Читать книгу Pirate's Daughter, Rebel Wife - June Francis, June Francis - Страница 10

Bridget said hesitantly, ‘You are offering me so much. I only wish I had part of my father’s hoard to give you, then I would feel more worthy of you. I would that neither of us will regret my agreeing to be your wife.’

‘I have no need of a dowry,’ said Harry, relieved. He took her hand and lifted it to his lips and kissed it. ‘Obviously there will be no time for banns to be read, but I will visit the priest in Machico today and, for a few pieces of silver, I am sure he will obtain a special licence so we can wed before we leave Madeira. I pray that you will feel well enough to make the journey in the next few days.’

‘If that is your wish.’ Bridget could feel her skin tingling where his lips had touched it. ‘How will we travel there?’

‘On horseback or you could ride alongside me when I drive the cart into Machico. After the ceremony we will go aboard my ship. I will need to oversee the loading of the cargo and, God willing, we will set sail the following morning on the outgoing tide.’

‘You have it all planned,’ said Bridget, attempting to conceal her sudden apprehension. Could he have planned this from the moment he had discovered her identity? But why should he have done? He had, after all, given sensible reasons why he wished to marry her.

‘Naturally, I gave my proposal some thought before broaching the matter,’ said Harry. ‘Of course, plans can easily be overturned by forgetfulness or misfortune,’ he said idly. ‘If you can think of aught I might have forgotten, then I will be glad if you will inform me of it. I will leave you now and speak to you on my return.’

Bridget watched him go. She found it difficult to think of anything other at the moment than this man who had saved her life. She had a fair notion of what life was like being married to a mariner. Lonely, if one did not have a family or friends living close by. She felt a tightness in her chest and a moment’s panic. Had she made the right decision? He had made no mention of wanting children. Yet she knew from listening to married women talking that most men wanted a son. Her mother had wanted a son, but it had never happened.

There were footsteps outside in the passage that she recognised and her heart began to thud. ‘Is that you, Captain?’ she called.

He entered the bedchamber and smiled down at her. ‘I have been thinking you might like to sit outside on the terrace. I am certain the fresh air and sunshine will do you good.’

Instantly his thoughtfulness banished her ponderings. ‘I would like that,’ she said sincerely. ‘But I have no shoes.’ She lifted her skirts to reveal her bare feet. ‘I lost them in the sea.’

He frowned and stroked his beard. ‘I should have thought of that earlier. No doubt you could also do with more clothes for the journey. I shall see what I can do about such matters when I go into Machico.’

She thanked him.

‘I think it is best if I carry you downstairs as this will be the first time you will leave your bedchamber since your arrival,’ he said.

Before she could protest and say that she was quite capable of walking, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her from the room. ‘But, Captain, my condition is much improved,’ she assured him.

‘Aye, but you have been close to death and need to conserve your strength for the journey.’ Harry was not going to deprive himself of the pleasure of holding her close to him.

On those words, Bridget decided to remain silent, conscious of the strength in his arms and the beating of his heart. It gave her an odd feeling to be cradled in his arms that was not unpleasant.

He set her down in a chair on the terrace where she could gaze down over the garden to the glistening ocean below. ‘How calm the water looks today,’ she said.

‘Aye, it is hard to believe that it can turn into a raging monster with little warning,’ said Harry. ‘If you will excuse me. I will be back soon.’

‘Of course,’ said Bridget hastily, watching him until he was out of sight.

Then she turned and looked again over the garden, determined to make the most of these moments of tranquillity. Soon she would have to strengthen her will to face going aboard ship again. What the captain had said about the sea being a raging monster had struck home. But she would not mention her fear of getting caught up in another storm to him.

‘Taste this and give me your opinion,’ said Harry, handing a goblet to Bridget.

Grateful that he was treating her as he would a normal guest, she took a cautious sip and then a mouthful of the wine. ‘It is sweet and fruity with an unusual flavour. If you could bottle it, I’m sure you could make your fortune.’

He smiled. ‘I see you have a business head. The unusual flavour is spirit fermented from the processed liquid sugar for the estate’s own use. Perhaps one day enough will be produced to make it worth my client’s efforts to turn the liquor into a profitable business. At the moment Jorge does not possess enough agricultural land to do so.’

‘Jorge is the man who owns this house?’

Harry nodded. ‘You have not had the opportunity to discover that Madeira is a heavily forested mountainous island. A lot of trees have to be felled to clear the land for the plough and many of the fields are on a slope. The sugar–cane harvest makes him a decent profit as it is and he also grows vines.’

‘So you ship Madeira wine, as well?’

Harry nodded. ‘It is a popular wine.’

‘Do you have a buyer?’

‘I doubt I’ll have difficulty finding one in England.’ Harry poured a little more of the drink into her goblet. ‘I had, until recently, thought of making my home here, but now we are to be married no doubt you will wish to live near your friends in England. I have heard that Lady Elizabeth has a fine mansion near the Strand in London.’

‘That is true.’ Bridget gazed at his bearded face and tried to imagine his profile clean shaven, but it was not easy and she gave up.

‘I have also heard she is an eccentric and prone to do exactly what she likes if she takes a fancy to someone, having no husband to rein in her wayward behaviour.’

Bridget smiled. ‘She is also extremely wealthy because he died without issue and she inherited his fortune. She is so droll and says exactly what she thinks, even if it is insulting. Yet her heart is warm and once she heard my story, she was determined to help me to find my father.’

‘Kind of her, indeed,’ said Harry drily. ‘I presume it was she who provided the ship you sailed on.’

Bridget shook her head. ‘No, her goddaughter had recently married the Baron Dalsland and it was he who placed two of his ships at our disposal.’

‘What!’ exclaimed Harry, sitting bolt upright.

She looked at him, startled. ‘Of course, you will recognise the name. The Baron was a close friend of Captain Black Harry. After we discovered that Thor’s Hammer had been seen in Funchal harbour, the Baron was determined to have him found.’ She drew in a trembling breath. ‘As you can imagine I was desperate to leave England as soon as possible, fearing the ship would be gone if I delayed, but the Baron insisted that we wait until the weather improved.’

‘Wise of him,’ rasped Harry. ‘You are fortunate in your friends.’ He longed to ask about this woman whom the Baron had married, but knew it would be more sensible not to show too much interest, if he was to keep his identity secret a little longer. Yet he was extremely curious to know why Alex had not married Ingrid Wrangel, the woman with whom they had both been in love.

‘I sincerely hope that Lady Elizabeth is back in London where she belongs,’ said Bridget.

‘Would you like to live in London?’ asked Harry.

‘Surely where we live will depend on your trading interests, Captain?’

He did not dispute it because he had seen Joe approaching with food.

Bridget watched as the youth set a basket of bread on the table, as well as dishes of meat, soft white cheese and fruit. She had regained her appetite and her mouth watered. Joe left for a few moments and returned with plates and knives and a jug of wine. She reached for bread and meat and, for a while, neither she nor the captain spoke, but gave all their attention to consuming the meal set before them. It was a while since she had tasted food so good as that she had consumed in this house.

‘Perhaps you would prefer to live in Scotland?’ suggested Harry, picking up the conversation where they had left off.

‘Not particularly. My memories of life with my kinsfolk are not particularly happy ones. I was happier with my mother’s family in Ireland, but I would not like to return there. There are too many memories of her in that place where she died and it would make me sad.’ She sighed heavily. ‘If only my father had not gone to the New World and she was still alive.’