Love Inspired Historical July 2015 Box Set: The Marriage AgreementCowgirl for KeepsThe Lawman's RedemptionCaptive on the High Seas

by Renee Ryan

  If Nicolaus’s father was so friendly then why was he giving her to Jasen?

  Rena propped the hydria on her hip and grabbed a bowl of cakes. “I would suggest you seek your rest. However, my husband is anxious to meet you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  His father paled as did Jasen. Brison’s cup shattered on the marble floor. He hadn’t meant to say his sister’s name, but he was furious. How could his father give Ada to his brother? She belonged to him. He was more slave to her for she had bound his heart. He knew that now. Had known it since they had sat beside each other watching the sea at Yaya’s. He just hadn’t been ready to admit it to himself. Now he was. However, he needed to find the courage to defy his father and the ways of their ancestors, and yet honor him the way a son should.

  First, he needed to speak to his father. Alone. “Will you both allow me a moment with Father?”

  One of Jasen’s eyes narrowed before he glanced at their father. Nicolaus understood his brother’s hesitation since they’d always taken care of the family business together, but he would not question his father in front of his brothers. Even if there was little truth to what Knosis had told him, Nicolaus did not want his brothers having doubt about their father’s character.

  Nicolaus looked his father in the eye. “I would not ask if it were not important.”

  “Very well. I will see you boys when we break for our meal.” His father glided toward Brison and kissed his cheek. “You did well, son. You did well.”

  Jasen wrapped his arm around Brison’s shoulders. “How about a game of knuckles whilst we wait for Nicolaus to plead his case?”

  They walked out of the andron, the only room where women were not allowed. Jasen tossed one last look over his shoulder before slipping beyond the door. Nicolaus didn’t like leaving his twin out of this conversation, but it was not his tale to tell. If there was one to be told.

  His father took a sip from his cup, his eyes peering at Nicolaus over the rim.

  Nicolaus crossed his arms over his chest and drew in a breath to fortify his nerves. “Knosis boarded my ship.”

  His father’s brows rose slightly. He set the cup down on the table and paced to the window overlooking the port. “He is bold.”

  “That he is. He surrounded my ship with three heavily armed ones.”

  His father swung around. “What did he want?”

  “Desma.”

  “She was tak—”

  “I know this, Father.” Nicolaus scrubbed a hand over his beard. Never before had he dishonored his father with his speech or his actions. Until the moment he had failed to protect his sister. “He believes there was trickery involved.”

  “That is absurd.”

  Nicolaus walked to the courtyard window, and he looked around to see if his brothers hovered in the shadows. He raised his palm and laid it flat above the window, resting his head against the crook of his arm. “I must admit if I were him, and knowing what I know, I would believe the same.”

  “What is it you are saying, Nicolaus?”

  He twisted around to face his father. “Knosis told me how you won Mother’s hand, and that I believe. He also claimed you cheated.” Nicolaus raised his hand to keep his father from speaking. “I do not believe that. What I do not understand is why you would promise Desma, my sweet, delicate sister, to a man who has outlived a passel of wives.”

  His father hung his head, drew in a shaky breath and then collapsed onto one of the couches. He buried his face into his hands. Nicolaus sat beside him and rested his elbows on his knees. He stared at the seams of the tiles near his feet.

  “I was young,” his father said. “You are right that I did not cheat. However, that did not stop Knosis from his accusations. He claimed I poisoned their water, causing his men to become ill—many died.” His father shook his head. “I never would have done such a thing. Your grandfather favored Knosis and believed him, but there was no proof. He left the decision up to your mother. Without her knowledge he required us to sign contracts giving our firstborn daughter to the son of the other upon their coming of age. If there were no sons then the other could claim her as his own if he wasn’t already married.”

  Nicolaus looked at his father. “Knosis bore no sons.”

  His father shook his head. “Nine wives and no sons. I wonder if his wives died naturally.” His father rose from the couch and paced to the other side of the room. “I was beside myself when Knosis sent a message upon Desma’s last birthday. What little choice had I when I signed the contract?”

