“Ah, Cousin Jared, there you are.”
Jared’s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed as he stared at Daniel. After listening to Daniel this morning, Jared had agreed to take him, and his cargo, to Charles Town. But Jared had also insisted upon one stipulation—and Daniel was breaking it by coming to the cabin.
But Daniel, as he strolled into the captain’s cabin, acted as if he’d never promised to avoid any contact with Merideth Banistar. “Oh, do present me to this lovely lady or I shall perish.” He moved steadily toward Merideth, and Jared had no alternative but to make the introductions. He saw a spark of recognition light up Merideth’s eyes when he said his cousin’s name. She glanced at Jared; then her attention returned to Daniel.
“Daniel Wallis,” she repeated the name. “Captain Blackstone’s cousin.” Her voice was tight. “I see the family resemblance.” In actuality, Daniel was almost like a pale, miniature copy of the captain. The features were similar, regular and aristocratic. But what on Jared appeared undeniably strong and handsome, was on the cousin feminine... almost pretty.
“You flatter me, your Ladyship.” Daniel bowed.
“Do I?” Merideth’s chin notched higher. She didn’t have a clue why Daniel was here, but she didn’t intend to play along with whatever game the captain and he had planned for her. “I understand you are my contact, Mr. Wallis. My contact in some bit of international intrigue.”
“My dear Lady Merideth—”
“Did you or did you not send Captain Blackstone to Banistar Hall?”
Jared watched his cousin squirm under Merideth’s direct gaze. Any thoughts of intervening vanished as Jared waited to hear his cousin’s answer.
“I received a communication that someone at Land’s End wished to speak with me concerning a spy.”
“Someone?” Merideth’s brow arched.
“The sender was somewhat vague about his identity. Traitors often are.”
“What the hell are you saying? You told me it was Lord Alfred.”
Merideth ignored the captain’s outburst. “So it wasn’t necessarily my father who contacted you.”
“I assumed it was Lord Alfred. But...” Daniel swished the air with his fingers. “I suppose it could have been someone else.”
Merideth shot Jared a triumphant look—one he returned with steely determination. She opened her mouth to question Daniel further. But before she could the captain had his cousin by the arm and was propelling him from the cabin.
“You, stay put,” Jared ordered over his shoulder to Merideth as he slammed the door.
Then he dragged Daniel along the passageway until he was sure they were out of earshot of the cabin. “What in the hell was that all about?”
Daniel jerked his arm and Jared let go of the silk sleeve. With infinite care Daniel smoothed out the ruffles at his wrist. “You always did think brute force the answer to everything, didn’t you, dear cousin?”
Jared’s jaw clenched. “I want to know what you thought you were doing back there. You and I both know Lord Alfred was going to traitor himself for money.”
“Of course we do. But for some reason Lady Merideth wishes to be coy. So I shall simply have to do my job.” Daniel took a small jeweled container from his pocket and pinched snuff between his thumb and finger. He breathed deeply, wiping the end of his nose with a lace-edged handkerchief. “How can you endure the smell down here, cousin?”
Jared resisted the urge to knock the snuffbox from his fingers. “What job, exactly, are you speaking of?”
“Charming Lady Merideth, naturally. She is in possession of information I want—you said so yourself. Obviously she doesn’t respond well to threats and kidnappings or you would know the name by now. It’s time a more subtle approach was used with the lovely lady.”
“You said you’d stay away from her.” Jared was having a difficult time controlling his anger.
“No, dear cousin. You ordered me to keep my distance. There is a difference.” He slipped the snuffbox into his pocket and straightened his powdered wig. “I’m more experienced in these intrigues. I suggest you allow me to handle this.”
“There’s nothing to handle. I told you Dr. Franklin doesn’t wish to know who the traitor is, and I also promised him I’d return Lady Merideth safely to Land’s End.”
“And I told you your brother was in Land’s End when he died.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“What I didn’t tell you, dear cousin, is that he was also trying to discover the identity of the spy.”
