Tides of Passion

by Sara Orwig

  “She would turn us over to the authorities instantly if she had a reason.”

  “You knew her loyalty to Spain and you didn’t tell me!”

  He shrugged. “I warned you to be careful. I know some, but I don’t know all who are spies. Just take care.” He lay down on the bed, his hands behind his head. His long lashes lowered. “I’ve ridden all day and all last night,” he said, his voice filled with weariness, and Lianna longed to move to the bed and stroke his brow.

  “You sound exhausted. Did you meet other Englishmen?”

  “Yes. I’ll go over the names with you. One of the wives, Lady Brenthaven, Señora Davio, will call soon.” He ran his fingers across his brow. “My past follows me. One of them, Lord Timothy Paddington, despises me.”

  “Oh, no!”

  He opened his eyes to stare at her. “I’ll try to control my temper, but he’s pushing. I think he wants me to call him out. It seems the man hates me.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “If only you truly did care, Lianna,” he said so tiredly that she stared at him. She had never seen him bone weary or heard him sound defeated as he did at this moment.

  “I must sleep,” he murmured, and within seconds his chest rose and fell evenly. Lianna sat quietly beside him, her emotions warring. She wanted to reach out and touch him, and finally leaned forward to turn a lock of his hair around her fingers. “Josh,” she whispered softly, her gaze resting on his mouth. Abruptly she went to her room and closed the door. Later, when she went up to freshen for dinner, Josh was gone and she dined alone.

  That night as she lay in bed she heard a scrape and turned to see Josh step through the open window from the balcony. Sitting up, she asked, “Why come in through the balcony?”

  He peered down at the darkened courtyard. “No one must know I’ve been gone, or where I’ve been. Someone could be watching the courtyard.”

  A shiver ran down her spine, and she worried over the weary note in his voice. “I didn’t hear you leave.”

  “I met with patriots.” He sat beside her on the edge of the bed. “If anything should happen to me, if you need help, tell Fletcher or Simms or our majordomo, Carlos.”

  She clutched her bended knees, gazing at Josh with fear in her blood. To hear his solemn tone now, when he had faced danger so recklessly in the past, increased her concern over the threat surrounding them.

  “There are adobe huts in the foothills of the Andes out of Santiago, where patriots hide. They would take you to safety, back to El Feroz.” His fingers brushed her shoulder and a sense of danger was replaced with consciousness of Josh Raven sitting so close, his fingers lightly playing with her hair, his gaze on her hungrily.

  “Does the revolution draw closer?” she asked, barely aware of the conversation, far more conscious of the intimacy of the darkened room. She could detect a masculine scent of leather in his clothing, and suddenly she ached to feel his arms around her.

  “No, there are too many obstacles. The Spaniards have a ring of defense around Santiago to the north, east, and south. To the west is the natural barrier of the Andes,” he answered, unable to remove his hand from her shoulder. The warm flesh beneath her gown was a torment and he felt a swift surge of desire. She was warm from the bed; her hair held a sweet scent that assailed his senses.

  “If there’s no revolution, will we return to El Feroz? How long will you wait?”

  “You’ll get home to England.”

  She bit her lip and turned her head away swiftly, her hair swirling over his hand.

  “That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

  “You taught me the ways of love, then abandoned me.”

  Stunned, he drew a sharp breath and his fists clenched. A muscle worked in his jaw. Suddenly he stood up and moved away, fighting with all his will the urge to pull her into his arms, to push her down beneath him and caress her. He swore softly, trying to gain control, keeping his back turned so she wouldn’t see his obvious rise of desire.

  “I did us both an injustice. But you should have told me your love for Edwin ran deep. And you should have confessed your Spanish ties.”

  “And have you slit my throat!”

  He turned. “I wouldn’t have, and you know it! As it is, how do I know what you’ve lied about? I’ve promised you your freedom,” he said harshly. “And then you can go home to Edwin, who will love you.”

  The promise that once would have sent her heart soaring now inflicted pain. Pain that she didn’t fully understand, but she understood something else. Josh Raven’s body couldn’t follow his heart. He desired her, and the knowledge made her burn with longing.

