Chapter 1 - Cabin Boy

She had enough. Since the tender age of fourteen, she had been paraded around, dressed up like a clown, pushed at men – all for her father’s benefit. There were many times that she had a hard time recalling her childhood and the mother that had died too young. A mother who was no longer there to protect her from the greed of her father. Now, at twenty-two, she was on her own against her father and his scheming ways.

Kalinna Davenport, a beautiful brunette with sparking green eyes and altogether too much spirit for her father’s liking, was about to be married off to the richest man her dowry would attract. Her father cared naught about her feelings, just the filling of his coffers. It was as no surprise, therefore, that Kalinna hated the man Richard Davenport had become.

Since the death of his wife Elizabeth eight years ago, Richard had turned his daughter’s life upside-down. Elizabeth had always been the one who was able to fight off Richard; Richard with his crazy ideas and idiotic schemes to make them rich. Elizabeth had been content with their comfortable existence, but alas, Richard wanted more.

So with Elizabeth gone, Richard was free to run his life, and that of his daughter’s as well, as he saw fit. Unfortunately, that put Kalinna between a rock and a hard place. Her father wanted money, a title, anything that would move him up in society from that of a mere merchant. He saw in his daughter’s looks and fine figure, a way to accomplish that goal.

And Kalinna could not refuse him. He was her father, and if she scorned him, she had no other place to go, no means of supporting herself. She would be scorned by her other family members, by society. The wealthy and titled believed that an arranged marriage by one’s father was the appropriate way to go about getting a spouse, after all. Kalinna, however, thought the idea ridiculous.

That was why she couldn’t stay any longer. If refusing every suitor wasn’t going to get the message through her father’s thick skull, then maybe running away would. In her eyes, it was the only option left, short of marrying a man she didn’t love.

She was slim enough, and short enough, to pass herself off as a boy, so that’s what she was going to do. She had heard numerous stories of how young boys were made a part of a ship’s crew if the ship was in need. So she was going to try her luck at the docks. She was dressed in worn boy’s clothing, her long chestnut hair swept under a dirty cap, her face smudged with dirt. She didn’t look remotely like the gently-bred lady she actually was.

She only hoped that she could pull this off. It had to work. It just had to. She couldn’t think of any other option if this plan backfired on her. Although there was one thing for certain; she was never going to go back. Never.

That was one of the two promises she had made to herself. The other was that she would never marry any man unless he truly loved her. Not that she was bound to be worrying about that anytime soon. She was now a boy.

With her shoulders back, Kalinna grabbed her small sack, with some money, her mother's diary, a change of clothes, a bible, and her cherished journal, and crept out of the house. It was too early for anybody to be about in the household, the sun was just barely out after all, so it was quite easy for Kalinna’s leaving to go unnoticed. She breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her lucky stars for the big break.

Now, she just had to get to the docks. Easier said than done. She had been about London many a times with her father, a suitor, or with her traveling companion, Emma-Mae, but they had never ventured near port. It was filled with “unsavory types”, as her father had put it.

She hadn’t understood exactly what he meant about that. Well, she was about to find out soon enough. That is, if she made it there in one piece.

“Where ye be headin’, boy?” a voice suddenly shot into her thoughts. Kalinna looked up to see a man driving a wagon full of fresh fruit looking curiously down at her.

“To port,” she responded in a strong voice.

“What ye be needin’ there?” the stranger continued, surprised at the answer he had received.

“I’m heading out on a ship. I’m a cabin boy,” Kalinna responded, hoping the man would not ask what ship she intended to sail with.

“Ah, goin’ to make yer fortune?” the man teased.

“Hoping to,” Kalinna bit out, trying not to get annoyed.

“Well hop in, old Bess’ll get ye there faster than walkin’ on those short legs o’ yers,” the farmer offered; Kalinna quickly agreed and climbed up beside the man, “I be John Masters.”

“Kip Davenport,” Kalinna revealed as she made sure to keep her voice deep like a boy’s.

“Nice to meet ye Kip,” John stated, shaking her hand.

The two fell in a comfortable silence before John began to talk about his family. He had a beautiful wife named Maggie and three adorable children, two boys and one girl. Kalinna couldn’t help but smile as the man talked; the pride was evident in his tone of voice.

Kalinna only wished her father could have been more like this man. John Masters was content to sell his fresh fruit, and though he wasn’t rich, he had a home and a loving family to go home to at night. She could only hope that she found the same such happiness one day.

Finally, after walking for what seemed like forever, John pulled the wagon to a stop and Kalinna quickly hopped out.

“Thanks for the ride,” she told the man, smiling, “And god bless you and your family.”

