Will You Teach Me…?
Hello, and happy summer days to y'all! Remember, three weeks ago, Brianna had just aborted her child (something that is APPARENTLY still not a fully guaranteed right in 2022…). Bonnet proved to be a precious moral support, not always subtle, but at least he was here for her and this event could have a soothing effect on their relationship… Until he finds another way to ruin everything again, hahaha. I gave this chapter 15 days ago to my friend Bianca for her birthday, and let me tell you she loved it (there's a hell of a lot going on there) so I hope you'll enjoy it just as much and I look forward to reading your comments!
Thank you all of you who read and commented last chapter, and Imembarrassedthis, LykkeF, Rath101, Carvel2806 and Skylarmikaelson for your comments!
Answers to comments:
Imembarrassedthis: oh yeah The Clover and the Tartan was nothing but passion and love and happiness (most of the time), but this story is quite different. Starting from canon, I could not just throw some happy domestic scenes at you guys, that would have been a bit questionable ahahah. I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's both cute and fun to read and we'll meet new characters!
LykkeF: eheheh you won't be disappointed, but you'll have to wait until chapter 14 to know what Joyce's business is all about. For now, we're just going for dinner at the Tryon's. It might be more informative than Brianna thought, lololol. Thanks for the review, darlin'!
Rath101: Thank you so much! You're gonna learn a bit more about Stephen's business and partners. And also, Stephen is starting to be cute as fuck, in his own special, psychopathic way… LOL
Carvel2806: Thank you! Something tells me you're going to love this chapter as well, there's so much going on!
Skylarmikaelson: Bonnet is a thousand miles away from imagining Bree could do such a thing. After all, she didn't abort Jemmy and in his mind, she's what every mother should be (and what his own mother should have been): gentle, caring, beautiful, and loving. He might not trust her entirely with some stuff, but this? Nah. Totally unthinkable. The Frasers will be able to visit…. In a few months… Some drama must happen between them before he can trust her enough to receive visits from her family… Anyway, a lot will be going on in this chapter, some revelations, new characters, maybe a new ally… who knows? Hehehe, I wish you a good read!
oOo
13. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
December 24th, 1773.
"I'll send a message to tell Tryon we're not going."
Brianna closed her eyes, took a long—very long—breath, and ran a tired hand over her face as Bonnet finished dressing up. The sun had not yet risen, but he was already getting on her nerves. One glance at her had been enough for him to decide that she was in no condition to travel, when she was dying to leave this bed and this room for the first time in a week.
"You said yourself that you had to go to that dinner…", she sighed wearily. He was about to retort, but she left him no time to do so. "And believe it or not, I really want to go."
"I don't believe a word of it." With a shrug, he put his jacket on and saw her roll her eyes in the reflection of the vanity mirror. "New Bern is six hours away. We would spend the day on the roads, and then have little time to change before dinner. Not to mention the fact that the evenin' is likely to drag on. You're in no condition to-"
"I'm perfectly able to sit six hours in a carriage, then six more hours on a chair, thank you very much."
"You are as pale as death…"
"Anyone would be after a whole week locked in a room. I need air!"
"Open the window."
Stephen smirked – obviously very proud of his joke – but a stern look was all he got in return and he scowled. Brianna pushed back the sheets and quilt and got up, crossing the room to stand in front of him.
"I need to get out of here and take my mind off things… I'm sick of being bedridden. And I feel perfectly rested now."
Silence fell in the room, and Bree felt Stephen's green irises analyzing her. Since her nervous breakdown on the night of her miscarriage, they had both dropped their masks and had not really bothered to put them back on in the privacy of their bedroom. No matter how much they yelled at each other during the day, every evening ended the same way. Brianna had hated every single minute of it, disgusted by the pirate's gentle touch, by his overwhelming warmth and tobacco smell. The more she vented her anger to his face – punching and scratching everything she could – the sweeter he was. Until she surrendered and let him cuddle her to sleep, frustrated and exhausted. This truce had yet had a positive outcome: their interactions had been sincere. Violent and frustrating, too… but honest. And she dreaded the moment when she would have to act like the perfect Mrs. Bonnet again.
"Even to have dinner with Lord Tryon?", he smirked.
