Carried Home

by Heather Manning

  “We need to talk, Ivy darling.”

  She sat up a little straighter. He pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand. The act sent tingles up her arm and down her spine. “Mmm-hmm?”

  “Ivy…what are we going to do?”

  She remained silent, for she had no idea how to answer the beloved man.

  ****

  “What do you plan on doing about Emma, Ivy?”

  She hesitated. “I…I want to keep her. I couldn’t bear to give her to someone else. Why, she might as well be my own child.”

  That’s what Gage had thought. Hoped for. Prayed for. “The child needs a father as well as a mother, Ivy.”

  Ivy’s chest rose sharply as she inhaled. She did not respond.

  “Don’t you think? I believe every child deserves both a male and a female parent. Emma doesn’t deserve to be raised alone.”

  “Yes. I think so.”

  “If you want to keep her, then who should be her father?” He leaned closer as she pulled her face slightly away. She sucked in another breath, and he put his finger underneath her chin until her eyes had no choice but to meet his.

  “I…I suppose—”

  “Gage? Gage, is that you?”

  Reluctantly, he released her and pulled back. “We will talk about this later, darling.”

  He stood and faced the direction the voice had come from. “Caspian!” Gage lurched forward and met his friend halfway across the beach in an embrace. Eden stood at his side, holding Reed’s hand. Gage hadn’t realized how much he had missed all three!

  “Eden!”

  “Ivy! What on earth are you doing here?” The women sprang toward each other and hugged. Tears sprang from Eden’s eyes. “Why are you with Gage?”

  “He offered to take me home. We thought we would reach England before Captain Emery, but now I am not sure. But…it’s all right. I know William is safe. He is in God’s care.” Ivy brushed some tears from her own eyes.

  Gage smiled inwardly. Ivy had really grown to trust in God during the past few weeks. In fact, he was proud of her. He slid closer to her and slipped an arm around her waist in a supportive gesture. Bad idea. Eden’s eyes widened in shock. She glanced back and forth between him and Ivy.

  “Papa! May I go by the ocean?” Reed’s exuberant voice brought a laugh to everyone.

  “Reed, don’t you want to say hello to your Uncle Gage?” Caspian leaned down and ruffled his son’s hair.

  “Hello, Gage. You seemed busy talking to the adults, so I was gonna go look at the ocean and then come back and say hello to you.”

  Gage grinned and launched the boy up in his arms. “I missed you, little man.” He pressed a kiss to the child’s forehead. Reed giggled. “Now, go ahead and look at the ocean. I’m sure we’ll be able to talk soon enough.”

  Reed ran off across the beach, squealing in delight.

  “What brings you to Charles Town, Caspian? Why did I find you out here on the beach?” He clapped his friend on the shoulder.

  “Well, I am glad we found you, because you are what we were here for. I asked the men at the docks where to find you, and they directed me to your quartermaster, who directed me to you. He said you had some plans to spend the day on the shore side.” Caspian tucked Eden against him, his hand resting on her hip. She tilted her head towards her husband.

  A pang of jealousy smacked Gage straight across the jaw. What he wouldn’t give to have Ivy look at him in such adoration…

  He shook the feeling. Caspian was a talented captain. He deserved to have a devoted wife. Gage, on the other hand, wasn’t such a great example.

  “After inquiring at many ports, we heard you had signed on a fair amount of men to balance out your crew when you reached Port Royal.”

  “Yes.” Gage wasn’t sure what this had to do with anything. Maybe Caspian had doubted in his abilities as a captain and had decided to check up on him. But would he really spend so much time traveling across the sea to find him just for that? Oh well. No matter what they discussed, he was just glad to see Caspian again. The man had been his best friend since childhood and the best captain a man could ask for.

  “Did you come across a man by the name of Adam Trenton?”

  Trenton… “That’s Eden’s last name.”

  “Of course it is Archer now, but yes. This man is her brother. Do you know him?”

  “Adam…an Adam Douglas is my first mate.”

