Once A Pirate
Page 21
It couldn’t be time yet, she assured herself. The doctor had been by to see her just yesterday, and he’d told her she had several more weeks to go.
She began to think back, count in her mind how many months it had been since she’d first made love to Talon, but the memories made her dizzy with longing and she gave up. It seemed like an eternity since he’d come to her cabin with that single perfect rose and created this tiny life that grew within her.
She crossed the room toward her bed, thinking she needed to lie down. But before she could get there, the pain came again, sharper this time.
She stumbled to the satin bell pull and yanked on it, panic clawing at her throat. She needed help. She needed Betsy’s smiling face.
“No,” she whispered, hugging herself. “Please, please not yet.” She was terrified of both the pain and going through this by herself. She wanted Talon at her side, holding her hand and encouraging her with words of love. All her carefully constructed dreams of the future had revolved around this day and his presence by her side.
In her heart of hearts, she’d been so certain he wouldn’t let her go through this alone. She was unprepared to face the truth... she was going to have this baby alone and probably remain that way for the rest of her life.
Betsy entered the room, her face paling when she saw Kate lying on the bed. “Goodness, sweetie, are you all right?”
Kate blinked away her tears, resolving to get through this. Her child needed her to remain strong, because the worst battles were yet to come. “Send for the doctor, Betsy. The baby’s coming.”
Chapter Twenty‐Eight
Talon’s rage and thoughts of revenge sustained him during the weeks it took him to cross the Atlantic. He spoke to no one, sending any potentially friendly sailor skittering off with one hell born glance.
Sutcliffe was a dead man. No matter what the consequences, Talon was determined to make the bastard pay for what he’d done.
After Sutcliffe’s demise, Daniel would be the bloody earl. Perhaps that would finally make his brother happy. For himself, Talon was prepared to face the hangman. It was only fitting since the very fact of his birth had consigned his crew to die.
He did his best to block all thoughts of Kate from his mind. If he thought of her, he’d go mad.
For a few days, he’d toyed with the idea of going to see her before he slit Sutcliffe’s throat. He wanted to make love to her one last time, tell her how much he loved her before he died.
But in the end, he knew it would weaken his resolve. She would remind him of all the things Sutcliffe had stolen from him, all the bloody lies and betrayals.
She would make him want to live again, and there was no room for such thoughts. Sutcliffe had taken seventy lives, and he had to die. It was the only way Talon could redeem himself for being such a stupid fool. He never should have fallen for his father’s lies.
Why hadn’t he demanded some proof that his men still lived before agreeing to break Kate’s heart and abandon his own child?
Had he trusted the bastard, even for a moment?
That was the worst of it, because he knew in the depths of his heart that he’d been a little flattered Sutcliffe wanted him to father his heir. At last his father had acknowledged him. He’d been pathetically happy to know Sutcliffe found him a worthy adversary.
Christ, how the son of a bitch must be laughing at him now.
He arrived in London late in the afternoon a little over ten months after he’d left. Kate might have even given birth to his child by now, but he shoved the thought aside. The baby would be fine. That was what he was here to ensure.
The city hadn’t changed since he’d been gone. It was still too crowded, too busy, too dirty. He thought of the promise he’d made to himself when he’d left about never coming back and wished to God he’d been able to keep it.
He hired a hack and leaned back in the rickety seat, his thoughts racing ahead to the confrontation to come. Would Sutcliffe be surprised to see him, or had he anticipated this, still one step ahead of the game?
Would that hulking footman be lying in wait, ready to take care of Sutcliffe’s embarrassing youthful mistake now that he had his heir?
Talon set his jaw. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he took Sutcliffe with him to hell.
Life without Kate was hell anyway.
The hack turned down the quieter streets where the rich and privileged lived. Talon sat forward, scanning the stately mansions for the one he’d come to know so well.
He had the driver drop him off a few houses away then stood in the gathering twilight, wondering belatedly if Kate was here.
It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility, although he’d assumed she’d returned to the Manor. But her time was close, and perhaps she’d preferred to stay here where she’d have access to the finest doctors.
Heaven help him if she hadn’t left. Because he knew he could never kill anyone, not even his father, if there was a chance she might be hurt by it.
If he caught even a glimpse of her, he might forget why he’d come, fall down on his knees before her and beg her to give him one more chance.
He took a deep breath and circled the house, letting himself in the servant’s entrance. Once inside, he made his way up the back stairs, heading to the room Kate used while she was in residence.
One way or the other, he had to know.
He slipped through the unlocked door, forcing himself not to look toward the sofa where he and Kate had shared their first kiss. Despite the circumstances, it had been one of the most beautiful moments of his life. Even then, he’d known how hard it was going to be to give her up.
A soft noise caught his attention, and he turned his head toward the source. His heart pounded in denial when he heard shallow breathing coming from the curtained bed.
Creeping closer, he heard another noise, a small, thin cry that nearly unmanned him. Kate’s voice whispered in the dark, a soft, sweet breath of sound, quieting the child who must be lying in the bed with her.