"I wouldn't mind having dinner with the Devil himself, if I can leave this room and see other people than you, Phaedre and Happy..." She suddenly realized that she had been a tad too honest when Stephen's eyebrows rose on his forehead.
"Who's Happy?"
Brianna blushed, not knowing what to say but the door opened wide, getting her out of trouble, and she was soon assaulted by an overexcited Jeremiah, who threw himself into her legs.
"Mama! You're cured!"
Leaning down to pick him up and hug him, Brianna broke into a wide smile before covering every inch of her son's skull with kisses. They had kept him away all week, pretending that she was sick, so that he would let her rest and not see the slightest drop of blood on a soiled linen or petticoat.
"Indeed, I feel great… and I'm hungry. Perhaps I'll have a piece of this little boy…", she growled, pretending to bite into Jeremiah's arm, and the boy let out a shrill laugh.
Bonnet had frozen and was now staring at Happy, who had just appeared on the threshold. He blinked several times – scanning his henchman's grumpy face – then turned to Brianna with a mocking grin. The young woman's cheeks flushed even more, giving him the confirmation he was waiting for.
"Shall we hitch up the horses, Sir?", Happy asked, ignoring Brianna and her son. Or maybe he knew he would lose an eye if he ever looked at her wearing only a nightgown.
"Yes, we will leave for New Bern today after all... Mr. Hennessy", Bonnet added, emphasizing the man's name. Hennessy stared at him in astonishment but did not reply. Brianna, on the other hand, had received the message loud and clear. Happy-Hennessy nodded with a grunt, disappearing down the hall, and Stephen let out a mocking laugh as he understood where the nickname came from. In Bree's arms, Jeremiah had decided to tell her about his entire week, and this in record time.
"… Phaed' made pie. Daddy and I were to C'oss C'eek, there was horses and sheep and goats. Blue chased a chicken and the man with the chicken was not happy at all…"
"The chicken escaped unharmed…", Stephen noted, raising his index finger at Brianna.
"…and yesterday, I played thumb war with Daddy, but he always loses. And at night, I tell'd Phaed' that I don't want to have a nightmare because you are sick and I don't want to wake you up!"
"And? Did you have a nightmare?", Brianna asked, still cuddling him.
"Yes…" The boy pouted, before adding proudly: "But I did not cry! And I sleeped alone!"
"You are very brave! I know a few boys – much older than you are – who aren't so high and mighty when they have nightmares…"
Bonnet squinted, obviously annoyed by her sarcasm. "How about we let Mama get ready…?", he grumbled, motioning for Jeremiah to follow him outside the room. Brianna immediately tightened her grip around her son, but the child started fidgeting in her arms and she put him down. No sooner had his feet touched the floor, than the boy ran straight into Stephen's legs.
The child had quickly got attached to him (certainly because of the striking contrast between Bonnet's and Roger's affection), but this week away from her had strengthened the ties that the Irishman thoroughly wove with Jemmy since day one. So much so that when they were ready to leave, two hours later, it was not on Brianna's lap that Jeremiah spontaneously climbed but on his father's – determined to win another round of thumb wars. Bonnet purposely placed his finger so that the child's tiny hand could capture it, and Jeremiah burst out laughing every time he won. Very soon, however, the steady rhythm of the horses and the vibrations of the carriage got the better of his excitement and he fell asleep – sucking on his victorious thumb and his tiny fist clenched around his wubby.
Brianna could not help but glare at him. The body her son was curled up against was not hers. Neither was the neckerchief between his fingers. He had not mentioned Roger for weeks. He still sometimes asked for his grandma or grandpa, but for how long? Stopping Bonnet from impregnating her was one thing, but she could not stop time and habit from altering Jemmy's mind and memories. Little by little, he would forget his previous life, his actual family, his home… And Bonnet would sneak into every bit of his memory – overwriting and erasing everything else. Even without intending to.
"I was there, you know..."
Brianna jumped, torn away from her thoughts. On the opposite seat, Bonnet was looking down on Jeremiah's sleepy face.
"When?", she asked with a slight frown.
"When Jeremiah was born."
