Leigh Sparrow

by In Pursuit of the Black Swan

  Edward stared at Alexandra. “This I have really got to see.”

  McPhee led them down a narrow ladder to the lowest level, into the belly of the ship. Sure enough, ten burly seafaring men were tied up and gagged, lying trussed about on the floor like Christmas geese.

  Edward eyed the motley group, some twice as broad as himself. In the far corner, he recognized the short bald captain wearing a red jacket, tied-up with a dirty rag stuffed in his mouth. “Well, if it isn’t the notorious Captain Pike. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you looking better.” Edward couldn’t restrain his gloating. “Oh, by the bye, I have a message to deliver to you: Ole Sharky says you owe him some blunt.”

  Pike squirmed in his restraints, his mouth tightly gagged, and glared at Edward with murderous loathing in his eyes.

  Edward looked at Alexandra questioningly. “You did this, brat?”

  She rolled her eyes and shifted her weight. Her foot tapped impatiently. “Well, who else is left, you idiot?”

  “I love it when you call me by your pet names, darling,” he teased. She scowled at him and he thought his heart would burst. “How did you do it?”

  “They left only one night watch when they went to bed. I knocked him out from behind, and bound and gagged the rest while they slept.”

  Her face tightened and she pursed her lips. “But you were right about Francoise Jonteau. He was on board. He caught me trying to escape my first night on the ship and locked me in a small cabin. I managed to pick the lock later on. But he didn’t touch me or try to harm me. Said I was more valuable alive and whole, and he seemed in a hurry to leave for somewhere.”

  Edward eyed the bound men closer to see if Jonteau was among them. “Is he still on board?” Edward asked, suddenly tense.

  “No. Another ship picked him up soon after. It sounded like they were sailing back to England. I think this ship was supposed to wait until they returned, but the captain ordered us to pull up anchor and sail south instead.”

  Edward closed his eyes a moment. “So you are saying that when Jonteau returned to collect you for our ransom, your ship would have been gone.” He clenched his jaw and leered again at Captain Pike. “The greedy rotter was heading to France to collect the bounty.”

  Chapter 41

  Back aboard the Black Swan, Edward sat at the desk in his cabin, poring over his charts. He was overcome with relief. Despite his self-doubts, despite his emotions, he had made the right decision to come to sea to search for her.

  Every minute or two, he couldn’t resist glancing up from his desk and grinning at Alexandra. She lay reclined in a large tub of water. Bubbles covered the contours of her body in very interesting ways. Colorful silly songs sprang from her beautiful lips. Her blonde hair was slicked back after having just received a thorough scrubbing, and now she was methodically laving herself the rest of the way down.

  “Oh, Edward, it feels so lovely to have a proper bath after days of being so filthy!”

  “I admit, brat, you do smell much nicer.”

  She gave him an exaggerated leer, pretending to take offense. Then a hearty laugh burst from her beautiful mouth as she splashed some water at him. She gazed back happily at the ring on her left hand, holding it up in the light. “Come closer, my Black Swan, let’s see how lovely you smell.”

  With that impish challenge on her face, he couldn’t resist leaving his desk to walk over to her. He knelt down on one knee and kissed her wet lips, then kissed a bare wet shoulder. Would he ever satisfy this raging hunger he felt for her? He took the bath cloth and ran it down the length of her leg. His hand reached into the water and lifted out her ankle.

  “Fortunately for you, my love, I bathed this morning,” he murmured and kissed the bottom of her foot. His lips trailed up the inside of her leg. Her throaty gasp left his pulse pounding. “Your bath is over, darling.”

  Their eyes locked. He reached into the water and took her waist, lifting her out of the tub with rivulets of bubbly bath water flowing to the floor. He pulled her sleek wet body against him, drenching his clothes. Her dripping arms and legs clutched around him. A trail of water trickled behind them as he carried her to his large, built-in bed.

  Setting her down on the edge of his feather mattress, he peeled off his clothes.

  Alexandra spread her legs apart in an open invitation. In awe, he knelt down to gaze at her. Lowering his head between her legs, he kissed her.

