Karen Michelle Nutt (9 page)

“Keldon?”

Was she dressed? A part of him hoped not.

“Keldon?”

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he answered her. “Aye. I am listenin’.”

“How did we meet?” Her voice floated over him like a soft caress.

What did she expect him to say? All he knew, he couldn’t remain in the same room with her much longer, and still keep his pride. “It’s late,” he ignored her question. “We best be gettin’ some sleep before the sun rises.” He turned to face her. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed. She wore the nightgown he’d given her. “Go to bed, Annabelle. I’ll take care of the fire.”

She looked like she was about to protest, but in the end she nodded, leaving him to his misery.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Over her breakfast of warm oatmeal, toast and tea, Arianna studied Keldon’s face, feature by feature, reacquainting herself with the man she had chosen to marry. She loved the way his dark hair waved right below his ears, and how dark thick lashes framed his cat-like green eyes. His muscles stretched beneath his white cotton shirt while his sun-bronzed skin peeked out from the collar and the cuffs.

Last night, she felt the undercurrent of attraction between them. She didn’t understand why Keldon denied them. She couldn’t sleep last night as she thought about the way his strong hands had touched her with such gentleness, and yet Keldon ordered her to bed as if he felt nothing. She knew his indifference to be a lie.

Had he always pushed her away? Was this why she took Nicholas Sherborn to her bed?

Keldon could feel her intent gaze upon him, and he fought the temptation to look at her. He found himself raging against a war of emotions that both confused, as well as excited him. With his heart, he despised Annabelle, but his traitorous body obviously didn’t give a damn.

Half in anticipation, half in dread, he lifted his head to look at her. Their gazes touched. All the loneliness and hurt welded together in one upsurge of devoured yearning. He fought his desperation to scoop her up into his arms and carry her upstairs. As if his own reaction wasn’t enough, he witnessed the same desire mirrored in the blue depths of her eyes.

A deep flush spread across her face, but she didn’t shy away. "Do we always eat in silence?” She broke his train of thought.

Perhaps he misread the meaning in her eyes. He sighed. Silence didn’t describe their relationship. Explosive would be more of the word he’d use.

"No’ verra often," he finally answered hoping it would suffice her.

Arianna put her spoon down with a clatter. “Just what do we talk about?”

Innocence surrounded her like a halo of beauty, angering him. He wanted to shake her into remembering what they had meant to each other, which had been nothing. They argued, they screamed, but they never had a civil conversation. He opened his mouth to tell her how she destroyed the promise of their love snuffing it out before it had the chance to flourish, but the hateful words choked in his throat. She waited, chewing on her lower lip as if she were afraid of what he’d say. He cursed. For a moment, he would have sworn he looked upon a stranger.

Leighton entered the room. He must have heard Arianna’s question and since Keldon couldn’t find his tongue, Leighton took it upon himself to lend a hand. "Ye speak of many things, the two of ye do.” Leighton sat down.

Keldon lifted his brow and pursed his mouth together in annoyance. What was Leighton up to?

"Like what?" Arianna persisted.

"Like what yer plans are for the day," Leighton answered as he dished out a large helping of oatmeal for himself.

Keldon’s eyes bore down on Leighton with a warning.

Arianna knew the look said keep quiet. Well, she didn’t want Leighton to hush up. She wanted to know more about her life and unfortunately, since she couldn’t remember any of it for herself, she had to rely on them. "What do we do all day? Do I work?”

Both Keldon and Leighton wore identical expressions. One would think she’d asked a humorous question. Well, she hadn’t. She folded her hands and waited.

Keldon cleared his throat. "Nay, ye have never worked a day in yer life."

She didn’t believe him. For heaven’s sake, she had to do something with her time. She felt the screams of frustration at the back of her throat, but she willed herself to remain calm. In a defensive gesture, she folded her arms across her chest, never taking her eyes off either one of them. "Please tell me then, what do I do?”

"Ye call on yer friends and they call on ye," Keldon said, as though she should know this.

Visiting friends, all day couldn’t be very fulfilling. “That’s all?”

"Aye.” Keldon nodded.

Arianna’s eyebrows came together as she absorbed this information. She wasn’t sure if she should believe him, but for the moment, she supposed she had no choice. "And what do you, two do?” She could barely wait to hear the story, for she knew they wouldn’t tell her they were pirates. She leaned forward in eager anticipation, watching the two men exchange worried glances.

"We take care of the plantation.” Her husband didn’t quite meet her gaze.

"I thought you had slaves for that," she countered thoroughly enjoying the man’s discomfort.

"Aye, but there are other things which require my attention.” Keldon squirmed in his seat.

"Oh.” She was silent for a moment and she was sure the men thought her curiosity had been satisfied. They were wrong. "Can I hang out with you, Keldon?”

Again, the two men exchanged bewildered glances. Leighton shrugged his shoulders indicating he had no idea what she was asking.

"What do ye mean by hang out?” Keldon braved to inquire.

She sighed. One would think she spoke another language. "You know hang out. Let me see what you do all day. Get reacquainted with each other. Maybe being with you will spark some kind of memory.” She leaned forward and lightly ran her fingers across Keldon’s arm.

He jumped out of his seat and the chair flew back, toppling to the ground.

“Are ye all right?” Leighton looked at Keldon then to Arianna.

