Harlequin Historical September 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Lord Havelock's ListSaved by the Viking WarriorThe Pirate Hunter

by Annie Burrows

  ‘What did this witness claim?’

  ‘He stated he had seen Miss Del Torres aiding and abetting her brother on multiple occasions and presented letters of correspondence between the siblings outlining how she was instrumental in giving Del Torres information which allowed him to evade the authorities for so long.’

  Will couldn’t believe any of it was true. He knew Mia, and he knew she hadn’t had anything to do with Del Torres for years.

  ‘Who was this person?’ he asked.

  ‘A man of impeccable character and profession.’

  Suddenly Will had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  ‘Lieutenant Glass?’ he growled.

  ‘You must agree he is a trustworthy chap,’ the Governor said.

  ‘Trustworthy?’ Will asked, his voice dangerously low. ‘The man who attacked Mia in her cabin and tried to force himself on her?’

  ‘You must be mistaken,’ Governor Hall said.

  ‘I pulled him off her myself.’

  ‘Maybe...’ Hall trailed off as he saw the dangerous look in Will’s eyes.

  ‘If you dare to suggest she asked for it or in some way deserved it I will strangle you where you sit.’

  ‘The Governor didn’t mean that,’ Thatcher said, trying to placate him.

  ‘Lieutenant Glass was seen to attack Mia by Captain Little, First Mate Redding and many other members of the crew. That’s if the word of a peer of the realm isn’t good enough for you.’

  Governor Hall was turning a deep beetroot colour.

  ‘You held her trial this morning before I could return—was that on Glass’s suggestion, as well?’

  He caught the glance between the two men and knew the truth of the matter.

  Glass had well and truly got his revenge. Will ran a hand through his tousled hair in agitation. The Lieutenant must have persuaded the Navy he’d been held under false pretences and then worked on his accusations against Mia.

  ‘And will the Lieutenant be charged with attempted rape?’ Will asked coldly.

  ‘That’s a matter for the Navy,’ Governor Hall said primly.

  ‘So you’ve condemned Mia in some sham of a trial? Were there any other witnesses? Did anyone speak on her behalf?’

  He could just imagine Mia, standing on her own, listening to the cruel allegations against her and wondering why he wasn’t there defending her.

  ‘No,’ Thatcher said. ‘We held the trial this morning. No one else was present. Just the Governor, Lieutenant Glass and myself.’

  ‘And Mia?’

  Thatcher and the Governor exchanged yet another sideways glance.

  ‘That’s not even legal,’ Will said softly. ‘She has to be allowed to stand to defend herself.’

  ‘I’m His Majesty’s Governor of Barbados. I am the law on this island. If I say something is legal then it’s legal.’ Governor Hall was getting more and more flustered.

  ‘And what sentence did you give her in this sham trial?’

  Neither man spoke.

  ‘What sentence?’ Will repeated.

  ‘Death.’

  Will collapsed back into a chair and held his head in his hands. He felt as if he couldn’t breathe. All through his life he had been in control. He’d sorted things, been the one to organise people and make decisions. Now he just felt helpless.

  ‘Death?’ he repeated, his voice sticking in his throat and the word coming out as a croaky whisper.

  ‘She will hang with the rest of the pirates tomorrow morning.’ The Governor sounded cold and detached.

  Will turned to his old friend and looked at him beseechingly.

  ‘Thatcher, surely you can see this is wrong.’

  Thatcher was man enough to hold his eye.

  ‘If we’d known the full circumstances...’

  ‘I’m telling you now,’ Will said desperately. ‘She’s innocent. She’s never committed an act of piracy in her life. If you allow her to hang you will be guilty of murder.’

  ‘Nonsense,’ the Governor said.

  Will ignored him and continued to try and plead with Thatcher.

  ‘Lieutenant Glass has taken his revenge for Mia refusing him and me locking him up. Everything he’s told you is a lie.’

  Thatcher looked extremely uncomfortable and Will had a tiny spark of hope that he might be getting through to his old friend.

