Wicked Proposition (38 page)

Nicholas wore a fine black suit and had allowed
her to cut a mere inch of his hair for the event. He ran when she
came at him determinedly with the scissors.

He had it tied back with a black leather tie. He
looked respectable except for the earring which he would not
remove, claiming it was his good luck charm.

The Van Ryker clan had overtaken the house and
there were so many people milling about, Nicholas had little time
alone with his bride-to-be. His brothers and their wives had
inundated his household since their arrival a few days before. He
had been forced to make his bed aboard his ship.

Catherine was so concerned about the disapproval
of his family knowing they slept together and were not married yet.
He should have warned her. The Van Ryker’s did not hold to
tradition. She was adamant they do everything the right way. He
gave in, wanting to please her, but felt miserable without her each
night he returned to sleep alone at his ship.

The ceremony was lovely and brief as they
repeated their vows before the reverend. When Catherine stated her
full name during her vows, Nicholas frowned down at her. The name
sounded familiar to him, but he could not remember where he had
heard it before. Dunleavy was her true surname, and he could see
how pleased she was to say it before all there. She had worried the
marriage would not be legal because she couldn’t remember her
name.

He knew when he recited his vows in turn, and
slid the gold band on her finger it was only him she saw there. The
ghosts of the past were gone. Her bright green eyes filled with
tears of joy. When they kissed a resounding cheer went up from the
crew, deafening as they shouted out colorful jests as well.

They earned a glare now from Mrs. Bingham, who
warned them all to be on their best behavior. The sailors were a
rowdy lot, and combined with the five Van Ryker brothers, the party
that followed the ceremony was a lively one.

The neighboring landowners appeared confused
thinking Catherine was still the Captain’s niece. The explanation
given was accepted, but they all found it rather odd until they saw
the two of them together. It was clear the tall, formidable sea
captain adored the petite beauty at his side. They looked like they
had been made for each other as they moved among their guests.

Musicians strummed guitars as the guests enjoyed
the roasted boar and other delectable dishes Mrs. Bingham had
insisted upon. The trestle tables were laden with food and the
drink flowed freely.

Gareth Van Ryker, the youngest of the brother’s,
got into a loud, heated argument with Tieghan over some trivial
comment. The two men had to be separated for the rest of the
evening. Tieghan enjoyed taunting Gareth from the other side of the
tented gathering. The other brothers took bets on how long it would
take for Gareth to snap again.

Each one of the brother’s embraced their new
sister-in-law with a huge bear hug that made Catherine feel like a
tiny rag doll as they passed her about. Catherine giggled as she
watched the brothers carousing with the crew of The Orion. They
were all very tall and fair-haired and Nicholas stood out like a
sore thumb next to them with his dark good looks.

She knew from what Nicholas had told her that he
had been adopted by Oran Van Ryker, their father. He would not
speak of his childhood in England. She did not press him. He never
pushed her to remember her past. She accepted that there were
things about her new husband she did not know either. He said it
did not matter, that their future began that very day.

He stood with Thor Van Ryker, the eldest and
most daunting of them all. The man looked positively frightening
with the wicked scar that marred the whole side of his handsome
face, his pale piercing grey eyes never missing a thing.

Thor had his arm about his adoptive brother’s
shoulder and he smiled fondly down at him. The other brothers stood
with them, Gareth, Dane, Eric, and Thane. She was amazed at the
size of the men. They were all as big as Tieghan. Nicholas stood at
six feet three and all the brothers towered over him, even Gareth
the youngest.

He had warned her that the Van Ryker’s were a
force of nature. She was fascinated as she watched the six of them
interact. What started out as good natured ribbing could turn to
fisticuffs within seconds. Nicholas had told her he had been on the
receiving end of their abuse all his life, but he had said it with
such pride and respect she knew he loved his brothers.

