Keeper of My Dreams (St. John Series Book 4) (5 page)

Chapter Six

Eli emerged from the guest room and made his way down the steps. He was bombarded by his brothers, each one asking a hundred different questions at the same time. Eli made his way through the inquisitive group to his desk. He looked down and opened the locked drawer where extra funds were kept for emergencies.

“What the hell happened to you?” Michael asked as he studied Eli’s bruised and battered face.

Eli looked up with his eyes only. “I ran into a brick wall,” he said, as he began counting the money in the drawer.

Michael looked at Max. “Well, he must have had a run in with the same wall.”

“Do you mind, Runt? I’m busy.”

“What are you doing?” Michael asked.

Eli closed the drawer, ignoring his brother. “Nicholas, come here, please.”

Nicholas crossed the room to Eli. “Yes?”

“Here,” Eli said as he held out a small purse of coins. “Go to your father’s store and get a small barrel of vinegar, a bundle of paper, and bandages. Noah and Owen, go to the shore and get several buckets of water to heat. Nathan, please heat a bucket of water from the well.”

“Why can’t we just use the water from the well, too?” Owen asked.

“Natasha said sea water as well. Now go,” Eli ordered his brothers.

He looked to see Nicholas still there. “Did I not make myself clear, Nicholas?”

“No. You made yourself perfectly clear.”

“Then why are you still here?”

Nicholas raised one of his blond brows upward at Eli’s tone. “Just wondering how hard you hit that brick wall?”

“Nicholas,” Eli replied with exasperation.

“Yeah, yeah.” Nicholas looked at Max. “Come on, Max. I may need a ‘
brick wall’s’
assistance.”

Max gave Nicholas a heated look as he followed him out the door. The duo made their way to the stables and hitched up a horse to a small wagon. The pair quickly made their way to Jonathan’s store. When Nicholas tried the front door, he let out a curse, realizing the door was locked and his key was at his home. Nicholas looked around and motioned Max to follow him to the back of the store. Nicholas tried the back door, only to find it locked as well.

“Hell,” Nicholas mumbled before putting his shoulder to the door and knocking it in.

Max began to laugh.

“What’s so damn funny?”

“I never thought we’d be stealing from your father . . . again,” Max replied.

A crooked smile crossed Nicholas’s face. “Me neither. But technically we are not robbing. We are borrowing
and
we have money to pay for the items we need.” He shook the leather purse.

“We always did.”

“True, but we were pirates then. Now come along. That woman did not look like she would live much longer. The quicker we get these supplies to Eli’s, the better chance she has of surviving.”

Max nodded his head and followed Nicholas inside. They gathered the needed supplies. As they were leaving the store with the loot in hand, a voice stopped them. Both men turned to find Mr. Smitty, their gunner.

“Smitty! What are you doing here?” Nicholas asked.

“Sailed over with Max and Kris. Saw something fishy here at yer pa’s store and thought I’d check it out. Never dreamed I’d a find you two a robbin’ the place.”

“We are not robbing. We are acquiring needed medical supplies for Eli,” Nicholas elaborated.

“Uh-huh,” Smitty answered with doubt in his voice. He turned back to Max. “So what wuz that important meetin’ about?”

Max readjusted the barrel of vinegar on his shoulder and placed it in the wagon. “Hop aboard and I’ll tell ya.”

On the way to Eli’s house, Max explained the situation that had transpired to Smitty. As he told Mr. Smitty the story, the old white-haired pirate would slowly shake his head and say, “I can’t believe it.” Max then explained what had transpired between him and Eli on the beach and the woman they found.

“Washed ashore, did she?” Smitty questioned.

“Yes,” Max replied.

Smitty rubbed his white beard. “Ya know, I heard that Roger Dearing ‘n his crew attacked a ship night ‘fore last near Current Settlement. Ya think she wuz on that ship?”

“Doubtful,” Max replied. “Dearing usually never destroys his opponents.”

