Chapter Twenty-Three

"You seem surprised."

"I believe that any woman would be. After all, we have only just met, and yet you feel it is an appropriate time to propose to me?"

"Could not the same be said for two persons who are to be given to one another in an arranged marriage. These are very common in our times, you know. I think that this would be a better alternative than that if nothing else. Or is it that you would disagree?"

"Woman." I lifted my head, my eyes meeting those of the man across from me, and waited. "Poor me another cup of tea, will you?" I nodded without a word and did as I was told. Had it not been for what had happened not a week before, however, I would not have been so meek. I was too proud. Even so, given the current circumstances, I could hardly complain. "You are quiet today."

"Will there be anything more, sir?"

"No, that is all," he replied coldly. "You may go now, Ms. Lourne. I will call for you if I have need to, so you are free to do as you please."

Well, I highly doubted that. After all, I was his prisoner, and as such, I could not be free of him. Perhaps, given what was to come, I should have thought of how to escape the place entirely, but as it was, I only wished to keep out from under Mr. William's keen eye.

Even while I slipped out through the study door, I felt his gaze follow my every step. I closed the door behind me, but that offered little comfort when I knew it would only keep him at bay for so long. Soon enough he would feel the need to call for me again, and though I had the mind to refuse him, my body would not allow it. Most likely by the means of my own need for self-preservation.

How could I have been such a blasted fool? I cursed to myself. Has the great Widow Lourne willingly allowed herself to fall to a low such as this? And all because of one man?

Despite my thoughts of great bravado, I knew he was no ordinary man, for though he presented himself as such, I had come to find the truth of his intentions not so very long before. He was a man of great trickery, one whom was well acquainted with lies and deceit, and I had been just one of many to fall pray to his cunning. An assassin of assassins and a thief of thieves. This man was a true bounty hunter... through and through.

It was early in the morn that he had come to my chambers. Dawn not yet come when I was awakened by him, yet I saw no reason to be afraid at the time. He had only come to ask me if I wished to go with him to town. It seemed to be nothing more than an innocent offer, and so I had been more than happy to accompany him. After all, I had been confined to the small farm ever since he had rescued me from the forest, and I could hardly bear the thought of being left alone again.

Little did I realize it had been nothing more than a well placed trap.

He had brought me into town on horseback, and though I had been unsure at first, I had held him the whole while. If only for a moment, I even felt glad to have met him. He may have been removed from me, yet I thought I could be becoming closer to him... having lived with him for so long. It had been a cruel betrayal after I came to realize he had no intention of taking me to market. Our destination lay west towards the hills. A place which I knew would me certain death for me.

"Just remember who has the horse if you decide to try and run away again." But I never considered it. At least not at that time when I knew it would be all too easy for him to capture me again. "You will stay with me at the manor until his return and await trail."

And so I waited. Two months had passed since we had arrived, but there had been no word from the admiral. For my own part, I had to wonder if he had even received the letter of my capture from Mr. Williams. All the better for myself and my schemes, of course, yet I also knew that my captor would be unwilling to let down his guard until he could be sure he would make a profit from his work.

"Dare I attempt it, though?"

"If you are thinking to flee from this place, then I would caution against it." I turned to find a woman standing before one of the seemingly endless windows, her soft and rounded form silhouetted against the late afternoon sun. "You may fair better if you chose to plead guilty."

"And place my own neck in the noose?" I scoffed. "I will do no such thing. At least should I decide to try and escape, I will have the honor of being slain in battle."

"A battle?" she huffed, taking a delicate step back towards me. "Is not running from possible death the greatest disgrace?" I ground my teeth but said nothing. This woman, whose name was still unknown to me, knew better than I when it came to the dealings with men. It was shameful for me to admit to the fact, but I decided that I was beyond such things. I was falling fast towards the very bottom of desperation, and yet while I knew this, I still hoped for it to come. After all, only then could I hope to free myself of unnecessary burdens.

"Who are you?" I said at last. "I do not believe we have had the great pleasure to have met until this very moment. I myself am known as Chelsea Lourne." When she did not flinch to hear my name, I smiled. Albeit a bitter one. "However, I suppose you know this."

"And I Eleanor Harden," she replied. "However, I am most fond of being known simply as Elli." Her voice was just as cold as my own, yet as I studied her, I felt as though she was once a warm person. I could only imagine what it was that may have changed her. "Under the circumstances, I must admit I would not think to speak to you, yet I cannot stand idly by with your keeping company with a man such as that."

