Her wide smile, her beauty, her innocence all presented a picture that caused great confusion in him. Sébastien forced a smile to his face and turned quickly and closed the door behind him. He would consider his actions on his way to book the berths…or one single berth for Madeleine. He had some serious thinking to do.
***
Madeleine took time to wash and dress herself suitably to travel into town. She managed to put together an outfit that bespoke of a lady…of sorts. She waited in the cabin for Sébastien to return. It had been almost midday when he had left and now he had been gone for hours. She began to worry about his safety…and then she began to worry that he had changed his mind. Foolish thoughts. If he had changed his mind about her, he would not abandon her on his boat.
Perhaps he had found Uncle Titus?
Even worse, perhaps he had gone to look for the necklace by himself. She paced the cabin, her hard-soled slippers clicking on the wooden floor each time she stepped off the square of carpet.
The light faded as night fell and the lamp cast soft shadows around the cabin. Sébastien had been almost the whole day and Madeleine prayed he would return soon. Her worry dissolved and impatience filled her as she wandered around the cabin, picking up unfamiliar instruments and examining them. She was ready to leave with him as soon as he returned. Another hour passed and she walked to the aperture in the hull and looked out. She tapped her fingers against the timber as the glimmers of doubt came back.
What if he doesn’t come back? What if he just leaves me here?
All was dark and quiet on the quay, and there was no sign of any movement on the wharf. If it had been like that the night she had escaped Uncle Titus, her life would be very different now. A tap sounded at the door and Madeleine ran lightly across the cabin as relief filled her. Her doubts had been unnecessary. He wouldn’t leave her. “Sébastien?”
“No, Miss Madeleine. It is Jake. I came to say goodbye before I leave.”
Disappointment was like a stone in her stomach. “Where are you going?”
There was a hesitation and then Jake’s voice came through the door. “I have found…a better vessel.”
Madeleine was surprised as she had understood him to be happy on the Maiden and had assumed that he would continue on the vessel when Mr. Abrahams took over as captain.
“I am leaving now, so can I…come in…to say goodbye?” His voice was shaking. “Or maybe you can come out?”
Madeleine frowned as she unlatched the door. Jake sounded upset and he had been a true friend to her. She pulled the door open slowly but the young boy did not enter.
“It’s all right to come in, Jake. The captain is not here.”
“And isn’t that unfortunate for you.” She gasped as the door was flung wide open and two men pushed past her before grabbing her arms roughly.
“Oh miss, I am so sorry. They made me do it.” Tears rolled down Jake’s face from eyes which were wide with fear.
The crew man who had assaulted her had his arm curled around Jake’s neck and a knife against his throat.
“It’s all right, Jake.” An icy calm descended on Madeleine as she reassured him. She did not want to move for fear the knife at his throat slipped.
“Shall I slit his throat in front of you, madam?” The man she knew as Dirk pushed Jake in through the door and she turned her head to watch them enter. “Or shall we wait for the captain to return and kill you both together?”
Madeleine held herself rigid and tried to catch Jake’s eye but the young boy had dropped his head. She opened her mouth but the man to her left put his filthy hand on her lips. For a moment she was tempted to bite his fingers, but realized she must be compliant if Jake’s life was to be spared.
She shook her head and he lifted his hand.
“I will not scream. What is it you want from me?” While ever the knife was at Jake’s throat she would do as they asked, no matter what.
She prayed that Sébastien would return, and then in the next thought, she hoped he would not. There was too much danger and the space they were in was too confined and there was no one nearby to help. If they had been up on the deck there would be more of a chance of getting away.
“You will come with us and lead us to the treasure you told the boy about.” The man’s voice deepened with suspicion. “Or has the pirate gone to get it already?”
Jake squealed as the sailor pressed the knife against his neck and Madeleine watched with horrified fascination as a trickle of blood ran down the blade.
“No! No, leave him be or I will tell you nothing. The captain has gone ashore for a short time.”
Two of the men exchanged a look. “I would wager he will return with his pockets full of gold. This night gets better as each minute passes.”
“Come, we are wasting time. We will come back for his gold after she leads us to the necklace.” His cold eyes flicked a glance toward her and she shivered at the intent in his eyes. She wondered what her fate was to be.
Rough hands dragged her through the door and she looked around in panic, wondering if she would ever see Jake and Sébastien again. But one of her fears was allayed.
“The boy will come with us. It will be good leverage to get the wench to talk.” He pushed Jake ahead of him toward the door, the knife still glinting in the lamplight.
One of the other men was ahead of her and the other followed as Madeleine climbed the ladder to the deck. It was dark and only a faint light shone from the wheelhouse. She scanned around the deck without moving her head, trying to find the first mate, but there was no sign of anyone.
“You are clever for a wench, that is for certain.” The voice coming from behind her turned Madeleine’s stomach to water. “Are you clever enough not to call for help?” She turned and lifted her hand as his spittle hit her face.
“Do you want your young friend to stay alive? What say you, wench? Do we need to gag you?” His voice was loud and she prayed someone would hear and come see what was happening. But all was still.