Brianna's heart jumped in her chest and her brain immediately started to search her memory for any trace of Bonnet's presence in River Run on that fateful May 4th, three and a half years earlier. But there was nothing.
"You didn't know it, but I was." Seeing her questioning look, he went on: "After I escaped from the jail, I lay low for a while… Away from harbors and red coats. I tracked you down, got hired on a construction site not far from here… Every now and then, I came to see if the baby was born. And one day, I heard you scream."
Brianna froze. The idea that he had watched her from afar – lurking in the shadows without her knowing and perhaps for several weeks – made her blood run cold. And yet, she had so many questions… But she couldn't ask them. The moments when Bonnet actually confided in her were rare and she could not risk missing any useful information.
"…For hours. By Danu, I really thought that was the end of ye…", he said, laughing nervously. "And then, one of the servants came out to tell the good news to the stable lads. 'It's a boy', he said. One of them asked if you were alive and well. I waited for the answer and left. At that time, I did not want to know more than this. I had a son. That boy's mother was alive and he had a roof over his head. Servants, money, a family that would feed him and make sure he would receive proper education. He did not need anythin' from me, really…"
Silence fell in the carriage, but one of Bonnet's sentences kept playing on a loop in Brianna's mind. At that time, I did not want to know more than this…
"What changed?", she asked rather abruptly. "What made you want to be in his life?"
Bonnet's smile disappeared and his eyes darkened. "After a few months at sea, I was told you had gone to live in the middle of the woods…" He winced. "And that you got married… to that fool MacKenzie, no less. This was not the life I wanted for our son."
"No one asked for your opinion."
"Precisely", he retorted. Instantly regretting his harsh tone, he pulled himself together and added more gently: "I have often wondered what would have happened if I had walked through that door when he was born... If I had not left..."
"Ulysses would have set the dogs. And we would have been rid of you…", Brianna taunted. Against all expectations, Stephen smiled and nodded.
"Probably."
Unable to put words to her current feelings, Brianna had chosen irony as a way out, but her husband's words had confused her. Knowing that he had literally stalked her for months, asked about her every move, watched her on the sly, was terrifying. But she could not help comparing his reaction with Roger's, who had abandoned her and rejected her (knowing she was pregnant), and later denied Jeremiah any kind of love – so much so that the boy would throw himself into the arms of the first stranger who brought him gifts and attention. Her confusion was probably too obvious, for she saw Bonnet frown.
"What now…?"
Brianna bit her lip, not really knowing how to explain the mess in her head and heart. She considered lying for a moment, telling him what he certainly wanted to hear: that she would have welcomed him with open arms, or fled with him and Jeremiah on his ship, then progressively fallen in love and lived happily ever after. But she already knew that he would not believe her and that she could not tell such a big lie without her nose growing like Pinocchio's. Moreover, they had stopped pretending a week ago… She might as well be honest while he still tolerated it…
"I do not think… that I would have wanted to know you were alive the day he was born. Let alone see you in the flesh. I would have been terrified and it would not have been good for me or for Jeremiah." She saw him grit his teeth, accepting the truth lying down. He was so resigned that he did not even expect her to add anything else, and seemed surprised when she whispered: "But today, somehow… I'm relieved to know that I wasn't completely alone that day. Since you were there."
That was all it took for Bonnet to crack a conceited smile and lean slightly forward, still firmly holding Jeremiah with one arm. "Unlike MacKenzie?"
Bree scowled. It pained her to admit it, but if Bonnet had really spied on her for weeks before Jeremiah's birth, then he knew full well that Roger had not bothered to show up. "Indeed", she grumbled, before rolling her eyes at her husband's cheerful face.
"I am a better father than he was."
It was not a question, more of a statement and objectively, Brianna could not disagree with him. Even if she had suffered atrocities in his hands, Bonnet had never had a single inappropriate word or gesture towards Jeremiah. He had always satisfied each and every one of the child's wishes, spoiled him, pampered him, played with him and his puppy… Which was more than she could say about Roger.
"Probably, yeah", Brianna sighed, admitting defeat.
"And a better man."
"Don't push it."
"A better lover, then?"
This time, Bree let out a mocking laugh, which did not please the Irishman at all and the situation would probably have escalated if Jeremiah had not been in his arms. She had hit a nerve, perhaps she could use it to improve her living conditions.
