The Passion n-2

by Nicole Jordan

  "Forgive me, my lady," he mused aloud, "but I fail to understand your reason for championing me, a stranger, and a condemned prisoner, at that."

  "I didn't care to see a man murdered before my eyes. It seemed the captain was far too eager to find an excuse to kill you. At the very least his men would have beaten you senseless."

  "That still is no reason for you to play Lady Bountiful, bent upon kindness and good deeds."

  The cynicism in his tone made her chin lift a degree. "I wasn't satisfied that you would be cared for."

  "And you wish to make my final days more comfortable? Why?"

  Why indeed? Aurora wondered. It was impossible to explain the affinity she felt for him. Even harder to deny. He was a privateer at the very least. A violent man. One with blood on his hands.

  And now that he was no longer defenseless, his effect on her was even more forceful. He'd been given a chance to wash off the blood, and his handsomeness was astonishing, even with the stubble on his jaw. That rough growth along with the strip of muslin wrapping his head gave him a rakish appearance, making him look very much the lawless pirate.

  She could well see why her cousin called him dangerous with the ladies. He had the sinful allure of a fallen angel, with hair the color of amber, and a face whose planes and angles were beautifully sculpted. The brazen sight of his bronzed shoulders and hard-muscled arms, too, had stirred an odd fluttering in her stomach.

  Yet his face could have been carved in stone now, and the cold insolence of his stare took her aback. He seemed highly mistrustful of her motives – which was not so surprising, since she wasn't certain of them herself.

  Her reaction to his beating this morning had been purely instinctive, perhaps because intervening in violent disputes had become an ingrained habit with her. More times than she cared to count she had stepped in to shield defenseless servants in her father's household from his irrational fury.

  But that didn't explain the urgent need she'd felt to reassure herself of his well-being. Perhaps her affinity for this stranger – this inexplicable familiarity – was simply because his coloring so closely resembled that of her late betrothed, a man she had loved dearly.

  "I expect I came because you remind me of someone who was very dear to me," Aurora replied rather lamely.

  When he raised a skeptical eyebrow, she averted her gaze from the expanse of sun-warmed flesh on his bare chest where his shirt remained open.

  She stood stiffly as she felt his eyes moving down her body, touching her breasts in insolent perusal. He seemed to be assessing the gown beneath her cloak, a severely cut day dress of charcoal gray bombazine.

  "You wear half mourning," he observed. "Are you widowed?"

  "No. My betrothed was lost at sea some eight months ago."

  "I don't recall seeing you on St. Kitts before."

  "I arrived last summer. My cousin and his wife were visiting family in England shortly after the tragedy occurred. They thought a change of scene might help me to forget my grief and so invited me to return with them to the Caribbean. We set sail before word reached England about America's declaration of war. Had I known, I never would have come. And in fact, I will be returning in a few days."

  Aurora was aware her voice had dropped and knew he must have heard the bleak note of reluctance she couldn't hide. The last thing she wanted was to return to England and face the fate that awaited her there.

  Nicholas Sabine was still studying her, as if trying to determine her veracity. "You don't seem particularly eager to go home, my lady. I should think you would be impatient after all this time away."

  Her smile was pained. "I suppose my lack of enthusiasm stems from the marriage my father has arranged for me."

  "Ah," he said knowingly. "A cold-blooded contract. The British upper class are so very fond of selling their daughters into marriage."

  Aurora stiffened at his presumption. She had not meant to share personal confidences with Mr. Sabine, nor did she care for the intimacy of this conversation. "I am not being sold, I assure you. It is more a matter of social expedience. And my father wishes to see me well settled."

  "But you are not exactly willing, either?"

  "His would not be my choice for a husband, no," she admitted quietly.

  "I wonder that you haven't considered rebelling. You don't strike me as the meek type. On the quay this morning you were a veritable tigress."

  "Those circumstances were hardly ordinary," Aurora said, flushing. "I am not in the habit of challenging convention."

