He reached down and lifted Jamie into his arms. It wouldn’t be too many more years and the boy would be too old to carry on occasion. If only Heather had brought him to Charleston sooner. But tonight was not for regrets. He patted his son’s back and turned to the crowd.
“Honored guests, I thank you for coming to celebrate my birthday this night. I, more than anyone, have cause to celebrate, and not because I’ve reached the ripe old age of thirty.”
Chuckles filled the room.
“Aye, you’re nigh on ancient.” Richard Madison grinned. “Before long, you’ll be losing your teeth and finding gray hairs.”
Lucas smiled at his friend’s jesting. “Better gray hair than none.”
The room filled with laughter.
Lucas cleared his throat. “I suppose you’re wondering about this fine boy, here.” He glanced at Heather, and her smile gave him the courage to continue. Some of the people in this room may choose to no longer associate with him once they knew about Jamie. “A few weeks ago, Miss Hawthorne appeared on my doorstep with young Jamie in tow. I didn’t want to listen when she claimed he was my son—”
A unified gasp circled the room.
Lucas held up his hand. “But a letter she had in her possession confirmed that Jamie is a Reed. I’ve had formal papers drawn up to make everything official, and I now present to you, Master James Reed.”
The Madisons led the applause and cheers. Jamie smiled and studied the crowd, but Lucas’s stomach churned. He’d been careful not to lie to his friends about Jamie, but how would he respond when people asked about his son’s mother?
“Can I have a sweet now?” Jamie asked.
Lucas smiled and glanced at Heather. She lifted one shoulder as if to say it was his decision.
“We’ve already finished dining,” his mother said, “but perhaps the maid could take you to the kitchen for a treat. I imagine there’s still some pumpkin pudding left.”
Jamie licked his lips and turned to Heather. “May I go now?”
“Do you not wish for him to stay a few moments?” Heather asked.
Lucas shook his head. “I wanted to introduce him tonight, but a fine party is no place for a child to linger, even one as well behaved as Jamie.”
“Then I’ll take him down for his treat and put him to bed afterward.”
“You should stay,” Lucas’s mother insisted. “Talia can tend to Jamie.”
Lucas knew his mother was trying to keep Heather here so people would associate them as a couple. Too bad they couldn’t have made an announcement of their own tonight. He never thought it possible he’d desire to marry again, but he longed to make Heather his wife.
She took Jamie from him. “‘Tis no problem. Jamie will go to sleep easier if I see to him.”
“Be sure you return. You promised me a dance tonight.”
Heather’s cheeks turned crimson. Her wide eyes gleamed, and she tipped her head in the slightest of nods. He watched her scurry away with his son, his heart swelling with pride for both of them.
A hand clamped hard on his shoulder, drawing his attention back to his guests.
“I say, you sure surprised us, old man.” Ferrill Whitmore’s keen gaze bore into him. “How is it you managed to father a child and didn’t know about it until now?”
“Simple. The boy’s mother chose to keep him a secret.”
“Then why send him to you after all these years?” Whitmore twisted the end of his moustache as other guests crowded around, also eager to know more about Jamie, if their curious expressions were any indication.
“She died and left instructions for Miss Hawthorne to bring Jamie to me.”
“Sorry for your loss. I mean, I suppose it’s that.”
“A good woman died, Ferrill. It is a loss.”
“Humph! She couldn’t have been too good or she wouldn’t have—”
Lucas closed the few feet between him and Mr. Whitmore. “Say no more, sir. You’re talking about the mother of my son. I’ll admit the situation is less than ideal, but I’ll not have you slandering Jamie’s mother.”
Ferrill’s left eye twitched, and his warm breath touched Lucas’s face. Finally, the man nodded.
Lucas lifted his chin and faced his guests. “What happened in the past matters not. Jamie is my son. He is an innocent child, and I hope that you will all treat him with the courtesy that befits my station in this community.”
