Читать книгу Loves' Conqueror - Renee Hand - Страница 9

By the middle of the following week, Miranda was practicing with her sword. She had made a target from a sack she had asked the cook for and filled it with an old pillow making it bulge. She then hung it against the bed post and gave it a few stabs. She practiced her footwork continuously, moving back and forth in front of the sack with sword in hand. She did this for several hours before deciding to quit, hiding the sack in a secret place so it couldn’t be seen. She then relaxed on the bed reading a book. She wasn’t surprised when she heard a key unlock the door. As she looked up, her eyes met the blue ones of the cook.

The cook, Billy, was an older man with gray white hair and a bearded face. He was a kind man who seemed to always smoke a pipe. He was shorter than Miranda, who stood five feet and eight inches in height. His face was tan and wrinkled from old age as well as the sun. Since she had talked to him about the sack, he now felt comfortable around her to make conversation whenever he brought her food.

“How has the sack worked for you, missy?” asked Billy as he laid a tray of food on the table. Miranda rose from the bed, her blue skirts swaying around her bare ankles and feet.

“It works great, now all I need is a real target to practice on. I appreciate you not mentioning this to the captain or to Lord Hammil. I don’t think they would approve of my talents.” Before Miranda popped a piece of fruit into her mouth, she smiled politely to Billy. Her brown eyes expressed her sincerity. She kept her hair combed, letting it hang down the length of her back as it reached her middle. Billy couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful woman before him. As she smiled, he could see the dimples that formed at the corners of her lips.

“If the captain says anything to me about it, I will have to obey him. But I don’t see the harm in helping you keep busy. At least you are staying out of trouble. I will not mention what you are doing as long as I am not asked.” Miranda patted Billy on the shoulder as she turned and walked to the bed, lying across it again. As Billy left the room Miranda quickly glanced at the bed post, making sure that she had put the sack away and out of sight.

A couple of hours had passed when the door to the cabin was unlocked again. It was night and Locand wanted to change his clothes, as well as get a good night’s rest. He was determined to sleep in his own bed. He had made arrangements to have Miranda moved into her own cabin, but when he opened the door and found her sleeping across his bed, her hair hanging off to the side with book in hand, he couldn’t wake her to do it. He decided to go into his trunk to get a new shirt but was surprised when he opened the trunk at the end of the bed and found that the clothes in it were not his.

Locand glanced around the room, the light from the candles guiding his way. He found his belongings pushed to one side of the cabin, with his books and maps. He gazed at the girl on the bed in anger, frustrated that she would take over his cabin and bed. But the sight of her lying still and peaceful changed his mood. One of her legs rose up farther on the bed, her skirt rising up exposing her bare calves, ankles and feet. Locand grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her body, hoping it would keep her warm. As he moved to see her face, he couldn’t help but to touch her soft, smooth cheek.

She looked like an angel as she rested on the bed, her right arm extended in front of her while her cheek pressed partly into the blanket. Her left arm was bent and her elbow was brought to press into her side, a red book held loosely in the palm of her hand. Locand gazed at her lips, which were full and red. They were slightly parted as she drew breath. He couldn’t resist but to run his thumb across them gently. When her tongue darted out and touched his thumb, he cautiously leaned down, and while cupping her cheek, pressed his lips against hers tenderly. Her mouth was soft and warm against his. He pulled back, not wanting to be caught in the act of what he was doing, or thinking. Still asleep she angled her face up wanting more. She wanted him. He leaned down again and touched her lips. When she began to press her lips harder against his, he quickly pulled away, denying himself. He withdrew his hand and cursed himself for his weakness. Miranda returned her head to the blanket and licked her lips, sighing in peacefulness.

Locand was about to turn and leave, angry with what he had just done, when he looked again at the book Miranda held. He slowly reached for it and removed it from her grasp. When he glanced at the book, he felt a twinge of familiarity, and as he opened it, he knew what she was reading. It was his journal that he kept of all the places he had gone to and the ships they had plundered, of all the adventures that he had as captain aboard The Captain’s Avenger.

Locand closed the book loudly and stared at the girl lying across his bed. He was angry with her for looking into his private belongings, but as he glanced around the room he noticed how she had replaced most of his things with hers, even the trunk at the end of the bed was hers. Locand roamed around the room, his hands behind his back. He wanted to wake her and yell at her for what she had done, but then he thought better of it. He realized that she never would have made herself feel more at home if he wouldn’t have locked her into his cabin in the first place.

