Once Upon a Midnight Sea (16 page)

But the foreman only smiled as he waved back, then turned the other way toward his office. Edmund glanced around. No one else on the nearly empty pier gave them a second look.

He planted his feet. "'at is going on here?"

"I don't know. Vincent don't tell me much." John was lying, Edmund could tell by his guilty tone and the way he wouldn't make eye contact. "Here you go now, up here." John took his arm with a granite hand and forced him up the narrow plank.

The ship was unmoored, her decks laden with supplies that had no doubt been charged to his account. In the water, two launch boats waited to row the hundred and ten foot Windfall out of the harbor. He could call out, but no one would understand.

A crew of strangers worked Windfall's rigging. Vincent Weiss was nowhere to be seen.

"Edmund, you look worried." Charles Weiss started up the gangplank at the stern. His stony expression slowly melded into a sardonic smile as he crossed the deck towards him. "I thought you loved to sail."

"What is meaning of this? I d-demand 'o know your in-entions."

"Don't worry old man. We've brought your invalid chair. You can sit back and relax."

"Where are you 'aking me?"

Charles' brows rose with mock concern. Three years younger and thirty pounds lighter marked the only differences between Charles and his brother, Preston. Charles was just as spoiled, just as seedy, but wickedly smarter. A dangerous combination.

"Well, hmmm. I thought you'd understood. It has been two weeks since anyone has seen or heard from your lovely daughter. Father has begun to suspect she's fled. We thought it best to search for her. Poor dear, she's probably just got cold feet." Charles' expression turned deadly. "We thought it best to bring you along so you can make sure she has no reservations at all about marrying my brother."

Oh, how could I have doomed Adriana to this nasty family
?

Edmund turned around to the sound of the plank being removed. The ship drew gently from the pier as the men in the dinghies began rowing. Through it all, John's beefy hand remained solidly fixed on Edmund's arm. Escape was futile.

Ironically, he and Adriana were now in the same situation: captive aboard their own ships.

* * *

Adriana moved idly about her cabin as the kiss repeated itself in her mind over and over again. Arrogant, beastly Christian had, for the briefest moment, turned into a fairytale prince. His kiss had been soft and tender and, dare she hope, caring?

She turned back to the wardrobe and opened its doors. Her dresses hung neatly, exactly as she'd left them. What had she been looking for? She closed the doors and sat at her vanity. It was a cluttered mess, but all of the things scattered about were items she used every day. Neatening it would be futile.

Adriana glanced up at her reflection in the gilded mirror. She pursed her lips together. What had she looked like when he kissed her? She'd been terrified. She forced surprise into her features. She looked absolutely silly. Was that how she appeared when he'd kissed her? She hoped not.

Her expression fell. What would she look like when Preston Weiss kissed her? Repulsed, probably. Adriana imagined herself in the beautiful veil Mrs. Bailey had made to match her wedding dress but her expression dimmed further, as it must every time she thought of Preston. Surely his kiss wouldn't be so wonderful. It couldn't. The pudgy man had thin, dry lips and always smelled of cigars and bourbon.

Christian's lips were full, perfectly shaped, and looked so enchanting when he smiled. Before she could stop herself, Adriana imagined his eyes and those happy laugh lines that crinkled around them when he gave her a genuine smile. She'd seen it only once or twice, but she would never forget it, not for as long as she lived. Not for as long as she suffered a miserable eternity as Mrs. Preston Weiss.

A knock came at the door. "Adriana," Mrs. Bailey called.

Adriana rose and rattled the bolt on the door to make it sound as if she were unlocking it. She'd solemnly promised her chaperone to keep it bolted at all times.

"Mr. Dupree wishes a word with you on deck," Mrs. Bailey said. She became alarmed when she saw Adriana. "What is it, dear? Are you frightened? Those pirates are as surely dining with King Neptune right now."

"Mrs. Bailey, they were close enough that they could swim ashore. I am quite sure they didn't drown."

"Well I hope the sharks got most of them! I'm certain after Mr. De la Croix's excellent display of cannonry they won't be coming after us again!"

Adriana smiled and shook her head. "That isn't what is bothering me. Please, come inside. I must speak to you."

Mrs. Bailey closed the door behind her as Adriana sat on the edge of her bed.

Adriana took her hand as Mrs. Bailey sat next to her. The older woman read the worry in her eyes and fell silent.

How could she put this into words? Nothing she could say would convince the woman from her firm opinion of him. "I have decided to assist Christian."

The first signs of displeasure worked into Mrs. Bailey's brow. "I already knew that, when you refused to leave the ship."

"No, what I mean is..." Adriana took a deep breath. "I plan to invest my efforts in helping him succeed."

"Have you decided this merely because the man fired a cannon and stopped the pirate ship?" She frowned as she glanced skyward. "Who would have known he possessed such talents? Though it is hardly implausible, given his type."

Adriana shook her head. "No. That is not the reason."

Mrs. Bailey sat up ramrod straight. Disbelief filled her face. "You have become seduced by his pleasing appearance."

Adriana laughed. "Mrs. Bailey, you don't say!"

Mrs. Bailey stood and paced to the center of the cabin. "Why, I merely, goodness me." She stopped and placed her hands to her cheeks. "I may be old, but I am certainly not blind. I recognize an agreeable countenance when I see one." The matronly woman wagged a finger Adriana's way. "But his handsome good looks only make him more dangerous. You and I both know the true man beneath. He is bad, Adriana, and you should guard yourself! I've seen many a young woman seduced by the wrong type–”

"Mrs. Bailey." Adriana stood and went to her. She took her matron's hand and stared beseechingly into her eyes. "He has not seduced me." It was not a lie. She had done this to herself.