"There would be a simple way to better yourself as a man… and a husband." He did not answer, but she knew she had caught his attention. "You just have to respect me. Do not insist when I say no. Do not use force to silence me or submit me to your will. You could be caring, understanding and-"
"Borin'…", he finished with a grunt.
"Respecting your wife is not being boring…"
"Come on, darlin', I know you like to be roughed up a bit, sometimes… All the lassies do."
"No, I don't. And you should not like that either."
Bonnet leaned back in his seat again, annoyed at the certainly too progressive concept of taking his wife's opinions and rejections into account. As neither of them spoke anymore, Brianna leaned against the carriage door and allowed herself to breathe a little more freely. If, by some miracle, Stephen accepted her request, her life in River Run would become much more manageable. And so would the risk of unwanted pregnancy…
"And when you say no, but I feel your body says-?"
"When I say no, I mean no." Jeez, he's such a pain in the ass…, the young woman added inwardly.
"Fine."
"Good." Brianna huffed loudly. Now that she had gotten the message across, she could not wait to change the subject or just stop talking. And to show him that the discussion was over, she conspicuously turned her gaze towards the landscape passing by on the other side of the small window. But Stephen Bonnet was not one to give up the game without picking up a few coins.
"But you will not always say 'no', will you?"
Quite frankly, I'm starting to consider it. "No, not always", she replied drily.
"How often… approximately…?"
Brianna pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. The journey to New Bern would be a long one.
~o~
Lord and Lady Tryon's residence was a vast red brick palace, surrounded by a 16-acres formal garden designed by Claude Sauthier, a landscape architect from Strasbourg, France, commissioned by the governor to make all of New Bern's gardens and parks and who followed him wherever he went. Sauthier had rushed on Bonnet to greet him and Brianna immediately recognized the clingy, paunchy Frenchman who had kissed her hand in River Run, and that they had met again in Wilmington.
"Ah, here is the chief attraction of the show!", William Tryon exclaimed from the entrance hall. The Governor came forward, a glass of champagne in his hand, and motioned to one of the footmen to bring two more for his new guests.
"Are you talkin' about me or me wife?", Stephen asked, resting a hand on Brianna's back. Tryon's gaze immediately fell on the blue velvet dress and the shiny sapphires cascading down her cleavage, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips.
"For the sake of our friendship, I will not answer that question…" Seizing the young woman's hand, he brought it briefly to his mouth. "My dear, you seem to shine a little brighter each time we meet. This new life in River Run has done wonders on you…"
Brianna stiffened and felt Bonnet's fingers dig into her back through the thick layers of fabric. Shortly before their arrival at the governor's, Stephen had confessed to her that he had appreciated – "to a limited extent", in his own words – the sincerity of their interactions over the past few days, but not tonight. No misdemeanor would be tolerated in front of all the top people of North Carolina.
"Maybe it is just the immeasurable pleasure of being in your company, Governor", she drawled with a fake smile and a slight curtsey. On her left, Bonnet squinted and gave her a warning look, while Tryon chuckled. He was not stupid and probably knew she was mocking him but he chose to ignore it. Holding out his glass of champagne, he invited Stephen to clink glasses with him, which he did.
"She's improving…", Tryon mumbled, nodding at Brianna. Gulping down a torrent of abuse towards the governor, she raised her glass and took a sip of champagne. Stephen's hand left her back and he took two steps forward to stand in front of her, smirking.
"I've seen to it…"
You bloody bast-
The arrival of a smiling Margaret Tryon put an end to Brianna's dark thoughts when two silk-gloved hands grasped hers.
"What a pleasure to see you again, my dear! How was the journey?"
Brianna blinked, taken aback. The last and only time they had met during the summer, Margaret had not been exactly friendly; she had even implicitly accused her of conspiring with Bonnet against her aunt Jocasta to take control of River Run. Her behavior was suspicious to say the least, but Brianna chose to play along and smiled.
"Thank you for having us. We had a pleasant trip, thank you for asking…"
"I'm glad… And how is your little boy? Jeremiah, is that right?"
