Pearls of Fire, page 14
“You’re missing the point.”
“Am I supposed to be flattered? Why are we having this conversation now?”
“Because I can’t help it. You grow more beautiful every time I look at you. I want you, Emma. I want all of you.”
She turned away to fuss with the supplies on a nearby table. “You may speak that way to the girls, but not to me. I don’t wish to hear your drivel.”
“You’ve rearranged those supplies about twenty times today. What do you wish to hear from me?”
“I don’t wish to hear anything from you.”
“Your nose is wiggling. Have you noticed that it wiggles every time you lie?”
“Good night, Captain Le Brecque.”
He grabbed her hand as she turned to leave. “What’s going on between you and the natives, Emma?”
She refused to return his gaze, instead preferring to keep her back to him as she struggled to suppress her alarm. What had he heard? And who had told him? Certainly not the village chieftain, and certainly not the girls who fussed over him daily. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Are you in any danger?”
She turned to face him, hoping she’d sufficiently masked her features so that she gave away nothing of what she was thinking. “From these villagers? Of course not.”
He cast her a protective look that shot straight to her heart. In this moment, she believed he would risk his life for her, and it made her heart soar. But she quickly tamped down her elation. Hugh would also steal the Pearls of Fire at the first opportunity. Did he love her more than those cursed pearls? She didn’t think so.
“There’s something gnawing at my insides, something telling me I had better learn the answer if I wish to help you.”
“Help me?” A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
He ran his thumb lightly along the curve of her jaw, the casual gesture shooting a tingle through her body. “Yes, even more than I wish to bed you. And that wish is mighty strong, too. I’m almost healed, and determined to do something about it as soon as I am.”
Her heart pounded wildly, once again more from the temptation to surrender to him than from indignation. But she couldn’t face the truth of her feelings for Hugh right now. It was simpler to believe he was a depraved pirate who would steal the pearls and abandon her. “I will never share your bed, Hugh.”
“Nor will I ever force you,” he said with surprising gentleness. “But your heart will eventually lead you to the right decision.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes. I feel compelled to tumble into your arms and stay there until you’re ready to sail away. And when you do sail off, leaving me ruined and alone, and perhaps carrying your child, I’ll be content to spend the rest of my days waiting patiently for your return.”
“Emma, you have a vivid imagination. I’d never leave you to face anything alone. Even if I did sail away, I’d come back to you. I’ll always come back to you.”
“Oh, Hugh, stop lying to me. Or do you truly believe what you’re saying? Then stop lying to yourself. You’ll leave me the moment you get your hands on the Pearls of Fire.” She took a deep, shattered breath. “Don’t go after them, please. I don’t want any harm to come to you. But you will be harmed if you find them. They’re truly cursed and you’ll be cursed too. So don’t look for them. Let them stay beyond your reach.”
“As you are beyond my reach, it seems.”
No, she wasn’t. He had only to give up his desire for the pearls and she would be his. “If given the choice to save me or the Pearls of Fire, which would you choose?”
“Stop asking me that bloody question.”
“Answer it, Hugh.”
He paused a heartbeat. Then another. The silence stretched unbearably. “You’d save the pearls. I’m sorry for that. Truly. Goodnight, Captain Le Brecque.”
Chapter Thirteen
Emma shaded her eyes against the sunlight and peered into the brightest blue sky she’d seen in an age. A pair of white, tufted clouds languidly sailed by, carried along on a light breeze that blew off the water and wafted through the village. The breeze was most welcome, for it chased away the oppressively damp heat that had plagued them for days.
She ran her hands along her arms. Her skin was no longer moist and sticky, but smooth and dry.
The village paths were no longer muddy. Her shoes kicked up dust as she made her way to Hugh’s hut, but she hesitated a moment outside the door, closing her eyes and tilting her head toward the sun to warm her face. “Don’t be a coward,” she muttered to herself.
She took a deep breath and entered.
Her gaze fell on his empty cot. Where was he? She blinked her eyes to adjust to the hazy grayness of the interior and spotted him standing on crutches by a stack of books. “What are you doing? Get back in bed.”
“Are you still angry with me about last night?”
“No,” she said and meant it. She was angry with herself for wanting him to care for her above the pearls. She was angry with herself for thinking, even for one brief, mad moment that he might be convinced to forget about them.
He arched a tawny eyebrow. “You still look angry.”
“I’m not. Truly.” She was as much to blame as he was for hoping he was still Viscount Brixham, that dashing gentleman who’d claimed two dances from her and had promised to meet her in Lord Jameson’s garden. The years had changed him. Portsmouth Prison had hardened him.
She walked closer to inspect him. “You look much better today.”
“I feel much better. Look at this.” He flashed her a triumphant grin and slowly limped toward the door.
Nandy, Suba and Nola, his giggling handmaidens, happened to enter just then and immediately began to cheer him on with every step.
“The girls have taken excellent care of me,” he said, but his eyes seemed to be pleading for help. “They’ve washed me, and fed me, and washed me some more. The little darlings are very thorough.”
He picked up a sponge from the nearby table. “They intend to wash me again after lunch,” he said with mirthful exasperation. “This is their instrument of torture.”