Jared paled beneath his sun-darkened skin. “What are you implying?”
“Not a thing... except I intend to do what I can to persuade Merideth Banistar to tell me what she knows.”
“I don’t want her hurt.”
Daniel smirked. “I never imagined you did. She’s quite lovely... and no doubt very passionate.” He held up his hands when Jared reached out to grab him. “No need for violence, cousin. I have no intention of harming Lady Merideth. And as for your dalliance with her, you needn’t concern yourself with me. ‘Tis information I want. Nothing more.”
Jared wished he could argue Daniel’s words... deny his attraction to Merideth. But he couldn’t. Anymore than he could overlook the circumstances of his brother’s death. In the end he merely nodded and led Daniel along the companionway to the first mate’s cabin. Padraic had volunteered to move his own things in with the boatswain while Daniel was aboard. Jared appreciated his friend’s sacrifice; apparently Daniel didn’t.
“Good Lord, is this the best you can do?” Daniel’s gaze swept the small, windowless cubbyhole.
“Other than my cabin, aye. Which you are not getting, by the by. You’re on a privateer now. We haven’t room for luxuries.” Jared resisted the temptation to show his cousin to the berth deck, where the crew slept in hammocks. It would do Daniel good to cross the ocean like a common seaman... or maybe it would do Jared good to witness it.
“So I see,” Daniel said, his expression full of disdain.
“You can always find other transport to America,” Jared pointed out.
“Does that go for the guns and powder I’ve arranged for you to take to Charles Town?” Daniel asked slyly. “You needn’t reply. I think I know the answer. Just remember, cousin. We’re on the same side. Besides, I certainly didn’t intend to insult your schooner.”
Jared turned on his heel and walked out of the small cabin, leaving Daniel to flick dust from the narrow cot with his handkerchief.
The wardroom was empty, which suited Jared. He poured himself a tankard of grog and slumped down on a bench.
Was there a link between his brother’s accident and Merideth? Daniel, for all his evasive answers and foolish smirks, seemed to imply as much. Jared took a deep swallow, backhanding the moisture from his lips.
Perhaps Daniel was right. Perhaps he was the one to deal with Merideth. His cousin could be all ingratiating smiles and sweet words.
Watching him earlier with Merideth had brought to mind times when Jared and his brother John shook their heads over Daniel’s behavior toward the fairer sex back at Royal Oak.
“How could any female be taken in by him?” John had asked as they leaned against the broad, whitewashed columns of Royal Oaks’s front porch. Daniel was handing Millicent Waters into her coach, gushing over the sunlight sparkling in her hair and the blush of her cheeks.
When Jared simply shook his head, John laughed. “ ‘Tis easy for you not to concern yourself. More often than not, the ladies prefer your handsome face and devil-may-care ways. But for me, ‘tis a problem. Why do you think I’ve decided to go to France with Daniel? I want women to see me as a dashing hero.”
Jared laughed and looped his arm around his brother’s neck, promising to leave one or two beauties behind when he sailed the following day.
It was the last time he’d seen his brother.
The Carolina sailed with the evening tide and by nightfall was skimming along off the coast of France, searchi
ng for a westward wind. Jared stood on the quarterdeck long after the bo’sun piped the end of his watch. He told himself it was the beauty of the moon-drenched sails or the feel of salt-laced breeze stinging his cheeks that kept him above.
But he knew better.
Tonight he had nowhere to sleep except his own cabin. Tonight he could not slip ashore and rent a room at a dockside tavern as he had since bringing Merideth to Morlaix.
His crew thought the two had cohabited the cabin—and that’s what he wanted them to think. And tonight the crew would be correct.
The prospect had caused him only minor concern... until today. Today he’d broken his own rule and talked to her... looked at her... and all the desire she’d evoked in him had come racing back. Racing back completely out of control.
