Moontide Embrace (Historical Romance) (55 page)

After Liberty had eaten cool sliced melon and drunk a cup of tea, she felt more like herself. She stood on the front gallery and gazed down at the
Winged Victory.
There was a lot of activity on deck. She watched several men leave the ship, armed with guns and swords, and she knew they were going to the Trade Wind Inn to rescue the Blackburn family.

Liberty went to her bedroom. She was exhausted because she had not slept in several nights, and she only intended to lie across her bed for a short rest. Instantly, her eyes fluttered shut, however, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.

She was awakened by someone shaking her shoulder.
"Ma'dame,"
Hayman said, stepping back a respectable distance. "Philippe Cease is below with orders to take you to the ship. I am to tell you that you should pack your
belongings because you will be going home."

Still under the drug like influence of sleep, Liberty went
downstairs to find Philippe waiting for her. "The captain
told me to inform you that you would be sharing his cabin with Madame Blackburn and her two daughters. He hopes this will meet with your approval," Philippe said.

"Then you managed to rescue the Blackburn family?"

"Oui,
there was nothing to it. The captain told the man
who owns the inn to deliver the Blackburns to us immedi
ately."

"You met with no resistance?"

"None. The man was only to glad to comply. You see he had a dozen guns pointed at his head." Philippe laughed. "As a matter of fact, he could not wait to have
the Blackburns off his hands. Especially when he heard
Captain Ismar was dead."

When Liberty turned to the houseboy who had served
her so well, she held out her hand to him. "I will miss you, Hayman. You have done your duty well."

His dark eyes glowed as he shook her hand. "It was a
pleasure to look after
Ma'dame."

"I know you will look after the house. Perhaps I will see you again before too long."

Hayman nodded. "It is a big responsibility to keep things in order. I will see that the house is kept nice for your return,
Ma'dame."

Philippe smiled down at Liberty. "Are you glad to be
going home?"

"Yes. It will be good to see Briar Oaks."

Philippe led her out of the house, and Liberty was settled in the buggy before she spoke. "Philippe, will Adriane Pierce be sailing on the Winged
Victory
with
us?"

The first mate met Liberty's eyes. "No. The captain put
her on a ship for Boston."

As the carriage moved away, Liberty waved to Hayman,
who looked like a lost soul standing all alone. She
wondered if she would ever see him or Martinique again.

When she boarded the
Winged Victory,
she noted that
Judah was at the helm of the ship, but he spared her no more than a quick glance. With her chin held high and
her back straight, Liberty made her way down the com
panionway.

When she entered the cabin, she saw that three cots had
been set up. Silently she looked at Madame Blackburn and her two daughters. The mother was plump with
graying hair and a ready smile. One of the daughters was
only a child, about ten years of age. The other daughter was very pretty, with glorious red hair and soft white skin, and obviously in her early teens.

"You must be Liberty Slaughter," the woman said. "I
am sorry you will be forced to share your cabin with us,
but, we have little choice in the matter. I cannot tell you
how much we owe your husband for rescuing us from
those horrible men. We thought we would never draw
another free breath."

Liberty smiled at her. "I am sure my husband was only
too glad help you. Since we are going to be sharing this
cabin, I suggest we introduce ourselves by our first names. I am called Liberty by my friends."

Mrs. Blackburn nodded to her youngest. "This is Char
ity, and her sister is Hope. My name is Faith."

"How very clever," Liberty observed. "Faith, Hope, and
Charity."

The oldest daughter seated herself on Judah's bed and
smiled up at Liberty. "This is
his
bed," she said with a sigh. "You are so fortunate to have such a brave and handsome husband, Mrs. Slaughter. I may try to steal him from you."

The girl's mother gasped and looked embarrassed.
"Hope, how can you say such things after all Captain
Slaughter has done for us."

Liberty's eyes met Hope's and she saw the smile that
lingered there. Somehow it reminded her of Bandera. "Do
not scold your daughter,
Madame.
Judah is accustomed to ladies throwing themselves at him."

Liberty saw Hope's eyes narrow, and she smiled at the girl. "I am sure Judah will be amused by your daughter's
attentions,
Madame."
Liberty was weary of scheming
women who tried to get Judah's attention. In her present
mood, she would gladly hand him over to any one of them.

"I beg you to forgive my daughter's bad manners, Mrs.
Slaughter. She really means no harm. She is just young and flirtatious."

Again Liberty looked into Hope's eyes. This mother and daughter reminded her of her own mother and Bandera. She did not relish the thought of being cooped
up with them all the way back to New Orleans. "All is
forgiven if you will instruct your daughter to remove herself from my bed, and seek her own cot."

Liberty knew she was not being very gracious, but she
was fresh out of patience. Right then, all she wanted to
do was get home to Briar Oaks. She could not wait to see
Sebastian's face when he discovered she had not met some
terrible fate at the hands of Abdul Ismar.

26

On their journey to New Orleans the passengers and
crew of the
Winged Victory
had been blessed with two
weeks of golden sunshiny days and star-studded nights.

