Justified Treason (Endless Horizon Pirate Stories, Book 1) (13 page)

“It is a beautiful night tonight,” he calmly observed.

Figuring he would not be up for such childish events, I aimed to keep a proper tone as I replied, “Yes it is.”

Disappointed by the dull contrast to my colorful feelings, I turned to look at him, resisting a pout, and I found myself suddenly near his handsome face. His lips made for a rather enticing target. The moment made the perfect setting for a kiss, but the rush of temptation was quickly replaced by a vibrant memory of
Sterling. I clearly saw the serious look on his face when he made his promise to be faithful to me, and the assurance of our commitment quickly halted my promiscuous desire.

Aiming to distract
Lawrence from my unspoken notion, I asked, “What is it that you do for fun?” I touched his nose with my fingertip, playfully prodding him along.  

Surprised to hear him chuckle at my silly gesture, I smiled as he spoke. “For fun? Oh
, I do like to read and to smoke cigars with my chaps. An occasional drink and…” Just as I started to doubt any sort of excitement from his answer he finished with, “…I think my favorite pastime would be target practice. I have a collection of guns and I intend to make a range on my property.”

“You don’t say?” I blurted my excitement. He seemed startled by my interest, but I refused to be denied the opportunity that was brewing in my mind, so I leaned in closer to him as I suggested, “I would be thrilled to practice with you, Lawrence.”

“I will have the range built right away.” The quickness of his answer assured the success of my persuasion.

I asked him questions about the guns and he assuredly explained his vast knowledge. We lingered on in jolly conversation as the storm drew near but once the rain started to fall, and the wind whipped through the garden,
Lawrence insisted upon getting me out of the weather. He took me in and kissed my cheek as he bid me goodnight.

X

The next day, I happily accepted Hester’s invitation to join her and Maureen at the market. While walking the avenues they gawked over beautiful outfits and ornate décor, and though their interest was outside of my usual intrigue, I attempted to chime in on their pleasures. Hester was admiring a large mirror and while she rubbed her hand across the beveled wooden frame, she spoke to me through her reflection. “Soon you will have a home of your own to furnish, Charlotte. You can start dreaming of what you would enjoy to have.”

I had never really thought into my future that way. Always having abstract visions of my adventuring life at sea, settling into a home with heavy furniture and colorful décor was a new prospect to me. Suddenly I saw the market in a new light. As I walked past the booth of colorful imported fabrics, I drifted off into the possibilities of this new rendition of my dreamland.

The pleasant enjoyment of my peaceful fantasy took a harsh detour when I noticed the wanted poster that hung outside the canopy I stood near.

WANTED

For Piracy and Pillaging

Captain Dedrick Morley

DEAD or ALIVE

The poster stated that his ship was called
Wind of Glory,
and a hefty bounty would be offered to the man that delivered him or any members of his crew.

There was a rough drawing of what the dreaded captain looked like and the mere image of the sketch pierced my heart with fear. I imagined how terrified Maureen must have been the evening that awful man attacked her, and was suddenly suffocated by the thought of
Sterling raising his sword to her while she laid helplessly on the floor. I was still unclear of the details, and I wanted more than anything to believe his words to me, but after all, the man I loved was a pirate; I began to wonder how much I could trust him.

My torrent of gut-wrenching worry was brashly interrupted by the feel of Hester’s gentle hand on my shoulder. I inhaled with a gasp of dramatic surprise and she rubbed my arm to calm me. “It will be alright, my dear. Maureen became empowered by her talk with us and was brave enough to relay the identities of those crooks to the guard. Apparently this captain’s crew has been causing problems in port as well as at sea, and Governor Morgan has great interest in putting an end to his abominable gallivanting.”

My heart steamed in a heat of panic. Knowing I could not relay my true concern, I meekly trembled, “Why is there only one poster? I thought there were two men.”

“The guards did some research and were able to find information on the captain but his associate was unheard of.”

I lowered my head into my hand and sighed. Hester led me away from the poster and reassured, “Do not dread, my dear. I do have faith that these men will be found and brought to justice.”

As we walked on, I struggled to shield my aching despair and agonized to myself about how
justice
was indeed what I dreaded.

I spent the evening on my veranda, and just as every night since Sterling sailed away, I anticipated his return. Many ships had come and gone since the
Wind of Glory
sailed away and my heart would flutter at the sight of each arrival. As of yet, my hopes had only lifted to fall in disappointment, but no matter the size of my let down, I was always pleased by the wonder of the spyglass. At least it simmered my anxiety sooner than waiting by eye.

After the sun set, the mere sliver of a moon
arose to remind me how I was halfway through the struggle. That is, if he returned to me alive. As much as I dreaded the thought, it was but one of the many worrisome possibilities that were running rampant in my mind. The reality of that Wanted poster put a whole new flare of fear on my worries over Sterling and his return. It was no longer just the weather, the bind with his captain, or the possibility of battle; now I feared the claw of the Royal Guard and the men that would hunt him for that bounty.

Certain that my mind would never rest until he was here to clarify my faith in him, and my faith in that promise that we made to each other, I agonized the distance to that day, while also stressing over all the impossible details of our future together. How was this ever going to work? Though I could hardly imagine relinquishing my memory of him, I began to question the painful cost of loving that handsome buccaneer as I did.

X

Wading through my morning in a spell of confusion, I nervously paced the sunlit floor of my room, pondering the recent events of my life. I was torn asunder by my two impossible lives. There was a new appeal to the life ashore that I had forever yearned to escape, yet my desire for the sea was so engrained in my daydreams that I knew it would never truly fade away.

