Authors: Connie Mason
“Try it,” Stan challenged.
Morgan turned to Withers. “I guess it’s up to you, Clyde. I’ll deal with Mr. Crawford later. Ready the longboat, I’ll be going ashore.”
Withers shook his head regretfully. “Sorry, Captain, I agree with Mr. Crawford.”
“Then I’ll damn well do it myself.” It took him three tries, but he finally gained his feet. A jolt of raw agony caused him to double over, but he quickly gained control and righted himself. His own injuries didn’t matter. He had to save his wife and unborn child from del Fugo.
Withers and Crawford exchanged worried looks, then reluctantly moved to help Morgan. “Very well, Morgan,” Crawford said, “we’ll help you. You always were a stubborn ass. But I seriously doubt you’ll make it to shore. Don’t worry, Clyde and I will go after Luca. I know Don Eduardo’s residence.”
“No, I’m Luca’s husband. She’s my responsibility.” Morgan moved slowly, with great effort. “Just get me to shore and find me a horse. And give me a sword and pistol.”
“Damn hardheaded fool,” Crawford muttered beneath his breath. “We’ll help you, but I’m going with you no matter what you say.” Withers went in search of a sword and pistol, while Crawford helped Morgan make his way on deck and into the longboat.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” Withers said as he jumped into the longboat with Crawford. “I’ll help row.” He shoved the sword and pistol at Morgan and directed the crewmen to lower them down to the water.
Crawford watched Morgan closely. He had no idea what kept the man upright. The severe injuries he had sustained would keep most men in bed for days. But Morgan was not most men. Still, Crawford seriously doubted that Morgan could withstand the pain of mounting a horse. He fully expected to haul him back to the ship unconscious. But he wouldn’t fail Morgan. He vowed to find Luca no matter what it took.
Diego regained consciousness a short time after Luca and Her father left him behind to fend for himself. His head throbbed painfully, and it took him a few minutes to remember what had happened. Rising groggily, he staggered to the wagon and let out a violent curse when he discovered his dead henchmen. He had been foolish not to pay closer attention to the peasants, for clearly they were not peasants at all but El Diablo’s crewmen The ambush had been successful; his oversight had cost him dearly. El Diablo had fled with his men, and Diego realized he had to get to Cadiz as quickly as possible if he wanted to prevent the pirate from escaping once more.
Diego’s anger was boundless when he looked for his horse and found him missing. He had brought the horse with him from Havana and had trained the steed himself. He knew his horse wouldn’t wander away on his own; someone had to have taken him. What an overconfident fool he had been The delay was not to be tolerated. It was imperative that he reach Cadiz and alert the dragoons before the pirate’s ship sailed.
Diego eyed the nag hitched to the wagon with obvious distaste. The horse was past its prime, but riding it to Cadiz was a damn sight better than pulling a wagon filled with dead men. An excellent horseman, Diego didn’t balk at riding without a saddle. Fortunately he was familiar with the area, having lived mere during his youth, and knew a shortcut to town through fields and olive groves.
Diego waited a moment for the stunning pain in his head to abate before unhitching the nag and dragging himself onto the horse’s back. Grasping the leading reins, he kicked the nag’s skinny flanks and took off through the fields to Cadiz.
Luca and her father reached Cadiz and made directly for the waterfront. Luca shook with excitement when she saw the
Avenger
lying at anchor in the bay. She had made it! Soon she and Morgan would be together forever.
“A boat, Father, I have to find a boat to take me to the
Avenger.”
Don Eduardo sighed resignedly. “I’ll take care of it, Luca. Wait in the carriage. There should be someone around willing to row you out to the ship.”
“No, Father, I’ll come along.” Clutching her bundle of clothing and Morgan’s sword, she waited for her father to help her down.
Suddenly Luca’s attention focused on a longboat discharging passengers on the quay. A thick gray fog rolled in from the sea, obscuring the figures in swaddling mist. Fog and waning daylight prevented Luca from recognizing the men scrambling onto the quay from the boat. But when two men bent to assist a third from the boat, she dropped the bundle of clothing and the sword, screamed Morgan’s name, and started running.
