.”

  “You have a good memory, Captain O’Bannon.”

  Judge Houghton looked at Jack with even more interest, and Jack wondered what he was thinking. The truth was he hadn’t forgotten anything about his dear, sweet Katherine, but he didn’t dare display such a personal attachment to her. After all, she was a member of the upper class, while he was just a businessman. There could never be anything more than friendship between them. And yet…

  The judge interrupted Jack’s wayward thoughts. “You may also recall that Katherine is very stubborn. She and I have been having a slight disagreement.”

  “About?” Jack dared to ask.

  “As you know, she is of marriageable age—has been for some time—and yet she has turned down several very appropriate suitors. So…I have had to arrange a marriage for her,” he finished slowly, as though he regretted it.

  Jack was glad he’d finished his drink, otherwise he would have choked on it. “Eh…you arranged a marriage between Katherine and what lucky man, if I may ask?” Jack asked through gritted teeth. He tried to sound calm, although the news made him feel just the opposite.

  “Uh…he’s a wealthy, foreign-born gentleman…highly thought of in London society and favored by the Queen, or so I’ve heard. He recently purchased a tea plantation near Kandy, the old capital. He intends to make his home there half the year…and the other half in Paris,” he replied haltingly. The judge was obviously trying to assure himself that he’d made the right choice for his difficult stepdaughter.

  “I see.” Jack held his temper in check. He didn’t want an arranged marriage for her, but he had no right to say so. He knew Katherine well enough to know that she would hate being told who she must marry. But more than that, since seeing the woman Katherine had become, Jack was now even more in love with her.

  The judge cleared his throat, looking as though something sour was stuck in it, and Jack guessed there was something more…something he wished he didn’t have to admit to Jack. Seconds later Jack was kicking himself for being right.

  “Actually, you know the man. It’s Richelieu, the man who claimed that you robbed him.” The judge waved his hand as if to dismiss the idea. “I’m sure it was an honest mistake. He must have mistook you for someone else,” he added, but no amount of excuses could dampen Jack’s rage.

  “That French fop? Why, that’s lunacy! He’s no match for your stepdaughter, Sir. He wouldn’t make a good match for a swine!” Jack was beside himself with anger, but not so far gone that he didn’t notice how much his remarks rankled the judge, whose face was now florid with ire. “I have spoken out of turn, and I am sorry, Sir.”

  “As well you should be! You may be an old friend of Katherine’s, but this is no matter of yours. Besides, the arrangements have already been made. They tie the knot this Saturday.”

  As the two men adjourned to their rooms for the night, Jack was seething inside. If he had anything to say about it, Katherine wouldn’t marry that spineless shit of a man…not Saturday, not ever! But just how was he to stop her?

  Chapter 3

  The next morning when she asked after their house guest, Katherine was informed that he’d left very early. She was very disappointed. He could at least have taken the time to say good-bye, she told herself as her maid helped with her toilette.

  At breakfast her stepfather said he had a full day in court, after which he was going to have dinner in town with a colleague. He didn’t mention Jack, and she thought it best not to mention him either. After all, she didn’t want the judge to think that she actually cared what Jack did one way or the other. Yes, she had done Jack a favor by vouching for his character, but only because he had asked. He was of no real concern of hers. At best, he was just an honest, vagabond sea captain; at worst…well, there was no telling what sort of miscreant he was. She had heard tales of such men; he probably had a woman in every port. Even though she had known him as a child, he was not a member of her social stratum. She was better off without him in her life. She’d probably never see him again, and good riddance.

  She spent her day snipping spent buds and reading in the rose garden, and after having dinner alone in the dining room, Katherine decided to go to bed. For a while she tossed and turned, wondering just what sort of life Jack led. What sort of wonders had he seen on his voyages? Her mind created lush landscapes filled with tropical flowers, verdant valleys, brown-skinned natives, pastel-colored sunsets stretching across azure seas, and vast, dark, oceans rolling under a canopy of sparkling stars. As she imagined the places Jack had been, and a big part of her envied him. If she were a man, she could sail the seas, or do anything she chose to do. But she wasn’t a man, and her future had already been decided for her. She would marry a virtual stranger, someone of whom her stepfather approved, and she would bear her husband’s children, and live wherever he decreed they should live. Her only alternative was to spend her days here in this house as the judge’s companion. Then, when he died, she would live alone, a dried up old maid with only her dreams to take her away from her mundane existence. A lone tear rolled down Katherine’s cheek. It was quickly joined by several more, and soon she was sobbing into her pillow.