  Eden’s eyes brightened. “May we see this man? Please, Mr. Thompson?”

  ****

  Adam sat on the forecastle deck and rested his forehead on his hands. They were coming back. The horrible memories he had tried to suppress. They had all come rushing back the second he had seen Miss Thompson’s burn. He had not meant to hurt her. But she had hurt him. Now, he supposed, they were even.

  He rubbed his temples and squeezed his eyes shut.

  First, the trembling. It had seemed as if the entire world was crashing down around him. If he recalled correctly, he had believed it was the end of the world. But it wasn’t. No, it was an earthquake, and an awful one at that. The force had knocked him right on his back. Port Royal had experienced small earthquakes before, he had been told, but nothing of this caliber. And Adam supposed he could consider himself a lucky man because he had been on the outskirts of the town, away from the ocean. Away from the mass destruction.

  But when he had gone back toward the center of the town to see if he could help anyone, everything had changed. He could still hear the people’s cries, see the dead bodies. And that was when the building he stood next to seemed to explode. It must have been on fire before Adam had reached it, he reasoned, but he had not noticed.

  At first, he didn’t feel anything. He didn’t even notice the flames climbing up his shoulder, or the smoke circling him. He didn’t notice any of it. After a moment though, the pain hit him. Like a boulder. His skin was melting. The earthquake must have truly been the end of the world as he had suspected, and he had been sent straight to hell. Hell looked a lot like Port Royal, he thought. The flames licked at his face, jumping higher, singing his hair. It hurt. It hurt like the dickens.

  He remembered doubling over.

  The smoke bit his throat.

  His mouth was too dry to allow him to cry out, and even if he had any saliva, he suspected no one would help him in hell. The fire crawled around him. He batted it away, desperate to keep it from scorching his skin. His bones ached. Everything ached. Sweat evaporated as soon as it left his body. Tears wetted his eyes, and the smoke coaxed them out.

  Help me. Help me.

  And then a young man stepped out of the smoke to his rescue, dragging him away from the doomed town and helping him heal. James. The very man Adam later failed to save during the terrible storm. Adam buried his face in his hands and let a sob escape. There was nothing he could do to save him. Nothing he could do to bring him back. Nothing he could do to help James’ now fatherless and husbandless child and wife.

  It was all Adam’s fault. He knew the feeling well. When would he ever be able to escape from the past?

  He rubbed his hands against his face and felt the uneven skin on the left half, the area with the severe burns. Never. He would never be able to get away from the past, because he bore a piece of it every day. He could never get rid of these burns. He would never forget, and he would never forgive himself. And he would never find happiness.

  “Mr. Douglas? Someone wants to speak to you for a moment.”

  Adam groaned inwardly. Why had his captain chosen this moment to speak to him? He wiped the tears from his face, stood, and spun around.

  Adam resisted the urge to rub his eyes in an attempt to rid them of the mirage before him. Next to Gage and Ivy stood another man and a child, but Adam didn’t pay them any attention. For there, at the man’s side, was a young woman.

  There was no mistaking her. She was years older, and she had grown into a beautiful lady, but of course Adam had never expected anything else of her. She had always been
pretty. But he had never expected to see her again. When their father had told him that if he left on a sailing trip one more time, he would never be welcome home again, Adam had never believed the man would stick to his word. But he did, and Adam soon realized he would never see his sister again. She never replied to his letters, and Adam had assumed either she was angry with him, or their father had intercepted the correspondences. So Adam left for good and never glanced back. Changed his surname to that of James to honor the man who had given him a second chance at life, and gave up all hope of seeing the beloved girl.

  Her brow crinkled. “Adam…what happened to you?”

  He let out a rueful laugh and swung her into an embrace. “It doesn’t matter, Ed honey.” He swooped down and kissed her forehead. “My, have you grown up.”

  The man next to her stood up taller. “Aye, she’s a married woman, now, as well.”