  ‘She hasn’t done anything wrong.’

  ‘Even if the letters are forged, she’s the sister of a pirate. She deserves to hang,’ the Governor said firmly.

  ‘We are not responsible for the actions of our relatives.’ Will turned back to Thatcher. ‘All I’m asking for is a retrial—a proper trial. Where Glass is exposed as a liar and a rapist and Mia has the chance of a defence.’

  ‘I wish we could, Greenacre,’ Thatcher said, and the regret in his eyes made Will believe him. ‘I really wish we could.’

  ‘Then do it.’

  ‘Impossible,’ Governor Hall said abruptly. ‘The executions have been announced.’

  ‘You’re refusing to hold a retrial and stop an innocent woman from hanging because you don’t want to lose face?’ Will couldn’t believe this man was allowed to be Governor.

  ‘There will be a riot,’ Thatcher said. ‘The people have been terrorised by Del Torres for years. Many of them have lost loved ones when he’s attacked ships or towns. They can’t go and watch Del Torres hang because he’s dead, but they can see his sister—and for them that’s the next best thing.’

  ‘His innocent sister,’ Will reminded them. ‘The sister who was instrumental in finding Del Torres and putting a stop to his terrorising ways once and for all.’

  ‘They won’t ever believe that,’ Governor Hall said. ‘We’ve announced the execution and that’s final. I will say no more on the subject.’

  Will leapt up and lunged towards Governor Hall. Before he could strike him Thatcher had grabbed his arms and was wrestling him away.

  ‘Don’t make me have you arrested, Greenacre. I’m very grateful for what you’ve done but I will throw you in a cell if you threaten me again.’

  ‘Let’s go and cool down,’ Thatcher said, tugging him none too gently by the arm.

  Will resisted for a second, then sagged. He wasn’t going to get anywhere trying to reason with the incompetent fool, or by beating him to a pulp, no matter how good it might make him feel. He allowed Thatcher to drag him from the room and slam the door closed behind them.

  ‘What the hell, Thatcher?’ he asked, rounding on the man he’d thought was his friend.

  ‘Keep your voice down.’

  Thatcher led him through the spacious corridors and out into a small courtyard. After he’d finally closed the door behind him he sank onto a rough stone wall.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Greenacre,’ he said. ‘I tried everything I could.’

  Will looked at him, astonished. A few minutes earlier he’d been practically defending the Governor.

  ‘Sometimes there’s just no reasoning with the man,’ Thatcher said. ‘I begged him to wait for your return, to hear your side of the story, but he got caught up in the idea of publicly executing Del Torres’s sister. He knew the crowds would go crazy for it.’

  ‘So he’s doing it for popularity?’ Will asked, unable to believe he might lose the woman he loved for the ridiculous goal of increasing the Governor’s status with the people.

  Thatcher nodded. ‘When he heard you had captured The Flaming Dragon he announced to the world that he would be the one to hang Del Torres.’

  ‘He didn’t know I’d killed him?’

  ‘When Commodore Wilkins told him they had only a few dozen lowly pirates in their cells he was furious. He was sure he was going to look like a fool. So instead of Del Torres he
announced he would hang his sister in his place.’

  ‘There must be something we can do.’

  Thatcher shook his head. ‘The Governor was right when he said he is the law in Barbados. What he says goes.’

  ‘I can’t lose her, Thatcher,’ Will said, allowing the other man to see him weak and vulnerable. ‘I love her.’

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  ‘You—out.’

  Mia watched as the guard opened the door to the cell and motioned for her to step forward. She didn’t know what was happening, but she knew she wasn’t being released.

  All morning she’d heard chanting outside the walls of the fort. People were screaming her name with added profanities. A few hours ago she’d heard the crowd grow quiet as they listened to an announcement. Mia hadn’t been able to make out what had been said, but the loud cheer had rattled her bones and chilled her blood.