  The tears didn’t last long before she was swiping at her face with both hands. This was not like her. She wasn’t the sort of person to simply sit still and let others plan her future. Her father had often called her willful, and as a young child that was precisely what she’d been. But back then she’d had Jack to watch over her, to keep her out of trouble. Now she had no one…at least no one who shared her joie de vivre, and that was what she wanted most. Surely that wasn’t too much to ask? She’d had many suitors since her coming out at the age of eighteen, but they had either been too old and staid in their ways, or too young and self-indulgent to suit her. Up till now she’d avoided mar
rying someone she didn’t love, and she wasn’t going to give in now. So what if she was almost twenty-six? Marrying Richelieu was out of the question. She would rather die first!

  The only course left to her was to run away. If she could make it to the docks, she could stow away aboard one of the cargo ships. Once they were far enough from land that turning back wouldn’t be an option, she would reveal herself and offer the captain money to pay for her passage. As she pondered just how she was going to make her escape, her tears stopped, and soon her eyelids grew heavy and closed. She was half asleep when she heard a strange noise. Someone was in her room. Was it her maid, come to check on her? Maybe the judge had come in to say good night? He never had before, but there was a first time for everything, wasn’t there?

  Katherine sat up in bed and opened her mouth to call out, only to have something shoved between her teeth. She was being gagged. She struggled to take it out, digging her nails into her attacker’s hands, but her wrists were quickly bound, and then her ankles were tied together too, even though she squirmed to try and free herself. The next thing she knew, she was wrapped head to toe in a blanket and thrown, head-down, over a very broad shoulder.

  Chapter 4

  August 1844, on the high seas

  Today the ship rocked calmly back and forth, and Katherine was finally able to get out of bed and walk about the cabin without risking life or limb. On tiptoe she looked out of the small porthole, hoping to spy land. But all she could see was blue sky and even bluer water. She wasn’t sure how many days had passed since she’d been brought aboard the ship. Since that first night, the sky had been as dark as ink, and the sea had been so rough that she’d had to cling to the bed or be tossed about the room like a pickle in a barrel. Of one thing she was certain; the ship had traversed many miles by the time her abductor finally came to see her. But she was ready for him…at least with her tongue.

  The cabin door had barely opened, when she laid into him. “How dare you touch me, you swine! My stepfather will see you hanged for this…you…you abductor of women!” she cried, unable to think of words harsh enough to describe how she felt about the person who had perpetrated this crime against her person. As a large man ducked his head under the doorway, Katherine drew the blanket closer around her, knowing it could not protect her from his advances, should he make any. He was tall and broad shouldered, and he seemed to fill the entire doorway. Katherine shivered from the inside out.

  Suddenly he chuckled and shook his head, brushing a dark lock of hair from his forehead as he stepped into the room. In that instant she saw his face clearly for the first time, and for the moment all thoughts of protecting herself vanished. In fact, she almost dropped the blanket as she recognized the man before her. “Jack, is that you?” she asked incredulously.

  “Yes, tis me, Katherine,” he replied, as he moved closer to where she sat on the bed.

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  “I am keeping you from making a terrible mistake,” he simply stated. Then he stood there with a smug smile on his handsome face, while she gaped at him.

  She felt angry and shocked to think that the boy she’d known, the boy who’d protected and nurtured her, would do this to her. Then it dawned on her. His opinion of her was obvious. She might be much older than the last time they’d met, but she could see that to him, she was still just a child. And in her billowy night rail, with her hair falling down and tangling about her face and shoulders, she couldn’t blame him for thinking so. “What mistake?” As she considered his words, she felt some of her anger abate. But she still wasn’t happy to see him.

  “The marriage, Katherine. I can’t believe you would actually commit to marrying that simpering pansy! He’s no match for you, and you know it,” Jack stated as he stood facing her.

  The blanket slipped off her shoulders, and his eyes followed it, causing her to blush. “It just so happens that I was planning to run away before the wedding,” she said more quietly. She sought something on the floor, rather than look into his eyes.

  “Aha! Then I was right to rescue you,” he stated, sounding satisfied.

  “You should not feel so proud of your accomplishment, you scoundrel! Taking a defenseless woman from her bed in the middle of the night is no great feat, Jack. Besides, you have forgotten something very important. I cannot go around in this nightgown in front of your men, or in front of you for that matter,” she pointed out, as she gathered the blanket closer. “So you may as well return me to my home.”