“Yer welcome,” John gruffly replied, “You take care of yourself, son, you hear me?”

“Yessir,” Kalinna responded before she headed off into the crowded streets in the direction of the docks.

She trudged along, and ten minutes or so later, finally got her first good look at the port. Her father was right about the place after all. All around were filthy, bedraggled men, raunchy sailors with awful language, tired-looking prostitutes and little children who looked too skinny to be alive. The whole place reeked of waste and dead fish, not pleasant in the least and it took all of Kalinna’s resolve not to lose the small breakfast she had consumed earlier.

She sighed. There really was no turning back now. But how was she to go about becoming a cabin boy? The only thing she knew besides the gentle ways of a lady was how to wield a sword. And those things weren’t going to get her anywhere.

“Whatcha got in the sack, laddy?” a drunken voice suddenly sneered near her ear. Kalinna whirled around and almost gagged at the sight of the large, dirty man in front of her.

“None of your business, it’s mine,” she spat, mustering the fiercest glare she could manage while she was trembling.

“Me thinks I’ll take a look,” the man stated, leaning forward to grab the few things she had brought with her.

Kalinna wasn’t going to give up that easily. No way was this disgusting form of a man going to lay his filthy paws on her sack. Not if she had anything to say about it.

Without thinking, she backed up, and seeing a man standing behind her, his back to her, quickly grabbed his sword out of the sheath hanging about his waist. She dropped her sack and turned to face her opponent, her weapon at the ready. He had already drawn a wicked-looking sword and Kalinna tried to keep the tremors out of her legs.

“Playin’ hard to git, eh?” the man barked as he advanced.

“Nope, playing skin the idiot for trying to take what is mine,” she spat back, unaware of the audience that had gathered to watch them.

“I’ll teach ye to talk to me like that ye scallywag,” he roared in return.

“I’m waiting,” Kalinna taunted, amazed at her own bravery.

The filthy man took a hacking chop at her. But he underestimated how quick Kalinna was and she immediately ducked out of the way. The man whirled and charged again. Their swords clashed, the ringing of the metal an unpleasant sound to the ears of those still imbibed with liquor.

They continued on in this way for a while, and Kalinna felt herself began to tire, which was not a good sign. Finally, the man swung again, barely missing her thigh. Kalinna quickly parried and angrily, attacked back with a vengeance, backing up the man until he tripped over a barrel. He went flying backwards, his sword flying out of his hand.

It clattered to the ground and before the man could think to grab it, Kalinna walked over and pointed her sword at his throat. The man trembled in fear, knowing he had been defeated.

“Don’t kill me,” he begged as he lay in the street.

“Well, since you asked so nice,” Kalinna sarcastically quipped as she drew the sword closer to the man’s neck.

Abruptly, she pulled back, knowing she was incapable of killing the man, no matter how angry she was. Besides, she did not want this man’s death on her hands.

“Get out of here,” she growled.

The man quickly obeyed, slithering quickly into the shadows to nurse his wounded pride in a pub. Kalinna heard a rumble of rowdy laughter and blushed as she noticed the crowd that had gathered to watch. At her gaze, though, they thankfully began to disperse. This was not how she had wanted to start her day out in port. With a sigh, Kalinna quickly walked back towards the man she had swiped the sword from.

“I believe this is yours,” she told the man as she handed him the weapon.

She quickly gazed up at him, and to her immediate horror, stared. He was a handsome man, with a tall, muscular frame and a commanding presence. Blue eyes sparkled out of a handsome face sheathed by brown curls that were cut short in the French fashion and his lips were curved in all the right places. Kalinna felt her heartbeat quicken as she perused him, and quickly looked away as she blushed. She was a maiden; one who should not be thinking wayward thoughts about this good-looking stranger.

“I haven’t seen such fine swordplay in a long while,” the stranger replied as he sheathed the weapon and held his hand out; Kalinna quickly snapped out of her daze, “Captain Justin Timberlake, at your service.”

“The pirate?” she practically squeaked, her nerves resurfacing as she shook his hand.

“The one and only,” Justin replied, an amused grin lighting his lips, “Alas, I fear you have the advantage over me now. You know me, but I have yet to learn the name of the kid with the great sword skills.”

“Kip Davenport,” Kalinna quickly responded as she got over the shock.

“Any relation to Richard Davenport, the merchant?” the captain questioned, suddenly not so friendly as he withdrew his hand from her’s.

“Never heard of the man,” Kalinna lied, wondering why this man seemed so interested in her father. The pirate seemed to relax after her answer, however.