  She jolted slightly and her brows furrowed. “Edward! What—?”

  He replied with his hands to her unfinished question by softly stoking her tender thighs. Then he held her legs steady and plundered her womanhood with his mouth, tasting and marauding her secret treasures with his tongue. She fell back and screamed with pleasure, raising her hips for more.

  Finally he stood, his body shaking with need. Her beautiful eyes were glazed with passion. He grasped her hips and positioned himself between her thighs. With a powerful thrust, he plunged inside her. He wondered if he could die from such ecstasy. He drove deep, over and over, in an urgent need to touch the core of her very soul.

  Their bodies blurred into one, each striving for savage possession of the other, clinging and reaching, clawing and biting, tumbling and soaring. They burned eternally through the night in their own desperate inferno with a raw hunger only the other could sate. And when the flames at last died down to embers, reflected in the bright red and orange streaks of the pre-dawn sky, still they held each other tightly, still joined, afraid to let go.Their gazes were locked wordlessly, not able to speak. Their language was in the claiming of their souls, and their hearts had melted into one.

  Chapter 42

  Edward emerged from his cabin to get some air. Ian stood at the helm with one of the men.

  “McPhee tells me you’ve been assisting the men.”

  A smile lifted the corner of Ian’s mouth. “I find I’m rather taken with the sea. Indeed, there’s nothing quite like it.” His voice was a murmur of awe as he peered out upon white-tipped waves. “I see how you love it out here.”

  “That’s why men often call the sea their mistress.”

  Ian’s gaze turned to meet his. His face became somber. “I must thank you for locating my sister. If it weren’t for you, she could have forever been lost to us.”

  “I love her, Ian. More than my own life. I had to find her for myself. My reasons didn’t go beyond that.”

  Ian shook his head and peered off at the horizon. “You know, it has always been quite obvious that she loved you.”

  “Not to me.” Edward smiled, shaking his head.

  “But there came a point, you know, when I knew you didn’t stand a chance.”

  Edward shifted his weight. “Indeed. And when was that?”

  Ian looked at him and rolled his eyes. “As you know, Alexandra is not a patient girl. I knew my sister was out to finally snare you when she agreed to go forward with the debut. She didn’t want to, you see. Ashford had been pressuring her to do it for the past few years, and she always refused. It meant she must wear a gown and face the ton, and actually wait for something. Alexandra does not like to wait for anything. Lady Bertha challenged her with the thought that other debutantes would be after you as well. They would have an advantage in winning you and being a better wife because they were proper ladies of society.”

  “Good God! I have always avoided debutantes. Is that what my aunt meant by her plan?”

  “Most likely, and also because it served Lady Bertha’s own purposes. She loves throwing her weight around the ton.”

  Edward lifted a brow.

  “So what’s going to happen to Captain Pike and his crew?”

  “They are under arrest. I left some of my men aboard to deliver them and the ship to the authorities in England. Pike is a wanted man on several counts. As far as the crew goes, whoever the Crown doesn’t want will most likely be picked up by other ships.”

  “And what about the jewels?”

  “That is entirely up to your sister.
Personally, I rather prefer not to worry about her being kidnapped ever again. Hence, before we turn the jewels over to anyone, we must make sure there are no more charges against her. The bounty in France makes it damned complicated, especially with the war. We still have to worry about the fortune hunters crossing over to try to collect on it. And of course, England is expecting the jewels to be turned over to the Crown.”

  “Interesting problem,” Ian mused. “This whole affair appears to have escalated because of false accusations invented by someone with apparent strong political connections. You and I both know that Gabrielle Demerre is a false name. Yet look how rapidly she was recognized as a criminal. Someone obviously framed her to take the blame off themselves, and at the same time, the jewels were displayed most likely to rub the French government’s nose in them. I would wager they also used Gabrielle Demerre that night to try to sell them.”

  “What are you thinking?” asked Edward suspiciously.

  “I’m thinking they planned to kill her and somehow she eluded them before they could do it, escaping with the jewels.”

