Andrea Kane by Legacy of the Diamond Read Free Book Online Page A

it outright, but as you know, I have no money.”
    “Loan you a vessel,” the earl repeated quietly. “So you can seek out the pirate who killed your father and run a sword through his belly.”
    Courtney’s jaw dropped.
    “I understand what you’re feeling.” Lord Pembourne continued, addressing her obvious astonishment. “Only too well, in fact. I’ve experienced your sense of rage firsthand. But trust me; what you’re planning won’t erase what’s happened. Nor will it ease the agony of losing your father.”
    “I don’t care.” This time the tears spilled forth of their own volition. “I’m going to find that rogue, find him and kill him. And then I’m going to travel from one ocean to the next until I recover Papa’s body. He deserves a proper burial. On that grassy hill in Somerset beside Mama. Where they can be together. Oh, God…” Courtney dropped her face into her hands. “Why couldn’t I have died with him?”
    The bed sagged as Lord Pembourne sat down beside her and gathered her against him with none of the hesitation that had accompanied his previous gesture of comfort. “Because you weren’t meant to die,” he murmured, gently stroking her hair, “although I know how little solace that affords you right now.”
    “If I’m meant to live, it can only be to avenge Papa’s death.”
    “Miss Johnston—Courtney—listen to me.” The earl spoke softly, his breath brushing the bandage spanning her brow. “You’re badly hurt. It will be a week before you’ve healed enough to stroll the grounds, much less traverse the English Channel. Also, as I just said, vengeance is not nearly as sweet as it seems.” He drew a sharp breath, and Courtney had the strange feeling it was not merely she he was trying to convince. “Now that I’ve said all that, I offer you this promise: we’ll find your father’s killer, not only for your sake, but for mine.”
    Courtney leaned back, gazing up at him through watery eyes. “For your sake?”
    “Yes. Whoever that murdering pirate was, he did not work alone. I’m certain of it. And whoever helped him devise his plot did it for more than just the black diamond.”
    “You’re referring to the reasons behind your sister’s kidnapping.”
    “That’s the puzzle here. There was no kidnapping.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “Earlier today, mere minutes after you drifted off, Aurora strolled through Pembourne’s entranceway doors. She’s as intact as I. Evidently, boredom compelled her to take a jaunt to London in order to experience a taste of the Season.”
    Courtney blinked. “I see. No, actually I don’t see.”
    A faint smile touched the earl’s lips. “Nor do I. However, perhaps once you’ve met my sister, you will. Aurora is not what one would call a complacent young lady.”
    “But if she went willingly to London, why were you receiving ransom notes?”
    “My question exactly. Further, how could a single person—namely, the pirate who killed your father—have had ample time to observe and recognize Aurora, send the appropriate letters to Pembourne, then board a ship, sail forth until he reached yours, overtake it, and hold your crew captive for several days?”
    “It isn’t possible.” Courtney shook her head. “The Isobel was en route to the Colonies, three days out of port, when he made his attack. That means he had to be sailing at least that long, even if he knew our exact location and followed us. Not to mention the time it would take him to conceal his own vessel and row out to the Isobel under cover of darkness.”
    “And why would he be keeping track of your ship’s whereabouts, much less following you? Even if he already knew of your existence and of your resemblance to Aurora—a farfetched enough idea, given that Aurora doesn’t appear in public—he’d have no cause to act until he spied Aurora in London and realized she was vulnerable. And that’s assuming he’d already devised his plan and was simply waiting