Heads nodded, and he caught his mother’s proud gaze. His heart warmed at her affirmation. Releasing a pent-up breath, he realized things had gone better than he’d expected. Yes, his life was close to perfect now that Jamie and Heather had entered it. Nothing could change that.
The music started again, and one by one, couples began dancing. Lucas waited for more questions, but none came. He thought about Heather returning and dancing with him.
“You’ve a right to be smiling, son. That went better than I expected.” His mother hugged his arm.
“I’ll admit it’s a relief that people know about Jamie.”
“Well, well, you have a party and don’t even invite your own brother.”
His mother gasped and spun around. “Marcus!”
Heart racing, Lucas glanced up at the sound of his brother’s voice. Had Marcus heard the announcement? Had he overheard the talk about Jamie’s mother?
Above all things, Marcus could never know that he’d fathered a son.
His mother hurried to her estranged son. “Welcome home, Marcus.”
His twin stared down at their mother, and his hard expression softened for a moment. “Mother, ‘tis good to see you’re still alive and well.”
Tears ran down her cheeks. “My heart has ached for you. Have you returned to us for good?”
Marcus shook his head, sending his long, untamed hair flying over his shoulders. “Nay. I know not why I’ve returned, but I can see life has continued without me.”
Lucas glanced around the room. His friends hovered along the walls, whispering and staring. Women dressed in their colorful gowns huddled near their husbands; some looked worried, others curious. Someone uttered the word pirate.
Catching Richard’s concerned gaze, he nudged his head toward the door, and his friend nodded. Lucas wanted these people out of here in case his brother came with the intent of causing trouble.
“Mother, if you’ll please see to our guests, I’ll talk with Marcus.”
“But so much time has passed since I last saw him.” She cast a longing gaze at her younger son. “Please don’t leave. I so want to sit and talk with you. Where have you been all these years?”
Marcus winced. Doffing his tricorne, he bowed, as if to cover up his discomfort. Lucas watched him, his gaze sharp and senses on alert. So the rogue still had a soft spot for their mother. Perhaps all was not lost if the man wasn’t completely hardened. But with the many crimes his brother had purportedly committed against ships in the Caribbean, it was foolish to think he could ever live a normal life.
“‘Twas good to see you again, Mother. It warms my heart to know you are well. But I shan’t tarry. ‘Tis time I was taking my leave.”
“But you only just arrived.” She clutched her hands to her bosom, a mother aching for a lost child. Seeing Marcus again would only cause her more pain.
“Mother, see to our guests, please,” Lucas said. She cast another emotion-filled glance at Marcus then turned and glided from the room, her guests following.
Lucas faced his brother. “So, why have you come now?”
Marcus’s lips tilted in a cocky smirk, but his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. “I’ve come to wish you happy birthday, brother.”
Lucas sincerely doubted that was the truth, but he chose to be cordial even though all his senses warned him to be on guard. “How have you been?”
Surprise entered Marcus’s hard, blue eyes before he schooled his expression. “The life of a pirate is always daring. Looting, plundering, and the like. I’ve amassed quite a fortune, brother. Perhaps I
’m ready to settle down and start a family like you have.”
Lucas winced. So he knew about Heather and Jamie.
Marcus’s face twisted into a vile grin. “Quite a lovely wench you’ve wedded and bedded.”
“We’re not talking about her.” He had to steer the conversation in another direction before his brother deciphered the truth. “It’s never too late to change, Marcus. Give your heart to God and seek His forgiveness.”
His brother snorted, strode across the room, and swigged down a glass of punch. He grimaced and wiped his sleeve across his arm. “What, no ale?”
“I no longer drink spirits.”
“You’ve gone soft, brother. That’s what a woman will do to you.”
Lucas stepped through the door Marcus opened. “Tell me what happened to Deborah. What did you do to her? Is she still alive?” He knew the truth, but it was good that his brother didn’t know that.
“I see how much you loved her. How old is your son? Five? Six? Did you wait a whole month before finding another skirt to warm your bed?”
