by Vanda Vadas
Zach wrapped the towel around her in a tight embrace. She wept on his shoulder. Curse him for the sorrow he’d caused her. He lifted her from the tub and carried her to the bed. He lay beside her beneath the covers and held her close. Her sobs gradually gave way to the snuffled sounds of sleep.
Zach reflected on a less than favourable acclamation from the one person he could ever have hoped to impress. She might think ill of him now but whatever his fate, whatever the consequences of his long-time preoccupation, Eloise would be his.
He drifted in and out of sleep. At dawn, his lieutenant called to him from beyond the door.
‘Captain! Come quick!’
Eloise walked an unfamiliar path through the tropical rainforest. She turned over in her mind the words exchanged between herself and Zach last night. He’d paid her no heed. Nothing she’d said held sway with him. Fine! She’d seek answers to some questions he chose to avoid.
She approached a reasonably sized plot of land with a whitewashed cottage, modest and quaint. It stood in stark contrast to the fiery-red clustered blooms of the flamboyant trees flanking its sides. A flourishing vegetable garden showed evidence of self-sufficiency. Locals said she would find the English girl residing here, with Judd and Mary.
Eloise had expected to see the twins running around in the early morning sunshine, or to at least hear their laughter or lively chatter. All appeared unusually quiet.
Her sharp rap on the wooden door met with no response. ‘Hello? Is anyone home?’
She peered inside an open window. What she saw made her heart constrict. There, stirring from sleep in a chair, was a young woman with a babe in her arms. Eloise felt the sting of tears behind her eyes. Envy needled her. She found the touching scene confronting. It roused in her a strong maternal instinct, which she immediately pushed back down. It was futile to imagine herself and Zach sharing the joy of a future and children together.
The young mother yawned, lifting her gaze to the window to see Eloise staring at her. She jerked in fright, startling her newborn. Eloise backed away, ashamed to be caught spying, and turned to leave.
‘Wait! Come back,’ called the woman. ‘Come back, my lady. Please.’
Something about that voice stopped Eloise in her tracks. She looked over her shoulder, turned, and retraced her steps to the door. She lifted the latch, took a steadying breath, and let herself in.
The comely girl stood and gently rocked the infant in her arms. A proud smile offset a drawn face with dark shadows beneath her eyes. She looked not much older than Eloise.
‘My lady.’ She dipped a curtsey. ‘The captain told me your sight had returned. I’m so pleased for you.’
This left Eloise confused. What did the woman know of her having been blind? There was nothing familiar about her appearance, and yet her voice …? Eloise paused to think, to let memory leak the answer. ‘Lily?’
Another curtsey. ‘Yes, my lady. It’s a pleasure to be meeting you again.’
‘You’re the maid servant from the captain’s house in England?’
‘Yes, but it wasn’t the captain’s residence. It’s where Viscount Derby resides.’
‘Viscount Derby?’ A staggering revelation. Not once had Eloise assumed herself to be anywhere but in the home of her abductor. To think she’d been less than two hour’s ride from Blakely House.
‘Yes, my lady. The two men are friends. The viscount was in London at the time of your stay. I couldn’t talk about it back then but the captain said I was free to speak about it now, if ever you were to ask.’
Zach couldn’t tell Eloise himself? In fairness to him, he had begun to explain. If only she hadn’t cut him off and accused him of cavorting with multiple lovers.
Her mind whirled. What did Zach and Derby have in common? What was Zach’s personal interest in Lily? His parting words to the maid came to mind. Give serious consideration to my proposal. We may just see each other sooner than you think. Last night, he’d said he hadn’t fathered a child. ‘What have you named your baby?’
‘Theodora, my lady.’
More importantly, Eloise asked, ‘Who is Theodora’s father?’
Shame reflected in Lily’s eyes. ‘One of the viscount’s stable hands. We were to be married. Two months ago he denied ever having lain with me and then conveniently disappeared. I have no family, nor the means to support a child on my own.’