  He went to his room and closed the door between them. Lianna sank down, pulling the sheet to her chin, hurting with an empty ache.

  Two nights later it was time for the governor’s ball. Lianna’s anticipation outweighed her dread. Governor Francisco Marcheno would be there, but what sent her heart into a flutter was the prospect of getting to dance with Josh, to be held by him.

  As Madryn laid out Lianna’s dress on the bed, Lianna studied the yards of white gauze caught in swags held by tiny blue satin bows. With exquisite lace flounces edging the low-necked bodice and the elbow-length sleeves, it reminded Lianna of her wedding dress. She turned the simple gold band that bound her to Josh. To her amazement, the more time that passed without his kisses, the more acutely aware of him she became. She could not help but wonder what Josh’s reaction would be when she appeared.

  “I’ll comb your hair now, señora,” Madryn said in her soft voice.

  “This is my first ball,” Lianna said as she sat down for Madryn to work.

  “You’ll dazzle your handsome husband.” Madryn piled black curls on top of Lianna’s head, pinning them carefully while she continued to talk. “How wonderful it must be to be wed.”

  “Madryn, you’re in love!”

  The pink in Madryn’s cheeks gave an answer as well as her words. “Sí. And we’ll marry soon.”

  “Do I know him?”

  “No.” Madryn smiled. “He’s Rinaldo Sepulveda, a blacksmith.”

  “And he’s very handsome,” Lianna said, making Madryn giggle.

  “Oh, sí! Muy simpático—as is your husband. How fortunate you are, señora.”

  Lianna looked down a moment, fearful that Madryn might see the truth clearly. “Madryn, I had my seventeenth birthday just before the voyage here. How old are you?”

  “Eighteen last month.” She combed the long curls that tumbled down the back of Lianna’s head, then fastened tiny fresh gardenia blossoms in her hair. Their deep-scented sweetness and velvety white blossoms were a stark contrast to Lianna’s raven locks.

  Once dressed and ready, Lianna waited until the ponderous chime of the clock downstairs sounded, and she knew Josh would be ready.

  She descended the stairs to find Josh in the library. He stood before the empty fireplace, his broad back to her. Clad in an elegant coat cut away at the waist with the tails falling to the backs of his knees, he turned to face her. As tangible as if she had touched hot coals, a flame ran through her and it made her afraid. What if she came to love him, this man who was a pirate and lived only at sea?

  While he studied her languidly, Lianna assessed him as thoroughly. He looked every bit the Spanish grandee. The richly fashioned coat was cut in the Spanish style, with large wing lapels. His white cravat made his dark skin more appealing than ever; the points of his stepped collar covered the lower part of his firm jaw. In his hand was a glass of Madeira, which he placed on the table.

  “You’re very beautiful, Doña Lita,” he said, approaching her.

  “Mil gracias.” Her pulse sounded as he stopped inches from her. His gaze flicked past her to the open doorway, then returned.

  “You’ll conquer these Spaniards in a manner the rebels can never achieve,” he whispered, and her throat became too dry to answer because he meant what he said. It was not a flowery comment for the benefit of listening ears. It was a
whisper of open admiration.

  “We must go.” He stepped into the hall and waited while Fletcher assisted Lianna with a velvet cape.

  Once on their way, Lianna asked, “What will happen tonight if you encounter someone who knew Don Cristóbal in Spain?”

  “Then I’ll go to prison,” he said flatly.

  “If you go, then I too will be taken prisoner.”

  “Don’t fret. We’re a world away from Spain, and the Marqués de Aveiro had an unsavory reputation as an inveterate, dishonest gambler, which brought about his banishment to the colonies. He’d been forced to liquidate many of the holdings he had in Spain to meet his debts. The only living relative was a married sister who long ago refused to claim any relation to him. I don’t expect trouble from that direction.”

  “But if you’re wrong?”

  His voice was cool. “Then you’ll be arrested too.”

  “I pray I come out of this alive.”

  His mouth curved in a wicked grin. “And you don’t pray for my safety? Your husband, who every day treads an increasingly dangerous path?”

