Corsets & Crossbones (26 page)

When the carriage pulled up to Governor Radcliffe’s mansion, Brooke was helped out of the carriage by Jarvis, who had elected
himself to accompany Brooke to the party in hopes to deter her from another scandal.

As soon as Brooke stepped out of the carriage, people began to notice her.  They all believed to some degree that she had been captured and held hostage by Charlie.  Some remarked how glad they were that she was
all right, while others looked at her with disgust because they assumed that she was forced to please him sexually, which then tainted her chastity.  Brooke regarded everyone with patient politeness, but looked for an excuse to leave.

That excuse came in the form of her father.

“Ah, my lovely Brooke,” he said, walking towards her with his arms wide open.  When he was only a few feet away from her, his smile slipped from his face, his hands dropped to his sides, and his eyes narrowed at her.  “You could not even put powder on for the evening?” he remarked flatly.  “Is this all Charlie’s doing?  Has he corrupted you in your manner of thinking… or other aspects of yourself?  And why are you late?  I do not remember you being so tardy before.”

“Which question would you like me to answer first, Father?” she asked through gritted teeth as she faked a smile.

“Oh, never mind it all,” he said, offering her his arm.  “Come, come.  Let me walk you in.”

The two entered the large mansion, but Brooke paid no attention to her surroundings; she had seen it all before.  When they entered the ballroom, however, Brooke’s brow twitched with masked awe.  The large room that was usually empty was now filled with people.  There was a long table with glasses of champagne and dainty edibles to snack on, such as chocolate covered strawberries.  Men in sharp suits and women in beautiful gowns filled the dance floor, twirling with smiles on their beaming faces.  In that moment, Brooke truly felt alone.  She was surrounded by many different people, and yet there she was, completely isolated.

“Brooke!” a voice exclaimed from behind her.

Brooke turned, and her face lit up.

“Fiona!” Brooke exclaimed in return, and pulled the taller girl into a tight hug.  “You look absolutely beautiful!”

And she was.  Fiona had on a deep crimson gown that accentuated her already narrow waist.  Her straight, auburn hair was curled in tight ringlets, and cascaded down her back like the waves of a waterfall.  Since her face was already pale, she did not need much powder, but her lips were rouged.  She looked beautiful with a hint of a concealed seductress underneath her charming smile.

“You do as well, Brooke,” Fiona said, looking her friend up and down.  “Oh, I am so glad you came!  How did you manage to come?”

“I just left,” Brooke said, shrugging her shoulders.  “I would not miss this for anything.”

“Speaking of
anything
,” Fiona said, her lips curving into a mischievous smirk.  “You have much explaining to do about You-Know-Who.”

“I have no idea as to what you are talking about,” Brooke replied innocently.

“Yes you do, Brooke Anne Cunningham,” Fiona said, pointing an accusing finger at her friend.  “But I have to go and socialize now.  Go and dance, Brooke.  Enjoy your newly-attained freedom.”

Brooke kissed Fiona’s cheek and watched her friend walk away, appreciating the irony of her statement.  In Port Royal, she had never realized how caged she really was until she experienced her own freedom; she got to make decisions based on what she wanted, and when she wanted them.  In truth, Port Royal was more like a prison than life at sea with Charlie.

“Brooke?  I have not seen you in a long time…”

The voice caused her musings to come to a screeching halt and her blood run cold.  It was the same voice that had haunted her dreams long after he had left her.

Charlie looked down at the clothes he was wearing with a look of utter distaste on his face.  He glanced up as he raised his brow, looking around at this unfamiliar environment.  The ballroom in the governor’s mansion was quite large, but the people inhabiting the room were quite snooty in his opinion.  It reminded him of the court back in England, of the life he left behind so long ago.

At present, Charlie was standing awkwardly by himself in a corner of the room, taking in his surroundings.  His hands were interlocked behind his back, and his weight was shifted on his right side.  Chocolate brown eyes were scanning the room for a familiar blonde head of hair, but as of yet, he had not encountered the woman he was looking for.  Another woman had come up to him, however, asking for a dance.  Charlie would be lying if he said he was not flattered, and yet he would be lying if he said he wanted anything to do with her.  His mind and his heart were already occupied with one woman, and he had finally realized and accepted his feelings for her.  He loved her, mind, body, and soul, and he needed her; to see her, to touch her, to tell her of his true feelings and hope that she reciprocated his feelings.  In the end, he politely refused the young woman a dance, and continued to stand there, looking for Brooke.

