Captive Pride (22 page)

“Matthew…are you sure?” She hated herself for asking, but she didn't want him doing it unless he was certain.

“Yes, Faith, I'm sure,” he replied with conviction.

Faith nodded in acceptance as her heart swelled with emotions. Just when she thought she'd discovered every wonderful thing about Matthew, she was surprised by another facet of his character. No longer was he just the fascinating, handsome nobleman who'd rescued her. Now she knew that he was definitely more deep than that. He had very real concerns, and he was willing to act upon them.

“I feel that my future is here in Boston, and I want to do whatever I can to make life better,” he told her, a tender note of understanding in his voice.

A thrill rushed through her as she considered his statement. He claimed openly that
his future was here in Boston,
and Faith hoped she was a part of that future.

“It will be better all around if I make contact with you directly and leave Faith and Ruth out of it,” Ben said.

“All right, but is there truly that much danger involved?” Matt wondered.

“There's really no way of knowing. There have been no overt actions against individuals yet, but who can say it will remain that way? With things just now reaching the fever pitch that they are, anything could happen, and at any time. I just want to be cautious so Ruth and Faith aren't put at risk. It's common knowledge that I visit here regularly. Though it's doubtful that anyone could make a connection between us simply because of the coincidence, I don't want to chance it.”

“I agree,” he replied seriously, “and I'll be waiting to hear from you. I'm staying at the Red Lion Inn.”

It was over an hour later when Matthew took his leave. He stood with Faith in the front hall, just out of sight of Ruth and Ben, who had discreetly remained in the parlor to give them a moment to themselves.

“Dinner was wonderful, Faith. Thank you for the invitation.” Matt knew he should go, but his need to kiss her had become almost overpowering. He had been anticipating this moment all evening. Now that they were ostensibly alone, he wanted to take advantage of the moment.

“I'm glad you were able to come, Matthew.” Her voice was soft, her lips moist and parted, and her turquoise eyes were sparkling in unspoken invitation.

“So am I.” His voice was husky as, at last, he gave in to the desire to hold her close.

Faith went into his arms without pause and, looping her arms about his neck, accepted his kiss with open pleasure. Matt, feeling her willingness, tightened his arms about her, bringing her even closer. The encounter was bliss-filled paradise for them both as they surrendered to the beauty of what was happening between them.

The perfect wonder of it was almost painful, and when they broke apart, they were each stunned by the power of their own feelings. It was then that Faith knew without a doubt that she loved Matthew, for there could be no other name for the emotion that throbbed so vibrantly and demandingly within her. Matt, too, realized the depth of the emotion that filled him. He stared down at Faith in silent, cherishing awe, realizing that his entire future happiness rested with this small woman he still held in his arms.

“When can I see you again?” Matt asked, his eyes dark with passion's denied intent.

“I don't know….” she responded, still slightly breathless from the ardency of their kiss. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” he repeated, before bending to kiss her once more. This time, mindful of his own surging desire and Ben and her mother in the other room, Matt kept the embrace quick and sweet. “I'll see you then,” he told her, and then he was gone, leaving Faith spellbound in his wake.

As Matt made his way on foot through the narrow streets of Boston on his way back to the inn, he was totally unaware of the furtive figure who'd emerged from hiding near Faith's house to follow him.

Ben and Ruth looked up as Faith reentered the parlor.

“Has Matthew gone, Faith?” Ruth asked.

“Yes Mother. He just left, but he said he'd be back to see me tomorrow,” she told her dreamily.

“That's wonderful, dear. He's a very nice young man. I like him,” her mother told her.

“I like him, too, Mother,” she replied. “And I was right about him, wasn't I, Ben?”

“I believe you were, Faith. He seems everything you thought him to be. I wouldn't have been so open with him about the meeting this week if I hadn't thought he was truly interested.”

“Good. Well, I think I'll go to my room.” Faith was pleased that Matt had passed Ben's scrutiny. Ben had become a sort of surrogate father figure for her since her own father's death, and his approval of Matt meant a lot to her. “Good night, Ben. Good night, Mother.”

“Good night.”

When she'd gone Ben glanced to where Ruth was sitting. He had to take extra care not to let the depth of his emotions reflect in his expression. He had loved Ruth Hammond for as long as he could remember. His love for her had been born when he was a young and bashful lad, and it had endured unflaggingly through her subsequent marriage to his best friend.

Not that Ruth had ever had a choice in the matter. She had never known of Ben's true feelings for her because he had always been too insecure to profess them to her. He had silently suffered through the years, worshipping her from afar.

Ben had been struck by a terrible guilt when Robert had died so violently and so unexpectedly, for, though he mourned his best friend, he could not deny that he still coveted Robert's wife. The resulting misery had left him trapped in his world of unrequited love and had seen him devoting himself to Ruth in friendship only, never offering her the treasured love he kept locked privately within him.

“I guess I'd better be going, too,” he said a bit edgily as he fought down the need to tell her everything.

“I'm glad you were able to join us tonight, Ben. You know how Faith and I look forward to your visits,” Ruth told him pleasantly.

Inwardly, Ben groaned at her statement—
Faith and I look forward to your visits
. Despondently he wondered if she would ever come to think of him as more than a good friend. He gritted his teeth as he answered, “I'll be in touch with you during the week.”

“That'll be fine,” she said simply, and then added, “Matthew seemed quite smitten with Faith, don't you think?”

“He certainly did, but I just wonder if it will ever come to anything. Even though he seems personable enough, he is still a nobleman,” he offered in the way of counsel.

“I know,” Ruth sighed a little unhappily. “I think they'd make a most handsome couple, and I can tell Faith cares deeply for him, but you're right. Matthew Kincade is an English lord, and the differences between them are great.”