  Nicolaus crossed the room and laid his hand on his shoulder. “You have always been honorable, Father. You taught us that a man is nothing without the honor of his word. There is nothing you could have done.”

  A tentative smile formed his father’s lips. “Except pray to that God my brother Oceanus is forever speaking about. When Knosis sent word that you never arrived, I had thought—had hoped that you chose to take her elsewhere. Jasen reminded me you were the dutiful son and would never have done such a thing.”

  The tips of his ears burned at his brother’s assessment. “He is right, although I wish I would have.”

  “I find no fault with you, Nicolaus. It is what it is. Ironically, my prayers to Oceanus’s God were answered. She never made it to Knosis.”

  Had his sister met a much worse fate? “I will be honest with you, Father. If I had won this challenge I had planned to search for Desma until I found her.”

  His father looked him in the eye with great sadness. “Then it is a good thing you lost, for I fear it is hopeless. Your brother searched for months while searching for you. We were overjoyed when he brought you home.”

  “About Ada—” Nicolaus’s words were cut off by the raising of his hand.

  His father straightened his robes. “She seems important to you, almost as important as your mother is to me. What is it you would do with the slave if I allowed you to keep her?”

  He’d marry her if he could, but he did not wish to push his father’s good graces. “She reminded me of Desma’s circumstances. The only man bidding was one who would force her into prostitution. I would not wish that on my sister.”

  His father grimaced, and Nicolaus immediately regretted his words, but he pressed on. “I only purchased her to save her from prostitution. I would free her if I could, but then she would lose the protection of my name.” The word marriage clung to his tongue. Why could he not just tell his father how he felt about Ada, that she made him feel alive again? That he cared for her. He shook his head. “I do not know.”

  “Then I do not know, either. I will consider my actions and inform you of my decision on the morrow before the sun goes down.”

  It was the best Nicolaus could hope for at the moment. And if he somehow gathered the courage to tell Ada he loved her, then perhaps he could tell his father that truth, as well.

  “Come, let us wash our hands. We are dining with the women this eve.” His father smiled. “I cannot wait to meet this woman who has your thoughts twisted.”

  Laughter echoed through the andron as his father slipped into the courtyard. Nicolaus did not think the way Ada made him feel was at all humorous. If only he knew the right course of action in order to become himself again. Whether she went back home to her family, remained a slave with him, or whether he married her, something told him he would never return to his old self. He was no longer Nicolaus captain of the Great Sea, or the Sea Dragon, but Nicolaus a man falling in love.

  His chest filled with joy and the corners of his mouth lifted. Nicolaus, a man in love, was not as frightening as he first thought it would be. In fact, he liked the sound of it.

  *

  Ada hovered near the doorway, just behind Rena and her servants. She’d been given permission to check on the children and found peace in doing so, but now her nerves were causing her stomach to feel as though she were being tossed around on the waves.

  The women at her home never dined with the men. They weren’t allowed to
eat until the men had finished their repast. It was a custom never broken. Not even for special occasions. What would it be like sitting at the same table, sharing from the same bowls? Would her hand brush against Nicolaus’s as it had when they ate at his grandmother’s? She sucked in a breath at the fluttering in her stomach. Every time she had grabbed for an olive, so had he. A cake of bread, and his fingers had been there. She would not survive the tug on her heartstrings or the intensity of his gaze if that were to happen during this eve’s meal. She’d have to take care to not remove food when he did.

  “The table is prepared. All we must do now is wait for the men to take their places.” Rena touched her arm and then tucked a strand of Ada’s hair behind her ear. That one small touch created an ache in Ada’s heart. She missed her mother, and had had little time to mourn her passing before her sisters traded her for a gold band. “I do not know how it was done at your home, but as I told you we do not hold to customs here. I would have you sit beside me to ease your concerns.”

  Ada dipped her chin. She doubted much would ease her concerns, even sitting beside Nicolaus’s kind mother, especially knowing that his father was intent on giving her to Jasen.