He hated to think what would have happened today had Daniel not come below. But Daniel had knocked on the cabin door and nothing had happened, Jared reminded himself as he stared out over the trail of reflected moonlight leading to the horizon. His vow to himself was still intact. He would not touch Lady Merideth again.
His lungs full of tangy sea air, Jared headed for the hatch, assuring himself that his willpower was up to anything that came his way. He knew exactly where the hammock was stashed in the cabin, and could easily hang it from the hooks in the dark. The hour was late enough that Merideth was certainly asleep. And he would be up and gone before she woke. All in all, she’d probably never realize he’d slept in his cabin.
Feeling a bit smug with his planning, Jared made his way aft along the companionway. Tallow candles, their iron holders stuck in the bulwarks, lit the way. He was nearly upon his cabin before he noticed something amiss.
The door was ajar.
Though he doubted anyone on board meant Lady Merideth any harm, he’d instructed her to lock the door. He had the only other key in his pocket.
Fear raced through him as he rushed toward the open door. Fear that someone had managed to enter the cabin and hurt her. Jared reached for his sword and was quickly reminded it wasn’t strapped to his side.
He rushed through the doorway slightly disoriented, to find nothing amiss. As his eyes accustomed to the darkness he saw Merideth, asleep on his bunk. No armed men lurked in the shadows.
As he watched, her eyes opened, and she sat up with a start.
“What...? What are you doing in here?” Merideth grasped the blanket and pulled it under her chin.
“What am I doing?” Jared tossed up his hands in disgust. “I’m simply entering a cabin that anyone on this ship could walk into. Did I or did I not tell you to lock the door?”
Merideth angled her chin. “You did.”
“Then why, pray tell, is it not only unlocked but wide open?”
Merideth took a deep breath, ready to explain, then stopped. He wouldn’t understand. She didn’t completely understand herself. She only knew that closed-up places made her skin prickle, and she didn’t feel comfortable until she opened something... a door, a window... something.
He stood watching her for a long time, the light from the passageway spilling in around him. Then he turned and slowly, deliberately, shut the door.
“Don’t—” Merideth started to protest, but caught herself. The room was dark now, so dark she couldn’t make out the captain’s form. But she could hear him moving about in the cabin. Merideth inched herself back against the bulwark, pressing her back into the rough wood.
The blossom of light as he struck flint surprised her. Carefully he lit the lantern suspended above his desk and moved to sit on the edge of the bunk.
Some of her panic disappeared when the cabin was bathed in light, but Merideth still had to struggle for control. The fingers that grasped the blanket were white-knuckled. He covered her cold hands with his own.
“This is what happened to you when I mentioned the cave, isn’t it?”
Merideth didn’t answer. She simply stared at him, her blue eyes large in her pale face.
“What is it? What scares you so?”
“I don’t know.” Merideth’s words were barely a whisper.
“You’re much safer with the door shut and locked.” He was using reason, and Merideth admired him for it. Unfortunately she’d long ago learned that when it came to her fear, reason didn’t work.
She shook her head, her gaze dropping to the bunched-up blanket in her lap, her hair forming a cascading golden veil.
“Merideth?” His hand on her chin forced her to look up at him.
“I don’t know,” she repeated. “I don’t know what caused it... or how to fight it. I try. Don’t you think I try?” Her teeth caught the soft, fleshy underside of her bottom lip and kept it from trembling. “I can’t help myself from being afraid.”
Jared reached out, pulling her into his arms... surprising them both. Her initial reaction was to protest. She raised her hands to his chest to do so, but the feel of him, so solid and strong, made her change her mind. He shifted, leaning back against the wall and pulling her across his lap. And she went readily.
“Are you frightened now?” Jared could feel the tension in her muscles and he ran a hand down her upper arm.
Merideth shook her head, then decided upon honesty. “A little. It’s much worse when it’s dark... and when I’m alone.”
Jared made a noise as if he were pondering what she had said. He continued his caress until the tenseness seeped from her. “Is that better?”
“Yes.” Merideth snuggled deeper into the folds of his loose shirt, reveling in his male scent and the strength of his hard body. In the security he offered.