“No.” She shook her head and they pulled her to the gangplank, with Jake close behind. Stepping onto land for the first time in three weeks, Madeleine’s legs trembled as her feet hit the hard road and she fought to keep her balance.
The man with the knife gestured to the man on her left and he let her go briefly as they swapped positions. There was nothing she could do as the knife was once again at Jake’s neck.
Putrid breath fanned her face as Dirk leaned in to her. “Now, you will tell us where this treasure can be found.”
Madeleine thought quickly. If Jake was to be spared and Sébastien kept safe, she would lead them to Aunt Josephine’s house.
“I have not been there and do not know the house but I can tell you where it is.”
“Then tell us.” He pushed his face into hers and she recoiled with distaste.
“Ah, she thinks she is better than us because she has been in the captain’s bed. Well, wench, watch how quickly he and his brother rid themselves of you when you no longer have the treasure they seek.” Dirk’s voice was hard yet full of amused satisfaction
His brother? What did Sébastien’s brother have to do with this? Fear crawled into Madeleine’s throat as all her doubts came rushing back. One of the final things Sébastien had mentioned as he had left her had been the necklace. Was that all he sought from her?
“You thought it was your pretty charms?” Dirk laughed and a shiver ran down Madeleine’s back. “It wasn’t. Nor the booty between your legs.”
No. She straightened her back. I will not lose faith. This man knows nothing.
A grimy hand grabbed her chin and turned her face to his. A mouth with black-stained teeth hovered near her lips as the man lowered his face closer to hers. His fingers pressed into her cheeks and she bit back a cry of pain.
“So where are we going to?” he said. “Where is this treasure hidden?”
“The necklace is in my great aunt’s house. But I do not know who lives there since she d
ied.”
“Where is this house?”
Madeleine closed her eyes remembering the inscription in the front of the diary that was imprinted in her mind. “It is in Rue Toulouse next to a cemetery…but I don’t even know where that is.”
“Good. We will find it. Now, you will look like a whore who is out for an evening stroll with some lonely sailors. If you call for help or try to escape, the boy will die.” His fingers squeezed her arm so hard she bit her lip to stop the cry of pain escaping her lips. “Do you understand me?”
Madeleine dropped her head and whispered. “I understand you.” If she could delay them, perhaps Sébastien or some of the crew would return. There was no point trying to escape or she would be responsible for Jake’s death. All she could pray for was that if she told these men what she knew that they would be able to find the necklace. They must have looked like a strange group but as they walked through the streets no one cast them a second glance.
It was strange to be walking on land. Madeleine looked at the mysterious alleys, covered passageways, two story houses with ornate lacework and narrow streets laid out in a square grid. Even though it was late in the evening, the streets were crowded with men and women in evening dress who paid scant attention to four people keeping to the shadows. Snatches of unfamiliar languages floated by and there was much laughter. She kept her head down as they walked until the men came to a stop outside a tavern.
“Wait here. I’m going into the tavern to find out where this Rue Toulouse is.” Dirk jerked his head toward her. “What is your aunt’s name?”
“Du Bois.” Madeleine said. “It was du Bois.”
“Make sure you watch them.” His whisper was harsh and the way he looked at her sent a shiver down her back. If they found the necklace, she feared for Jake’s and her own safety. If they went back to the Maiden, she feared they would hurt Sébastien, too. Her mind flitted from one thought to another and she fought the helpless panic rising in her throat.
The two men spoke quietly and peered into the tavern. Madeleine was surprised that the sailors did not know where to find the street she had named. Although she had expected New Orleans to be smaller and more uncivilized, she was surprised by the number of people in the streets; although it was still not as big as the English towns she was used to.
Shadows flickered on the wall backlit by the street lamps as they waited in the dark beneath an overhanging porch. The sweet smell of the burning oil was cloying and Madeleine swallowed as bile rose up and burned her throat. It was a combination of the smell and the fear for their fate once they reached the house. The outcome of the search for the necklace was probably inconsequential; she did not doubt that these men would kill them. Looking up from beneath her lashes she caught Jake’s eye. His eyes were wide and he was trying to tell her something. He inclined his head toward the fence at the end of the porch, just behind where he was standing. He mouthed words to her and she stared at him trying to see what he was saying before looking across at the fence. There was a small gap in the planks at the base, and she realized Jake’s intention as he whispered softly.
“I’ll bring help.”
The two men still had their heads together and Madeleine strained to hear their words but their thick accents made their words difficult to understand. She stepped closer so that she would partially block their view of Jake. As she moved, Jake dropped to the ground and rolled through the small hole. Before they were aware of him moving, he was through the gap and the darkness swallowed him.
For a moment, the weight lifted a little from Madeleine’s heart. If only Jake could find Sébastien…
“Oy!” the man closest to her turned around and the look on his face was almost comical as he realized Jake was gone. “Where the dickens did the little bugger go?”
Madeleine put her hands to her face and shook her head, pretending she hadn’t seen him. The stocky sailor grabbed her arm and his filthy breath hit her before he turned to the man with the strong accent. “You go and find him. He can’t have got far. I’ll hold her. Quickly, before Dirk comes back out.”
Madeleine closed her eyes. How many more men did they have helping them?
