Petals on the River (78 page)

fingers to his lips for a kiss.
 
"Why didn't you come in with Andrew?"

Shemaine shrugged diffldently and cast her gaze away.
 
"I thought you

and your father would need some time to be alone together."

"Why are you so troubled, then?"

Cautiously Shemaine withdrew from him and entwined her fingers together

as she rested both hands upon her knees.
 
"Mrs.
 
Pettycomb told your

father I was a convict."

Gage muttered a curse and silently vowed to wring the scrawny neck of

that meddlesome busybody.
 
But more importantly he had to know what his

father had said or done to hurt his wife.
 
"Did he say anything to you?"

"No," she lied, and shook her head, refusing to cause another fissure

between Gage and his father, especially so soon after they had been

reunited.

Gage was not at all convinced.
 
"He must have said something."

"Nothing!" Shemaine insisted, her voice faltering.

"You don't lie very well, Shemaine," her husband gently chided. "Now

tell me, love, what did my father say to you?"

Shemaine remained stoically mute, and Gage knew it was useless to

persist.
 
"Come inside," he urged, rising to his feet.
 
"I want to

present you as my wife."

Shemaine realized the futility of resisting as he reclaimed her hand.

Rising from the chair, she brushed at the wetness in her eyes and

smoothed the hair at her temples, ignoring the long braid that trailed

down her back.
 
Her husband regarded her swift attempts to make herself

more presentable and smiled as he slipped his arms about her and pulled

her close.

"You're beautiful just the way you are, my sweet," he breathed as he

lowered his mouth to hers.
 
His kiss was gentle and loving, causing

Shemaine to realize just how deeply she had come to love him in the time

they had been together.
 
How could she live if William Thornton managed

to separate them?

Her arms crept around his lean waist in a fierce embrace, and she

answered his kiss with all of her heart, soul and mind.
 
Finally Gage

lifted his head and gazed down at her with glowing eyes.
 
"We'll finish

this later in bed, but if we delay much longer now, Andrew will come

looking for us."

"We'd better go in, then," Shemaine murmured.
 
"He doesn't like to be

left with strangers."

As soon as they opened the back door, Andrew came racing back to the

corridor to meet them.
 
His father swung him up in his arms smoothing

away the worried frown on the boy's brow, and together the three went in

to face his lordship.

"Father, this is my new wife, Shemaine," Gage announced rather stiffly.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders as if to affirm his possession of

her, he went on to explain.
 
"Andrew's mother died in an accident about

a year ago and left me a widower.
 
Before Shemaine came here, she was

betrothed to the Marquess du Mercer in London.
 
While there, she was

seized from her parents' home and, by devious methods, convicted of

thievery and shipped here on the London Pride."

William remembered seeing the ship when they came into port.
 
He had

recognized it as being one among many vessels belonging to their

adversary, J.
 
Horace Turnbull.
 
He also knew the Du Mercers and, just

before leaving England, had heard some scandal about Maurice's betrothed

fleeing London before a marriage could take place, which some said had

positively delighted his grandmother.
 
"Then you and Shemaine haven't

been married very long?"

Gage felt the rigidity of his own smile.
 
"Long enough to have become

appreciative of our union."

William stiffened as he noted the firmness in his son's tone. Obviously

the little hussy had wasted no time in complaining to Gage about his

displeasure over their marriage.
 
No wonder she looked so embarrassed

now.
 
"So, she told you that I didn't appreciate you taking a convict to

wife, eh?"

Gage's jaw tensed until the tendons flexed in his cheeks. "Shemaine

never said a word about that, Father, but because you've never shown

such hesitancy before, I thought you might voice your opinion about

her."' With each word he uttered, his ire sharpened. "From now on I will

insist that when you have anything to say about our marriage that you

say it to me instead of Shemaine.
 
I don't appreciate you upsetting my

wife, and I will not stand for it, do you hear!"

Beginning to quake, Andrew hid his face in the bend of his arm as he

rested it upon his father's shoulder.
 
Sensing his son's distress, Gage

laid a consoling hand upon Andrew's back, knowing he must curb his

temper, if only for the child's sake.

"I'm sorry, Father," he apologized arduously.
 
