Pearls of Fire, page 13
If only they knew what she was thinking at this moment.
“The Persephone is my ship. No one touches her until I’ve assessed the damage.”
“You’re very possessive,” she replied, not fully understanding why she had suddenly fallen into ill humor. Probably because she knew she’d find Hugh in bed with both girls by tomorrow.
“I’m only possessive of the things I love.”
“Ah, a man of deep devotion. You love your ship, and what else?”
He shrugged. “I’ve made no secret of what I want most on this earth.”
“The Pearls of Fire,” she said, trying to keep the bitterness from her voice. “You’ve mentioned them twice today.”
“Jacob says I spoke of them in my delirium.”
“You did.” She ought to have known better than to expect honesty or integrity from him. He had none when it came to those pearls.
“What did I say about them?”
“No deep, dark secrets, if that’s what has you concerned.”
“It hasn’t,” he grumbled, “since I never possessed more than common knowledge about them. But you know more than you’re letting on.”
She paled. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You’re a terrible liar, my sweet.” His gaze was keen and assessing. “The natives know you’re special. The Langdon family has been connected to the Pearls of Fire for over two hundred years. Is it possible these natives are the ones who stole the pearls?” He frowned. “But that makes no sense. Any foreigner lingering around Langdon Heath would have been noticed at once. Also, they’d be trying to harm us, especially you, if they were worried that you’d found them out.”
“They didn’t take the pearls.”
“But they know who has them, don’t they? Have they told you?” His frown deepened. “Emma, stop keeping secrets from me. Are the pearls hidden somewhere on this island?”
She didn’t so much as bat an eyelash.
“If the pearls are here, then the thieves are here, too. Tell me, damn it! I need to protect you.”
Her heart skipped beats. She almost believed he meant it. “There is only us and the villagers. I have no idea where those thieves are now or who they are. But I hope they rot for eternity for what they did to my mother.”
He drew her into his arms with a comforting gentleness. “I’ll catch them for you.”
Catch them? Or steal the Langdon pearls for himself? Suddenly, Emma felt desperately tired. All along, she believed they’d find her father here in Wamsisi or somewhere nearby on this island of Buru.
But her father’s ship had never reached Wamsisi or sailed into any harbor on this side of the island. The village chieftain had sent messengers across the island on her behalf. She was going mad wondering what they’d find out and desperately worried that they’d find out nothing. What would she do then?
Somehow, she had to pick up his trail.
“Emma, you’re shivering.”
She tried to draw away but he wouldn’t let her. “It’s hot as Hades in here and your body is a trembling mess. You’re scared for your father. You thought he’d be here, but he isn’t. He’ll turn up. Word travels fast among the islands.”
He sighed and released her when he saw that his words were offering her no comfort. She didn’t trust him. She never would. No amount of effort would ever prove his worth to her. “Ah, you hate me again. You hired me to find your father, but we pirates are all alike and you can’t trust any of us. All we want to do is steal your treasure.”
“Can you blame me? We’ve shared a few kisses, but we aren’t friends. Your only friends are the sea and your crewmen. You never speak of the loved ones you left behind. Don’t you ever think of them? Or of the sacrifices your family has made for you?”
His expression hardened, and in that moment, Emma knew she’d pushed him too far.
He reached out to cup her chin and force her gaze to his. “Why do you think I never made it to Lord Jameson’s garden that night? My father had been taken into custody and I learned about it as I was on my way to meet you. I had to set aside my heart’s desire and run to the aid of my family. I think about them every day. I worry about them every day. I miss them every day. Make what you will of that confession. I don’t care.”
He released her, but felt only disgust with himself at the moment. He hadn’t been able to help anyone he loved. Not once in these last two years had anything gone right. Then Emma had walked into his prison cell and rekindled his heart.
