The Captain's Surrender (Currents of Love Book 6)

by Emilee Harris

  “Gavin!” Lenore retreated from the stranger standing in place of her brother. “How could ye consider such a thing? What if Aam—” here she hesitated, unwilling to speak on so intimate a topic even with her brother, a physician. “What if there’s a bairn?” She whispered.

  Gavin let out a harsh sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “We could find some other—”

  “Nae!” She insisted. “Ah willnae hae ye even make th’ statement,” she glared at her brother.

  “Lenore,” his shoulders sagged, and his words drifted to her wearily. “Ah understand yer concern an’ yer upset, but mah concern right now is nae th’ possibility ay a bairn, mah concern is th’ very real possible danger presented tae ye, an’ your welfare should ye marry Daniel.”

  “Ah love him,” Lenore admitted, tears stinging her eyes.

  Gavin approached her and folded her into a hug. “Ah ken ‘at,” he acknowledged. “Aam guessin’ he’s th’ one you’ve been pinin’ fur all this time?”

  She nodded, sniffling into his crisp white shirt.

  “’At may not be enough.”

  She pushed away from her brother. “It must be enough,” she insisted. “I’ve dreamed my entire life fur this possibility. An’ Ah believe, though Daniel may hae his own demons tae face, he can learn tae control them, e’en if he ne’er defeats them. Ah willnae give up on him.” She stood her ground, engaging in a battle of wills with her brother, but after a terse moment or two, he admitted defeat.

  “If there is anyone who would be up tae th’ challenge, it’s ye. An’ fur both yer sakes, Ah hope you’re right. But please,” he insisted, taking a step toward her. “If things dinnae gae as ye intend or as ye hope,” she tried to turn her head away, but he wouldn’t allow it, bringing a gentle hand to her jaw and tilted her face up. “If things dinnae gae as ye hope,” he reiterated, “Come home. He knows Aam tellin’ ye this an’ has agreed. Come home if ye need tae, understand?”

  She pressed her mouth into a thin line, debating.

  “This is nae optional. Ah made it clear tae Daniel ‘at should anythin’ unpleasant or harmful happen tae ye or any future children ye might hae, Ah will call him out an’ bring ye home mahself.

  The strength of her brother’s commitment and the fierceness of his love shining through in his eyes dismantled her stubborn defiance. Letting go of her anger, she took in a breath and nodded. “Ah understand, Gavin. It willnae come tae ‘at, but Ah promise.”

  With a nod, Gavin released her and made his way over to the door, opening it and calling Daniel back in.

  “Well, Daniel,” he began once Daniel had taken his place beside Lenore and turned again to face him standing at attention. I’ve got some unfortunate news fur ye. You’ll soon become part ay th’ MacAllister clan.

  “Eeeee!” A delighted, childlike squeal erupted from the doorway, and they all turned as Ammy, considerably less round than she had been during Daniel’s last visit, darted through the door and hurled herself at her brother, arms flung open. “I’m so happy for you, Daniel!”

  Eyes rounding, Daniel tossed his hat aside and widened his stance an instant before she crashed into him.

  “Mary!” Gavin cried, reaching for his wife. “What are ye doin’? Ye shouldnae be up—”

  She swatted him away, tightening her grip on Daniel. “Stop your fussing,” she chided. “I had a baby, I’m not an invalid, and this calls for celebration!” Eyes glistening, she pulled away from Daniel and caught Lenore in a fierce hug before taking hold of Gavin’s arm and tugging him toward the door. “Come on, we’ve got to tell your mother!”

  The pair disappeared into the hall, Ammy’s excited chatter fading into the distance. Blinking, Lenore turned toward Daniel, gazing up at him as the gravity of the event sank into her. “We’re tae marry, Daniel. A dream Ah ne’er thought would come true.”

  He smiled at her, taking her hands in his. “I will do all that I can to ensure it remains a happy one.” Leaning in, he sealed the statement with a kiss full of hope, promise, and love.

  Epilogue

  The room buzzed with excitement around him as Daniel contemplated how much of his nervous tremble, heightened heartbeat and shortened breaths resulted from happiness and how much did not. Only his family gathered in the room, but that in itself consisted of a large number of people. In addition to his siblings and their spouses, the ever-growing cluster of small children occupied a toy-filled corner under the supervision of their nurses.

  Aunt Lily, currently visiting with Gavin and Ammy, chatted with his mother at one side of the room, while the Admiral and his wife exchanged stories with Daniel’s brother, James, and sister-in-law, Angelique. Only one family friend had yet to arrive. No one seemed to notice his unease, which gladdened him, but though excitement gripped him along with the rest, he still wished the day were over.