Their conversation quickly annoyed Tryon, who motioned for Bonnet to follow him. The pirate caught Brianna's eye for a moment, inviting her to come with, but she pretended not to see anything. "Jeremiah is fine, we left him at the inn with our maid and Ha-our butler." She had almost said 'Happy' but corrected herself just in time. Hennessy, dammit, his name is He-nne-ssy!
"I'm glad…", Margaret repeated, like a skipping record. She regularly cast nervous glances at Tryon, but her husband was already dragging Stephen towards a group of men a few feet away. "My dear Bria-, may I call you Brianna?" The young woman nodded and Margaret immediately went on, lowering her voice: "I wanted to apologize… for my behavior. I believed… well, I thought that you-… oh, that's silly, please excuse me, I am lost for words…"
"I don't mind", Brianna urged her gently. Lady Tryon was obviously trying to tell her something unspeakable and she was dying to know what it was. "What did you think?"
Margaret's anxious face turned towards her, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish out of a bowl. "Oh…well…"
"Margaret!"
Lady Tryon jumped so violently that her complicated hairdo trembled on the back of her head and she whirled around; her husband was waving at her from across the room. She quickly mumbled a "we'll talk about that later" and walked away, leaving Brianna deeply unsatisfied and forced to join her own husband, who was staring at her insistently.
A few hours later, dessert had not yet been served and she could not take it anymore. Her dress was terribly heavy, the alcohol had gone to her head quite fast, and her cheeks were unpleasantly stiff from all the stupid and fake smiling. She had held her ground during first course, laughing at her left-hand neighbor's silly anecdotes – a short, paunchy man named Joseph Byrne, who had made his fortune in the tobacco business and seemed more interested in her cleavage than her conversation. Then she had survived the fish dish, listening distractedly to the wife of one of Tryon's advisers and drowning her boredom in champagne.
The meat dish had been quite an ordeal when the subject of slave trade had come up and she had nearly breathed a sigh of relief when the French cheeses had arrived on the table, with their overpriced wines. The French and their catastrophic management of the Caribbean colonies had then become the new subject of conversation, only providing her a brief respite: no sooner had the cheese been eaten, than the imbecile two seats away from Tryon – James Norrington, tax collector for the Crown – had brought up yet another controversial topic and Brianna was finding it increasingly difficult to hold her tongue.
"At least when the Regulators attacked our convoys, they mostly spared our soldiers' lives... But now that they have formed an alliance with the Catawbas and send them to do their dirty work, we are becoming dramatically understaffed. Not to mention the horses that these savages steal from us…"
"I thought the Catawbas were on our side?", Mrs. Norrington asked, raising her glass of wine to her lips.
Tryon shook his head. "No, you're confusing them with the Mohawks, my dear… A much more docile and malleable breed, if you ask me."
"Perhaps the Catawbas would be less angry if you didn't steal their land and push them ever further back into Cherokee territory?", Brianna asked drily, while Bonnet immediately glared at her from across the table. "The Catawbas and Cherokees are rival tribes and you are only adding fuel to the fire!"
Tryon's eyebrows rose on his forehead and he glanced at Bonnet, stifling a coughing fit. That glance, brief as it was, said a lot about what Tryon thought of his sharp-tongued wife, but Stephen was far too busy glaring at Brianna to notice him. A smile, colder than ice, appeared on the Governor's face and he leaned slightly over his plate to look straight into Brianna's eyes.
"Catawbas, Cherokees, Comanches… are just peas in a pod. If it were up to me, I'd have them all hung."
"It would save an awful lot of time, for sure", Norrington added, causing a few guests to laugh around the table. But Brianna was not done with Tryon.
"Then, I guess we can thank the Lord that the future of this country is not up to you, Lord Tryon."
On the other side, Bonnet was fuming and he slumped slightly in his seat, reaching under the table with his leg to kick Brianna's shin and silence her. But the table was way too wide, his leg way too short, and there were way too many eyes on them. A few seats away, Brianna saw Lady Tryon smiling discreetly at her, confirming her curious change of attitude towards her guest. Jumping at the chance to make an ally, Bree immediately smiled back.
"I didn't expect you to be so quick to defend those wildlings...", Tryon went on, as his wife's smile immediately disappeared. "Don't you want to get justice for our poor Mr. Forbes?"
