*A PLEASANT SURPRISE*
ADELINA
I was playing with my anchor shaped bracelet unawares as I tried to overcome my anxiety. My father's funeral was held today and I had to show up in front of everyone else which honestly made me sick. All the curious eyes on me…
"You should go, Miss Delaney." Brace's raspy voice snapped me back to the reality. "You will be late." He added as I looked at him sending him a gentle smile.
"Right, thank you, Brace." I nodded releasing the jewel as I stood up from the bed. I was already dressed and ready to go. "Would you, please prepare the horse?"
"Death?" He asked me frowning. I stood there for a moment thinking then I slowly nodded again. He was James' horse, a pale beautiful stallion. "Right away." He said going to the stable.
A few minutes later he was leading the horse to me in front of the house.
"They should've invited you too." I told him hopping on Death easily but he just shook his head in response.
"Are you sure you want to ride that like this?" He asked me concerned since I was sitting on the horse as a man would do. "It only will bring unwanted attention to you."
"Everyone could go to hell who doesn't like it." I answered honestly. I had enough of this town especially now, that I had no one else than Brace here.
"You're just like your brother." He chuckled finding it entertaining.
"Good." I smirked being satisfied nudging Death a bit to start.
"It wasn't a compliment!" He yelled after me as I left, but I just raised my hand disagreeing.
I arrived to the church soon enough to see my sister and her husband standing in front of it. I glanced at them then turned my head away searching for a pole to tie Death.
Thorne beckoned Zilpha to go in while he stayed there waiting for me.
I took a deep breath in desperation. I hated him deeply from my heart…
I wanted to pass him going in, but he tried to grab my arm to stop me. I stared daggers to him so he changed his mind folding his arms around himself instead.
"Adelina." He called my name. "My deepest condolences" He said showing sorry for me.
"What do you want?" I snapped.
"You shouldn't be so rude since we are the only family you left." He twitched. "Your father died, your brother is dead too. Who will protect you now, sweetheart?" He asked me smoothing a lock back behind my ear. "You know you can always move to our house." He said smirking. "Or in the end you will end up at Helga's brothel." He threatened me, but I wasn't afraid.
"I'd rather die first." I told him seriously. No man would ever touch me again against my will!
He wanted to tell me something but his face drained out as he stared behind me just like he saw a ghost.
"Is this man bothering you, Adelina?" I've heard the familiar voice but I refused to believe it.
"James!" I yelped happily as I've turned around noticing my brother. I had to use all my self-control to fight the urge of hugging him while a wide grin appeared on my face. "You have no idea, but it's nothing I couldn't handle." I answered him facing Thorne again. "I think Mr Geary was about to leave, anyway" I suggested as he bit his tongue in frustration while he turned away and left.
I jumped into his arms as we were alone.
I closed my eyes relishing his closeness as he hugged me back.
He hummed tightening his arms around me softly lifting me up a bit.
"You're different" I told him still smiling as I pulled back from the hug when he put me down. He didn't release me though just held me embraced by my hip while I touched the scar over his left eye.
"Well, there's one thing that haven't changed." He lowered his voice so no one would've been able to hear him. My heart skipped a bit as I folded my arms around his neck again.
"I've missed you so much." I whispered burying my face into his chest. He smelled vetiver and rain-soaked ground, but I liked it. It brought back all the memories.
"Now you should go in, Lina, I'll follow in a minute." He told me after a moment gently pushing me away a bit.
I nodded smiling as I locked eyes with him. I couldn't believe he's back!
"That little bitch…" "She should've died…" "Delaney cunt."
I've heard all the muttering in the room as I entered and headed to my place in the front. I held my head high while I reached for my bracelet again to gain some security so no one could see my disturbance.
I took place next to Zilpha who checked me out from the corner of her eyes. We haven't really talked since our brother left and our relationship was not the best before either.
The mutters turned into shocked awe and I was sure that James stepped in. I knew he will probably sit next to me so I didn't bother to turn around and neither did my sister, since her husband must've warned her not to.
I gulped hard when he set down on the bench so close that our legs were in contact.
"Before we begin, may we bow our heads in prayer?" The priest asked as everyone shifted to get into the required position.
I did the same closing my eyes although I was never a big fan of religions. James quietly grabbed my hand tenderly taking it into his. The warm touch of his fingers sent shivers down on my spine even though his skin was rough.
"So you kept it." he leaned in while I felt his piercing look on my face as he examined every little lineaments of me. It took me a moment to realize what he is talking about.