Emma stared at him open-mouthed, wishing she could crawl into the nearest hiding hole and not come out of it for a solid week. Her heart sank into her toes. She had been thinking only of herself and never once considered his troubles. She had no right to berate him for his perceived failings. She was the one who’d failed to appreciate how much he cared for his family. “Hugh, I don’t know what to say. I feel so ashamed. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I’ve been rude to you and petulant, never giving thought to what you must be going through. It’s those Pearls of Fire. Their curse is starting to taint me. I hope they sink to the bottom of the sea and are never found again. They’ve destroyed too many lives already.”
“No, my sweet. Those pearls are what they appear to be and nothing more. They have no special powers.”
“They do. It’s true. The natives believe they are cursed when in the wrong hands and so do I.” She buried her head in her hands and groaned. “I was never a shrewish harpy before.”
He gave a short, wistful laugh. “Emma, you’re a sweet girl who’s been forced to carry a difficult burden. I don’t know what will happen between us. Perhaps we aren’t fated to be together in this lifetime. But I will never harm you or betray your trust.”
“Not even to save your family?”
He eased back in his cot and sighed. “I want to save all of you. Perhaps it isn’t possible. But I’ll try with all my heart and soul. That’s all I can promise.”
An ache tore through her heart. She wanted this man. She loved him and wanted to trust him. She was glad he loved his family. He’d spoken quite fondly of them years ago, a father and a younger sister. “I’ll understand if you choose to save them.”
He cursed softly. “Choose them? I’m fighting to have it all. Do you think I want to walk away from you? Death comes in all forms, my sweet. Losing you would pierce my heart. I’d be alive, but only going through the motions. Walking, talking, but feeling nothing. Dead in spirit. Dead in heart.” He drew her close so that her body was crushed against his chest. “You’d be just as lost without me.”
She didn’t know what to say. Was this the same man she’d fallen in love with two years ago? Did she dare trust him now? It was safer to believe he was manipulating her to gain the Pearls of Fire. “I don’t know what to say.”
He looked disappointed. “You just said it all, my sweet.”
He released her, no doubt expecting her to run out of his hut. But she couldn’t leave him yet. She wet a cloth and then knelt at his side to gently apply it to his forehead. “Does this help? How is your vision?”
“Mine is perfect. You’re the one who refuses to see clearly.”
She supposed she deserved that. “Hugh, I think it is too late for us.”
He grunted and leaned forward so that they were face to face. She could feel the breath from his lips blow gently across her cheek. She felt his hand slowly curl at the nape of her neck and gently draw her forward to guide her lips to his. She did not know whether he meant only a chaste kiss, but her own desire betrayed her. She crushed her lips to his the moment she felt the strong, probing touch of his mouth descending on hers.
“Blessed saints, Emma,” he said in a raw whisper and deepened the kiss, deliciously relentless in his plundering advance.
She felt a shudder run through him.
Or was she the one trembling?
He drew away slowly and cast her an arrogant smile. “No, love. It isn’t too late for us.”
“Hugh, lad. Something’s been preying on my mind. I hadn’t wanted to tell you just yet, but now I think I had better.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Does it concern Emma?”
“Aye. You see, the natives warned us from the start that she isn’t to be touched.”
Hugh laughed. “I would think so. She’s a lady.”
Jacob shook his head soberly. “Laddie, ’tis no laughing matter. The natives believe she’s their goddess.”
“Aye, she’s beautiful.”
“No, a real goddess. A spirit of the earth, the air, the wind, and water. I overheard one of the native girls refer to her as melo-melo. At least, I think that’s what she called Emma. It was late, and I was spying on the natives… well, I hadn’t meant to. I had just returned Martine safely to her hut and thought I’d take a walk before retiring for the evening.”
“Go on,” Hugh urged, his smile fading.
“I lost my way and was about to turn back when this beautiful, undulating creature suddenly rose and began to dance about a bonfire.”
“Emma?”
“No, but Emma was there, dressed like the natives and sitting beside the village chieftain. The dancing girl was looking at Emma, calling her by that name. Do ye know what it means?”
