And I fell on his lifeless chest and wept.
Chapter Twenty
Notes: From the shadow of the valley of death to soaring above the clouds.
I don’t know how long I stayed there, bent over John’s body and weeping. And when the weeping subsided, I simply lay there, staring off into space, numb and impervious to everything.
Gradually my surroundings came back into focus. The jarring sounds of violence were ebbing outside. Men’s voices could be heard. There was shouting, but no gun fire. The faint sound of clashing swords in the distance. A single battle.
My brain hardly registered what it could mean. I grew cold, and my muscles ached. But I didn’t care. All I knew was that John had died so that I could live. He said he was happy I would live, to love. And there I lay, covered in his crimson blood, his heavy cross clutched in my hand, wondering what it all could mean.
I heard something fall in the distance, the sound of cheering. There were the sounds of men’s boots outside.
My locked door rattled, and a pair of fists pounded at my door. I dumbly looked up, hardly daring to wonder what lay in store for me now.
The knocking became incessant and violent. Someone threw his shoulder into the door, and the wood groaned.
“Rachel? Rachel! Are you there?” I heard him shout.
The door moaned in protest then exploded with a crash. And there he stood, fiercely scanning the room, breathing heavily, tall and strong and blessedly alive.
“Captain?” I whispered.
“Rachel! Thank God!”
I rose and ran to him, and he caught me and crushed me to him, burying his face in my hair.
He suddenly pulled away and claimed my mouth fully with his own in a deep, violent kiss, his hand clutching a fistful of my long hair as though to prevent escape, even though I did not try to escape him. His hand slid to my back and decisively pulled me close to him, and a new feeling of shyness overwhelmed me.
As he hungrily explored my mouth, I wondered how my stern, unyielding Captain could suddenly morph into someone else before my eyes. I allowed him to mold my body to his, thrilled by the sensations it excited. And though we must have remained distinctively two, somehow I knew that truly we were one.
And that something new that had been budding deep inside me suddenly burst into full glorious bloom while in his passionate embrace. “I’m alive,” it cried to me. “And I am a woman.” I realized that I had been waiting for this moment since the beginning, since the first time I saw him standing over me, or perhaps for my entire life.
As utterly low and anguished as I had just been, my heart soared with sudden, almost painful elation and joy. All at once I caught a glimmer of the full meaning of John’s sacrifice, and I was frightened by its worth.
But just as he broke the kiss, and just as I waited to hear the words he would utter, the room exploded with men. They were men I recognized, Fredrick’s pirates. Hands patted us on the backs and separated us, congratulating themselves and each other on the fabulous victory. “Ye outta be seein’ the treasure, Mallory. Come and see!”
“Come below, Miss Madera. Tell us ‘bout the treasure.”
I stared at Mallory dumbly, and he did the same to me, looking dazed and slightly disbelieving.
And then his eyes fell to my dress. “Rachel! You’re injured!”
“It’s not my blood, Mallory,” I whispered. “Look.” I gestured to John’s body.
His eyes went to him, and the color drained from his face.
“Helen of Troy! Safe at last,” a voice declared grandly, and I turned to see Fredrick enter with a flourish. He was hardly disheveled, barely a hair out of place, though there was perspiration at his brow and in his hand was his sword, unsheathed and dripping in blood. “And we have just been paid grandly for our persistence and valor. Just enough to forgive Mallory for his unpardonable deceit.”
Wordlessly Mallory went to John’s lifeless body and knelt beside it. Fredrick saw and then slowly urged me from the room.
I resisted. “He did it for me, Mallory. He did it for me. I’m so sorry,” I choked, and then I allowed myself to be drawn away.
*** *** ***
“Sometimes a man must be alone with his sorrow,” Frederick explained, “despite the invigorating powers of female companionship.”
I gingerly touched my lips with my fingers.
“Though, judging from the look on your face, argument seems to be the last thing on your mind,” he finished wryly.
