Lalia went under again.
She kicked desperately, but her skirts, now soaked, wrapped around her legs. Dark water reached up for her like a nightmare. Panic surged through her. She managed another thrust and came up into the air again. Hayne was being swept away by the capricious currents. There was a resounding crash, the vibrations rippling through her. Cannon! The ships were firing at each other.
She began to sink.
Morgan. Oh, Morgan, I love you. She tried to kick, but her exhausted legs moved feebly. Her hair drifted upward like the weeds of the sea as her body slid lower into the hungry depths. Her lungs began to scream for air. My Morgan, please stay safe.
The light was fading.
I love you, Morgan. Be happy. Keep safe.
Suddenly she felt a tug on her hair and then a firm clasp on her arm. She was going up. Lalia gritted her teeth, determined not to open her mouth, not to take the breath her lungs demanded. She burst into the light with her fist in a ball. If it was Hayne who had her, she would fight to be free, fight to drown if that was her only other choice.
“Here now!” A strong hand grasped her wrist and turned her about. A strong arm slipped around her waist. “Don’t hit me.”
“Morgan!” A sob of relief rose in Lalia’s throat.
“The same. I have you. Don’t fight me. I have to get us out of here. Those rocks are getting too damned close.”
Lalia looked around her. The Sea Witch had opened fire on the Harpy. It was listing badly. Men were dropping into the water from its deck. As the swells lifted her, she could see what she took to be Hayne’s head moving toward shore. They were drifting that way, too. Morgan stroked powerfully for open water, but she could see that with only one arm, he could not defeat the sea.
“Morgan, let me go. You can’t swim for both of us.”
“We’ll discuss that brilliant notion at another time. And don’t you dare struggle, or you’ll drown us both.” His mouth was set in a grim line. He tightened his hold and kept swimming.
Suddenly with a whoosh of spray, the gallant Sea Witch came racing between them and the breakers. As she swept by, a line came sailing over the side. With a desperate lunge, Morgan grabbed for it. Another thrust of his muscular legs and he wrapped a turn of it around his arm. They were pulled along as the line tightened. Slowly the distance between them and the ship lessened as busy hands reeled them in.
“Valiant fool,” Morgan growled. “She’ll go on the rocks with us.” Nonetheless, he held fast to the rope. The Sea Witch changed her heading and broke for the open sea. She gradually drew away from the threatening shore as Morgan and Lalia were hauled upward onto the deck.
The ship’s master hurried to their side. “My lord, are you all right?”
“Well enough, thanks to you, you brave idiot.” Morgan clapped the captain on the shoulder, and shook his hand vigorously.
The man grinned. “Can’t let a good employer drown.”
Lalia’s legs failed her and she plunked down hard on the deck. Morgan knelt beside her and put his arms around her. They stared through the rail at the men swimming in the water. They would save those they could, but many were being pulled by the currents toward the jagged boulders lining the shore.
“That’s him.” Lalia pointed at the first head to reach the surf. She could see Hayne’s familiar form as he struggled up onto a boulder. The breakers snatched at him as he fought for purchase, slipping down, regaining the height, and slipping again.
Suddenly a giant wave broke over the rock. They watched spellbound as it lifted him high into the air, then dashed him down with incredible force. As his head struck the stone, a sharp crack carried to them on an errant puff of wind. Hayne’s limp body slid off the stone into the water, quickly disappearing under the surface.
“I think…I think he is gone.” Lalia covered her eyes with her hands.
“I damn well hope so.” Morgan pulled her closer and drew her head against his shoulder. “He will not trouble you again.”
Lalia nodded. Too weary and shaken to speak.
Morgan lifted her chin and brushed his lips across hers. “Do you know what frightens me the most at this moment?” She looked up into his face and shook her head.
“It is when I think that I very nearly allowed myself to become as full of hate as he was.”
The three of them sat together on the sofa. One of Morgan’s arms held Lalia as tightly to him as was humanly possible and the other wrapped securely around Jeremy where the boy sat in his lap. His relief at having them both in his care once more formed a lump in his throat that threatened to choke him.
“Is he really dead, Uncle Morgan?”
Morgan cleared his throat, but spoke hoarsely. “Yes, Jeremy. The man who tried to take you is dead. He cannot hurt you anymore.”
“But is he really, really dead?” Jeremy clung to him fiercely.
“Yes. His body was found in the rocks. He is undoubtedly dead.” Morgan tightened his hold even more.
“I know how you feel, Jeremy.” Lalia snuggled her head into Morgan’s shoulder and patted the boy’s arm. “I can’t quite believe I am safe, either, but I saw him, too. He is dead and his men are either dead or being taken to prison. We are safe with Uncle Morgan now.”
“Is he going to be a ghost?”
Lalia squeezed his hand. “No, he was just pretending to be a ghost before. I was foolish to be frightened.”
Jeremy pondered that information in silence, then voiced another worried question. “Is Joseph going to die?”
“No, I don’t think so. He is badly hurt, but he is young and very strong. I believe he will be well again soon.”
“He was very brave, wasn’t he? He didn’t cry.” Jeremy hung his head. “I cried.”
Morgan hugged him tighter, a tear leaking from his own eye. “There are times to cry, Jeremy. I was very scared myself.”
Jeremy gave him an astonished look. “Not you, Uncle Morgan!”