  She stepped forward cautiously, holding her manacled hands in front of her so the guard could see she wasn’t about to attack him. Not that she would have much chance. The beefy man must’ve weighed at least double her weight, and towered over her by a good foot.

  ‘Get in here.’

  He shoved her forward into another cell; this one was a small room with just a wooden door with a small grille in it. It was certainly more private, but she was unsure why she was being given this luxury. Not that she would complain. A whole morning of Essie’s taunts was enough to make a murderer out of the most saintly of people.

  Mia stumbled into the cell and turned to face the guard, ready to ask him what was happening. She was too slow. The door was already closing and she was left alone.

  Looking around her, Mia realised privacy was the only advantage of this cell over her previous one. There was a similar mound of mouldy straw in one corner and she could hear squeaks and rustles from inside it that made her reluctant to sit down. There was a tiny window set high up in the wall which let in a ray of sunlight, but it was too high for Mia even to contemplate trying to see out.

  She leaned back against the wall, no longer caring that her dress would get damp and dirty. She doubted she was going to go anywhere that required presentable clothing. Just lately she was doubting whether she would go anywhere ever again.

  Mia closed her eyes and tried to picture Will’s face. His smile, his laugh—those were the things that were giving her the strength to push on. He would be brave and endure, therefore so must she.

  Her eyes jerked open as she heard the cell door opening again. Immediately she felt scared; had they moved her somewhere more private so the guards could take their pleasure from her?

  When Will walked into the cell Mia almost cried with relief. The heavy door slammed closed behind him but Mia hardly noticed. She flung herself into his arms and hugged him so tightly she wondered he was still able to breathe.

  ‘I was so scared,’ she whispered. ‘I thought you might have forgotten me.’

  ‘Never.’ His voice was husky and low. ‘I’ll never forget you.’

  She pulled away slightly, just enough so she could see his face.

  ‘What’s happening, Will? Why are they holding me here?’

  She saw all the pain and anguish etched on his features and she knew whatever was going on was bad.

  ‘They’ve charged you with piracy,’ he said.

  Mia felt herself sag. Will caught her and gently lowered her to the floor, propping her up against the wall.

  ‘Piracy?’ she asked as he sat down beside her.

  He nodded glumly.

  ‘But I’ve never been involved in any piracy.’

  ‘There’s more...’

  She couldn’t imagine what more there could be. This was the worst news imaginable.

  ‘They’ve already held your trial.’

  ‘They can’t have,’ Mia said. ‘I haven’t left the cell block.’

  ‘It seems they held it in your absence. And mine.’

  ‘They can’t do that.’

  ‘Apparently they can. The Governor just told me he could do anything he liked.’

  ‘And?’ Mia asked, knowing she didn’t really want to know the answer. ‘What was the verdict?’

  ‘Guilty.’ He couldn’t meet her eyes as he said it.

  Mia let out a sob and started gasping for air. It felt as though she were suffocating.

  Will reached out and took her hand, trying to comfort her in some way. She started crying, the tears running down her cheeks, making rivulets in the dust on her face.

  He gently grasped her round her waist and pulled her into his lap so she was sitting at right angles to him. Mia buried her head in his shoulder and began to cry in earnest.

  Silently Will stroked her hair and her back, making soothing noises as she cried.

  ‘And the sentence?’ she asked through sobs.

  Will shook his head, unable to say it, but Mia understood.

  ‘I don’t want to die,’ she said into his shoulder, ‘not now I’ve found you.’

  They sat in silence for a while, Mia digesting the awful news, trying to process it. It was impossible. She could hardly believe it was true. A few days ago she’d been so happy, and now that was all going to be taken away from her. She was to be hanged for a crime she hadn’t committed.

  ‘I won’t let them do it to you,’ Will whispered into her ear.

  She lifted her face from where it had been nuzzled into his shoulder and looked into his clear blue eyes.

  ‘I won’t let them take you away from me. I’d rather die myself.’

