Taken by You (44 page)

“Bah, you are too soft,” Don Diego spat. “The authorities will put him before the firing squad within twenty-four hours.”

Don Eduardo had never considered himself a particularly tenderhearted man, but Luca was so distraught that he was suddenly stricken with guilt. Perhaps his daughter really did love the rogue pirate. He remembered what it was like to love someone. When Luca’s lovely mother had died, he had lost something precious. Still, El Diablo had been the bane of Spanish shipping for too long to be set free. If he hadn’t boldly abducted Luca in the first place, none of this would have happened.

“What the authorities do with El Diablo is out of our hands,” Don Eduardo said. “His death will not be on my conscience. Go now, Diego. I will bring Luca home.”

The moment Don Eduardo turned his back on them, Diego sent Luca a look that caused the hair to rise on the nape of her neck. His scathing glance conveyed the seething contempt he felt for her. Only a fool would fail to see that she was naked beneath the sheet, and only a simpleton would think she and Morgan had been merely sleeping. Don Diego was neither. The room reeked of sex, and the rumpled bedclothes gave mute testimony to the activity in which the couple had been engaged. It was beyond bearing and a mortal blow to Diego’s pride.

“Until tomorrow, Luca,” Don Diego said in a voice that gave hint to his anger.
Sí,
he would marry the pirate’s
puta
in order to keep her enormous dowry, but he would give up none of his mistresses. Once Luca gave him an heir or two, he would banish her to a convent and promptly forget her.

Luca was sobbing silently, unable to stop the huge tears coursing down her cheeks. It seemed that even God was against her and Morgan. Fortunately she had a secret that she hoped would change things in her favor. Once Diego learned she was pregnant with Morgan’s child he would not want her. Of course there was one hitch. She hadn’t figured out yet how revealing her pregnancy would help Morgan. Morgan was on his way to the
calabozo,
and Diego would see to it that he was punished to the fullest extent of the law.

“Get dressed, daughter,” Don Eduardo said kindly. “I’ll wait out in the hallway while you dress and pack. Perhaps we can get a decent breakfast from the kitchen before returning to Cadiz. I do not like to see you so upset.”

“How can I not be upset, Father, when the man I love faces death? Diego holds a grudge against Morgan. What guarantee do I have that Morgan will reach Cadiz alive?”

“Diego is a gentleman. He would not harm an unarmed man. It is up to the authorities to demand punishment.”

Luca gave a harsh sound of disgust. “You do not know Don Diego if you think that.”

Don Eduardo merely shrugged and made a hasty exit. He wasn’t good at handling hysterical women. Once she was alone, Luca rose from bed and dressed quickly. She retrieved a cloak from her bundle of clothing and wrapped it around her, carefully concealing her protruding stomach within its generous folds. It wasn’t the right time to tell her father she was carrying Morgan’s child.

Once Morgan was hustled into the hallway, groggy and disoriented from the vicious blow to his head, he was thrust into his trunk hose and dragged down the stairs. If the innkeeper felt the least bit of compassion, he carefully hid it beneath his bland expression while Diego arranged for a wagon to haul Morgan to Cadiz. Within minutes Morgan was forced into the wagon bed, trussed like a Christmas goose and bleeding from a head wound. One henchman climbed in beside him, while the second leaped into the driver’s box and took up the reins. At Diego’s signal the wagon jerked forward, sending Morgan crashing violently against the side. Excruciating pain exploded through his bad leg, up his spine, and into his head. Then he knew no more.

Luca eyed the food on her plate with disinterest. How could she eat when she had no idea how badly Morgan was hurt? What if Don Diego took justice into his own hands and killed Morgan the moment they left the inn?

“I know you think you love the pirate, Luca, but Diego will soon make you forget him, I swear it. He will be a good husband to you. Soon you can put all this nasty business behind you.”

“How can I forget Morgan when I love him, Father? I will never marry Don Diego, no matter what happens.”

Don Eduardo patted Luca’s shoulder awkwardly. “Trust me to know what’s best for you.”

“Did you send for Diego? Why is he in Spain?”