Brianna stiffened. She had not thought about Forbes in weeks, reassuring herself thinking it was Stephen who had struck the fatal blow and not her in the argument that cost the lawyer his life. But why the hell was Tryon mentioning him in this conversation? What had that got to do with it? She turned to Stephen, looking for an explanation in his emerald eyes, but the Irishman just gulped down his last piece of bread – his face dark and scary. Bree then turned her attention back to Tryon, who was staring at her quizzically.
"What do you mean?", she asked, trying to keep her heartbeat in check.
"Haven't you heard?", Joseph Byrne asked on her left. "His carriage was attacked after your reception last summer."
"I heard they smashed his skull open and disemboweled him from here to there", Norrington added, pointing his finger at his navel and then at his sternum. "And kept his scalp as a souvenir…"
There were a few disgusted gasps among the women as well as grunts from the men, but Brianna—who was turning visibly paler—could not tear her eyes away from Tryon's mocking grin. With the unpleasant feeling that he knew perfectly well that the Catawbas had nothing to do with Neil Forbes' fate. When the Governor finally turned away to drink a sip of wine, Brianna once again looked for answers in her husband's eyes – something she seemed to be doing more and more lately – but he for once was not staring at her, but at Tryon. He told him… Maybe they even set this up together to make it look like the natives attacked Forbes?
Byrne's raspy voice startled Brianna, as well as his hand suddenly patting hers. "Come on, Mr. Norrington, spare the ladies the gory details, will you? You have clearly upset our sweet and innocent Mrs. Bonnet…"
Stephen's smirk and raised eyebrow at the words 'sweet and innocent' did not escape Brianna, though he tried to hide it behind his glass of wine.
"If only Mrs. Bonnet could understand the threat posed by these people...", Tryon finished, looking rather satisfied with the outcome of their conversation.
Brianna glared at him, squinting. "Rest assured, Lord Tryon, I think I understood perfectly..."
The dinner ended in a lighter mood. The men had stood up to talk politics and business while enjoying various liquors, and their wives – most of whom all knew each other – had gathered at one end of the table to talk, leaving Brianna uncomfortable and alone with the last crumbs of her cake. Stephen seemed more and more at ease in this environment, drinking and laughing in good company, and she felt a pang of jealousy. Living in seclusion in River Run, she hardly knew anyone here and the other women did not seem too eager to get to know her. Except maybe Margaret, who had been chatting with Mrs. Norrington for the last twenty minutes, and occasionally cast worried looks towards her. Suddenly, Brianna saw Tryon, Bonnet and a third guest finish their brandies and head for a door across the room. The three men were isolating themselves, presumably to discuss private – or perhaps illegal? – matters and she looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to her. I have to follow them...
She was about to rise from her chair, when Lady Tryon – who had managed to get rid of the gossipy Mrs. Norrington – swooped down upon her like an eagle on its prey. "My dear Brianna... I wanted to tell you again how glad I am that you could come today...", Margaret said, sitting down on the chair hitherto occupied by Mr. Byrne. Bree's face darkened as she watched the three men disappear behind the door, and almost rolled her eyes.
"I've had a delightful evening", she lied with a silly smile. Just like when they arrived, Margaret made sure no one could hear them and leaned closer to Brianna.
"I wanted to apologize, my dear… For my behavior towards you, this summer."
"You already said that… You were about to tell me something when we were interrupted by your husband", Brianna pressed her immediately, lest Tryon reappeared and cut the discussion short again.
Margaret took a deep breath and bit her lip. She seemed to be weighing the pros and cons, deciding whether she should or should not speak, and Brianna put her hand on hers, smiling encouragingly.
"I received a letter from my friend Jocasta… We were very close, although William does not approve of our friendship. He was – he is – convinced that Jocasta is collaborating with the Regulators. I know, it's silly..." She trailed off, struggling to find her words as Brianna's heart raced. "You see… my husband had told me that you and Mr. Bonnet were madly in love with each other… and that you had planned this whole charade… oh Lord, I apologize… that you had planned this to leave your previous husband and still get your family's fortune, as well as the plantation."
