by Merry Farmer
“Yes, I think so. There were definitely horses outside.”
“Then we must assume that the captain did indeed put personal loyalty above duty. He could not have missed you, lying unconscious in a pool of blood. He must have helped Chirac and may have been the mastermind behind your abduction. That is the only explanation that makes sense. They probably came up with some tale of you having left him, and if anyone in the household had heard your row, that might have been believable.”
Silence fell again, and this time it was broken by Elisabeth. “What should we do?”
Will shrugged. “Maybe we do not need to do anything. Were there other witnesses who knew what Chirac had done?”
Elisabeth nodded. “Yes, the other household servants. The butler, our cook, another maid…”
“Not to mention the presence of a body,” Will added grimly. “Even dePrieu could not cover that up.”
“I need to know,” Elisabeth announced firmly. “I need to know that justice has been done, for Marie Claire. And now, for me. Giles tried to have me killed as well, and he should not get away with it. Neither he, nor Captain dePrieu, if indeed he was involved.” She paused, then met Will’s steady gaze. “I have to go back.”
Chapter 10
“You cannot go to New Orleans, Will. You will be arrested as soon as you step ashore.”
Paulette folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. Will shrugged, not especially keen on the prospect of returning either, but he saw no alternative. Elisabeth was right, they had to be sure that Giles Chirac had received his just deserts. And although she had never made reference to it in the days since she’d regained her memory, it was clear to him that Elisabeth Chirac was a woman of not inconsiderable wealth. She owned property in New Orleans. Why should she be expected to relinquish all of that because she had had the misfortune to marry an evil and unscrupulous man? He could, and would, offer her sanctuary on Santa Natalia if she chose to remain there, but she was entitled to so much more.
“Then I shall have to make quite certain that the authorities remain ignorant of my return,” he replied.
Paulette was unconvinced. “Do not be ridiculous. The Falcon is well known. You would be recognised as soon as you arrived within sight of the shore.”
“Then we shall not sail back on the Falcon. I believe the Marlin will have been repaired by the time we reach Santa Natalia.”
“That old rotbucket,” Raven sneered from behind his foaming mug of Will’s finest ale. “She was barely seaworthy before we attacked her, and I cannot imagine much to have improved. It would take her months to reach New Orleans, if she made it at all.”
“Then the solution is simple,” Paulette offered. “We should all go to New Orleans, on board the Claw.”
“All of us?” Raven set his mug down and regarded his lover with interest. “And how does this matter concern me?”
“Will is your friend, is he not?” Paulette reminded him. “And Marie Claire was mine. I must go with them, I…I might be able to help.”
“How will you be able to help, my sweet?” Raven asked quietly.
“We will need to make enquiries, find out what has happened in the weeks since Elisabeth disappeared. I do not see how she could just walk up to the door of the mayor’s mansion and announce her return. What if, somehow, that monster is still there? He would murder her for certain this time.”
“He will not get that opportunity,” Will snarled.
Paulette continued as though Will had not spoken. “I could knock on the back door, talk to the servants. They will remember me. Then, once we know how the land lies, we can work out what is best to do.”
“I do not want you putting yourself in harm’s way,” Raven replied. “This is madness.”
“No. It is justice.” Paulette was adamant.
Will was reminded of the stubborn little girl who had plagued him when he was a younger man, insisting that he take her to the park or allow her to ride his horse. He had found her difficult to say no to then, and he suspected Raven would fare no better.
“I will go,” she went on, undeterred, “and if you will not take me, I shall sail with Will and Elisabeth.”
Raven heaved a resigned sigh. Will grinned. He knew capitulation when he saw it.
“Very well,” Raven replied. “I can see I will not dissuade you. I shall take you. All of you. I am not known in New Orleans so I will be able to enter the city more easily than you, Will. Paulette and I will make the necessary enquiries while you two remain out of sight. Then we shall determine our next steps.”
“Thank you, my friend. I appreciate your aid.”