She bent to kiss her daughter’s forehead. ‘The master mentioned my plight to the captain. It was he who suggested I begin a new life here on his island. Bless him. He arranged it all. Mary and her husband have been kind enough to take me under their wing for a time.’
Now that Eloise knew Lily’s identity, a weight lifted from her shoulders. Another, much heavier, replaced it. How could she have doubted Zach? She owed him an apology for her appalling behaviour. ‘You’re very courageous to do what you’ve done, Lily.’
The baby cried, its tiny lips moving as if in search of nourishment. Lily sat down in the chair and discreetly set Theodora to her breast.
Something indiscernible had been niggling Eloise. She suddenly twigged. Last night, Zach had said he’d been delayed. ‘Lily, when did you give birth?’
‘Late yesterday afternoon, my lady, and two weeks early.’ Her mouth stretched in a wide yawn. ‘I had a difficult time of it. The doctor was doing rounds on the other side of the island and the captain rode out in search of him.’
Letitia had lied.
Eloise had been gullible enough to believe her. It was enough to be disillusioned with herself, but what must Zach think of her?
‘Would you be so kind as to thank the captain for me, my lady? I didn’t get an opportunity before he went to sea.’
Eloise’s face must have registered her surprise.
‘Yes, my lady. Judd was summonsed at daybreak. I awoke to discussions about a ship spotted to the north of the island and the Justice giving chase. Mary took the twins to wave their father goodbye and to give me some quiet time alone.’ She stifled another yawn.
‘Of course. I’ve intruded long enough.’
‘My apologies, my lady. I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.’
Eloise wished Lily well and left with her pride in tatters. Zach had been right not to attempt any logical discussion with her last night. She’d had the tongue of a contentious drunkard, and the reasoning of a mad woman.
Would Zach have it in him to forgive her?
Chapter Twenty-Two
The mid-July sun reached its peak in a cloudless sky.
A ship shadowed the Justice as it coasted through calm waters into Mercy Cove. Sails hung limp against the masts with barely a breeze to push the vessels forwards.
Eloise ran down the beach to join the gathering crowd. How odd to see the Justice crewmen standing reverently still on deck. Strange that they didn’t wave or holler to those awaiting their arrival.
Lively chatter among the welcomers diminished to a deathly silence. Foreboding hung in the air. Collectively, it seemed they held their breath.
Despite the heat of the day, cold struck Eloise bone deep. Dread almost stopped her heart. Her eyes searched wildly for Zach. She craned her neck to look for him, her gaze sweeping the rails. The knot in her stomach unravelled when she saw him step up to the forecastle. She came alive with a rush of nervous anticipation.
His absence this past week had been a trial to endure. She’d gone over and over in her head the things she wished to say to him. To make amends for her accusations; for ever having doubted him. She smoothed her cotton dress then slid a hand down her long, sleek braid.
Timbers creaked as the Justice aligned with the wharf. Crewmen mechanically worked in silence, their expressions sombre as they secured ropes to the bollards.
Zach dug his fingers into unruly hair and rubbed the thick stubble on his face. A deep scowl made him look the fearsome fighter. It would appear he’d achieved what he’d set out to do and captured his prize. Why, then, did the captain and crew look like their mission ha
d been an abysmal failure?
The second ship dropped anchor in the cove’s deeper waters. Seth’s voice could be heard issuing orders to the crew who then lowered a skiff.
Eloise shifted focus back to the Justice. Only then did she see them.
Coloured men and women rose from where they crouched on deck. Children clung to them. Young girls who looked to be on the threshold of womanhood, and boys soon to be men. They huddled together, their eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. They wore ill-fitting clothes.
Bewildered, Eloise looked from one ship to the other, confronted with the horrifying truth.
Slaves.
Gareth was trafficking slaves. The man was beyond redemption. To think her brother condoned her marriage to a man involved in buying and selling human life. The shame of it. Did Julian even know? Surely not! She couldn’t begin to imagine how this would galvanise Zach’s need for vengeance against his half-brother.
