“No,” he said softly, “I called her Allie-oh.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Oh, Pirate!”
He took her hand in both his. He was not wearing gloves, as etiquette required. Alicia recollected that he had always preferred to go without, even when riding or driving. The warmth of his scarred and calloused hands penetrated her thin evening gloves.
“I don’t know what they told you in Penrith,” he said in an undertone, holding her gaze with the deep sincerity in his green eyes, “but what happened was this. When I went downstairs, they were waiting for me--my two eldest brothers and yours. Before I could utter a single word, they bundled me into a back room, little more than a closet.”
“No one came to your aid?”
“They must have paid the innkeeper well, for there was no one about. They flung a coat over my head, so that I could not shout out. Pen and William held me there, while Rupert and James went to fetch you.”
“They told me you had deserted me,” said Alicia in a low, anguished voice. “That you had taken all you wanted of me and left.”
“And you believed them?” Pirate’s tone was no less intense for being quiet.
“I did not know what to think! I wanted to trust you...but my own brothers...and later, you did not come! I kept hoping, until I was married and it was too late.”
He squeezed her hand, almost painfully. “By then I was far away. While Pen and Will chased us, my father was arranging for the privateer to take me on. It seems he was quite willing for us to wed, but as I had expected, he refused to frank your family. So your father adamantly refused to let you marry me, and insisted that I be removed from the scene until after your wedding to Ransome. There was no scandal?”
“None that reached my ears, or Ransome’s.”
“Not his, of course, since he married you. I might have come home then, but it was too late to help you, and, to tell the truth, life at sea suited me very well.”
“It was what you always wanted,” Alicia said soberly. “I am glad you had that. And I would not have you believe that my marriage was excessively unhappy. Ransome was never unkind. Only somehow we never had anything to talk about together. I was often lonely, though he was as good a husband as he knew how to be.”
“Had they let us reach Gretna, I would have been as good a husband as I knew how to be, Allie,” Pirate assured her, “but looking back upon my callow self, I am certain I am now capable of being a much better husband.”
Stunned, Alicia was afraid to believe she had properly understood his meaning. She felt oddly dizzy. At that moment, the dance she had quite forgotten brought her elder daughter to a spot nearby.
Emily left the ranks of the country dance and swooped down upon her mother. She cast a curious glance at Pirate, who hastily dropped Alicia’s hand.
“Mama,” she said, her green eyes full of concern, “are you all right?”
“Yes...,” Alicia faltered distractedly, then gathered her tattered composure about her and said more strongly, “Yes, darling, quite all right. Pray return to your partner, Emma--You are treating him abominably, I vow!”
Pirate stared after Emily as the girl hurried back to her set.
“Good lord, she’s mine!” He turned back to Alicia, his face fierce. “Allie, she is mine, is she not?”
Thank heaven he had kept his voice down, Alicia thought as she nodded, unable to speak. The secret she had concealed so long in her heart was laid bare. There had never been any question in her mind as to who was Emily’s father, from the moment she saw those green eyes.
But the child was born very nearly nine months after her marriage. If her family guessed, they had never referred to the matter, and Ransome remained in ignorance.
Conflicting emotions chased each other across Pirate’s expressive features. Alicia had no notion--had never even wondered--how he would feel. She had not expected him ever to discover that he had a daughter.
“Her name is Emma?” he asked at last.
“Emily.”
“She must be nineteen. I missed her childhood,” he said sadly.
“Unless I miss my guess, she will very soon be betrothed.”
Pirate sighed, then demanded, “You let her choose her husband?”
“Yes, of course,” said Alicia. “One forced marriage in the family is sufficient. I believe she has made an excellent choice, as has Frederica.”
“Ah yes, Spence mentioned you are bringing out two girls. Not twins, I suppose?”
Alicia could not help smiling at his hopeful tone. “No, Freddie came along a year later. They are very close. There she is.” She pointed out Frederica.
“A pretty pair,” he said approvingly, “almost as pretty as their mama.”
“And much better behaved!” Alicia told him, blushing.