  "No? And yet you are here. It was rather unwise to risk your reputation like this, you must admit. Where I come from, ladies don't visit convicts in prison."

  "They don't in England, either," Aurora replied, forcing a wry smile. "I am entirely aware of the impropriety… and normally I am quite sensible. But my maid accompanied me, at least. She is waiting outside in the corridor… along with the guard."

  The pointed reminder of the guard seemed to have no effect on Mr. Sabine. He buttoned his shirt slowly, regarding her from under long dark lashes.

  When he stood, she took a wary step back. She was tall enough that he didn't dwarf her with his broad-shouldered, long-limbed body, but this close his masculinity was almost overwhelming, his nearness threatening.

  "You aren't afraid of me?" he asked, his silken tone sending shivers down her spine.

  Unsettled, Aurora fought for control of her rioting senses as she stood her ground. She was afraid of him. Of his intensity. Of the way his raw virility made her heart pound. "You don't seem the sort of man who would hurt a woman," she replied uncertainly.

  "I could take you hostage – had you thought of that?"

  Her eyes widened as her uneasiness rose. "No, I hadn't Percy says you are a gentleman," she added, suddenly doubtful.

  His smile flickered as he closed the distance between them. "Someone should have taught you not to be so trusting."

  Reaching out, he captured her wrist in a light grasp. His fingers seemed to burn her skin, yet she was determined not to show how unnerved she was by his touch.

  "Someone should have taught you better manners," she retorted coolly, adopting her most regal air. When he didn't release her, she stared him down. "I did not necessarily expect gratitude, Mr. Sabine, but neither did I expect to be manhandled in this fashion."

  The hardness in his dark eyes abated a degree as he let go of her hand. Several heartbeats later he lowered that taunting gaze. "Pardon me. I do seem to have misplaced my manners."

  Absently she rubbed her wrist, where his touch had branded her. "I understand you have had a difficult time. And you are an American, after all."

  His smile was mocking. "Ah, yes, a heathen Colonial."

  "You must admit you are very… direct."

  "And you must realize condemned men are given to desperate acts."

  Her expression sobered as she remembered he was to be hanged. "Percy means to exert his influence on your behalf, but he might very well lose his post were he to demand your release. He is already suspect for sympathizing with the American cause. He believes the war is absurd, and that we British are more at fault than you Americans."

  Nicholas stared down at her beautiful upturned face. If she was innocent of duplicity, he had greatly wronged her. He felt a savage anger toward many of her countrymen, but he should never have taken his fury and resentment out on her.

  "Forgive me," he said grudgingly. "I am indeed in your debt. If I can ever repay the favor…" He let the comment slide, knowing he was unlikely now to be in a position to repay her kindness.

  A sudden sadness filled her eyes. "I wish there were more I could do."

  "You've done enough already."

  She bit her lip. "I suppose I should be going."

  Nicholas found himself staring at her mouth. "Yes."

  "Is there something else you need?"

  He flashed a wry smile that held grim amusement.

  "Aside from a key to my cell door and a fast ship to ma
ke my getaway? A bottle of rum wouldn't go amiss."

  "I… shall try."

  "No, don't. I was jesting."

  He reached up to brush her cheek lightly with the back of his knuckles. Her lips parted and he heard her soft intake of breath. Nicholas felt his loins stir.

  "You shouldn't be here," he said quietly. "For your own good, you should stay away."

  She nodded and took a step back, her blue eyes misting. As if unable to speak, she turned without another word and fled the gloomy cell.

  With a clang the door swung closed behind her, no doubt drawn shut by the prison guard. Nick bit back a curse at the grim reminder of his imprisonment.

  For a moment he stood there, breathing in the faint scent of lilacs she'd left behind and wanting to hit something. He wished to hell she hadn't come. Whether intentionally or not, she had set his blood on fire.