What he thought was a punishment for her turned out to be a punishment for himself. She wasn’t even fazed by being locked into his cabin. Furthermore, she seemed to enjoy it. What kind of lesson was she learning? Locand wondered. It was as if she wanted to be alone away from everyone. The thought confused him. Most women he had aboard his ship, which was rare, begged to be on deck. They never wanted to stay below. But Miranda almost went out of her way to be below deck.

Locand shook his head, not being able to understand the female mind. He then turned and left the room, forgetting about the clothes he had wanted to get. He locked the door behind him, determined to change sleeping arrangements by morning. Though he wanted to discuss with her about invading his privacy, he also wanted to avoid her. He no longer worried that she would become a distraction to the crew. His new worry was that she was becoming a distraction to him. The more time he spent with her the more he thought about bedding her.

The temptation to do so was strong within him. The last thing he needed in his life was a woman. They were mere distractions, making men change their ways and lifestyles, and he wasn’t ready to retire his ways just yet. Lord Hammil kept popping into his thoughts, and he knew that if he ruined his bride for him, there would be hell to pay. Locand almost didn’t care, and yet, there was a feeling inside of him telling him that it was wrong to deflower a woman that belonged to someone else. The situation frustrated him, so he decided to avoid her, and avoid her he did.

For the rest of the week, he did not go back into his cabin, nor the week after. He had Billy get the clothes for him he needed, but not once did he try to get them himself again. After a month had passed, he was tired of evading his cabin on the account of Miranda, so he ordered his men to remove her belongings and place them back into Davy’s cabin. He had thought that the transition went smoothly, until he heard a scream. All Locand could do was shake his head. The sun was bright, but there were clouds coming over the horizon. Locand knew there was a storm brewing.

Lord Hammil rushed below deck upon hearing the sound. When he had tried to talk with Miranda the week before, she would not speak to him. Now she avoided him completely. She even refused to take walks on the deck with him and out of stubbornness, locked herself into Locand’s cabin. At night, Miranda would sometimes walk on deck, but only when she knew that Lord Hammil was sleeping, but Davy always accompanied her. She had finally convinced Davy to practice the sword with her in the hold of the ship where the storage space was located. There was enough room to move around and no one would be able to see them. However, Davy also suggested they ask Locand for permission first. He refused to practice with her until he gave it.

Now, however, Davy was on deck with Locand as Miranda was being forced from the cabin. Davy was heading for the stairs when Locand stopped him. “Let me check on her, my friend. I need a little action and I’m in a mood for a fight.” Davy stopped and watched as Locand headed down the stairs toward the cabin. Davy had a smile on his lips as he turned around and headed for the helm.

By the time Locand got to the cabin, all he saw were two of his men standing in front of Miranda. She held a sword toward the men daring them to come closer. Lord Hammil was trying to reason with her, but apparently whatever he was saying wasn’t working. “Everyone out!” yelled Locand, eager to solve the problem. He started to roll up his sleeves as he watched his men clear the room.

“What are you going to do, Captain Riveri?” asked Lord Hammil, mildly curious. He wanted to know what the captain was going to do to remove Miranda from the room when everything else they had tried failed.

“You might not want to see this, Lord Hammil. I have a feeling you will not approve. If I were you, I would be waiting for your fiancée in her cabin. She will be joining you shortly.” Lord Hammil stepped into the corridor and out of Locand’s way. He then saw Locand close the door in his face leaving him standing alone in the corridor. Lord Hammil just stood in the corridor waiting for awhile, not sure what to expect from Locand. Then he walked to Miranda’s cabin and sat in a chair waiting for her as Locand had suggested, his hat in his hand.

Locand stepped farther into the cabin, his eyes never once leaving Miranda’s. “What do you think you are doing?” asked Locand, his voice calm and eyes steady upon their prey. His sleeves now rolled to his elbows, his muscular forearms were ready for a fight. His long black hair hung to his shoulders as he moved, his body anticipating Miranda’s next move.

Miranda watched as she saw Locand’s transformation. Deep inside she felt a slight attraction for him. She found him incredibly handsome and brave. When she read his journal, she had almost wished she were with him on his adventures. He had described every detail vividly, and there were times when Miranda felt she were with him, standing by his side, seeing what he saw. Now, though, Miranda felt almost intimidated by the man. The way he was watching her made her feel like she was going to lose the fight she was about to start. She tried to stand tall and arrogant, turning her head slightly as if she were pondering her next move.

“You could have asked me to leave your cabin instead of forcing me. I would have done it, but now I’m not in the mood.” Miranda lowered her sword slightly, but not all of the way.