  The family had gathered in the largest room of the house, the reasonably sized ballroom of the otherwise modest Langdon estate. Not a typical choice for weddings, which, when celebrated quietly at home usually took place in a parlor or study, but given the size of his family and his need for space, it proved the best option.

  Taking a breath, he turned, deciding he might as well face the day and his surroundings. He observed the crowd, smiles and laughter surrounding him, but it did little to ease his nerves. Every sound created, every burst of laughter caused him to jump, and though he scanned the room desperately, he knew the one person most likely to calm him was not yet there.

  “Uncle Daniel?” A small voice hailed from somewhere near the ground.

  He blinked and looked down. His young nephew, who had taken pains to avoid his uncle since his return home, now peaked at him from behind an oversized potted plant. Crouching down on level with the child as best he could, Daniel gave a smile.

  “Hello there, what can I do for you?” It pained him to know the boy feared and avoided him, so this little show of interest warmed his heart. The boy gave a quick glance in the direction of the other children, and Daniel followed his gaze. The way the boy hesitated, and his nervous shuffling, indicated he had likely weaseled his way away from the nurses and expected to get in trouble for it. Inching just a step or two closer, Daniel sent over a loud whisper. “No worries, I’ll make sure they don’t fuss at you for coming to say hello.”

  The small face returned to his, looking him over with all the seriousness a three-year-old could muster before coming to a decision, luckily it appeared to be a decision in Daniel’s favor. The boy crept out from his hiding place and approached his uncle.

  “Uncle,” he began, chewing on his lip, “mama says you have bad dreams.”

  Daniel ducked his chin, not knowing how to respond, but gave a nod. “Yes, that’s true.”

  His nephew mulled over his thoughts before continuing. “I have bad teams sometimes too. Mama also says today is a special day.”

  Daniel smiled. “Yes, today is a very special day. Your Aunt Lenore has agreed to help me learn to be a happier person, wasn’t that good of her?”

  The child grinned and nodded enthusiastically at mention of the Aunt who served as a second mother to him, but fell into another internal debate before continuing his speech. “It will be nap time soon,” he noted. “And I don’t want you to have a bad dream on your special day, so I brought you something.”

  Taken aback, Daniel watched as the boy, after taking another furtive glance in the direction of his nurse, ducked back behind the potted plant, returning an instant later holding out his prize.

  “This is my bear,” He explained. “He always helps me when I have bad dreams, and he keeps them away when I ask him to.” He emphasized this point with a nod. “You can keep him today.”

  Touched, Daniel reached out and took the little plush animal from his nephew. “But won’t you need him?”

  The boy looked a bit uneasy, staring at his toy with a hint of uncertainty, but then put on a brave face and straightened. “I’ll be all right without him today, you should keep
him.”

  Pressure built behind Daniel’s eyes and he clutched at the toy with a nod. “I’m very grateful to you. And I promise I’ll give him back to you before bedtime.”

  The boy smiled, hesitating only a moment before wrapping his arms around Daniel’s neck and placing a loud, sloppy kiss on his cheek.

  Eyes blinking almost as rapidly as his heart fluttered, Daniel returned the hug before separating himself from his nephew with a nod toward the children’s corner. “You had best get back to your nurse now, and if she fusses at you, tell her uncle Daniel said it was all right that you were away.”

  With a nod, the boy ran off, leaving Daniel in a dizzy confusion. A few notes rang out on the pianoforte, signaling to everyone they had best take their places. Daniel straightened, tugged at his uniform, and set his small gift on the table beside him. When he turned back to face the room, all eyes faced the doors in anticipation. A moment later, in time with the music, Lenore stepped through, resplendent in an ivory silk gown and beaming as she paced arm-in-arm with her brother. Her eyes never left his as she walked down the makeshift aisle, soothing his tensions and erasing lingering doubts. For a time, his entire world consisted of the heavenly sight. Had anyone attempted to ask him details of the ceremony which followed, he would be at a loss.

  He couldn’t say when the ceremony ended and the breakfast began, but somehow he found himself in the dining room, surrounded by a myriad of guests all having eaten their fill and now milling about over the space of three rooms or so. He scanned the room for Lenore, who had been whisked out of his grasp yet again after those brief few wonderful moments standing side by side in front of the Vicar. The finer details of the event may be lost to him, but he distinctly remembered exchanging a promise of forever, and felt an overwhelming desire to begin that timeframe immediately. How such good fortune could have befallen him remained a mystery, but he resolved not to question it. If it all turned out to be a delirious dream, he hoped never to wake.

