by Dawn Brower
“I wish to know you better, and that’s a start.”
“Very well,” he agreed. “I am Jackerson Morgan Carwyn.” He grinned. “Or, as most of the ton refers to me—the disreputable Duke of Whitewood.”
“As in Captain Jack Morgan?” She gasped out the words, leaving him stunned once again.
What the bloody hell? How could she possibly know that name?
CHAPTER FIVE
The look of shock on his face told Elizabeth all she needed to know. He was Captain Jack Morgan. She wasn’t sure how it was possible, but she’d never been more certain of anything in her life. His hair was a tad shorter than she recalled from the mirror. It still skimmed his shoulders, and was every bit as wild and unruly. The golden blond locks beckoned for her to touch them. His eyes though—that sea-green hue sucked her in. Ever since she’d caught a glimpse of him, she’d wanted to meet him in person. Not once had she believed him to be real. How wrong she’d been... She had so many questions and wasn’t sure where to begin.
He continued to stare at her. The confusion didn’t leave his features once. The poor man—Elizabeth almost felt sorry for him. But she understood him in a way no other woman would. She let him ponder on her pronouncement a few moments and straightened the pieces on the chessboard. She put them all back in their correct positions in preparation for a new game.
“Do you wish to play again?” she asked.
“I don’t think I could withstand such tactical precision. You’d demolish me into nothingness if I tried.” He gestured toward her in a mocking bow and teased, “I’m at your service, my queen.”
“I’m no monarch.” She frowned.
“But you’re a worthy opponent, and the queen is the strongest piece on the board. You, my dear, are equipped to make mere mortals bow to your will. I’m only a man, and I’m not worthy of your greatness.”
What craziness was he spouting off now? “Lord Whitewood, I can’t declare to understand what nonsense you speak of. I thought you’d have better things to discuss than my prowess at chess.”
His lips tilted upward. “You mean the Captain thing you mentioned?”
“Yes,” she agreed. “You are Captain Jack Morgan, are you not?”
“That’s statistically impossible. Wasn’t he a pirate in the early eighteenth century?”
Elizabeth wasn’t a fool. He was deflecting and expected her to accept that answer as the truth. What he didn’t quite understand was her family had a history of time travel. Her mother did it, and it was becoming evident her grandparents had as well. Jack’s appearance in front of her confirmed it, or it would once he fully admitted who he was.
“I’m aware,” Elizabeth replied boldly. She stared at him for several moments, batting her eyelashes. “My grandmother was rather fond of telling the tale of how she was kidnapped by his crew on her way to marry the Duke of Southington.”
He clenched his jaw and stared at her for several moments. “Your grandmother must have been quite old when she gave birth to your mother for that to be possible.”
Elizabeth nibbled on her bottom lip. She had him, but he didn’t quite realize that fact yet. He wanted to play games—so be it. She was the master of them. Something he should have realized already when she trounced him at chess.
“I doubt it. From my understanding, she was quite young still when she gave birth to my aunt Regina. I think she was merely six and twenty. My mother was the eldest, and five when her younger sister was born.”
He scowled at her with enough menace that she could see how he might have made a fine pirate. Jack didn’t scare her though. Perhaps he might if she hadn’t grown up hearing him romanticized. Poor thing didn’t seem to have a clue.
“What was your grandmother’s name,” he finally asked.
“I’m so glad you decided to concede defeat.”
“I didn’t do any such thing. Answer me.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “Have it your way—for now.” She grinned. “I’m right, and there’s nothing you can do to change it. My grandmother was Lady Evelyn Beckett.”
He sighed and lifted his hands to cover his face. Perhaps she’d dumped too much on him too soon. There was no helping it though. If she hoped to finally understand the situation, she needed him to take part in the discussion. Somehow, he traveled through time as her mother had. The storm surge before he disappeared must have been the culprit. She couldn’t be sure because there was no rhyme or reason for the occurrences. Oh, how she wished she could have a conversation with her grandmother.
“Is Lady Evelyn still—alive?”
What an odd question. Why would he think—well, in a sense, she probably was. She lived in the century her mother had come from. Should she tell him that much? She wasn’t sure she wanted to give him any more information without gaining a little from him in return. “Why do you care?”
“She was important to me.”
Finally, a concession... Had he been in love with Lady Evelyn? She found she was a little jealous at the idea. Elizabeth had become rather attached to the idea of Captain Jack. Her grandmother had met him first, and while that was a tad odd—she couldn’t help how she felt. A long time ago, she’d started to think of him as hers.
“In what way?”
“Bloody hell, Elizabeth. Tell me already,” he yelled.
Well, he was becoming quite testy. Still, she wasn’t ready to give in and tell him everything. He wanted to keep everything closed up tight inside of him. She wasn’t having that. Elizabeth had two brothers with quick tempers, so she could deal with a little male temper tantrum.
“She’s not in this century.”
That was all she’d tell him. If he wanted more details, he’d have to share more with her. She would stick to her plan and make him unearth it all. There was so much she didn’t know, and he had the answers. Elizabeth could be stubborn, and it was something Lord Whitewood was about to learn.
