by Kitty Margo
“There was no child,” he answered testily.
“What do you mean there was no child? Did she miscarry?”
“There was never a child to miscarry.” His fists were clenched as he ground out, “Suzanne fabricated the lie to coerce me into marriage. When she failed to conceive by her husband after the marriage, she turned to others.
“I cannot credit that even Suzanne could be so devious!”
“Your eyes do not deceive you, Lynna.”
“You saw her?” Lynna cried with stunned disbelief. “With your own eyes?”
“I caught her with the stable boy. She cried rape, but I had been following her for days.” His voice was unforgiving. “I gave her an ultimatum. She could either grant me an annulment or I would guarantee her a scandal the likes of which her family would never crawl out from under.”
Joshua was free from his vows to Suzanne and he loved her, but she was no longer a free woman. Lynna’s tears flowed in earnest as she pondered this wicked turn of fate.
“There now, dry your eyes and come here.” Joshua cradled her head on his chest and stroked her hair. “Do you love me, Lynna?” he questioned, catching her off guard.
“Joshua, I...” she faltered.
“Answer me truthfully! I must know!”
“Yes, Joshua. Yes, I do love you. I have always loved you. I would have never married Michael had I known of Suzanne’s lies and treachery. But it is too late…”
“No, it is not too late! You love me. That’s all that matters.” He hugged her so hard she feared her ribs would crack. They slept then, holding each other close, afraid to let go. Each afraid the other would disappear with the bright light of morning. Sometime in the early morning hours, Joshua’s voice penetrated the fog of her deep, satisfied sleep. “I will wait for you to come to me tonight.”
She mumbled sleepily, “You, sir, will have an awfully long wait.” Snuggling deeper under the covers, she returned to her dream world, not sure whether his rumbling laughter had been real or imagined.
When she awoke the next morning, Sadie, the cook, reported that Michael had taken an overnight trip into town. She found Joshua and Crystal on the verandah chatting as if they had known each other for years. “Good morning, Lynna,” Crystal chirped.
“Good morning, my…um…Lynna.” Joshua beamed as his eyes swept the entire length of her.
“Good morning, Crystal. Joshua, I see you have met my adorable stepdaughter.”
“Uncle Joshua already knew me,” Crystal laughed merrily. “He didn’t just meet me.”
“I see,” Lynna said, puzzled. “Evidently you have visited Eden before, Captain Jordan?”
“Uncle Joshua doesn’t visit,” Crystal giggled, finding Lynna’s questions hilarious. “He owns Eden.”
“You own Eden!” Lynna was so caught off guard by the child’s statement that she almost dropped her coffee cup. “But…but… how can that be?”
“Simple. I purchased the plantation several years ago at auction. Michael was already the overseer, so he continued under my employ, him and this little cherub.”
“What did you bring me, Uncle Joshua?” Crystal wheedled, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug.
“As a matter of fact, there is a box on my bed that I brought for someone, but I cannot for the life of me remember who? Let me see, if I think hard enough perhaps it will come to me.”
“It was me!” Crystal squealed with delight and took off running. “You brought it for me!” The door slammed loudly behind her.
“You never mentioned you owned property in Jamaica,” Lynna said, after the elated child had raced up the stairs.
“You never asked. There are still several things about me you have not yet discovered, my love.” Then, he was too busy listening to the squeals of delight erupting from Crystal to finish their discussion. The child immediately plopped down on his lap, opened the box filled with a paper doll and numerous paper dresses, and consulted Joshua’s opinion on which frock the doll should be attired in for the noontime meal.
After over an hour of play, Crystal asked, “Uncle Joshua, will you come to the beach with Lynna and me today? Pretty please?”
“I can think of nothing I would enjoy better than spending a day at the beach with my two favorite girls.” He laughed as he lifted her in his arms. “Let’s go ask Sadie to pack a lunch and we will be off.”
