by Anne Herries
‘Supposing he tries to take me back by force?’
‘He did not demand your return. There was something he wanted more.’
‘Something he wants more than his own daughter?’ Maribel was intrigued.
‘I suspect that I have the only copy of the map leading to his silver mines in the New World.’ Justin’s eyes were on her face. ‘It was the map he demanded in return for a ransom.’
‘A map that reveals the location of rich silver mines?’ Maribel was stunned. ‘How did you come by such a thing?’
‘It was in a small chest I took from the captain of the Juanita. No one but me knows of its existence. If my men learned of such a map, they might wish to exploit it, for there is a fortune to be made from these mines.’
‘You could be rich beyond your wildest dreams.’ She saw his smile and bit her lip. ‘Is that why you refused his truce?’
‘You must know it was not my main reason for refusing?’ Justin laughed softly as her eyes widened. ‘Wealth is not my driving ambition. I am not sure what should happen to the map, but I was not willing to send you back to him once I understood what he intended for you.’
‘Oh…’ Her breath came faster as she gazed into his eyes. Was he telling her that she was more important than the treasure map? ‘Will you keep the map?’
‘Perhaps…’ Justin’s eyes were on her face. ‘What do you think I should do with such a map? It must be worth a great deal for your father to offer a large sum of gold for its return but some would say the mine is stained with the blood of those that died there.’
‘I…do not know what you should do,’ she said and shivered at the thought of what had happened at the mine. ‘But if my father wants that map, he may try to get it back. He may send ships and men to look for you.’
‘He might try. I have refused his offer. I shall not return the map, at least until I have considered more. Captain Hendry was brave enough to say that he would take the message.’ Justin suddenly grinned at her. ‘I told you once before, I do not fear Don Sabatini.’
‘Is there anything you fear—anything that causes you pain?’
His eyes clouded, his manner becoming reserved. ‘If there were, I should not tell you, Maribel. Such things are best unspoken.’
She felt a withdrawal in him and was sorry. Did he have a dark secret that he kept hidden?
* * *
Justin frowned as he watched her go below. He thought that she had begun to trust him a little, but he was not certain how he felt about the beautiful Spanish woman. It was true that he found her desirable. From the first moment he saw her standing so defiantly in her cabin he had wanted to make love to her. Being close to her was enough to make him burn with the need to kiss and hold her, the need to feel her heart beating next to his, to have her in his bed—but there were so many barriers between them. She thought of him as a pirate and a rogue, and although she had accepted that he was her only hope of reaching England and freedom, he was not certain that she would ever like him.
He had told her about the map to gauge her reaction, but she had no interest in it, and he was sure she thought it should be destroyed—that the blood of the murdered slaves tainted the mine. At first he had looked for something of her father in her, for a sign that she would betray him if she had the chance, but the more he spoke with her the more certain he became that she was innocent. She was certainly proud and wilful, but now that she had stopped fighting him, he found her too attractive for his peace of mind. Something inside him wanted to take away the look of anxiety from her eyes, to hold her and comfort her, and assure her that nothing would ever harm her again.
A rueful smile touched his mouth. Justin had loved once with all his heart, but the girl he would have made his wife had died suddenly of a fever a few days before their wedding. He had vowed that he would never allow himself to feel that kind of love again, to feel the deep dark despair and the pain that had almost torn him apart.
It was because of Angeline’s death that he had become involved with the wild friends that had talked of deposing Queen Mary and setting Princess Elizabeth in her place. His despair had led him to drink too much and become careless—and that was what had brought him to his present situation.
Justin could never ask a woman to marry him, because he was a pirate and he had nothing to offer a decent woman…a woman like Maribel Sanchez.
He should put all thought of her from his mind and make arrangements to restore her to her family as soon as he could. In the meantime it would be better to avoid her company. Being close to her made him think of what might have been—what might be in the future if things were different.
* * *
Hearing the knock at her cabin door, Maribel looked up in surprise as the captain walked in. For a moment her heart pounded, but in an instant, she saw that he had not come with seduction on his mind.
‘I thought you might like this, to help you pass the time,’ Justin said, and handed Maribel a small book. It was bound in leather and looked as if it had been much used. ‘It is written in English, but I think you understand the language well enough to enjoy it.’
‘That is kind of you,’ she said. ‘Sometimes the days are long on board ship.’ Opening the pages, she saw it was a book of poetry and exclaimed with pleasure. ‘Oh, how lovely. I shall truly enjoy reading this, Captain Sylvester.’
‘I thought you might,’ he said and smiled. ‘I shall not keep you longer, but finding the book amongst my things made me think that it might please you.’
Maribel stroked the worn leather with her hands reverently. The book contained an anthology of poems by different poets, but as she touched it, she noticed that it fell open at one particular place again and again. Glancing at the poem, she was struck by the title.
‘A Lover’s Lullaby’ by George Cascoigne, she read aloud in wonder, for she would not have thought that such a poem would hold the captain’s interest time and again
Sing lullaby, as women do
Wherewith they bring their babes to rest;
And Lullaby can I sing too,
As womanly as can the best.