Brianna took some time to process the information. So, that's what was being said about them in the upper echelons of North Carolina. That she and Stephen were… in love – yuck – and greedy? No wonder all the other women turn their backs on me… They must probably think I'm some kind of lying whore.
"Jocasta told me everything… Mr. Bonnet's crimes, his shenanigans and William's possible involvement in this whole affair… Please accept my sincerest apologies and I wish… I wish we could be friends. If there is anything I can do to help, if you need someone to talk to…"
"What I need is someone to help me bring Stephen Bonnet and his accomplices down for their crimes…", Brianna retorted drily.
Margaret closed her mouth and bit her lip again, before lowering her eyes. No, she won't do that. Because that would also mean bringing her own husband down…, Brianna thought bitterly… before realizing that it might not be very wise to reveal her plans to his wife, in his palace. She shook her head. "I'm sorry… I've been a bit tired lately, I said more than I actually meant."
"That's all right. Your husband told William about your loss…", Margaret breathed, and Brianna immediately stiffened. Jesus Christ, are these two sharing every bloody detail of my life? Anger was rising and she started to feel a bit oppressed in her corset, but Lady Tryon persisted. "Two of my pregnancies never came to term, I know how painful it can be-"
"I'd like to freshen up a bit", Brianna said abruptly, getting up from her chair.
"Oh, of course... You go through that door and you'll find everything you need in the first room on your left-"
Without waiting for Margaret to finish, Brianna scampered off and rushed towards the same corridor as their husbands, a few minutes earlier. Closing the door behind her, she rested her back against the panel, panting and hands shivering. The corridor was empty and she took advantage of the quiet to regain control of herself. In front of her were multiple closed doors and then a dead end. In other words, Stephen and Tryon were bound to be in one of these rooms, provided that neither of these doors led to another hallway. Brianna tiptoed to the first door on her right and listened, but there was only silence. On her left, the room indicated by Lady Tryon only had a few mirrors and ewers full of clear water for guests, as well as commodes. Lifting the tails of her dress to be as quiet as possible, she proceeded to the second door on the right, repeating the same pattern.
She was heading for the next door on the left, when the man who had left with Bonnet and Tryon suddenly came out of a room at the very end of the corridor, closing the door behind him. Brianna straightened up and tried not to look too guilty as the man got closer, staring intently at her. His demeanor and attire were that of a high-ranking nobleman, probably in his late forties; he had beautiful blue eyes, though slightly droopy, and a smug smile. Who was he again? She had been introduced to so many different people… He was working for the governor, that was for sure. But his last name escaped her completely.
"Mrs. Bonnet?", asked the aristocrat, literally undressing her with his eyes. "Are you looking for something? Or someone…?"
"I… I needed to freshen up…", she stammered. According to propriety, she should have called him by his name as well, but her brain still refused to open its file about this guest. He must have sensed her dismay, for he let out a brief laugh and bowed politely.
"Josiah Martin, Lord Tryon's First counselor…" Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his lips before lowering it again. However, he did not let go. "Do not be embarrassed. You have been introduced to more than thirty people this evening, you're allowed to forget a few names."
"You all had an advantage over me, since I was the only new face to remember…", Brianna retorted with a smile. She dared not remove her hand, which the man still held in his.
"And what a face..." His voice was barely more than a purr and she shivered, finding in Martin's eyes the same desire to conquer that existed in Bonnet's. Bree wondered for a moment if he was flirting with her in particular, but she had seen other women making eyes at this seducer all evening, including Margaret. He was probably North Carolina's very own Casanova…
She was smiling shyly, not really knowing how to get out of this situation, when he came forward so abruptly that she took two steps back and her back hit the nearest wall. But that did not seem to bother Josiah, who took the opportunity to get closer to her.
"Will we have the pleasure of your company tomorrow night?", he hissed, leaning towards her neck.
Everything clicked in Brianna's brain. December twenty-fifth was a date she had mentally noted the last time she had spied on Tryon and Bonnet in River Run. Something big was going to happen tomorrow, but what? Josiah was obviously invited and also wanted her to be there. This was a golden opportunity and Brianna politely smiled to overcome the discomfort caused by the man's proximity.
