Once A Pirate

by Bold, Diana

  Elizabeth.

  God, if only Daniel hadn’t mentioned his daughter. But now he saw her in his mind, a living, breathing soul. Elizabeth would need him.

  And he realized he did have a choice. Kate was right. He had to choose between his hatred for his father and his love for Kate and the child.

  The decision was surprisingly simple to make.

  He slowly lowered his gun, forcing himself to ignore the triumphant light in Sutcliffe’s eyes. “Daniel’s right, I’m of far more use to my family alive than dangling at the end of a hangman’s noose.”

  “Your family?” Sutcliffe scoffed. “You forget, Talon. She’s married to Daniel. And Daniel will never go against my wishes. He’d do anything to protect Philip Carrington.”

  Daniel gave a bitter shake of his head. “Philip and I have ended our involvement. And I’ve already told Talon I’ll annul my marriage.”

  “You’ll do no such thing.” At last, Sutcliffe began to lose control. “I won’t allow the two of you to defy me. I’ll kill you both and father another child on Kathryn myself if I have to. God knows that’s what I should have done in the first place. The two of you are as worthless as the spineless bitches who birthed you.”

  Talon lifted the gun again, blinded with red-hot fury. “I’ll see you in hell before I’ll let you touch one hair on Kate’s head.”

  Before he could pull the trigger, Daniel wrenched the gun out of his hand. Talon tried to wrest it back, but Daniel pulled away with surprising strength and fired, aiming for their father’s black heart.

  Sutcliffe staggered back, clutching at his chest and staring down at the blood that covered his hands. His shocked gaze flickered up to Daniel, who still held the gun in his trembling grasp, his face bleached pale as snow.

  “I am not spineless,” Daniel whispered. “And I wish to God I wasn’t your son.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Talon and Daniel stood side by side, watching as James Sinclair took his last, choking gasp of air. Talon clenched his fists at his sides, still stunned by what had happened.

  Daniel laid the gun on the desk and then knelt by Sutcliffe’s side, feeling for a pulse. “He’s gone,” he said a few moments later. “He’ll never bother any of us again.”

  “Daniel, what have you done?” Talon stared at his brother, wondering if the younger man was in shock. “I never meant for you to get involved in this. This was my fight, not yours.”

  “You think so?” Daniel shook his head and sank into the chair behind the desk, the one Sutcliffe had so recently vacated. “He never would have stopped. Even if you’d managed to take Kate and Elizabeth away from here, he would have found a way to hurt you. And once you were gone, he would have started on me again. He’d have found something else he could hold over me, forced me to marry some other poor girl.”

  Talon rubbed a trembling hand over his face, knowing every word Daniel said was true. “You hated him even more than I did.”

  Daniel nodded and met Talon’s gaze head on. “He was always making me do things I didn’t want to do.” His voice broke, and Talon saw unimaginable pain in his brother’s light blue eyes. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Christ.” Talon looked away, remembering that night on the ship when Daniel had claimed there were worse things than poverty.

  He’d been right.

  Daniel took a deep, shuddering breath. “Well, it won’t ever happen again. Not to me, not to you. Not to any innocent child ever again. I’m not sorry. I’m willing to take the consequences.”

  There was a swift knock on the door, and Lionel burst in, a revolver in his large, capable hands. He took in the situation with impassive eyes then turned and murmured something to the gathering crowd of servants outside before shutting the door firmly behind him.

  “Which one of you finally gave the old bastard what he deserved?” Lionel asked without a flicker of surprise.

  Talon looked into the footman’s face and realized Lionel was an ally, not an enemy. Hell, he probably knew better than anyone how evil Sutcliffe had been. “I’m afraid the honors go to Daniel.”

  Daniel buried his face in his hands. “I couldn’t take it any more, Lionel. He pushed me too far this time.”

  Lionel stared at Daniel for a long moment, compassion in his dark, knowing eyes. “Every man’s got a limit. I expect you’ve been pushed further than most, Lord Sutcliffe.”