Before he could go, the door opened and Dirk swaggered out. “We’re almost there. Rue Toulouse is only two streets away. Come…” He looked around and his eyes narrowed. “Fuck. Where’s the boy? Don’t tell me you buffoons let him escape?” He stared at Madeleine and his voice was harsh with the same anger that fired his eyes. He reached out and squeezed her arm and the pain shot up to her shoulder. “You may think he has gone to your pirate but he’ll get no help from that quarter.”
She twisted in his grasp as the pressure of his fingers became unbearable and she shivered at the malice in his voice.
“The tattle in the tavern was all about the mysterious necklace. Jean-Luc Leclerc has been waiting impatiently for his brother’s return.” A smile split his face but it was not pleasant. “The word is around that the fur trader, Lutchenko gave a Russian heirloom to his mistress—” his fingers squeezed harder “—but no one knows who the woman was, so overhearing your talk to your little friend was a windfall for me.”
She let out her breath as his fingers loosened on her arm and he turned to the other two men. “Forget the boy, we have to work quickly. We’re the only ones who know the name of the mistress.”
Madeleine shrunk back into the shadows away from his intent gaze as his eyes narrowed.
“Or are we? Does the pirate know who Lutchenko’s woman was?” He shook her arm. “Did you tell him where she lived? Does he know where the treasure is?”
“No, I did not.” She shook her head; she could at least answer half of his question truthfully and prayed he would not question her further. The other two men stepped in close to her side, and Dirk strode ahead and led the way, keeping to the shadows of the porches that overhung the narrow footpath. Occasionally they passed a tavern where light spilled out onto the road. For the time being, Madeleine cooperated; she really had no other option, but she kept alert and scanned the street ahead with every step she took.
She wasn’t about to disclose to them that Sébastien had known Josephine du Bois, but she could be honest in her denial. They had never discussed where her great aunt had lived but perhaps he already knew? Her mind was whirling—her foolish innocence was becoming more apparent to her by the minute. In her naiveté she had thought she could cross the ocean, find the necklace, and assume that no one else would be interested in a treasure of emeralds and diamonds.
If indeed Sébastien was looking for the necklace, had she been a fool to trust him? Is that why he had tried to dissuade her? Was the talk of a future in the islands just that—sweet talk to get her to disclose more information about a necklace that he already knew of? Did he laugh when she landed on his boat like a ripe juicy plum for the picking? Mortification filled her as she recalled the nights… and days… she had spent in his bed. She had shed all her girlish modesty.
More than that, it was grief that filled her. Grief for the false love she had believed in. Setting her jaw in determination, Madeleine fought the tears that threatened and summoned the anger to clear her mind. All she could be grateful for was that she hadn’t told Sébastien that she loved him. Perhaps it was the premonition of losing him—as she had lost everyone else she had ever loved? Or perhaps a small part of her had told her not to trust.
Lust and love. Had not Aunt Josephine’s diary been witness to the same web of lies?
That was something she would have to deal with—if, no, when— she escaped. But perhaps she would not escape and her life was over?
Would anyone care? She had no one who held concern for her well-being. She was alone and she would have to help herself. She had crossed the world to find this necklace and by God, she would not give in to three thieves.
“This way.” A rough hand shoved her forward and Madeleine lifted her head. They had turned into a quiet street which appeared to be full of grand homes. It was a lot qu
ieter than the other streets. It would be far less likely that someone would notice that she was being held against her will. Most of the houses were in darkness and the street was quiet, apart from a chorus of croaking that came from the far end. As she was dragged down the street, a dog barked and a light came on.
“It’s the last house on the river side before the swamp.” Glee filled his rough voice as they approached the last house. It was in darkness and Dirk put his hand up and the two men held her as they stood in the shadows.
“All right, madam. Where will we find the necklace?”
Safe at rest, at home. In the water, by the water, in the garden. Her great aunt’s spidery writing was imprinted in her memory like a brand. She would never—even on the threat of death—reveal those words.
“It is…secreted in her…boudoir.” Madeline made her voice hesitant as though the words came reluctantly. “There is a wooden chest and it is hidden in a false bottom beneath some garments.” She was beginning to warm to her fabrication. “Luxurious silk cloth from the—”
“Enough.” Dirk looked around. “We will need the three of us to search the house…and we must be silent. If they are asleep, we may have to—”
Madeleine gasped at the thought that her lie about the whereabouts of the necklace could result in the death of whoever was in the house. “Wait…”
“Be quiet.” Dirk came closer and took her arm. ‘We cannot afford to have you inside while we search, in case you think to scream and warn them.” He looked around and even in the dim moonlight she could see the intention in his eyes as he raised his hands.
“No, please…” Her stomach clenched as his hands circled her neck “What if my aunt has moved it? I know of other places where it may be hidden. You cannot kill me, you may need more information. There is more.” She hated begging but it was her only chance.
His hands stilled and he let out a snort of disgust, obviously realizing that she spoke the truth. He reached down into his long boot and pulled out a coil of thin rope. “Just as well I had forethought, wasn’t it?”
Capturing the Pirate's Heart (The Emerald Quest Book 1) Page 17