Don Eduardo’s glance fell away. “I wrote to Diego the day you returned from England. I explained that Father Pedro was on his way to Rome to petition the pope for an annulment of your marriage. I urged Diego to come to Spain immediately if he still wanted you. If not, I told him I expected full restitution of your dowry.”

Luca gave a mirthless laugh. “Surely you did not think he’d return my dowry, did you? No, I can see you didn’t”

“Diego left Havana immediately upon receiving my missive. When he arrived in Cadiz he was overjoyed to learn you are a free woman. We left Cadiz together to impart the good news to you. We had no idea Morgan Scott was here.”

“How did you find us at the inn? How did you learn Morgan was in Spain?”

“Pure luck, daughter. We stopped at the inn to quench our raging thirst; we had ridden hard, you see, and the innkeeper, a loquacious man, told us about the foreigners staying at his inn. Diego seemed interested to learn that a fair-haired man and a Spanish woman were asleep above stairs, but he had no reason to suspect anything.

“We made haste for the convent and learned that you and another woman had left without permission the night before. We put two and two together and returned to the inn.”

Good luck for Diego and Father but bad luck for me and Morgan,
Luca thought glumly. “May I see the annulment document Father?” Luca asked, holding out her hand.

“It is perfectly legal, Luca.”

“Please, Father.”

With marked reluctance, Don Eduardo retrieved the document from his pocket and handed it to Luca. Luca’s hands shook as she unrolled it and read the contents. She had nearly reached the end when she let out an audible gasp. Excitement coursed through her.

“Father! Have you read this?”

Don Eduardo frowned. “Of course. Is there something you do not understand?”

“It states that if I am carrying Morgan Scott’s child the annulment becomes invalid. It further states that a child of the union will be considered legitimate issue since the marriage was performed by a priest and is legal in the eyes of God. Is that true?”

“I believe the document specifies the Holy Father’s wishes in this matter. As long as there are no children to complicate matters, the annulment is a simple matter.” He gave Luca a shrewd smile. “Thank God you have no worries on that score. If the scoundrel managed to impregnate you in the last two days there will be no way to tell if the child belongs to him or Don Diego, for your marriage to the governor-general of Cuba will take place immediately.”

Luca returned his smile, only hers was more radiant than the sunrise. She rose clumsily to her feet and slowly unclasped the cloak she’d donned to disguise her condition. She let it slide to the floor and stood proudly before her father. There was no mistaking the protruding roundness of her abdomen.

Don Eduardo inhaled sharply.
“Madre di
Dios! Who did this to you?”

Luca gave him a blissful smile. “No one at the convent, Father. I suspected I was carrying Morgan’s child when I left England.”

Don Eduardo cursed violently. “Why in God’s name did you leave the pirate if you were carrying his child?”

“A misunderstanding. I thought Morgan did not want our child. The queen was pressing for an annulment and I did not wish to be a burden to him. When one loves, one cannot always see clearly or distinguish between right and wrong. I chose the wrong course, but thank God Morgan found me and set me straight We love one another. You and Diego have destroyed any chance we might have had to find happiness.”

Don Eduardo could not take his eyes off Luca’s bulging stomach. Carefully he removed the annulment document from her hand and tore it into tiny pieces. No man in his right mind would want a woman far gone with another man’s child. Certainly not a proud man like Diego del Fugo, regardless of Luca’s sizable dowry.

“Father, you must do something,” Luca pleaded. “Morgan has changed. He has abandoned his vendetta; never more will El Diablo plunder Spanish ships. If you love me, you will help Morgan.”

Don Eduardo shrugged helplessly. “What can I do? Your pirate’s fate is up to God.”

“No! There must be something you can do. Morgan loved me enough to risk his life for me. He came to Spain knowing the danger involved. Do you want to see the fattier of your grandchild die an ignoble death?” She hugged her stomach protectively. “This may be your only grandchild. My brothers might never return from their adventures. And if they do, they are unlikely to settle down long enough to raise a family. They’d rather sail the world searching for gold and riches.”

