Pervade Montego Bay

by Fewings, Vanessa

  “Your boy. I know you’re keeping your son a secret to protect him. I promise never to tell anyone.”

  “Em, I don’t have a child. Victoria and I…there’s no boy. You think I’d leave him here instead of being his father?”

  “Only to keep him safe.”

  “What makes you think I have a kid for God’s sake?”

  I looked away for a moment.

  “Emily?”

  “I found the letter. Behind the photo of Victoria.”

  He considered my reply for a moment, his expression hard to read. He reached for another tissue and dabbed me between my thighs. It was intimate and sensual—and kind—considering my outburst. Considering I’d snooped into his private life.

  “That letter wasn’t addressed to me.” He looked like he was going to say more.

  “It’s addressed to ‘James’.”

  “A different James.”

  I wasn’t sure I believed him. “Then who is the child mentioned in the letter?”

  “Some secrets are never meant to be shared, Emily.”

  “Do you hate me now?” For my crazy reasoning.

  Though there was still a secret to be unraveled. That letter still meant something…

  His eyes became glassy. “I’m in love with you. And you also know that I like to dominate and fuck you very hard.”

  “And you know that I like it.”

  “You mean you love it.”

  I smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry I read the letter. I was trying to find out more about Victoria. I want to help you celebrate her life.”

  He stroked my cheek with affection as a plethora of emotions crossed his face, his touch tender and loving. A precious understanding shimmered between us.

  “Do you want children?” I whispered.

  He looked away and then smiled. “With the right woman, yes.” He reached for my hand and pressed his lips to my engagement ring.

  My fingers tingled as his lips caressed them. “Am I that woman?”

  “You know you are, Em.”

  A flutter of excitement raced over me as I replayed his words. “I love you, James.”

  He broke into a wicked grin. “Remember that time back at my castle when you warned that your revenge would be me falling in love with you?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “How does it feel to be right?” he asked, pulling me into a fierce embrace.

  James

  Smiling, I leaned against the kitchen’s central island and quenched my thirst by sipping a Coke.

  Victoria would always be part of this house—as she was a part of me. I could finally allow the good memories to linger now that I felt strong enough to push the bad ones away.

  A new love had given me this ability…this privilege.

  Xavier had understood the complexity of my heart. He had found the equation that was needed to decipher how to help me be free and find peace. He’d calculated it would take the love of two people to push out the level of pain I’d been feeling for so long.

  I thought about those early days when I’d first brought Xavier here. The first crack in my steely heart had appeared the moment he’d stepped into my world. I’d trusted him completely. He was an easy man to love. Though Emily had arrived years later, it had been her who had helped melt my ice-bound soul the rest of the way so I could finally let go of my demons.

  To think I’d almost let Xavier and Emily go…sent them away. What kind of man would I have become had I gotten my stubborn way? Sometimes it can be a blessing when things don’t work out the way you’ve planned.

  Today was going to be challenging—but I wasn’t going through it alone.

  Emily burst through the door into the kitchen. “Where did you go?”

  She was covered in dust from where she and Xavier were helping me refurbish the yacht. It had lived in the boathouse for years. I’d been working on her before Victoria had even died.

  “I’m grabbing our drinks,” I told her, picking up the other two chilled bottles of cola and offering her one.

  We headed back out to the boathouse, where Xavier was admiring our handiwork. He accepted the soft drink and sipped it as he checked the halyard of the sail.

  “She’s gorgeous,” he said. “Bravo.”

  I ran my palm over the letters that spelled Liberty. “Victoria chose the name.”

  Xavier swapped a glance with Emily.

  I set my bottle down and grabbed a pair of gloves. “Let’s get her in the water.”

  Together, we worked the mechanisms to swing her out and align her with the Jeep. With Liberty secured on the back of the vehicle, we towed her toward the dock, the distance short and the terrain smooth.

  Within the hour, we had her lowered into the ocean.

  With the evening sun beaming down on us and the breeze kissing our skin, we sat together on the end of the dock with our legs hanging over, looking down at the beautiful results of our labor. Liberty was pristine again.

  “James,” Xavier said softly, letting me know he got what this moment meant to me.

  Swallowing this nostalgia I was feeling and replacing it with a sense of pride, I surveyed the new sail that had replaced the old one. The bright paint made her look like a new vessel. She was as striking as the day I’d secretly sailed her here to surprise Victoria on the morning of our wedding day.

  She represented so much.

  “I’m ready.”

  I threw in the rucksack filled with bottles of water and then lowered down the picnic basket—the same one I’d used with Victoria for those fun trips we’d taken.

  With Liberty tacked up, I checked for seaworthiness, and then we headed out along the coast.

  Words were not needed.

  The sail caught a strong breeze and carried us along. The view was as spectacular as always, the water as blue and inviting. The moon rose to light our way.

  Silently, I spoke a prayer of gratitude.

  A red cardinal flew down and perched on the railing of the stern. I’d never seen a bird like that out on the ocean before. Unable to pull my attention away, I studied its sweet face and red plumage.