  “Lord Sutcliffe?” Daniel whispered. “Thank you for that, Lionel. I doubt I’ll be hearing it again once the constable comes.”

  Lionel glanced at Talon. “I don’t think there’s going to be a problem with the constable. I’m sure your brother will be more than happy to testify to what he saw here tonight, and so will I.”

  “What did I see?” Talon asked, realizing the big man had a plan. “Your father surprised a prowler.” As he spoke, Lionel crossed the room and slid aside a painting, revealing a hidden safe. He deftly worked the combination and opened it, tossing papers and stacks of money to the floor. “The thief shot him then escaped through the window when the two of you came running.”

  Lionel hefted one small stack of bills and lifted a brow. When Daniel nodded, Lionel grinned and pocketed the money. “By the time I arrived, the two of you had already determined your father was dead.”

  Talon crossed the room, opening one of the large windows. “I believe this was the window he escaped through, wasn’t it?”

  Daniel glanced between them, cautious hope dawning in his eyes. “You don’t have to do this.”

  Talon exchanged a look with Lionel, certain the footman could be trusted. “You don’t deserve to die, Daniel. If we have to tell a few lies to prevent that from happening, we will.”

  * * * * *

  Kate sat in the darkness, holding her baby in her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks as the echoes of a gunshot faded away. The sound was a death knell, not just for her father‐in‐law, but for all her dreams.

  In her heart, she really hadn’t thought Talon would go through with it. Even when he’d walked out the door, she’d been certain he’d come back once he’d had a few moments to think about what he was losing.

  How could he have looked into Elizabeth’s helpless little face and made the decision to desert her? Was he more like Sutcliffe than she’d imagined? Was he as disappointed as Sutcliffe that she hadn’t given him a son?

  She stroked Elizabeth’s downy cheek, her tears falling even harder.

  She knew she should go below and attempt to keep Talon out of prison, but the futility of it overwhelmed her. Sutcliffe had been an earl. His peers would demand justice for what had happened.

  Justice?

  She had a sudden, vivid image of a noose around Talon’s beautiful neck, his long, lean body dancing in the wind. No. No matter what he’d done, she couldn’t allow him to die. There was no justice in that.

  Elizabeth fussed as Kate laid her back down on the bed and began pulling on her clothes. She had to be downstairs before the authorities arrived. There must be something she could do, something she could say to keep Elizabeth from growing up without a father.

  She dressed in record time then hurried down the sweeping staircase with Elizabeth clutched to her chest, terrified of what she might find. The servants were milling around outside the library door and talking in excited whispers, but when they saw her they quieted.

  “What happened?” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat, determined not to let on that she already knew. “I thought I heard a gunshot.”

  “There was a gunshot, Lady Kathryn. It came from the library.” The butler, Jenkins, stepped forward, his solemn face more animated than she’d ever seen it. “We’re not sure what happened. Lionel is in there now talking with the earl’s sons.”

  Sons? Had Daniel been involved? She pushed through the crowd, stopping only to hand Elizabeth to her nurse. Perhaps, if only Lionel knew what had happened, there was still something that could be done.

  The butler tried to block h
er way. “I don’t think you should go in there, milady.”

  Kate gave the man her most scathing glare. “Kindly step aside, sir. I am the lady of this house, and I intend to find out exactly what happened.”

  The butler looked as though he’d like to argue with her some more, but he let her pass. Head held high, Kate stepped past him and tried the library door.

  It was locked.

  Heat rising in her cheeks and intensely aware of her audience, Kate rapped on the closed oak panel. There was silence for a long moment, and then the door opened.

  Lionel, the huge, gruff footman who accompanied her father‐in‐law everywhere he went, stood in the opening, blocking her view of the room beyond. The angry look in his eyes gentled when he saw her. “I’m sorry, milady. There’s been a horrible crime committed here tonight. You’ll have to wait out here with the others until the constable comes.”

  “Let her in, Lionel.”

  Kate had never been so glad to hear Daniel’s voice. She slipped past the giant footman, only to come to an abrupt halt when she saw Sutcliffe lying on the library floor in a pool of blood.

