When I'm with You (22 page)

She tried not to think about Rafe, but she couldn't help but wonder where he was on the endless expanse of ocean. Had he made it to New York yet? She didn't know how far away the Royal Colonies were, and so had no way of knowing how long it would take him to sail there and back to Bermuda. Then there was the weather to consider. Spring was coming, but it wasn't here yet, and she shivered as the winds grew colder as they moved into open water. New York was north, and it was colder the farther north one went. Rafe had mentioned the possibility of snow.

Snow. She'd never seen it, and now she thought she'd very much like to one day. All she knew was that it might keep him trapped in New York. Since he didn't know she'd left Bermuda, he would no doubt stop there first. Hopefully it wouldn't be while Martha and Robert were celebrating their wedding. Somehow, Katie didn't think anyone else would offer the information of where she'd gone.

What would happen if no one told him? Martha had said she would, but what if she never had the chance to speak with him? Would he think she had simply run away again? She frowned, leaning on the railing, watching as Bermuda grew smaller still. Perhaps she should have left him a note of some sort. But there was always the risk of someone else finding it, and then where would she be?

No. I won't think about that
.

What purpose did it serve, standing there, watching Bermuda shrink from view? It made her sad and reflective, but nothing changed. The past was as it always had been, best left alone. What had happened couldn't be undone.

With a deep breath and newfound resolve, Katie turned her back on the island rising up from the sea, promising herself she would look back no longer. The wind tugged at her bonnet, pulled at her light traveling cloak as if to remind her that it was still there, and, with a gentle push against her back, it guided her away from the stern and toward the bow, where open ocean and a new start faced her.

Chapter Eighteen

After the ice and snow in frozen New York, Rafe had never been so glad to feel the warm sun on his skin as he was when the
Eastwind
bumped gently against the dock at Marchand Enterprises' slip. The weather had been even colder than he had anticipated, and he thanked God New York's harbor hadn't frozen over and trapped him in the Colonies for longer than a fortnight. Everything had gone smoothly, and without any sort of angry mob. Still, he had never been so thankful to be done and back out to sea.

Nearly a month had passed since he'd left Bermuda, and it had been one of the longest months he could recall. Once the merchants in New York had been mollified over lost inventory, and Rafe had contracted with Hemmings Ships to have the
Octavius
replaced, he had been free to return to Bermuda. His father, who'd sailed to New York with him, remained in the Colonies to oversee the construction of the new ship and hiring of a new crew, and Rafe was grateful for that turn of events. Perhaps things were finally going to start going his way.

He threw off his frock coat, tossing it onto the straight-backed chair in the corner of his spacious cabin, and rolled his sleeves to his elbows. Much better. Formality never suited him, was never as comfortable as a cravat-less neck and coat-free shoulders were. He was never one for dressing like a gentleman. He had nothing to prove to anyone.

Above, men shouted to one another as lines were thrown and the ship was secured, and when he emerged into the dazzlingly bright sunlight, for the first time in a long time, Rafe felt as if he was coming home. He was impatient to get to Marchand Hall. He'd carried the memory of his lusty night with Katie tucked away to help keep him warm all through the cold and snow and ice of New York, and now he wanted the heat of her to take the remaining chill from his body.

It took him a few minutes to find a hack, and then he settled back, trying to curb his impatience to get to Marchand Hall.

Spring had arrived in Bermuda while he was away. Riotous bursts of color were leaping through the lush palmetto and sedge on either side of the rutted road. The island's heat was welcome, even as a light sweat broke out over his skin. The more he thought about Katie, the worse that sweat became, and for good reason. Damn it, no woman had ever made him as hot as she did, and he shifted on the well-padded seat to ease some of the discomfort. How had he managed to make it through almost an entire year without her? He didn't give a damn how angry his family might be about it, he was not about to let Katie get away from him again. Not now and not ever. He fully intended to make her his in every way possible.

As the coach rolled through Marchand's gates, he couldn't hold back his smile. Of course, he'd have to be careful when he saw Katie. Sally might still be upset over his confession, and he didn't want to do anything to get Katie in trouble. They'd had enough trouble to last them a lifetime. But truth be told, all he wanted was to find her, drag her into his arms and pull her down onto the nearest flat surface.

“Captain?”

Rafe looked up to see sunlight spilling into the coach's dark, musty interior, and the footman awaiting his departure. “Right.”

He slid across the seat and stepped down. The only thing that had changed since he'd left was that the bushes lining the front of the house were blooming in brilliant shades of red, coral, orange and white. They filled the air with their spicy perfumes, and the scents lingered in his nose as he stepped into the cool shade of the house.

