He put down the kettle and pulled her arms away from her body. “From this day forth, Valentina, the only person you have to answer to is me, and I am in your thrall. You are the mistress of my heart.”
Her smile returned and she watched him pour another cauldron of hot water into the tub, then add cooler water, bit by bit, from a third ewer.
“Tell me when it’s the right temperature,” he said.
She bent over and twirled a finger in the water. “It’s perfect now.”
“Oh,” she exclaimed when he picked her up and stepped into the tub. She clung to his neck, laughing as he sat down with a splash.
He turned her so they faced each other, then gripped the sides and lay back, his knees and the clear evidence of his desire protruding out of the water. “Now, where’s the soap?” he asked.
The giddy grin disappeared. Lust smoldered in her eyes as she stared at his cock. He’d never felt so desired as a man.
She retrieved the soap, lathered up her hands and reached for him. He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes and surrendered to her loving touch.
It was difficult to remain composed during the luncheon hosted by the Governor. Valentina was certain the older guests who formed the majority must be aware of how the newly-weds had spent the morning. Especially if her face was as flushed as Elena’s.
Ambrosio and her father attempted humor in their polite speeches, but it was clear both men were finding it difficult to acknowledge their little girls were now married women.
The invited dignitaries responded with subdued applause and raised glasses of champagne at the appropriate moments.
Amusement danced in Santiago’s brown eyes.
Valentina leaned close to his ear. “It’s as though we are back in Madrid.”
“With the notable exception of your dueña,” he remarked softly.
Manuela did, indeed, look years younger. “I’ve never seen her smile so much.”
“She’s happy for you. You are no longer her responsibility and she’s relieved I’ll take care of you.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I like the sound of that.”
A polite cough from her father served as a reminder of decorum and she sat back properly in her chair, still aware of Santiago’s nearness despite the space between them.
She returned Elena’s bright-eyed grin from across the table. It was a shared recognition they had both graduated into a world of public correctness and private abandon.
She deliberately touched her knee to Santiago’s under the table, wickedly thankful.
Partnership
Later that afternoon, Emilio and Santiago were glad to escape a salon full of cigar-smoking, tipsy worthies spouting ribald comments about the pitfalls of married life, and making less than subtle inferences about the absolute necessity of taking a mistress. They made the excuse that Santiago wanted to show off his ship to his little brother.
“Let’s pray we never turn into such boors,” Emilio declared as they made their way down the coast road.
Santiago shook his head. “We won’t. We’re our father’s sons, and Valentina is more than enough woman for me.”
Emilio nodded. “I would never put my relationship with Elena at risk.”
“We’re lucky men,” Santiago asserted, his heart at peace.
On board the Santa María, Emilio put a firm hand on Santiago’s shoulder as they stood together on the fore-deck. “Never thought I’d see this old girl again,” he said with a smile.
His brother’s presence aboard his ship confirmed for Santiago that the promise of an exciting and prosperous future and the happy years of the past had joined to make the circle complete. “Careful,” he admonished playfully, “you’ll hurt her feelings. She’s got years left in her yet.”
“Still some hurricane damage, I see,” Emilio remarked.
“Sí, but she weathered it a great deal better than the ship we were chasing.”
Emilio was the only person entrusted with the reasons for the pursuit of the shipwrecked British vessel. He braced both hands on the mainmast and looked up into the rigging. “I’ll warrant the Lively wasn’t made in the shipyards at Cádiz.” He narrowed his eyes. “Is that a drac on your pennant?”
The Santa María flew the colors of their homeland, but the pirate devil in Santiago had convinced him to keep the dragon as part of his personal pennant. “Just a reminder of another life,” he confessed.
“What do you say to having it on the company pennant?”
Too choked up to reply, Santiago embraced his brother.
When they broke apart, Emilio said, “Let’s go to my vessel and work out the details of our partnership.”
Valentina felt the bed sag under Santiago’s weight. She opened her eyes and turned to face him. “I meant to nap for just a few minutes after the last guests left, but I must have fallen asleep.”
He kissed her nose. “A nap before dinner sounds good. Emilio and I talked for hours.”
She snuggled into him, inhaling the smell of the sea on his clothing. “I’m glad you had a chance to spend time with him alone before he and Elena leave for Spain. I wish they were staying.”
He sifted his fingers through her hair. “They’ll be back from time to time, and we’ll make new friends and acquaintances once we find a house and get settled.”
“I thought you’d want to live aboard the Santa María,” she teased.
He hesitated before replying. “She’s going back to España.”
Her spirits fell. “You’re leaving me?”
“Never,” he assured her. “Christian will be in command. He’s to oversee the building of new ships in Cádiz, then accompany part of the more modern fleet back here. Emilio and I plan to build a shipping company that will dominate trade in the Spanish colonies. There is so much potential now the war is over. Cuba will serve as our base in the Caribbean.”
“What about the rest of your crew?”
“All good men, including Collins, by the way, who will sail with Christian. It’s up to them whether they stay in Spain or return to the Americas.”
