“Edward, take the helm. I must turn around and kiss you.”
With that, he reached one arm past her to the shining teak wheel. His other arm wrapped her inside his black cloak and held her pressed against him.
Looking down into her wonderful violet-blue eyes, he was lost in them as always. He smiled softly as she stood up on her toes to kiss his lips. “You know, I had the Dauntless built just for you.”
“Indeed?” Her voice squeaked with delighted surprised.
“Yes. I had it built for the brat, thinking I was going to give it to him when he came of age. There was something comforting about knowing that we would again be sailing together on the same seas with our Black Swan and our Dauntless.”
Alexandra’s eyes shone with welled up tears. “Oh Edward, you did that for me when you thought I was Ian?”
He nodded. “You’ll be able to see the Dauntless in a few moments. We are putting into my cove just ahead.”
She turned back around, still wrapped inside his cloak, and watched as more of the dark sails on the Black Swan were let down and the ship slowly glided forward. Up ahead, a beautiful brown sloop emerged in front of them. It had one tall mast between two shorter, and was slightly smaller yet more elegant.
“Oh Edward, she is magnificent!”
“She is quite lovely, isn’t she? . . . But there is one slight glitch in her ownership, love.”
Her brows knit in confusion when she looked back at him.
“The owner on the title bears the name of Ian Weston, Earl of Chesbury.” He chuckled.
“So are you saying you gave away my ship to my brother?” she exclaimed, stomping on his foot.
“Ouch. Of, course I didn’t. I gave it to you, but I gave it to you when I thought you were Ian. That’s what you get for deceiving me.”
“Ahh, but if you knew I was a female, would you have given me a ship?”
“Probably not.”
“You are a lout, you know.”
“Another one of your pet names for me?”
She scowled at him. “So I’ll just have Ian give it back to me.”
“Errr…he may not want to.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think he likes the Dauntless. I sent him and Winston ahead on land to take a look at her while we sailed the Black Swan back to the cove. He has taken to sailing quite well, you know.”
“I did notice he was up on deck early every morning helping out. The day that frigate attacked us, he was climbing the sails with the rest of the crew. And I daresay the sea air seems to agree with his lungs.”
Edward’s mouth stretched into a broad knowing smile.
Her eyes narrowed at him. “What? What are you thinking?”
“I don’t really want you to have the Dauntless after all.”
Alexandra pursed her lips. “So you’re taking her back? I should have sunk your ship when I was ten.”
“You did. And then made me a new one so you could do it all over again the next day,” he reminded her. “You know I want you here with me, love.”
“I know,” she said, resigned. She chewed her lip a moment. “You once said if I was yours, you would never let me out of your sight . . . And I am truly yours, my darling Black Swan.” She raised her hand to gaze at his ring on her finger.
“By the bye, does this mean I need not worry any more about your tender feelings for Captain Shark?” he asked.
“They ended when he performed our wedding ceremony. Besides, I do believe he has his eye on another woman.”
Edward’s brow rose. “Other than his ship, you mean a genuine in-the-flesh sort of woman?”
“Indeed! It seems he has taken a fancy to our Lady Bertha Devon! Says he is partial to a woman with some meat on her bones.”
Edward gave an exaggerated shudder. “Thinking of the two of them out on the seas together somehow terrifies me. Aunt Bertha alone is a force to be reckoned with, but the two of them in league makes me shake in my boots.”
“Apparently, Captain Shark invited Lady Bertha and Miss Hatfield for a short cruise on the maiden voyage of his new brigantine—another one of my ships which you so generously gave away.”
“That sounds scandalous,” he replied mirthfully.
“Just imagine,” she added, “Lady Bertha will have Miss Hatfield as her chaperone!” Alexandra couldn’t contain her laughter.
“I love your laugh, darling.”
“You know, Edward, I must point out that you do seem to be giving ships away to everyone but me.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Snuggling closer inside his cloak, she looked up at him with dancing eyes. “I do suppose you’re right. Ian should have the Dauntless. I couldn’t bear to be sailing around on the same waters with you on a different ship. Besides, I feel somewhat guilty that Uncle Ash gave us Devonwood Hall as a wedding gift.”