“Captain Sebastiano, welcome back,” Mrs. Bates greeted him, hurrying along the corridor toward him. “We expected you days ago. Did you run into trouble?”

“A storm off the coast of Maryland. It knocked us off course.” He breathed a silent sigh of relief. Obviously Sally had done as he asked and not mentioned he wasn't going to propose to her.

“Rafe!” Elena hurried the rest of the way down the staircase and launched herself into his arms. She squeezed him tight around the neck and whispered, “We need to talk. As soon as possible.”

“All right.” He waited for her to explain why, but she pulled out of his embrace. When it became apparent she wasn't about to elaborate, he let the matter drop, turning his attention back to the ornately-carved staircase. “Where's
Mami
?” He turned back to Elena. “I expected her to be down here at your first shriek.”

Elena shook her head. “She's been in bed all day, resting. Since last evening, really. She didn't come down for breakfast either. She said she had a headache.”

“Just a bit of one.” Mrs. Bates joined them, a small furrow appearing between her brows. “From the rains, I think. We've also had some terrible weather.”

“They do that to her back home as well.” Rafe cast another look up at the top of the staircase. “I'll go see her as soon as I have a chance to freshen up.”

“Captain Sebastiano, I've water heating over the fire now,” Marcus said, holding Rafe's valises, one in each hand. “And Robert and I will have your sea chest brought to your chambers at once.”

He held up a hand. “That won't be necessary.”

Everyone gave him a queer look, but Rafe ignored all of them as he moved to the staircase. One of the maids appeared at the top, peering over the railing, but to his disappointment, it wasn't Katie. Damn it. He wanted to see her, but he couldn't inquire as to her whereabouts. Not without raising every pair of eyebrows in the house.

“Rafe?”

He paused halfway up the stairs and turned to peer up at Serena. Something troubled her. Her lips were taut, her brows lowered. But whatever it was, she wasn't about to tell him in front of everyone.

Which meant it most likely had to do with Katie.

Had something happened to her?

His gut kinked. Four weeks was a long time to be gone. She could have taken ill. There might have been an accident. He didn't know, and neither of his sisters were saying. That feeling he'd had about everything rolling his way? Vanished like a puff of smoke.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Rena, if you and Elena would come with me, I've brought back something from the Colonies for each of you. I think you'll like them.”

Mrs. Bates frowned, but said nothing as both ladies followed him up the stairs. At the top, the maid smiled. “Welcome back, Captain Sebastiano. May I bring you some tea? Or something to eat?” She was polite, but there seemed to be a sense of urgency in her voice.

“Thank you, but I'm fine.” He continued down the corridor, his sisters right on his heels. Once they were out of the housekeeper's earshot, he said, “What's going on?”

“Not here,” Serena whispered, slipping her arm through his. “Abigail is lurking around here somewhere, and I refuse to feed her any more gossip. Not after all she's done.”

He hadn't the faintest idea who Abigail was, but her lurking about seemed to be a very important matter to Serena, so he didn't press her. Instead, he waited until they were in the familiar comfort of his chambers, and even then Serena did a quick search to make certain Abigail wasn't hiding in a shadowy corner of the room. “I once found her hiding in a bench seat. Actually
in
the seat. In Lady Edna's room.”

Before he could ask what the devil the maid was doing in a bench seat, Serena swung around to face him, her eyes almost silver as she said, “Katie's gone.”

Every last pleasant feeling drained out through his feet like water leaking from a bucket. “What?”

Elena nodded. “Mrs. Bates fired her. For spending that night with you.”

He stared at Elena, who stated this as blandly as if she was saying he'd gone to the market with Katie. Then he turned his stare to Serena, hoping she'd contradict what Elena had just said. But to his irritation, Serena nodded. “It's true, Rafe. Mrs. Bates tossed her out the same day you left. Only hours later, actually.”

“But how did anyone know? Where did she go? When did she leave? How did she leave?” A million questions tore through his mind, but those were the only ones he could vocalize.

Serena took a deep breath. “Apparently, she wore a piece of jewelry in her hair. A butterfly ornament of some sort. Abigail found it in here when she straightened after you'd left. She took it to Sally, thinking it was hers, and Sally immediately recognized it as belonging to Katie. And there was no question about it. There was only one logical explanation as to why it was in
your
room when she didn't wear it often.” Color flushed her cheeks. “Except for a special evening.”