  Rena tugged on Ada’s hand, bringing her to stand beside her, and then tucked her arm through Ada’s. If Ada had not already been nervous, Rena’s fortified inhale and elongated back would have made her so. It was as if Rena herself was uncertain of how the meal would go. She was about to ask to leave when Rena stepped through the kitchen and into the dining area, pulling Ada with her.

  Ada feared she would stumble and fall when her toes caught in her garment as she moved beside Nicolaus’s mother. It was her blessing that Rena did not travel far, taking the couch closest to the kitchen’s door. She sat on right side of the bench. It looked much like the padded one on Nicolaus’s boat. Ada sat beside Rena and nearly melted into the cushions.

  No sooner had she settled onto the bench than the servants moved tables before them. They were laden with cut figs, olives, cakes of honey bread and bits of fish Rena had fried in olive oil and almonds.

  The meal had tantalized her senses while she’d helped prepare the food and it did even more so now, causing her stomach to grumble. Male laughter filled the room, startling her. Heat rose in her cheeks. She was tempted to cool them with her palms, but did not wish to draw any more unwanted attention to herself.

  “You are the reason for my son’s delay.”

  Ada wanted to allow the tears stinging the backs of her eyes to stream down her cheeks, but Rena’s gentle squeeze on her hand gave her the fortification she needed to look Nicolaus’s father in the eye. She swallowed past the knot of linen in her throat and emulated Rena’s posture. “Is it fault of mine that you raised your son with a compassionate heart?”

  No sooner were the words off her tongue than she wished to call them back as Nicolaus’s father stared at her without even blinking an eye. Someone cleared their throat—she was certain it was Nicolaus—and another barely held back their laughter—which she most certainly believed to be Jasen. She had not meant to sound rude, only to give credit where it was deserved. “You should consider it an honor that you have raised your son in such a manner. No doubt a lesser man would have tossed me into the sea.”

  “No doubt,” Jasen said as he burst into laughter. Ada swung her gaze to him. Was this man who so easily laughed at her to be her new master? She’d much prefer her sisters’ abuse. She’d much prefer Nicolaus with his never-ending kindness, even if his manner was somewhat rough, but that was not her choice.

  “You are bold for a slave. Perhaps my son should beat you into submissiveness.”

  Ada sucked in a sharp breath. Even Rena seemed taken by surprise. “My apologies. Six days ago I was the daughter of a wealthy merchant.”

  “I do not understand. If you father is wealthy, how is it you’ve come to this fate?” He chose a plump fig from a bowl and took a bite.

  Ada glanced at the tiles, and then back to Nicolaus’s father. “My father journeyed to Judah to bury my mother, his slave, with her ancestors as he had promised.” Nicolaus’s gaze warmed her, but she dared not look at him lest she break her resolve to distance herself from him. “My sisters invited me to the market in Ashkelon. Hoping it would take my mind from my grief, I went, even though my father had never allowed me to journey to the city before.”

  “Perhaps your father should beat you.”

  The corner of Ada’s mouth twisted upward as she twisted the fabric of her chiton. The white tunic began to wrinkle with all the knotting she’d been doing with her fingers. “Perhaps. It was in Ashkelon where my sisters sold me to a slave trader.”

  Nicolaus’s father took a sip from his cup. His eyes turned thoughtful, and then glittered above the rim. He set the cup aside, and then smiled. “I admire you. I can see why my son broke with character and purchased a slave. Shall we eat?”

  Everyone in the room, except Ada, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She should have known Nicolaus’s father would test her, but for what purpose?

  “Allow me this question, Ada. If you were freed from your bondage what would you do?”

  Her eyes immediately went to Nicolaus. Her heart longed for him, longed to stay by his side whether slave or servant, but she would not say such and embarrass herself further by declaring her love for a man who thought of her as nothing more than an offering to assuage his guilt. She also did not wish to go home where she was despised by her sisters. Somehow she had found joy in her bondage. Was that how her mother felt toward her father? Had he brought her joy even though she was a slave? “I—I do not know.”