Mrs. Bailey's harsh expression was replaced by pity. It seemed as if she stared straight through her skin into her soul. The older woman was wise and experienced. She could see the truth with her eyes closed.

Adriana forced her confused feelings away to concentrate on the matter at hand. "I know my father would want me to do this. I have found proof of his involvement, written by his own hand."

Mrs. Bailey caught her breath and opened her mouth to speak, but seemed unable to find words.

"I do not know if he bears the blame as Christian claims, but Father did know of him, and Gilbert."

"Gilbert?"

"Christian's father. There is an entry in the logbook that proves it. My father wrote of his regrets, and a journey to observe Christian many years ago. All these years, Henri has been watching over him, hired to do so by Father."

"Why, that scheming no-good sea barnacle. All this time and he could have told me–”

"Do not blame Henri. He has merely been following my father's orders."

"So, this voyage...?" She stared off at a dark corner of the cabin.

"My father knows of it."

Mrs. Bailey's gaze snapped back to Adriana. "I believed it to be a kidnapping for ransom."

Adriana nodded. "As did I, in the beginning. But you heard them both claim that we were not supposed to be aboard."

She watched Mrs. Bailey calculate the facts in her head.

"Do you know what this means?" Adriana asked brightly. "Henri has not turned against us."

Mrs. Bailey moved to the bed and sat heavily. She placed a hand to her cheek. If the woman's feelings for Henri were as Adriana suspected, hopefully this would mend things between them.

"This is all so distressing." Her eyes still held their worry as she glanced up at Adriana. "It means your father–”

"I do not know what it means," Adriana said quickly. "Henri has neither confirmed nor denied Christian's story." She sat beside Mrs. Bailey and stared at their two sets of feet on the floor. "But I must consider this is proof he is not the man I believed him to be, regardless of his level of guilt in the matter."

"Oh, child." Mrs. Bailey patted her hand. "Your father will always be the man who loves you the most."

A spike of hot fear stabbed at her middle. Adriana moved to her vanity and stared at her own regretful face.

"As I said to Mr. De la Croix, the issue first at hand is our voyage to rescue his father. All else will be resolved when we return to Baltimore. It is futile to fret over it now."

A long moment of silence ticked by. "I do wish you would reconsider," Mrs. Bailey finally said on a soft breath. "It is so dangerous. You should not engage in such activities. Why, it is downright criminal. Even if you were to succeed, what if word of this got out in Baltimore? You have your future to consider."

"What is the worst that can happen? Mr. Weiss will refuse me?"

Mrs. Bailey rose and stood behind her. "You must not do anything to risk your marriage. Adriana, you do not understand this now, but later, you will thank me."

Adriana swallowed, forcing away the bitter notion. Nothing good would come of this union.

"If you feel you must repay some debt you imagine of your father, then sail Mr. De la Croix to his destination and leave him to his own devices. Please, Adriana, promise me we will then immediately go ashore and book return passage to Baltimore."

Adriana met her eyes in the mirror. She forced a smile. "I promise."

"We must maintain our account of this incident, for the good of your reputation. You were kidnapped by force, but you remained chaperoned by me the entire time."

Christian's kiss invaded her mind like a flash of lightning. Mrs. Bailey had indeed chaperoned her, but not so thoroughly that Adriana hadn't experienced the most enchanting kiss of her life. Surely nothing so wonderful would ever happen to her again, not in the future she was destined for.

Chapter Thirteen

When the burly man stood guard, he paced back and forth in the tiny crewman's cabin without meeting Edmund's eyes. By their third day at sea, John Locke no longer pretended he was still loyally in Edmund's employ. The feeble excuses and thin lies had stopped. Now, the man couldn't even be convinced to engage in simple conversation. There was no doubt in Edmund's mind John had been the would-be assassin holding the gun that foggy night last September.

For a blissful two hours Edmund had been alone in the cabin. He relished in the peace. He went over the shooting again and again in his mind. Now, he could clearly remember the silhouette outlining the rounded slump of John Locke's shoulders, the slightly pigeon-toed gait to the attacker as he'd fled into the murky darkness.

Why hadn't I seen these things before
? he asked himself.
Because I hadn't wanted to
. He still could hardly believe it. It seemed unreal. His employee had tried to murder him.

But Edmund realized the situation was worse than he'd first believed. At least now he finally knew the reason. Charles Weiss was up to no good. John Locke had only been following orders.
Charles' orders
.

Just what exactly did he intend? Edmund's head throbbed as he tried to make sense of it. After so many days in the dim lighting, his head ached and his eyes were extra sensitive to light. Did the man really want him dead? Or was it the boys' father, Vincent, who was truly behind it all?

His infirmary chair rolled as Windfall rose and fell on the ocean's heavy swells. The weather grew worse the farther north they sailed, but each moment headed in the wrong direction multiplied the distance between Windfall and Lady Luck. Edmund counted his blessings, wondering how far Charles would go before realizing he'd been set on a false trail.

There had been rumors R.L.W. Steel was experiencing financial troubles, but before the arrangement between Preston and Adriana had been finalized, Edmund's inquiries had proved they were just that; rumors. He knew now his sources had been wrong. Wrong, or intentionally falsified.

Undoubtedly, he had been wrong about many things. His life was now at risk, as well as Adriana's. If Charles Weiss would kidnap him by force without concern for the consequences, Edmund knew he wouldn't live long enough to inflict any. What would they do to Adriana? Her claims had all been true–clearly the Weiss family was only after the Montague Shipping fortune.

Why, oh why, didn’t I listen to her
?

He squeezed his eyes shut. Regardless of her accusations, he should have considered her happiness first. She despised Preston Weiss, but had agreed to the marriage to satisfy him; his own greedy need for more money, more notoriety. He'd been a fool. A fool who didn't deserve the beautiful daughter he feared he would soon loose.