Pearls of Fire, page 18
“You had better go with the boys. They’re waving for you to join them.”
He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her to face him. He knew his next question would upset her, but there was no time to be gentle about it. “Why do the natives call you melo-melo?”
She placed a soft, trembling hand on his arm and glanced around in alarm. But the boys were the only ones close by and they were too busy frolicking in the water, jumping in and out of the canoe to pay them any notice. “Hugh, stop asking me that. It’s too dangerous.”
“Why is it dangerous? Tell me, Emma. Confide in me. Trust me, damn it. Not only with your heart, but with your safety.” He knew his frustration was showing and he’d probably frightened her just now. He saw the shadow fall over her beautiful eyes, like an iron gate slamming down between them and shutting him out.
“If I were dangling off a cliff –”
He growled impatiently. “Don’t ask me that ridiculous question.”
“And you had the choice to save me or the pearls.”
“Enough, Emma. I have no time for your games.”
“Which will it be, Hugh? Me or the Pearls of Fire?”
He raked a hand through his hair once more, silently cursing her stubborn determination. He blamed himself for the tactless way he’d gone about it, but Emma had him turned upside down. He needed to save himself, needed to save his father. He needed to save her and her father, too. But she wasn’t giving him the answers he needed to protect them all. “We’re right back where we started. I would save you, Emma. Is that what you want to hear? I’ve said it. You are all that matters to me.”
She released a long, wistful breath. “The boys are waving at you madly. Go ahead and finish inspecting The Persephone. I’ll be here when you return.”
He kissed her lightly on her freckled nose. “Be here with answers for me. If you love me. If you want us to have a future together. You had better have the answers.”
Hugh finished inspecting his vessel and made haste in returning to Wamsisi. He expected Emma to refuse to speak to him for the rest of the day, but was surprised to find her waiting for him on the dock.
His heart beat a little faster with hope.
She pointed to a nearby hill. “We’re going to picnic up there.”
He nodded, for the goddess had commanded his company, and he was eager to continue their discussion. “And talk?”
She cast him a cryptic smile.
Did it mean she was willing to do more than talk?
He resigned himself to allowing her to take the lead. If she kissed him, he wouldn’t object. If she undressed for him… he shook his head. What was he thinking?
“I have something to show you.”
Hell, what did she mean by that?
He hoped it was her body.
Chapter Seventeen
Emma took his arm and matched his slower step as they made their way off the beach and toward the hill. “Oh, dear.” She began to nibble her fleshy, lower lip. “Is it too steep for you to manage?”
“No, my sweet. I’ll be fine.” His ankle and ribs had given him no pain while on his vessel. The vicious lump on his head had disappeared. Even if he weren’t back to full strength, he’d claw his way up that hill for a chance to… was there a polite way of giving voice to his wicked thoughts? Although how could his thoughts be truly wicked when he wanted Emma for always? Was she offering what he thought she was offering? There was a soft glow in her eyes that held promise.
Perhaps he’d been out on the water too long and his brain had turned soggy.
He followed Emma up the hill, enjoying the sway of her hips and the natural grace of her lithe body as she scampered ahead of him.
He reached the top only a few steps behind her and was glad he’d made the climb. The view from the hilltop was spectacular. He was never one to be easily impressed, but the deep blue of the sky above, the vibrant blues and greens of the sea below, the golden hues of the sand that stretched along the distant beach, and the white-capped waves that crashed upon the sand, all quite took his breath away.
These were Emma’s colors as well, he realized. Was that significant? Her golden hair, her blue-green eyes, and her pale, white skin.
No wonder these villagers thought of her as their goddess.
He wasn’t the only one smitten with her.
Smitten?
That was too mild a description of what he felt for her.
The afternoon breeze blew off the water and rustled the silvery, green leaves above them, drawing him back to the present. Emma stopped beside a row of palm trees. “Let’s sit here.”
He removed his shirt and spread it out for Emma to settle upon, then sank down beside her at the base of one of the trees.
She made no comment about his state of attire, which did not surprise him since everyone on the island walked around half naked, and at times, completely naked, and she’d seen him naked, anyway. “Do we eat first? Or talk first?” he asked.
Her entire face turned pink. “Let’s talk while we eat. If we aren’t at each other’s throats by the time that’s done… then… perhaps we could…” She paused and cleared her throat. “Perhaps we could do more.”
“More?” The import of her words shot sparks of heat through his loins. He reached out and caressed her cheek. “I want to roll you under me and plunder your exquisite body right now. If I had any sense I’d do it before we spoke. But I seem to be a monumental foolscap when it comes to you.”
“And I don’t know my own mind when it comes to you.” She began to nibble her fleshy lower lip.
In truth, she appeared relieved.
So much for his wild thoughts of hot pleasure with a naked Emma writhing beneath him as they made love under the swaying palm trees.
“I’ll start,” he said, his expression turning serious. He leaned closer, his palm now cupping her cheek. “I know what melo-melo means. It’s what the natives call the fabled sea snail, the creature it is said created the Pearls of Fire. They call you that, too. Why do they believe you are one with that fabled creature, Emma? Is it because you have the power to return the pearls to their rightful place? In doing so, these villagers believe you will bring good fortune smiling down on them.”