“If it was me, I would come back to the Americas,” she replied. “My heart is here.”
“Of course I am, Cariña,” he teased.
Santiago teased his wife, but in truth he was overjoyed she wanted to live in Cuba. “I have no desire to return to Spain,” he confessed. “The New World holds more promise for us.”
“And our children,” she added.
“Sí,” he replied, nibbling her earlobe.
He slipped into a doze, dreaming of Valentina round with his niño, giving thanks that he’d found a wife who gave freely of her bounty.
His marauding days were over.
Historical Footnotes
NEW TERRITORY
My regular readers will recognize that this story is a departure from my usual time period and settings. I thoroughly enjoyed researching the 18th century era of conflict over the European colonies in the Americas. I confess to having not been aware that Florida once belonged to Spain, and that the British at one time occupied Havana, Cuba.
I’ve crammed many fascinating historical tidbits into the tale!
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
I have used terms such as blacks, negro, mulatto and Chinaman in the way they would have been used at the time, and my intent was not to cast racial slurs. You can hopefully discern my personal feelings about racial inequality and colonial exploitation from the actions and attitudes of my hero and heroine.
PIRACY
You might be interested in this website about how pirates stalked and captured their prey.
www.pirateshowcancun.com/blog/famous-buccaneer-blaggards/how-pirates-captured-ships/
SPAIN
There has been regional conflict in Spain for hundreds of years. Even today, Catalonia is struggling to assert its independence, and the Basques have waged a sometimes violent campaign against the central government in Madrid.
Catalan is the official
language of Catalonia and neighboring Andorra.
Andalusia is the southernmost and hottest region of Spain and was for centuries ruled by the Moors as Al-andalus.
The drac I’ve depicted is actually a mythical symbol of Catalonian folklore, the Viper or Wyvern, but I shifted it to Andalusia because I thought it would make a good pirate flag.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_dragon#Iberian_dragons
Montserrat is a famous Catalonian mountain range near Barcelona.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat_(mountain)
ST. AUGUSTINE
I have used the Spanish name in my story. I became aware of some of the history of this city thanks to The Antiques Road Show. I was inspired by the star-shaped fortress, the Castillo de San Marcos, to write about the people who lived in what was then Spanish territory, and the pirates who roamed the Spanish Main.
FORT MOSE
Fascinating history!
http://www.blackpast.org/aah/fort-mose-florida
GUANTANAMO
Though synonymous nowadays with the US Detention Center located there, Guantanamo is actually a large province in south-eastern Cuba with an extensive coastline. Guantanamo is also the name of the principal city. The US base, which did not exist at the time of my story, occupies a relatively small area at the mouth of the bay.
SHIPS
Santa María is, of course, a name that recurs throughout Spanish history, beginning with the ship that Columbus sailed to the New World in 1492. It’s not surprising, given the deeply Roman Catholic beliefs held by most Spaniards for centuries.
The Royal Navy ship HMS Lively did exist. It was never shipwrecked. In 1759 she was under the command of Fredrick Maitland. He did not die in Cuba. The sorry tale of why Collins, the cabin boy, ran away to sea was all too real for many children.
HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY
Founded in 1670, this Company still exists today as a retail giant in Canada. It had its beginnings in the North American fur trade, accumulating enormous wealth through the supply of beaver pelts to satisfy the insatiable demand among European gentlemen for felt top hats. It is the oldest chartered company in North America.
The similarity of its flag to the Royal Navy’s Red Ensign was too tempting not to make use of!
SATURIWA
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturiwa
Athore was the name of the son of Saturiwa who was chief when his people first came into contact with Europeans, hundreds of years before this story.
EMANCIPATION
The article on Fort Mosé has interesting information about freed slaves in Spanish territories.
TREATY OF PARIS 1763
history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/treaty-of-paris
This website underscores the importance of Cuba in the negotiations to end the Seven Years War.
HAITI
At the time of this story, Haiti did belong to France, but it was known as Saint-Domingue.
18TH CENTURY SPANISH WEDDINGS
Arrha was a traditional wedding gift of thirteen coins given to the bride by her groom as a token of his support. The mother of the groom usually walked him down the aisle. The bride had no attendants and often wore black. Santiago’s wedding would not have taken place in the Basilica de San Francisco de Asis. It was never used again for religious ceremonies after the departure of the British. Roman Catholics believed it had been defiled by the Anglican observances. Nowadays, it is used for concert recitals.
SPANISH GOVERNORS
Ambrosio de Funes Villalpondo was in fact appointed Governor of Cuba after the British occupation of Havana
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosio_de_Funes_Villalpando
The last governor of Florida who oversaw the evacuation of Floridians after the territory was ceded to the British was Melchor Filiú.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melchor_Feli%C3%BA
I tinkered with the names a little. Neither man had a daughter, as far as I know. Valentina and Elena are figments of my imagination.
