Sea of Fire

by Carol Caldwell

  “Maguire’s motive was revenge,” she explained. She had to know why her father had sent Maguire’s brother to gaol—a mere lad—according to Maguire. This same loving man could not truly be as he was known among criminals as Corry the Cold-hearted.

  Edward frowned. “I’d never met Maguire before he appeared in our home as Adam Traynor.”

  “He named you as the magistrate responsible for sentencing his brother to gaol, and consequently his death. The lad died in prison,” Christian added.

  “How long ago was this?” Edward’s frown deepened. “I’ve never sent a lad to gaol.”

  “Several years. He didn’t say for sure,” Christian told Edward.

  Edward, obviously disturbed by the news, thought a moment. “None of this is clear to me. I wouldn’t condemn a mere child to prison. Why would ...” He paused. His expression changed to one of understanding.

  “What is it Father?”

  Edward took a sip of claret. “There was a case where a lad was sentenced to prison. The halls of Four Courts were all abuzz for days. Most people believed the ruling to be wrong. The magistrate who convicted the child could not handle the scorn of the populace nor the snubs of his fellow-magistrates—so much so, his heart failed him, and he died. I was asked to research the case, but first I tried to get the ruling overturned. Before I could, the lad died.” Edward shook his head. “Maguire either had me confused with the other gentleman, or blamed me for my lack of success.”

  “It’s over, Father,” she said, relieved to have confirmed he was indeed a worthy magistrate.

  “I know,” Edward said, “but why would Maguire wait until so recently to seek this revenge against me

  “He was counterfeiting,” she stated. “Roderick Godfrey, the silversmith, was a partner of his.” She took a deep breath as she was reminded of Charlotte’s betrayal. Would the pain of it ever cease? She’d do better to speak of it. “His sister, Charlotte, knew about it, but I never suspected she did. In fact, Roderick threatened to harm you, if she found out. It was all a ruse to keep me from asking questions, or learning something I shouldn’t.”

  “Wasn’t she the friend you practiced your calligraphy with?” Edward said with a bit of surprise in his voice.

  “She’s no longer a friend.”

  “Let me tell him the rest,” Christian interrupted, and didn’t wait for her consent. “Apparently, Edward, you were becoming rather good at your extracurricular activities. When Maguire realized you were getting too close to discovering his counterfeiting scheme, he vowed not to let you interfere, and decided it was time for a payback for his brother. Consequently, he used Elizabeth and Adam to get to you. As an added bonus, Elizabeth just happened to be an excellent calligrapher. She was forced to make his drawings for the dies for the spurious coins. If she refused, he threatened to kill you.”

  “I am so sorry, Elizabeth.” Edward set his drink down on a nearby tea table. He took her drink from her and set it beside his. He grasped both of her hands. “In the future, I will share more of my life outside the home with you. Between Four Courts and my private affairs, I’ve neglected you, except where a husband is concerned.”

  She flushed and tugged her hands from him. “You need not say anymore. It’s over.” To speak of potential husbands made her uncomfortable. Knowing her father, she feared he would come right out and ask Christian if he wanted to court her. He was never one to miss an opportunity.

  “I need to explain one matter. Hear me out,” Edward said. “John Maguire, as Adam, spoke of two young children and a deceased wife. He asked that I not mention this to you as he wanted to tell you himself in due time. He was afraid it would frighten you away. I did check his background and naturally, when he spoke of this before I broached him on the subject, it endeared him to me. It made me believe he was honest. I wanted so much for you to find happiness, I acted impulsively—like a foolish old man.”

  “We have all learned from this.” She stretched across the arm of her chair and comforted her father with a hug.

  “Including me.” Adam finally spoke after he had listened to the exchange for some time. “It’s true. This experience has made me realize how important my children are to me.” He glanced at her. “I do have a son and a daughter.”

  She recalled the tiny chair and doll at the Traynor town house.

  “Since my wife died, I’ve not been as attentive as a father should. It’s not that I didn’t care. I simply missed my wife. She can only live on as a memory, but one which I will always cherish. This episode has made me understand how much my children need me. Life is for the living.”

  “If Mr. Turner hadn’t delivered the missive to you and found what he did,” she said, “I’m afraid none of us would be here. I’d like to thank him, Father.”

  “You can. I asked Hannah to get a message out by courier early this morning. I’ve invited him for dinner, and he accepted,” Edward said, apparently quite pleased with himself that he had surprised them all.