Their wives were all so different from their
mates it was comical. Thor’s wife was a tiny vivacious redhead
named Tania, who ruled the other wives with a word or a look.
Dane’s wife Claire was the most beautiful, but the most standoffish
of the wives. She appeared to be feuding with her mate constantly.
Catherine was told they did this often and was amazed at the
bickering pair.

Eric’s wife was named Natalia. She spoke in
thickly accented Russian. She had long, inky black hair cut bluntly
at her shoulders and was nearly as tall as her husband, built slim
and muscled. Natalia had worn a dress for the wedding but Catherine
knew she preferred to wear breeches. The woman drank ale heartily
with her husband and wielded a cutlass, making Catherine shiver
despite herself.

Thane’s wife appeared so unhappy she feared to
approach her. Claire confided Alexandra had recently lost a child
and they did not speak of it further.

Gareth was the youngest of the five brothers at
twenty nine, only a year older than her husband. Gareth’s wife was
quite beautiful with her platinum blonde hair and dark blue
eyes.

The moment Catherine had set eyes upon Gwynn the
day they arrived she reeled with a recognition so strong she felt
herself grow dizzy suddenly. As the world swam about her, she was
struggling and gasping. Nicholas had been there and grasped her by
the shoulders and drew her against his chest until the moment
passed. Gwynn had avoided her since, and merely wished them well at
a distance.

###

Alexandra drew up to Nicholas and took him aside
with her husband at her elbow. She gazed at him resolutely and
spoke, her violet eyes worried.

“I know who she is, Nicholas. I am sure I knew
her at school. She is Lady Catherine Dunleavy of Dunleavy Hall. Her
father was an Irish Earl. I am most positive,” Alexandra said
softly. “I was only there one year, but I can assure you it is she.
Who could possibly forget her?”

“Alex, are you absolutely sure?” Nicholas asked
and cringed slightly because he now remembered the name. It did not
bode well at all. Good God, she was Gabriel’s ward! Bitterness
crept into his eyes as he realized she was also the sister Gabriel
was supposed to have married.

It could not be, but there was little denying
the truth. Alexandra had an amazing memory and he could not fault
it, only the timing of her information.

Lady Catherine Dunleavy had been believed dead
these last two years. She was Gabriel’s sister-in-law, he thought
in sudden dread. Holy Mother of Christ! What in the bloody hell had
she been doing in a brothel that night?

Nicholas did not like the thoughts he was having
and gazed at his wife’s back thoughtfully. The secrets of her past
were clearly integrated with Lord Iverleigh and his Countess.

###

Catherine was sorry to see her husband’s family
leave. When the last wagons took them to the quay, she drew in a
sigh, earning a chuckle from her husband.

“Now do you see why I didn’t go into business
with them?” he said and laughed heartily at her look of
understanding.

They were an overwhelming group. She could see
why Nicholas distanced himself from them now, preferring to be off
to himself. The brother’s continuous, ongoing rivalry, even
good-natured, tested one’s patience to the limit. The ladies
constant bickering, backbiting, and petty squabbling became a power
struggle overnight.

The family dynamic made for an interesting
visit, but she could not see her husband enduring their company for
long without returning to sea to escape the pandemonium.

Still, she would miss them all. The house was
far too quiet since the Van Ryker’s left.

They were packing for an extended honeymoon trip
to London now and she was excited. Nicholas had surprised her with
the news they were to go on the trip only the day before. She
looked at her handsome husband and a smile curved her lips.

“I promised Tania and Claire we would travel to
Norway when you conclude your business in London,” she said and
smiled apologetically as she met his gaze. “I would love to see
your home! Please Nicholas?”

“You haven’t had enough of them this last week?”
he grumbled jokingly and chuckled at her look of disappointment. “I
see they have reeled you in. We will see, I cannot promise
you.”

She smiled brightly, knowing that to be a
definitive answer with Nicholas. Her gaze became dreamy as she
thought of the last few days since their wedding. It had been
nothing short of perfect.