Emma shook her head and laughed. “Oh, dear.”
It was obvious that Nandy, Suba and Nola enjoyed putting their hands on him, touching him everywhere, for any reason, and as often as possible. Goodness, she couldn’t blame them. She noted that his tawny mane was damp and gleaming from its recent washing, the longer tendrils curling at the base of his neck. She stepped toward him, inhaling the rich scent of his hair and body. Almond oils, or perhaps vanilla, she thought. Whatever the scent, it blended perfectly with his clean, male heat.
Against her will, she found herself drawing closer to Hugh, breathing him in a little deeper. “You seem to be moving about the room with little difficulty.”
He glanced at his crutches and nodded. “Well enough to be allowed outdoors? What do you say, Emma? Will I be set free?”
Her smile faltered as the image of him trapped in his cell in Portsmouth sprang to mind. “Of course, Hugh. I wouldn’t… I never meant to…”
“I know, my sweet.” His voice was husky and tender, his wistful smile conveying all the pain he’d suffered while being locked away.
She moved closer to him, wanting to put her arms around him, but the girls were watching and she dared not have them think she’d lost her heart to Hugh. She averted her gaze from his handsome face and found herself staring into the spray of burnished gold curls at his chest.
He stood tall and proud, a marked improvement over the past week when he’d been doubled over and hardly able to move.
She loved the size of him, his brawny ruggedness and the way he managed to swagger even while on crutches.
“Will you walk with me, Emma?”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “I suppose it’s safe to walk a few steps from the hut. But no more than that today. You ought to keep your weight off the sprained ankle if it’s to heal properly. How did you manage to put on your trousers?”
“The girls helped me,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Though it was quite a struggle. At times, the little darlings seemed to be working harder to pull them off than to tug them on.”
He turned to the girls and cast them a private wink, which caused them to erupt in giggles. Emma felt the heat rise to her cheeks and wondered just how much fun they’d had helping him don those buff breeches that clung to his muscular frame. The fabric of the left leg was slit up the side to accommodate a makeshift splint for his badly damaged ankle.
“Let them help you put on your shirt. You’ll burn in the sun without it. And here, take my parasol.”
“No self-respecting pirate would be caught dead carrying a pink parasol,” he said in mock horror and refused the offer.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll be right beside you. Don’t be stubborn, Hugh.”
“Ah, lass. I like the sound of my name on your lips, especially when your heart is light and carefree. That’s the Emma I remember.” He caressed her cheek. “Keep your parasol. Your skin’s much paler than mine. You need it more.”
“Very well.” Despite her months at sea and the week on this island acquiring freckles on her nose and a little pink on her cheeks, she had retained all of her traditional English delicacy to the sun.
But he was used to being at sea and working under the glare of the sun. He would bronze quickly. In truth, his body was already lightly bronzed despite his week of confinement.
“Still, you need some protection. I’ll find you a hat, something quite masculine.”
“Let’s put that off for later. Will you show me around the village first? I understand my men are on the mountain cutting timber.”
“Yes, they left early this morning. They’ll be gone for several days.” She led him out of the hut. The walkways were more rutted than she’d realized, filled with clumps of dirt and little holes that made Hugh’s progress awkward. “Lean on me whenever you feel yourself tiring.”
He grinned wickedly. “I feel myself wilting like a flower in the noonday sun already.”
Hugh had a gentle, deft touch, and she liked the feel of his hands on her body far too much to encourage him. “Behave yourself, Captain Le Brecque.”
He laughed and shook his head. “All right, my sweet. For now.”
They moved along at a casual stroll. He appeared to manage quite well, easily balancing his solid weight on the sturdy tree limbs that had been fashioned into crutches. “Did Jacob go off into the mountains with my men?”
“Yes, so did Martine and many of the natives.” Emma surveyed the village which was eerily deserted save for a few old women and some very young children who were playing in the village square.
She noticed a few more children in the distance, hoisting nets along the shoreline.
“Shall we walk toward them?” Hugh asked, obviously eager to approach the water’s edge.
“I don’t know. Your leg.”
“Will hold up just fine. And you’ll be there to scold me if it doesn’t.”
She shook her head and sighed. “I have become a shrew, haven’t I?”
“No, I know you’re concerned about me. I like that you are. So, what do you say? Shall we walk to the water?”
She acceded with a shrug. It was a fine suggestion and he would manage somehow on the soft sand, even if he had to put his arm around her for support. She’d been taking afternoon walks along the beach and enjoyed watching the azure waves lap the shore. She delighted in the cooling breeze that wafted off the sea toward the village.
She’d even been so brave as to remove her shoes and stockings. She began to do so now when she and Hugh emerged from the village and reached the beach. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“I can’t walk on the sand in my shoes.”
He chuckled and his wickedly sensual grin returned. “What else do you plan to take off? Need any help?”
“No, you dolt.” But she laughed and playfully kicked a little sand at him with her toe. She did not fully let down her guard around him, however. She dared not. But she did relax just the littlest bit under the glorious, blue sky.