He strode to the ship’s rail and looked down at those on the wharf. ‘The people you see here on deck have been cruelly treated and taken from their origins in West Africa.’ He pointed across the water. ‘They were aboard that ship, destined to be sold into slavery.’
The island’s residents raised their fists. Above angry shouts Zach yelled, ‘The captain and crew have been dealt with. Our men have crewed it home. It’s now the property of Mercy Island.’
Zach raised his hands to settle the cheering crowd. ‘The island is home to these people now. I ask that you show them your acceptance. They’ll require food and clothing. Open your hearts and your homes until housing is built to accommodate them. Under no circumstance must children be separated from their parents or those they trust.’
He bent to pick up chains and manacles and raised them high for all to see. The natives cowered at the sight and jingle of the brutal shackles. Eloise had never seen Zach look so livid. ‘These barbaric irons are repugnant to mankind. They shall be destroyed!’
More shouts and cheers showed support for his decision. He tossed the irons aside. They landed with a loud thunk on the deck. ‘Secure the gangplank,’ he ordered, and proceeded to assist the traumatised newcomers with their disembarkation, entrusting them to the care of those who inhabited the island. It was not surprising that they gravitated to those of skin colour, and to those who spoke their tongue.
It sickened Eloise to see open wounds around their ankles and wrists. The bite of the irons had left weeping sores around one child’s neck. As the girl walked by, she looked at Eloise and, unexpectedly, volunteered a shy smile. Eloise returned the friendly greeting.
Had Zach not intercepted that ship, the terror and sorrow they would have endured was beyond thinking. Eloise felt a lump in her throat.
Familiar, comforting arms came quickly around her, steering her onto the beach to stand away from the milling crowd. She clung to Zach and laid her ear to his chest, listening to his beating heart. How marvellous his hand felt on her back, the other on her cheek. Warm lips pressed against the crown of her head. He whispered her name. ‘Eloise.’
Had she imagined the longing in his voice? The same desperate need that kept her awake at night, pining for his touch, his scent?
She lifted her head to glimpse hunger in his eyes. He moved his large hands to her upper arms and held her tight. Her heart thumped beneath her ribs.
His hands lifted to cradle her face. His head dipped with the intent to kiss her, only to then hover within an inch of her lips. In the space of two ragged breaths, he pulled back. In his dark eyes, Eloise witnessed his retreat. Stony distance eclipsed hunger and need.
No. A wave of pain urged her to cling to him, so desperate not to let him go.
He stepped free of her arms – unreachable in more ways than physical touch – and turned to stare out to sea. ‘They’re proud people, Eloise. One day they’re brave warriors in their native lands, hunting, fending for and feeding their women and children, and the next their lives are ruthlessly violated by men who imprison them; shackle and yoke them together like oxen.’
The chilling truth of it distressed her. The disgust in Zach’s voice proved even more telling.
‘They’re packed into every square inch of the cargo hold. The bigger ships carry over four hundred. Poor, wretched souls. They’re forced to endure weeks on end in atrocious conditions. Those who die on the ship are tossed overboard without as much as a second thought. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen –’
He shook his head and took a deep breath. ‘Are the dead the fortunate ones, or those who survive?’
Eloise choked on her anguish, unable to speak. She couldn’t begin to comprehend the full gamut of slave trade horrors. Her hand instinctively rose, reaching out to the man whose broad shoulders slumped as if he had personally failed the people he’d rescued.
His sharp, sideward glance said, Don’t. Murderous intent glimmered in his eyes. ‘My father abhorred slavery, and yet his youngest son sleeps soundly at night caring not a whit for anything but what might turn a profit.’ His fingers flexed and curled into tight fists at his side.
‘How many lost their lives on his ship?’ She’d been almost too afraid to ask.
His gaze returned to sea. ‘Fifteen. According to the ship’s records this was Gareth’s first foray in human cargo. Apparently he was planning things on a grander scale. The ship carried other goods to be traded for rum and molasses, but there was a spare pocket in the hold. There, they packed sixty lives.’