  A short time later, Hannah appeared with Mr. Turner.

  Hannah waited until after introductions by Edward and said, “Supper is almost ready. I’ll be back to call you into the dining room in no time.”

  “Thank you, Hannah,” Edward said. He dragged a chair from a corner of the parlor for Turner to sit.

  “We all want to thank you,” she told the tall thin man.

  “No need for thanks. I was just doing my job,” Turner modestly answered.

  “And you’ve done it splendidly,” Edward said. “Any news of Maguire?”

  “Nay. Nothing more than what you may have already learned from these two,” Turner pointed to Christian and her. “His crew was unable to control the fire. They abandoned ship, at Maguire’s orders. The ship sunk. The crew was rescued, but Maguire hasn’t been seen since.”

  “Do you think he drowned?” Adam asked.

  “No one knows.”

  “What about Roderick?” she asked.

  “I can answer that.” Christian faced her, and quickly explained. “I didn’t want to tell you until you expressed an interest. I know you’ve been deeply hurt by Charlotte. She didn’t know Roderick and Adam had abducted your father until the end. The only information she kept from you was her knowledge that her brother was involved in counterfeiting.”

  “Go on,” she said with a pout.

  “I talked to Bloomfield several hours after we first brought Edward and Adam here. According to Walter, Charlotte truly was concerned for your welfare.” He gave her the opportunity to reply. She chose not to do so.

  “When you told Charlotte your plans about Cullenmore Abbey, she was afraid of what Adam, or Maguire might do. She told Roderick in hopes of soliciting his support. Instead, Roderick told Maguire. Charlotte guessed Bloomfield was the friend who planned to help us. She knew Walter and I had become friends. That night was the first night since they announced their engagement that Walter was not to see Charlotte. Charlotte rushed to the ruins. We were already gone. Roderick already had fled, presumably the country.” Christian stopped to take a quick sip of his claret before he continued.

  “Charlotte untied Bloomfield and confessed everything.

  He forgave her for keeping Roderick’s activities a secret and understood her reasons why. Roderick was her brother. She couldn’t bear to see him swing from the gallows, which is what will happen if he returns and is caught.”

  “I don’t care to hear anymore,” she said. “I was never so terrified as I was that night.”

  “It’s time!” Hannah burst through the door.

  Thank the Lord, she thought. In her opinion, the conversation had turned quite unpleasant.

  She watched as one by one the men proceeded from the parlor across the entryway to the dining room until Christian and she were left alone.

  He smiled at her.

  “What’s that for?”

  “You’ll see,” he said.

  He was acting strange, but his entire attitude had changed since the nightmar
e had ended. She followed him to the entryway until he stopped and grabbed his overcoat from the banister where he earlier had draped it.

  Her heart fell to her stomach. “You’re leaving?”

  “Nay. We’re leaving.”

  He reached for her cloak, and she realized he must have earlier set it under his. “We can’t go. Hannah has prepared a meal. My father’s expecting us to dine. What would ...”

  He silenced her with his lips. God in heaven, it was wonderful to be back in his arms again. Feverishly, she kissed him. To blazes if anyone walked in on them. She wanted this man.

  He broke apart. “Let’s tell them we’re leaving,” Christian said, and tugged her by the arm to follow him.

  Before Elizabeth could protest, they stood before the group comfortably seated around the dining room table. Hannah was serving all sorts of luscious food in a grand style. Yet, Elizabeth noticed, there were no places set for her or Christian.

  Edward was the first to speak. “Are ye ready then?”

  “Aye. We’ll be back later,” Christian answered.

  “Close your mouth, Bethy, and enjoy yourself.” Hannah glanced up from a smoked salmon mousse to speak.

  “What do you all know that I don’t?” Elizabeth glanced around the room from Adam to Edward to Hannah to Turner. No one answered. They carried on as if she wasn’t there.

  No matter, for Christian gently nudged her to leave the room. At the entryway, she refused to go further without some explanation. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what this is about.”

  “What does it matter? We go with your father’s and Hannah’s blessing.”

  He had a point, and she’d be with him. Isn’t that what she wanted?

  Still, she could not give in too easily, so she said, “I’m hungry.”

  “I am, too. For your love,” he said quite seriously and held out his hand to her.