“That doesn’t exactly answer my question.” His face hardened and the muscles in his cheek twitched as he gritted his teeth. Oh my, His Grace isn’t very happy, is he? Too bad for him—their exchange was supposed to be a bit of quid pro quo.
“No,” she agreed. “But it does tell you what you really wanted to learn. Admit it. You hoped to see her for some unfathomable reason.”
His lips formed a thin white line. She took that reaction as an affirmation she’d guessed correctly. What was Lady Evelyn to him? Why did he hope to visit with her?
“It was too much to hope for.”
“Perhaps, but my mother might be able to answer any questions you may have.”
He stared at her with horror etched across his handsome feature. She didn’t quite understand what her suggestion unlocked inside of his head, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t like it.
“Your mother...” His mouth fell open. “I hadn’t even considered what that meant.”
That statement confused her even more. What was he babbling on about now? What did her mother have to do with anything? Her jealousy reared its ugly head. Why was he so determined to have something to do with every other female in her family except her? It took everything inside of her not to turn into a small child and stomp her feet until she had her way. Elizabeth wanted to scream to the rafters that Jack was hers, but she realized that was foolish. He didn’t actually belong to her. No person was truly the property of another, and while she felt as if she’d known him her whole life, he in fact, didn’t have a clue about her.
“How did you end up here?” she asked. She was determined to have her answers before he left and sought an audience with her mother.
“Your mother,” he said again. “She’s who exactly?”
Elizabeth sighed with frustration. He was being churlish, and if he didn’t start giving his equal share of answers she’d stomp her foot like a small child. Wouldn’t that be entertaining? How would he react to that? It didn’t matter; she wasn’t going to give into her impulses. “I’ll tell you if you answer my question first.”
That must have been quite difficult for him. It hadn’t been easy for her mother at first either. She was lucky and had her father to guide her through the ordeal. What must it have been like for him? He had to stumble his way through it all on his own. Elizabeth didn’t have any personal experiences to draw on and had a hard time imagining herself in a similar situation. Would she be brave enough to start a new life without any of her family around to support her? It seemed possible in theory, but in reality, it would be entirely different.
“What enlightened you?”
“That’s not how it works, love,” he chastised waving his finger at her. “I answered your question, now answer mine.”
He was right. Drat. She still had more questions though. Elizabeth also ignored his false endearment. He was well aware of her thoughts on the addition of love when he referred back to her. “Fine, we’ll exchange questions and answers until we’re both satisfied. My mother is the Duchess of Weston, Alys Dewitt Kendall.”
He perked up at her mother’s name. “Dewitt? So Evelyn married Paul?” He said eagerly.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. He was too keen to find out what happened to her grandmother. Something about that was annoying. She dismissed it as nothing. She didn’t know Jack well enough to have any real feelings concerning him. Maybe if she kept telling herself that she’d believe it too. “Do I need to remind you of how this works as you did for me?”
He shook his head resignedly. “What else do you want to know?”
“What did you do once you arrived? How did you come by the title of Duke of Whitewood?”
Jack sat back in the chair and tapped on the arm. He lifted his arm and cupped his chin in the palm of his hand. “It’s a long tale—the short answer is I saved the king several months before he died. He decided to reward me with an obscure title no one was using. It wasn’t much of a gift since it came with no money or property, but it opened doors and gave me the opportunity to make a living. I was a rather good pirate, not that I disclosed that information to the masses. It gave me insight into the shipping trade. I won a ship in a card game and started my first enterprise. A duke couldn’t run a ship, so I hired a captain and made sure to give him ample reason not to cheat me.”
“You threatened his life.”
“Of course,” he agreed with a brush of his hand. “It’s the only way to ensure compliance with that sort.”
His life as a pirate hadn’t been a secret. At least not to her—he probably didn’t want the world to find out about it. She’d have to tell her mother though. Jack would want to speak with her and she might not if she didn’t understand his reasons. Her mother didn’t have time for what she deemed nonsense. The older she got, the less patience she maintained.
“Now tell me, did Evelyn marry Paul.”
Elizabeth nodded. “To the best of my knowledge she did. If it is the same Paul you’re referring to. They married immediately upon their arrival in his time.”
Jack sat up and stared at her, his mouth once again falling open. “Explain yourself. What do you mean by his time?”
She was afraid he’d latch on to that part. Did he believe he was the only person with the ability to travel through time? It appeared as it was a family affair. She was aware of one other person who’d managed it. Her aunt’s friend, Genevieve, was a time traveler of a sort, but Elizabeth wasn’t fully aware of her story. The woman had found her way home when Elizabeth was a small child, and she’d not heard much of her since.
“My grandfather was from the late twentieth century.” How many debutantes could make that claim? None that she was aware of—well, with the exception of her friend, Scarlett Lynwood—her mother was from another time as well. Her parents’ story was a fairy tale similar to that of Elizabeth’s.
“This is astounding.” He stood and paced the room. “I need more information. I must speak to your mother.”