“Melo-melo? I believe it means snail.”
“Snail? That doesn’t make any sense.” He shook his head and muttered an oath. “Bah, I must have been drunker than I thought. I suppose it serves me right for spying on their tribal ritual.”
“Perhaps they knew you were there and decided to play a trick on you.”
“Och, no, lad. I may be an old fool, but one thing is for certain,” he said, his voice now a whisper as he grew even more serious, “they would have killed me had they known I was watching.”
Hugh frowned. “Tell the men to tread carefully, no matter how generous the villagers appear. Have you told anyone else about what you heard?”
“No, and I don’t intend to. The men can’t be trusted to keep their mouths shut. Och, I know to a man they’re loyal to ye, but rot-gut whiskey and scantily clad women have a way of loosening a man’s tongue.”
“As you said, maybe you were too drunk to hear right. The native words are confusing, many sounding alike. The girl was probably uttering a chant to protect Emma from the evil spirit, the malo-malo they believe lies within the Pearls of Fire.”
“That makes more sense. Hugh, she’s connected to the pearls in more ways than the mere Langdon name, isn’t she?”
Hugh was spared having to reply when two native girls walked in just then, giggling as they set plates of fruit beside his bed. Mango, passion fruit, and coconuts. One of the girls, scantily clad and eyeing him avidly, cut open one of the ripe mangos and began to feed it to him. As she leaned over him, her breasts dangled provocatively in front of him.
Bollocks, she was offering herself to him along with the enticing fruit.
He quickly swallowed the slice of mango and smiled appreciatively at the girl who called herself Nandy. He allowed her to feed him another slice before turning back to Jacob. “Have we heard anything more about Nikko?”
Jacob spat on the dirt floor. “The Wamsisi chief, Tono, sent scouting parties to the neighboring islands. No one has seen any sign of his ship. Likely, we sank it. If not, he thinks the Sea Snake drifted farther south, across the Banda Sea. Without rudder or keel, they must have gone down in the same squall that nearly sent us to our watery grave on The Persephone.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Hugh motioned to the girls to offer fruit to Jacob and was relieved when they turned their attention to the older man.
“Delicious,” Jacob remarked, grinning at the girls. However, he promptly returned to the discussion at hand. “Hugh, lad. It’ll take us weeks, perhaps months to repair the damage to our ship.”
“We don’t have that much time. What does she need?”
“The mizzen topmast shrouds and topgallant shrouds are ripped to shreds. The main topgallant shrouds need repair, so do the main futtock shrouds, but they’re salvageable. The stays are in good shape. I don’t know if the crosstrees or trestle-trees will hold, but they look sturdy enough. The jiggers will hold. The foremast appears undamaged. There’s a gaping hole in the hull, fortunately just above the water line. If not, we’d be lying at the bottom of the ocean.”
Jacob shifted in his chair and then continued. “The Wamsisi chieftain claims the strongest wood can be found on the mountain. Kepalat Mada they call it.”
“Kepalat Mada! Kepalat Mada!” the girls cried in unison and pointed behind him, to where the mountain probably stood.
His window was little more than a trap door that could be opened and closed depending on the rain and the strength of the breeze. “How about rope for the rigging?”
“They have some of the best hemp around. All we need do is construct a temporary dock, tow her to it, and make repairs.”
“Jacob, that’s like saying all we need to do is find the Pearls of Fire and take them back to England.”
“Tono says we’re heading into the dry season. We’ll have more sunshine and less rain now. I’ll send our men into the mountains tomorrow to start cutting timber for the hull. The villagers have agreed to help us with that and the rigging. They claim it will only take them a day to gather enough hemp for the rigging and about a week or two to fix the tears in the sails.”
“We’ll need batting.”
“We may have to sail to Ambon for that.”
“When can we tow The Persephone into harbor?”
“Tono insists we wait until next week. He says it’s too dangerous to try it sooner.”