  She lifted her hand to her throat, closing her eyes in an effort to block out the terrible sight. He’d done it. Talon had chosen vengeance over love. Her heart shattered at this final, irrefutable proof that he’d never loved her.

  “Kate?” Talon’s voice was soft and low, and she realized he’d come up behind her.

  She whirled to face him, all dignity and restraint gone. “Was it worth it? Was killing this man worth losing me and your daughter?”

  Pain sparked in the depths of his eyes. “I know I hurt you tonight. I know you’re angry, but please, let me explain.”

  “Explain what?” She turned her back, unable to look at him for another minute, unable to listen to him rationalize yet another terrible betrayal. “There’s nothing left to say. You made your decision.”

  “It’s not what you think, Kate.” Daniel took her arm and drew her to a chair. “Talon didn’t kill him. I did.”

  Kate sat down, staring at her husband in shock. “You, Daniel?” Her gaze flicked to Talon, who said nothing, just stared at her with those blue, blue eyes.

  Daniel nodded and sank back on his heels. There was grief on his face, but also a strength and steadiness she’d never seen there before. “Yes. I did this.”

  Lionel cleared his throat. “Are you sure you should be telling her this, sir?”

  Daniel made a dismissive gesture. “I trust her more than I trust myself.”

  Talon stepped forward, placing his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “I was going to do it. I wasn’t thinking straight. All I wanted was revenge.”

  “That’s not true,” Daniel said. “He wouldn’t have done it. He had too much to lose, and all three of us knew it. I told Father you and I were going to get an annulment, that you and Talon had my blessing to marry. The old bastard started to lose it. But instead of admitting defeat, he kept on. He started taunting me...”

  Kate shuddered, wondering what Sutcliffe had said to drive a gentle man like Daniel to murder, but she realized she was better off not knowing.

  “Oh, Daniel. What will become of you?” She couldn’t imagine Daniel in prison, let alone sentenced to death.

  “Nothing will happen to the lad, Lady Kathryn.” There was a faint challenge in Lionel’s voice. “We’ve decided to claim Lord Sutcliffe was killed by a prowler.”

  She let her gaze drift over the face of each of the three men in the room and realized they had things well in hand. As usual, her presence wasn’t required at all.

  Talon took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Why don’t you take the baby and go back upstairs? The constable will be here shortly, and there’s no reason for you to have to endure all their questions. Daniel and I will take care of everything.”

  She stared into his eyes, trying to see beyond his quiet words, wondering where on earth this strange turn of events had left them. Questions trembled on the edge of her tongue, but she held them back. She’d already said everything she had to say. The next move was up to him.

  “All right,” she whispered, turning her face away from her father‐ in‐law’s bloody corpse.

  “I’ll come up after everything is settled,” he promised her, squeezing her hand gently before releasing it. “We still have a lot to talk about.”

  Hope soared anew, but she schooled her face, nodding as though she could care less, determined not to let her emotions show. He’d already broken her heart once tonight, and she wouldn’t allow him to do so again.

  Before she left, she hugged Daniel, pressing her lips to his cheek. “Everything will be all right,” she told him. “This is a beginning, not an end.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Talon stayed in the library with Daniel for hours, answering the constable’s questions over and over again. The inspectors were justifiably suspicious, but he, Daniel and Lionel had worked out a solid story, and there was no proof they were lying.

  Besides, Daniel was an earl now, and none of these men wanted to accuse either him or his brother of murder without anything solid to go on. In the end, they’d taken away Sutcliffe’s body and promised to find the unknown intruder who had done the deed.

  Exhausted and emotionally drained, Talon headed upstairs to Kate’s bedroom. He needed Kate and his beautiful daughter to cleanse him of the night’s ugliness.

  He still couldn’t believe the old bastard was dead.

  The knowledge gave him none of the satisfaction he’d expected to feel. His crew was still gone, and Daniel was scarred for life.

  Sutcliffe had ruined every life he’d ever touched.