“Look at this. Just look, Miss Madera,” Duncan cried, swinging open the treasury room door with a flourish. “Tell us what it all is. What thar in that room is the most valuable? I’ve got dibs.”
The treasure, yes. It was very beautiful. I fingered a priceless carving of a horse.
He had called me dear once. And surely men don’t kiss women like that simply out of relief. My lips still felt bruised and tender. I worried about him, what he must be feeling now. Was he hurting? Did he blame me for Finley’s death? I wondered. Again I turned, looking for him.
“Miss Madera, do ye know what happened?”
“Don’t bother her. Her thoughts are full of her lover. Truth can do no justice to a woman’s imagination. She’ll only be disappointed in the events of Mallory, the Mere Mortal.”
I looked up. “Mallory? What did he do?” I asked.
Fredrick smiled. “She hears us after all. Descending with reluctance from the clouds. Do you want to hear of our triumphant conquest after all?”
“What did Mallory do?”
“So, you don’t want to hear of me. But then, I’ve always known you were peculiar.”
“Did he fight Charles?” I asked. “Charles is an excellent swordsman. Did Mallory really fight him and kill him? Is he dead now?”
“Bloodthirsty child! I think I adore you!”
“Tell me! I didn’t think to wonder how he did it.”
“Ah, yes. I might try to convince you that there are others with not irrelevant parts to play, but I despise exercises in futility.” Fredrick spread his hands. “Allow me to set the stage. Outnumbered, outgunned, and locked in a desperate battle for the noblest purpose, we struggled. If there was ever a conflict of good versus evil, villainy and righteousness, it was thus. For your sacred self, we would readily sacrifice life and limb.”
“Oh, Fredrick! Tell me what happened!”
“Patience my child. I do this for your sake. Despite our obvious superiority in bravery, ability and purpose, ours the nobler cause, despite the fact we had surprised them with stealth and outrageousness in our night attack, closing in while they were distracted with pulling up the treasure, we could not achieve the upper hand. The fight was bloody and vicious, for it was personal. Bitter enemies for nearly three decades, and there was no mercy. It seemed we would have to fight them man to man to the bitter end, until every last man was killed or captured. Then Mallory, with great daring and skill that I can only assume he’d learned at my humble knee, launched himself to the ship’s mast and proceeded to give a speech of such stirring passion and unerring argument that I myself, master orator, was lost in admiration for him.”
“What did he say?”
“’Brothers!’ cried he in deep, rich tones. ‘For brothers we are! You will lose as many men as you kill. But the world knows of the treasure now. In an hour, maybe less, ships will arrive with men and weapons, ready to do battle and claim it.’”
I cried out. “Are ships really on their way?”
“My dear child, you are as gullible as the vermin. Of course not.”
I smiled. “How clever of him.”
“May I continue?”
“Yes, please!”
“’We have two ships,’ he thereon continued. ‘Two vessels fully loaded and provisioned. We continue to fight, to spill blood for the sake of blood, and we all lose the treasure. We end it now. Divide the treasure, and each go away wealthier than we can imagine.’”
“I always knew,” I said blissfully. �
�I always knew he was extraordinary.”
“The men hesitate and look to one another in uncertainty. And thus enters His Grace, the honorable Duke of Norcross, red and seething and ascending to the mast, almost level to our Mallory. ‘Fools! Knaves! Do not believe him. He lies,’” declares he. ‘There are no ships. If truly, His Majesty’s navy were descending, these pirates would be in as much danger as any of you. He wishes to distract you because he knows he cannot win this battle. Fight! Fight! Fight!’
“The men murmur and are rallied. Looper, the dog, commands, ‘Onward, men!’ But before they can obey their orders, Mallory counters with, ‘We are all pardoned. In exchange for the gold, our crimes are erased.’”
“Is that true?” I asked.
“Unfortunately.”
I laughed.
Fredrick continued. “’Then without the gold, you are just as precarious as we,’ countered Norcross.