  She placed hers in his and together they stepped outside into the night air. He could have taken her to hell and back and she wouldn’t have cared as long as she was with him. Instead, the carriage stopped in front of his town house. He helped her alight and next touched her back with his hand to guide her. She sensed his heat through her cloak down to her skin, or was it her imagination?

  He led her inside. His home was dark and quiet save for the moonlight through the windowpane. He removed his overcoat and helped her with her cloak. He took her hand, kissed the palm and guided her upstairs to his bedchamber.

  She eagerly followed. At the door, he held her in his arms and kissed her deeply before he released her and motioned for her to step inside.

  He lit a lamp, or she thought it was a lamp, but it was not. It was two candles that sat on a table with an arrangement of white jonquils in the center. Arranged neatly around this, was a table setting for two and covered dishes.

  “It’s lovely,” she said and sniffed the fragrance of the flowers. “So this is the reason Hannah had no place set for us.’’

  “Aye. I wanted you to myself. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Nay, but how did you convince my father and Hannah?”

  ‘ ‘Tis quite simple.” He reached inside his waistcoat pocket and gave her a tiny square black velvet box.

  Hesitantly, she took it. It was a ring box. She glanced at him. Did she dare hope that it might be a ring?

  “Open it.”

  She obeyed.

  She covered her mouth with one hand to hide her disappointment, and to give her time to think of something to say. She swallowed and at last, said. “This is the prettiest silver coin I’ve ever seen. The shiniest of shillings.” What else could she say about the coin pressed into the black satin pillow where for anyone else a ring would have been.

  “Aye. Just a little something to remind you of our days together.”

  “Aye. Just a little something,” she said wistfully.

  A few moments passed. She sensed he was watching her closely, but she couldn’t bear to look him in the eye for fear he’d read her disappointment until he said, “Lift up the pillow.”

  She glanced up at him. He grinned broadly.

  Instantly, she removed the pillow. Beneath it was an oval-shaped diamond encircled with rubies, and more than she ever had hoped for.

  “Will you marry me, Elizabeth?”

  “Oh, Christian, then you meant what you said on the ship.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “With all my heart.”

  He took the ring from her and placed it on her finger. “From the moment I gazed upon those auburn locks of yours, I knew I was in trouble. Only then I didn’t know it would be in a good sort of way.” He paused. “There’s one problem we must resolve, though.”

  “What?” she asked while she admired the ring.

  “I love the sea. You hate it.”

  “I may like it more if you teach me to swim,” she declared confidently.

  “You get seasick.” He reminded her.

  She would not be dissuaded. “I’ll get my sea legs and overcome it.”

  “I love you, Elizabeth Corry,” he whispered to her and gathered her into his arms. “I only wanted to hear you say all this. I love you too much to insist you do anything you don’t desire.”

  “I love you, Christian Traynor,” she whispered back and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “But, my only true desire is to always be with you, on land, or in our own sea of fire.”

  Author’s Note

  When the story of Jalene and Taylor ended in Fields of Fire, I wasn’t ready to leave Ireland, nor did I want to say good-bye to the Traynor family. Consequently, I wrote Sea of Fire. In Winds of Fire, the final episode of the Traynor family, it was time to leave lovely Ireland and visit the pristine shores of St. Augustine, Florida—the land Christian enjoyed so much.

  Winds of Fire takes place in 1837-8, during the Seminole Indian Wars. Megan Traynor, the daughter of Christian and Elizabeth, loves Florida and the Seminoles as much as her father had. When Megan fails at her attempt to rescue her friend, Osceola, from his jail cell in St. Augustine, Florida, she is only more determined to help Osceola’s people and vows not to allow anyone to interfere again. Army Captain Stephen Savant, under orders to assist in the removal of all Seminoles to Indian Territory, accuses Megan of passing supplies to the Indians as well as being a cohort in their looting and burning of nearby plantations. He swears he’ll prove it. It is at the Traynor plantation home, Sanctuary, where Megan meets Stephen, and their story begins. Please watch for Winds of Fire in the future.

  Copyright 1997 by Carol Caldwell

  Originally published by Pinnacle(ISBN 0786003634)

  Electronically published in 2011 by Belgrave House/Regency Reads

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No portion of this book may be reprinted in whole or in part, by printing, faxing, E-mail, copying electronically or by any other means without permission of the publisher. For more information, contact Belgrave House, 190 Belgrave Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94117-4228

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  Electronic sales: ebooks@belgravehouse.com

  This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.