Seacrets (16 page)

Now he had the task of breaking the news to Mallory, as he turned to enter the house he viewed his wife fanning herself in the foyer, quite certain she heard every word that had passed between the two men. What he didn't know was that Mallory had also been in the foyer and heard what had transpired and was furious
. She did not choose to stay and hear the whole of it. She was a woman scorned.
Daniel Hargendon would surely rue the day he humiliated me, to be sure,
she thought
. He'd pay. Oh yes, He would sorely pay, one day, for the pain he has caused she and her family.Today was not that day. But Daniel Hargendon, mark my words, ya should keep a careful watch on ya back, in future.
That was a silent promise Mallory Gilmore had made to herself, on one of the darkest days of her life... Her wedding day.

Ӝ

Chapter
Thirteen

When Daniel returned to Hargendon Manor, a constable was waiting for him. He immediately thought he was going to be arrested for breech of promise. That Leif Gilmore had arranged for his arrest. But that was not the case.

Constable Sullivan was sitting in the library, awaiting Daniel's return, to ask him questions about the night before’s shooting and also about what he might know about a murder in the local brothel.
"Sorry ta bother ya sir, it bein’ ya weddin' day an’ all, but I've got my job ta do. I'm sure ya understand, sir." The constable said, hat in hand and bobbing his head in apology.  "Now sir it seems ya were found with the victim, a Miss McCoveny?

It appears she, ah, worked at the ah, Tavern?" Sounding embarrassed.

"Yes that's correct, Constable. What of it?" Daniel was short in his tone.

"Well it seems she was shot in the back and taken here for treatment? What can ya tell me about that? I mean how did it come ta be she ended up shot in the back, sir?" He continued pressing Daniel for answers.

"I don't know the answer to that question. I'd like ta know that myself."

Daniel continued.
"I was down on the dock checking on my ship and she just came out o’ the dark, walked towards me and when I spoke ta her she turned and the next thing I heard was gun fire." Daniel tried to look unaffected.

"Why bring her here, sir? Did ya know this woman, before last eventide, sir? The constable continued with his probing questions.

"Why would ya think that I had been with her?" Daniel replied.

"Well everyone down on the dock said ya was cryin’ over her body. That ya seemed ta know who she was. Is that so, sir?" Sullivan was relentless in his quest for answers.

"I knew her as well as any woman you'd meet in a brothel, I suppose." Daniel turned his back to the constable. "I think ya witnesses were mistaken in their description of events." He lied. "I was merely tryin’ ta save another human beings life. Nothin’ more. I bent ta keep her warm and also ta keep her from going into shock, from the loss of blood, until help arrived. I brought her here because it was the closest place. And also because of my close ties with Doc Kerrighan." Daniel further explained to the constable.

"Well do ya think Miss McCoveny might know who would want ta harm her boss, Miss Katy?" Sullivan pressed further.

"What do you mean, Harm?" Daniel was questioning
him
, now.

"I mean kill, sir. Murder.” Sullivan stated flatly. "She was found in her suite, sir, with a bullet hole ta the back o’ her head. Examiner thinks it was either shortly before or after Miss McCoveny’s shooting." Constable Sullivan finished his statement as though he were talking about the weather. Very matter of fact, in nature.

              Daniel had not a clue why all of this was happening but he knew it must be connected some how and suspected the constable thought as much, the same.

"I had never made it ta my weddin’'s eve party, at the tavern. I was supposed ta meet with my brother and some friends there, after I checked on my frigate, but never got ta the tavern." Daniel answered this one last question and then decided it was time for the constable to shove off.
"Miss McCoveny is in no condition ta answer any questions at this time. Ya are welcome ta come by in a day or two ta ask her more questions, that's when Doc Kerrighan thinks she'll be comin’ about." Daniel was now leading the constable toward the foyer and out the front door.

"Alright then Captain Hargendon. I shall return in a day or two for more answers and I hope I am able ta solve this mystery, sir." Sullivan tipped his cap and bobbed his head, then turned and walked toward his carriage to take his leave.