Judah now stood at the helm and watched his wife take a turn around the deck with the youngest Blackburn girl.
He yearned to feel the touch of Liberty's soft skin, he dreamed of kissing her sweet lips until she begged for mercy, he ached to possess her body, to hold her to him so she would know she belonged to him alone.

Judah could not blame Liberty for her anger toward
him. He had done everything wrong. Instead of confess
ing his happiness at having her safely back with him, after he had rescued her from Abdul Ismar he had acted
the jealous fool. Instead of telling her how much he loved
her and ached for her, he had been cold to her. Judah
knew Liberty still wondered about his relationship with
Adriane Pierce. He wondered how he would explain to
her that Adriane was a part of his past and now meant
nothing to him.

Judah watched the older Blackburn girl make her way
up the steps of the quarterdeck toward him. She was an
obvious flirt, and she irritated him.

"Good afternoon, Captain Slaughter. I hope you do not
mind if I watch you for a while?" She batted her eyes
coquettishly. "I am fascinated by this ship . . . and her
captain."

He watched her face beam with pleasure as he looked
at her. "You are welcome to watch as long as your mother
or father are with you. I do not recommend that you come to the quarter-deck unescorted."

Hope moved closer to Judah, and it was no accident
that her arm brushed against his. "Why, Captain, would I not be safe with you?" Again she batted her eyes, a habit
that was beginning to annoy Judah.

"Let us just say that it is not wise for you to come here,
Miss Blackburn."

She boldly slid her hand through his arm. "Will you not call me Hope?"

"No, I will not, Miss Blackburn." Judah glanced down
and saw Liberty watching him. He issued a silent oath,
knowing what the situation must look like from a distance. In irritation he glared at his wife for making him feel guilty when he was not.

Hope Blackburn licked her lips and lowered her lashes. "Would you want to ravish me if you found me alone,
Captain?"

Judah pried her hand from his arm. "I am not in the
habit of ravishing silly little girls, Miss Blackburn. And
why should I? If you have seen my wife, you know she is
everything a man could want in a woman. She has beauty,
kindness, and most of all, she knows how to conduct herself like a lady, a virtue that I prize above all others."

A flood of color stained the young girl's cheeks. "I . . . am sorry, sir," she stammered. "It is just that you are so
brave and strong
...
I believe you are the most wonderful
man I have ever met. I did not mean any disrespect."

Judah saw the tear that slid down Hope's cheek, and he
spoke to her more kindly. "I thank you for the compli
ment, but I have no interest in any woman other than my
wife. You are a lovely young girl and do not need to flirt
with an old married man."

Hope's eyes sparkled. "Do you really think I am pretty?"

"I do."

"Am I as beautiful as your wife?"

Judah smiled, and his eyes moved to Liberty, who was
gazing out to sea. He knew she was unhappy because
Hope Blackburn was showing him so much attention. "In
my eyes, Miss Blackburn, no one is as lovely as my wife.
You see, I look at her with the eyes of love, and it is hard
for me to find one flaw in her."

"Does she know how fortunate she is, Captain?"

His laughter was deep. "I certainly hope I can convince
her of that, Miss Blackburn. Now run along and do not again come up here without an escort."

The young girl nodded her head, and moved slowly down the steps. She just knew she would die from unrequited love for this strong man who had given his heart to his unworthy wife.

Liberty was seething on the inside. Judah had not once
come near her since they had left Martinique, yet he
seemed to encourage Hope Blackburn's attentions. In the last few months she'd had nothing but trouble with men. First there was Judah, then Sebastian and Abdul. For her part, all men could just go to the devil. In her mood she
wanted no part of any of them.

"You must not mind my sister, Liberty," Charity Black
burn said softly. "Mama says she is too pretty for her own
good. I wish I could be pretty like her."

Liberty looked down at the little face with the soft gray
eyes, at the unruly brown hair; and she felt an ache in her
heart. This girl reminded her so much of herself when she
was growing up that she wanted to comfort her. "I know
you will not believe this, Charity, but you will one day be
prettier than your sister."

Liberty saw Mrs. Blackburn approaching, but Charity
had not. Liberty knew if she never did another useful thing in her life, she would save this girl from the heartache she had lived through as a child.

The young girl shook her head sadly. "Mama says I will
never be pretty and I suspect she is right."

Liberty drew in a deep breath. Taking Charity's hand in hers, she knelt down beside her. "Listen to me—hear and
remember. I know what you are feeling. Once I, too, stood in the shadow of a beautiful sister. You will one
day grow up, and I hope you will forget the hurt you have
felt because of your mother and sister."

The young girl's eyes rounded in wonder. "You could
never have been anything but beautiful."

Liberty stared right at Mrs. Blackburn, knowing Char
ity did not realize that her mother was standing right behind her. "I can assure you I was very homely as a child, a fact that my mother and sister never failed to point out to me. I cannot understand anyone who dwells
on something so artificial as facial beauty, while overlooking the inner beauty of a child. Such people do not realize the hurt they are inflicting, hurt that will last a
lifetime."