With lullaby they still the child;
And if I be not much beguiled,
For man a wanton babe have I,
Which must be stilled with lullaby.
Her eyes scanned the following verses, which told a sad but poignant tale, of a woman who, it seemed had borne children out of wedlock, and must pay the price.
It was a beautiful set of verses, and yet Maribel wondered why it had drawn the captain to it so many times.
* * *
Maribel had been taking the air on deck. The sun was very warm and she fanned herself lazily, looking out across the water. They had been at sea for several days now and the weather had remained fine all that time.
She saw Captain Sylvester coming to meet her and waited for him to reach her. Although she had decided to trust him, Maribel never sought him out herself. She tried to keep a little distance between them—she was afraid that if she once let down her guard she would not be able to raise it again, and she suspected that he did the same.
‘Have we much longer to go until we reach the island?’
‘Are you impatient to get there?’ Justin raised his brows.
‘I am just curious. Where is this island?’
‘It is one of a group off the coast of Greece. You may know that there are thousands of islands in the Aegean? Some are inhabited, many are not. We have made it our own and a small community awaits our return.’
‘And is your community known to the wider world?’
‘The approach is through a channel of dangerous rocks that keep unwanted visitors at bay. One day we may be discovered, but for the moment it is a haven for us and others of our kind.’
‘You could not have taken me to England first?’
‘I must honour my word to my men. Once we have settled our business there I shall do as you ask me, Madonna. You have my word that no man will touch you with
out your permission. You are under my protection until I can get you to your family.’
‘I believe you,’ she said. ‘But I must ask, how long must pass before we can sail for England?’
‘There are things I must do at the island. Besides, we must wait until Hendry joins us. He will have given my message to your father—and he will bring his answer back.’
‘Are you certain of that?’ Maribel gazed into his eyes. ‘My father might decide to hang Captain Hendry and keep your ship.’
‘Hendry understood the risks, but he volunteered to take the message. I wanted your father to understand that there will be no truce between us.’ Justin frowned. ‘In return Hendry will own his ship and may sail where he wishes under his own command. Whatever happens, I shall take you to England—and find someone to care for you. You have my word.’
‘Why should you do so much for me?’
‘My word is my bond,’ Justin told her, a harsh note in his voice. ‘I think you have had little reason to trust the word of any man, lady—but I have told you you can trust mine.’ His eyes glowed with fire as he looked down at her, causing her stomach to spasm with nerves. ‘You tempt me more than you will ever know, yet I shall not force you—nor yet persuade you. You are as safe from me as any other man of my crew. Only if you came to me of your own free will would I make you mine.’
‘What do you mean?’ she whispered, a strange mixture of fear and hope spreading through her.
‘I am not in a position to offer marriage to any woman,’ he said and a little nerve flicked in his throat. ‘Since I do not wish to live alone for the rest of my life I may take a mistress…’
‘Why can you not marry? Are you married—is there someone anticipating your return?’ Her mouth was dry as she waited for his answer, which was a while in coming. ‘Someone you love?’
‘There was once a woman I loved.’ He frowned and looked into the distance. ‘That was long ago, before I became what I am now. No one waits for me and I have no wife. Love is something I cannot afford, Maribel. It softens a man and makes him weak—but I would be generous to any woman I took as my partner in life. She would have to be the right kind of woman, one who could share the hardships of the life I live.’
Maribel drew a deep breath. What was he saying to her—that she could be his mistress if she chose? Or was he telling her that she was the wrong kind of woman? She knew that he desired her, and suspected that it would be heaven to lie with him. Part of her yearned to tell him that she would rather sail the seas as his woman than be wife to any other man, but something held her back. She knew nothing of this man or his hopes and dreams. It would be foolish to imagine that she could be more than a temporary amusement to such a man.
‘I accept your word that I shall be safe on the island,’ she said at last. ‘It seems that there are some honourable men left. My husband was one such man and perhaps you are another.’
‘You told me your husband loved you—but did you love him? Are you still grieving for him?’
‘Yes, I loved Pablo. I did not wish to marry again, but my father forced me to agree.’
She had loved Pablo, but she was beginning to understand that perhaps she had only ever loved him as a brother. However, she could not admit the truth to this man.
‘And you truly wish to find your mother’s family?’
‘Yes…’ she whispered, though her heart spoke otherwise.
She could not deny the strong attraction he had for her, the way something deep inside called to him, but he had spoken of taking a mistress. He did not need or want a wife. She was sure that he had been warning her to keep her distance, for he felt the attraction too. He would take her as his mistress and treat her well for as long as it pleased him but then, when it was over, she would be truly alone.
At least he had been honest with her and she must respect him for that, but there could be nothing more than a wary friendship between them.
Justin inclined his head. ‘You will excuse me, lady. I have much to do.’
