Hart's Passion (Pirates & Petticoats Book 2) (6 page)

“I’ll meet you as soon as I can,” she’d promised. “I will slip away to Charleston within a fortnight for certain.”

Landon had told her the
Seeker
had to deliver cargo to Harbour Town and then meet the third ship in their fleet. By the time the two returned to Charleston, the repairs to the
Desire
would be complete. He’d hoist a blue flag with a white square in the middle when they were ready to depart. All three ships would then sail north to Philadelphia. He’d told her this. Promised to await her aboard the
Desire
. Why did he leave her behind? How could he possibly leave without allowing her to explain?

She fingered the handle of her reticule. Had she let Landon stir her passion so strongly with his kisses that she’d forgotten he fit the description of the type of man her mother had always warned her about?
 

Had she been nothing more than a diversion for him?
 

The bitterness in her mother’s tone remained vivid in her mind:

“There’s no settling down for a man of the sea. She’s his mistress and forever calls him away from the arms of those on the land. A sailor will eventually leave you alone and lonely. Mark my words girl.”

Jared’s face smoothed and his eyes flooded with pity. “Come child, I’ll have Ruth make you some tea.”

A small voice in the back of her mind needled her,
“Had he not told you marriage didn’t suit him? Hadn’t you been afraid something like this would happen? That he might use you as nothing more than a dalliance while at port? That he’d never trust another woman to be faithful?”

Numbly she followed Jared into the house. There would be no happy life for her sailing the seas with Landon. No exotic places to visit. It was as if a curtain had been pulled and shut out the vision of the outside world. Nothing, except four plain, lonely walls.

How could they live a happy life together if he couldn’t trust her love for him?

Do not cry. Do not cry.
 

Jared’s voice was soft and compassionate. “Keelan, my dear, you’ve had a heartbreaking week with the death of your father. I’m sorry your plans can’t be put into action. I gave him my word.” He glanced at her as they walked. “I’m well aware he raised you in an unconventional manner, dear girl. Therefore, I will not give you an opportunity to run away.” Jared swallowed and continued, “And, as added security, you will remain locked in your chamber until the wedding.”
 

“Uncle Jared,” Keelan’s voice was a dusty whisper. “Must you take such drastic measures? After all, I was raised as your brother’s daughter, I don’t think he would want—”

“Stop.” He was already shaking his head. “I will hear no more. I’ve already penned a missive to the family barrister in London to auction off all holdings owned by my two deceased brothers.” He sliced his hand through the air. “There will be no journey to England. My family and I prefer life in America and I do not wish to endanger anyone by allowing them back into that assassin’s lair, or subject them to such a dangerous journey in these uncertain times.”

Her uncle opened the door to the house and nodded at Simon, who dutifully held the door.
 

“Miss Keelan is not to leave her chamber for any reason. Do you understand?”

“Yessuh.”
 

“You are to lock the door and keep it locked except for the normal care and cleaning of her room and delivery of meals.”

“Yessuh.” Simon’s voice sounded very small.

When they reached her room, she tried to beg her uncle once more to reconsider, but he quickly shut the door. The key clicked in the lock.

She took a seat near the balcony doors and stared out the window. His footsteps grew faint and soon all she heard was the silence of the room. She expected to break down and weep, but strangely, no tears came. Landon Hart had seduced her with his kisses and caresses. She’d fallen in love with him. And he had broken her heart.
 

She was a fool.
 

A few minutes later, she heard the key scrape in the lock once more.
 

“Miss Keelan?” Simon spoke through the door.

 
A tear broke free and crept down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away. “Come in.”

Simon stepped across the threshold and paused. His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, and she had to strain to hear him. “If there’s anythin’ I can do to help you…” He toyed with the keyring he held. “I mean
anythin
’, Miss Keelan. You saved my boy’s life, and I’ll never forget dat. An’ you helped the others runnin’ for their freedom after the storm.”

At her questioning look, he whispered, “Mister Pratt never caught them, they free now.” The servant leaned in. “Well, you jus’ say the word, Miss Keelan.” He quietly swung the door wide and stepped back, waiting.