“It may be more dangerous to wait. We can’t risk a storm lodging her off the reef. She’ll sink straight to the bottom.”
Jacob shrugged. “He claims it won’t happen, that the worst storms have passed, but the undercurrents are still too rough to risk a towing.”
“Bollocks!” Nandy said, noting his expression and breaking into giggles.
Jacob broke into hearty laughter.
Hugh tried to join in, but the sharp flashes of pain to his ribs prevented it.
“I see the patient is doing much better,” Emma said several days later, stepping into Hugh’s hut and coming to his side. Several local girls were fussing about his chamber, but he was standing alone beside the table, munching on a plate of rice and duck in a spicy paste that made her eyes water as she drew near.
He seemed to be enjoying it and looked quite steady on his feet.
In truth, he looked big and brawny and almost as strong as he’d been before his injury.
She checked his forehead, as she had many times throughout the day, and then ran her hand along his cheek. “You haven’t had fever for two days now.”
“Lady Emma! Lady Emma!” Nandy said with a flutter, pronouncing the word ‘lady’ more like ‘laddie’. “We wash him again?”
Emma suppressed a groan. “Wash Captain Le Brecque? I don’t think he needs another bath today, Nandy. Besides, it’s getting late.” She set down her lantern and pointed to the doorway. “Night has fallen. Wait until tomorrow.”
The girl appeared extremely disappointed.
“I promise, tomorrow,” she said with an exasperated shake of her head, and shooed her out. Mother of mercy. How was she to keep the girls off Hugh long enough for his sprains and bruises to heal? “You ought to leave as well, Jacob. Your captain has had a very long day.”
Jacob was seated on the other side of the table, his elbows perched on the wooden table top. The plate before him had obviously been scraped clean, and he had a look of contentment after enjoying the hearty meal. He frowned, but consented. “What about you, lass?”
“I won’t stay long,” she said, wondering what the Scot and his captain had spoken about at considerable length. “Hugh must be worn out and needs his sleep.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, laddie.” He walked out with the village girls, muttering something about meeting Martine.
Left alone with Hugh, she felt her cheeks warm under the heat of his steady gaze. In truth, he did not appear to be in the least tired. “Have you come to tuck me in, Emma?”
She blushed, unable to answer.
“I love the way the sunlight plays upon your hair,” he said in a throaty murmur.
She returned his gaze, a little alarmed by the comment for she’d believed he was on the mend and had no more problems with his vision. “Haven’t you noticed? It’s dark outside, not even a moon tonight.”
“I know. I’m speaking of the way it looked earlier today, the beautiful way it always looks.” He reached out to touch her hair. “A shining, honey gold.”
“Is that mango juice at the corner of your mouth?” She rolled her eyes as she wet a small square of handkerchief and dabbed it at the corners of his lips.
“The girls fed me fruit earlier. I think they missed my mouth on purpose,” he teased. “They want any excuse to wash my manly body again tonight.”
Emma couldn’t help but laugh. “They like you. I can’t imagine why. Your body must seem quite puny compared to that enormously swelled head of yours.” She dabbed at his smirking lips.
“Mmm, feels nice. You like my body, too. Admit it, my sweet.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His smile turned wistful. “Will you ever be mine, Emma?”
Emma’s hand shook, so she stopped her ministrations before he noticed how deeply the simple question had affected her. “Stand still. I can’t properly wipe the mango juice off your lips if you won’t stop talking.”
“Your problem is that you’re as possessive of me as I am of you, only you refuse to accept it. I know you love me. But there’s no chance for us unless you also start to trust me.”
“Obviously, your senses are still addled. Let me get the last bit of juice that dribbled down your chin.”
“You look beautiful by moonlight, too,” he murmured when she finished, his voice velvety soft and gaze hot enough to melt wax off the candle burning brightly by his bedside.
She pointed to the candle. “It’s candlelight. And, as I said, there’s no moon tonight.”