Finally, he caught a very slight glimpse of the young woman he was looking for, and proceeded to walk over to her.  She looked absolutely beautiful, and he was very proud that she did not resort to powder or rouge as the other women that were present had.  She looked naturally stunning, whether she was in a gown or in his clothes.  Her hourglass figure was revealed in the gown, and he could not wait to hold her in his arms, if only for a moment.  However, as he got closer to her, he realized that she was not alone as he originally thought, but was talking to a man.  And they seemed to know each other, something Charlie was not too happy about.

He stood back a little so Brooke would not notice him, and tried to overhear their conversation despite the music that was being played.  All he could make out was that the man had “just arrived today” and “would be staying a while”.  The man was tall, about as tall as Charlie was, with sandy blond hair and big, blue eyes.  He had red lips and a svelte figure.  When he smiled, he charmed at the same time, something Charlie was not too keen on admitting out loud.  The way he dressed was quite fashionable, also revealing his high-class wealth.  He glanced at Brooke, trying to read her eyes, but found
himself unable to do so.  At that moment, he saw the man lean down, as though he was going to kiss her.  Charlie was not sure whether he wanted to cut in at that moment or not.  On the one hand, he wanted to see Brooke’s response, but if there was none, he would be witnessing her kiss another man.  Yet, if he did cut in, he would never know if she had wanted to kiss him or not.  So, despite the surging jealousy that was coursing through him, he managed to stay put and watch.

Brooke pulled her head back, seeing Andrew’s desired intent.  Her eyes filled with an emotion mixed with anger and hurt.  He was taking advantage of the feelings she used to have for him, but now, she recognized that and would not let him use her again.  Andrew looked at her strangely, cocking his head to the side.

“You were never shy before, Brooke,” he murmured, almost as if he was taunting her.

“I am not shy,” Brooke replied firmly.  “I just do not want to kiss you.”

Before Andrew could say anything, a voice interrupted their conversation, and asked, “May I have the next dance, Miss Cunningham?”

Brooke looked to her left where a man was standing, looking at her expectantly.  Was that…?  Could it be…?  The man’s dark hair was slicked back, erasing the center part he usually had.  His dark eyes had no outline of coal engulfing them, and his facial hair was completely removed, emphasizing his strong jaw line and his high cheekbones.  He was actually wearing clean clothing; a silky white tunic, and breeches.  The boots on his feet were new and impeccable.  Women were watching him with desire, but his eyes were focused solely on her as he waited for his response.  Charlie Colt could clean up nicely.

“And who do you think you are?” Andrew asked, narrowing his blue eyes at the man who had interrupted their intimate conversation.

Before Brooke could respond, Charlie said smoothly, “I am her fiancé.”

With that, Charlie gently took Brooke’s hand within his own, and led Brooke to the dance floor.  He only glanced back to narrow his eyes at Andrew with a very clear warning embedded in them.

The music began to play a slow song, and the couple got into formation.  Brooke placed her hand on Charlie’s broad shoulder while he held her slim waist, and they held hands with their free hand.  Charlie began to lead the dance, and Brooke followed, still incredibly baffled at what Charlie had said.

“No questions?” he chided lightly.  “At least tell me that you missed me.”  His gold teeth sparkled in the light.

“Do you realize what you just did?” Brooke whispered
, trying to control her anger .  “You just told Andrew Kramer that you were my fiancé, that we are engaged.”

Charlie shrugged as they continued to dance.

“So?” he asked.

“So? 
So
?” Brooke asked in disbelief.  “Well, it’s not true, for one thing!  And now he is going to tell everyone in this room that we are engaged, and then everyone is going to think it’s true when it’s not.”

“Well, if what’s bothering you is the fact that it’s not true, then how about we make it true, ay?” Charlie asked, peering down at her.