  Amazing, considering the sort of woman she was – blue-blooded, proper, straitlaced. The exact opposite of the women he was usually drawn to. Yet if he were free, he might very well have pursued her.

  If he were free…

  His jaw clenching at the reminder, Nicholas glanced up at the high, barred window of his cell. Damn it to hell, he had to get out of here – or at the very least find a solution to his crisis.

  Turning, he began to pace the narrow confines of his cell, his thoughts once again caught up in turmoil. What would happen to his sister once he was dead? He'd sworn a solemn oath to his father to see to her welfare, but because of his blundering miscalculation, he'd been taken prisoner and rendered powerless to help her.

  His unaccustomed helplessness left him seething, filled with a furious need to take action, no matter how futile. His pacing became more agitated… until suddenly, he came to an abrupt halt. Nicholas stared unseeing, a wild notion invading the back of his mind.

  He had never feared death, although he'd always taken immense pleasure in living his life to the fullest. If he were hanged, his chief regret would be his failure to honor his promise. There might still be a way, however, for him to discharge his responsibilities, albeit from beyond the grave.

  Lady Aurora Demming.

  She could be the answer.

  Or was he insane?

  He started to rake a hand through his hair but stopped when he encountered the bandage – a bandage that had been her doing. He'd been mistaken about her, obviously. She was kindhearted, caring; her concern for him was evidence of that. She wasn't in league with Gerrod, or anyone else for that matter. She was indeed an angel of mercy.

  Angel and siren, Nicholas thought, remembering her eyes that were the color of sapphires. She was also younger than her regal, aristocratic manner suggested, perhaps barely twenty. Yet despite her recklessness in first coming to his rescue and then visiting him in prison, she was no doubt well bred and virtuous… and high ranking enough to command respect, if not awe, among the beau monde. As a duke's daughter, she would have entry into the loftiest echelons of British society.

  Recklessly Nick flung himself on the cot, ignoring the angry protest of his bruised body. His thoughts spun furiously as he stared up at the grimy ceiling overhead. He had no desire to drag the lady into his concerns, but if it meant protecting his sister, he would use the Devil himself. He would utilize Lady Aurora to help his ward, take advantage of her prominent standing in English society…

  His mouth curled in a grim semblance of a smile. He must still be reeling from the blows to his head if he was entertaining such fantasies. It was highly doubtful a duke's daughter would lend herself to a mad proposal admittedly conceived in desperation. He intended to make her sacrifice worth her while, of course, yet even so she might refuse.

  Well then, he would simply have to convince her.

  He had no choice. If there was the slightest possibility of fulfilling his promise, he had to seize it.

  Chapter Three

  When he summoned me to his chamber, my heart lodged in my throat.

  It was irrational, Aurora knew, to brood over a stranger she had met for a brief moment and would never see again. Yet even in sleep she could not forget him. Aurora tossed and turned the entire night, her dreams dark with images of Nicholas Sabine struggling to break his chains while she was powerless to help him.

  When the hangman's noose tightened around the strong column of his throat, she woke with a start, her heart pounding in fear. Unable to bear the grim visions any longer, Aurora hurriedly dressed and went downstairs, where she found Percy eating breakfast before he left for his offices. She joined him at the table but declined anything but coffee.

  "Will you go to the fortress today?" she asked, trying to keep her tone casual yet knowing she failed.

  Percy gave her a concerned look. He hadn't approved of her visiting the prisoner yesterday, even on a mission of mercy for a man who was his friend. Indeed, he'd been a bit startled to hear of her boldness.

  "This is not like you, Aurora. I know you must be aware of the impropriety of your behavior. Normally you show more consideration to your position in society."

  Aurora lowered her gaze, knowing her cousin was right. Yet she hadn't been herself since she first laid eyes on Nicholas Sabine. She couldn't explain her desperate concern even to herself, let alone to her cousin.

  "I simply abhor seeing anyone treated in such a terrible fashion," she prevaricated.