"So you are familiar with his nature as well." I laughed. "It is so good to know that I am not alone in that at least." I found it strange that I was so open to her, yet after all that time of being in pleasant company with myself, it was almost a relief. "What is it about him that would be a concern to you? I doubt there is very little he can do to a woman such as yourself."

"I would not be so sure of that," she replied. I raised an eyebrow, but I saw there was nothing remarkable about her that would warrant any special attention. Her face was very plain as was her light brown hair, and just by looking at her simple dress, it was clear to me that she was a midwife or perhaps even a nurse. Nothing more. "Vaughn is not a man for any person to take lightly. Even should the good doctor, my husband, have been here now, he would take great care in being sure we avoid him."

Vaughn Williams, is it? I would do well to remember the name. After all, since he had never been kind enough to introduce himself in full, I could assume there was some reason for his keeping quiet. "I will be sure to keep your words in mind. I can only hope he will not be wanting of me any time soon, for he seems unwilling to allow me out of his sight for long."

I left her then with nothing more than a curtsey and a stiff nod, but she did not appear to mind my abrupt leave of her. I suppose she knew me well enough from rumors to expect it of me. She, too, was a strong willed woman, and if nothing else, we could share that between us. Even so, I was more than happy to keep to my original plans of finding a means of escape. One which I was certain was just a corridor away.

Throughout my months of being held captive at the manor, I had found at least two means of making my way to the freedom of the sea. The first was through the garden, where as I understood it from the servants' gossip, was where the lady of the house had left, and the other was through the kitchen. However, both were under close watch at all times, and even without having sailors to stand guard, they were in an almost constant state of bustle. What I needed was a much quieter place in which to make my get away... possibly a bedroom or some other private chamber.

And that was the exact moment in which I found it.

The door was unremarkable, the same as any other in the place, and yet I could not help but pause when I saw it. I was in the residential portion of the sprawling home, and I guessed it was a bedroom just as I had hoped for. Upon opening the door, however, I was first struck by the strong scent of roses. It nauseated me to be quite honest, but it passed soon enough and allowed me to enter. The room was pink from the wallpaper to the linens and even the chair at the vanity, and it was more than apparent that it had been the room of the missing lady. Miss Hurst.

"A bit over done for my taste," I mused, stepping further inside. "I suppose it is not my room, though, is it?" After all, it was not my home in Virginia either. That all was so very far away, and thinking about it then, I was sure that the property was no longer mine as it was anyway. "And after you put so much effort into it, too... Such a shame, is it not?"

Of course, I know it was silly to try and talk to a man who was so long dead, but it did bring me some comfort to know that it was a joke only William and I could laugh at. Perhaps that was what it made it all so valuable to me. Being able to share that with someone was a gift I would always treasure. If I had nothing less, I would have that to comfort me.

I had tried so hard to think of the times when we were happy together, yet I never considered there to be any love between us. Though we did do as other couples did, we were not in love. We were merely each other's closest friend. Even after he had gone, I felt the same, and it remained my dearest secret. If only so that I would not have to suffer through the pity of never having loved.

While I walked through the room lost in my thoughts, my hand passed over a music box. It was small, no larger than the land that held onto its lid, but so well made that I could not help but take notice of it. Out of curiosity, I opened its delicate lid, and a tinny melody began to play. However, there was no chance for me to recognize the tune before it was slammed shut.

"Have you really become so careless as to not answer when called?" Though I had not jumped with surprise to hear his voice, I did feel a terrible shiver ran down the length of my spine to feel his breath on the back of my neck. It was warm, and yet I felt as if it brought a sudden chill to the air. "Answer me."

"I am terribly sorry, sir, but I did not hear you call for me."

"Then perhaps you should have thought to stay nearer to the study," he warned. I heard danger in his voice, but nothing could prepare me for what was to come. "I think you have strayed far enough."

"It was still close enough for you to find me," I replied cooly, fighting back the desire to run from the room and leave him alone in it. "I have not yet been charged with any wrong doing, and yet it would seem you feel it necessary to keep me tethered to your very side. I happen to find it anything but flattering, I will have you know. In fact, I feel it is an insult."

"And I think you have no say of what happens to you given the position you're in."

Everything moved quickly then. I had only just heard him, and not a moment after, I was being thrown to the bed. I tried to scream, but my cry was brought to an abrupt end as his hand covered my mouth. It was in that same instant that I understood just what was to happen.