  As he passed by the Admiral, the man’s voice caught his attention. Robertson stood in the midst of relaying a tale to his rapped audience.

  “...And there she was, facing that crowd with pistol in hand as proud and vicious as any admiral of history, do you believe it?”

  “Certainly you jest, Admiral, his sister, Sarah, commented, wide-eyed. Or else you must be exaggerating.”

  “Not in the least, I assure you,” Robertson blustered. “I tell you, the woman did the warring forebears of her clan proud!” he nudged a red-faced Aunt Lily beside him with a chuckle.

  “I can believe it,” a new voice sounded from behind their group. A mix of elation and concern flooded Daniel as he turned about to see Captain Jack MacLeod approach with a tentative smile and assessing glance aimed at Lily. Pausing at Daniel’s side, he offered his hand.

  “Aam sorry tae hae missed th’ ceremony, bumblin’ at th’ docks, ye ken how it goes.”

  “Indeed, but I’m glad you were able to make it, nonetheless.”

  “Och, were it just fur ye, I’d nae hae troubled mahself,” Jack responded with a wink. “But ye ken I’d nae miss an opportunity tae kiss th’ bride. Where are ye hindin’ her?”

  Daniel let out a laugh. His father’s old friend never missed an opportunity for humor. “I admit with some embarrassment I seem to have misplaced her, but I give you my word I shall present her for kissing the moment I find her. In the meantime, I believe you were enjoying Admiral Robertson’s story...” He nodded Jack into the group, noting the tension between the privateer and Aunt Lily and hoping he’d done right before continuing along his trek.

  Giving up on the dining room, he stepped through to the hall and pointed himself toward the sound of voices echoing from the parlor.

  “Daniel!” Lenore took hold of him a few steps shy of the parlor, out of breath from her jog to catch him.

  “There you are,” he grinned, settling his hands about her waist. “I feared you’d tired of me already.”

  “Aam sorry, all th’ attention overwhelmed me an’ Ah took a coward’s opportunity tae help tuck th’ children in fur naps.”

  “I’m sure they appreciated it.”

  “Och, undoubtedly. Especially little Edwin,” She referenced Sarah’s boy, only a few months old. “Grinnin’ like a little toothless devil as he spat up on me.”

  Daniel leaned back with a cringe, earning a swat.

  “Entirely on mah bare arm, which Ah assure ye th’ nurses disinfected.”

  He pulled her up flush with him, enjoying the soft crush of her form against him. “Any other observations?”

  “Aye,” she nodded, a small smile and mischievous glance forming. “Th’ nursery’s still a fair sight too empty. Ah think we should offer a bit ay assistance tae yer siblings in fillin’ it.”

  A calm warmth spread through Daniel’s chest a moment before his pulse heightened. “That sounds agreeable,” he murmured, leaning in close to his wife until their foreheads and the tips of their noses touched. “When would you like to begin on this project?”

  “Immediately,” she purred, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing into him.

  Letting out a contented sigh, Daniel covered her lips with his, drinking in the wonder of this newfound bliss.

  The End

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  Privileged but isolated on her family’s estate in Barbados, Ayanna Wilson dreams of seeing the world, but finds herself fleeing both her home and her father’s plans for her future instead. She doesn’t anticipate barreling straight into the arms of Lieutenant Edwin Langdon, whose mesmerizing blue eyes and unerring sense of integrity spark an entirely different kind of desire. But her exploration of this budding attraction is short-lived when her travels go awry and she finds herself without a friend on a rogue naval ship, her only hope for salvation the handsome lieutenant her father tasked with protecting her… If he survived.

  Determined to succeed in his naval career, Edwin Langdon must tolerate the unending animosity of his commanding officer, but when he’s assigned to escort the Commodore’s family to England rather than participate in intercepting French fleets, Edwin is ready to resign his commission. Then he collides with Miss. Wilson, as beautiful as she is forceful. Intrigued by her strength of character, she sparks a heat in his veins hot enough to rival the Caribbean sun and leave him breathless.

  When mutiny sees Edwin thrown overboard and Ayanna taken hostage, Edwin must find a way, with the help of an errant privateer, to take back the ship, thwart an enemy ambush, and win back his Commodore’s daughter.

  Author’s Note

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I loved writing it for you! You can always find all of my books, plus additional works, on my Amazon author page, amazon.com/author/emileeharris

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  Happy reading,

  Emilee

  P.S. If you enjoyed this book, or any of my others, please consider leaving a review to let me know :)