Pirate's Bride (Liberty's Ladies) (25 page)

However, when Hawk kissed her again and she opened her legs to him willingly and without reserve, her mind didn’t dwell on her departure and the world which awaited her away from Windhaven.

At the moment, Hawk was her world.

12

The longer Bethlyn stayed with Hawk, the harder it would be for her when she left him. During the week following the party, Hawk barely left her side. Their mornings and nights were filled with unbridled passion, and in the afternoons they walked the beach and played in the ocean. Bethlyn’s fair complexion turned a becoming shade of peach and her hair’s natural highlights gleamed, courtesy of the sun. Never in her entire life had she been this happy, this contented. Being with Hawk added a dimension to her life she’d never dreamed existed. During the long stretch of lazy days, she forgot she ever dreamed of escaping him and didn’t think about the future.

However, her idyllic existence dissolved one rainy afternoon. She and Hawk had finished making love when a loud knock at the door startled them. Hawk dressed quickly and went downstairs. As she pulled on her gown she heard Crane’s voice, and Bethlyn’s heart jumped with joy. Perhaps Mavis was with him!

Running headlong down the stairs, she suddenly stopped short. Crane stood, maskless, in the parlor, and for the first time Bethlyn got a good look at his face. Crane was as fair as Hawk was dark, and almost as handsome. She could see why Mavis had fallen in love with this privateer. If she would be honest with herself, she’d admit to Hawk that she loved him, and at that moment she vowed she eventually would. But she wanted Hawk to love her, too. However, Hawk turned and glared at her when she entered the room.

“Hawk, what’s the matter?” she asked, and gingerly moved towards him.

“You’re the matter.”

 “I don’t understand.”

He distractedly raked his dark hair with a bronzed hand then told Crane he’d meet him at the ship within the hour. “Let me make this clear to you, Beth,” he said after Crane had left and Bethlyn noticed that he seemed to be having a hard time controlling himself. “While I’ve been forced to hide away on this island, purposely to baby-sit you and keep you in line, Crane arrives and tells me that an American frigate was destroyed by the British and all hands who survived the attack were taken prisoner.”

“I’m sorry,” she broke in.

“Are you?” His voice sounded harsh, quite unlike the ardent lover who’d taken her to paradise only minutes ago.

“I hate for anyone to be killed or imprisoned.” Bethlyn felt bewilderment. “Why are you angry with me?”

Hawk pulled her against him, his fingers curling around her upper arm and digging into her flesh. “Because I believe you might be a better spy than I thought. At first, I wondered about the reason you pretended to be a doxy, a reason you’ve never answered, because God knows no doxy is a virgin. Then your clothes for instance. Granted, your gowns are rather plain, but they’re made from the finest materials. I don’t know how you came upon them, if you stole them or what, or…” Here he broke off and fingered the unadorned bodice of her yellow gown before tapping her lips with his index finger. “If someone financed your venture in the hope that my ship might happen to come into contact with
Nightingale
. You’ve been less than honest with me, Beth, and I can’t help but wonder if you purposely used your innocence to seduce me and pulled off my mask in the hope that I’d be forced to bring you here, that I would have to take charge of you personally. I’d be out of the way for a while, and the seas would be free of the
Black Falcon
while the British did their dirty work.”

Bethlyn’s mouth fell open, and it was some seconds before she could even speak. “You’re wrong. I never…”

“Quiet! I’m through with your lies.” Dropping his hold on her, he reached for a frighteningly long pistol which rested on the table beside a piece of parchment and placed it in the waistband of his trousers. Then he grabbed the parchment and began folding it into fourths before tearing it into pieces and allowing them to fall to the floor. He speared her with his gaze. “This is correspondence from General Washington. He advises to beware of a very beautiful enemy spy who gives the impression of being an innocent, but in reality she is one of the most capable British spies. No one knows her name. However, she is a well-trained actress, proficient with disguises. Thus, she is quite difficult to catch.” Hawk smiled, but his eyes held frosty condemnation. “I believe I have easily accomplished such a feat.”

Shaking her head in numb disbelief, Bethlyn reached for him. “You’re wrong, Hawk! I’m not a spy.”

“Then why were you on
Nightingale
?”

 “I … can’t tell you that.”

“I didn’t think you would.” Shrugging off her hand, he went to the window and called to Sparrow who waited on the beach. “Sparrow, take care of this young lady while I’m gone. In fact, guard her every hour of each day. I don’t want her taking it into her head to escape.”

Bethlyn heard Sparrow’s “Aye, aye, Captain,” and she watched in disbelief as Hawk moved menacingly toward her and pulled her against him.

With a groan, he swooped down like the bird of prey he emulated and greedily kissed her. She pushed against him, unable to breathe, barely able to think. She only knew that he wanted to humiliate her for something she hadn’t done. “Stop it!” she ground out from between clenched teeth. “You won’t treat me like a whore!”

Suddenly he laughed, a very harsh and grating sound to her ears, and pushed her away from him. “I treat you like a whore, because that is exactly what you are, sweetheart. You’re my whore. Hawk’s whore.”

She actually winced, and he laughed again before leaving her trembling figure in the center of the room.

~ ~ ~

Within the hour all of Hawk’s men assembled on the
Black Falcon
. Soon the ship slipped from its hideout and once again took to the sea. Hawk stood on deck without his mask, but he knew that as soon as the English warship, Jersey, was sighted, he’d once more don his disguise. The truth of the matter was that he’d grown weary of being Captain Hawk. The last few days with Beth had been some of the best of his life, and now he felt lonely and empty without her beside him. Gritting his teeth, he placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the horizon. He didn’t want to think about the deceitful little tart but he couldn’t seem to help himself.

