Within a Captain's Treasure (25 page)

While Isabelle understood her initial refusal, she continued to argue Emerson’s merits. After all, he was here. While he couldn’t replace the man she’d loved and left behind, he was obviously taken with her. He’d provide a good life for her. She should at least consider him.

It was all too much for one day. A bath awaited her. She looked forward to a simple evening, a quiet meal, perhaps a cooling stroll through the garden, and her bed.

Alice lowered herself into a tub of tepid water and sighed. The water refreshed her after the sticky, gritty film of the humid day. Verbena soap filled the tub with its sweet lemon scent as she washed the stress of the day away. Leaning her head back against the rim of the tub, Alice closed her eyes.

For the first time in weeks, images of Gavin didn’t fill her mind and bring a painful ache to her chest. She’d barely thought of him today. Only that once. She’d seen a boy in town with corn-silk colored hair, which shone bright in the afternoon sun.

Gavin’s hair was fine like silk slipping through her fingertips. Unqueued, it brushed his shoulders. It tickled her cheek when he leaned over her and kissed her. Trailed along her skin as he moved along her body.

Alice groaned. “Fine. Twice. I’ve thought about him twice.” She dunked her head under the water and blew bubbles full of frustration.

A roll of far-off thunder announced the coming of a storm as Alice dressed for dinner. She’d chosen the lightest weight dress she had in her wardrobe. The top was done in a delicate cream cotton, trimmed in a fall of lace along the neckline that dipped off the tops of her shoulders and ended in a wide lace ruffle at the elbow. The bodice nipped in her waist before flaring into deep rose skirts that fanned into a small train behind her.

Having foolishly wet her head, there was no time to do her hair properly. Instead, she pulled it off her neck, pinned its length atop her head, and left the ends to dry into soft curls.

Warm and flushed, Alice’s cheeks were pink when she looked at her reflection. The heat in the room was cloying and airless. Another rumble of thunder gave her hope the storm might bring changing winds.

She hurried into the parlor. “I’m sorry I’m late. Forgive me.”

Carlton Whitmore stopped pouring his drink. “Alice, you look lovely this evening. Did Isabelle ruin the surprise?”

“Surprise?” Alice turned to Isabelle.

Isabelle sat on the settee. “That dress is the perfect shade for you.” Her voiced pinched. “I adore what you’ve done with your hair.” Isabelle gave her a small tight smile and did her best to study the contents of her wineglass. “D-don’t you agree, Emerson?”

Alice spun around to find a dimpled Emerson smiling at her. The royal blue of his waistcoat looked striking against the silver of his vest and the black of his breeches. Her breath caught in her chest, but she was quick to recover. “Mister Blake, I had no idea you were joining us. Again.”

He moved to kiss the back of her hand and spoke quietly. “I thought we’d agreed you’d call me Emerson?”

“That was before I realized you would take it as encouragement,” she replied as she pulled her fingers from his grasp.

Emerson chuckled. “Touché.”

A flash of lightning lit the room followed closely by the sharp clap of thunder. Isabelle rose and went to the window. “Our wish for rain is to be granted. I do hope the storm brings in cooler air.” Another bolt cracked the sky. “I should run up to the nursery and check on the children. Rebecca is terrified of thunder storms.”

“I’ll go,” offered Alice. Any excuse to be away from the persistent Mister Blake.

“Thank you, but times like these are sometimes best handled by a mother.”

“Of course.” Alice nodded.

“I won’t be long. Carlton, pour Emerson another drink.” Isabelle motioned to a servant. “Have Cook send in a tray of small bites.” She patted Carlton’s arm as she past. “That will tide you over until I return. I’ll hurry, I promise.”

Alice moved to Isabelle’s place at the window. Dark clouds churned overhead. Lightning still danced within waiting for its chance to bolt to the ground. The winds had risen and whipped at the landscape. Trees bent and swayed like…like a mast.

In the reflection of the glass, Alice relived the scene from another storm. Jessup’s sneer, her hands as she clung to the ropes of the rigging. Sliding inch by inch across the yardarm. She shivered. Then waking up in Gavin’s arms. When his mouth met hers. The sight of his naked body. The delicious sensation of his skin against hers. “Okay, three times,” she muttered under her breath, “I’m not counting anymore.”

“Pardon?” Emerson stood behind her with a glass of wine. He handed it to her.