  “’Tis your own choosing!”

  “But you should pray for me as well! I’m the barrier between you and danger, mi amor! Pray for me to save your precious skin.”

  “I pray you don’t abandon me here when you go! You’re ruled by hatred.”

  He flushed and leaned forward, startling her. “Lianna, I’d like to see you unmoved if people you loved, your own blood kin, were treated as Phillip and Terrence were. My crewmen had been with me on voyages, some since I was a lad…”

  The words poured out with such pain she wished she could help him erase the memories. His voice shook with grief, and she saw again the vulnerable side to him.

  “If I began to describe the horrors to you, you’d retch.”

  “Josh, I’m sorry,” she whispered, touching his arm and suffering over his expression.

  He leaned closer, his fists doubled, more handsome than any other man she had known, racked with agony. “When I think of what we could have had, Lianna, I…” He flung himself back against the seat.

  Lianna was stunned. There could be only one reason he was so distraught—he cared for her to some degree.

  Her thoughts swirled and spun; then the carriage halted.

  Josh clenched his jaws, stiffening his shoulders. The evening would be tedious, because they always ran a risk of discovery, more so tonight in the crowd, when they would draw so much attention. Lianna would turn heads. Her wide blue eyes were filled with shock.

  How close he had come to admitting the struggle within. He couldn’t get her out of his blood! He thought he had succeeded on board ship, only to find when he caught her scent of roses, when he saw her blue eyes warm with laughter, his heart stopped beating for a moment. And each night in his room was torture. Would he ever get over her? Grimly he stepped down and offered her his hand. Lianna took his hand. The harsh set had returned to his features, yet she realized he was suffering an inner struggle.

  Later, when she watched him move through the crowd, acknowledging introductions smoothly, it seemed impossible that he had sounded hurt.

  The large hall was ablaze with lights. They moved into the ballroom to the receiving lines, and each new face was a momentary threat to Lianna. Josh leaned close to whisper, “There, my dear, is the man who was to have been your relative by marriage—Governor Francisco Marcheno.”

  Curiosity made her study the black-haired man, who was as tall as Josh. His nose was long and thin above his thick lips. When Lianna reached him, he took her hand to welcome her.

  “Bienvenidos a Santiago!”

  His protruding cold black eyes glittered like small bits of obsidian, with pouches of fat beneath, causing Lianna to think he resembled an evil toad waiting to swallow an unsuspecting insect. A chill touched her, as if a draft of cold air had blown across her nape. Briefly she forgot her surroundings and saw only Governor Marcheno. Perhaps the Count of Marcheno resembled his cousin. And instead of being wed to such a man, she had married Josh Raven. Something constricted around her heart. A feeling of relief was matched by a dull pain. Home and England were far away. They were beginning to lose significance.

  Governor Marcheno’s eyes narrowed and he looked at her quizzically. “How lovely you are, marquesa.” He raised her hand to his lips.

  “Gracias, your excellency,” Lianna replied, and as she withdrew her fingers, her gaze lowered to his hand. A golden ring circled Francisco Marcheno’s thick index finger: the familiar serpent’s head with a ruby eye, its fangs bared.

  Beside her Josh commented lightly, “My wife is intrigued by your serpent ring.”

  “The serpent ready to strike—the Marcheno crest. And you are fortunate enough to be the marquesa’s husband, eh? Welcome to Santiago.”

  “Thank you. I’ve waited a long time to get here.”

  “I hope it’s everything you expect. Later we’ll talk.”

  They walked along. Josh’s hand on her elbow steadied her. “I thought you might faint before,” he said. “Are you ill?”

  She glanced up, expecting some more of Josh’s mischief, but his expression was solemn. “I realized what my future might have been,” she answered. His eyes darkened, but he said nothing.

  “Buenas noches,” a feminine voice intoned. Lianna turned to face a tall black-haired woman. Her softly modulated Spanish was spoken in a sultry voice, and she looked at Josh with open approval, barely giving a nod to Lianna while she introduced herself as Salina Marcheno, the governor’s wife.