Lucas strode forward, his fist clenching and unclenching. “I searched for Deborah nigh on two years. I loved her with all my heart, but you stole her from me.”
Marcus heaved a laugh. “Brother, brother, the wench loved me, not you.”
Lucas lifted his chin. “I’m the one she was going to marry.”
All manner of emotions crossed his brother’s tanned face, but his eyes smoldered like blue fire. “Aye, well, ‘tis all in the past now, is it not?”
In Lucas’s mind, Deborah’s abduction had happened only days ago. “What did you do with her?”
His brother shrugged and took on a bored look. “I grew tired of her sniffling and begging to return to you. I let her off ship along the coast of Canada, where she said she had relatives.”
“Why did you not bring her back here?” “She did not wish to return.”
And Lucas knew why. Even though she’d been the victim of a kidnapping, people would still look down on her for spending years aboard a pirate ship and birthing the captain’s illegitimate son.
“Do you have any idea how much her parents suffered? She was their only child.”
Marcus lifted his hand and glanced at his dirty fingernails. “My goal was to hurt you, not them.”
“You succeeded.”
Marcus studied him and then grinned. “Good.”
Lucas had to try to find a way to reach his brother. He might not get another chance. “Why do you hate me so? It’s not my fault I was born first.”
“Nay, but you were and thus received all our father had to give. His wealth, his admiration, even his love—at least what love he was capable of giving.”
Lucas walked over to his brother. “And I’d have shared it all with you.”
Marcus snorted a laugh. “I can’t imagine why. I would not have assigned even the smallest parcel to you, had it been within my power.”
“I’m not you, brother. Family means more to me than wealth.”
“Ha! Easy for a man to say who has more wealth than he knows what to do with. Try livin’ in poverty on the streets and see if you feel the same.”
“I’m sorry, Marcus. I never wanted this.”
His brother’s gaze hardened. “And therein lies the rub. You never wanted our father’s wealth, but you received it, while I ached for it but got nothing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Keep your apologies. I don’t want them. ‘Twas a mistake to return here.” Marcus turned on his heel and strode toward the stairs, boots clicking on the tile and loose shirt fluttering, looking every bit the heinous pirate he was. Lucas surmised he should be thankful that he’d survived the confrontation unscathed. He shook his head. “Lord, turn my brother’s heart. Help him to find You and gain freedom from his sin and misery.”
He wanted nothing more than to hold Heather and Jamie close. But he still had guests, and protocol dictated that he see to them first. Quitting the room, he heard the buzz of conversation and hurried downstairs. It looked as if most of the guests had fled for the safety of their homes. He cringed, knowing the Reeds would be the talk of the town as one guest after another gossiped about how his pirate brother had disrupted his party. He jogged down the last of the stairs, glad he was in time to bid farewell to the Madisons.
Richard followed his progress down with a worried gaze. “So, you’re still alive.”
Lucas grinned. “For the time being.”
“What did he want—if I might be so bold as to ask?”
Lucas shrugged and put an arm around his mother, drawing her close. He noticed the tears gleaming in her eyes, but she’d held them back for the sake of her guests. She leaned her head against his chest and sniffled.
“Would you like me to have your housekeeper fix you some tea?” Caroline offered.
His mother shook her head. “Thank you, but I’m feeling quite tired and plan to retire soon.”
Lucas gently squeezed his mother’s shoulders. It would have been better for her if Marcus had never come. He’d only upset their mother, and now she’d most likely spiral off in an emotional ride of “if only she’d done more” or “if only she’d stood up to their father for the way he ignored Marcus.” Lucas sighed, hating that she’d question herself. She’d been a kind, loving mother to both of them and didn’t deserve Marcus’s scorn.
Richard’s brows drew together, and the look he gave Lucas set him on edge. “This is probably ridiculous, but I just had a thought. You don’t suppose your brother saw you and Heather together around town or heard that you were growing fond of her? What if—”
Richard’s eyes grew wide, and Lucas deciphered his thoughts. Heather.