Alice took hold of the goblet, and turned away from the window. “Nothing.”

Emerson’s gaze swept her face. “You look miles away.”

“Thousands.” Alice took a strong swallow of her wine.

He scanned the clouds himself. “I enjoy a good thunderstorm, don’t you?”

Alice stepped away from him. “Oh, yes. Of course, it’s one thing to experience it watching from a parlor window. Quite another aboard a rolling ship.”

“Did you have many storms on your crossing?” asked Carlton.

“There was one I’ll never forget.” Alice swallowed more of her wine.

A tray arrived and Carlton attacked it hungrily. Both Alice and Emerson shook their heads when he offered the appetizers to each of them. He popped another morsel into his mouth. “All the more for me.”

The wind outside grew stronger and lifted the sheer drapes at the window. Then the rains came, pouring hard and fast. A heavy gust carried it into the room through the open window. Alice was quick to shut out the sudden flood.

Isabelle was back wearing a bemused expression. She smiled at Alice.

Alice raised her eyebrows in question. “Are the children all right?”

“More than all right.” Isabelle retrieved her drink. “I don’t know what you’ve done with Rebecca, but in the short time you’ve been with us, she’s gone from a timid waif to being quite plucky. I haven’t seen her suck her thumb in days.” She spoke to Carlton, “I went upstairs expecting to find her upset and crying. She’s always so frightened by the thunder. What I found was she and Brighton debating whether thunder was God throwing rocks or clouds yelling at one another. She told me she believed it was the clouds because everyone knows they cussed a blue streak.”

Alice smirked behind her wineglass.

“That reminds me,” added Carlton. “Stable manager told me he found Rebecca happily feeding carrots to King’s Knight yesterday. Said the beast was gentle as a foal with her.”

They all turned to look at Alice for some explanation. “Rebecca just needed to find her courage. I simply planted the seed. She’s blossomed.”

“Like a magnolia tree in June,” puffed Isabelle. Catching sight of her husband snatching more appetizers, she took his arm and steered him toward the dining room. “Please, let’s go into dinner before my husband eats the painted flowers off the platter.”

Alice was grateful for the width of the Whitmore’s grand dining room table to keep the ever-present Mister Blake on his side of the room.

“Did you tell them we ran into each other in town?” Emerson cut into his entrée of tender sliced beef. Alice shook her head. To Carlton he added, “The navy’s presence there was much more obvious today. Shop owners say it’s been a boon to their business. That was before the news came regarding the
Hampshire
, however.” He took a bite of his meal. Dabbing his mouth with his napkin, he continued to explain. “The
Scarlet Night
struck again. Crippled the
Hampshire
and left her adrift off the Carolina coast.”

“Can no one stop these freebooters?” demanded Carlton.

Emerson continued, “There have been half a dozen pirating ships caught since the patrols were increased. Quinn’s been lucky up until now. His luck is about to run out.”

The smug arrogance in his tone triggered Alice’s temper. “Did you ever think perhaps it isn’t luck that keeps the
Scarlet Night
from being captured? Captain Quinn and his crew are just more skillful than you give them credit for.”

Emerson gave her a patronizing smirk. “I’m sure to you, it might appear that way, but I assure you there is no greater force than the British Navy.”

She raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Evidently not, if they can’t catch one small ship.”

Emerson leaned forward and pointed at her with the tip of his knife. “Just because they rescued you from the
Delmar
and didn’t slit your lovely throat doesn’t mean they deserve any of your loyalty, Alice.”

“Emerson, I’m sure Alice holds no loyalty to those scoundrels.” Isabelle attempted to soothe the conversation.

Alice shrugged a shoulder and went back to dinner. “I respect them for being accomplished seamen and for treating me kindly.”

“You can’t be serious.” The man snorted. “They’re vicious cutthroats.”

Alice tightened the grip she had on her fork. The man was insufferable. “How cutthroat must they be if they let me go?”

Emerson stopped eating and looked at her as if she were mad. “Isabelle saw your bruises when you arrived. How was that treating you kindly?”

“My bruises had nothing to do with them,” she shot back.

He used his knife to flick her comment aside. “They only let you go because you were worthless to them.”

Isabelle’s gasp gave sound to the force of the slap behind Emerson’s words.