Elizabeth had been right. He’d want to locate her as soon as possible and probably harass her for more information. She didn’t quite understand why though. What did he hope to gain by pestering her mother? Was he that attached to Lady Evelyn? It was surreal... Elizabeth was actually jealous of her own grandmother.
“I’m sure she’s currently otherwise busy.”
“I can wait a little longer,” he replied acquiescently. “I have waited this long. I’ll need you to introduce us.”
That was the last thing she wanted to do. She stood and walked across the room toward him. Why didn’t he see her as someone he could love? When she was directly in front of him she lifted her chin to meet his gaze. He seemed excited, but it had nothing to do with her. Without thinking about the consequences or what it might mean, she stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his. For a moment, it was wonderful—until it wasn’t.
He pulled back with a look of horror on his face. “We—I can’t do this.”
With those words, he practically fled from the room and Elizabeth’s heart broke into tiny pieces with his dismissal. Why had she allowed herself to hope? Fate had brought her mother to her father when he needed her most. Foolishly, Elizabeth had believed they brought Jack to her for the same reason.
She’d never been so wrong...
CHAPTER SIX
Jack strolled through the hall of Clifton Manor. His goal was to find the earl and finish his business. He now had motivation to leave as fast as possible. Elizabeth proved to be a temptation and even more untouchable than she’d been previously. She was Evelyn’s granddaughter. A female even more untouchable was Elizabeth’s mother. How did he get himself into messes that were complete and utter disasters?
He had to put distance between himself and Elizabeth. She had no idea why, and perhaps he should explain, but he couldn’t bring himself to be near her. She tempted him in so many ways. When he kissed her he’d been equal parts excited and horrified. He shouldn’t want her and yet, he did. If he needed a reason to remain as far away from her as possible, he had one. Desire and Elizabeth were two things he should never ever mix together. Jack was doomed...
He rounded a corner and bumped into the very man he’d been looking for—Aiden Forester, the Earl of Clifton. The man was rather good at making himself scarce. It was an ability Jack rather admired and hoped to emulate the remainder of his stay.
Jack lifted a brow and said, “You’ve done quite the unthinkable and managed to avoid your guests the entire time. What game are you playing?”
Lord Clifton straightened stiffly and attempted to act affronted. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t play the coy debutante; it doesn’t suit you.”
The earl relaxed at his words. “I hate these things. My mother insisted on having the event. She’s desperate to marry my sister off,” he paused and then continued, “I’m not a fool. I realize she’d like me to do the same, but she’ll have to wait a good while before I take that particular plunge.”
Jack didn’t understand the need to marry. Females always seemed more than ready to tie themselves down. Of course women had more to gain by marriage. The lot of them had to marry to see to their own security. The situation in Pride and Prejudice came to mind. The Bennets had five daughters and no male heirs. The property was entailed and would go to a distant male cousin. If one of the girls didn’t marry well, they’d all be subjected to poverty. It was perhaps mercenary, but what other choices did a lady have? Reading the novel gave Jack new insight into a female’s position in society.
He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to Elizabeth without someone to look out for her. She insisted she’d be fine and would be well taken care of. If for some reason she wasn’t, he’d ensure it. Jack didn’t like the idea of her being reduced to a beggar.
“My apologies,” Jack s
aid. “I don’t envy you that task. Wouldn’t you see she’s provided for if she doesn’t find a husband?”
Jack liked to believe he’d have done the same for his sister, Evelyn, if it had been necessary. He was glad she had married Paul. He’d eavesdropped on their conversation before he’d made himself known to them on the island. It was rude, but it gave him knowledge he’d not have had otherwise—like the name of the man helping Evelyn. He still couldn’t get over his circumstances. One minute he was in a tropical climate and the next he was a hundred years in the future. His life changed irrevocably on the day a storm carried him away. At first, he thought he’d died, but soon realized it was something else entirely.
Fate had smiled on him in a lot of ways. He’d not exactly lived a charmed life, but it hadn’t been full of hardships either—at least not in the traditional sense. He was the bastard son of the Earl of Ashland. His mother had been a lady who’d had the misfortune of falling on hard times. She’d resorted to becoming the earl’s mistress to make ends meet. Once she’d become enceinte, the earl tossed her aside and gifted her with a shiny bauble for her troubles. Not once since he’d been born had the earl claimed his son. He’d moved away from England and not spared them a second glance. He already had a wife and presumed she’d present him with an heir. The joke had been on him though. His countess had given him a daughter—Evelyn.
His meeting with his sister had been intentional. At the time, Evelyn had been sailing to England to marry the Duke of Southington. When he’d found out about her voyage, he’d decided to intercept the ship and take her as hostage. It had been a revenge plot to get even with his wayward father and perhaps even punish his sister for having his attention. He’d never told Evelyn about their connection—had instead pretended he wanted her for other reasons.
She’d been brave and bold, rebuking his presumed attentions at every turn. He didn’t know what he’d have done if she’d had an actual interest in him. Now he’d never have the chance to truly become acquainted with her. Fate had stepped in and ripped him away from where he belonged. Sometimes he felt out of place and didn’t quite understand the nuances of society.