Daniel closed the front door and turned around to find his brother and Godsey standing behind him. He almost jumped through the roof, not having expected them to be standing behind him."What the devil are the two of ya doin’ standin’ behind me like that without so much as a word of notice." he snapped.

"Sorry sir," Godsey spoke first, "but we didna want the constable ta be askin' us any questions, so we hid out in the great room listenin' at the door
, waitin' for him ta take his leave."

"Danny, why didn't ya want the constable ta know ya are acquainted with Maura?" Aiden asked
.

"Because I want the chance ta talk with Maura before he does. Somehow I have a feeling this may have somethin’ ta do with Maura's disappearance from the ship. I want ta hear her side o’ the story, first." Daniel left the foyer
and ascended the staircase toward his chamber.

"And Godsey not a word o’ this ta anyone. I mean ta get ta the bottom of this mystery."

              “Aye Cap’n”

Daniel entered his bedchamber to find his mother already in there attending to Maura's bath and bandages.

"Daniel she's racked with fever. I don't know that she's goin’ ta make it son." 

The look of worry on his mother's face had Daniel really worried now.

"I will do my best ta keep her wounds clean and her skin cool. The rest is up to God, son."

She dipped the washcloth into the basin of cool water
, wrung it out and placed it onto Maura's forehead. "We've got ta get her fever down. We've got to break it." Mary wiped the beads of sweat from her own forehead with the sleeve of her dress.

Daniel placed his hands to his mother's shoulders
, “Take a break, mother. Get some rest. I’ll bathe Maura’s brow and keep an eye on her.”

"But son, what about your weddin’ today?" Mary queried.

"I went ta the Gilmore's, this mornin’, explained ta Leif that I cannot, in good conscience, marry his daughter. I have made arrangements ta repay fathers debt ta him. He, of course, was not happy with the arrangements, but none the less, won't fight me on this score, I guarantee you." Daniel straddled a Queen Ann sitting chair, next to his bed and rested his forearms on the back of the chair and continued to update his mother of the day’s events.

"His sweet daughter was all over town, in plain sight of everyone, breakin’ her betrothal vows, so he knows he's not got a leg ta stand upon. I've made sure he'll have enough money ta get himself out o’ debt and then he can start out across the ocean, again, ta
earn
his livin’, rather than tryin’ ta
steal
it from me." Daniel rose from the chair and walked over to the cupboard, poured himself his favorite brandy and downed a full flask, scowling as it burned his throat going down. He turned to look upon Maura, lying in his bed, noticing even in her injured and sickly state, she was still a siren calling out to him. “How beautiful she is”, he thought.

His thoughts immediately turned to their night of passion. Forgetting his mother was still in the room, he touched
Maura’s cheek with the back of his hand.

"You care for her, don't ya so
n?" Mary whispered, softly placing a hand to his forearm.

"I don't know what I feel, mother. I do know I should have taken better care o’ such a young girl on her first voyage. I feel responsible. I should have kept her close ta me and taken her, myself, ta her destination. Then maybe this would never have happened" He poured another
flask of brandy and gulped it down then wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Looks ta me like she is a survivor, son. She is no weaklin’. No fledglin’ needin’ protection. She managed ta stay alive all these months, since ya got ta port. My guess is that ya
have
brought her to her destination, son." Mary smiled at her son then kissed him on his cheek and took her leave. "I'll be back in a few hours ta check on Maura."

Daniel pulled his rocker as close to the bed as possible. He took Maura's hand in his and gently rubbed the back of it with his thumb. He closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

He began to dream he was on the Arabella. He could feel the heat from the woodstove warming his bare chest.  His eyes were closed, yet he could somehow see everything that was occurring in the cabin. He could feel warm, soft hands massaging his shoulders. Then those soft hands traveled down his sides and encircled his waist, stopping to rest on his, flat, muscular abdomen. He felt a chill run up his spine as warm, soft breasts seared his back and full, moist, lips kissed along the nape of his neck. Daniel arched his back and groaned as those soft hands massaged his chest. He reached up and took hold of a hand and kissed the back of it, then turned to face this sensual creature that was giving him these sweet pleasurable sensations.

