Her Favoured Captain by Francine Howarth Read Free Book Online

daunting. If it was Ned she
feared his wrath, but he could not hurt her any more than he already had. If
Moorby, she would have to surrender herself to him. He might think of her as
his, for he would have her body. Her heart, though, would forever remain at
Penhavean with Tobias, and a little of it somewhere at sea. For no matter her
buccaneer’s desertion he had un-knowingly stolen a piece of her heart.
       The house before her, she stepped up to the
door fearing the worst. It was suddenly flung wide, Ned standing before her.
“Where, where have you been?” She sensed him despairing their fate. “Have you
any idea what has happened?”
       “Of course I have, but we can get word to
him, can we not? I shall apologise for my late return from a walk.”
       “You saw him leave?”
       There was no point telling an absolute lie.
“I did, and would have hailed him had I ascended the steps by the bridge before
his carriage passed beyond my calling.”
       “We are ruined, Emerald, ruined, and I
could not, try as might, get Moorby to withdraw his claim upon you. I offered
him the best of the horses, offered him things of value from the house, and he
laughed in my face. He will see you sold to the highest bidder, and no amount
of begging will have him reconsider you as his wife. Had you allowed the man a
kiss and grope he would have escorted you to London a happy man.”
       “Is that what you think, really, think Ned?
Because if you do then you are a much bigger fool than I had come to realise.
That beast, that utterly despicable beast molested me with every intention of
having me as you intended the other night when drunk.”
       “Rape, tried to rape you?” Tears welled in
Ned’s eyes, and for the first time since his return from war he reached for
her, drew her into his arms and sobbed in her hair. “I am so sorry, so sorry.
Believe me, Emerald, if I could take back every harsh word I have thrown your
way I would. If I could bring back Tobias, I would. If I could take away that
night in which I acted no better than Moorby, I would. But this debt on IOU to
the earl I cannot honour, cannot raise sufficient funds.”
       “Ned, please,” she said, tears flooding
forth, “think, think hard. There must be legal recourse to prevent trade of a
woman in exchange for money. I am not a slave owned by the earl. I am a lady of
rank.”
       Ned drew breath and let slip his tight
hold, his eyes once again revealing the old Ned she had so loved before his
becoming a soldier. “My head is so full of suffering and misery, Emerald, that
I dare not think, dare not let myself lapse into memories. Wine deadens the
senses, and affords this ungodly wretch at least some restful state of
oblivion.”
       “What ever demons you have, Ned, you need
to fight them, not allow them to overwhelm and consume your every waking
thought.”
       “Easier said than done, Emerald, but you
are right, there has to be a way to stop Moorby, even if I have to call him to
a duel in order to pig-stick him as he deserves.”
       “No Ned, not that.”
       “Then what?” he asked, clasping her hand,
as together they strolled toward the blue room. “Would you rather I stab him
down a dark alley. He frequents enough in search of gambling dens, as I well
know.”
       “We need a lawyer.”
       “I cannot afford a lawyer, Emerald. We have
no money.”
       “I have my jewels, and mother’s. Enough for
a lawyer, I feel sure.”
       Light came to Ned’s eyes, as though a
shadow of despair had slipped from his face. “I had quite for-gotten about
mother’s jewels.”
       “Just as well, in consideration of your
recklessness in gambling away the roof over our heads and my . . .”
       “Emerald, can you not see how sorry I am
for what has happened?” he said, cutting her dead. “I have long hated the
loathsome creature that has settled within me. I have on occasion thought to
end the pain and the suffering of its