"We seem to be at odds

even now.
 
And as yet, I've not learned to hold my tongue."

"Perhaps it would be best if I leave," William replied, his voice

strained.
 
He turned and would have made his way to the door, but

Shemaine left Gage's side and hurried to lay a hand upon the elder's

arm.

"Don't go, my lord, please," she begged.
 
"I don't want to be the cause

of another breach between the two of you.
 
Stay and have supper with us,

and if you would consent to share our home for a while, there's a small

bedroom upstairs where you might have a bit of privacy." Bravely she

brushed trembling fingers over the thin, blueveined hand as she softly

cajoled, "You must stay for Andrew's sake.
 
You're the only grandparent

he has."

William looked at her through the tears that had come despite his

attempt to force them back.
 
"It has taken me so long to find my son, I

hate to leave without getting to know his family better."

Shemaine's heart went out to the lonely man and with a gently coaxing

smile, she urged, "Then stay, my lord, and be a part of our femily."

William gently patted the back of her hand as she continued to stroke

his.
 
"Thank you, Shemaine.
 
I would enjoy that."

Slipping her arm through his, Shemaine drew him back to Gage. "For

Andrew's sake, there will be no more outbursts,'' she pleaded, looking

directly at her husband as she took his arm.
 
"You may have nurtured

hurts from years long past, my love, but without forgiveness, how can

any of us forget the injuries that have been done and release the weight

on our hearts?"

Gage recognized her wisdom, but a long moment passed before he could

meet his father's worried gaze and ask, "Would you like to look over the

ship I'm building?"

Relief flooded through William.
 
"Aye, and I'm interested in seeing your

cabinet shop, too." He swept his hand about to indicate the interior

pieces.
 
"Furnishings like these are only seen in the best houses in

England.
 
You ought to be very proud of your accomplishments, Gage."

Andrew raised his head and looked around at his grandfather, then he

peered inquiringly into his father's face.
 
"Can I come too, Daddee?"

Gage's lips twisted upward.
 
"You can help me show your grandfather

around."

Andrew wrinkled his nose and copied his father's grin.
 
"Gran'pa going'

to help yu build ship, Daddee?"

"He might, if he can learn to take orders like the rest of the men I

hire," Gage teased, causing his father to choke on an intake of air. He

clapped the elder on the back to help him regain his breath, but

couldnst resist repeating some of the same requirements his father had

once demanded of him.
 
"But you'll have to start as an apprentice until

you've proven your worth."

William had difficulty deciding whether to cough, groan or laugh "Blast

you, Gage, if you're not going to take your revenge on me yet!"

The younger man chuckled as his tension eased.
 
"Aye, I might."

In the front bedroom later that evening, Shemaine dragged her nightgown

up over her head and tossed it onto the bed before slipping between the

sheets and into the waiting arms of her husband.
 
Gage smiled with a

mixture of amusement and delight as she cuddled against him.

"Most women don their nightgown before getting into bed, my sweet, but

you do just the opposite."

Shemaine nipped playfully at his chest, drawing a surprised start and a

laughing "Ouch!" from him.
 
Then she giggled contentedly.
 
"Most women

don't have a man like you waiting for them in their beds, my love." She

swept a hand over his naked body and cooed in admiration at what she

found.
 
"If they did, they wouldn't waste time garbing themselves in a

gown.
 
They'd be waiting in their beds with open arms."

Gage twisted his head on the pillow, slanting his gaze down upon his

wife's smiling face.
 
"Then why was I the one waiting for you, madam?"

Lifting a thigh across his, Shemaine wiggled closer until her soft

curves and tempting crevices were warmly cleaving to his muscular torso.

"Because I had some chores to do in the kitchen after my bath. You

didn't want me to go around stark naked with your father in the house,

now did you?"

"No, madam.
 
Such sights I reserve for my own pleasure," Gage breathed,

clasping her knee and pulling it higher.
 
His hand slid caressingly

along the underside of her thigh, moving toward her buttock.
 
"I refuse

to share them with anyone."

Shemaine's breath halted blissfully as his hand veered, searching out

the softness of her womanhood.
 
"Do you think your father will be able

to hear us from upstairs?"' "Hopefully not, but I'm not going to let