Ben wanted to take Ruth in his arms and tell her not to worry, that everything would turn out for the best, but he knew he didn't have the right. Instead he merely reached out and patted her hand.

“I'm sure if they're meant to be together, things will work out.”

“I hope so,” she agreed as they both stood and started out of the room.

“I'll be in touch,” he told her as they paused by the front door. He struggled with the urge to tell her the truth of his feelings for her for a long moment. Then he finally gave up the attempt and said rather awkwardly, “Well, good night, Ruth.”

“Good night, Ben.”

Ruth watched him from the doorway until he was out of sight down the street and then turned quietly back into the house, her expression slightly forlorn. Somehow, when Ben was there with them, life seemed real again, but when he left…it was almost like the warmth went out of the day. She wondered what her life would be like if he never had to leave. Irritated for thinking such foolish thoughts, Ruth scolded herself for even imagining that Ben might want to be more than just their friend, and she busied herself with tidying the house.

Matt was in a fine mood as he entered the inn, and he directed Polly to send up a hot bath and a bottle of wine to his room. So great was his excitement over his newly discovered love that he bypassed his own chambers and sought out Noah in his. Things had not been comfortable between them since they'd argued after the ball, and he wanted to tell him now all that had happened in hopes that they could come to an understanding.

“Yes, what is it?” Noah's voice rang out sharply in answer to his knock.

“It's Matt, Noah.”

“Come on in,” he called out, and Matt entered the room to find his brother and Lyle involved in a game of cards.

“Would you like to join us, Matthew?” Lyle invited, his eyes alive with good humor.

“Yes, how about it, Matt? It would be a relief to let this harbor rat pick your pockets for a while. He's already taken me for well over ten pounds.”

“So I'm picking your pockets, am I?” the sea captain challenged with mock outrage.

“I wish it were true,” Noah grumbled easily. “I've known for years that I was no match for you at the tables, but I'd hoped that my luck had changed.”

“It's not luck, it's talent,” Lyle explained pridefully with a wide smile as he counted the money before him. “What'll it be, Matthew?”

“I think I'll pass on the game,” Matt wisely declined, and he smiled at their disappointment.

“Then I'll have to find some other pockets to pilfer,” the captain jested, and took his leave of the brothers.

After a pause, Noah turned to Matthew. “Was there something you wanted to see me about?” he prompted.

Though he and Matt had worked closely together on board the
Lorelei
the day before, they'd had little to say to each other. Noah had known that it was unusual for him to be so quiet, but he had assumed that Matt was just having trouble accepting that he had laid the law down about their returning to England. Now, since Matt had made the first move in initiating conversation between them again, he felt it was time to work at drawing him out.

“By the way, where've you been? We were looking for you earlier,” Noah asked.

“That's all a part of what I wanted to speak with you about,” he replied, moving to stand by Noah's window. Parting the drapes and glancing out across the darkened city in the direction of Faith's house, he hesitated in what he was about to say.

“Yes, what is it?” Noah sensed that what Matt had to tell him was of some import and turned his full attention to him.

“I've made my decision, Noah.” Firm in his resolve, Matt turned away from the window to face his brother.

“Decision?” He was instantly tense as he recognized more than a little of the legendary Kincade determination reflected in Matt's unyielding expression.

Unconsciously, Matt squared his shoulders as he prepared for what he knew was about to come. “Yes, about returning to England…I'm not going, Noah. My future is here, in Boston, and this is where I want to stay.”

“What?” Noah exploded. He had thought the matter settled, and now…“How can you even conceive of such an idiotic idea?” he demanded in his most imperious tone.

No longer an impressionable youth to be cowed by such a display from his big brother, Matt gave no ground. “I can conceive of such an ‘idiotic' idea because the woman I love is here.”

“The woman you love?” Noah was incredulous.

“Yes. I love Faith Hammond and I intend to marry her; if she'll have me, that is.”

“You what?”

“You heard me, Noah. I don't think it's necessary to repeat myself. As to where I've been today, I've been at the Hammond home dining with Faith and her mother, Ruth.”

“How can you even think of marrying Faith Hammond? She's the chit you rescued off the streets….”

“I resent your implication.” Matt stiffened.

“Have you proposed to her yet?” he challenged quickly.

“No, not yet, but—”

“No ‘buts' about it. You can just forget any plans you had for marriage, young man. You won't be marrying any wench from the colonies. I'll see to that!” He was almost bellowing as he came to his feet, nearly upsetting the card table he was sitting at.

“Like hell you will!” Matt countered, not about to allow Noah to bully him.

“What did you say?” Noah's eyes narrowed in anger and his fury was barely leashed as he regarded him.

With cold precision, he answered, “I am going to marry Faith Hammond, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me. I had hoped you would understand, but…”

Noah felt the breach between them widening, and he suddenly feared losing his brother altogether. Matt was the only person he had left in the world. They were family. He'd had their future planned…. They were going to work together to reclaim the family fortunes…and now…

“Matt, what about our plans? What about Kincade Hall? Don't you want to go back home and set things to rights?” He changed his tactics, knowing that to argue further would only serve to make him more stubborn and resentful.

“I know that it's important to you, Noah, and I respect your desire to do it, but I've found that there are other things more essential to my happiness than money or possessions.”

“You won't be able to live long without them, little boy,” he snapped, but Matt was unfazed.

“I've told you before how I felt about the colonies…. Everything is so fresh and new here. We still own two ships. We could make a decent living from the
Lorelei
and the
Pride
. Let's rebuild our heritage, but let's do it here in the Americas. The opportunities for growth and development are endless.”

Noah scowled, not wanting to listen to anything he was saying. “We will rebuild our heritage where it belongs! At Kincade Hall.”

“If you choose to do so, that's your decision and not mine. I've made my choice—it's Boston,” he answered grimly as he strode to the door.