SPANISH MARINES
An elite branch of the Spanish navy, widely blamed for the fall of Havana to the British.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Navy_Marines
INQUISITION
The Spanish Inquisition lasted for several hundred years until its abolition in 1834. The article I’ve cited focuses on its attitude towards sodomy since that it what Santiago was accused of. It is unlikely a flight to Florida would have solved his problem since the Inquisition carried on its reign of terror in all the Spanish colonies.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition#Sodomy
CARLOS III
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_III_of_Spain
MACARONI
You may remember James Cagney’s Yankee Doodle, a song that originated about the time of the Seven Years War.
Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni.
There are excellent pictures here
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroni_(fashion)
The Ravishing Rees
Pirates of Britannia
Rosamund Winchester
About the Book
Born into a murky legacy, Robert “Robbie” Bowlin lives a life of danger, fleshly pleasure, and thievery—never once forgetting about the father who’d died, rambling about ‘that bastard Rees’. When Robbie discovers something that compels him to Wales, he is sure his answers are within reach. But his search for the truth of his heritage brings him to the brink of death when the ship he’s sailing on goes down in a storm.
Glynnis Rees washed her hands of the Rees family long ago—but best laid plans often fail. When a ravishing, dark-haired stranger washes up on her beach, she takes him in, only to realize he looks too much like those Rees’ she’d damned to hell.
But she just can’t turn him away, not when everything within her yearns for his touch…his kisses…his heart.
Robbie can’t believe his luck when he awakens in the bed of the most beautiful and infuriatingly stubborn woman he’s ever met. Though happy to seduce the widow, something within him wants more. She is a siren, enchanting him, making him want things he could never have. Suddenly, Robbie is thrust into a world of piracy and smuggling—and into a fiery passion with a woman even the Ravishing Robbie cannot tame.
When danger rides in on a dark tide, Robbie and Glynnis must battle to survive the storm. But can two wayward hearts find solid ground when everything around them is sinking?
This is a romantic and sultry tale of love and family from debut author, Rosamund Winchester.
To my nemesis, the sea. You are beautiful, and you are vicious. I live in fear and awe of you.
Acknowledgments
I absolutely must thank Kathryn Le Veque and Eliza Knight for inviting me to take part in the amazing, heart pounding world of the Pirates of Britannia. I am honored to write this book as part of this series. A huge thanks to Kim Killion for the gorgeous cover, to Lynne Pearson for the spectacular editing, and to all my readers who’re willing to take a chance on pirate romance.
Legend of the Pirates of Britannia
In the year of our Lord 854, a wee lad by the name of Arthur MacAlpin set out on an adventure that would turn the tides of his fortune, for what could be more exciting than being feared and showered with gold?
Arthur wanted to be king. A sovereign as great as King Arthur, who came hundreds of years before him. The legendary knight who was able to pull a magical sword from stone, met ladies in lakes and vanquished evil with a vast following who worshipped him. But while that King Arthur brought to mind dreamlike images of a roundtable surrounded by chivalrous knights and the ladies they romanced, MacAlpin wanted to summon night terrors from every babe, woman and man.
Aye, MacAlpin, king of the pirates of Britannia would be a name most feared. A name that crossed children’s lips when the candles were blown out at night. When a shadow passed over a wall, was it the pirate king? When a sh
ip sailed into port in the dark hours of night, was it him?
As the fourth son of the conquering Pictish King Cináed, Arthur wanted to prove himself to his father. He wanted to make his father proud, and show him that he, too, could be a conqueror. King Cináed was praised widely for having run off the Vikings, for saving his people, for amassing a vast and strong army. No one would dare encroach on his conquered lands when they would have to face the end of his blade.
Arthur wanted that, too. He wanted to be feared. Awed. To hold his sword up and have devils come flying from the tip.
So, it was on a fateful summer night in 854 that, at the age of ten and nine, Arthur amassed a crew of young and roguish Picts and stealthily commandeered one of his father’s ships. They blackened the sails to hide them from those on watch and began an adventure that would last a lifetime and beyond.
The lads trolled the seas, boarding ships and sacking small coastal villages. In fact, they even sailed so far north as to raid a Viking village in the name of his father. By the time they returned to Oban, and the seat of King Cináed, all of Scotland was raging about Arthur’s atrocities. Confused, he tried to explain, but his father would not listen and would not allow him back into the castle.
King Cináed banished his youngest son from the land, condemned his acts as evil and told him he never wanted to see him again.
Enraged and experiencing an underlying layer of mortification, Arthur took to the seas, gathering men as he went, and building a family he could trust that would not shun him. They ravaged the sea as well as the land—using his clan’s name as a lasting insult to his father for turning him out.
The legendary Pirate King was rumored to be merciless, the type of vengeful pirate who would drown a babe in his mother’s own milk if she didn’t give him the pearls at her neck. But with most rumors, they were mostly steeped in falsehoods meant to intimidate. In fact, there may have been a wee boy or two he saved from an untimely fate. Whenever they came across a lad or lass in need, as Arthur himself had once been, they took them into the fold.
Pirates of Britannia Box Set Page 33