  “I’m thinking you are exactly right. It was Jonteau. And when I find that bastard, he’ll wish he had never been born.”

  Ian’s eyes tightened and he frowned. “But Jonteau could not have done this alone. Even with Pike’s aid, he would need assistance from someone else who assumed they could outsmart us. The bounty suggests they are using her to divert the blame from themselves. Even if Jonteau is apprehended, my sister will still be in danger.”

  Edward scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “I know.”

  Alexandra sat up on the quarterdeck outside Edward’s cabin, enjoying the autumn day at sea. She was wrapped snugly in one of Edward’s black woolen cloaks with the lapels pulled together up to her chin.

  The sun was high in the sky, like a huge lemon drop, bright and cheery. A cool wind teased the ebony sails as the proud sloop-of-war sliced through the choppy waves of the North Sea.

  A bustle of activity prevailed as sailors worked the ropes and swabbed the deck. Large wooden tubs were filled with soapy water, while brawny men dunked their muscular arms into them to scrub laundry against battered washboards. Another group dangled from ropes over the starboard side, repairing some damage where the hull had taken a ball from a hostile cannon.

  As the men worked, they filled the air with raunchy ditties, causing her to face to heat in a continual blush each time she made out another colorful lyric.

  “I onct went a- swimmin’ wit’ a short-legged woman,

  And a bottle o’ rum, in the bay!

  The scalley-waggin’ lass had a whole lot o’ sass,

  And she tupped all me troubles away…”

  Alexandra watched as a cabin boy brought up a small sturdy table with two chairs. The boy gave her shy glance and bowed. “The cap’n requested I set up luncheon here on th’ deck, milady.” He unfolded a flapping white tablecloth and draped it over the table. Then he set out two plates, utensils, covered platters, and a jug of wine.

  “My thanks. Where is the captain?”

  The boy looked up and pointed toward the sky. Alexandra followed his line of sight to find Edward high up in the crow’s nest. “He said he’d be right down, milady. Would you like a glass o’ port while you wait? It’s from the cap’n’s best stash.”

  “Aye, lad, that sounds lovely. What is your name?”

  “Marcus, ma’am,” he answered, pouring the port in a pewter goblet and handing it to her.

  “Very nice to meet you, Marcus. Thank you kindly for the wine.” She gave him a bright smile and he blushed as he quickly bowed and left.

  Sipping the fruity port, Alexandra watched Edward slide methodically down the ropes, crossing from sail to mast to sail. Then on the last part of his descent, he swung on a line all the way down, landing smartly on the main deck. He flashed a wide white smile and loped up the steps to her.

  “Luncheon, my sweet?” he asked softly, giving her a quick kiss.

  She giggled mischievously. “Well, I don’t know. I’m almost full on wine.”

  His brows rose. “Indeed? I hope you left some for me. I would hate for you to be in your cups all alone.”

  “So would I, darling.”

  His rich brown eyes glittered with gold specks in the sun. “I love it when you call me darling. I’m hungry. Come, let’s eat.” He pulled out a chair at the table for her and she slid into it. He sat across from her and lifted the covers of the platters. There was sliced cold cheeses, salted hams, a hearty loaf of freshly baked soda bread, and some shiny red apples.

  He served them both while she eyed him. Occasionally he glanced at her while arranging the food on their plates. He wore a plain white full-sleeve shirt opened at his throat, with simple black trousers and high boots. His wind-blown hair fell carelessly around his face, and a gold hoop winked from his ear. His white smile gleamed against his tanned face. He looked like an adorable scoundrel and her heart flipped each time he looked at her.

  “So… How do you like my sloop?” he asked, leaning back in his chair as he took a bite out of a crisp apple.

  She was suddenly starving, but not for the food. “The Black Swan is incredible, Edward. I can’t believe she’s real.”

  “You like her?”

  “Indeed I do. I daresay I couldn’t have named her better myself,” she replied smugly.

  The sea sparkled around them. The crisp salty scent of the sea filled her head. Edward refilled both goblets.

  “You did name her, imp.” He kicked her foot lightly under the table.