  Percy's gaze held sympathy. "My dear… you should prepare yourself for the worst. Word was sent to Barbados yesterday, asking the admiral's permission to hang Sabine. We may learn the answer today."

  She felt her stomach clench with fear. She had hoped he might be spared that dire fate, if only because of his prominent connections.

  "I promise I will let you know the verdict as soon as I hear," Percy assured her.

  Aurora nodded, not trusting herself to speak with the ache in her throat.

  She was glad when Percy turned the subject to more mundane matters, and gladder still when he took his leave. When she was alone, she rose and went to stand at the breakfast room window, gazing out, unseeing, at the sun-swept lawns with their tall, swaying palms and splashes of scarlet bougainvillaea.

  She was mistaken to have visited Nicholas Sabine in his prison cell, she realized. Not simply because of the impropriety, but because she'd only gained more vivid images that made him harder to forget. It was impossible to stop thinking about him. She could still feel his overwhelming presence – the forbidden sight of his bare, sun-bronzed skin, his quiet touch on her cheek, the tenderness in his dark eyes…

  Aurora bit her lower lip, chastising herself for her foolishness. Hadn't she learned it was better not to care too deeply for anyone?

  She had lost the two people who were most dear to her. Her mother several years ago. Then, more recently, her betrothed, Geoffrey Crewe, Earl of March.

  Her long-planned future had shattered when Geoffrey perished at sea. She'd been engaged to him practically from the cradle. As her father's nearest though distant male relative, Geoffrey was next in line for the dukedom and the vast Eversley estates. And Father was determined to keep the title for his grandsons, since an ignoble physical condition had left him unable to sire any more children.

  Aurora understood why he so badly wanted a son to continue the line of inheritance that had been unbroken since the reign of Henry II – and why she had always been his biggest disappointment.

  She would have been happy to have been born male, for then she could have avoided the fate her father had determined for her. She hadn't even recovered from the tragic news of Geoffrey's death when her father quietly accepted on her behalf the suit of a noble crony – the illustrious Duke of Halford. No matter that she could scarcely bear to contemplate marriage to such a man, or that he had already outlived two young wives, losing one to childbirth and one to a bizarre drowning accident. Halford was wealthy enough to buy a duke's daughter, and his lineage went back even farther than Henry II.

  Her father didn't see the union as punishment. He claimed h
e merely wanted to see her settled and well provided for, safely wed to a title and fortune when the Eversley title passed out of their direct family at his death. With a bitter sigh, Aurora wondered if in truth he simply wanted her off his hands, so he would no longer be reminded of his failure.

  When Percy and Jane had invited her to visit their home in the West Indies, she'd accepted gratefully, not only hoping her grief would heal more readily in fresh surroundings, but also wishing to delay her unwanted marriage as long as possible. The intervening months, however, hadn't diminished her revulsion at the necessity of becoming Halford's bride. She dreaded returning to England now, where her illustrious suitor was reportedly growing impatient to publicly announce their betrothal, but she'd run out of excuses to tarry.

  Clenching her hands into fists, Aurora turned away from the window. Ordinarily she would have gone riding to work off her feelings of frustration and helplessness or joined Jane in making her weekly round of charitable calls, a responsibility Jane took very seriously as the lieutenant governor's wife. But Aurora didn't want to be away from the house if word came about the American prisoner.

  Instead she fetched a shawl so that she could pace the grounds in view of the front drive. It was hard, though, to remain passive, to sit idly by while the world was ruled by men.

  How different her life would be were she a male, Aurora reflected fiercely. How much more freedom she would have. She would have relished possessing a measure of control over her existence. Were she a man, she would have had the power to influence her own future… and others' as well.

  Perhaps then she could actually have helped Nicholas Sabine, instead of being forced by propriety to accept a woman's lot and wait impotently at home for word of his fate.

  The afternoon was well advanced by the time Percy returned home. Aurora had been watching for him anxiously from the drawing room and so was able to meet him at the front door.