Her heart jumped. The slave offered her freedom, but she couldn’t bring herself to take it.
 

Simon would be whipped for sure.
 

“Thank you, Simon but I will not jeopardize your position in this house.”
 

The slave started to argue, but she silenced him with her hand. “There is one thing you can do for me. Find Daniel," she said. “If we require your assistance, he will tell you when and how.”

“Yes’m. I can do dat. I’ll be happy to do dat.” Simon gave her a firm nod and retreated, closing the door behind him.
 

Barely a moment passed before the door opened again.

Keelan clenched her teeth together as her cousin, Doreen, bounced into the room.
 

“Daddy is sending a letter to Mr. Pratt, I hear.”

“I have nothing to say to you, Doreen.”
 

Doreen laughed coldly. “This is no less than you deserve for trying to take Everett from me.”

She stared at the girl and held her tongue. Doreen began to saunter about the room. “Thank goodness Mr. Pratt is available to take you.” Her cousin gave a dramatic shudder. “Although I have heard he is quite heavy-handed with his slave girls. With you as his bride, they might suffer a reprieve.”

 
Keelan’s dug her fingernails into her palms to keep them from trembling.

Fear. It was something she kept pushing frantically to the far recesses of her mind when the topic of a marriage to Pratt arose. It was a dark, ragged monster invading her brain, forcing her to writhe and flail under its cold, contemptuous shadow. Only her anger at Landon Hart kept her from covering her ears, collapsing into the corner, and becoming nothing more than a limp pile of terrified mush.

Doreen had sensed her fear and strove to feed it. Keelan’s shoulders tightened as her cousin walked up and stopped in front of her.
 
Doreen studied her intently. “This might be the last time I view your face unmarred.” She whirled and skipped from the room.

Her cousin was trying to crumble her pride and throw her into hysterics. Still, it was a long time before her body stopped quaking. The uncertainty of her future mauled her mind and spirit.
 

The only ship bound for Boston in the Charleston harbor was set to sail tomorrow at sunrise. It was still her intention, and now the sole purpose of her life, to be aboard.

“I’ll not leave without ye!” Slaney crossed her arms. She stood in the middle of Keelan’s chamber.
 

“Neither will I,” argued Daniel. He stepped away from the doorway where he and Simon were keeping watch for Jared or Doreen. “I made a promise to Lord Grey, and I don’t intend to break it.” He walked over to the maid. “Slaney, you must go.”

“I will not!” Slaney countered. Her eyes flashed in defiance. “I need to take care of me mistress!”

Daniel sighed softly, taking Slaney’s work-toughened hands in his own. He rubbed his thumbs over the top of her fingers. A slight blush suffused the maid’s cheeks.

“Slaney, if you are safely gone, then I can concentrate all my efforts on getting Keelan away. If I have to worry about the both of you…” He shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. “Miss Keelan and I shall meet you aboard the ship. We have to wait until we can slip out unnoticed, which will likely be late tonight when the house is abed. We can move faster with only two.”

Keelan’s heart tugged with affection for the two people who’d cared for her for most of her life.
 

She added to Daniel’s logic with her own. “Slaney, I appreciate your loyalty, but in case I don’t make it to the ship before she sets sail, someone has got to get to Wind Briar and retrieve the chest Papa spoke to me about. I need those papers inside if I am going to find my real father. If Uncle Jared’s instructions to auction everything are carried out first, I might never get a chance to read them.” She handed Slaney an envelope. “Here are letters of recommendation to help you find employment and give you permission to stay with your sister at Wind Briar.”

Slaney's shoulders slumped in defeat. “All right then, I’ll go on.” She pulled her hands away from Daniel’s and then shook a finger at him. “Ye best bring her safely home and yerself too, or ye’ll be answerin’ to me.” She sniffed and rubbed her nose.

Keelan held out a small purse. “Your passage has been paid. The receipt is inside, along with enough coin to get you to Wind Briar. Go now. Daniel told Simon to gather your trunks and wait for you in the stables. I want you away before Jared finds a reason to detain you.”