Lawrence would be arriving soon, and without any more energy to bear the burden of my distress, I decided to make due with what I had and forced a smile as I headed downstairs to meet with him.

Lawrence
helped me into the carriage, and after offering a polite greeting, I stared blankly out the window to observe the pleasant scenery. The dirt road was still wet from the night’s rain, and the lush greenery that surrounded the path was damp with heavy morning dew. Gray clouds coated the sky, looking ready to drop more rain at any moment, but only lingered with a misty fog that began to dampen my skin. I did adore the comfort of my home island’s natural beauty, yet my attraction to the scene led me to wonder what other natural beauties must be out across the sea.

Lawrence looked alarmed by my silence. “Are you feeling alright, mi’lady?”

“Oh, yes. I am fine. I just did not sleep well.”

I could tell that he wasn’t sure how to respond to my awkward mood so he just sat next to me in pleasant silence until we reached his property.

No more than ten minutes into the ride, a stone wall appeared beneath the bushes on the left, and it quickly curved into an arched entryway that stated the name:
Eden’s Edge. Exchanging my sullen mood for a dash of interest, I perked up to take in the sight. I had passed this property many times but the surrounding foliage always blocked the view of the house, and I couldn’t wait to see what was beyond the gate that always intrigued me.

Soon enough the trees cleared to reveal my first sight of the tall and powerful mansion. There was a beautiful green lawn surrounding the front of the house, the windows were barred with wrought iron swirls, and the doors were painted a deep red color, accenting the otherwise neutral tones of the walls, shutters, and eaves. The covered porch followed the front length of the house and there were flowering bushes lining its edge.

“What a beautiful property, Lawrence.”

“Tis a wonderful place to call home. I do hope that you like it here.”

Shaken by his presumption, I simply nodded in approval as he helped me out of the carriage.

Lawrence
led me to the porch and the moment the double doors opened, my heart lit up like the sun that was nowhere in sight. The vaulted ceiling in the entryway was as high as the second story and there were narrow windows striped along the wall above the door, illuminating the room with the gray light of day. An ornate stairway practically decorated the rounded wall on the left, and the sound of our footsteps reverberated off the barren walls as he led me to the living area.

The dining hall and kitchen were to the left, and there was a long hall leading to other rooms on the right, but the main room was open and bright. There were a few pieces of furniture set around a colorful rug, but I was instantly allured to the large windows that overlooked the ocean view. Walking in that direction without much mind to the simple surroundings, I observed the grandeur of the scene before me with my jaw agape. There were lush trees surrounding the descent of the lawn and just over the top of them I could see the infinite horizon of turquoise water. As much as I loved the sight of the ocean, in my current state of mind it seemed to fill my heart with pain. I choked down the tears that welled in my throat and asked to see what was upstairs.

“I must warn you, Charlotte. There aren’t many furnishings up there yet. I have only begun settling in.”

“That’s quite alright. You will be surprised by the things that please me, Mister Braddock.”

He nodded to agree and led me up the curved stairway. There was a long hall lined with dark wooden doors and he let me peek inside each of the rooms. Though they were empty, they all shared a miraculous view of the ocean that left them feeling full of light and promise.

All the way to the left of the hall there was a closed double door. Completely enticed by the intrigue, I walked behind
Lawrence anticipating the mystery that would unveil as the doors opened. The moment Lawrence turned the nob, the hall floor illuminated with a vibrant stretch of light, and he fanned his hand to welcome me into his master suite.

There was but a plain wooden bed frame with a night table by one side, an ornate armoire, and one simple chair against the wall, but the full length windows surrounded a glass veranda door that opened out to a covered porch. “This room is miraculous,
Lawrence.” I exclaimed my delight, but he lowered his eyebrow and attempted to excuse his lack of décor.

While walking over to open the veranda door I assured, “It is stunning in simplicity,
Lawrence. And what more would you ever need in life when you have a view like this.”

He flashed me a stunning smile and I suddenly felt a hint of romance tugging me in his direction. I once again resisted the promiscuous urge, but I did begin to wonder what it might be like to kiss him. Then my wandering mind even went as far as to imagine being with him in the bed that he stood before. He was terribly handsome and his place was divine. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to settle in and make a home with him.

Shaking the tempting visuals out of my mind, I opened the veranda door. A misty breeze hit my face, blowing my hair all about, and I welcomed the sensation with open arms. The house was up on a hill and the second story was high enough to overlook the treetops, so the view displayed a clear sight of the coast. Standing with my hands on the rail I imagined that I was in the crow’s nest, and with the wind brushing through my hair, I found myself in envy of the breeze; for it was free to go wherever it wanted.

In the gray light of day that illuminated through the cloud cover, the ocean coated the earth with a dark glassy glare, but the sand along the shore looked warm, white and inviting. Then with my very eyes I saw the spot on the beach where
Sterling laid me down, and I was suddenly surrounded by the power of his memory. The contrast of my dilemma stung me with a terrible pain, and I looked to the right as if I was fighting to escape the lure of his aura, but in that direction I saw the line of rocky coast that I had first seen with him that night in the moonlight. By the lay of the land I could tell that the lagoon he took me to would be a mere twenty-minute walk through the forest. Even if I chose to accept this gracious life that I was being offered, the beautiful view would be a constant reminder of my love for Sterling Bentley. 

Lawrence
came up behind me and gently placed his hand on my shoulder. “Come my dear, I have something else to show you.”

We walked out to the back yard where there was a covered patio and a white pavilion in the center of the lawn. The layout was just as stunning as the rest of the house, but to my greatest pleasure, he led me over to his shooting range. A long flat stretch of imported sand lined the path towards a tall stack of hay bales, and I could see there was a work in progress to lay levels for farther targets.