“I have no special powers.” But he felt her tremble beneath his hand. “I am no sea snail, but very much of womanly flesh, bone and blood. There is nothing fabled or magical about me.”
She was wrong. He’d felt the magic in his heart from the first moment he’d set eyes on her. She was still working her magic on his heart. He wanted to tell her so, but knew that he had to tread carefully. Emma was tense, still too scared to completely trust him. She would run off like a startled doe if he pressed too hard about the Pearls of Fire.
That she hadn’t run yet, surprised him. Perhaps there was hope for them yet. “Remember the night we read the passage in Stefan’s journal about the natives following turtles to the oyster beds?”
She nodded.
“I realized then that such splendid pearls could never have been made by a simple oyster. That’s where all those seeking the Pearls of Fire have been wrong. They’ve been looking in the wrong places for thousands of years.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I need you to tell me the rest of it. It’s the only way you and I will come out of this impossible situation alive. It’s the only chance we’ll have of rescuing your father.”
“Assuming he’s still alive.”
“I hope he is, Emma. I’ll do my best to get both of you home safely.”
She eased into his touch and exhaled deeply. “I know that now. I’m sorry it took me so long to believe you.” She paused and let out another light breath. “I’m still scared.”
“I know, my love. But you needn’t be.”
She smiled weakly, the upward curl of her lips almost mirthless. “I’ve always felt a connection to the Pearls of Fire, but never understood why until Chief Tono explained it to me. The fabled sea snail died thousands of years ago, but its soul lives on in many forms. He believes its soul attached to me. He also believes I’m of the spirit world, that I have power over the forces of nature. They all do.”
“Earth, wind, water, and fire.”
“It’s nonsense, of course.” She gave a short, wincing laugh, another laugh that held little mirth. He knew she was struggling to understand all that was happening around them, and not yet comfortable in the knowledge that she was the linchpin that connected all of it. “It is ridiculous for anyone to think that I am a powerful goddess in disguise.”
“Perhaps not, but you are a beautiful woman, one of the loveliest I’ve ever met. There’s beauty in your face and body, but mostly in your heart.” He reached out and brushed a stray lock off her brow, his thumb straying across her cheek. “Indeed, you are no goddess. If I threw you into a stormy sea, you would drown.”
She tipped her head and laughed. “You were never the superstitious sort.”
“No, but I never ignore what superstition can do to people. Be very careful, Emma. The natives strongly believe in mysticism and this fable of the pearls is a treasured lore. They may adore you now, but what will they do to you if you disappoint them?”
“I don’t know. But I’m not afraid. Truly, I’m not. Wamsisi is safe for me. I know it, Hugh. I feel it in my very soul. May I ask you something else?”
“Of course, my sweet.”
“My father is the rightful owner of the Pearls of Fire, but those pearls have been calling out to me for months now. Why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know. But I’m grateful for whatever force brought us together again.”
“What if the Pearls of Fire have been calling to me because my father is dead?”
He took her hand and held it gently in his. “It is quite possible that something happened to him after he left Langdon Heath. It’s also possible that nothing at all has happened. We haven’t been here very long. There are dozens of islands still to be searched. But I think the Pearls of Fire are calling to you because… I’m not certain quite how to explain it. No one owns those pearls. Not your father, not anyone who possessed them in the past or may possess them now or in the future. The pearls choose whom they favor, assuming such mystical power exists.”
She listened intently, seeming to take his words to heart. “Go on, Hugh.”
He seated himself comfortably against a tree and stretched his injured leg in front of him while bending his other leg to casually prop his arm atop his knee. “Your ancestor, Stefan Langdon, had good fortune because the pearls chose him. Who knows whether the old Dutch man he rescued and attempted to heal was part of a test he had to pass in order to gain the pearls that were in the old man’s possession? Did he feel that same tug in his heart that you felt, the impossible tug that brought you to my prison cell and had you embark on this journey?”
“I thought you weren’t one for superstition.”
“I’m not, but sometimes things happen that cannot be explained with logic. I’d be foolish to deny that the pearls hold some indefinable power over us.” He sighed and shook his head. “I know your secret, Emma. I’ve known it almost since the day I found Stefan’s journal in your trunk.”
“What do you mean?” She looked around in desperation, suddenly afraid to meet his gaze. “I don’t believe you. You would have said something to me before this.”
“I wanted to.” He caught her gently by the shoulders. “Stefan’s journal is not the only thing I discovered the day you caught me searching through your belongings. I sorted through your parasols and noticed that one felt heavier than the others. Its handle was more solid. That’s where you hid the Pearls of Fire. In the handle of the pink parasol.”
She gasped and tried to move away, but he held her fast to him. “Stop fighting me, Emma. I won’t hurt you. How could you think I ever would?”
She shook her head as though to refuse him. But instead of drawing away, she placed her hands on his chest and after a long moment of obviously tortured contemplation, she let out a sob and nodded. “You wouldn’t hurt me. I know that, Hugh. Go ahead. Ask your questions. I’m tired of holding back my secrets, especially from you. This is why I brought you up here. I finally meant to tell you.”