"Can Stephen come or are you only inviting me?", she simpered, mentally facepalming herself. Of course, it was in her best interest to rub him up the right way if she wanted to find out more, but now that she thought about it, maybe it was not so smart to flirt with a stranger in an empty hallway… Martin's smile widened.
"Your husband is one of the organizers, he has to be there..." He leaned a little closer, and his hot breath tickled Brianna's neck. The young woman shivered, unconsciously glancing towards the exit. "So in a way, yes, I am only inviting you..."
Despite his noble hair and attire, Josiah Martin was one of those men who seemed to suck all the oxygen out of a room and even though he unsettled her more than he seduced her, Brianna was surprised to find herself unable to speak for a moment. It wasn't until the door burst open again on Bonnet and Tryon – and she saw her husband's furious expression – that she pulled herself together.
"Well then, I accept", she said loudly, but Martin was not looking at her anymore. He had turned his head without moving away from Brianna – despite him being dangerously close – and was staring at Stephen with an undefinable smile. The Irishman was seething, and Bree wondered for a moment if he was angry because he had caught her snooping around, because she was in a scandalous position with another man, or because the man in question seemed to taunt him. The counselor chuckled loudly and turned his attention back to her. He brought her hand – that he was still holding – to his lips again and kissed it goodbye.
"Cannot wait for tomorrow."
With a final smirk, he released her fingers and Brianna was finally able to fill her lungs with oxygen as he reunited with the other guests in the reception room. Tryon glared at the young woman, before turning to his partner.
"We will continue this discussion another day", he blurted, before glaring once again at Brianna. "The walls have ears…" A few seconds later, he had followed his counselor through the exit door, leaving the Bonnets alone.
"May I ask what you were doing alone with him?", Stephen scolded. He had not used such an aggressive tone for weeks. The leopard cannot change its spots…, Brianna thought, frowning.
"Nothing at all, I was looking for a quiet place to freshen up and I met Mr. Martin who politely invited me to some event tomorrow night. An event you had obviously planned to attend without me."
She expected him to roll his eyes and retort that she was too tired or that a woman did not belong to a men's event, but nothing happened. Worse: in the orange glow of the candleslight, she saw his face fall and turn deathly pale.
"What did you say?"
"I accepted, of course!" Bonnet raised an eyebrow and took a step back, while rubbing a hand over his face. Whatever Brianna had agreed to was not good news for him. Perfect…
"Ye're not goin'."
"It wouldn't be very polite to let him down now that I've said yes..."
Stephen leapt on her and Brianna hit the wall again, cursing her own knack of getting into trouble.
"I don't give a damn about politeness. You. Are not. Going", he growled against her lips, making her jump. He was literally foaming with rage but there was something else in his eyes, something unusual. Fear. Her gasp seemed to remind the pirate that he was supposed to behave differently with her, as he backed off and vaguely muttered that he was going to ask for a carriage, but Bree refused to give up and decided to hit right where it hurt.
"If you want people to keep swallowing your lies and believing in our love, you should treat me like your friends treat their wives and not like a bloody prisoner...", she hissed, pointing at the exit. "They all know each other in there. All of them but me. Can you imagine how embarrassed I was?"
Stephen, who had started to walk away, froze and slowly turned towards her. She knew from the mere sight of his dark green irises that she was going to pay for her insolence and tried to escape, in vain. Grabbing her left arm, he pulled her violently to him, his jaws clenched and nostrils dilated with rage.
"Rejoice, then: it will not happen again. This was the last time you left River Run." With a quick flick of the wrist, he jerked her arm away, and as Brianna winced massaging her sore muscle, he added under his breath: "Now, we're leavin'."
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Well, well, well… That was an eventful chapter, even if some of it may seem trivial: Stephen is bonding more than ever with Jeremiah, Brianna discovers that he has been stalking her for much longer than she thought, but also that everyone thinks that she and Bonnet are a pair of greedy usurpers… What did you think of the revelation about Forbes? The least we can say is that Brianna didn't see it coming haha. What about the party Josiah invited her to? Why do you think Bonnet looks so angry?
I look forward to reading your reactions to this chapter and your theories for the next one! Chapter 14 will arrive on July 24th, until then I wish you a good summer and look forward to reading from you!
Xérès