A pain like the blade of a hard-thrust sword ramming into his heart gripped Lucas. What if Marcus had learned that he had fallen in love again? What if his brother had come to steal Heather away as he had Deborah?
“No! Not again.” He quickly set his mother aside and took the stairs three at a time. He couldn’t lose Heather before he’d even told her of the depth of his love.
“I like that pun’kin pudding. Could I have some more tomorrow?” Jamie licked his lips as Heather tugged off his shoes.
“We shall see. Perhaps if there is some leftover. It was tasty with the cinnamon sprinkled on top.”
“I liked how it squished between my teeth.”
Heather smiled, took Jamie’s nightshirt from the wardrobe, and shook it open. A movement near the balcony caught her attention, and she saw Lucas leaning against the doorway, staring at her. He must have come across the piazza to bid Jamie goodnight. Her heart taking wing, she started toward him, but the coldness in his gaze stopped her. Why would he have such animosity for her all of a sudden? Had she done something wrong downstairs?
“Who’s that?” Jamie asked as he leaned against her.
“Why, ‘tis your father, silly lad.”
“Uh-unh. That’s not Papa.”
Heather looked at the man again, and he pushed away from the door and sauntered out of the shadows toward her. In the light of the room, she realized Jamie was right. This man had a ruffian’s look. His hair was longer and his beard unshaven. He wore his linen shirt loose and stained. His short pants stopped just below the knee, as sailors often wore. Where Lucas’s eyes burned with intelligence and excitement, this man’s smoldered like dark coals. Aye, they were twins, identical in many ways, but so different. Where Lucas emanated kindness and good, this man stank of evil. How could two brothers be so different?
“You’ve a bright son there.” The man pulled his wide-brimmed hat off his head and bowed. “Allow me to introduce meself. I’m Marcus Reed, better known as the Black Mark.”
Heather’s heart jolted. Here she was alone with a vile pirate and no weapon with which to protect Jamie. She tucked him behind her. “What do you want? You’ve no business here.”
Standing with his hands loosely on his hips, he grinned. “Ah, but you’re wrong there. ‘Tis me bi
rthday, and I’ve come for the celebration.”
“The party is not in this room, sir. I’m just putting the lad to bed.”
“Aye, but what interests me is up here. So my brother has a son.” The man cocked his head as he stared past her. “The boy has the look of a Reed, does he not?”
Heather’s mind raced. What should she do? Should she scream for help? Was the man merely curious and wanting to see his nephew? His sinister tone set her nerves on edge.
“Come hither, boy. Let your uncle have a good look at you.”
Jamie huddled behind her, as if he, too, sensed something wasn’t right.
“Please, sir, can it not wait until tomorrow? Jamie has stayed up far past his bedtime in order to be presented at the party.”
The man shook his head and took a step toward her. “I’ll not be here on the morrow. I’ve found what I came for.”
Heather lifted her chin. “And what is that?”
The rogue grinned and ran his gaze down her body, making her feel dirty. Making her want to run and find Lucas.
“Your son doesn’t resemble you in the least. How long have you been married to that blackguard brother of mine?
The insolent cad. “Mr. Reed and I aren’t married. I’m Jamie’s governess.”
The man muttered something she couldn’t make out and ran his hand over the dark stubble on his chin. “If only I’d had a comely wench like you for a governess, I might not have turned out to be a cut-throat pirate.”
Heather placed her hand over her throat and swallowed hard. “You’re a pirate by choice.”
The man leaped forward, grabbing the front of her dress. “You know nothing about me, missy. Because I had the misfortune to be born minutes after my brother”—he spat on the floor—“Lucas inherited all of our father’s wealth while I got nothing.”
Heather knew a man like this would take advantage of a weak woman, so her best hope was to face him head-on and not let him know her legs were trembling so hard she felt certain they’d give out any moment. “I’m sure Lucas would be happy to share with you if you were to cease your pirating and return home. Your mother misses you.”
Mutiny of the Heart Page 12