No, he wasn’t all right. Keldon thought. What did Annabelle think she was doing? Touching him, asking to spend the day with him. Who was this woman? “Nay.” He couldn’t have her with him all day, especially with how he reacted to her last night and how she was looking at him now. Those looks were dangerous. “I have errands to run.” He wasn’t lying exactly. He planned to check on the heifer that was about to give birth. The poor beast was small and far too young to have an offspring. He anticipated a problem. When the heifer’s time came, he needed to be there to help.

Then Keldon knew of a way to be free of her. "This is yer day to visit the women in town. Ye do yer stitchin’."

"Oh.” Arianna sucked in a shallow breath and looked away. "I suppose I should follow my same routines."

"Aye, that would be best.” Keldon bent down and righted the chair, leaning against the back of it for support.

When Arianna finally went upstairs to gather up what she needed for her excursion, Keldon turned on Leighton. “What was with yer misleadin’ questions? Ye encouraged her to interrogate us.”

"Annabelle is far better no’ rememberin' how she once was. She’d be verra dangerous to us if she were her auld self. If she doesnae have her auld memories, then ye invent ones to serve our purpose."

"Ye want me to lie to her?” Keldon sat back down in his chair, not believing what he heard. He may not like or trust his wife, but he refused to stoop to falsehoods.

Leighton smiled, oblivious to how Keldon felt about his suggestion. "Aye. Ye ken me well. She’s yer wife. Ye must take care of her, so she doesnae trouble us."

CHAPTER NINE

Arianna looked around Elizabeth Prescott's antebellum style home. The woman had lavishly decorated the house, with mahogany Empire furniture with sweeping crests, delicately carved rosettes and rolled arms that had an additional bellflower design. The colors were subtle, celery green and pale peach with draperies to match and yet Arianna found the home as cold and unfriendly as her so-called friend.

The only person Arianna recognized at the stitching party was Elizabeth Prescott. The other women weren't even remotely familiar. She didn't know their names and she wasn’t even sure she cared. They weren't any better than Elizabeth with their snubbed-nose attitudes.

Horrified with the thought that these biddies were her friends, she had to force herself to smile and endure their company. They were shallow and insincere and the sooner she could distance herself from them the better. She was about to make her intended departure known, when one of the biddies said something, which actually caught her interest.

"They say this pirate is most handsome," the biddy with her light brown hair styled with ringlets, commented. "He is said to be like a ghost appearing out of nowhere. He wears a kilt and he always has his bagpipes a blaring."

"Bagpipes?” Arianna voiced before she could stop herself.

"Yes. He plays the most haunting music. Or so they say. The men are scared out of their wits that a phantom calls to them. Then the Highland Pirate boards the ships before the crew can raise their weapons."

Arianna's throat felt dry. She tried to swallow back the uneasy feeling choking her. "What do they call this pirate?"

"The Scotsman or the Highland Pirate of course. Where have you been, Annabelle Buchanan?"

Arianna felt faint. Trust the Scotsman. Those words haunted her dreams. She didn’t have to be a genius to derive a conclusion. She knew Keldon and the notorious pirate were one and the same. He was the Scotsman. How long would it be before everyone knew?

"He's just a man.” Elizabeth smirked. “Mark my words, they'll catch him and in the end they'll hang him for his crimes.”

Arianna shuddered inwardly at the thought.

"Elizabeth do you have to be so vulgar?" biddy two, a plump woman with dark hair and a cleft chin, voiced. She obviously enjoyed biddy one’s rendition of the fanciful figure.

For ten minutes, Arianna endured the agonizing maelstrom of how the Scotsman would meet his demise. She couldn’t stand it anymore. “Pardon me.”

All eyes fell on her with anticipation of a story.

She disappointed them. “I don’t feel well.”

“You do look a bit peeked.” Elizabeth agreed. “Would you like to lie down?”

“No,” she spurted out the word before she found herself stuffed in a bedroom. “I believe it would be best if I returned home now.”

Arianna raced out of Elizabeth Prescott’s house afraid the woman would call her back. She spotted Samuel leaning against the carriage. He stood up straight and his eyebrows drew together. She guessed he hadn’t expected her so soon. She didn’t care how she used to be. She’d changed and for the better. Samuel opened the carriage door for her. She lifted her dress and hopped into the compartment.

She straightened her dress and took a deep breath, hoping to calm her nerves. "Thank you, Samuel.”

His eyes widened.

“I’ve never thanked you before, have I?”

“No, Ma’am.”

She knew Samuel came and went as he pleased. “You’re not a slave are you?”

“I be a freedman.”

Annabelle smiled pleased at his response. “I’m glad.”

He frowned, but didn’t question her. “Is that all?”

“Yes. Please take me home, Samuel.”

He shut the carriage door.

"Samuel.” He turned to look at her with his dark brown eyes. "Will you do me a favor?"

"Yas'm.” Samuel nodded.

"Would you mind terribly if you called me, Arianna?"

Samuel brows rose high on his forehead.

“Please.”

"Miss Arianna, then.” He left her side and went to the front of the carriage to drive her home.

****

Arianna found Keldon in the stables. He sat on a stool cleaning his pistol. She probably shouldn’t disturb him, but he happened to glance up, his burning gaze holding her still.

"Ye're back early.” His voice held a note of surprise.

"Am I?” She shrugged her shoulders.

"Aye. Ye usually spend all day at the Prescotts.” He picked up the brush and started in on the bore of the gun.

Since he didn’t openly tell her to leave, Arianna decided to stay. She found a nice spot on a bundle of hay and continued to watch him work. She wondered if he brought the pistol with him when he went pirating. She shoved the horrific image aside and cleared her throat. "I don't believe I like those women very much.”