  “She is exhausted from her journey, Gavros,” Rena said. Ada blinked, having heard this man’s name for the first time. “Perhaps she’ll have an answer come the morrow.”

  Given the way she yearned to remain by Nicolaus’s side she did not think the morrow would bring her a better answer. The correct one was to return home to her father, to no longer be indebted to these people if they were to grant her freedom. She did not have coin to return the price Nicolaus had paid for her. Nor did she think her father would part with his riches for any daughter, especially the daughter of one of his slaves.

  Chapter Twenty

  The sky was beginning to lose the light of the day and the moon was peeking above the sea as they walked toward the storehouse where he and Jasen spent their evenings. Thinking back on Ada’s responses to his father’s questions made him smile. However, her lack of answer as to what she would do if freed was not what he had hoped for. He wanted to hear her say she’d stay. Did she still long for a home where her family rejected her?

  “What has you in deep thought, brother?” Jasen nudged his arm. “Or need I ask? You should tell Father your intentions.”

  Nicolaus stopped and looked at his brother. “I do not know what you mean, Jasen.”

  “Do you not? Tell Father you wish to marry her.”

  Nicolaus laughed and resumed walking. “She is not Ionian.”

  “Neither is our mother, or have you forgotten?”

  “At least she is Greek.” Nicolaus shook his head. “Father would never approve of a marriage between one of his sons and a Hebrew woman. Especially his oldest.”

  “Only by a few moments, brother. I believe you underestimate our father.”

  “Perhaps I do.” He certainly didn’t expect him to treat Ada with respect and admiration, but he had. Of course, she’d earned it. Not many dared speak to his father as she had. “No matter. I cannot marry her even if he allowed it.”

  “I do not understand, Nicolaus. You watch her every move, you threaten your men—yes, I’ve heard the tales from Brison—you lose speech and thought when in her presence. It is obvious you are taken with her.”

  Taken with her were not exactly the words Nicolaus would use, but he wouldn’t argue with his brother at the moment. “There is a chance she no longer belongs to me to free.”

  Nicolaus opened the door to the storehouse and began
climbing the stairs to their room. “If that is Father’s decision then I will free her so you can take her as your wife,” Jasen countered.

  Halting on the stairs, Nicolaus turned and glanced down at his brother. “I will not take her if she does not wish to be taken. Besides, I have a vow I must honor before I can consider a wife.” Even if Ada was his only chance at the love his parents seemed to share.

  “What vow would that be, Nicolaus?”

  Nicolaus ignored his brother. He did not want him to think he’d lost faith in his abilities to search every port from here to Egypt for their sister. If he told Jasen the truth trust between them would be broken.

  Jasen stomped up the stairs and spun him around. Concern showed in his eyes. “Nicolaus, what vow is it that would keep you from Ada when it is obvious you love her?”

  Nicolaus closed his eyes; an image of his sister as she was being taken off his ship pierced his thoughts. The quiet acceptance as she’d been led away still caused an ache deep in his chest. She’d been as calm still waters. “Desma.”

  “What?” Jasen’s brows knitted together as he shook his head. “What does our sister have to do with Ada?”

  “I have spoken with Father. I must search for her. I cannot bear the thought of her in bondage to a cruel master or worse—” he bowed his head and whispered “—prostitution.”

  “Nicolaus, she is well.”

  He snapped his gaze to his brother’s, uncertain of what he’d heard. “She’s what?”

  “If you do not marry Ada, I will.” Jasen swiveled and ran down the stairs.

  Nicolaus was fast on his heels. He grabbed hold of his brother’s arm to halt him. “What have you done?”

  “Oh, brother, how will you ever forgive me?” Jasen sank onto the carved bench sitting against the storehouse.

  “You are my brother,” Nicolaus said as he sat beside him.

  Jasen leaned the back of his head against the storehouse and looked up at the stars. “I only thought to rescue her from Knosis. I overheard Father and Mother. They were both crying. Father had confessed to her about a contract.”