Raven bowed his head. “We shall deposit the slaves we freed on Santa Natalia, take on new supplies there, and set sail for New Orleans as quickly as possible.” He grinned now. “I am quite looking forward to this.”
Elisabeth cleared her throat, the first contribution she had made to the conversation. All three of her companions turned to regard her.
“I cannot thank you enough, all of you. I… I have not been accustomed to having friends in the past, just acquaintances or servants. I realise that you are doing this for Marie Claire, Paulette. And Raven, you are doing it for Will and for Paulette. But I do most sincerely appreciate your help and…and if I can ever repay you, I shall do so.”
“You are among friends now,” Will said. “You must believe that.” He looked to his companions to back him up.
Raven shrugged. “A beautiful woman is always welcome among my friends.”
Paulette scowled at her brother, then at Elisabeth. “I suppose she is not so bad,” she allowed after some consideration, “when you get to know her. Mind, I shall never call her ‘my lady’ again.”
Elisabeth smiled at the other woman. “I would hug you if I believed you might permit it.”
“Do not push your luck.” But Paulette was smiling, too.
“How long have they been gone?” Elisabeth paced the tiny cabin she and Will had shared on board the Raven’s Claw, Velvet having been temporarily sent to bunk down with the crew. “Maybe we should go after them. What if—?”
“It has only been a couple of hours, barely time for them to row to the shore and get to your old home. Be patient, sweetheart. We agreed to wait here for news, and that is the best thing to do right now.”
She knew that Will was right, but however reasonable the course he suggested, she could not settle. Elisabeth continued to pace.
“Perhaps I should toss you onto the bunk and make love to you. Will that give us some peace, do you think?”
She glared at him. “How can you think of such matters at a time like this?”
He shrugged. “Such matters as you call it are seldom far from my mind, my love.”
“I do not think—”
“That is the point, not to think.” He rose from where he had been lounging on the bunk and grasped her by the hand. “Come, join me.”
Mere moments later, her skirts hitched up around her waist and her thighs spread wide, Elisabeth sighed as Will sank into her. She lifted her legs and hooked her ankles together in the small of his back and clung to his shoulders when he drove his cock in and out of her willing body. She now recalled quite vividly that it had never been like this before, with Giles. His fumbling attempts between their sheets had been few and far between, and deeply unsatisfying, though she had lacked the experience to know the difference. Had she been called upon to account for any deficiency, she would have blamed herself, her own lack of skill or finesse.
Now, she knew better.
I love you.
She had thought this might be the case almost from first making his acquaintance, but her lack of any past memories rendered her unable to know for sure. The huge black hole where her past life ought to be robbed her of the confidence to know her own mind, her own feelings. Now, she knew no such encumbrances. She adored Will. It was that simple.
Arousal bloomed, and pleasure quickly overwhelmed her. Elisabeth moaned. Shudder
s racked her body. Waves of delight swept through her. Perhaps her response was heightened by the tension of the wait for news, or maybe she had been affected by the mounting sense of anticipation as the Raven’s Claw made her way back to New Orleans and the inevitable confrontation with Giles drew closer. Whatever the cause, passion sent her soaring, and Will was with her every step of the way.
After, they lay still, his cock still inside her. Elisabeth did not wish to part from him, not yet.
“Captain,” she began.
He laid his fingers across her mouth. “Elisabeth, when a man has any part of his anatomy inside any part of yours, surely you ought to at least be on first-name terms. Why do you not use my given name?”
“Will…” she breathed.
“Mmm, better. He kissed her. “And since we are exchanging intimacies, you should know that I love you, too.”
“I…what?”
“I love you. too,” he repeated.
“Did I say that out loud?”
“You did. Was that not your intent?”
“I did not wish to…to pressure you or to make matters awkward between us. I am a married woman.”
“You are, yes. But one way or another, that is a state of affairs that cannot continue.”