Don Eduardo scooped up the possessions and followed close on her heels.
Sitting upright in the longboat had cost Morgan dearly. He wondered how in the Hell he was going to sit a horse without passing out, but he was determined to do it or die trying. Luca belonged to him. She and his child meant everything to him. Without them he had no future.
“Are you all right, Morgan?” Crawford asked anxiously.
“I’m fine,” Morgan said with a gasp of pain. “Just get me on a horse.”
The horses and wagon they had rented earlier were still hitched nearby. No one had taken them back to the livery, since settling Morgan aboard the
Avenger
had been their primary concern. Withers unhitched one of the horses and held it so Morgan could mount. He seriously doubted Morgan’s ability to sit a horse but nevertheless did as his captain ordered.
Morgan’s head felt as if it had a thousand Devils with pitchforks inside it trying to get out. His body was on fire and his leg throbbed with unbelievable pain, but he managed to lift his leg into the stirrup without passing out. He prepared himself for the searing agony of being boosted into the saddle. When neither Crawford nor Withers moved to assist him, he glanced over his shoulder to question the delay and saw that both men were staring down the length of the quay.
He heard her call his name before he saw her, her voice frantic but jubilant. Then he saw her emerging from the fog, her cloak billowing around her and her tousled, windblown hair flying wildly about her pale features.
“Luca!” Morgan used the last of his reserves to bring his foot down from the stirrup and start toward her. He collapsed in Luca’s arms when they came together halfway down the quay. Don Eduardo, huffing and puffing from the unaccustomed exertion, reached them in time to help support Morgan’s body. Crawford and Withers arrived seconds later.
“Is he all right?” Luca asked, beside herself with worry. “He looks so pale.”
“Morgan suffered severe injuries,” Crawford replied. “Now that you’re here we can get him back to the ship and in bed, where he belongs. He insisted on going after you himself. He was crazed with worry and refused to listen to reason. Thank God you’re here. There is danger all around us. I can smell it.“He looked pointedly at Don Eduardo.
“Father brought me here,” Luca explained. “He won’t stop us from leaving.”
“You must hurry,” Don Eduardo urged. “’Tis possible that Diego is hard on our heels.”
He had no sooner uttered the words than a commotion on the quay shattered the murky night. Luca gasped in dismay when she spied Diego and a patrol of armed dragoons charging down the cobbled walkway.
“Stop them! Stop the pirate!” Diego cried, wielding his sword like a battle-ax.
“Hurry, oh, please hurry,” Luca urged breathlessly as they half-dragged, half-carried Morgan to the longboat.
Luca stumbled clumsily, hindered by her pregnancy. Without missing a step, Withers scooped her into his arms and placed her into the boat. Then he helped Crawford and Don Eduardo settle Morgan beside her. The boat shoved off without a moment to spare. Tears streamed down Luca’s cheeks as she bid her father a rushed good-bye.
“I love you, Father. You will always be welcome on Andros. I want my child to know his grandfather.”
“I will come, daughter,” Eduardo promised. “I may not have always shown it, but I love you.”
The longboat slid into the dense fog just as Diego and the dragoons reached the end of the quay. Diego rudely shoved Eduardo aside, cursing the thick, gray mist that aided the pirate’s escape.
From gathered at the corners of Diego’s mouth as he vented his rage. “They’re getting away! Shoot!” he ordered as the dragoons watched the boat disappear into the thickening mist.
“Stop!” Eduardo cried, desperate to protect his daughter. Ignoring Eduardo, the dragoons shouldered their muskets and fired blindly, reloading and firing until it became obvious that their prey was out of range.
“What have you done?” Diego shouted, rounding on Eduardo.
“For the first time in my life I considered my daughter’s happiness,” Eduardo said, choking back a sob. “She carries the Englishman’s child, you would not want her in that condition. She belongs with her husband. Luca gave her word that El Diablo will pose no danger to Spanish shipping in the future.”
“And you believe her?” Diego spat contemptuously.