  As they walked away, Lianna said, “You court danger.”

  “Aye, I like a challenge—and accepted one too many.”

  “And that was?”

  “You have to ask?” he said softly.

  “I can’t be a challenge to you.”

  He leaned back, his brows arching as he looked at her. “My dear wife, your big blue eyes throw out a constant challenge. The words between us dredge up a gauntlet.”

  “That’s absurd!” she protested, yet her pulse skittered with an exhilarating swiftness.

  “No, it’s not. You’ve just heightened it,” he drawled with a lazy smile. “See what happens when we look into each other’s eyes? When we touch our fingers together. The slightest contact is provocation, Lianna.”

  He watched her closely while he talked, and she couldn’t deny what happened between them. His smile was mocking as he turned to walk beside her. They moved down the receiving line, then various guests approached to meet and chat with them. The profusion of new names and faces swirled in Lianna’s head, but several stood out from the crowd. Young matrons, both Spanish and Creole, promised to call on Lianna. One, Señora Vachon, took Lianna’s arm. “Marquesa, General Farjado insists on an introduction.”

  Lianna looked into the black eyes of a handsome Spaniard. His green uniform was decorated with a chest full of medals. He smiled and took her hand to raise it to his lips, while his eyes never left hers. “Santiago has gained a ravishing new flower.”

  “Gracias,” Lianna replied, slightly amused by his compliment. “Santiago is a beautiful town.”

  He released her hand and smiled. “When the dancing commences, will your husband allow me the privilege?”

  “Sí,” Lianna replied, sure that Josh wouldn’t care.

  “Ah.” General Farjado’s eyes burned with satisfaction. “Were I your husband, I fear I wouldn’t be so generous.” He glanced beyond her at the receiving line. “I see the reception is over—shortly it will be time for the dance.”

  She realized her experiences had changed her since she had sailed from Portsmouth. Her father had never allowed her to do frivolous things. Because of her youth and inexperience, not too many months earlier, this lavish ball, men flirting, and the new, intricate dance steps would have frightened her. Now she could accept all with a poise she had acquired during the last year. Girlhood seemed far behind her, and she wondered how much she had changed due to Josh’s influence.r />
  While General Farjado remained beside her, Lianna watched as the musicians gathered on a dais behind a row of potted palms. With the strumming of guitars, the governor led off the first dance with his wife. Within minutes, others began to drift to the dance floor.

  Lianna’s gaze drifted across the room to the dark head that showed above most of the guests. Josh stood half-facing her, talking to a striking brown-haired woman. His white teeth showed as he smiled broadly, a quick glance flicking toward Lianna. He laughed, and Lianna wondered what the two discussed. The same constriction she had experienced earlier returned. One look at him made her heartbeat change. Breaking into her thoughts, General Farjado made a slight bow and offered his arm.

  “Your husband is occupied. May I have this dance?”

  She smiled, and General Farjado took her into his arms to dance, whirling her around the floor. Lianna studied his thick black hair, the convex curve of his nose and full sensual lips. She decided he was slightly taller than Josh, heavier, yet handsome in a swarthy manner, and far younger than she would have guessed a general might be. She voiced aloud her thoughts about his rank, bringing a smile to his lips. “Sometimes one moves up rapidly in war. I fought in the Spanish Army against Napoleon. And there are many opportunities in the colonies. That’s why I came, as well as three of my brothers.” He glanced across the room. “Your husband has already seized upon the opportunities.”

  “How’s that?”

  He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You don’t know? Perhaps I’ve revealed a secret. I refer to the estate he won at the gaming tables. He’s a formidable gambler.” His black eyes bore into hers. “One must never underestimate an opponent.” The words were cold, yet General Farjado smiled disarmingly. A foreboding of danger ran secondary to her surprise at learning about Josh’s gambling prowess.

  The general danced in a wide circle, and she glimpsed Josh, now standing beside a golden-haired woman dressed in blue silk. He looked into Lianna’s eyes while the woman leaned forward to whisper something to him, making him laugh. Then Lianna turned, and Josh was gone from sight.