“You shouldn’t. Ian still has his own estates from your parents, right next door. Besides, I daresay my father seems to prefer the London townhouse to Devonwood these days. I always loved Devonwood Hall the most, and Father knew it. It was always my mother’s favorite place, and I think he wanted it to come alive with laughter and children again.” His heart skipped a beat at his mention of children.
“What about Winston? Do you think he minds?”
“How much have you actually seen Winston at Devonwood Hall in all the time you were growing up there?” Edward asked. “No more that a handful, I can assure you.”
“For the same reason I loved Devonwood Hall, I think Winston despised it. Where I felt closer to our mother there, Winston only felt her loss more acutely. Also, he has Father’s other estates to manage. He prefers living in London where he has been comfortably installed for the past seven years. If anything, he is relieved to have Devonwood off his hands.”
The Black Swan dropped anchor not far from the Dauntless, and Alexandra looked over to see Ian waving at her. “Would you like to go aboard and see her?” asked Edward.
They climbed down to a dinghy and crossed over to the Dauntless. Ian met them when they stepped on deck. Alexandra’s heart squeezed to see her twin standing so tall and proud. For the first time ever, his complexion was slightly tanned from the sun, instead of its usual pasty-white from constantly remaining indoors.
“Well, Captain Weston, this is a very fine ship you have indeed!” Alexandra said and hugged her brother.
“I say, Edward,” Winston piped in, “I may have to acquire one of these for myself. However, I believe I’ll wait until England has finished off old Boney first. Don’t much fancy sailing in hostile waters, you know.”
Alexandra noticed another man standing with Winston and Ian who seemed vaguely familiar. He nodded at her and stepped up, bowing politely. “Very good to see you again, Mademoiselle, or I should now address you as Madame Devon.”
“Jacques, is it you?” she asked in amazement.
“Indeed it is. I would like to congratulate you on your nuptials to our esteemed Captain.”
“So you worked in France with Edward?”
Reaching forward, Edward shook his hand. “It’s good to see you, Jacques. I see you managed to sail the Dauntless back in one piece.”
“Much thanks to your lovely wife, Captain. My felicitations to you as well, Sir.”
Edward turned to Alexandra. “How do you think I found you in Paris at the masque that night? Jacques mentioned to me that a beautiful woman asked about the Black Swan when he went to retrieve the messages from our courier, but neither one of us realized who you really were. We assumed you were probably a spy.”
“Why didn’t you just come yourself to the boarding house where I was staying, Edward?”
“I was being hunted by the French army at the time, if you recall. I wasn’t sure who you were, and I couldn’t risk being seen. The LaCroix masque was less complicated if things went awry, with everyone in costumes and the crowds.”
“Jacque, you’re obviously French. Why is it you’re working with the British?” A
lexandra asked.
“Not all of us support Bonaparte, Madame. Most of my family was killed by his army and my home was overtaken by his corrupt bureaucrats. Your husband helped to rescue me and my sister. I now try to help save others.”
“Alex, would you like to see the ship?” Ian asked.
She turned to her brother. “Indeed, I would! I insist on the official tour.”
Ian proudly showed her all the different levels of the elegant Dauntless. Everywhere was immaculate and polished to a high sheen. The last stop was inside the captain’s quarters. He turned soberly to Alexandra. “I know Edward meant for the Dauntless to be yours, even though the title bears my name.”
“It is pretty incredible, is it not? After all those stories you read to me when we were kids about the Dauntless, here we are, actually on board her.”
“Despite what you think, this is evidence that Edward has always loved you, you know. Why else would he have done this?”
“We all had a part in this, Ian. You started it with your stories, and Edward and I created the fantasy as kids. Then Edward changed the fantasy into reality. I love him dearly for it…But I don’t want the Dauntless.”
Ian furrowed his brows. His gaze held hers. “You truly don’t?”
She took his hands. “No, Ian. You keep her. Besides, the sea seems to agree with you. I’ve watched you on board the Black Swan, hanging from the sails and lowering the booms.”
“But, why don’t you want the Dauntless?”
She gave him a knowing smile. “Because, my darling brother, Edward is my husband and I simply don’t care to be apart from him. Furthermore, I like the idea of you being out there sailing the Dauntless as we are also sailing on the Black Swan. This ship was built for Ian Weston. I don’t need to be Ian any more. Edward finally prefers me as Alexandra. It’s time for you to start living your own adventures, Ian, instead of just reading about them in your books.”
