There was no sign of Anne.
Teach was anxious in his search for her, his heart tripping in his chest. Less than three weeks ago he would not have believed he could need another human being this much, but the desire to see her was overwhelming.
He trailed a path of wet footprints leading to the front of the house. Anne entered the dining room, still dressed in her traveling cloak. He followed behind. “Anne?”
She whirled, an object in her hand flying until it bounced on the rug and landed on the hard wood near Teach’s feet with a loud clank.
Looking down, Teach saw a silver goblet reflecting the glow from the fire in the hearth.
It was the goblet his father had given his mother.
And it was one of the items his father had said was missing.
CHAPTER 26
Anne
Anne watched as if in a dream while a range of emotions crossed Teach’s face. Confusion, recognition, disbelief, and finally anger. He picked up the goblet, his eyes glinting dangerously in the firelight as he turned it in his hand. “Why?” he asked.
The question pulled her out of her daze, and Anne blinked, wishing she had a clever response to give. She was numb, her mind unable to respond fast enough. She should have heard him approach, but had been too intent on returning the stolen items, her pulse racing.
It had been too easy. She’d gone to Elizabeth’s house and spoken with her mother, explaining Mr. Drummond’s need of a groom and another maid. Elizabeth’s two brothers, David and Ian, had both volunteered for the job, as well as their sister Kate.
Leaving Elizabeth to help her siblings pack their meager belongings, Anne had made a quick trip to the shop. There they had lain, behind the counter. The two spoons as well as the goblet. Anne hadn’t been able to believe her good fortune.
It appeared her good fortune had now run out. “Margery said you and the Herveys were in your rooms resting.” She could not help the accusatory note in her voice.
“Aye, I was, but when I saw you arrive, I came down because I wanted to speak with you.”
“About what?”
His eyes were those of a predator. “I wanted to know if you would accompany me on a ride.”
“In this weather?”
Teach ignored her question. “Were you aware that this goblet was among the items my father believed had been stolen?” He stopped, his dark eyebrows peaked, but when she didn’t respond, he pressed on. “Did it magically appear in the cupboard? Did you find it somewhere in the house? Some dusty corner of the attic?”
She looked down as shame washed over her, but she wouldn’t embarrass herself further with a poorly told lie.
“Tell me that you found this,” he said with quiet menace.
Shaking her head, she forced herself to meet his gaze. It raised gooseflesh all over her. “I did not find it. I knew exactly where it was.”
“And where was that?”
“At a shop. Near the docks.”
“That was why you didn’t want me to accompany you yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“Why? Why did you do it?”
Something bleak and angry rose within her, a memory of how she’d first felt when she’d arrived at the Drummond estate. “My life here was a prison, a drawn-out death sentence. You of all people should understand that.”
“Perhaps, but I never stole from anyone.”
“You stole from Henry Barrett.”
“He deserved it.”
Anne didn’t wish to discuss the differences between their crimes. She simply wanted to make her point. “In order to escape this house, you threatened to join the navy.”
“But I would never have followed through with it.”
“Which makes you either a coward or a liar.” As soon as she’d spoken, Anne realized she’d made a mistake, but it was too late to take the words back.
Teach went still, his face hard. They stared at each other in wordless challenge. What seemed like an eternity passed.
Letting loose a string of foul words, he stalked toward her, his broad shoulders blocking the warmth from the nearby hearth. “My father must never find out about this, do you understand?”
Anne nodded, determined not to shrink from him. “Believe me, I have no intention of telling him.”
Gripping her by the arms, he gave her a slight shake. “How could you be so reckless? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you if he’d discovered it was you who’d stolen from him? Or worse, Margery?”
Breaking free of his hold, she went to stand before the fire, trying to chase away the chill she’d felt since he’d first discovered her. “I did think about the consequences, but it was a chance I was willing to take. A quick death was preferable to a slow suffocation of my life with Margery or your father—”
“Tell me, do you still regard this house as a prison?”
Whirling around, she glared at him. “At the moment, yes. It feels as if the very walls are closing in, and it’s all I can do to stop myself from running away.”
Teach approached her again, his normally healthy complexion ashen. “Don’t. Please don’t ever run away from me. I understand why you did it. Do you think I don’t know how stifling this house can be?” Cupping her chin, he tilted her head back. “You must promise me never to do anything that foolish again.”
Anne took a steadying breath, grateful she’d been able to retrieve the three pieces and that she hadn’t sold any of the others. “I won’t.”
“Is there more?”
Picturing the chest hidden by the two willows, Anne was nearly smothered by the weight of her guilt. She did not want Teach to know the extent of her stealing. She could not stand to see the look of hurt and betrayal in his eyes again. If she could find the right moments, the other items should be easy enough to return.
Realizing that Teach still waited for her answer, she hated her denial even as she spoke it. “No, nothing.”