A sigh escaped her lips as she wriggled her toes in the warm, golden sand.
Vivid green palm leaves swayed in the majestic breeze.
Hugh put his arm on her shoulder for support. She didn’t mind, for he’d been struggling to maintain his balance in the soft sand. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
She nodded. “It’s paradise.”
“But you still miss England.”
“It’s all I know. The customs, the traditions, the…” Her voice died out as she gazed into the distance at Nandy, Suba and Nola who had run past them, removed their garments and were now frolicking naked in the water.
Hugh burst out laughing. “Emma, are you still breathing? Ah, yes. My faithful handmaidens. Have they shocked you? Thank goodness they’ve found something other than me to occupy their time.”
She was shocked, but she also longed to allow herself the same freedom. A deep, abiding ache filled her body. She wanted to be playful with Hugh. She wanted to feel the solid strength of his arms around her, taut and glistening and wet. She wanted to feel the heat of his desire and wanted herself to be free to follow wherever her heart led her.
“Emma,” he said, his voice as soft as the golden sand beneath her feet. “You’ll know when the moment is right. I won’t ever force you. But I won’t deny how desperately I long for you.”
He’d read her thoughts so easily.
She fought off the delicious quiver streaming through her body, ignored the passion simmering in the turbulent depths of her soul. “Would you desire me if I had no connection to the Pearls of Fire?”
He emitted a pained sigh. “Ah, lass. Is that necklace always on your mind?”
“No, it’s always on yours.” She frowned, knowing she was the one at fault for ruining this pleasant moment. She’d mentioned those cursed pearls to protect herself, for she was so close to giving herself to Hugh. She wanted so badly to surrender to his kisses and feel him against her, to surrender all of herself to him. “I think we had better turn back now.”
“Not yet, Emma. The sun feels too good on my skin. I’ve been starved for it.” He cupped her cheek in his open palm. “I’ve also been starved for you. But I promise to wait until you’re ready. So, let’s have no more talk of curses and death. Let’s just enjoy the day.”
“I’m sorry, Hugh. You’re right.” She allowed him to guide her to a shade tree. “You were so badly hurt after the incident with the Sea Snake, I was afraid I’d lost you. I’m still afraid to lose you. And still afraid to trust you.”
“And even more afraid to love me.” He arched an eyebrow. “Don’t be afraid of that, Emma.”
She meant to protest, but he was already onto another, less dangerous, topic. “I thought we’d sailed into Wamsisi’s harbor, but that squall we encountered stranded The Persephone on a distant reef. How did we all get to shore?”
Jacob must have told him, but she went along with his questions, grateful for the easier conversation. “The Wamsisi fishermen put us in their boats and rowed us off the reef.”
“They’ve treated us very well.”
“We’re their guests. What are you suggesting? Not everyone is venal and mercenary.”
He appeared surprised, then his gaze turned icy. “I wasn’t suggesting anything. Can I not talk to you about any subject without you turning on me like a hissing cat? What are you hiding, Emma? What is going on between you and these villagers that you don’t wish me to know?”
Heat rushed into her cheeks. “Nothing.”
“Oh, my sweet. You are a terrible liar. Do you want to know what I think?”
She shuddered. “No.”
“I think we’re very close to the Pearls of Fire. I think you know exactly where they are.”
How could this pirate know her mind so well? “I think you are deranged, Captain Le Brecque.”
“That mizzenmast may have cracked my thick head open, but I’ve still retained some sense. Emma, that pirate, Nikko, was working for a nasty fellow called Montvey. Others may be working for him as well.”
“These villagers?”
“No.” His gaze turned toward the water where the girls were still swimming. Their joyful laughter drifted onto shore. “There’s an innocence and genuine kindness about them. The men and the women. But Montvey will bring his reign of terror down upon them if we’re found here. He wants to get back to England and will go to any means to make it happen. He thought to do it by accusing my father of treason. When that didn’t work, he attacked a British warship and set me up to take the fall for his crimes. Now, he knows he’s failed in that as well. What do you think he’ll do when he finds you here?”
Her gaze darted to his and she eyed him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I just told you, Montvey hates his exile and wants to get back to England. He will have heard about you and the Pearls of Fire by now. He knows you are connected to them.”
“Are you suggesting he’ll abduct me? How will that gain him the pearls?”
“You tell me? Or should I ask Chief Tono?” He paused as though expecting her to respond, and merely sighed when she didn’t. “The sooner we repair The Persephone and sail off, the better for all of us, especially these villagers.”
Emma turned away when she heard Nandy, Suba, and Nola suddenly shriek. Her heart shot into her throat, then she realized they were merely shrieking with delight as a wave tumbled them to shore. They shook themselves off, brushing sand off their dark-tipped breasts before jumping back into the surf to continue their frolic.
“You can help them by telling me the truth, Emma.”
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard.
He drew her close. “You’re shaking, my sweet. Why? Tell me, my spirit of the earth–”
She gasped and turned ashen. “Why did you call me that?”
He eased his grip. “That frightens you. Why?”
“You’re wrong.”
“So does this,” he whispered, drawing her into his arms.