Brooke’s eyes widened as her mouth dropped.  Was Charlie Colt proposing to her?  No, no, it could not be true.  She remembered everything Heath had said about Charlie; there was no way this could be true.  This was one of Charlie’s schemes.  There was no way he could love someone romantically due to his piratical nature, let alone propose to someone.

“Why are you doing this?” Brooke asked
in a low voice.  Charlie could swear he detected a hint of sadness in her voice.  “Is this some kind of joke, Charlie, because let me be the first person to tell you that it is not funny.”

“No joke, love,” he told her softly, as they continued to dance.

Brooke’s heart hammered with fear.

“Why do you wish to marry me?” she asked him, almost afraid of the answer.

“Because I love you,” he told her, looking her square in the eye. 

Brooke stopped dancing, and Charlie stopped with her.  They were the only two people on the dance floor not moving, but they did not notice their surroundings.  Brooke was letting
all of this sink in, afraid she was going to collapse.  She did not expect Charlie to be here in the first place, and yet he was here, proclaiming his love and proposing to her as they danced across the floor.  What nerve this man had, and yet she could not deny the fluttering of her heart and the sudden emptiness in her stomach, and the flush that tainted her cheeks.

“You love me?” she asked him slowly, looking up at him.

Charlie nodded curtly.  “I love you with everything that I am, Brooke,” he told her in a husky voice, his dark eyes giving her goose bumps.  “You have my word.”

“And you want to marry me?” she asked him in the same way she had asked her previous question.

Again, Charlie nodded.  “I want to remain only yours for the rest of my years,” he told her.  “And I hope you feel the same.”  He paused, hesitating before speaking once again.  “I am born to hang, Brooke.  I cannot provide you the life that you’re used to, but I can provide you the life that you deserve.  I will never stray from you, and will protect you with my life.”

“I do not know what I feel,” she mumbled honestly, her heart still racing.  “I d
id not expect you to show here, and yet here you are, proposing to me.”  She paused, and Charlie looked at her passively, patiently, waiting for her to go on.  “You, although born to nobility, are currently a pirate, and I, although recently took part in piratical ways, remain a merchant’s daughter.  And yet, I cannot remember a time before I met you.”  She could not keep the smile off of her face, even if she tried.  “I have never been happier with anyone, really.  I love you too, Charlie, very much so.”

Charlie grinned, his eyes lighting up with genuine happiness.

“Is that a yes, then?” Charlie asked eagerly as his patience dissipated. 

Brooke bit her lip and nodded, and Charlie pulled her into a tight hug.  His arms wrapped around her, and his head dropped so that his lips barely brushed her ear.

“I would kiss you right now if there weren’t all of these people around,” he murmured, causing a shiver to run down Brooke’s spine.

“Has that ever stopped you before?” she whispered back in a low voice.

Charlie paused to think about Brooke’s words.

“I suppose not,” he told her, and then glanced at the people who were staring at them.  “Well, they are already watching, aren’t they? 
Might as well give ‘em a show.”

With that, Charlie
raised his hand to slowly caress Brooke’s cheek, causing the sensations of his rough, calloused hand against her soft, smooth skin.  Charlie smiled sincerely down at Brooke, and she beamed at him.  With his hand cupping her cheek, he tilted her head back and gently pressed a tender kiss upon her lips.  His lips were incredibly soft, which was not exactly what she expected.  One arm crept up and held the back of her neck, while another arm wrapped possessively around her waist.  Gently, Charlie sucked on her bottom lip, nibbling ever so slightly on it.  Brooke’s arms snaked up his tight torso to his shoulders and wrapping them around his neck, pulling him closer to her, if that was even possible.  Opening her mouth even more slightly, she gave him permission to enter her mouth.  Charlie did not hesitate, as his tongue seemed to be in a dance with hers.  He had to taste every inch of her, for she was his, and he wanted to explore her.  Once the kiss came to a stop, Brooke gazed at Charlie, and a soft sigh of content came from her.  They looked at each other, Charlie resting his forehead on hers.  They could not take their eyes off of each other.