“Sí,
I believe her. Let them be, Diego. As a consolation for your loss you may keep a generous portion of Luca’s dowry. Find yourself a wife worthy of your station.”
Diego recognized defeat and tried to make the best of it. “You are right, Eduardo. As much as I would have liked to have caught the pirate and presented his head to the king, I will settle for what you offer. I am too proud to want a woman carrying another man’s child. Unless El Diablo takes to the sea again, I will consider the matter closed.”
Eduardo bit back a smile. “Come back to the house with me and we will drink a toast to your health and prosperity.”
Wringing her hands, Luca hovered over Morgan like a mother hen, waiting for him to regain consciousness. Crawford, Withers, and Renalda stood behind her, lending their support.
“He’ll be fine, Luca,” Renalda assured her. “Stan said your Morgan is a strong man and has suffered worse in his time.”
Luca sent Renalda a watery smile. She had been too distraught to greet her friend properly, but after she was certain Morgan was out of danger they would have a joyous reunion.
Luca spoke to Renalda in rapid Spanish, which she knew neither Withers nor Crawford could follow. “Do you regret leaving Spain, Renalda? I know you were unhappy in the convent, but leaving the country of your birth can’t have been an easy decision to make. You still have family here.”
Renalda smiled wistfully. “I love my family, but I know them well. They will never change their minds about disowning me. I would have grown old and died in the convent before they relented. You and your pirate have given me a chance for a future. I will always be grateful. I hope you’re not angry with me for pressuring Morgan to take me with him. I have no money and nowhere else to go.”
“I’m glad, Renalda; it’s what I wanted. One day soon Andros will be populated with towns and people, and you will find a man to love. I’m sure of it.”
“I’m sure of it, too,” Renalda said, casting a shy glance at Stan.
“What are you two jabbering about?” Stan asked, placing his arm around Renalda’s narrow shoulders. His gesture was so possessive that no one could doubt Stan’s feelings for the Spanish miss.
“The future,” Luca said cryptically. “It suddenly looks very bright”
“Aye,” Stan agreed, his arm tightening around Renalda. He was startled to realize that he wanted the woman in his arms. Perhaps he and Renalda would find happiness together.
Moments later Morgan opened his eyes and smiled at Luca. When it became obvious that Morgan had eyes for no one but his wife, the others excused themselves and quietly exited.
Morgan reached for Luca’s hand, bringing it to his lips. “How did you get here?”
“We have my father to thank. He isn’t the demon you think he is. When he realized I carried your child and that I could be happy with no other man, he relented. We are still husband and wife, Morgan. I read the annulment document It states that the terms are invalid if I am carrying your child.”
“It doesn’t matter, I would have married you again.”
“I regret that one of Father’s ships was responsible for your family’s death and your enslavement, but I beg you to put that behind you and try to forgive him. It isn’t fair to hold him responsible for what each and every one of his ships did during their voyages.”
“I don’t want to talk about your father, sweetheart” Morgan murmured. “I’m willing to let bygones be bygones if he is. He brought you to me, and for that I’m grateful. Did I hear gunfire before I passed out?”
“Sí,
Diego brought the dragoons, but fog and darkness worked in our favor. We’re safe now. Stan has set a course for Andros. I can’t believe you came to Spain for me when the danger to you and your men was so great. You’ve given my countrymen no reason to love El Diablo.”
Morgan stared at Luca as if she had lost her senses. “Not come for you? How could I not, loving you as I do? You belong to me. I’ve risked my life for you many times in the past and will do so again should it become necessary. When you love someone the way I love you, no sacrifice is too great. Now I’ll have our child to love, too.”
Luca gave him a glowing smile. “I can’t believe you truly want our child. I was resigned to raise it by myself and love it enough for both of us.”
Tenderly he placed a hand on her swollen stomach. “I want this child as much as you do, sweetheart. Finally I’ll have a family of my own. Until I met you, that hard, bitter mass that beat within my breast couldn’t even be classified as a heart. Vengeance ruled my life and hatred dwelled in my soul. Now I am so filled with love I can find no room in my heart for any other emotion.”