“’Untrue. All we have to do is stall you by fighting. When the others arrive, they will be our comrades, not yours. You will lose.’
“’Then why the generous offer? As I say, you lie!’
“’Because,’ continued he, ‘if we divide up the treasure and disperse, we can keep half of the gold for ourselves, and abandon our pardons.’
“’He be lying!’ This from the dog, Looper.
“’Fight men! cried the duke. ‘There are no ships. He knows they cannot win. We can beat them. We can have all the gold. They only want a piece of our fortune.’
“The men are rallied.”
“Oh, no!” I gasped.
“Oh, yes. They are rallied, and we eagerly await them. But Mallory, undeterred, continues, ‘Do you realize who this man is, the honorable Duke of Norcross? You know what he’s done? He’s abandoned two of your brothers on the shores of England already, and they have been captured and sentenced. The only reason they are not hanging in the gallows is because of my interference. He distains you, humiliates you, doesn’t he? I know you hate him. You hate him because he hates you.’
“The duke raises the point of his sword towards Mallory in warning. But it goes unheeded. ‘Let me guess what he’s promised you. In exchange for a share of the treasure, you may go free. Is that right? You know what he’s told the woman? He’s sworn to her he will take the entire fortune and send you all to the gallows!’
“Now the men look to the duke, eyes hardened and angry. ‘You bungle-headed fools! I told her that to gain her cooperation.’
“But now Norcross was on the defensive. And herein lay the real genius. Having no true knowledge of the circumstances, Mallory surmises and elaborates with cunning and precision of which I would never have predicted him capable. ‘You know what other promises he’s made? You know the pirates O’Malley? Jonas? Parker? Norcross bought a new estate, new horses, a carriage when each were arrested. Don’t you see what he does? He takes bribes from them, promising freedom in exchange, and then has them arrested anyway. You will give him the treasure, and he’ll send you to the gallows despite his promises.’
“The men look to him, and he explodes in anger, ‘I promised you treasure. And did I not deliver? You are richer than you can possibly dream.’
“The dog, Looper, took a step towards Norcross, his sword drawn. ‘Well then. We be fixin’ this situation by killin’ His Grace along with the rest of ye,’ growls he.
“’You know I am right about Norcross,’ Mallory continues. ‘And I’m telling you the truth about the ships. Men are coming. I offer you more than Dubois is going to give you. You can leave. You can be rich. You don’t agree, then you’ll perhaps kill more of us, but we’ll kill more of you. And you’ll go to the gallows for your efforts. We’ve been pardoned. We are safe. You are not!’
“’Cowards! Vermin! Sea dogs! He lies! Fight, I say! Fight if you are a man. He doesn’t care about the treasure. What of you, Captain Fredrick?’ he continued, now addressing me, ‘Don’t you know Tucker doesn’t care about the pardon. He is legitimate. He is wealthy. He’s only here for the whore. And he will betray you as soon as he gets her back.’”
I gasped. “Did you believe him?”
I should have known better. He looked at me superiorly. “I appreciate the suggestion I might be a fool.”
I laughed. “I’m glad. I know he would never betray you. But I worried that, since he’d left you once ….”
“Because he was more honorable than we could ever be.” The words were not snide, and they were not angry. There was no drawl in his voice, no theatrics.
“What happened next?” I asked.
“’The men are rallied. They bear their weapons once more and move forward. Mallory thrusts his sword through the heart of an attacker and declares, ‘For that, my generous offer no longer stands. This is between you and me, Dubois. And I have the solution. We’ll battle to the death, you and me. A gentleman’s wager, if you will. You win, you get the treasure. Our men will agree to withdraw and leave.’
“’And the girl?’
“’She is released with us.’
“’No deal.’
“’Very well,’ Mallory reluctantly agrees. ‘If I lose, you get the girl, too.’”
Fredrick paused, then added inconsequently, “I’m glad he made that wager. I don’t know he would have been as determined to win it, otherwise.”