"How couldn't I?" I rhetorically asked releasing a smile. That bracelet was a farewell gift from him before he left the country.
We spent the rest of the funeral in silence and we were about to leave when Thorne came after us and called James.
"Sir? James Delaney, is it?"
"Mr Geary?" He asked recognizing him from earlier. I was pretty sure that James noticed my nervousness but he just sent me a frowning look. Not much later Zilpha joined in resting her arm on Thorne's. Our brother watched her with curiosity in his eyes.
"They said you were dead." She said answering the untold question.
"I am." He nodded without a blink of an eye. "Such a shallow grave they dug for my father. Are you short of a couple of shillings?" He asked changing the topic, but I interrupted her with disgust.
"No, she is not." They were sort of rich, since Thorne was a boat insurer and business went well. "She just refused to pay." I added.
"He was buried to the depth of my love." She answered ignoring my words as I scoffed. How could someone not care about her father? I wasn't his own blood, yet I stood next to him even in his last minutes. Too unfortunate that I hadn't got any money to give to the grave-diggers…
"Last years, he disgraced me." She also added not regretting her decision.
"Disgrace?!" I asked her in disbelief. He was sick and did horrible, even mad things but it wasn't an excuse.
"Hm." James hummed leaving them. "Coming?" He turned back asking me as I left the couple too.
"So you stole my horse?" He asked me teasingly as we arrived back to Death.
"I just kept him in shape." I told him innocently as I tried to hop on it willing to go home.
"Not so fast, Lina." He stopped me grasping my waist as I yelped in surprise. He put me down in front of him, but still held me. "My horse, remember?"
"And since you taught me I assume you give me credit that I can ride it properly." I smirked setting up a trap. If he refuse it means he didn't teach me well, if he accepts I win.
He shook his head chuckling.
"That was a good one." He acknowledged it. "But not today." He said jumping up being already in the saddle as he held his hand for me. I rolled my eyes accepting it.
JAMES
"Brace, would you be so nice and lit up the fireplace, please?" She called for the old friend when we arrived home. "We have company." She added smirking at me as she took off her gloves.
I took a look around. Nothing changed. Maybe it was a bit dustier since just Lina and Brace lived here, but other way, it was the same as the day I left.
"Of course, Miss Delaney." I've heard Brace's voice from closer as he approached the hall. "And who's…" He wanted to ask about the guest Adelina mentioned when he saw me. "My God." He almost dropped the candle he was carrying.
"Perhaps by ship and by carriage." I answered as he still looked at me surprised like he just saw a dead man. "Hm? Come here." I opened my arms to hug him and he embraced me right away. "Where's your propriety, Brace? Servant and master?" I asked him teasingly while I closed him in a bone-crashing hug. "Get off me." I released Brace eventually.
"Begging your pardon, sir." He said gabling.
"What, why?" I asked not understanding first.
"Begging your pardon, but what the hell are you doing here?" He explained himself lighting the fire Lina asked for.
I looked at her over his shoulder who just stood there smiling in overjoy. I had many reasons to come home but only one gave me this much pleasure…
"Oh, no, there will be no pardon for you because you are the captain of the mutineers. And you will hang. For being a pirate, you vagabond!" I said not answering his question. "How's the leg?"
"I broke my left knee swinging from a tree, being an ape for you." He said as I nodded silently. "You needed a brother." He added shrugging.
"Still do." I replied without hesitation. "But a broken down, bent, buckled old butler will have to be sufficient." I sent him a half-smirk.
"You look the same." He said after a moment.
"I'm not." I stated firmly. These years in Africa changed me and not all in a good way.
I took off my coat as the fire burned intensely making the room too hot for the outwear.
I watched Lina doing the same taking pleasure in the view. This dress showed everything about her perfect curves enhancing her waist and hip without being provocative at all.
She caught my gaze as we locked eyes. Was that a blush creeping across her cheeks? Or just the heat of the fireplace?
"Not tea, brandy." I told Brace without taking my eyes off of Lina still trying to figure her out. "Two glasses." I added finally braking the eye contact.
"Three." She said immediately as I looked back at her frowning but she just raised her eyebrow challenging.
"Sir?" Brace asked confused.
"Fetch three glasses." I gave in. After all, she's a grown up woman. "They should have invited you. To the wake, at least." I said turning back to Brace as he poured the drinks.
"Serving stew in the backroom, to hell with that." He answered scornfully.