  Xavier watched it, too, his expression full of awe…and understanding.

  The cardinal flew off toward land.

  A sense of peace flooded over me—the ocean had always been a place where I’d found balance.

  Breathing in the salty, refreshing sea air, I marveled at how far we’d all come. Our relationship easily made me feel complete. It would be something I would always fight for because we were so remarkable together.

  We were a family.

  There, at the end of a long pier, stood Louis, his grand home behind him. He’d been waiting for us. He waved, and within minutes he’d climbed aboard with us—showing off his talent for sailing as he took over steering us out to sea.

  We anchored just off Doctor’s Cave.

  I’d wanted to bring Emily back here, hopefully have her see the place in a better light.

  We opened the picnic basket and rummaged around inside for the stuffed olives, crackers, and cheese, all of us washing them down with a glass of chilled champagne.

  Louis raised his glass in a toast. “To my three best friends!”

  I toasted Louis with my flute held high. “To Louis. One of the most remarkable men of the twenty-first century.”

  “I’m really rather happy,” he said.

  “I promise to do everything I can to improve on that,” I offered brightly.

  Wistfully, he looked around, taking in the company and the vast expanse of sea. “All this and heaven, too.”

  “There’s something we want to share with you,” I told him, swapping a meaningful smile with Xavier and Emily.

  “I figured it out already.” He held his glass up proudly. “You do realize the number three has mystical connotations? It’s a holy number.”

  That made me smile. It didn’t really surprise me that he’d suspected all along what we were to each other.

  I’d never
felt more ready to face this brilliant future…together.

  Emily

  One Week Later

  I rolled over onto my side and reached out…

  Xavier and James had already risen from bed. I let out a sigh of disappointment—there would be no morning snuggling.

  I stretched luxuriously, reluctant to get out of bed.

  Moments later, my eyes flew open as a sudden realization hit me… The clues to the mystery had been here all along in James’ house, hidden in plain view. Xavier had given it away as a joke and I’d taken it as such. But now all the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. If my hunch was right, the answers were within my grasp.

  I sprang out of bed and quickly pulled on my jeans and a T-shirt, slipping my feet into sandals.

  Then I hurried downstairs and burst into the kitchen.

  I stood staring at the pantry door, wondering if I’d lost my mind with this crazy notion. Could it be true?

  I pulled the door open and stepped inside the spacious room, which was filled to the brim with an abundance and variety of food. It was just as cold in here as I remembered. I shook off the chill and looked around, spotting several luxury products imported from England—including a packet of Cadbury cakes.

  I’ll have one of those later.

  Moving closer to the back wall, I ran my hand along the shelf there, my fingers knocking against a tin and cracking a knuckle. I brought my bruised finger to my mouth to soothe the ache. I turned to leave, feeling ridiculous.

  Wait, that tin hadn’t moved.

  I went back and reached for it again, pushing and then pulling it.

  Bloody hell!

  With ease, I pushed the back wall open to reveal a seemingly endless tunnel.

  Stepping into the entrance, I stared into the darkness ahead. This thing went on forever. It was below sea level, which was an engineering feat. Money had been poured into its construction. Had I merely found a pirate’s smuggling tunnel?

  A light flickered on, just bright enough for me to proceed safely forward. Every ten steps or so the lights behind me went off as more lit my way ahead—all of them primed to respond to movement.

  The air got thicker as the chill deepened.

  I’d left the pantry door open behind me so at least they’d know where I’d gone. This felt like the adventure of a lifetime.

  After twenty minutes of walking, I second-guessed myself and realized I’d make a terrible mistake. What if this went on for miles? What if I became trapped down here?

  I started to turn back, and then the lights flickered on ahead of me, revealing a steel door. I’d made it to the end. I rushed forward and turned the handle.

  Oh, God.

  It was locked.

  The risk I’d taken had been ill-conceived…all because of my curiosity. Still, Xavier knew about this tunnel. Why shouldn’t I? Why hadn’t James told me about it?

  I heard a soft click.

  I had to know what was on the other side. I slowly pushed the door open a few inches and peeked around it…into Louis’ kitchen.

  The sound of a piano being played in another room reached my ears, the notes beckoning me as I recognized the song: “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.” My mind swirled with questions. Why would there be a tunnel between James’ home and Louis’?

  Tiptoeing up the central staircase, I continued on cautiously, the familiar marble floor beneath my feet and the walls threaded with gold a contrast to the man I knew who lived here.

  Ahead lay the entrance to the vast ballroom. The music was coming from there…

  I hoped Louis wouldn’t be mad at me for snooping and finding the secret passageway that led to his home…or for entering uninvited.

  Maybe going back was the best option.

  The music stopped.

  Taking a step inside the grand ballroom, my throat tightened when I saw James and Xavier standing beside Louis’ Steinway. It was as though they’d been waiting for me. Maybe they’d discovered that pantry door open…

  Louis turned in his piano seat to watch me enter.

  “I couldn’t help it,” I said in way of an apology.