“Mrs. Bates confronted her,” Elena continued without missing a beat, “and Katie didn't deny it.”

“How could she?” Serena demanded. “Sally knew it was hers. From what I understand, Katie loaned it to her on several occasions.”

“So, what happened?” Rafe interrupted sharply, not in the mood to deal with their verbal volleying. He just wanted them to make their points.

“I don't know all the details,” Serena said. “I just know that by dinner, Katie was gone.”

His gut twisted violently, and he sank onto the edge of the bed. “Gone. And no one knows where? She gave no indication?”

Both women shook their heads, and Serena sat beside him, her hand on his shoulder. “She was very friendly with Martha. She might know.”

“Who the devil is Martha?”

“The maid who was at the top of the staircase just now,” Elena explained.

Rafe groaned softly, letting his head drop into his hands. “I don't even remember seeing that damned butterfly.” He drew in a deep breath. “Someone should go fetch this Martha. I'd like to speak with her.”

But even as he spoke, the image of it glinting in the candlelight as he tumbled it from her nape flashed through his mind. He did remember the butterfly, and how she treasured it. She didn't often speak about her family, or lack thereof, but on one occasion, she'd told him the butterfly had belonged to her mother.

Damn it. After all that, they had been discovered because he'd had to run his fingers through Katie's beautiful, thick hair and had knocked a blasted butterfly to the floor.

“Rafe? Do you want me to ask Martha? I will, if you'd like.”

He fought to focus on which sister was speaking, and he looked up to find Serena gazing at him, her brow furrowed, looking very much as their mother did when she was concerned for one of her children. “What?”

“I said, I'll go ask Martha. She might know where Katie is now.”

He nodded absently, letting his head drop back into his hand. “Yes. Ask her. Damn it…I shouldn't have left. I knew I shouldn't go and yet I did. Brilliant.”

“You had no way of knowing this was going to happen,” Elena told him, sitting on his opposite side and also touching his shoulder. “She doesn't fault you.”

“How do you know?” he growled, not looking up at her. “Once more, I ruined her life.”

“That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?” Serena asked pointedly. “You didn't ruin her life at all. She was what she was before you came along, and neither of you are really to blame about a silly butterfly hair ornament.”

“She was—” He bit off his sentence before he said something he regretted. “If I'd just stood up for her last year, on St. Phillippe, none of this would have happened.”

“
Mami
and
Papi
would have disowned you,” Elena reminded him quietly.

“And I should've let them. I was wrong then, and if they disowned me today, I wouldn't care.” He sighed, then lifted his head. “Go get this Martha for me.”

“I'll do it.” Elena slid down from the bed and crossed to the door. “I'll be back as soon as I find her.”

The door closed softly behind her, and he turned to Serena. “Has Sally said anything to anyone?”

To his relief, she shook her head. “No. Well, she told Lady Edna, but must have sworn her to some sort of secrecy. I can't imagine she'd want many people knowing you chose a maid over her. And as for Mrs. Bates…well, she really liked Katie and I think she took the whole mess rather badly.” Serena bit her lip, chewed it for a moment, then continued, “By dinner, when I hadn't seen a whit of Katie, I asked Martha. She didn't want to tell me, but you know me. I have my ways.”

“You mean you bullied her.”

“I suppose, if that's how you want to phrase it. But the point is, I asked her, and she finally told me. But don't worry,” she added hastily, “we've—Elena and I, I mean—have made sure that Abigail won't make any more trouble. And as far as I know, no one else has whispered a single word about you and Katie.”

That relief was cut short when her eyes narrowed. “But you know, it
will
come out eventually, won't it? And tell me, am I right in thinking that Rafael Sebastiano, the same man who used to scoff oh-so-loudly at the very
notion
of marriage, has changed his mind?”

Despite the teasing note in her voice, he scowled. “Yes, Serena. I've changed my mind, and that's all you need know.”

In response, she leaned her head against his shoulder and hugged his arm. “Well, I for one, think it's about time. Oh, and that it's also wonderful.”

“It isn't wonderful yet. I still have to find Katie. Then I have to convince her, and then convince
Mami
and
Papi.
Should be easy, don't you think?”

“Right…I forgot about that.” She released his arm, but her spirits apparently remained high because she smiled. “Bermuda isn't so big, you know. It shouldn't take more than a few days at most to find her.”

“Captain, you wished to see me?” The door swung wide, and the maid he figured to be Martha stood beside Elena. She didn't smile, her somber expression made even more so by her large, almond-shaped eyes. Those eyes met his, and she didn't look away.