“Thank you, my love. It’s time we worked together. I know it’s a big step for you to take. Placing your faith in me cannot be easy. But I won’t disappoint you.” He waited another moment for her to calm. He felt the rapid beat of her heart against his chest and knew by its slowing beat that she was no longer frightened. “How did you come to possess them, Emma? I’m still trying to puzzle that part out.”
He waited patiently for her to respond, knowing that her head must be a whirl of confusion. She opened her mouth to speak, but it took her several tries before the words finally formed. When they did, her voice was little more than a raspy whisper. “They were never stolen. My mother had already removed them from the family safe.”
“Hellfire,” he said softly. “The thieves got nothing.”
“I still don’t know who those villains are. I thought I would figure it out eventually, but I can’t do it alone. Yet, you’ve figured out so much of it. You knew I had the pearls and you didn’t take them from me.” Her beautiful eyes were looking straight at him now, as though she was trying to bore into his soul. “What stopped you?”
“You did.” He raked a hand through his hair. “You kept asking me that question. Which would I choose? The pearls or you? I know you didn’t believe me, Emma. But the answer was always you.”
She shook her head and groaned. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. There were times I almost had myself convinced that I could take the pearls and worry about making amends to you later. But every time I thought of taking them, I couldn’t do it.”
“There were so many times I wanted to say something to you. I did trust you, but I was so afraid to be wrong. I convinced myself that I ought to wait until we reached Buru and this village of Wamsisi. In my heart, I knew it was important that we come here. I’m still not certain why it is so important. I thought it was because we’d find my father.”
He caressed her cheek as sadness clouded her eyes. “I’m truly sorry we didn’t find him here.”
She smiled at him again, this time sweetly and with acceptance. “Let me tell you all of it. I want no secrets between us. I also want you to know that I love you. I always have. My heart was crushed when you never showed up to meet me in Lord Jameson’s garden. I never got over the disappointment. I wish I’d known the reason back then. I would have tried to help you and your family.”
Her words slammed into his heart. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her with the force of all his yearning. Two years lost. Two years of utter misery. He never wanted to lose Emma again.
But he wanted to hear the rest of what she had to say. He needed to understand all of it. How else would they ever have a chance at happiness?
How else could he keep this precious girl safe?
“Go on,” he said. “As much as I wanted those pearls, I resolved early in our voyage never to get in your way. We’re being carried along on a tide of fate, and I’ll protect you in whatever it is you need to do.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the gleeful shouts of fishermen returning with their day’s haul. Ever since Emma had arrived, their daily catches had been abundant. Hugh knew it was the recent turbulent storms that had stirred the sea and brought fish closer to shore. But the villagers connected their good fortune to Emma. Although she had only reached Wamsisi a mere week ago, the villagers were now crediting her with all their bounties, including their flourishing orchards.
Perhaps Emma was a good luck omen.
He needed lots of it to get out of this piracy mess.
In truth, his lot had improved since she’d entered his life. He’d done his own bribing to make his escape from prison, but Emma had been the one to get his ship out of impound, to nurse him back to health after his victorious encounter with Nikko. He’d gotten his sweet revenge against that bastard. The shipwreck had landed them on a reef instead of at the bottom of the sea, and he was beginning to believe it was all her doing. The rescue, this island, his illness – had all been rungs on the ladder of good fortune.
Each step had drawn him closer to Emma.
She was now burned into his soul.
Emma rested her head against his shoulder and curled herself around his body. He held his breath and let her speak, for this was her way of showing her trust in him. “I think the spirit of the sea snail was in my mother all along,” she said so quietly, he almost did not hear her over the soft whoosh of the breeze. “After my brother died, his death clearly attributable to the Pearls of Fire, she knew that something had to be done. She removed them from the safe where they’d been kept and hid them in her bedchamber. No one but she or Martine ever went in there.” She cleared her throat. “My father adored her and relied on her in so many ways, but he had stopped visiting her… er, visiting her bed years ago. So she knew there was little chance of someone discovering them in her quarters.”
Hugh listened intently.
He caressed Emma’s shoulder, somehow feeling that she needed reassurance. If they ever got out of this mess alive, he’d marry her. He would share his heart with her. He would share his bed with her. He’d share it every night of his life.
She cuddled even closer to him, perhaps using him as an anchor to hold back her fears. “About a month before the attempted theft of the pearls, my mother began to make plans to return them to the island of Buru. She wrote to the Lord Governor to make arrangements for her visit.”
“Montvey?” He groaned and shook his head, knowing her mother had sealed her death warrant with that letter. Yet, much as he hated Montvey, there was no question the cur had been here and not in England at the time. He would have stolen the pearls once Emma’s mother set foot on Buru. But steal them in England? No, his power did not extend that far. Even if he did have the connections to organize the theft, the letter from Emma’s mother would not have reached him in a mere month. This had to have been someone else’s scheme. Someone Emma’s mother had known.