‘Yes,’ she said and smiled at him. ‘I must not keep you from your work. I know I must often be in your way when I come on deck…’
‘You would never be in my way,’ he replied, and for a moment the heat in his eyes seared her.
Maribel went below to her cabin, feeling restless. Sometimes when the pirate captain looked at her that way she had feelings that were hard to ignore. Without his realising it, he had lit a fire inside her and she could not ignore it no matter how hard she tried.
It was merely physical. The result of a marriage that had not satisfied the woman in her. She had not realised then how much she would have missed as Pablo’s wife, but she was beginning to understand now. There was something inside her that craved the kind of love she should have known with her husband—but it was the bold pirate who filled her dreams and made her restless, not her gentle husband. Yet it would not be just physical for her, because if she gave herself she would give her heart and he wanted only her body. He had loved a woman once and he did not wish to love again. Could she be content with such an arrangement?
A part of her cried out that she would take what happiness she could, but her mind denied it. She might long for the kind of loving that she had never known with her husband, but to love and not be loved in return would break her heart.
‘Forgive me, Pablo,’ she whispered, saying goodbye to the memories she had treasured. No longer a child, she felt that she was at the threshold of becoming a woman—if only she had the courage to step over.
* * *
Justin watched the woman as she stood at the prow of the ship, her long hair blowing softly in the breeze. She had abandoned her formal ringlets and the new style suited her. There was pride in every line of her body. She was a true lady and it showed in all she did, in her every movement and her speech. Her smile was an enchantment, though it was seen seldom enough. Sometimes when, as now, she stood staring out to sea, there was an air of sadness about her that wrenched at his heart. He could only guess at the causes. Was she missing her home or her husband?
Justin was aware of a nagging jealousy. Pablo Sanchez must have been a true man to hold her heart beyond the grave. Given the choice she would remain faithful to her dead husband, but for how long? Anger stirred in him. She should not be allowed to waste her life in regret for a man who could no longer hold or love her. Such beauty should be for the living.
Seeing her day by day as they sailed, spending a few moments in her company, explaining the way the sails were worked and the tools that he used for reading the stars to guide them on their journey, had brought him to a closer understanding with her. Her eyes no longer held that faint hint of fear whenever he approached. He believed she was beginning to trust him, to respect his word—but did she like him? Did she feel anything more than respect?
Justin had given his word that she would be safe from him and his crew. He had told her that she must come to him willingly, but he did not believe that it would happen. It would have been better to have taken her to England, given her money and let her find her own family, but the crew might have mutinied.
No, he would not lie to himself. He could have found a way to persuade them, but he had not wanted to part from her too soon. She drew him like a moth to a flame, but he knew that he would be foolish to hope that a woman like Maribel Sanchez would look twice at a pirate. Her world was not the one he had chosen; there was too wide a divide between them and he did not see how it could be crossed, except in a way that would shame her.
His smile was wry. Of late she had spoken softly to him, but at the start there had been such contempt in her voice when she spoke of pirates. She had challenged him so proudly and her contempt stung. He had been born to a proud family. There were times when he thought of his home longingly, but how could he ever return? One day Queen Mary would die and, pray God, Elizabeth would reign in her stead. He knew that the charges of treason would then be dropped, but there might be others in their place. He had incited m
en to mutiny. He had preyed on merchant ships, and the ships of friendly countries, also the Mistress Susanna, which was an English ship. He could not shame his father by returning to a trial and a hanging.
At the start he had been carried along by his sense of fair play and justice. The men had been ill treated and Captain Smythe had deserved what happened, perhaps more. Had he left the men to their own devices and gone to France to his cousins, Justin might have been able to return home, but it was too late. In Maribel’s eyes he had seen the disgust and contempt that his mother would feel if she learned what her son had become.
Justin had not sent word to let his parents know he was still alive. Better that they should think him dead than know what trade he followed…
* * *
Maribel sighed as she brushed her hair. The weather had been so hot these past days, and the ship had been becalmed for a short time, making a long journey seem endless. She was desperate to go ashore again, though nervous of what awaited her at their journey’s end. The atmosphere on board ship had become increasingly excited and tense as the ship drew nearer to its destination. The men could hardly wait for the promised time on shore and the division of spoils.
She had heard that some of the islands in the Caribbean had been for some time the haunt of pirates, and the seas about them were said to be a lawless place, but she had heard nothing of this island in the Aegean. She knew however that Corsairs haunted the Mediterranean seas, many of them from the Ottoman Empire. Her father had dismissed all pirates as thieves and rogues and spoken of a need for the seas to be swept clean by a sufficient force of ships ranged against them.
‘While that nest of rats is allowed to survive we shall none of us be safe from these rogues,’ she had heard him say more than once.
However, she knew that it was easier to talk of gathering a force to move against the brethren of the seas than to actually do it. Rich merchants cursed the pirates that preyed on them, but to fit out ships for battle was costly and wasted time that might be put to better effect. In truth, it was unlikely that it would happen unless several countries banded together.