“Looking back, you were quite a tomboy, were you not? Such pluck you had, joining in everything we boys did. Have you any more children? I am well-breeched now, you know. I can stand the nonsense for you and any number of children, and do it in style.”
That sounded bewilderingly as if he took it for granted they would marry.
Her head spinning, Alicia babbled, “Ransome left me very well to pass, in spite of bailing out my family--my father and mother and brothers I mean. He longed for an heir, but the estate is not entailed--Oh, no, we had no more children.”
“Then we shall have to have some,” said Pirate firmly.
Her cheeks flaming, she whispered, “I am too old.”
“Fustian! My dear girl, I know to the day just how old you are, so let us have no more of such gammon. My bosun’s wife was just brought to bed at two-and-forty, of a fine, bouncing boy. At any rate,” he added, with a glint in his eye which made her cheeks hotter yet, “I have every intention of trying!”
“Pirate, how can you say such...”
“Ah, the music has ended.” He stood up. “Come along, Allie, it is time for our dance.”
“But, Pirate, it is a waltz!” Alicia protested as her daughters came up to them. “Besides, I am a chaperon.”
Emily and Frederica looked at each other with the perfect understanding which united them.
“Go along, Mama,” Emily said indulgently. “You know we only waltz with Lord Ames and Mr. Fairweather. We shall be perfectly safe.”
“Yes, do, Mama,” put in Frederica. Laughing, she added, “I do not suppose, at your august age, you require permission from a patroness to waltz, but if you do, here is Lady Jersey come to give it.”
Silence’s quick glance surveyed the four of them with avid curiosity, taking in the girls’ amusement, the intriguing Mr. Peter Pendragon’s determination, and Alicia’s blush. Especially the latter. Alicia wondered whether her face would ever feel cool again.
“My dear Lady Ransome,” said the patroness, a trifle maliciously, “I believe you must have mislaid your fan. May I I lend you mine?”
“Thank you, Lady Jersey,” Alicia replied with what dignity she could muster, “I have my own here.” She had quite forgotten its existence.
Pirate took it and opened it for her, every move scrutinized by Lady Jersey. He placed the fan in Alicia’s hand, took her other hand in his, and turned to the patroness.
“Ma’am?”
“Oh!” Beneath her flibbertigibbet manner, Lady Jersey was not stupid. “Lady Ransome,” she said, “may I present Mr. Peter Pendragon to you as a desirable partner for the waltz?”
The music began and, half sure she was dreaming, Alicia moved on Pirate’s arm onto the floor.
Where he had learnt to waltz, Alicia could not begin to guess. She only knew she felt completely at home and at peace in his arms.
Until he stopped in the middle of the floor, felt in his pocket, and said, “Deuce take it, I knew I had forgot something. Do you remember, Allie-oh, I once promised you emeralds?”
“Oh Pirate, when you were a boy!”
“Have I ever broken a promise to you? The first Spanish galleon I was at the taking of, I asked for a bag of uncut emeralds as part of my share. I have had them cut and set. I did not bring the whole lot with me tonight--there is a necklace, bracelets, earrings, a hair ornament--Ah!” Triumphantly, he fished a small, velvet-covered box from the pocket. “I brought this, in case I struck lucky and found you first try.”
He opened the box to reveal a ring with a large, deep green emerald. Alicia gasped.
“I hope it fits,” he said anxiously.
And right there in the middle of Almack’s dance floor, with waltzing couples coming to an astonished halt all around them, he peeled off her left glove and placed the ring on her finger.
“Oh Pirate,” she said, misty-eyed, “you always did have to do things differently.”
“Do you mind?”
“No.”
So he kissed her.
Frederica started the applause. Emily quickly joined in, gamely followed by their partners. Soon the greater part of the cream of London Society was cheerfully applauding Pirate and Alicia. And led by Lady Jersey, even the haughty patronesses lent a hand.
Copyrights © 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2000 by Carola Dunn
Originally published by Zebra in
A Mother's Joy
,
Flowers for the Bride
,
A June Bride
and
Wonderful and Wicked
Electronically published in 2008 by Belgrave House/Regency Reads
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.