“Good to hear. Now, how old are you Kip?” Justin pressed as he lounged against the wall of a pub, “I’m looking for a cabin boy, and with your skill with a sword, I’ll be sure to be safe at all times.” Kalinna blushed at the praise.

“Four and ten,” she replied, quick on her feet.

“Would you be interested in joining my crew? That is, if you don’t have any family that would object to the ways of pirating,” Justin announced as he studied her reaction.

“My family is dead,” Kalinna flatly replied as she thought dark thoughts about the greedy father of her’s that was probably still fast asleep in his bed in their townhouse.

“Well then, you have a place in my crew if you’d like,” Justin offered as he suddenly stood up and placed his hat atop his head, “We leave port in an hour, you have that much time to make up your mind.”

“I don’t need an hour. I’m set to go now,” Kalinna responded as she picked up her sack of belongings. She was amazed at how lucky she was.

“Good, I’ll take you aboard the ship and my first mate, Jackson, will show you around,” the pirate stated as he pushed off the wall, “Well, follow me then.”

Kalinna quickly trotted along to keep up with the man’s long stride. In no time at all, they came upon the most glorious ship she had ever laid eyes on. She stood there, her mouth hanging open as her eyes roamed appreciatively over the vessel.

“That’s your’s?” she demanded in awe.

“She. She’s mine,” Justin corrected, grinning at the mistake, “Her name’s Christina.”

“Christina. Meaning my god is abundance. How fitting,” Kalinna commented. She could have kicked herself, however, for saying that.

“Yes. How did you know?” Justin questioned, surprised at her knowledge.

“Before my parents died, my father would bring books home for me to read. One of them was the meaning behind names,” she stated, quickly making up a believable lie.

“Interesting. Was your father a scholar?” Justin continued as they began to board.

“He was a blacksmith, but he traveled a lot to other villages to shoe horses and things along that line,” Kalinna explained, “Unfortunately, he and my ma passed on before he could teach me any of the tools of the trade. He taught me sword fighting, but I think he was hoping that I would become a scholar, just like he had once dreamed of doing.”

“It’s a shame you never got the chance,” Justin commented, a little puzzled by the story, something about it nagged at the back of his mind for some reason. But he shoved it away; the lad was only fourteen, “Well, welcome to your home for the next six months.”

Kalinna glanced around, trying to take in all her surroundings at once. Her eyes traveled over the sleek, clean deck, the massive wheel at the helm, the tall rigging and the unfurled sails, which billowed in the slight wind. It was a sight she would not soon forget.

“Jackson, this is Kip, my new cabin boy,” Justin introduced as a big burly man came walking over, a curious glint in his intelligent eyes, “Kip, this is Jackson Cromwell, my first mate.”

“Nice to meet you kid,” Jackson stated, patting Kalinna roughly on the back; she was amazed she didn’t topple over, “You ever been on a ship like this before?"

“Nope,” Kalinna squeaked out, intimidated by this hulking man.

Jackson Cromwell, in Kalinna’s eyes, was huge. The man was tall, though not taller than the pirate captain, and had huge, muscled arms that appeared to be the width of her neck. His chest looked like an unmovable barrel and his huge hands looked capable of breaking her in two. His dark brown eyes sparkled with intelligence from a slightly rounded face that was shrouded in a cape of jet black hair.

“You’ll learn real quick,” Jackson said with a smile, then laughed, “Lord, don’t look so frightened kid, I ain’t gonna bite you.”

“Be nice Jackson, you’re three times his size,” Justin said, landing a solid punch on his first mate’s beefy arm. “Don’t worry Kip, for a pirate, he’s a softy at heart.” Kalinna laughed.

“Hey now, don’t go spoiling me secrets to everyone,” Jackson scowled, pretending to be angry. But Kalinna couldn’t help but notice how the corners of his mouth twitched as if itching to turn up in a smile, “Well kid, let’s get you acquainted with this hunk a junk.”

“Whose ship are you calling a hunk of junk?” Justin demanded, frowning.

“Lighten up captain, I ain’t insultin’ your dead mother’s name so don’t get your breeches in a bunch,” Jackson shot at the younger man, who grinned a rather boyish grin back.

“Better not or I’ll have to make you walk the plank,” Justin threatened good-naturedly before he made to leave the ship, “I’ve still got some business to take care of, but I’ll be back in an hour so be sure the ship and all the men are ready to sail by then.”

“Aye aye captain,” Jackson concluded, giving his superior a goofy salute. Justin rolled his eyes before vacating the vessel. Kalinna wondered if the reputation of the infamous Captain Timberlake and his rowdy crew was somewhat overrated…but who was she to know?