  Adam leaned back and studied her husband. He was a sailing captain, there was no doubt of that. Most likely a pirate or a privateer. What on earth was his Eden doing married to a man like this? Why, before Adam had even left, their father had been exploring the young lords who lived around them and might be a good suit for his daughter.

  Eden smiled sweetly at the man. “This is my husband, Captain Caspian Archer. And this is our son, Reed.”

  Reed offered a darling smile. Adam felt his eyes widen. The boy must be six years old. How long had Eden been married? Adam raked his mind…Eden would be nineteen or twenty years old now.

  Caspian offered his hand to Adam. He shook it. “Nice to meet you, sir. I have heard all kind stories about you. In fact, I can probably thank you for leading Eden to meet me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Eden laid a hand on Adam’s arm. “I left England to…to go to the Caribbean, because you loved it so much. I thought it must be better than London. Anything would be better than London.” A shadow crossed her face before her voice grew cheerful once more. “So, I stowed away on Caspian’s ship and we ended up…married.” Her cheeks flushed.

  Captain Archer drew Eden close.

  “Why were you leaving London, Ed? Is Father all right?”

  ****

  Eden chuckled at her brother’s nickname for her. “Oh, Adam, that is a story meant for another time. But Father is well, I believe.” At least she knew he wouldn’t be looking for her. After she had disobeyed him so defiantly by running away, and with the fiancé out of the way, the whole situation had been fixed. She was certain he would not send anyone after her. In fact, he had probably told London society she had died. No daughter of his would defy him, run away, and marry a pirate.

  “Why didn’t you write to me?” Eden’s hands clawed into her brother’s arms without her bidding. She had worried about his safety for years. Many had assumed him dead.

  “I did, Ed. Although I began to suspect Father was intercepting my letters because I never received a reply.”

  “How could he do that to us?” Tears stung Eden’s eyes. All this time, she could have been corresponding with her beloved brother, her only sibling.

  “You know he was dead-set against any son of his being a sailor. He feared it would tarnish our reputation.”

  “Would you like to sit down in my captain’s cabin and visit?” Gage gestured to the other side of the ship.

  “You would allow us to?”

  “Of course I would. You four go along. I am so happy for all of you. I’m going to stay up here for now and speak with Lady Shaw.”

  Ivy raised her chin. “But Gage, I would prefer to stay with my best friend. I have missed her so.” She paused, her eyes lowered. “You could come along as well.”

  Eden paused. What had passed between these two? Why had Gage acted so possessively of her earlier? Hmm. She eyed the couple suspiciously. They would make a good match, really. Gage was a sweet man, and Ivy, a caring person.

  “Very well.” Gage led them to his cabin and made sure they were all settled comfortably before he left the room, declaring he had some business to tend to.

  Adam ran a hand through his hair and twisted to face Ivy. “Lady Shaw…Lady Ivy Shaw. I knew I recognized your name. You were naught but a little tyke when I last saw you, playing with my Eden. When I first met you on this ship, I had supposed I may have known you from my days in London, making your name sound familiar, but I never remembered for certain. I had tried to block those days out of my memory. But, my, what a bright lady you have become in the years since.”

  Ivy smiled at Adam. “Thank you, Mr. Dou—sir.”

  “Adam, what…what happened to you? What hurt you?”

  A shadow crossed over his face. “In ’92, there was an earthquake in Port Royal, and I stupidly stood next to a building that exploded. I got caught in the fire and it singed my left side.”

  Eden swallowed hard as tears welled up in her eyes. “Adam, that must have been terrible.”

  A shrug rolled across his shoulders. “Tell me more about your husband, Ed.” He nodded towards Caspian.

  “Oh. Well, Father lost a lot of money in a poor investment. So he soon decided it was time for me to marry.”

  He raised his right brow. “He married you to a pirate? Now, I suppose it can be a lucrative business, but… he has always been so against sailing.”

  Caspian chortled from his position in the chair on the other side of the room.