She felt Teach studying her, and returned his gaze, trying to convince herself that it wasn’t a complete lie. If she had her way, Mr. Drummond would give her her inheritance, and then she wouldn’t need any of the stolen goods.
But until she was sure . . .
“Will you please join us for supper this evening?” Teach asked. “I cannot endure another meal alone with Miss Patience.”
“And if I choose not to?”
Teach snorted. “I’ll come to your room and drag you to supper myself.”
“You wouldn’t dare make a scene to that extent.”
“When it comes to you, Anne, I would dare a lot of things. I told Patience about the piracy charges.”
Torn between hope and despair, Anne swallowed around the tightness in her throat. “What did she say?”
“Not much.”
“Does Lord Hervey know?”
“Patience might have told him, although I haven’t spoken with him myself. He hasn’t left his room since he arrived.”
Anne took a moment to gather her thoughts. “I wish there were something I could do to help you.” It was in her nature to form some plan of action. Her father had often said that it was better to walk aimlessly than to sit idle, but in this instance she did not know how to change the situation.
“There is something you can do.”
“What?”
Margery came in, preventing Teach from answering. “Master Drummond has returned. He would like to speak with you, Mr. Edward.”
Teach’s head swung around. “He’s back already?”
“Aye, sir,” Margery said. “He’s waiting for you in his room.”
“I’ll be there shortly,” Teach replied.
Margery left as quietly as she’d entered. Anne reached for the watch in her pocket, her fingers shaking. Teach’s eyes held hers.
“Come with me,” he
said.
“He asked only for you.” As much as she wanted to find out what had happened, a small part of her was afraid of the outcome. Either way, he was lost to her.
Teach rubbed the back of his neck, his irritation and anxiety clear.
“I’ll wait for you in the library. Come and find me,” she said.
“Always.”
CHAPTER 27
Teach
“It’s over,” Drummond said, holding a glass of brandy in his hand. He sat in an armchair and gazed up at the ceiling.
Teach’s heart gave a lurch. “What’s over?”
“The charges against you have been dropped.”
For a moment Teach was too shocked to respond.
“You will not be hanged for piracy,” his father said, giving him an expectant look.
All the tension Teach had kept so tightly constrained was released in a long sigh of audible relief. “How? How did you do it?” he asked.
“My solicitor and I consulted, and I simply explained that you had been aboard one of Andrew Barrett’s ships. You could not possibly have committed those crimes. I prepared a list of character witnesses for you, which took some time, but in the end that wasn’t necessary.”
“And the constable believed you?”
“He was interested in justice being served,” was his father’s curt reply.
“What kind of evidence did they have against me?”
“The constable didn’t say. Nor did he say who had brought the charges against you. But no matter. It’s over.”
Warmth radiated throughout Teach’s limbs, and he smiled, knowing that his death sentence had been lifted. He understood the unspoken part of his father’s comments. Constables were unpaid volunteers, and Drummond’s pockets were deep. He’d said he would do whatever it took to see the charges dropped, but Teach hadn’t been sure whether his father would have been willing to pay the constable, or if the constable was even the kind of person willing to take a bribe.
But there was no doubt in Teach’s mind that that was what had happened.
“I . . . I don’t quite know what to say, except . . . thank you. Thank you, Father.”
Drummond waved his hand, looking ill at ease from Teach’s gratitude. Teach knew better than to embrace him. It would only make him more uncomfortable.
“It’s in the past. Don’t give it another thought.”
Within twenty-four hours his father had been able to avert disaster. It seemed there was truly nothing his father could not do.
“And now there is nothing to stop you from marrying Miss Patience.”
Any feelings of euphoria were suffocated by his father’s statement.
“Did you hear me, Edward?”
“Yes.”
Drummond rose and poured himself another glass of brandy. “Good. Then we will announce your wedding date this weekend at your friend William’s party.”
“But we haven’t settled on a date.”
“Which is precisely why I asked Miss Patience and the baron to come here. I understand they arrived early.”
“They did.”
“I should have been here to greet them.” His tone implied it was yet another grievance against Teach. Sitting down, Drummond pinched the bridge of his nose, a sure sign that the conversation was over. But Teach wasn’t willing to end it just yet.
“Father, I don’t want to set a date for the wedding.”
Lowering his hand with exaggerated deliberateness, Drummond pinned Teach with a glare. “What did you say?”
Teach refused to back down. “I don’t want to set a date for the wedding. There’s no need to rush.”
“There is also no reason to wait.”
“Yes, there is. I told Miss Patience about the charges.”
“You should have waited for me to return. I had planned to tell Lord Hervey myself, once your name was cleared.”
“Don’t you think he might change his mind now?”
“The baron is not in a position to change his mind. He is on the brink of financial ruin.”
“But I just arrived home.”