The day on the beach with Joshua far surpassed any other day Lynna had spent in this lush tropical paradise. Joshua rolled up his breeches and waded in the water with Crystal, taking her hands to jump the incoming waves. The threesome walked for miles up the beach and found several perfect spiral shells, which were presented to Lynna to add to her collection. After their walk, they picnicked under the shade at the edge of the sand and Lynna and Joshua gazed with longing into each other’s eyes while Crystal frolicked in the nearby surf. Watching Joshua with Crystal, Lynna marveled at what a wonderful father he would make someday. If only he could father her children. What a wonderful life that would be.
That night Joshua’s words, “I will wait for you to come to me tonight,” drummed furiously in Lynna’s ears. She had laughed at him then, but what a fool she had been. Now her body ached for his sweet touch, for the pleasure that he alone could give her.
Unable to sleep, she was still awake when she heard his door close, and she waited. He had left shortly after their return from the beach. She listened until there was no more movement in his room and wondered where he had been all day. He was in the next room, so close. She imagined his hard, masculine body stretched out on the bed, a lazy grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, his emerald eyes shining. So sure she would come. Sure no woman could long resist his masculine charm.
Relaxing in the now tepid water, she allowed her mind to wander. Closing her eyes as a delicious languor settled over her, she erased from mind all the unpleasant thoughts, leaving only Joshua. In her vision, his smiling eyes beckoned her. Michael was due home tomorrow. Tonight would be their last night together. Would she deny herself one last night in the arms of the only man she would ever love? No. She would not. This night would be for memories, she told herself. Memories to store in her mind and retrieve during the long, lonely years without him.
Standing, she briskly dried her body until her skin shone pink, then slipped into a thin cotton robe, tying the sash at her tiny waist with suddenly nervous hands. Her heart pounded against her chest as she quietly opened her door and slipped into the dimly lit corridor.
Trembling hands turned the knob and pushed open the door to his room. He was on the bed, just as she had imagined. His even breathing assured her he was asleep and that she still had time to change her mind. She was feeling rather piqued that he had lost no sleep worrying whether or not she would come.
She bent to touch him, her hand longing to caress his sleeping features, but she jerked her hand back. What had come over her? This was utter foolishness! Not only was she married, but she was in another man’s bedroom, desperately wanting him to make love to her. She rushed through the open balcony doors, hoping the cool evening breeze would cool her heated skin and clear her befuddled mind.
The air was sweet, the crisp trade winds blowing down from the mountain fanning her hair out behind her and shaping her thin robe to her slim body. She desired Joshua. Oh, how she desired him. How she longed for him to take her into his arms and make her forget, as only he could do.
“I have been waiting for you.”
Just hearing his voice sent chills shivering down her spine. “I needed to talk to you,” she lied, suddenly ashamed of her wanton behavior.
“You don’t want talk, Lynna. We both want the same thing.” This said, he put his arms around her, cupping her breasts as he nuzzled her neck. “This is why you came.” He turned her around and held her face in his hands, emerald eyes meeting crystal blue. “Let me love you.”
“Yes, Joshua.” Their lips met in a tender kiss as he lifted her easily and carried her to
the bed where he joined her. “Love me, Joshua.”
Sam Bogan came rushing into the house the following morning. “I think we got troubles, lad,” his voice was ragged, out of breath.
“What is the cause of your obvious distress, Sam?” Joshua queried, immediately concerned for the safety of his crew.
“There may not be any trouble. But a ship just pulled into harbor flying the Jolly Roger.” His eyes were wide with alarm. “The ship’s got everybody running to their houses and boarding their windows.”
“Have my horse saddled. I will be down to the harbor presently.” Joshua needed time alone with Lynna before he had to leave her. Drawing her into his arms he gave her a tender kiss. “Remember this. We will continue when I return. You and Crystal stay inside today.”
“Joshua, will there be trouble?” she whispered around the sudden lump in her throat.
“No, it is probably just a show of force,” he said, trying to allay her fears. “Pirates have a reputation to uphold. There are too many armed ships in the harbor for them to attack us.”