“What do you mean?”
“Perhaps he would have given up and lost.”
“Never!”
“He’s been known to do it.”
My eyes narrowed. “Known to give up? You mean at that stupid university? What I know of him, he stays the course no matter what obstacles are thrust in his path. Even without hope, he stays faithful to his principles. And how very noble of you to care so much that Mallory should win that battle. If I may ask, are you glad for his sake or for your own? There’s a lot of money down here. It would have been a pity to have to leave it all and sail away.”
His eyes hardened. I’d never seen Fredrick angry before, and certainly never at me. I did not relish the sensation, and I felt a new sympathy for his enemies. “Now that really was a stupid question, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” I agreed quickly. “I’m sorry.”
His brow cleared. “The suitably penitent are quickly forgiven.”
“Thank you.”
“Where was I?”
“Mallory said, ‘Very well. The girl, too.’”
“’And if you win?’ Dubois then asked, making it sound highly unlikely.
“’Then we get the treasure and the girl. You might as well agree. We don’t have the time for full-fledged battle. Your men believe me now.’”
“Amazing,” I breathed. “How did he win? I’ve seen the duke fight.”
“And Mallory? Have you never seen him fight? And fight for such a cause?” he added generously, gesturing to me. “It was a contest of two masters. And they made their way around the ship in the course of the battle. And, towards the end, there was a moment, I am sorry to admit, that Mallory looked to be losing. I would try to explain their maneuvering, but I’m afraid you’re not very interested in the logistics.”
“I’m not.”
“Not even for your records?”
“Just tell me,” I cried.
He smiled. “Mallory looked to be losing. And Norcross sneered and leaned forward and whispered in his ear. At that, Mallory’s expression changed, and he thrust the duke away from him with Herculean strength and pinned him to the floor with the point of his sword. Mallory had won.”
“What did he whisper?” I asked.
“I can only assume it had to do with you. Perhaps describing the dastardly things the villain had planned for you. It was very stupid, obviously, but some men are powerless to resist the final rub. It was just what Mallory needed to win the day.”
“And then what did Mallory do?” I asked eagerly
“He stabbed Dubois in the heart, pulled out his sword, and then thrust it in again, declaring, ‘Die, you filthy dog!’”
; I gasped. “Wow!” More than anything else, I wanted to see him again, to have my eyes on him again. Perhaps even more than I wanted to have my eyes on the treasure.
I turned around and looked for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. I realized I was waiting for him to come to me. I would not have done this before. I would have naturally gone to find him myself. But I felt a new shyness now.
I touched my lips again.
Fredrick took my arm. “Get out of this soiled dress and clean up for supper. Then you can stare at him in blissful leisure to your heart’s content. I am done.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Notes: And then back down again.
I paid special attention to my appearance for supper. Incredibly, there was a fresh dress discovered for me, and I donned it with care. I cleaned my face as well as I could from the oil and grime and blood. I brushed and pinned up my hair, pinched color into my cheeks, straightened John’s weighty cross, and eagerly walked out the door.
I looked for the captain but I could not find him. As I looked, I thought it was funny that this ship, which had always seemed so dark and ominous before, felt almost friendly now.
I heard jubilation coming from an area of the lower deck. I followed the sound and found Mallory along with some of the crew. The men were high on adrenaline and alcohol, and they laughed and sang in drunken, triumphant delight.
Mallory was sitting quietly amid the chaos, his eyes already on me, as though he had been watching the door as I entered. He was sober and unsmiling. His eyes fell on John’s cross at my neck.
Again, that strange, new shyness gripped me, but with renewed intensity, and I touched the cross with uncertainty. I remembered the way his arms had felt around me, crushing me mercilessly in their strength, when he had always been so deliberately gentle before. I thought of how his lips had claimed my own, aggressive and searching and unapologetic. Suddenly I felt clumsy and self-conscious, sensations I was unused to.
The Dreamer (The Fall Series) Page 19