"In all of this dirty city, there is no-one that I can trust, do you understand?" I looked in his eyes honestly. "Apart from you." I added glimpsing at Lina too as she drunk her brandy without a blink of an eye.
"Ugh!" Said Brace pretending that it's too strong for him.
"You can spare me the old maiden splutter, Brace. I know that you polish off at least half a bottle of Delaney Company Brandy every night. Hm?" I faced him with the truth as I've heard Lina chuckling.
"James..." He started. "You could have written to your father just once." He said with pain in his eyes. "In the end, he was calling for you."
"I know." I answered nodding. I've heard everything that Father said on those night.
"He would light these fires on the shore, call out your name and talk to you." He continued. "Adelina went with him every night. He let only her to help him." He shook his head as I glanced at Lina. She dropped her head staring her feet. It hurt her deeply too. "Is that grief, James?" Brace questioned hesitantly.
"Is what grief?" I looked at him confused, but he changed the topic instead.
"And all the while, these gulls hovered around picking at him."
"Gulls only come if there is meat." I added finishing my brandy.
"Oh, aye, meat there was. Men of affairs, they call themselves." He agreed pouring more alcohol to each of us' glasses. "Don't you want to know what it is they wanted, these gulls?" He asked rising his eyebrow.
"I know already."
"I doubt that." He muttered under his mouth.
"A base of land called Nootka Sound." I announced it for his surprise. "Nootka was my mother's tribe." I commented staring into the distance.
"No. No, no, James." He disagreed being horrified. "Your mother came from Naples." He told me the obvious lie what Lina's scoffing proved too.
"He bought some land and he bought a wife. And he bought them both for gunpowder." I replied calmly already knowing the truth.
"He told me never to speak to you of buying her." Brace explained himself apologizing.
"And yet he told me everything."
"When?" He asked not understanding.
"When he lit his fires on the foreshore." I answered looking at Adelina. I knew she was there. I felt her presence every time.
"Nothing you could tell me about that man would surprise me." Brace murmured quietly.
"He was half human at the end." Lina spoke gazing the fire. "He squatted right here and made deals with ghosts in the flames." She stopped for a moment and I thought she finished but she continued. "And he spoke in a language that was like... ravens fighting." She searched the prefect words to describe but it wasn't easy. "And he talked to you. And he talked to Mother." She said looking at me with tears gathering in her eyes while shadows of the fire were dancing on her face making her celestially gorgeous.
"Salish." I closed my eyes remembering my mother. "Her real name was Salish."
"You know things only he and I knew." Brace whispered in disbelief.
"Yeah. And it's best we never talk of her when we've had brandy." I nodded finishing the glass of it again.
"But here's the thing, James." Brace changed the topic as he reloaded my glass. "This land will bring the King and Empire down upon your head." He reasoned and this time Lina joined in too.
"This Nootka Sound is a curse." She leaned forward resting her head on her palm while we locked eyes as she tried to convince me.
"Please don't talk to me of sense, Lina, because if it is you, I might believe it." I leaned in too so our faces were almost inches away. "And I have sworn to do very foolish things." I added lowering my voice as my eyes unawares wandered upon her lips.
"Well, I think I'm going to sleep." Brace cleared his throat as Lina and I parted. "Should I prepare your room first, Miss Delaney?"
"Uhm, yeah, Brace, that would be great." She gabbled collecting her thoughts.
"And mine please, too." I added to him as he was about to leave.
"Yours is ready, James." He answered before he disappeared. I looked questioningly at Lina who already stood up.
"I slept in your bed." She started to explain it, but she didn't seemed being satisfied because she corrected herself. "I mean I used your room." She paused for a moment as I stood up too. "I just… wanted to feel you close." She added casting her eyes down.
I just smiled at her confusion. It only made her more adorable.
"I'm here now." I walked up to her.
"I know." She said relieved yet she still tilted her head down. "But I'm still working on believing it." She murmured quietly.
"I can help you with that." I assured her gently lifting her chin up making her looking me in the eye. I saw her face redden as she bit her lower lip in embarrassment.
"When Father died, I went to the shore alone." She started after a moment. "Brace would've call me crazy if he knew, but…" She shrugged not finishing the sentence. "I lit up the fires too, just like I saw him doing it before and I begged you." She confessed, but I already knew. I've heard every word that left that pretty mouth of hers. She was lost and terrified crying in the night alone. My heart still twitched just by the thought of it.
"Why do you think I'm here, little Lina?" I whispered into her ear pulling her close as I felt her sobbing against my chest.