“I know, but—”
“We will expose Giles for the evil killer he is, then we shall take stock of our own situation. One step at a time, Elisabeth, but be assured, I do love you. I think I have, from the start. However, I am an outlaw, a pirate. I live well enough, but in exile. I could not ask you, a fine New Orleans lady, to share that life. It is too dangerous, too uncertain.”
“I would. I will, in a heartbeat.” Elisabeth clung even more tightly to him, determined to never let him go. “We shall be together, no matter what.”
Will did not answer, but Elisabeth was undeterred. They had come too far for it to be otherwise.
Another hour passed, then another. Elisabeth was again pacing the cabin, and Will, too, was losing his usual calm demeanour.
“How much longer before we go in search of them?” she demanded.
“We will wait for one more hour,” Will conceded. “But there will be no ‘we’ going anywhere. You will remain here, well out of the reach of either your husband or Captain dePrieu.”
“But I want to—”
“I know. I do know that, but if that pair of murdering bastards have any cause at all to suppose you have survived and returned to haunt them, they will be determined to be rid of you for good this time. If it comes to it, I shall go ashore, with Velvet and others from Raven’s crew.”
Elisabeth could readily see the sense in his words, but the unbearable waiting was driving her to distraction. Anxiety for news, and mounting fear over what might have befallen her newfound friends robbed her of the ability to think straight. She was toying with the idea of suggesting another therapeutic tumble on the bunk, when a clatter overhead brought her to her feet.
“They are back!”
Will was at the cabin door in an instant. He threw it open, and the pair of them rushed out to find Raven in the corridor, Paulette at his heels. “Thank God you are returned. Are you both well?” Will grasped Raven’s hand and shook hard, then relented and hugged him, before turning to embrace his sister.
Elisabeth beat him to it. Pushing her luck or not, she flung her arms about the other woman and held her tight. “Are you all right? We have been desperate, fearing you injured or imprisoned. Or worse. We expected you back hours ago…”
“We are fine.” Paulette accepted the greeting and hugged Elisabeth back. “But we had to make several additional calls in order to complete our task.”
“Aye,” Raven agreed. “I believe we have earned a mug of ale. You will require sustenance, too, when you hear what we have discovered.” He strode back to the bottom of the steps leading up on deck and yelled into the space above. “Charlie? Bring ale to my cabin, and four mugs.”
Raven and Paulette’s accommodations on board were more spacious, though only slightly, but at least they could all be seated in the captain’s cabin. Raven led the way and gestured to his guests to sit down. Elisabeth and Will perched on the edge of the bunk, Raven took the single chair, and Paulette pulled up a small stool.
“So, did you speak to the servants? Did you see Monsieur Levant or Madame Fançeau?” Elisabeth leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, desperate for news.
Raven shook his head. “They are no longer there.”
“What?” Elisabeth was incredulous. “Where could they be?”
Raven’s response was delayed by the arrival of his cabin lad carrying a jug of foaming ale and four mugs. Charlie deposited his burden on the captain’s table and scurried out. Raven paused in his report to pour them each a mug full and hand them round.
“What happened to Monsieur Levant and Madame Fançeau?” Elisabeth demanded. “Did you find out?”
Paulette took up the tale. “I knocked on the kitchen door, expecting Madame Fançeau to answer, but the woman who came was a stranger. I asked for Madame Fançeau and was told she no longer worked at the mansion. When I asked to speak with Monsieur Levant, I thought she was about to slam the door in my face, but Raven convinced her that she should answer my questions. Even so, there was not much that she could tell us. None of the servants who worked for you remain at the house now, and the woman we met, the new cook, insisted she had no idea where they had gone.”
“But that is impossible. Monsieur Levant has worked for my family since before I was born. He would never leave. Madame Fançeau, too, has been in our employ for over twenty years.”
“The new cook was especially guarded as far as Monsieur Levant was concerned,” Raven put in.