  “Ouch!” she said, looking quite offended as she stomped on his boot.

  “Behave yourself, like a good little fiancé should.”

  She took a hearty gulp of the port and savored the pungent warmth of it spreading through her body. “I daresay I feel very wicked at the moment, Captain Devon. I don’t know if indeed I am able to behave.” Giving a mischievous smirk, she rose and walked around behind him. She bent down to whisper to in his ear, “I wish we were married already.” She tickled his ear with her tongue and giggled.

  He stood abruptly, his face terse and flushed. “Alexandra...” His voice drifted off as if he were momentarily tongue-tied.

  She couldn’t help but drop her eyes to his breeches, and desire surged through her.

  He pulled her against him. “You know, my love, it is said that the merging of the sea, the wind, and the sunshine is the greatest aphrodisiac in the world.”

  She slid her hands up around his neck. “The wine helps too.” She laughed suggestively and tugged his head down to kiss his lips. “Did you mention merging?”

  He pulled away and eyed her curiously. “Is this my cloak you are wrapped in?”

  She shrugged. “It is a bit large on me.”

  “You’re rather swimming in it, darling.”

  “Ahh, swimming indeed.” Her brows rose. “Does swimming in the nude count as an aphrodisiac? It did seem to get your attention at Devonwood the day of Aunt Bertha’s soiree.”

  His eyes widened and he looked her up and down. “Good God, are you implying that you are wearing only my cloak?” he murmured.

  Her thick lashes fluttered. “Not only. I am also wearing slippers and those lacy pink garters you said drove you mad, and of course—my ring,” she replied, and then slightly hiccupped from the wine.

  “You are truly asking for trouble, brat.” He lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Carrying her back inside the cabin, he kicked the door closed behind them. He set her back on her feet and shoved her up against the nearest wall.

  “Edward, you’re a brute!” Her heart raced and she laughed. “If you think you can manhandle me like a damned pirate, I can make you suffer.”

  Tearing open the cloak, he ogled her body. “I assure you, brat, I am already suffering—deeply.”

  She watched him quickly undo his trousers. She never knew she could want someone so badly.

  “Shouldn’t we go to the bed?” she
asked.

  “No…right here.” He pinned her against the wall and wedged her legs apart with his knees. Grabbing her waist, he lifted her and moved his hips beneath to probe her. “Right now.” He pulled her down on him with one powerful thrust, never taking his eyes from her face. She wrapped her legs around him, and clung to him for the ride of her life.

  The festive bustling and singing on deck subsided. The wind picked up, thrusting, howling, filling the black sails of the mighty sloop-of-war forward at a swifter, yet more demanding pace.

  With the new stronger gusts, sails needed trimming and adjusting more carefully and more often, but the crew always felt exhilarated by the speed and fine maneuverability of the Black Swan, especially when compared with other ships each man had served on at one time or another. Every man was indeed proud to be a cog which availed this excellent ship to be second to none.

  “By the bye, I happened upon an acquaintance of yours,” Edward murmured in Alexandra’s ear. The blankets of his bed were tangled around their bare bodies. He kissed her damp brow and brushed an errant tendril from her face. “He inquired after you.”

  She gave him a sleepy smile. “Indeed?”

  “He wondered if you changed your mind about me, and thought perhaps you might prefer a stouter man.”

  Her eyes flared. “Oh, you saw Captain Shark? Ha! You cannot deny he is quite a fine specimen of a man—especially with that pot belly.” She snuggled closer to him. “I did consider trading you in for him. But alas, he is already married to his ship, and bigamy is frowned upon, even on the high seas.”

  “Should I be jealous of any tendre you might hold for him?” Her skin was warm silk against his body.

  She raised her hand to gaze again upon her sparkling engagement ring. “I suppose not. I am really quite attached to this ring.”

  He cleared his throat. “Only the ring?”

  “You’re rather growing on me, too.” She giggled. “But once we’re married, I shall promise to forget any tender heartfelt feelings I might at all be harboring for that dear, sweet gentleman.”