“Yes, from a year at sea that very nearly cost you your life. Do you have any idea what I did for you today?” his father demanded, his voice rising with each word.
“Yes, and I’ve already told you that I’m thankful, I truly am. But I think it would be best to wait. My feelings for Patience have changed. She is no longer the girl I wish to spend my life with, and I am quite sure she feels the same about me. If you forced us to marry, we would both be miserable.”
“That is not your decision to make.”
“How can you say that? It’s my life we’re discussing, not yours.”
“And you have proven that you are incapable of making good decisions.”
Turning from his father, Teach caught sight of the portrait hanging above the fireplace, his mother’s kind eyes smiling down on him. “If mother were alive, she would let me make them. Why can’t you?”
The air seemed to escape his father’s lungs at the mention of his wife. “I will not argue with you. Not now. I am too tired for this. We will continue this conversation after I have rested. I do not wish to be disturbed until supper this evening. Please instruct Margery that I would like my tea to be delivered to my room and left by the door.” He headed in the direction of his dressing room, his weary footsteps echoing in the chamber.
Clutching the back of the chair in his hands, Teach barely managed to stifle his shout of aggravation. He knew very well that his father would not discuss it with him further. If Drummond was to rest until the evening meal, Teach would have no opportunity to speak with him privately. It was as if the older Teach became, the more Drummond tightened the noose.
If only they had a few days, Drummond might have time to mull over what Teach had said. Then they could speak reasonably, just like they had when Teach had convinced his father to let him sail on Andrew Barrett’s ship.
After closing the door to his father’s bedchamber soundly behind him, Teach headed down the stairs. His heartbeat roared in his ears as he struggled to understand how he had so completely lost control of his life, and when he would get it back.
Anne, unaware of his presence in the doorway of the library, sat in a chair with a book in her lap. She stared out at the rain as it continued to fall. A log broke in the fireplace, and part of it fell from the grate, sending a plume of white sparks into the air.
Teach paused, watching her until she turned. Setting the book aside, she stood and took several quick steps forward. Teach met her in the center of the room. Before he could say anything, she smiled.
“I heard. I’m sorry, but I stood outside your father’s door for a moment and listened.” Anne reached for one of his hands, and her fingers warmed the chill in his. “I heard him say it was over.”
Teach looked down at their clasped hands. “Yes. It’s over.” Glancing up, he saw her smile fade.
“What’s wrong? What else did he say?”
Teach’s only reply was grim silence. It was clear she hadn’t listened for long.
Anne stumbled back a step, her skirts rustling. She gave a slight shake of her head, her brows furrowed as she looked about the room. “I should go.”
“Do you wish to retire? I’ll escort you to your—”
“No. I must leave England. At once.”
Pain unfolded in Teach’s chest. “You can’t leave. I won’t let you.”
“Once I have the three thousand my father left me, you won’t be able stop me. I will not stand idly by and watch you marry her. If I can leave before that happens, I will.”
He knew it would do him no good to argue with her, but he couldn’t help himself. She was his only source of pleasure at the moment, and it frightened him how much he depended on her to achieve his happiness. “Don’t do it, Ann
e.”
Their gazes caught and held. Her blue eyes, usually so bright, were now bleak.
“Don’t do anything rash,” he said.
“I have no other choice.”
“Yes, you do. Come away with me. I’m no longer a wanted man. We could leave, just the two of us.”
“And then what? I won’t be a kept woman like my mother was. And where could we possibly go where people won’t look at me and immediately assume that’s what I am? Or worse.”
“Marry me, then. We’ll leave England and find a place. We’ll make a place.” Teach watched her intently, hoping for a sign of consent. But she took another step back, her shoulders straight, her lips set.
“You might want to leave now, but in time you would come to resent me. You would be giving up your inheritance and this lifestyle. I won’t have you blame me for losing everything.”
“I would never resent you. Or blame you. I just spent a year at sea. I’ve seen what it’s like to be without.”
“Yes, but it was an adventure. You always knew you would come back. I’ve experienced what it’s like to truly be without, and I would not wish that on anyone. Least of all you.”
“That’s my choice to make, not yours.”
“I’m sorry,” Anne said. “But when I leave, I will go alone.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
Anne stepped around him, heading for the door.
Desperation caused his voice to rise. “I’ll tell my father about us. I’ll tell him I wish to marry you.”
She stopped with her hand on the knob and turned, her blue eyes flashing. “If you do that, he will not hesitate to throw me out. He tolerates me now, but if he believed I came between you and Miss Patience, he would not be kind. Or merciful. You should not wish his wrath on anyone. Least of all me.”
Sitting in the darkened captain’s cabin of the Deliverance, Teach toyed with an open bottle. It had been several hours since he’d left the estate. After the disastrous evening meal, he hadn’t trusted himself to stay under the same roof as the others.
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