  “No, not at all. He announced my betrothal to Lord Clive Rutger.” Eden’s nose crinkled up at just the mention of the awful man’s name. But he was gone now. And she had Caspian. There was nothing to concern herself about. “Do you remember Lord Rutger? He may have not been in town yet while you were there.”

  Adam shook his head. “I don’t remember him, but just by the way you said his name I have a feeling I know what kind of man he was.” He clenched his fists. “What was Father thinking? He has always been more concerned with money and status than either of our happiness or well-being.”

  Eden nodded. It was true. Their father had not cared one bit that Adam had always longed for the freedom of the sea, just as he had not cared one bit that she did not want to marry a man who abused her. She recounted the tale of how her horrible fiancé had beaten her, how she had run away. How she had met Caspian and little Reed and never wanted to turn back.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ivy remembered Adam now. How could she not have realized he was Eden’s brother before today? Sure, he was quite a bit older than when she had last seen him. And, of course, the entire left side of his face was unfortunately marred. And he had changed his last name. However, now that she knew who he was, there was no mistaking it. He was certainly Eden’s brother.

  She smiled when she recalled all of the fun times Eden had told her and Aimee about. Why, she remembered stories of them gallivanting about at the docks of London and sneaking out their windows after bedtime. Eden had loved this man very much, and was devastated when she had believed she had lost him forever.

  A knock sounded, then the door scraped open. Gage closed it behind him as he balanced Emma on his hip. It was a charming sight. He was the perfect father. Why, he cared about Emma deeply. She could tell. And he cut a handsome figure. And he seemed to only have eyes for Ivy as he entered the cabin.

  Ivy bit her lip. Why did things have to be so complicated? And yet, she knew despite all of her original objections, Gage was made for her and Emma. In the deepest part of her heart she knew they would all end up together. It was inevitable. They would be a family someday. And what a pleasant thought that was.

  Gage crossed the room, stopping next to Ivy and crouching next to her, Emma balanced in his lap. There were no other chairs in the room, and he, the captain of the ship, seemed content with sitting on the floor. That made her…love him even more.

  She loved him. There was no denying it.

  The warmth of his near body and his cedar scent wafted around, enveloping her.

  “Who’s this beautiful little girl?” Eden leaned forward and smiled. />
  Ivy beamed with pride. She thought her Emma was beautiful, too. “Our darling little Emma.” A copper curl danced across the little darling’s forehead before Ivy brushed it away. They shared the same hair color. Maybe in the future everyone would believe she was truly her own child if she so wished.

  “Our?” Eden’s voice rang with the question.

  Heat flooded Ivy’s face.

  Gage leaned so close his breath tickled her ear. “If you insist on not allowing me to be this angel’s father, mayhap you should refrain from referring to her as ‘ours.’ Repeatedly.” His chuckle rustled the hair at the nape of her neck.

  “She’s not…ours. I mean…she is, but…Gage?” Her voice was reduced to a squeak.

  His laugh reverberated across the room. “We found little Emma being abandoned by her mother, who could no longer risk caring for her. So we took her in and now she’s…ours.” He sent Ivy a wicked grin.

  “Oh…” Eden eyed them suspiciously. Ivy wished she could sink into the floor boards and into the bay below. This was horrifying. Gage was a rogue.

  “May I hold the baby?” Reed shot up from his chair.

  Ivy chuckled. This boy was really sweet.

  Eden sent a questioning glance to Ivy, who offered a shrug.

  “If you are very careful, you may hold her. But make sure you sit on the bed. I don’t want you to drop her, all right, sweetheart?”

  “Yes, Mama. I wouldn’t drop a baby.”

  Gage walked with the boy over to the bed and gently handed Emma to him. They watched silently as the children played together for a few moments.

  Adam and Eden picked up a conversation about their past, recalling one of their childhood adventures.

  Ivy asked Gage about his sister. She had told him she would prefer to remain in her cabin for the evening rather than joining them.

  Caspian reported to Gage about his ship and how they were faring. Gage talked about the struggles of learning how to be a good captain, and how Ivy had even taken over for him for a while.