Not long after Joshua left, Michael returned home, tense and as nervous as a caged animal. “Where’s the boss?” He stormed through the door without even pausing to greet his new bride.
“I assume you are speaking of Captain Jordon. If so, one of his men came with an urgent message that he should return to his ship.” Lynna assumed his agitation was caused by the appearance of the pirate vessel as well.
“Well, what was the damn message?” he practically shouted at her.
“It would seem that a pirate ship is anchored in the harbor and Sam feared there might be trouble.” She could not fathom why he was shouting at her or why he should suddenly be so interested in Joshua’s whereabouts.
“So, you are acquainted with Sam, are you?”
“Yes, we have…met.”
Suddenly, his attitude changed abruptly, in a split second, to that of a kind and caring husband. “How would you like to ride into town with me?”
“You just returned from town, Michael. Why do you wish to go back so soon?” She was puzzled by his erratic behavior.
He paused for a second and said, “With all the talk of pirates, I forgot about the list of supplies Sadie asked me to bring back.” He glanced at her askance and added, “Surely my darling wife will not refuse me the pleasure of her company.”
“Of course not, Michael.”
“Good. Go ready Crystal so we can be on our way.”
The day was terribly hot and they had been traveling for almost an hour when Michael stopped the carriage. “How does a cool drink of lemonade for my two favorite ladies sound?”
We cannot be your two favorite ladies, too, papa.” Crystal giggled. “Uncle Joshua said we were his two favorite ladies.”
“Did he now?” Michael queried, giving Lynna a look of pure contempt. He stopped the carriage and reached to caress the line of her jaw with a trembling hand. “Well then, I guess Uncle Joshua and I will just have to…share.”
Lynna gasped and looked across the harbor in search of the Windjammer. Michael knew!
“Drink up, girls,” His grin was one of pure malice that sent shivers racing down Lynna’s spine. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Chapter Nineteen
The pain in Lynna’s head was steady, throbbing with each beat of her heart. She wished the bed would stop its constant swaying, for she was beginning to feel nauseous. Becoming slowly aware of her surroundings, she noticed moonlight filtering in through a small round hole in the wall. A porthole! She was on a ship! But how could that be? She had no knowledge of coming onboard. How did Joshua manage to bring her on the Windjammer without her ever knowing? Forcing her eyes open, she glanced around the filthy, sparsely appointed cabin. No, she definitely wasn’t on the Windjammer. Her last memory was of Michael giving her a cup of lemonade.
Had she been abducted? Had the kidnappers finally found her after all these years? Of course! It had to be the villains from France. She had not dwelled on that horror for years, believing they had long since forgotten about her. Alas, they had finally discovered her hiding place and succeeded in holding her for ransom. Her poor father!
Suddenly all the horror stories of kidnappings came back to haunt her as she lay on the hard, smelly bunk. Her head throbbed with each beat of her heart. How did they get her on the ship without her being aware of it? She prayed no harm had come to Michael and Crystal, that they had somehow escaped this horror. Running to the door she found it locked, as she had feared. “Open this door!” she yelled to the top of her lungs. “I demand to see the Captain!” When no answer was forthcoming, she fell down on the bunk crying tears of abject misery.
Hours later, her throat raw from screaming, she at last heard keys rattle against the door and jumped out of the way before it was thrown open to bang loudly against the wall.
“While I am not the Captain, I assure you I can answer any questions you might have.”
“Michael!” she cried in horror. A strong sense of dread seeped through every pore in her body as her husband sauntered in. “What are you doing here? What is going on? Why am I on this ship? Where is Crystal?”
Michael strode casually into the cabin, holding up his hand to quiet her. “Let me start by answering the most obvious question. Why you are here?” He sat down on the bunk, brushing away a cockroach from the spread. “I thought it best to drug you to prevent any harm coming to you.”