“Keen to hear what they might have to say regarding your whereabouts, Elisabeth, I asked if I might speak with Madame Chirac.” Paulette grinned. “And here it becomes very interesting. According to the new cook, the mayor’s wife is away visiting her aunt in Atlanta and not expected to return for some time.”
“So that is his tale. And my husband?” Elisabeth breathed. “Is he still there?”
“Mayor Chirac is, apparently, in residence, but he was not at home when we called.”
“So, he has somehow contrived to be rid of all the witnesses who might incriminate him?” Will observed.
Raven grinned. “So he hoped. Fortunately, Paulette knew where Madame Fançeau’s sister is employed, so we were able to go and talk to her.”
“Her sister?” Elisabeth looked hopefully at Paulette.
“Yes. I remembered that Madame Fançeau once mentioned her sister who is housekeeper at the Villère house in Bourbon Street. I had the impression that the two were close, so I was certain she would know of Madame’s current whereabouts. We went to speak with her. She told us that Madame Fançeau now works at a bakery not far from the harbour, so we went to seek her out.”
“Did you find her?”
Paulette nodded. “I think it is fair to say that she was very surprised to see us. And extremely pleased. She sends her warmest regards, Elisabeth, but warns that you are in extreme danger and you must avoid going into New Orleans at all costs.”
“So, Giles was not convicted of the murder?”
Paulette shook her head. “He was arrested by Captain dePrieu, according to Madame Fançeau, but returned to the mansion three days later. There was insufficient evidence, apparently, and as you had seemingly departed to visit your aunt and you were not available to provide an account of what had happened, it was Monsieur Chirac’s word against that of Madame Fançeau and Thérèse. He made it perfectly clear what would happen to anyone who saw fit to challenge his version of events, and within days of his return, Madame Fançeau had been dismissed. Thérèse fled the house as soon as your husband reentered it. The poor girl was scared out of her wits, and I daresay with good reason. She was sure he would turn his attention to her next, and who is to say otherwise?”
“But what about Monsieur Levant? He is an honest man. H
e would be believed, surely.”
Paulette flattened her lips in a grim scowl. “That is the worst part of it, Elisabeth. Since it was perfectly obvious that Marie Claire had been raped before she was murdered, and if Monsieur Chirac was not the culprit, suspicion inevitably fell upon the only other male in the house.”
“How ridiculous,” Elisabeth exclaimed. “Monsieur Levant would never be suspected of such a deed. How could anyone—?”
“But they did, Elisabeth. Your husband was keen enough to pin the blame on someone, and the butler was the only candidate. Giles’ crony at the garrison was glad enough to arrest Monsieur Levant. He was charged with the murder, tried, and found guilty. He…he is sentenced to hang in two days’ time.”
Elisabeth could only gape at Paulette in stunned dismay.
Sentenced to hang? Monsieur Levant? How could anyone think this travesty bears even the slightest resemblance to justice?
“We must do something,” she breathed. “Anything. We cannot allow this to happen.”
“Your butler is imprisoned in the castle dungeon,” Raven said. “I took a look at the place, and it appears impregnable. I doubt if we could release him by force, but it might be possible to bribe the guards…”
“It is impregnable,” Will agreed. “I spent a few weeks there myself, and there was no talk of anyone ever escaping. Or being rescued.”
“But we must. He is innocent,” Elisabeth protested.
“Even if we did somehow manage to free him,” Will continued, “he would be a renegade. He would have to flee the city and he would be on the run for the rest of his life.”
“He is an elderly man,” Elisabeth replied, “too old for all of this. How could Giles do this to him? To all of us?”
“He is without conscience, Elisabeth, and thinking only of saving his own neck.” Will’s expression was grim. “If this situation is to be resolved with any degree of satisfaction, we must prove that your butler did not commit this crime. And we must do so quickly, or it will be too late to help your old friend.” He frowned. “I have an idea, but we must act with all possible speed. Raven, I need you to go ashore again and procure me a horse. The fastest mount you can purchase, whatever it costs.”