  For the second time that night, Talon stole into Kate’s room, shutting the door and locking it behind him. It was almost dawn, and he didn’t want to be interrupted by any dutiful servant before he and Kate had settled things.

  The room was softly lit this time, the lamp by the bed flickering low. Kate was sound asleep with Elizabeth cradled in the crook of her arm. A smile curved Talon’s lips when he saw his daughter was awake, gazing wide‐eyed at the ceiling, her little arm flailing in tune to music only she could hear.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and lifted Elizabeth into his arms. “Hello, sweetheart,” he whispered, touching her tiny nose with his forefinger. “I’m your father.”

  The words brought stinging tears to his eyes. The task that lay before him seemed almost insurmountable. How did one become a good father? Elizabeth’s future rested in his hands. What if he failed her?

  “You came back.” Kate’s voice was soft with wonder and scratchy with sleep. He jumped at the sound and averted his face, blinking rapidly, hoping to erase all signs of his weakness.

  “I thought you were asleep.” He cleared his throat and hugged Elizabeth a little tighter. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to right all the wrongs.

  Kate got to her knees and put her hand on his chin, forcing him to look at her. “You’re crying, Talon.” She sat back, her eyes wide and confused. “Why are you crying?”

  He shook his head. He wanted to deny it, but his pride had destroyed too much between them already. “I’m afraid,” he admitted, releasing a shuddering sigh. “I’m afraid I’ll ruin this.”

  She frowned and said nothing, just continued to stare at him with those wide green eyes.

  He took a deep breath, knowing she wasn’t going to make this easy on him. “I love you, Kate. I know I’ve hurt you; I know I’ve been a fool. But please, give me another chance.”

  She bowed her head. “How can I trust you? A few hours ago, you were willing to throw it all away. I need you to be there. Not just for awhile, but forever.”

  He reached into the space that separated them and took her hand in his. “I’ve learned so much tonight. I’ve learned the value of love and the importance of family. Most of all, I realized my life meant nothing without you in it.”

  She closed her eyes. “I’m glad. Really, I am. But di
d it ever occur to you that it might be too late?”

  “Is it?” He squeezed her hand with more force than he intended. “Is it too late?”

  For an endless moment, she said nothing. He saw everything slipping away from him and wondered how he’d find the strength to bear it.

  At last, she shook her head and met his gaze, a tremulous smile curving her lips. “It’s never too late when you love someone.”

  He shifted Elizabeth so he could pull Kate close. “I do love you,” he whispered, realizing he held everything he needed in his arms. “I’ll never stop loving you.”

  “Then let’s get married,” Kate suggested, kissing his lips with infinite tenderness. “The sooner the better.”

  Epilogue

  Holyoke Plantation – 1814

  “Daddy, Daddy, come look! Come look! Mama got me a kitty cat!”

  Talon grinned at his adorable, green‐eyed daughter and bounded up the front steps to the wide, cool verandah that surrounded the big plantation house on all sides. “A kitten?” He raised an eyebrow at Kate who rocked contentedly in a worn wicker chair.

  Kate smiled. “She’s been pestering me for weeks.”

  Elizabeth pulled on his dusty pant‐leg, and he bent down to meet her earnest, three‐year‐old gaze. “Look, Daddy. Isn’t he the cutest li’l’ kitty you’ve ever seen in your life?”

  Talon’s heart swelled with love, and he tousled his daughter’s sable curls. “He surely is, sweetie. He surely is.”

  Satisfied, Beth scampered away, the striped gray kitten clinging precariously to the front of her yellow dress. Talon watched her for a moment then sank into the chair beside his wife and poured himself a glass of cold, sweet lemonade. He’d spent the day working with his men in the south field, and he was glad to be home.

  “How are you feeling today?” He placed one hand on the large swell of Kate’s stomach. “You didn’t overdo it, did you?”

  She smiled and moved his hand, directing it to a spot where a little foot kicked vigorously. “I don’t have enough energy to do anything. I’ve just been sitting here most of the day rocking and playing with Beth.”