Swept to Sea (28 page)

"I swear your wife has become prettier since the last time I saw her, Captain Archer," Gage proclaimed, bowing slightly.

"Aye, I must agree she has."

Eden felt heat rush to her face at her husband's overly kind compliment.

"But you will do well to stay away from her as she is my wife and no one else’s, Gage."

Eden glanced over at Caspian. The man was protective of her, but she did not mind. She knew he was only teasing his good friend.

"Of course, sir. I am well aware of that." Gage nodded humbly.

****

Aimee and Ivy cowered on the quarter deck, fearing an oncoming battle. Ivy could not understand how some men could stand seeing death around them every day in battles and wars. She could only pray Eden was on that ship and she was safe and sound. If Lord Rutger had not found Eden yet, then at least Captain Emery could intercept them first.

Aimee clutched at Ivy’s arms, squealing in terror when a cannon shot from the gun deck of one of the ships that were now only a matter of yards away. She had no idea why there were two ships together, but Captain Emery had told her he was certain one of them was the ship Lord Rutger was using. He had guessed Lord Rutger had run into trouble and the other ship was helping him.

“What are we doing, Ivy? Does Captain Emery not realize those ships are together? We don’t have a chance of defeating them!” Aimee lurched forward toward Captain Emery.

Ivy yanked her back and spun her around. She did not need her friend starting another fight with the poor man. “Stay here, Aimee. I’m sure Captain Emery knows what he’s doing.”

Please, God, have Eden be all right.

Ivy knew Eden could use all of the prayers she could get. She hoped they could stop Rutger before he discovered Eden because she knew just how cruel the earl’s anger could become.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Why on earth are you firing on them, Caspian?" Eden screeched, running up to her husband. She grasped his arms. "That ship belongs to my friend. He has not even fired upon us at all or given any sign they plan to."

"Aye, my dear, I am fully aware of it. ’Twas simply a warning shot. I am just telling them they would regret firing upon me so we do not have to worry about that."

Eden sighed at her husband’s actions. The poor man was simply jealous over nothing. He did not need to fire upon poor Captain Emery who was not armed. But Caspian's plan had worked. Matthew was soon raising a white flag of truce.

"He motions for us to heave to," shouted Scruggs, her husband’s new first mate.

"Heave to, gentlemen! Be ready to prepare all weapons at my command."

The
Cross's Victory
slowed down beside them.

"Prepare the ropes, men!"

Eden caught a glimpse of blond and red curls bouncing across the main deck. Ivy and Aimee? No, it could not be…

Yes!

She rushed to the rail, eager to jump over and greet her friends whom she had not seen in far too many weeks. "Aimee! Ivy!"

Their eyes widened in shock when they saw her. "Eden!"

Eden tried to climb over the rail immediately but only succeeded in getting her legs all tangled up in her skirts. She ceased struggling as her thoughtful husband grabbed her by the waist.

"Just wait a moment, sweetheart. It is too dangerous to try to board her before these vessels are even lashed together. You could be crushed." He pressed a gentle kiss to her ear and kept his arms wrapped about her protectively. She decided she loved the feel of his strong arms around her waist.

****

Aimee took a startled step back as the man dragged Eden back and put his arms around her waist. He was wearing an elaborately plumed captain's hat, and by his attire, she guessed he was some sort of a pirate. Her breath caught in her throat. Really, he was quite handsome.

But he was a pirate.

What kind of trouble had Eden gotten herself into? Yet Eden actually appeared quite happy. Was this the same woman who had been telling Ivy and Aimee just weeks ago she would never marry any man? What had gotten into her? The man whispered in her ear, and she giggled up at him. After a moment he hefted her in his arms and used a dangling rope to swing them both over the bulwarks.

As soon as the man released her from his embrace, Eden ran over and hugged Aimee and Ivy. Tears streamed down her face. "I missed both of you so much!"

"Thank God you are safe, Eden! You have no idea how worried about you we have been this entire time," Ivy whispered. Aimee laid her head on her friend's shoulder.

"We searched for you for so long. For goodness’ sake, we had thought perhaps Lord Rutger had found you."

Eden shook her head, her brown eyes growing wide. "Lord Rutger is dead."

"Dead?" Aimee echoed in disbelief, frowning at her friend.

"Aye. Rutger fell off of his ship and drowned while he was trying to kill me. He wanted to throw me overboard because I would not agree to marry him, but he slipped over the edge himself."

"We are safe from him then?" Ivy inquired.

"Yes. He will never hurt me again. We are safe."

Aimee hugged her friend. “Oh, thank God!”

****

Caspian could not help but grin at his wife's happiness. But who were these young women? Her sisters, perhaps? Nay, they looked nothing like her, and she had never mentioned sisters. A brother, yes, but no sisters. These women were most likely just her friends.

Caspian cleared his throat. Eden turned around, a sheepish grin on her pretty face. "Forgive me for not introducing you to them, darling."

"That is perfectly all right, milady," he smiled, bowing slightly.

She moved back to the women. "Caspian, this is Lady Ivy Shaw and this is Lady Aimee Dawson. They are my good friends from back in London. I have known them practically since we were babies. Our mothers were good friends," explained Eden.

Caspian bowed deeply. "Nice to meet you, ladies." The girls seemed to be younger than Eden by a year or so. They smiled back at him, nodding politely in reply. The blond, Lady Dawson, batted her eyelashes rather coquettishly.

He averted his eyes.

"And Ivy and Aimee, this is Captain Caspian Archer, my husband."

Her friends gasped. "Your husband? Since when are you a married woman?" The girls both objected in unison.

"Aye, Caspian is my husband. We married only a matter of days ago."

Caspian's heart rose at the giddy excitement in his wife's voice when she mentioned their marriage.