“Drug me? That is why I have no memory. But why? Where are you taking me?” she whispered, apprehension taking a stranglehold on her. The fact that she had been drugged and taken against her will was of little consequence now. What mattered was finding a way off this wretched ship.
“We are going to live on another island,” he replied calmly, moving to gaze out the porthole. “This latest turn of events necessitated our hasty departure from Jamaica.”
“Michael, I must insist that you return me to Jamaica at once. You have no right to keep me here against my will.”
“Oh, but I do. You forget, Madame, that you are my wife, and as such, must go wherever I see fit to take you.”
“Michael, why are you doing this? I don’t understand. Why are you leaving your home?”
“My home!” he spat venomously. “It would have been if that old fool Morrison hadn’t died before I could convince him to make me sole beneficiary of Eden. I knew he had no living kin to claim the plantation. No son could have treated that feeble old recluse better than I did. I deserve Eden!” He gritted his teeth, slamming his fist on the table. “If I had just had a little more time with him.” His face was a stone mask of hatred. “After his death, the plantation was sold to Captain Joshua Jordan of Charleston. I wanted to kill him the day he came riding up on a black stallion, announcing that he was the new owner of Eden.” His hand rested on the hilt of his cutlass. “But after years of plotting, thanks to you, I finally conceived of a better scheme to extract my revenge.”
“And what is that?” she asked, trying to steady her quaking voice. She would discover his plan and figure out a way to warn Joshua. Somehow. But how? The ship was probably well out to sea by now.
Leaving the room momentarily, Michael returned with a metal box. Placing it on the table, he opened it to reveal more gold doubloons than she had ever seen. Coins that she would expect to find on a pirate ship. Pirate ship! Suddenly it dawned on her. She was on the pirate vessel that had been seen in the harbor. Did that make her husband a buccaneer? “Michael, where did you get all those coins?”
“It is mine by rights!” he raged, coming to shake her roughly by the shoulders. “I am the one who worked and sweated this money out of the land, while the mighty Captain Jordan navigated the high seas without a care in the world, living large on my plantation profits when he never turned a hand to work for it.” A triumphant smile spread over his face. “He has a surprise awaiting him the next time he opens his safe.”
“Michael, he trusted you!” She could not credit t
his startling shift in her husband. How could his personality change so drastically, almost overnight?
“That was his first mistake.” He laughed, placing the box on her lap. “We can start a new life with this, Lynna.”
“I will have no part of such deception!” she cried, rising to her feet and causing the gold coins to scatter noisily to the floor. “Please, Michael, I beg of you. Take me home!”
“I fear your wants are of little concern to me, my lady.” He sneered the last words as he bent to retrieve the coins. “You will have to accustom yourself to a vastly different way of life. The island we will call home is rather primitive compared to Jamaica. There are no magnificent plantations or doting servants.”
“Whose ship are we on?”
“We sail on the ship of my brother, Sean.” He watched her face closely for a reaction. Lynna’s face registered only relief that the captain of the ship was related to her husband, even if he was a detestable pirate. “Do you not recognize the name?”
“No, the name means nothing to me. Sean Devereux…” she repeated the name to herself. “I have never…” her voice trailed off, her face taking on a deathly white pallor as she recognized the name. It could not be! Sean Devereux was Michael’s brother? The man was rumored to be the most ruthless cutthroat of the band of pirates currently roaming the coast. They were well-known and feared for attacking helpless vessels, looting coastal towns, raping, plundering, and murdering innocent victims. “Why did you bring me here, Michael? I mean nothing to you. You have made that abundantly clear. You never even cared enough to consummate our wedding vows.”
His answer was final, cutting through her like a knife. “True. I only wed you to give Crystal a mother. But the life of a pirate is no life for a child. I had one of the men take her to Cliff and Bertie. You know they will care for her as their own, so you need not concern yourself over her welfare.” He eyed her contemptuously. “As for why I brought you along, the answer is simple. Captain Joshua Jordan! He has always been fed anything his little heart desired from a silver spoon, just for the asking. But he will not have that which he desires above all else!”