Beth stayed on his mind constantly. What was he going to do with her? he asked himself for the twentieth time. He hated turning her over to the Americans. She’d be hung as a spy, and he couldn’t bear the image of her beautiful, swanlike neck dangling from a rope. His only alternative was to keep her sequestered on Windhaven, but how long could he expect her to stay? How long did he want her to stay now that he was almost certain she was the spy mentioned in Washington’s correspondence? He hated to think that his beautiful honey-haired Beth had deceived him.

Hawk had almost begun to believe her denials, and he found himself unwillingly drawn to her, hoping that somehow things would work out between them. But he was an American privateer and she might be a British spy. What hope of a life could they share under such circumstances?

Perspiration broke out upon his forehead at such a foolhardy thought. Share a life? What was wrong with him? He’d never loved any woman, and now here he was entertaining thoughts of spending the rest of his life with a woman who’d sooner turn him over to the king’s men. Perhaps when he finished this mission, when he rescued the impressed American seamen from the British frigate Jersey, he’d return home for a while. Maybe he needed a change.

“Hawk.”

Hawk turned at Crane’s voice. “The storm is over,” Hawk said, silently noting that the gray clouds skittered away and a pale shade of blue lightened the sky. “Smooth sailing ahead.”

Crane agreed, but he looked far from agreeable. “We have a real problem with … Beth.”

“Probably she’s the spy Washington mentioned.”

“I don’t know. I only know that if we’d been patrolling the ocean, we might not have lost one of our ships. Captain Kelley was a friend of mine, and now he’s dead. I feel awful about all of this.”

Hawk felt awful, too. “I’m heading for Philadelphia after we capture Jersey.”

“That’s a good idea,” Crane agreed. “I hated leaving Mavis alone.”

“How is Mavis?”

Crane blushed. “We were married two days ago.” Hawk didn’t know whether to be happy or sad for his friend. Mavis was an Englishwoman, but he remembered that she seemed to adore Crane. He wished them every happiness, but he felt far from happy himself.

“Business as usual when we get to Philadelphia?” Crane asked.

Hawk nodded. “Aye, but a sideline for pleasure, I think, with a fetching widow.”

Crane grinned and watched Hawk’s back as the man walked toward the quarterdeck. He suppressed a sigh, wondering if he’d ever be able to tell him what he knew about Bethlyn Briston. He doubted it. Though Crane had Mavis’s word that Bethlyn wasn’t a spy, Crane couldn’t be certain of that fact. Mavis was her servant, and servants were not always privy to the aristocracy’s secrets, no matter how close. He wondered why after all of these years would the silly chit decide to cross the Atlantic and claim a wayward spouse. Crane figured it would be better not to tell Hawk the truth and to keep Bethlyn on Windhaven for Hawk’s safety as well as her own. Somehow Hawk would learn the truth about Bethlyn in his own good time.

Contenting himself with the knowledge that things were well as they stood, Crane joined Hawk in his vigil for Jersey.

~ ~ ~

Sparrow barely left Bethlyn’s side. She had hoped that after a few days he’d end his watchdog tactics, but she was wrong. The man’s loyalties belonged to Hawk, and though he might be a kind and friendly man, she soon realized that he’d never disobey his captain. So much for her plan to try to escape. She never had a moment alone with Nate, because Sparrow was always within hearing distance. She had hoped that she could somehow speak to Nate alone, to persuade him to help her hide on Mr. Tolliver’s boat. But two more days were left until Mr. Tolliver sailed for Philadelphia, and so far, she didn’t know how to shake Sparrow’s shadow.

On the morning before Mr. Tolliver’s departure, Tansy Tolliver paid Bethlyn an unexpected visit. She arrived with a large straw basket under her arm which contained jars of preserves and herbs.

Tansy handed Bethlyn one of the jars. “If I do say so, I make the most delicious preserves from wild strawberries which grow on the island. Perhaps one day you can come pick some with me, when the berries are in season again.”

“I’d like that.” Bethlyn graciously took the jar, feeling guilty because she hoped she wouldn’t be around when the next crop of berries bloomed and all too aware of Sparrow as he sat on the beach outside of the house.

Tansy’s gaze followed Bethlyn’s. “Mr. Sparrow is a nice gentleman.”

Bethlyn agreed that he was, but said nothing else and the two women sat on chairs by the kitchen table. Finally Tansy broke the silence. “I can help you escape.”

Bethlyn blinked in astonishment. “What do you mean?” She felt as if she couldn’t breathe because of the hope rising in her chest.

Tansy patted Bethlyn’s hand which rested on the table. “I’m quite fond of Mr. Hawk, but I’m not blind, my dear. Or deaf. I’ve heard some things about … your relationship with Mr. Hawk.”

“More likely that I’m not Mrs. Hawk,” Bethlyn said bitingly.

“I don’t judge you or what is in your heart for the man. But for some reason he has made you into a prisoner, with Sparrow’s help. Or perhaps I’m wrong.” Tansy leaned back and surveyed Bethlyn, who quickly nodded her head.

“You aren’t wrong, Tansy. Hawk believes I’m guilty of something I didn’t do. I need to get to Philadelphia as soon as possible. Can you help me? I’d be ever so much in your debt.”

“I don’t want you to feel that you’re in my debt, child, but I do want to help you. Sometimes men can be such fools.” Tansy smiled and looked quite young despite her sixty years. “Jack leaves tomorrow for Philadelphia. I know I can persuade him to take you on the boat. Nate’s going along, too, and he’s so excited and pleased that you’re the one who suggested Jack take him on the next trip that he’ll never breathe a word to Hawk or anyone about how you left the island. Of course, Hawk isn’t a stupid man and will probably realize it was Jack, but once you’re gone, you’re gone. The deed is done.”