The floor creaked beneath his feet. Kate inhaled sharply, and the covers rustled as she sat up and fumbled to light the lamp beside her bed. “Who’s there?”
The room flooded with soft light, and Talon’s gaze locked with Kate’s. She was breathing heavily, her hair falling around her shoulders in chestnut disarray. One sleeve of her pale green nightgown was lowered, exposing her full, white breast.
She held his child against her, the tiny mouth sucking greedily, the sound very loud in the silence of the room.
He couldn’t speak. He could only stare in awe. She was more beautiful than anything he’d ever seen in his life. Madonna and child. His family.
“Talon,” she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. “Is it really you?”
He nodded and moved toward her hesitantly, afraid of losing control, of throwing himself against her and crushing her in a bruising embrace. His gaze traveled from her face to the baby at her breast, transfixed by the sight of the tiny creature he’d helped create.
She patted the bed beside her in invitation. He sat down, a shudder working its way from deep inside him as she closed her hand around his.
“Oh God.” He bowed his head and pressed his lips to her palm. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too.” She touched his face, his hair, his chest, as though she couldn’t believe he was really there.
“I didn’t think you were ever coming back. I’ve been so afraid, so worried about Elizabeth...”
“Elizabeth?” His gaze left hers to return with awe to the baby. “A daughter?”
“Is Elizabeth all right with you?” she asked. “It was my mother’s name.”
“Of course,” he whispered, his throat tight with emotion. “Of course, it’s all right. It’s a beautiful name.” He reached out and touched his daughter’s downy head, awed by the softness, the warmth.
Kate gently disengaged the child from her breast. “Would you like to hold her?”
He saw a little of Kate in his daughter’s face, but also a little of himself. It made him doubt everything that had been so clear just a short while ago. He didn’t want to die. Not when there was so much left to live for.
“Did you get Daniel’s letter?”
Kate’s soft voice intruded on his reverie. He nodded, the grief for his men a crushing weight dragging him down. He had no right to be here, holding his beautiful daughter and basking in the love of this wonderful woman, when so many men were dead by his father’s hands.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I could have been there with you when you found out.” The sympathy in her voice undid him.
“I’m glad you weren’t. I went a little crazy. I wouldn’t have wanted you to see me that way.”
She pulled her nightgown up, covering her full breast, and then cupped his cheek with her hand. “You don’t always have to be at your best for me. I want to be there for you during the bad times as well as the good. Nothing you do could ever make me love you less.”
“You can’t mean that.” He shook his head, unwilling to believe her. How could she still love him after all that had happened? “Don’t depend on me, Kate. I can’t bear it. Don’t you realize I didn’t come here to see you? I didn’t even know you were here.”
Her hands slid from his skin, leaving him bereft. “Then why did you come?” Kate’s voice was frightfully restrained, cool and condemning, every bit the English aristocrat. Never had he felt the difference in their stations so acutely.
“You know why. I came to kill Sutcliffe to protect you and Elizabeth. To make him pay for everything he’s done.”
“Don’t drag me and Elizabeth into this.” Kate’s green eyes flashed with fury. “If you loved us, you’d take us away from this place tonight and never look back. You’d be there when we needed you instead of throwing your entire life away for revenge.”
“Kate, you don’t understand.” He met her gaze, trying to make her see he was doing this for her. He was sacrificing his entire future. There was a kind of nobility in that, wasn’t there?
Christ, why couldn’t she see it?
“I understand perfectly.” She leaned forward and took Elizabeth from his arms, cradling the baby to her chest and giving him a look filled with loathing. “You seduced me because you had to. You’ve never claimed to love me, and I’m an utter fool to have believed you did.”
Her words left him reeling. He might not have said the words, but he’d shown her in a million ways how much he loved her.
Hadn’t he?
“Please, sweetheart. Don’t be this way. You know I love you. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you. That’s why I have to kill Sutcliffe. As long as he’s alive, we’ll never be free of him. He’ll find some other way to destroy us.”
“We can leave England, go back to America and change our names. There has to be a way, if only you’re strong enough to find it.”
Kate’s words were filled with blazing intensity, and for a moment he found himself considering her crazy plan. Maybe she was right.
But the thought of letting Sutcliffe live, walking away while that son of a bitch remained free to ruin even more innocent lives, was abhorrent.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I have to do this. It’s the only way I’ll ever be able to live with myself.”
“Live with yourself?” Kate’s voice rose hysterically. “If you do this thing, you’ll die. They’ll hang you!”
He just stared at her, his heart breaking.
“Do you think Elizabeth gives a damn about your pride and guilt? Don’t you think she’d rather have a father who loves her and kisses her goodnight, than hear stories about one who sacrificed his life for some mistaken sense of nobility?”
The baby began to cry. Obviously, Kate’s mood was communicating itself to the child.
“Let me hold her again before I leave. Please.”
Kate hugged Elizabeth tighter, making her cry even harder. “No, Talon. If you want to be a father, then you be one for the rest of her life. Do what’s best for her. Don’t abandon us again.”
His arms ached with emptiness. How could he leave them? How could he die without ever making love to Kate again?