  Mia didn’t know what to say. She knew her death was inevitable and that no matter how hard Will wished it she would not escape from her fate.

  ‘Will you promise me something?’ Mia asked.

  He nodded his head. ‘Anything.’

  ‘When I’m gone—when they’ve done this horrible thing to me—I want you to go. I want you to return to England and to your estate and get on with your life.’

  ‘I can’t, Mia.’

  ‘I want you to forget about me and live your life in happiness. Maybe in a few years take a wife and have lots of beautiful children.’ She was crying again, the tears streaming down her cheeks as she thought of all the things she would never share with Will.

  ‘Mia, no.’

  ‘I want you to be happy, Will.’

  ‘I’ll never be happy without you.’

  She looked up at his face and realised his eyes were moist with tears, as well.

  ‘You’ll have to live for both of us.’

  He crushed her tightly to him and held her silently, his chest heaving as he sucked air into his lungs.

  ‘I’m not going to let them take you from me,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘No matter what it takes.’

  ‘There’s nothing we can do,’ Mia said, wishing she was wrong.

  Will tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. ‘I promise you, Mia, I won’t let them do this to you.’

  She wanted to believe him, and a small part of her did. At least she believed he would do everything in his power to stop them from hanging her. But Mia knew it wouldn’t be enough. One man couldn’t single-handedly outfight and outmanoeuvre the entire British Garrison of Barbados. It just wasn’t possible. Even if that man was as resourceful and fearless as Will Greenacre.

  ‘I love you, Will,’ she said.

  ‘I promise you,’ he repeated, ‘we will be together again.’

  Mia lifted her head and kissed him. It was gentle and passionate at the same time. Their lips melted together as if they were one. Mia felt all the tension leave her body as for a few seconds she was transported away from the dingy cell in Barbados and was instead soaring above the Caribbean Sea in Will’s arms.

  His lips moved down her neck, maki
ng her shudder as he nipped at her sensitive skin.

  ‘I promise,’ he murmured into her neck, ‘we shall be together as man and wife.’

  She arched her neck, giving him access to every inch of skin, encouraging him to go lower.

  He drew his tongue along her collarbone and Mia felt wickedly aroused. She wanted to possess him one last time, to feel him deep inside her. He paused at the hollow at the base of her throat and blew gently. Mia immediately felt her nipples begin to harden beneath her dress.

  ‘I promise we will spend every night of the rest of our lives in each other’s arms,’ Will whispered.

  Mia let out a small moan as his lips reconnected with her skin. Slowly, teasingly, he worked his way down her chest, peppering kisses along the swell of her breasts.

  ‘I love you, Mia, and you will be mine for ever.’

  She gasped as he pushed the front of her dress down, exposing her breasts to the air. She could see him taking every moment in, trying to remember every detail about her. Mia wanted the same. She wanted a memory that would sustain her over the next few hours, a picture she could imagine as they fastened the noose around her neck so she wouldn’t be quite so scared.

  Delicately she started to tug at his shirt, baring the skin of his abdomen. Without stopping his attentions Will allowed Mia to pull the cotton shirt over his head.

  She raked her fingers gently over his chest and felt him shiver in delight. Will became more and more desperate in his attentions, his kisses becoming more frantic. He pushed her tenderly away from him so he could watch her face as he cupped her breasts. She felt her teeth sink gently into her lower lip as pleasure coursed through her. He smiled as she thrust her chest forward, silently begging him for more.

  Will’s breathing grew ragged as he became more and more aroused and Mia could feel his hardness beneath her. She rocked her hips gently as he grazed a finger over one of her nipples.

  ‘I love you, Mia, and I promise I’ll love you for evermore.’

  Mia knew she wanted him. She wanted to make love to him one last time, to have one last memory of him to cherish. She didn’t care they were in a dingy cell, she didn’t care the floor was hard and unforgiving. All she knew was she had to feel Will inside her one final time. Then she would go to her death, not happily, but at least knowing she had lived her last day to the full.