Walking over to the sideboard, Ian poured them each a glass of brandy. They raised their glasses together in a private toast.
“To living our dreams, my dearest Alex,” he exclaimed with love and gratitude.
“To seeing our dreams come true, my dearest Captain Ian Weston!”
EPILOGUE
It was a glorious summer’s day the following year and Alexandra and Edward were swimming in their favorite secluded pond at Devonwood Hall.
Edward was in high spirits and decided to sing:
“I like ta go swimming with a long-legged woman
With a little babe in ‘er belly!
Me scalley-wag lass has a whole lot of sass,
And I’m lucky that I am her felly!”
“I remember that song from the Black Swan!” Alexandra exclaimed. “The sailors were singing it, only their lyrics were a bit more, shall I say, lewd.”
“Well, it does seem to be a popular song at sea. The words are rather catchy, do you not agree?”
She rolled her eyes.
“How did you like my version just now? Did you notice I made you long-legged and not short-legged? And there are more verses. Would you like to hear them?”
“No!” She wrinkled her nose in disgust and dove under the water.
Edward smiled, recalling hotly the last time he had watched her swim, recalling her strong determined strokes with an occasional sleek leg kicking out of the water. Her blonde wet head popped out of the water again. He would never forget that moment of enchantment and pure lust the first time he saw her like this. Watching her now, the same desire swept through him. But now she was expecting their child at the end of the year and he was bursting with pride.
He realized the reason he had never felt lonely at Devonwood Manor. Even when he thought she was Ian, his heart had recognized her as his mate. He had somehow sensed the other half of him, and when he left home, it was missing. It was also why no other woman had ever satisfied him. The love of his life had always been right here under his nose, and it had taken a bullet to the shoulder for him to finally realize it.
God had truly blessed him by giving him her. She was the indisputable miracle of his life. He was still amazed to think, even though she believed he despised her, she had actually gone all the way to France to search for him in the middle of a war. He owed her for rescuing his life and also his heart.
She swam back to him and slid her arms around his neck. “Edward!” she exclaimed when she stuck her head out of the water, gasping for breath. “If it’s a boy, shall we name him Melvin, after Captain Shark?”
He gaped at her in horror.
She laughed in her hearty wonderful way and plunged back under the water. As she popped back up, she was still sputtering with mirth. “Oh, Edward! Your face! You should have seen it.”
Quickly diving under, he caught up to her in two powerful strokes. He grabbed her legs and pulled her back under the water with him, playfully groping her before thrusting her back up to the surface.
“You are a wretch, Edward William Harrison Blackguard Devon!” she yelled in mock-fury, punching him in the chest. “I’m in a delicate condition right now and you’re manhandling me like a wretch. I shall make you suffer greatly for this. Do you hear me? You’ll suffer!” She punched him squarely again.
“Ouch.” But he couldn’t help smiling. He reached for her waist and pulled her completely against him.
She molded her body against him, wrapping her arms and legs around him, pressing against his groin. “I’m sorry that I don’t have short legs, like in the original song.”
“I noticed…I’ll try to live with the disappointment,” he said huskily, softly spinning them both around in the water. She leaned back as they twirled and spread her arms out laughing.
He pulled her back to his chest and held her close. She looked up with her violet-blue eyes he so adored. “Edward, I am so happy! Sometimes I still find it difficult to believe you are mine.”
Tightening his arms around her, he pressed her slightly protruding belly against him with a ridiculous amount of satisfaction. “I have always been yours, love. I know that now. Every time I was away from you, you were in my thoughts, and the world never seemed complete without you right there. Even when I was furious with you, I never felt so alive. You stole my heart as a child, and have owned it ever since. I just didn’t realize it.” He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her with all the love and pride he felt.
Her eyes welled up in joyful tears. “I love you forever, Edward William Harrison Devon.”
“I love you forever too, brat.—Uhh, by the bye, darling, exactly how greatly do you intend to make me suffer?”
She gave a wicked chuckle. “Allow me to show you right now!” With a hearty shove, she dunked him backward under the water.
LEIGH SPARROW resides with her husband in Central Massachusetts. When she is not busy plotting out her next story, she enjoys western trail riding on her thoroughbred horse, Chance.
Watch for her next book, THE PRINCESS THIEF, to be released in May 2012.
Please visit her website at leighsparrow.com
Leigh Sparrow Page 26