  “You are mistaken, my lady. I brought along some of your things,” Jack told her, pointing to the trunk in the corner. “As for the rest of your belongings…I’m afraid you won’t be seeing those or your home for quite some time. Now that me and my men have what we came for, it behooves us to get as far away from Ceylon as possible.”

  “What! Where are you taking me?” She gave him an infuriated look, while he merely smiled at her.

  “Someplace far away.”

  “This is ridiculous! You can’t simply take me wherever you please. I demand that you return me to my home at once!” She stood, glancing toward the door and then at him.

  Jack grinned and shook his head. “No,” he replied with a grin, as if to say he was enjoying her spunk, but there was no way she was going to escape.

  “Then I will gladly see you hang!” she yelled. And then she flew at him, her nails raking the skin of his tanned neck.

  Jack easily removed her hands from his person and threw her onto the bed. She glared up at him, her nightgown shoved up to the middle of her pale thighs. Seeing his eyes dart to her bare legs, she quickly pulled the gown down around her ankles. Then she grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her, making certain she was once again covered from neck to toe. All the while Jack watched her, his eyes gleaming.

  “You’ve grown up to be quite hot-headed, haven’t you, my sweet Katherine? I much prefer a spirited woman,” he said, winking at her.

  “How dare you! I am not now, nor have I ever been, your sweet anything!” she snapped at him, her blue eyes aflame.

  “Whether you are or not, remains to be seen. In the meantime, you had better eat the food that’s given you, or you will surely starve,” Jack informed her, nodding toward the untouched plate on the table beside the bed.

  “I would rather starve than eat any food of yours,” Katherine spat, and then she picked up the plate of bread and cheese and threw it at him. He jumped out of the way and was out the door a split second later, leaving Katherine to stare daggers at the closed door.

  * * * *

  Dressed in one of the gowns Jack had brought for her to wear, Katherine flounced back and forth across the cabin’s floor, talking to herself under her breath. “He’s the most arrogant, self-serving, impossible man I have ever met!” He had stolen her from her home and kept her locked in a cabin for days, probably weeks, and now he expected her to dine with him as though he were her host instead of her abductor? How utterly absurd. True, he had been thoughtful to bring her clothing, but she wasn’t about to give him credit for that one polite action. Everything else he’d done proved he was a man with no scruples, and she wanted no part of him. If he thought she would honor him with her presence at dinner, he would have to think again. She would stay in this cabin until they reached land…even if it took forever. He was certainly not the polite, well-mannered boy she remembered from her childhood, and she intended to let him know how she felt about the man he’d become.

  There was a rap on the door, but Jack walked in before Katherine had a chance to answer. She stopped pacing the floor and drilled him with a look. “I am not accustomed to dining with the riffraff of the world,” she said haughtily, her nose in the air as he held the door open, obviously expecting her to join him. One of his crewmen had informed her of the captain’s plans that they dine al fresco on the main deck. Now here he was, expecting her to give in to his ridiculous offer. Well, hell could freeze over before she gave in to him.

  “Forgive me,
your ladyship.” Jack’s smile was polite and he didn’t even try to hide his smile as he bowed from the waist. “I am not accustomed to being turned away by a woman. And I thought you might be tired of being cooped up in my cabin, but apparently I was mistaken. I shall dine alone this evening, but I assure you I will find feminine company aplenty in the next port,” he said, and then he began backing out of the room, obviously keeping an eye out for flying objects headed in his direction.

  Earlier that day she had hit him in the arm with a smartly thrown shoe, and recently she’d struck the cabin boy in the noggin with the book Jack had sent her as a peace offering. If the poor lad refused to wait on her ever again, she wouldn’t blame him. However, she quickly considered her options, and concluded that it would be foolish to continue such behavior.

  The truth was she yearned for sunlight and fresh air. Oh, how she craved them. The door had almost closed, when she called out to him. “Wait! I have changed my mind. I do believe I will dine up on deck after all.” No matter what his reason for making the offer, it would do her more harm than good to refuse. That he was a flirt and a disreputable cad was obvious, and she figured his every move was meant to take advantage of her situation—a lone woman among thirty or so randy men was at risk of rape at the very least—so she must keep her guard up. But she also knew that she needed sunshine and fresh air in order to remain at full strength. Even though she was no physical match for him, or any man for that matter, she needed to be in top form if she was to escape. And, as soon as they reached land, escape was what she intended to do.

  *