“He’s changed, Max,” Smitty replied as he rubbed his blind eye. “I had a run in with ‘em a few months ago. He’s become a mean bastard. Almost demonic. I think Angelica’s a poisonin’ him. He had a bad look ta ‘em, a gray color.”

“If so, then we are all in trouble when she takes over
The Demon
.” Max replied.

Nicholas nodded his agreement. “Angelica would be a dangerous opponent if the crew elected her to be captain.”

“You weren’t elected,” Smitty pointed out.

“True. But I also owned the ship and treated my crew fairly. Besides, I had Max as my quartermaster. There were not many who would challenge me knowing, if I lost, they would have to deal with him.”

Smitty gave a hearty chuckle. “Ain’t that the truth. Nothin’ like getting’ the hide ripped off’n yer back by the devil yieldin’ a cat.”

“Shut up, old man,” Max replied as the wagon stopped.

Smitty gave a low whistle. “I thought his pa’s house wuz nice.”

Max turned to view the house. He really hadn’t paid much attention to it considering the disposition he was in when they arrived. It was a grand home. Not nearly as large as Robert’s three-story brick home, having only two stories. It was all brick with wood painted white. The front had a generous veranda surrounding the home with balustrade decks. There were several windows with louvers on each side to allow guests an opening to walk into and out of their rooms onto the veranda. He turned to look the direction they had just come and noticed the large marble fountain in the shape of a horse with a path that encircled it. Surrounding the fountain were small rose bushes. He slowly shook his head as he realized this belonged to his family.

Madison raced out the front door. “It took you two long enough.”

“Hello to you, too, Miss Madison,” Smitty replied as he climbed out of the wagon.

“Smitty!” Madison exclaimed as she hurriedly walked over to him. She gave him a small hug. “I am glad to see you, but I have a more pressing matter to attend to right now.”

“I know, Miss Madison. Max done told me all about it.”

“Tell me you gathered all of Natasha’s supplies.”

“Yes,” Nicholas responded as he picked up the barrel and placed it on his broad shoulder.

“Had ta break into his pa’s store ta get it,” Smitty said, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Madison turned towards her husband. “Old habit?” she questioned giving her husband a stern look.

“Later,” Nicholas responded. “Where do I need to put this down?”

“Up the stairs. The last bedroom on the left,” Madison replied as she raced ahead of her husband to open the door.

When Nicholas entered the room, he spotted Kristina holding a straight razor and gliding it over the woman’s lower calf. “What are you doing? Shaving her legs?” He then noticed the woman’s blistered, swollen face and mumbled a curse.

“Shut up, Alex,” Kris snapped, forgetting to call him by his given name.

“Alex es downstairs,” Natasha responded as she took a hot towel out of the wooden bucket.

“So she is,” Nicholas acknowledged with a twinkle to his blue eyes. “I hadn’t realized she was burnt so severely. What are you doing, Kris?” he questioned again as he observed Kristina’s actions.

“Put that barrel over there,” Kris ordered as she motioned her head towards a small table that had been set up for medical treatment. “If you must know, I’m removing jelly fish tentacles. Natasha is using the hot seawater to lessen the poison of the tenta—ow! Son-of-a—mmmmm,” Kris mumbled as she was stung by the tentacle.

“Allow me, Krestena,” Natasha stated as she took the razor from Kris. “Yuhs be expectin’ an don’t need ta be stung nuh more.”

“No more?!” Max questioned from the doorway as he carried in the rest of the supplies.

“Only once or twice,” Kris replied.

“More like a dozen,” Madison mumbled. Madison looked at Max and could sense his apprehension at Kristina’s assistance. “Nicholas, why don’t you and Max go and check on the girls. It has been quiet downstairs for some time. I’m afraid they may have my parents tied up in a corner somewhere.”