When he did this he could see Maura's beautiful
face in the firelight. He pulled her to him with animal-like aggression.

Her eyes became wide and
intense, though she was smiling, at the same time. No fear.

He laid her back onto his bunk and
rained soft kisses down the length of her porcelain neck

She
pulled him to her and moaned her delight.

His eyes were transfixed upon her mouth.

She ran her tongue along her full bottom lip, to moistened it.

Daniel breathed in deep
and then leaned in to draw her full bottom lip between his teeth.  He could hear Maura moaning in the back of her throat. He moaned along with her, while forcing her legs further apart and pulling her into the junction of his thighs, his hands roughly grasped both of her hips while making her feel his hardness up against her warm, velvety junction.

With that movement she did startle and sucked in her breath. Her eyes were wide open staring directly into his. They were both transfixed on one another. That moment, in his dream, seemed to standstill. He could hear her moaning, "Daniel, Daniel..."

He awoke to hear Maura calling his name. He jumped from the chair to the bed in a heartbeat. "Maura, are ya wakin' up, love? Talk ta me. Say something, anything." He was pleading with her to awaken.

Maura's forehead was a mass of sweat. He removed the hot cloth from her forehead and replaced it with a fresh cool cloth. She was turning her head from side to side. Her dressing gown was soaked with sweat.

"Daniel why did ya not come ta find me. Why, Daniel, have ya forsaken me? I love you so much, Daniel… so much…I love you…so much." Then she fell back into a deep sleep. All at once her brow seemed to dry up. He dabbed at it with a change of cloth.

"Daniel I could hear her cryin’ out from the other room and came ta check on her." Mary took over, pushing Daniel out of her way. "Oh look Danny, her fever seems to have broken! She may be alright, after all!
Call Sally ta come help me change Maura's dressing gown and bandages.  She'll be fine, son. This is a good sign!" His mother went to her task with a new energy.

Daniel walked to the door
, called out for Sally, the house maid, and walked down the hall to one of the guest rooms to get some sleep. When Daniel awoke, he realized he’d slept longer than he planned. The sun was setting. He could see the last remnants of daylight fading behind the mountains in the horizon.

He walked to the wash stand and splashed cold water to his face. As he dr
ied his face he looked into the mirror over the washstand and ran a hand across the stubble of a few days growth of beard and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He laid the towel across the hanger and leaned onto the edge of the washstand and let out a great yawn. He stood back to stretch out the rest of the way then donned his shirt and trousers and then went down the hall to check on Maura.

He knocked gently on the bed
chamber door, but there was no reply. The room was a glow with the soft light from the many candles Mary had lit, before leaving the chamber. Maura was still asleep. He could see she had been bathed and her clothes and bed linens had been changed. Her skin was dry and no longer drenched in sweat. As Daniel neared the bed, Maura began to stir.

When she caught sight of Daniel she sat
bolt upright in bed and let out an ear piercing scream. "Who are ya? What do ya want of me?" Maura clutched the sheets tight to her chest and let out another loud bellow. "Help! Help! Someone please, Help!" She cried out in fear for her life.

Daniel st
epped away from Maura to try and quell her fear. "’Tis alright, love. ‘Tis only me, sweet." His voice was soft and gentle.Daniel tried desperately to console Maura, to no avail. She continued her alarming screams for help.

"What do ya mean, callin’ me love? I do not give you liberty to use such talk ta me, you lecherous barbarian!" Maura cried out for Mary to come to her aide.

The door swung open and both Mary and Sally were at Maura's bedside trying to calm her down. 

M
ary led Daniel out into the hallway to talk with him. "Oh Danny, I hoped I would hear ya stir and be able ta warn ya of this change in Maura. She doesn't seem ta remember what has happened to her or how she even came ta be in America. She awoke thinking she was still in Ireland. 

She seems ta have blocked out her entire memory of her experience, since before coming to America." Mary was out of breath. “I've sent Godsey ta fetch Doc Kerrighan in hopes he may be able ta shed some light on the matter. In the meantime, be gentle with your questionin’ and don't startle her."