Instead of pondering over the intricate man that was Captain Justin Timberlake, Kalinna quickly followed after the first mate Jackson as he began to take her below decks. She had to worry about learning to become a pirate before she tried to figure the man out.

Justin ambled along the grungy streets of the port. He was not looking forward to the upcoming meeting with the Bow Street detective as he had nothing new to report. But go he must, for it was his duty to the English government.

Justin Timberlake, while feared by many as the evil pirate captain of the Christina, was in actuality, a royal duke. As Duke of Schellden and owner of a vast majority of properties, Justin had a great interest in the government. Which is what led him to playing the part of a pirate.

Somebody was selling the English government’s secrets to the French. And of course, with the kind of information the spy had managed to get his hands on, the French were in a great position to declare war on the isle of Britain. That was the last thing Justin, British parliament, and King Henry wanted.

So Justin and his crew of “rowdy” men, all of whom were government spies or officials, constantly put out to sea to lay siege to incoming and outgoing vessels. Blueprints had gone missing as well as had some costly relics that could aide the French in their quest for domination over their English neighbors, so Justin’s superior had come up with the ingenious plan of Capt. Justin Timberlake, the pirate. That way, the crew could board any vessel without anybody questioning their intent.

Of course, they never actually really took anything of value; just enough to make the occupants of the besieged ship think that real pirates had attacked them. Unfortunately, they hadn’t turned up anything as of yet, which was starting to frustrate Justin.

At twenty-eight, he wasn’t getting any younger and of course, his mother, the Dowager, was constantly on his case whenever he managed to stop by at home. Oh, he wanted to have children, in fact, they were one of his weaknesses if truth be told, but he wasn’t going to marry some young heiress who had no backbone. He was a rake, a hellion if need be, so he needed a female who could match his wit and temper step for step.

Unfortunately, a lady of those qualities was non-existent. Ladies of noble birth these days were brought up to be meek, undemanding and soft-spoken, all the qualities he despised. Therefore, he was utterly convinced that he would never marry.

But that was not what he needed to worry about right now. The government was his first priority at the moment, so that’s what he would focus his attention on. The problem of a wife could be solved after England was once again safe from the French.

Justin sighed as he opened up the door of the unsavory pub, suddenly wishing for the quiet solitude of his study at Schellden Manor. He’d had enough of the smells of the port, the unsavory men, the prostitutes, and the sleazy pubs. But endure these he must, for there was no way he was going to give up his quest before it was completed.

The captain quickly spotted Benton Lancaster, the Bow Street detective that he had been working closely with the moment he had started aiding the government about a year ago. The elder man was seated at a table in a secluded corner where they were sure to have some privacy and Justin crossed the room and took a seat across from him. Benton looked up expectantly.

“Nothing new to report,” Justin practically snapped, annoyed at their lack of progress in the past few months, “We have yet to find anything, but we’re pushing out of port again in about an hour.”

“Very good,” Benton stated as he sipped on his tankard of ale, “I haven’t got much for you either, except the fact that we believe that Richard Davenport is indeed mixed up in all of this.”

“What’s new,” Justin mumbled as he waved away the big-breasted barmaid who was attempting to flirt with him, “The man is a complete nuisance to society even if he turns out not to be a traitor.”

“I know. Now he’s trying to marry his daughter off to the richest man he can find. Only problem seems to be is that the chit ran off earlier this morning,” Benton revealed, taking another swig of his drink after he spoke. Something flickered in the back of Justin’s mind, but after not being able to grasp it, he pushed it away.

“Well, I better get going,” Justin said as he stood up.

“What’s this I hear that you got yourself a new cabin boy?” Benton suddenly demanded; Justin immediately dropped back into the chair he had just vacated, “I thought we discussed that you weren’t to bring any new faces aboard the ship?”

“The lad is only fourteen, hardly a threat,” Justin snapped, his anger barely restrained, “The kid has no family to speak of and is quite resourceful with a sword. I thought he could come in handy.”

“You better be right,” Benton warned.

“You just worry about your duties and I’ll worry about mine,” Justin retorted before he stood up and stalked out of the pub.

He always hated meeting with Benton due mainly to the fact that the man was so cocky and thought himself above Justin just because of his age. As if three years was such a vast difference. Besides, Justin was a Duke; Benton was merely a detective and nothing more.

Still, the scowl would not leave Justin’s face as he quickly made his way back to his ship. He was now very eager to set sail and get as far away from Benton Lancaster as possible. After all, if they stayed but ten minutes longer, Justin wasn’t sure if he could be responsible for his own actions towards the man.