“Will you leave then? Your punishment is over, and I wish to spend my nights sleeping in my own warm bed. You have decided to take refuge in here, but you cannot hide from your worries and fears any longer. I see what you are doing, and it’s not wise.”

“What is it that I’m doing?” asked Miranda, allowing Locand to move closer to her.

“This, for starters,” said Locand as he grabbed her sword and threw it on the bed. His motion was so quick that Miranda wasn’t fast enough to stop him. She then started backing up until her back pressed against the wall, feeling vulnerable without her weapon.

“I can use that sword, Locand. I know how,” spouted Miranda convincingly.

“I’m sure you can use it well, but now is not the time to prove it. These men will one day save your life, do not end theirs because of your stubbornness.” Miranda folded her arms in front of her chest as her brown eyes gazed into his.

“I wouldn’t have hurt them, but I would have if they were to hurt me. I was merely threatening them. I do not wish to leave the solace of this cabin, please?” The way Miranda blinked her eyes so innocently pulled at Locand’s heart. However, he knew that he should not give in to her.

“The only way I would let you stay in this room is if we were to sleep in the same bed together. I will admit that it won’t be very comfortable for you. There is a reason why I have a big bed. I like to spread out and would most likely lie partly on top of you or push you from the bed. Also, I don’t think Lord Hammil would appreciate our bodies intertwined in an embrace. I know for a fact that he would like to keep you for himself. However, if he asked me, I would be more than happy to share you with him.” Locand lifted Miranda’s chin with his hand and forced her to look at him, his body moving closer to hers pushing her farther against the wall. Locand had a playful look in his eyes, knowing that Miranda wouldn’t take him up on his offer. He knew there was more than one way to get what he wanted, and he was in the mood to play the game. Miranda stood firm and unyielding until Locand grabbed her backside playfully, causing her eyes to widen and mouth to open in shock. When she saw the smirk on his lips broaden to a full smile, she merely scoffed at him and pushed him away from her.

“Fine, fine, get off me. You’ve made your point, I’ll leave.” Miranda brushed passed Locand as she made her way to the door. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. The prospect certainly held her attention and yet when she realized that he was only fooling with her, Miranda felt silly.

She started to shake her head, feeling foolish for thinking that a man as strong, handsome and virile as Locand would have an interest in her. Before she could open the door Locand began to speak again, “By the way, while we have this moment alone together, I would like to speak to you about invading my privacy. You were reading my journal for entertainment. Inside that book are my personal thoughts, feelings and adventures. I would appreciate it if you would be considerate enough to leave my things alone. I know that I put you in my environment, but please restrain yourself from looking through my things. You don’t see me going through your belongings or trying on your clothes, do you?” Locand placed his hand on his hips, the smile once on his lips now gone. Miranda couldn’t help but to smile at the thought of Locand wearing one of her dresses.

“Yes, I would love to see you wear one of my dresses. Try wearing a corset, you wouldn’t be able to breathe for at least three days afterward.” Miranda laughed as she moved to sit on the bed, her legs hanging off the side. “If you wish to look through my belongings by all means do so, I don’t care. I have nothing to hide from you.” Locand cocked his head to the side, a smirk upon his lips.

“What are you saying, that I’m hiding something from you? I am under no obligation to share with you any information involving anything. I am just a man who likes his privacy.” Miranda clucked her tongue as she smiled at Locand’s remark.

“Men and their privacy. I think your whole gender has some serious issues.” Locand couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Excuse me? What do you mean by that? What do you know of men, for your gender makes men’s issues seem like nothing! You are more complicated than I’ll ever be.”

“I know enough about men to know that you are not the marrying kind, or probably even the faithful type. From your journal I have surmised that you have a great lust for life and women, but none for love. Not once did you ever speak of love with a woman or anything else, at least not yet.” Miranda then pulled out his journal from underneath his pillow. “However, I haven’t finished reading your entire journal yet. You may have found love on a different page.” Locand looked around the room for a moment and then back to Miranda. “I found it in the bottom drawer buried beneath a bunch of things in the galley when I went in there the other day.” Locand rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.

“Are you a thief, too?” asked Locand sarcastically.

“When the time calls for me to be, but I will tell you this. You will be a lonely man, Captain Riveri, if you don’t let love in your heart.”

“And you can speak of love?” sneered Locand as he moved back and forth on the floor in a rocking motion, his weight shifting from side to side. When Miranda nodded her head, Locand laughed.

“Why do you laugh at me?” Miranda asked as she stood up from the bed, feeling mocked.

“Don’t you dare tell me that you love Lord Hammil, or I will laugh in your face right now.” Miranda placed her hand on her hips.