“How long have you been this way?” he asked. “Frightened of a closed room?”
“I can’t remember when it started. But the more she locked me up, the worse it got.”
“Who? Who locked you up?”
“Miss Alice, my nanny. She didn’t want me to disturb anything, so she locked the door. But I found the key and would wander about the hall while she slept. Except one day I found the caves.”
“What happened in the caves?” She clutched his forearm, holding on tight. Jared didn’t think she even noticed.
“Shouldn’t have gone down to the sea. I was bad. Miss Alice told me it was bad, but I wanted to know.” Merideth lifted her head, staring into Jared’s eyes. “You understand, though. I wanted to find out what it was like... the sand and the sea.” Her voice thickened. “But the caves were dark and cold. And I couldn’t find my way out.”
She shivered and Jared wrapped his arms around her tightly. “What happened then?”
“They found me. It was the next day.”
“At least you were safe.”
“Yes.” Merideth swallowed. “Mistress Alice was very angry. She locked me in my room, and this time I couldn’t find the key.”
The bitch. Jared found himself disliking the governess and berating the father that would allow such a punishment. “How old were you when this happened?”
“Eight. ‘Twas my birthday.” Merideth sighed and her lashes drifted shut. She was so very tired. She’d never told anyone of her fear... except her father. And he only laughed and made light of it. To be honest, she couldn’t imagine why the captain didn’t chide her for her foolishness. But he didn’t.
And because of that she completely relaxed against him.
She was asleep. Jared tucked his chin and stared at the golden head resting against his shoulder. His arms tightened and she made a noise of contentment. He discarded his plan to shift her down onto the mattress and hang the hammock for himself.
At least for now. He’d hold her a while longer. As he did he thought of her childhood, of the punishments she’d endured. It was hard for him to imagine; he who’d grown to manhood surrounded by loving parents and siblings.
But though he found her descriptions incredible, he didn’t doubt her. That in itself surprised him, and he fell asleep wondering when he’d started believing her.
Wakefulness came in small, pleasant degrees.
&nb
sp; Merideth was first only aware of a general feeling of contentment. It seemed strange. Then as her senses greeted the dawn she recognized a scent that she associated with desire. She also realized she wasn’t that comfortable. Her neck was bent at an odd angle, and her head was resting against something hard. And her hip...
Merideth’s eyes opened and she found herself staring at Captain Blackstone’s profile. He was asleep, his black-as-coal lashes forming a crescent across his chiseled cheekbones. Even with the sea-green eyes hidden from view, he was so handsome. His nose was straight, and his sensual mouth with the full bottom lip was slightly open. Merideth lifted her fingers and very gently traced the curve of his black-whiskered jaw, barely touching him.
When she came to his chin with its cleft, she paused. What was she doing? Falling asleep on his shoulder was one thing. Apparently he’d taken it as an invitation to spend the night in the bunk with her—though by the looks of him, with his back pressed against the bulwark, he hadn’t had a very comfortable time of it.
Touching him, if he knew about it, would make him think she wanted a lot more than a pillow for her head. Yet she could scarcely resist. She looked again at his mouth and remembered what it could do to her. She lifted her hand, then hesitated, afraid to touch... afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop.
“Please.” The word was barely more than a breath whispered in the early-morning air, but it startled her. Merideth lifted her eyes to his, drawn by the desire she saw there.
“I didn’t think you were awake.” He caught her hand before she could pull it away. Then her fingers were pressed against his lips and Merideth felt herself melt.
Last night he’d felt a kinship with her, a deep caring. It had prompted holding her in his arms as she slept. And it had even overshadowed the desire that unfailingly ruled his emotions when around her.
But this morning he had awakened to her lying across him, her hair a tangle of gold, her caress feather-soft on his face, and he’d thought himself in heaven. He was almost afraid to move, lest he scare her off, this angel of the dawn.
Sea of Desire Page 18