With a soft sniffle, Slaney circled her arms around her in a warm hug. Keelan held her tightly and kissed her cheek.
 

“Everything will be fine. You’ll see. Don’t worry.” Her own words sounded meager, even to her.

With forced bravado, Slaney smiled. “I’ll go then.”

“God speed, Slaney,” Daniel said.

Slaney let out a choked sob and then threw her arms around Daniel’s neck. He stood stiff and shocked for a second then hugged her fiercely and kissed her forehead. “We’ll see you soon.”

Slaney pulled away and wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron. With a last wave, she slipped from the room.
 

Keelan prayed she would see her again.
 

A loud commotion broke the post-dawn silence downstairs and Simon slipped up to whisper through the door that Doreen had run off with Doctor Garrison and Master Jared was furious. Sarah was still in a state of shock and Ruth was on her way to the herb garden to make her a special tea.
 

Keelan nervously paced in her chamber. Now, the afternoon sun had begun to warm her room, and still no sign of her uncle.
 

She waited out the day in solitude, thinking of Landon’s broad shoulders, clear blue eyes, strong arms, and urgent lips. Damn her naïveté and her weak, weak heart. And damn his stubborn, impetuous temper. How could he believe she would choose Everett Garrison over him? Was he not convinced of her affections? She had told him she wanted to be with him. She had agreed to elope with him. A single thought rose to the surface of her mind.

I’ve never admitted to him that I love him.

Admitted. As if it were a crime. What was wrong with her? Was her pride so powerful that she could only admit to herself the effect Landon had on her heart?
 

A key clicked in the lock, and drew her away from her musings. The door opened to reveal Uncle Jared and Simon. Her uncle entered the room with short agitated steps. “Your maid has disappeared. Your father’s valet has refused to tell us her whereabouts. He claims he doesn’t know where she went.” His scowl made Keelan’s belly twitch with fear for Daniel. “I expect he’s lying. Where has she gone?”

Keelan’s mind jumped quickly to various explanations which might keep Daniel out of trouble. Slaney went to the apothecary, for…what? Slaney was delivering a letter… to whom? About what? None would keep him safe enough. It was best to simply tell the truth.

“I sent Slaney back to England to secure the documents which I promised Papa I would retrieve.”

Her uncle paused and shook his head at her. “Keelan, we discussed this.”

There was no reason to keep her secret any longer. Perhaps, if Uncle Jared understood that she wasn’t actually a blood relative, he’d relinquish his guardianship. If only he’d believe her.

“He said they’d explain the identity of my true sire.” The words seemed to stick in her throat and she paused a moment to clear it before continuing, “You see, Uncle Jared, Papa confessed to me that I’m the illegitimate child of my mother and another man. I’m not even his kin.”

Jared’s face reddened. “Nonsense!” He stepped forward and grasped her hands. “Keelan, my dear, you must understand, your father was not in his right mind at the time of his death. He’d been babbling the night he died even before Sarah came to get you.” He gently squeezed her hands. “Of
course
you are his daughter. I have a document signed by him stating I am
his daughter’s
legal guardian in the event of his death. He also left a will in his desk stating Twin Pines goes to you as your dowry.”

Keelan drew her brows together in confusion. “Before he died, he told me he left everything to you. He wanted me to return to England and find my father.”
 

His composure softened a little more. “Don’t take the ramblings of a dying man as any more than what they actually were: simply ramblings.”

The night Papa had died, he did seem to have trouble staying in the present, but she had the signet ring he had given her weeks earlier and the tiny portrait of the man in the locket who bore such a striking resemblance to her. Why would he have those items if it wasn’t true?

Those two objects could not be explained away. If she showed Jared the ring and the locket, he’d probably believe her story. But what if he took them from her? She’d have no way to prove who she was to her father when she found him..
 

Jared must have taken her silence as acquiescence to his way of thinking. He let her hands go, leaned in, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Your father cared about you, Keelan. He wanted you to have a secure future.”