Nicholas looked at Madison and noticed the meaning in her eyes. He nodded his head. “Come on, Mr. Hart. When our daughters are together, you can put money on those two causing some sort of trouble.”

Max stated to protest, but Kristina shot him a heated look.

Michael appeared at that time. He glanced at the woman and cringed. “She looks bad.”

“Shi is,” Natasha replied.

“What are you doing up here, Michael?” Madison questioned her brother.

“Hmmm? Oh,” he began, his eyes never leaving the woman’s face. “Sophia and Alex are fighting. Who wants to stop that?”

“Aw, hell,” Nicholas replied as he rolled his eyes.

“And you didn’t stop them?” Madison questioned angrily.

“Well, no,” Michael replied. “Why? They need to know how to handle themselves. Besides, they are arguing over what to call that one-eyed white-haired gentleman. What is his name?”

“Smitty,” was said at the same time by all but Natasha.

“Well. Sophia says his name is Papaw and Alex said it’s . . . it’s . . . well, it’s not a very lady like word, but begins with ‘s-h’ and ends with ‘t-y’.”

Madison whipped around to face her husband as she scolded, “Nicholas Sinclair! What have you been saying around my daughter?”

Nicholas turned towards his wife and gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m innocent.”

“You’re a cad. Now go take care of our daughter. You are of no use up here.”

“Come along, gentlemen. We have been dismissed,” Nicholas told Max and Michael as he walked past them.

Once downstairs, Max and Nicholas went in search of their daughters. Michael found Eli in his study with a bottle of brandy sitting on his desk. Michael walked to the desk and poured himself a small amount of the liquid, downing it in one swallow. He then looked down at his brother.

“What’s wrong?” Michael questioned Eli. Of all the St. John brothers, these two seemed to sense each other’s pain. They had an emotional connection that was uncanny.

Eli looked at Michael but said nothing. He placed the decanter of brandy to his lips and took a long drink from the bottle.

“Eli?” Michael questioned. When he did not answer, Michael knew what was bothering him. “Have you been having those dreams again?”

Eli nodded his head.

“Is that why you were so hostile tonight? You know, more than usual.”

Eli ran a hand over his face and took a deep breath. “I’m not hostile.”

“Then what would you call it? Socially incompetent?”

“Is there someplace you have to be, Runt? I thought you were leaving, going to South Carolina.”

“Not until the morning. Now, what do you call it?”

“You’re a pain in the arse, do you know that?”

“Your point being?” Michael replied as he sat down in the chair in front of his brother. He leaned back and waited for his brother’s reply.

“I’m tired. I haven’t slept well these past few nights. That is all.”

“Whose fault is that?”

“Marina’s.”

Michael sat forward. “Why in hell’s name are you still messing around with that harlot?”

“She’s a lady?”

“Having a title does not make one a lady no more than putting a dress on a pig does.”

“She’s . . . entertaining,” Eli answered.

“Judas, Eli! I would call her many things, but ‘entertaining’ would not be one of them. Money-hungry, title-hunting, conniving, manipulative—yes. But entertaining?”

“Don’t lecture me, little brother.”

“Well, someone should, Eli. You are playing with fire. Marina Larouche will try to trap you into marriage. It wouldn’t surprise me if she claimed she was carrying your child.”

“Don’t bring up bastards to me.” Eli’s tone was icy.

“Ah . . . so there it is. The other thorn in your side. You are angry at father’s announcement.”

“No. Yes. Hell, Michael, aren’t we all?”

“Madison was ecstatic. Owen and Oliver thought it was a hoot.”

“Madison was glad to have her best friend in the family. As for the twins, they find humor in everything.”

“Point taken,” Michael said. He studied his brother. He knew something else was bothering Eli. “If it’s not sexual and it’s not our new brother—which I find amusing since he’s scary as hell—then what is it?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

Eli looked at his brother. Michael would not understand since he was satisfied with his life as a bachelor. He traveled the world and had women at every port doing his beck and call. “I miss her.”