He met her languid look and drew her close,
inhaling her sweet scent and sighing. He prayed his business was
concluded and he could make her that promise. He hoped she would
even want to be his wife then.

“You will regret allowing yourself to get hooked
in with them, Catherine,” he teased. “They will work you from all
ends now to get me to go into business with them.”

“The shipping business is far less dangerous,
Nicholas,” she said quietly, her green eyes meeting his
unwaveringly. He had never told her the true nature of his
business, but she knew enough to know he was dabbling in illegal
contraband.

“Catherine, all I ever wanted was to be my own
man,” he protested and looked down into her hopeful face. “Thor and
Eric make a good offer to you, my dear, to get you on their sides.
My brothers all mean well, but it is hard enough for them to deal
with each other and run the family business and chase after their
wives too.”

“What of children?”

He froze suddenly. Her question threw him right
where he didn’t want to go. “What of them?”

“Simply that they will need a father in their
life,” she said softly. “Please tell me you will at least consider
Thor’s offer? We can still live here on the island. He wants you to
run a new office here. It solves all of our problems.”

“We just got married, and we already have
problems, do we?” he snapped and started feeling angry Catherine
was now trying to rearrange his life.

“The last time you went to sea you were gone a
year!” she shot back at him, her eyes narrowing. “I did not get
married to be alone, Nicholas!”

“I did not get married to be nagged into doing
something I don’t want to do either, wife!”

Catherine leveled him an angry look and stomped
into the house. Her look said she would resume their discussion
when her packing was done. He imagined the honeymoon to be over and
rolled his eyes, his anger diminishing to understand her fears.
Marriage certainly changed everything now. He had a wife to cater
too, potentially children one day. He could hardly blame her for
wanting him there. So much still remained unknown. He did not want
to make future plans.

He mounted his horse to follow the group. He had
to oversee the transfer of his belongings to The Sea Witch. He had
not told her that they were taking his brother’s ship. She wouldn’t
question it when he explained The Orion had once been his father’s.
Dane had methods of updating it to make it faster, he would
say.

Nicholas did not like what he was doing. He was
lying to her constantly. He was using Catherine as unknowing bait
for this trap he set. She would likely hate him when it was over.
He would deal with her anger when the time came.

###

Nicholas brought his wife aboard The Sea Witch
and showed her to their cabin. It was much larger than his aboard
The Orion and far more luxurious. She had noted this without
thinking when she entered the cabin and commented on its amenities,
making him glower at her for disparaging his beloved ship in favor
of Dane’s.

The Orion was on its way to Norway now. Dane and
Eric would be in London as soon as they saw their family safely
home. Lying to their wives was not something his brothers were
comfortable with, but it was necessary to keep the women out of
it.

Eric knew he would be greeting the end of his
wife’s cutlass upon his return. He predicted this darkly as he met
his brother’s sympathetic look, before he got into the jolly boat
to row out to the Orion. Nicholas was regretful he needed them
there, but he could not watch Catherine every minute and find out
what happened to her after she disappeared. He reasoned whoever
wanted her dead then would be surprised to see her back, and
alive.

Her memory loss aided them in this. His wife
seeming oblivious of any threat would confuse whoever stalked her,
while he and his brother’s laid in wait. It was not the best plan,
but it was all they could do to combat the unseen threat. They had
six weeks to tweak it, and Tieghan was good for that. The man
seemed to excel at such covert activities.

Sullivan was at the bottom of it all, they knew.
Tieghan had already suggested a means to that end. Nicholas refused
to simply kill the man and be done with it. He wanted justice for
his wife now. Killing the man was too kind. He wanted him to hang
for his endless list of crimes, and he wanted Gabriel’s wife to
swing along with him. All that had happened to her would not be in
vain.

He tried not to dwell upon what had been done to
the desperate, naïve girl she had been then. It was difficult now
that she was in fact, his wife. He envied the bullet that had
erased such horror from her mind, sparing her what he had endured
for two years, imagining the worst.