Kate’s eyes narrowed. “Make the hard choice, Talon. Choose love instead of hate, or get out of my room.”
“I do love you,” he vowed. “I love you both. But I can’t do what you’re asking.”
Eyes stinging with unshed tears, he turned and went in search of his father.
Chapter Twenty‐Nine
Talon drifted back downstairs, taking care to remain unobserved by any of the servants. He wanted to surprise the bastard. Lord knew he needed every advantage he could get.
Thoughts of Elizabeth and of Kate and her impassioned plea echoed in his head, destroying his resolve. He took several deep breaths, trying to regain control.
At last, he managed to put everything except the need for vengeance out of his head. It was the only way he could do this thing, the only way he could face what would come afterward.
Sutcliffe was exactly where Talon had expected him to be, sitting in his library smoking an expensive cigar and sipping cognac. For a moment, Talon just stood in the doorway, watching him and letting his hatred simmer to the boiling point.
Sutcliffe finally turned to see who was behind him. “Talon.” Dismay flickered across Sutcliffe’s face before his features became inscrutable. “Come in, son. I’ll pour you a drink.”
“Don’t call me that. Don’t ever call me that again.”
Sutcliffe chuckled and filled another crystal shot glass with cognac. He sent it skittering across the desk and gestured to the chair across from him. “Go ahead, sit down. We have a lot to talk about.”
“I’m through talking.” Talon ignored both the drink and the chair. “I didn’t even plan to say this much. All I want to do is kill you, you son of a bitch.”
“Ah, so you’ve found out about your crew.” Sutcliffe gave a pitying shake of his head. “Come now, did you really think I’d stick my neck out for a bunch of worthless pirates?”
Talon reached into his waistband and pulled out the small, pearl-handled pistol he’d purchased in Nassau. He aimed it at Sutcliffe’s cold, dead heart, surprised to see his hands were steady. “I mistakenly assumed you might be a man of your word since we shared the same blood. Obviously, I was wrong.”
Sutcliffe glanced at the pistol. “You’ll never get away with killing me, you foolish boy. Lionel will be in here the instant you fire a shot.
You’ll never even make it out of the house.”
“I got in to the house, didn’t I? It doesn’t matter. I never expected to get away with it. I might even turn myself in. I’m more than ready to die, you see, as long as I can take you with me.”
Sutcliffe looked just a little taken aback by that, but then he smiled. “I’m surprised you came to me first. I expected you to go out to the country and see Kathryn and her child. She delivered several days ago.”
Talon forced himself not to react. He wouldn’t allow Sutcliffe to use Kate or the baby against him. “I guess that shows how little you know me. By killing you, I’m ensuring their safety. That’s all that matters to me now.”
Sutcliffe played his trump card. “They’re here, Talon. Upstairs. I had them brought here so I could see my heir. Are you sure you don’t want to go see your daughter before you do something you’ll regret? Surely you don’t want Kathryn to see you arrested for murder.”
The thought made him weak with despair. Sutcliffe was right, killing him would be harder than he’d ever imagined, especially after the ultimatum she’d given him. “I’m sure,” he managed, trying to remain impassive.
Sutcliffe must have seen his flicker of weakness, though, because he pounced on it. “A little girl, can you cre
dit it? I thought you were more of a man than that.”
“Go to hell,” he whispered.
He should have just walked in and shot the bastard in the back of the head. It had been the height of foolishness to allow him to say a single word.
“A girl child simply won’t do.” Sutcliffe pursed his lips and shook his head. “I’m going to have to try again with one of my other by‐blows. I’ll have to find one who is more agreeable for the next go round.”
All indecision fell away. Talon wouldn’t allow Kate or Daniel to be hurt again. He lifted the gun and took careful aim. “I don’t think so.”
“Don’t do it.” Daniel’s voice startled Talon, but he didn’t turn around. He kept his gaze locked on his father, gratified to see a few beads of sweat break out on Sutcliffe’s brow.
“It’s too late, Daniel. I should think you, of all people, would be glad to see him gone.” Talon’s finger tightened on the trigger.
“I don’t give a damn about him.” Daniel crossed the room until they stood side by side. “But I do care about Kate and your daughter. She’s been waiting for you. Don’t throw it all away now. He’s not worth it.”
Sutcliffe laughed mockingly. “Isn’t this sweet? Such a show of brotherly concern.” He smiled. “He wants you on your knees for him, Talon.”
“Divide and conquer, hmm?” Talon shook his head. “Daniel has earned my trust, you bastard. I happen to think he’ll make a wonderful earl once you’re dead.”
He risked a glance at his brother and was shocked to see the fury on Daniel’s face. “If anyone’s going to shoot him, it should be me,” Daniel muttered. “I don’t have anything to lose. Let me do it. It’s the only way.”
“You don’t have the guts,” Sutcliffe told him. “You’ve been a spineless ninny all your life, Daniel.”
“Think of Kate.” Daniel ignored Sutcliffe’s taunts, his gaze still locked with Talon’s. “Don’t do this to her. She’s already been hurt enough. Think about little Elizabeth. She’s so beautiful. Don’t throw your life away before you have a chance to see her.”