Caspian leaned toward Eden. "I will go speak with this Matthew Emery while you catch up with these ladies." She nodded, and he squeezed her hand before turning to Emery.

****

"You are happy, Eden? Married to that man?" Ivy inquired with a concerned look on her face.

Eden giggled at her friend's concern that was entirely misplaced. "Yes, of course I am happy, Ivy. I love Caspian with all of my heart.” She felt a blush rise on her cheeks from talking about her husband in front of them. Would they think her foolish?

"You told us just months ago you never wished to marry, and that you would just become an old spinster," supplied Aimee.

"Well, I simply changed my mind when I met Caspian, is all." And with that she told them the tale of how she had come to be a wife, all the way from stowing away on Caspian's ship to his proposal. The girls oohed and aahed at every turn of her story.

"I hope I find a man like that someday," Ivy sighed.

"Me, too," Aimee agreed, glancing over at Captain Emery with an odd expression on her face.

****

Caspian and Matthew's discussion was drowned out to a dull buzz in Gage's ears as he stood next to them He did not see Eden or the blond woman who was standing beside her.

Nay, all he could notice was the beautiful redhead next to the both of them. She wore her golden-orange curls pinned atop her head in the tightest bun he had ever seen, although a few red wisps had escaped their confinement. Her nose and cheeks were splattered with dark freckles, and her eyes were a stormy shade of gray-blue. Those brilliant eyes snapped to his, and her cheeks flushed to a vibrant purple-pink when she caught him staring.

He supposed he should be embarrassed, as well, but he found he was not. All he could do was continue to stare at this pretty young lady.

****

Ivy felt herself flush as she caught a rather handsome pirate staring at her.

He flashed a grin and winked at her.

She shook her head in order to clear it and then closed her eyes tight.

Eden grabbed both her and Aimee's hands in her own. Ivy forced herself to draw her attention away from the handsome rogue and transfer it to her friend.

"I am afraid I will be staying here in the Caribbean, my friends. Caspian is going to build us a nice house somewhere in Jamaica, I think, so Reed and I don’t have to be on the ship all the time if we don’t want to. We might even go looking for Adam sometime. I am afraid I will not see the two of you much at all anymore." Eden chewed on her lip as she spoke.

****

Eden swallowed back a sob and tried to hold back the tears burning in her eyes.

Aimee did not even attempt to halt the water pouring down her own cheeks. "I guess this is good-bye, then. For good."

"I suppose so. But we simply must write letters back and forth, as often as we can. I'll have to hear of all your new beaus, and your new families, and your children… I am sure Caspian will take me to visit London every once in a while, since he sometimes has business there. Maybe you two could even come here and stay with Caspian and me for a couple of weeks."

“Maybe.” Ivy pulled Eden into an embrace.

Aimee lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the both of them. “We will miss you so much.”

****

Caspian gathered his crying wife into his arms and swung her back over the bulwarks to his ship. She waved to her friends until their ship was just a tiny speck on the far horizon.

He kissed the tears off of her pretty, creamy cheeks. "It is all right, Eden. Everything is going to be all right. You'll see. You will be able to see your friends again someday. Besides, you can write letters to them." He drew her against his chest and breathed in the vanilla scent of her. His wife.

****

Eden leaned against Caspian's chest and closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms tightly about her waist. He kissed the top of her head until her tears slowed down and finally ceased.

"I know, Caspian. It is just that I will miss them so much." Eden pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead.

"But you do not regret marrying me, sweetheart, do you?" He spun her around to face him.

"Of course not, Caspian; I would never even think such a horrid thought. I love you, and I know I will never regret our marriage."

He gave her the charming grin that she loved to see and hugged her, and then began to nuzzle her neck. "We shall visit them. Don’t worry. I have business in London at least every year, sweetheart.”

“But not too soon, I hope." There was a mischievous lilt in her voice.

"And why would that be? I thought you said you would miss your friends."

"Why, I have only just arrived in the Caribbean, and I could count on one hand the times I have been alone with my own, brand new husband…"

He laughed, a hearty sound she had grown to adore. "I believe I like your way of thinking, milady."

Reed skipped up to them and latched himself onto Eden.

Giggling, she fell into Caspian’s arms.

Aye, she had everything she needed right here. With this man. She had this ship, her freedom, a son, and her handsome pirate captain.

About the Author

Heather Manning
is a young lady who loves to read—and write. She has won multiple competitions for her writing with “Nextgen Writers” and placed first in some writing contests with the “Go Teen Writers” blog and is a proud member of ACFW. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri where she attends high school, acts in community theatre, eats donuts, and reads every Inspirational Historical Romance she can get her hands on.

Also from Astraea Press

Chapter One

Village of Aztec,
New Mexico Territory, 1905

The baby was nestled snugly inside the large roasting pan. Wrapped in a bit of blue flannel blanket, she reminded Amanda Dale of an over-sized tamale. The pan had been set upon the open door of the warm oven so the premature infant could absorb the life-saving heat. She is so little, Amanda thought with a clutch of fear. She bent over the pan to peer into her niece’s tiny face — a face not much larger than a silver dollar.

"Do you think she’ll die?" ten-year-old Rex asked. Bonita, the large, red dog, stood beside him, her long tongue hanging out of her open mouth.

Amanda noted the anxiety in her nephew’s voice. She didn’t answer at first. Born almost two months early, the baby had been quite small and barely strong enough to suckle. Tufts of dark hair now sprang from the top of her little head like scraggly sprouts. Her tiny limbs appeared so fragile Amanda was reluctant to carry the infant without first placing her on a pillow. Her sister Ella hadn’t even bothered to name the child yet. When Rex started calling the baby Minnie, Amanda did too. After all, the tiny girl was no bigger than a minute, as Gil Gladney had declared the first time he’d seen her.