Eloise shuddered. ‘How did you dispose of the captain and crew?’
He threw her a sidelong glance. ‘We didn’t kill them, if that’s what you’re asking. The captain recognised our standard and gave his surrender swiftly. We set them down on a remote island, though not before insisting they disrobe to clothe naked natives.
‘The captain agreed to hand over his personal journal in exchange for his and the crew’s freedom. The journal details each of his voyages giving damning evidence of Gareth’s underhand dealings.’
‘Dare I ask?’
He held his silence as if contemplating a reply. ‘There are lists naming scores of youths kidnapped from impoverished English towns. They were sold as indentured servants to wealthy landowners of the Caribbean and New World. The captain had retained original letters in Gareth’s hand signing off on such matters and monies exchanged.’
More shocking news. It became difficult to breathe in the stifling heat. Eloise swayed with another bout of nausea.
Zach slipped an arm around her waist and walked her out of the sun to where sand met tropical rainforest. There, he eased her down to sit in the shade of a cluster of coconut trees. He picked up a fallen green coconut and hacked off the top with his blade. One hand supported the back of her head while, with the other, he placed the open end of the coconut gently to her mouth. ‘Sip.’
The watery liquid moistened her dry mouth. ‘Thank you. The journal and letters, they alone represent Gareth’s death warrant.’ It gave her a splinter of hope that Zach would feel vindicated knowing he had Gareth cornered. Death befits this crime. There was no reason for Zach to play executioner.
‘That may be the case, but I’ll not be denied the satisfaction of seeing his face when I reveal myself to him. What he did to me and to your family is as unforgivable as slavery, stealing and selling his fellow countrymen.
‘He has insulted and dishonoured my father’s name, the Arlington name, in the worst possible way. Men throw down the gauntlet for lesser indiscretions. I’ll do things my way. I will have my revenge, Eloise.’
At what price? She quaked under the full force of his intense stare.
‘Gareth expects his ship to arrive in England by late August. The captain was to arrange a meeting with him and make good with the profits. We must return before Gareth learns of his ship’s fate.’
The fight to win over Zach was futile. He’d pushed her away with implacable eyes and with his words, final and unbending.
Eloise had no place in his future. She wou
ld have to take stock of her life. Consider her options. Where would a single woman, with her sullied reputation, live out her days?
She almost laughed. She’d have four weeks at sea to give it ample thought. Right now, she had the burden of guilt to offload. ‘That night … before you left. I said things I shouldn’t have. I accused you of things you didn’t do.’
He wouldn’t look at her. ‘You don’t have to say –’
‘Yes. I do.’ Because I love you. ‘I jumped to conclusions. I shouldn’t have believed Letitia’s lies, but to see her standing in front of me with her clothes askew, gloating that she and you had –’ Laying bare her jealousy was akin to admit her true feelings for Zach. ‘I wasn’t strong enough to see through her ruse.’
He grabbed a fistful of sand and let it sift through his fingers. ‘Letitia and I shared a convenient arrangement. Nothing more than a commercial transaction.’ He looked at Eloise and opened his mouth as if to say more. He hesitated, and fell silent.
She wouldn’t press him to say or confess things he didn’t feel for her. ‘I paid Lily several visits this week. I understand now who she is, and why she’s here.’
‘I should have taken the time to explain.’
‘I had no right to question your private affairs. When I confronted you on the matter I was in no fit state to listen or reason with you. For that, I apologise. Your actions towards me were considered and justified. You did right by Lily in fetching the doctor. She asked me to thank you, by the way. She named her daughter Theodora.’
Waves lapped gently against the shore. Birds and insects sang in the rainforest at their backs and a hot breeze rustled palm leaves overhead. Eloise could detect Zach’s scent amid the spicy fragrant in the air. They sat so close, and yet there existed a yawning chasm between them.
Her future was less than promising. It need not be so for Zach. If he were sensible about things, he could honourably entrap their nemesis to ensure Gareth would be sentenced for crimes committed, and then get on with his life. Wherever that might be.