“Is it that obvious?”

“It is obvious to me, and I don’t know you that well. I have spent little time with you in the past month and my thoughts about you are still unclear. However, you do not dote on the poor man like a woman who loves him would. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when you appear to be very devoted, but it is only when he is partially weakened. Otherwise, you avoid him at all cost and are using my cabin as an excuse to avoid him. Do you call that love?” Locand stopped his rocking as he awaited his answer, “Because if so, then I’ve been behaving incorrectly all of these years. In my eyes, when two people truly care for each other, they show consideration, forgiveness, kindness, and love.”

“I do not love him, but it does not mean that I don’t care about what happens to him. He has wealth, power, and if you look beyond all of his strange obsessions, he’s not a bad man. He deserves happiness in his life just like anyone else.” Locand thought about Miranda’s words for a moment, feeling they held much truth.

“Do you always look beyond what a person shows you about themselves? If so, then maybe you should take some of your own advice and treat Lord Hammil with more respect than what you have been.” Miranda looked down at the floor in shame.

“I know I’ve been acting terribly, Locand. I’m sorry for being such a pain. I don’t mean to be. There are just so many things that are on my mind and in my heart. Can you forgive me?” Miranda raised her gaze to meet Locand’s, her large brown eyes and pouty lips showing her youth. Locand reached out and cupped Miranda’s cheek in his hand. It was a perfect fit.

“I forgive you, Miranda, but I think your apologies should extend farther than me, don’t you?” Miranda nodded her head. She then reached out her arms and stepped closer to Locand, embracing him. Her cheek rested against his broad shoulder as she held him. Locand was stunned by the action and wasn’t sure how to respond. He then turned his head toward her hair and smelled her Jasmine scent. The urge to hold her against him was overpowering. But when his arms remained at his sides, Miranda pulled away from him, analyzing his features.

“Does it bother you to show me affection? I was merely thanking you for your counsel.” Miranda was starting to feel that all men had the problem of showing women affection. Locand removed her hands from around his waist and stepped away from her. His eyes betraying the emotions he was feeling.

“It would not be appropriate for you to do that again. Please refrain from doing so the next time you wish to thank me. Believe me when I say that words will do just fine.” The coldness in Locand’s tone made Miranda feel embarrassed for her actions.

“Forgive me! I will remember that in the future to never thank you by touching you.” The anger was evident in Miranda’s voice. She could not understand what she did that was so wrong. Locand shook his head at her and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He then reached out and grabbed Miranda’s hand, holding it in his.

“One day, hopefully when you are married and content, you will realize the effect you have on men. You are young and desirable, Miranda, and though I’m the captain of this ship, remember that I’m also just a man, and even I’m not immune to your charms. You cannot act so alluring and expect me not to notice or want you.” Miranda brought her hand to her chest and stepped away from Locand, appalled.

“Do you think I am trying to seduce you? Please believe me when I say that I am not.” Miranda looked around the room, her eyes wide. “You must think that I’m a strumpet.”

“No!” Locand shouted and took a step toward her. “I don’t believe that for a moment, but I need to bring it to your attention. This is why I didn’t want you aboard my ship. It has been over a month since some of these men have had a willing woman in their beds—much longer for me. You are beautiful and tempting. Men look at you and see someone they could lie with. It is important for you to stay close to Davy and Lord Hammil when you are on deck. It is for your own safety. I trust these men with my life, but lust is powerful and a woman is easy prey here. I recommend wearing something that reveals less of you, especially in the bodice area. Davy had said that you have brought men’s clothing. If that is so, then I recommend you wearing them. We already know that if you are in need of a shirt that you fit mine.” Locand smiled as he turned toward the door with his intent upon leaving.

“When I walk on deck may I stay by your side?” asked Miranda lightly. Locand turned around, his arms folded in front of his chest.

“Stick to your loyalties, Miranda, you do not know me well. Davy and Lord Hammil are the ones that should be protecting you—not me.”

“I don’t understand, if you are the captain of this ship, then isn’t it your job to protect us all?” Miranda folded her fingers together in front of her, her eyes staring at Locand intently, but he only took a deep breath, retaining his patience.

“Of course I will protect you, but you miss what I am saying. One day when you really want to, touch me again. Then and only then will you ever know what I truly mean. Trust me when I say that you should stay close to the ones who care about you, for I am incapable of doing so. It is a luxury that I cannot afford, and I will not favor you in front of these men or in front of your dear Lord Hammil.” Miranda was about to ask another question, but stopped when Locand opened the door and left the cabin, leaving her alone to think about the words he had said to her.