His full weight was brought upon me with little effort. However, when his hand pressed even harder against me, I bit down as hard as I could manage. Though I bit little more than leather, his surprise was such that he tore it away. Offering me the chance to swing my own fist into his jaw with all the strength I could muster. The act in and of itself was satisfying. Unfortunately, it did nothing to deter the beast, and had I been able to think, I would have to wonder if it only served to feed the hunger in him.

"So you are skilled with more than I gave you credit." He sounded amused, yet when I tried to push the man away, he took hold of both my wrists and brought me back onto the bed. His eyes were dark, and a small trickle of blood fell from his mouth to his chin. "You are still no match for me," he warned. "Consider this your punishment for your disobedience."

"I feel I must warn you, Vaughn," I seethed, "that this will not end as you hope it will." Despite the certainty in my words, I could not hide my disgust to feel the protrusion which rested against my thigh as I spoke. Even as a married woman, I had never given myself to a man, but I knew of what it was. Not only that, but I knew that if he was to get what he so desperately wanted, there would have to be an opening.

As I had hoped, he loosed his grip of one of my hands in order to reach down and loosen his belt. He had did well to try and keep me restrained by holding my wrists together above my head. Despite his effort, however, I was able to knee him though I missed his groin. It proved to make little difference as it was more than enough to surprise him. So much so that I had enough time to swing my leg and strike his neck. His fearsome eyes rolled back, and before he fell away, I ran.

I tore through the manor, my feet only just lighting upon the floor, and refused to allow myself to look back. Even when the shouts first began, I dared not to hesitate. I knew my way well enough to reach the kitchen, and once there, I threw myself out the door and towards the stables. It was a gamble at best, yet I could think of no faster means of making my escape.

Even so, I knew not which animal to take once I found myself there. I had never ridden alone, let alone without a saddle nor reins, and so I feared that I may fall to hooves in the stead of hands or blade or even gunfire. A fate I was unsure was any better than what I had just fled.

"There, the devil woman!"

Without another thought, I flung open the nearest stall and mounted the black stallion there within. He reared with a frightful sound and changed as soon as I had griped his mane. However, I saw nothing of what was to happen then, for I kept my eyes tight shut and prayed that I might live.

There was a great commotion of both shouts and screams. Hot tears began to poor down my face as I gripped the beast's thick neck, yet I came to breathe again when I heard cobbles beneath its hooves and the cries beginning to fade away. There, too, was the harbor which came closer with every stride. I was still afraid, of course, and I was aware enough to know that I would be easily spotted should we stay on the main road. There was little else I could do, though, and so I only did what I could to hold on. My faith would have to lay with the horse and fate itself.

There was very little time for me to collect my thoughts, it seemed, for it was not but long before we found ourselves in the midst of the market. Once again, there was a terrible chaos as I was unaware of how to slow the animal. The horse was just as afraid as I, not being accustomed to so many people and such an inexperienced rider. He tossed his head about wildly, and once more, he rose on his rear legs. Unable to control him any further, I fell, and without any one to hold him at bay, he took off down the street ahead of me.

For what seemed to be an unbearably long while, I lay with my back on the cobbled street. I felt nothing and saw little. If it were not for the many voices around me, I very well might have thought I had even died. That was before I was lifted up and carried away. By whom I did not know nor could I find the words to ask. I was too weak, all my energy having been spent, and so I let them do what they would with me.

We did not have far to go, for I soon head a man speak to another and was brought into some dark place. Three voices whispered amongst themselves, and I could only imagine the curious glances they may have given me in the candlelight as I continued to lay there limp and without effort. Though I would have been afraid otherwise, their voices were not threatening to me. At the very least, I believed they would not be quick to assume that I was guilty of some wrong doing.

"Pode ouvir o que digo, Senhorita?"

I bolted upright, finding myself sitting on a table, and stared into the man's face. It was tan and well worn, but as he wore a high collar, I could not be sure it was the man I thought him to be. "Kai? Is that you?" He only blinked and raised a brow. "It is me... Chelsea. The Widow Lourne?"

"Kai, você dizer?" he asked. I nodded. "Nâo, nâo, Senorita. Estou Dă." When I still did not understand him, he smiled and put his hand to his chest. In doing so, I saw the glint of the large gold coins in his ears and felt my heart sink. If it was not Kai, then who could he be?

"C'est Dan. Pirate de l'Orient."

-/-

Author's Note: Wow, a lot of things going on here, I guess. Maybe a little too much, but I wasn't sure where or how to cut it. Also, if you're unsure of what's being said and want to know, Dan is speaking in Portuguese and then French. I thought about having him speak in Romanian- as that's where I originally planned to have him from- but that just gets overly complicated.