The storm outside had gone as quickly has it had arrived. As had the minor skirmish at the table. An uncomfortable silence descended upon the room. The only sound was that of cutlery meeting china.

Alice emptied her wineglass and stood, dropping her napkin into her chair. “I’m sorry Isabelle. I need some air.”

“Alice—” Emerson was on his feet.

She held up her hand to stop him. “Please.”

Outside, the winds had made a decided turn. The air was crisp. Clean as crystal, while the last of the sun’s rays sparkled in the rain-scrubbed landscape. Flowers in the garden bowed, heavy with their drinks. Alice lifted her skirts to keep her hems dry.

Lights from the house spilled into the shadowed pathways and drew her away. Away from Emerson and his infuriating dimple. Sanctimonious twit. Alice stopped and closed her eyes and let the evening’s calm wrap around her.

Some tiny creature chirped in the fading light, and the cool breeze brushed the stray pieces of her hair against her neck. Alice folded her arms and dropped her chin to release the last bit of tension from her shoulders.

“Alice, I’m an opinionated bore. Forgive me.”

She hadn’t heard Emerson approach. She stifled a groan. “I don’t want to discuss it anymore.”

“Can you forgive me?”

Alice stepped away from him. “Fine, I forgive you.”

He followed her. “You know, I cannot remember the last time I argued with a woman.”

She stopped and spun on him. The man knew how to irritate her. She’d give him credit. “No, I’m sure you prefer your women to keep their mouths shut and their comments to themselves.”

“It wasn’t meant as an insult.” He raised an eyebrow at her and tipped one side of his mouth. The dimple flashed. “I rather enjoyed it.” He took an unwelcome step toward her.

Alice held up a hand. “You need to stop right there.”

“I can’t. You’ve bewitched me.” His eyes swept from the top of her head to her hems and back. “From the first moment. You’re quite unlike any woman I’ve ever met.”

She shook her head at him. The man needed to get this ridiculous notion of any kind of romantic future out of his mind. “Emerson—”

“Let me finish. For surely, if I do not say it now, I’ll lose my nerve.” He took her hand and dropped to one knee on the sodden ground. “Marry me, Alice.”

“No.” She jerked her hand away.

“Why not?” He looked stricken.

Alice covered her eyes with her hand. “Where shall I start the list?”

Emerson rose. Mud stained his knee. “Tell me your objections. There’s nothing we cannot overcome.”

“Let’s start with, you’re crazy.” She made another attempt to walk away.

He called to her retreating back. “Men act irrationally when they lose their heart.”

Alice stopped and sighed. She turned back to him. “You can’t love me. You don’t know me.”

“I know enough. I know you’re beautiful.” His hand swept the length of her. “Tonight, in this light, you take my breath away.”

“Beauty fades.”

“You’re intelligent and strong. I need a woman like you by my side. Together we could do great things.”

Alice chewed at her lip. “I’m not the type of woman you should wed. You’re a prominent member of this society.”

“Society be damned.” He flipped a hand.

She gave a bitter laugh. “You say that, but there’s no truth in it.”

“Is it because you’re employed by my friends? This isn’t England. Our class system is much less rigid.” He shrugged. “I don’t care about any of that. It’s you I care about.”

“Emerson, you have to believe me. You know nothing about me. There are things…in my past. Things I can’t undo.”

“You’ve made whatever it is larger in your mind. I can’t believe you’d do anything so damning. Tell me, please, I’ll ease your worries.”

“I can’t tell you this. It jeopardizes my life”—at his frown, Alice lost some of her bravado.—“here. It jeopardizes my life with the Whitmore’s.”

“The Whitmores adore you.” He moved closer and stroked her cheek with the back of his finger. “I adore you.”

Alice turned away, holding her forehead in her hand. “You’re not going to stop, are you?”

“No, my darling, I’m not. If it takes the rest of my life to convince you we are destined to be together, so be it.”

She lifted her chin and spoke directly into his eyes. “I love another man.” Alice could see her statement had given him pause.

He held her gaze. “Are you wed? Promised?”

Alice gave a quick shake to her head. “No, but—”

“Then he has no claim. Does he share your feelings?” When Alice said nothing in reply, a wide smile spread across Emerson’s face. “Then there is no problem other than the man is an idiot.” He took her hands again, kissed their backs, and looked deep into her eyes. “I will love you, Alice Tupper, and in time you—”