  Louis pushed to his feet and walked toward me. “That was quite a trek.”

  “Why do you have a tunnel?”

  “In case I need to escape,” he said simply.

  I swallowed hard. “Escape what?”

  Louis looked down at his hands. “My secret has been protected for decades. Men have sacrificed so very much to keep me hidden.”

  Hidden?

  “I want you and I to be friends, Emily. As you are going to be living on this island and visiting me frequently…”

  My mouth went dry as the tension crackled between us.

  Louis glanced back at James and Xavier.

  “It’s your secret to reveal,” whispered James.

  Louis gave a nod. “James, you and your father have done everything possible to make it so much better than it could have been for me.”

  I looked over at James. “Your father’s name was James, too?”

  He nodded.

  So…the letter I’d found behind Victoria’s silver picture frame had been addressed to his father.

  The boy is yours. Love him as we would have…

  The letter was about Louis.

  “I want her to know,” he said softly to James and Xavier.

  Xavier stepped forward. He faced Louis and bowed. “As you wish, your Majesty.”

  Louis’ smile of acknowledgment turned sad. “You see, Emily, despite the grandness of those words, they can never leave this place.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said shakily.

  “A young prince,” he began, “the oldest son of the Queen of England, had a child out of wedlock. That baby was destined to be a king one day. Only this scandal threatened to shake the very foundation of the monarchy. Therefore, it was decided the boy would remain a secret. He would be sent to a private home with a nanny. Then, at the age of four, he would go to a boarding school to live. He would be kept away from his family. When rumors leaked amongst the aristocracy of that boy’s possible existence, he was sent to live abroad.”

  “To Montego Bay,” I said.

  “A boy whose bloodline proved he could become king one day, but he could never claim the throne because…he doesn’t exist.”

  I let out a pent-up breath. “Can nothing be done?”

  James shook his head. “The fear that the scandal would ruin the reputation of the royal family went deep.”

  “James,” I said. “The Queen asked your father to hide him?”

  I realized she had written the letter to his dad asking him to take care of Louis.

  Louis spoke up before James could answer. “James’ agency, with its unique and cutting-edge AI capabilities, was determined to be the best option for taking over the task of protecting me.”

  “Pervade,” I whispered. “Pervade Montego Bay.”

  James gave a nod. “The safest place.”

  The pieces fell together like the notes of a perfect symphony. After James’ father had died, it had then been passed down to him to protect Louis. Keeping him out of the public eye, seeing that Louis had all he needed. Though there would be no property in his name. No public appearances except for that one day every year when he performed at his favorite charity event for the Victoria Manor.

  Being a place that James had intimate knowledge of, Montego Bay was a perfect location with its mountains and lush landscape, diverse population and tourists.

  The true heir to the throne was hidden away in paradise.

  “Does the Queen know you’re here?” I asked.

  “She does,” said Louis. “The books in what used to be my nursery are all from her.”

  It was the same room in which I’d hidden from James. Before that, I’d discovered the watch that Louis was now wearing on his wrist—the one that had been engraved with his royal family crest.

  “She’s really rather fond of me.” He crinkl
ed his nose. “She sneaks in and visits sometimes.”

  “The Queen gave you that?” I pointed to his wristwatch.

  He glanced at it. “Yes.”

  “Her Majesty couldn’t forget you,” I whispered respectfully.

  “I was sent away before she had her say. Afterward, when she found out about my existence, she made sure my life was a good one. She commissioned James’ father to build a home for me on the island that was befitting…”

  Befitting a future king…

  “What would happen if the world knew?” I said wistfully.

  “The monarchy can’t risk such a scandal. Not after having hidden me away for so long.” Louis placed his hand on his heart. “So here we are in paradise. Not such a bad life.” He grinned. “I’m really rather spoiled.”

  “Trevor suspected you were special?” I asked.

  “He never got to the end of the mystery,” said Xavier. “And he never will. Trevor will never again get back into Jamaica.”

  “You can do that?” I asked softly.

  “We can do anything, Emily,” said James. “We’re Pervade.” He followed that up with a wink.

  Hurrying forward, I pressed my cheek against Louis’ chest and hugged him. He held on to me tightly.

  “James and Xavier are my family.” He peered down. “So are you now.”

  “I will always protect your secret,” I whispered.

  “Maybe…” He looked coy. “Would you be willing to teach me how to play the violin? I’ve always wanted to learn.”

  “Of course,” I said, glancing over at James and Xavier. “Anything for you, Louis.”

  “Likewise, Emily.”

  “Thank you for sharing this. It helps to understand you…”

  “You mean my quirkiness?”

  “I mean…understand why…you live here.” I looked around. “It’s clearly not how you would decorate a home.”

  He burst into laughter. “Granny has expensive taste.”

  Louis was talking about the Queen of England. The thought made my legs tremble.

  “You need to come hang out with us more at James’ place,” I offered.

  “Our home, Em.” James gave a nod. “You’re right, I’ve been overly cautious. Louis, mi casa es su casa.”