“Yes, me. It is wise to be afraid when you are in danger. If you are not afraid, then you are not really being brave, just foolish. You kept your head and ran when Miss Lalia told you to. That is the important thing.”
Jeremy sighed and clasped Lalia’s hand. “You won’t go away again, will you, Miss Lalia?”
“Only for a few months. I must go back to my little house for a while, but I will come back one day soon.”
Morgan stiffened. Over his dead body! He was never going to let her go again. “We will have to talk about that. Now, Jeremy, here is Mr. Grantham to take you to dinner. I will come and tuck you in later and sit with you for a while.”
Jeremy slid reluctantly off his lap. “Well, if you will sit with me…”
Lalia waited until the tutor had lead his charge away before speaking. “Will you tell him about his father?”
Morgan shook his head. “He is too young to understand, and he would just be confused.” He scowled. “Now…what is this nonsense about your going back to the cottage?”
“I must go, Morgan.” She touched his cheek tenderly. “I must recover from my fear of him in my own way and feel like a whole person again before I can be a wife to you. I can’t remain your dependent forever.”
“But I want you to be my dependent. I love you, Lalia. Marry me. Immediately. As soon as we can make the arrangements.” He closed his fingers around her hand and brought it to his lips.
“I will marry you, Morgan. You know I will. I love you so much. The only thing I could think when I went into the water was to pray that you would be all right and to grieve that I would not be with you.”
He pulled her into his arms, the horror of that sight almost suffocating him. “May I never again have such a moment! I can’t bear to let you go anywhere.”
“The danger is past now. I’ll come back. I will marry you in due time—I promise. There is nothing I want more for the rest of my life.” She looked up at him and Morgan felt himself falling into the depths of that aquamarine gaze. “You promised me time
, Morgan. I still need that time.”
“But you will marry me?” Morgan grasped the promise like a lifeline, sighing with relief when Lalia nodded. “Then allow me to announce our engagement. I will send the notice tomorrow. We need not set a date yet.”
She smiled up at him. “Very well, if it will make you feel better. I will not keep you waiting long.”
“But you will not go tonight.” Morgan steeled his expression. “Tonight you are staying here. I am not going to let you out of my sight—and don’t even try to argue. I will not even hear of allowing…”
Lalia put one hand over his mouth, then cupped his face in both hands and kissed him gently.
“No, Morgan. Not tonight. Tonight I need you. And I will always need you, Morgan because I love you.”
Epilogue
Cornwall, England, 1825
“Well, you leave in the morning. Do you still feel ready for a voyage alone to faraway places?” As he straightened from adding a log to the fire, Morgan smiled at his nephew.
Jeremy answered with a grin. “Of course, I am. It is what I have been wanting all my life. I know that sixteen is too young to become a ship’s master, but I intend to learn every job on the craft.”
“I expect you to do so. That is why I am sending you, though I expect that will take more than one short trip.” With pardonable pride, Morgan looked at the boy he had reared—almost a young man now. “I have every confidence that in a few years you will be captaining your own vessel.”
“Thank you, sir, I won’t disappoint you. Will Aunt Lalia be in for tea? I want to tell her goodbye.”
“Yes, she is tucking the children in.”
They watched the fire in silence for a few moments. When Jeremy spoke, it was with a certain hesitation in his voice. “I have been meaning to ask you… I think I should know before I set out… Not that anything will happen, of course.”
Morgan’s gaze sharpened. “No, I expect a good outcome. You are going with our best captain. What is it?”
“It is about my father. I mean, I know, even though you have never actually said it, that I’m… Well, you know…that my birth is not legitimate. And I don’t mind that. I don’t want to own a lot of land and have to be a farmer.” He wrinkled his nose. “Richmond may inherit Merdinn with my good wishes. But…”
“But?” Morgan cocked a questioning eyebrow.
“Years ago—when that man took Aunt Lalia and tried to take me—he said that I was his. Did he mean that he was my father?”
Damnation! Morgan sighed and gathered his thoughts. He had always known this day would come. Perhaps he should have approached it earlier, but… Well, it was damned hard to do. But Jeremy deserved no less than the truth, now that he wanted it. He drew a deep breath. “Yes. That is what he meant. Does the knowledge distress you?”
His nephew appeared lost in his own thoughts for several heartbeats. Finally he looked at Morgan. “I don’t like it, but I have suspected it for some time. I want to know for sure now that I’m leaving. Did he hurt my mother? You have told me that she was a lovely person. She wouldn’t have…”
Morgan looked into his questioning eyes. More difficult truth. “No. She would never have disgraced herself.”
“So he forced her.” Jeremy stared into the fire. “And he would have killed me, wouldn’t he?”
“It had nothing to do with you, Jeremy. He didn’t know you at all.”
“I hate to think I am the son of a man like that.”
“I’m sure you do. But you know that many excellent men are the sons of scoundrels. You are in no way like him.”
“Lord, I hope not.” Jeremy sat silently for a few more moments. “You are right. I am not like that—I will not be like him. I will cherish my wife and children as you do yours—as you have me, even though I was not really your son.”
Morgan blinked back tears. “To me, you are my son.”
“I feel that I am.” Jeremy’s smile was also a bit damp. “And you didn’t have to make me that. You chose to. As I shall choose to be like you.”
Morgan could hardly speak. “Thank you, Jeremy.”
God grant that he might be worthy of that honor.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-4316-3
A DANGEROUS SEDUCTION
Copyright © 2003 by Patricia Frances Rowell
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