"I do not blame my mother, Liberty. She cannot help it
if she loves my sister better. How can she love someone as
ugly as I am?"

Liberty watched Charity's mother go down on her knees, and gather her daughter into her arms. With tears in her eyes, Faith Blackburn spoke. "My dearest child,
how could I have been so heartless. I did not realize what
I was doing to you until just now." Her tear-bright eyes met Liberty's. "How can I make it up to her?"

"I believe you have already started to do that," Liberty
said, moving away to leave mother and daughter alone.
She wondered how different her life would have been if
someone had made her mother understand the harm she had done her two daughters. For the first time, Liberty
realized that Bandera had been the one most harmed by their mother's attitude. Perhaps it was too late for her, but she hoped the Blackburn sisters had a wiser mother.

It was a quiet night, and the
Winged Victory
sailed
smoothly over the waves. Faith Blackburn was brushing
Charity's hair, while Hope flipped through one of Judah's
books. Liberty watched the mother lovingly kiss her
younger daughter's forehead. The older woman caught
Liberty's eye, and mouthed the words, "Thank you."

When a rap came at the door, Liberty opened it to find Philippe smiling at her. "Good evening, ladies," he said
politely, removing his cap and tucking it under his arm. "I
have come to steal your hostess away from you. Her husband wants to see her."

Liberty gathered up her shawl, and placed it around her shoulders. As Philippe held the door for her, she swept past him, anger flaming in her eyes. When they were out of earshot of the cabin, Liberty turned to the first mate. "How dare Judah send for me, summon me before him like a lowly servant. Would it ever have occurred to him to come for me himself?"

Philippe chuckled. "He would have come himself, but
to tell the truth, he's a bit put off by the older Blackburn
daughter. She is always pestering him, and he wants to
avoid her."

As they ascended the companionway, Liberty felt the
cool night breeze on her face. There was no moon, so it
was very dark. "You will find the captain waiting for you at the helm,
Madame.
I will bid you a good night." With
those words Philippe moved into the shadows and disap
peared down the companionway.

Liberty slowly made her way up to the quarterdeck. It
was always reserved for the captain and first mate, and
the common sailor was not welcome there unless invited.
Furious, Liberty wondered if Judah had invited Hope
Blackburn onto the quarterdeck. The girl had certainly
been there often enough.

"Thank you for coming, Liberty," he said, as she
stopped beside him. "I would not have blamed you if you
had declined my invitation."

It was too dark to see his face clearly; he was no more
than a vague shadow. "I could hardly do that, Judah.
Whatever my faults, I would never embarrass you in front
of others by refusing."

"Yes, I counted on the fact that your manners are always impeccable."

Liberty was so near Judah that she could feel the heat
from his body. For one crazy moment she wanted to melt
against him, to have him hold her in his arms. "What did
you wish to see me about?" she asked, stepping back to put some distance between them.

Judah could smell the fresh clean fragrance that she
always wore. His head was reeling from her nearness, and
he felt desire flame to life inside him. He tried to ignore the ache that cried out to be eased by her.

"I wanted to tell you that we should be arriving at New
^Orleans tomorrow. I believe we should talk about a few
things, Liberty."

"I have nothing to say to you, Judah. I am going home
to Briar Oaks as soon as I can."

He was quiet for a moment. "I cannot allow you to do
that, Liberty. When you face Sebastian, I will be beside
you. I don't need to warn you he is dangerous."

"I am not afraid of Sebastian. Briar Oaks is my home,
and I do not need you to help me defend it."

"Oh, really?" he said in a biting tone. "I suppose you
didn't need my help when you were held captive by the
English at Briar Oaks? And how well did you handle
Sebastian in Martinique without my help?"

"Is that all you have to talk about, Judah? I am really very tired and I planned to go to bed early."

"Liberty," he said, reaching out and taking her trembling hand in his. "We have a great deal to talk about. I just don't know where to start."

"I do not want to hear anything you have to say, Judah.
We should never have been married. We are all wrong for
one another." Her words were like a dagger in her own
heart. She squeezed her eyes tightly together, glad that it
was too dark for Judah to see her tears.

"Liberty, there are many things that have been wrong
between us and I don't know how to explain them away."

"Do you not know how to explain why your mistress
Adriane Pierce,
ordered me out of your house? Can you
not explain why Charity Blackburn is always hanging onto you, Judah?"

He began to massage her hand, and slowly he pulled her closer to him. "Dare I hope that you are jealous?"

"I believe humiliated is a more accurate description. If
these past weeks are any indication of what life with you is going to be like, I can well do without it. I will never
again stand by and play second fiddle to someone, Judah.
My girlhood was spent in the shadow of my sister, and I
did not feel good about myself. I can promise you, no one will ever again make me feel unloved. I ... do not want to be your wife."

"Liberty, I hope you don't mean that."

"I do mean it."

"I suppose you think you would have been better off if
you had married one of your Creole gentlemen?" he bit out.