Don Eduardo realized the truth of Luca’s words. With his mother’s solid Spanish stock and his father’s English courage, his grandchild would be strong and resilient and brave. But he truly saw no way to help Luca’s husband, even if he wanted to.

“I’m sorry, daughter. Morgan Scott is Diego’s captive, and Diego is a vindictive man.”

“We must not let him turn Morgan over to the authorities. If we hurry, we can catch them.”

“Even if we did, Diego would not let him go. Resign yourself, daughter. There is no way to free El Diablo. Once Diego learns you are carrying the pirate’s child, his anger will know no bounds. He will feel cheated and will take revenge on the man responsible.”

“Tell him he can keep my dowry for the trouble I’ve caused him,” Luca suggested. “Is my happiness not worth it? Throughout the years my welfare did not concern you, until it came time to marry me off to Diego. I’ve asked little from you and received even less.”

Her words had the desired effect. It was true he had neglected his daughter in favor of his sons, but he had always loved Luca despite her high-spirited antics. He just never knew how to handle her, nor had he had the time to learn. He sincerely thought marriage to Diego was the best course for her.

“I will see what I can do,” Don Eduardo promised, though he held little hope of saving the pirate’s life. Diego del Fugo was a powerful man, with more political clout than the Santiego family. Don Eduardo didn’t let on to Luca, but in his estimation Morgan Scott was as good as dead.

Rudely jarred into consciousness, Morgan was aware of every excruciating pain suffered by his bruised body. He moaned, trying to shift into a more comfortable position. All he earned was a kick in the ribs for his trouble. Over the rim of the wagon bed he could see del Fugo riding slightly ahead of the rig. Morgan cursed the man with raw, consuming hatred.

“What happened to my wife?” Morgan asked the brutal henchman who seemed to derive great pleasure from abusing him.

The man laughed nastily. “You mean your
puta?
Her father is taking care of her. ‘Tis a pity Don Diego has to marry the bitch to keep her dowry.”

Morgan struggled helplessly against his bonds, vowing to make the man eat his words. “Where are you taking me?”

“Don Eduardo thinks we are taking you to the authorities, but I doubt you will reach there alive.” He gave a nasty bark of laughter and aimed another kick at Morgan’s middle. Morgan saw it coming and rolled into a ball to protect his vulnerable parts. The guard’s booted foot connected with Morgan’s bad leg, and Morgan bit his lip to keep from screaming in anguish.

Morgan could live with the pain, but the thought of Luca’s future life with del Fugo brought a far greater agony.
What will happen when he learns about Luca’s pregnancy?
Morgan wondered desperately. He hoped her father was strong enough to protect her from del Fugo’s violence. His own death he could accept, but he could not bear the thought of either Luca or their child suffering on his account.

After years of denying there even was a God, Morgan closed his eyes and prayed. Prayer was Luca’s strength, and Morgan tried to make it his. Another vicious kick to his head sent Morgan spinning into oblivion.

“I’m not sure this is wise,” Clyde Withers said as he rode beside Stan Crawford toward Lebrija. Neither of us can speak Spanish well enough to avoid trouble. And what about the men?” he asked, motioning toward the four armed seamen riding in the bed of the rented wagon. “There is no mistaking them for anything but what they are, seasoned seamen. We’re going to look silly when we meet Morgan on the road and he and Lady Scott are both hale and hardy.”

“From the moment I left them at the inn I’ve had this premonition,” Stan said slowly. “I tried to ignore it, but this morning it was stronger than ever. ‘Tis better to be safe than sorry. If we find Morgan and Luca well, we’ve lost nothing. But if something unforeseen has happened to them, we’ll be prepared.” He paused to get his bearings. “If Morgan and Luca left this morning, we should be meeting them on the road soon.”

As the morning progressed and they failed to cross paths with the carriage carrying Morgan and Luca, Stan’s nagging fear increased. They were nearly half the distance to Lebrija when they heard the sound of approaching horsemen. Within minutes a horse hove into sight, followed by a wagon rattling along the narrow dirt road. Stan did not recognize the man charging toward them on horseback.