Pirate's Bride (Liberty's Ladies) by Lynette Vinet Read Free Book Online Page A

forced to not show weakness. She was so young, so very young.
    He shook himself, deciding he was veering from. his reason for being here. He mustn’t allow the girl to get to him. Guiltily he realized that her future rested in his hands now, and he had no clear idea what he should do beyond following his plan to leave Woodsley and never look back. Briston Shipping, in part, legally belonged to him now. He’d followed the terms of his mother’s will and married Lady Bethlyn. No one could deny he’d honored his mother’s request. But he didn’t want a wife, Bethlyn Talbot or any woman who’d cling to him, to be dependent upon him for her happiness. The fact of the matter was that he felt unable to love and couldn’t set himself up as his father, a man betrayed by the wife he adored.
    As Ian poured another helping of wine, Talbot and Eversley entered the room. Eversley stood respectfully at a distance, playing the faithful solicitor to the hilt. Ian wanted to laugh at the man, suspecting that Eversley would knife the earl in the back if the man ever caught on to his pilfering. However, Ian didn’t care if Eversley stole from the earl’s accounts, as long as he never attempted to steal from Ian’s coffers. It was agreed that Briston Shipping would be run like two separate companies, under one name. As long as the British end was run adequately well, Ian didn’t worry about Thomas Eversley. In fact, if the crafty Thomas could steal funds from under the earl’s nose, Ian wished him luck.
    Talbot crossed the room to stand beside Ian. He inclined his head. “A physician has examined your wife. He finds she has caught a malady, peculiar to the servants of late. He feels that within a week she’ll be well and able to travel. I trust you’ll be comfortable at Woodsley until then.”
    Ian placed the wine goblet on the mantel and squarely faced his father-in-law. “Thank you for your hospitality. However, I shall be forced to decline.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    The moment for which Ian had waited was now at hand. His palms perspired with anticipation. He spoke calmly, without emotion, like the earl. “Quite simple. I leave immediately for London to sail home. I’ve a shipping company to maintain, as you well know. The company was the reason for this unfortunate union between our families.”
    “You can’t leave, man,” Eversley broke into the conversation. “The will stated…”
    “Only that I marry the earl’s daughter, which I have dutifully done,” Ian spoke sharply to Eversley. “No one can fault me. I lived up to the terms of my mother’s will.”
    Nathaniel’s mouth quirked into a scowl. “If you think to pawn the girl off on me after you’ve made her your wife … well, I won’t allow it.”
    “She is your daughter, sir. A fact I think you have conveniently overlooked many times in the past. How can you stand there and see your only child bartered and practically sold to me as a wife? She is barely out of the nursery and not ready for the intimacies of marriage.”
    “What difference does age make?” Thomas asked. “The girl simply lies there and does her duty by you.”
    Ian turned on Thomas, a fire in his eyes which belied the calmness of his voice. “You’re a crass fellow for all your polished manners, Thomas. She is a human being, not some commodity to be bought and sold. The girl is abed with an illness. How do you expect me to take her to wife now?” His piercing gaze moved towards the Earl. “I wonder, Your Grace, if you have purposely saddled me with an ailing wife.”
    Nathaniel Talbot surprised Ian then by laughing a deep hearty laugh, his eyes holding a hint of respect for Ian. “I assure you that my daughter will recover in due time. It appears I underestimated Jessica’s son.”
    “It would seem so,” Ian said stiffly.
    “You’ve bested me, son. I didn’t think you had it in you. “
    “I’m not your son.” Ian’s voice contained contempt, something which