“And this is the kitchen. Of course, when you’re onboard a ship, it’s called a galley,” Jackson explained as he led Kalinna through the large room that housed a number of different utensils and a portly man who immediately looked up and smiled.

“Ye must be the new cabin boy, which means tha rumors are true then,” the jolly man stated as he stood up and ambled over, “Trenton Sheridan at yer service sir, I’m tha cook.”

The man was a portly fellow, with a rounded belly that bespoke years of enjoying good food. He was rather short, though still taller than she, and had a jolly face with twinkling blue eyes. His hair was the color of fire, and though thinning near the back of his head, still shown with a healthy glow. Kalinna took an immediate liking to the man.

“Kip Davenport, and it’s nice to meet you,” Kalinna responded, grinning as the man attempted a bow at the waist.

“Ah, and he speaks well too. An educated lad, eh?” Trenton questioned.

“Yessir,” Kalinna confirmed, “My mother and my father taught me before they passed on.”

“Sorry ta ‘ear that,” Trenton stated, giving Kalinna’s shoulder a slight pat, “But ye can call me Trenton. None ‘o that sir stuff ‘round ‘ear, mind ye.”

“Alright, Trenton it is then,” Kalinna agreed as she turned towards Jackson for instructions.

“This way kid, I’ll show you where you sleep,” Jackson said as he began to walk out of the kitchen; Kalinna shot Trenton one more friendly smile before trudging after the beefy first mate, “Your cabin connects directly to the Captain’s in case he needs you for something; nothin’ big, mind you, but enough for the next six months time.” Kalinna didn’t say anything to that.

How was she supposed to help the pirate captain? She hoped it didn’t have anything to do with helping him in and out of his clothing because she would die from embarrassment. No, she just hoped that he would give her small tasks that she could do with confidence. Of course, she was on a pirate ship, so she didn’t know how much of her confidence was actually left.

Jackson quickly opened a door to a small cabin on his left, located near the very rear of the ship. The Captain’s cabin, she learned, was at the very rear, and was quite large as that was where Justin spent most of his private time. She was curious and hoped that she would eventually get to see it.

For now, she walked into the small room after Jackson and almost laughed. She and the big man took up most of the room in the small cabin, and with a grumble, Jackson immediately stepped back into the hallway to wait for her. She glanced around. The cabin was tiny, with a small bed anchored to the wall, a small cabinet for clothing and a table that would barely fit two small people.

Overall, she thought it was cozy and was excited that it was all her’s. It wasn’t much, but it also didn’t belong to her father, which was the best part. She quickly placed her sack on the bed, intent on putting things away later and stepped back out into the hallway where her guide stood waiting.

“Well, that’s about all there is to the ship, now we best be headin’ topside so you can meet the rest of the crew and prepare for leavin’ port,” Jackson said as Kalinna closed the door and began to follow him up, “The captain should be back by now, and knowing him, will want to leave as soon as possible.”

Silently, Kalinna followed after the large man, thankful when they were once again in the open air. She breathed deeply, unaware of the curious stares she was receiving from the other crew members. She came to with a start, however, when Justin stalked up the gangplank, a scowl marring his handsome features. She wondered what could have upset him so, but she dared not ask.

“Prepare the ship and get us out of here as fast as you can,” Justin snapped before walking down the stairs that led belowdeck.

“You ‘eard the captain, make ready to sail,” Jackson barked, repeating the command, “And this ‘ear is Kip Davenport, the new cabin boy. Be nice to the lad or I’ll skin your hide, got that?” The only reply was some grumbling and nodding of heads before the crew began to go about their business.

“What am I supposed to do?” Kalinna questioned, suddenly unsure of herself in these unorthodox surroundings.

“I’ll take you to see the captain, and if he don’t need anything, you’ll be helping Trenton in the kitchen. Think ye can manage that, kid?” Jackson questioned.

“Sure,” Kalinna readily agreed, silently breathing a sigh of relief to herself. She wouldn’t be expected to dangle from the trappings or wash the deck, so she would probably be able to survive.

Besides, she would learn as the days passed. She was quick at picking things up, and she was convinced that becoming a full-fledged pirate was no exception. She only hoped her mother was rolling in her grave too much.

“Let’s go,” Jackson stated after he had called out a few more orders to the men, “You can meet the rest of the crew later, but for now, yer going to be doin’ the Captain’s biddin’.”

“Is he angry?” Kalinna hesitantly questioned as the two of them made their way towards the captain’s quarters.

“Annoyed is the word I would use,” Jackson gruffly stated, unsure of how much he was supposed to reveal to this youngster, “I be guessing his meetin’ didn’t go all that well.”

“Oh,” was all Kalinna could muster. Meeting for what? What did pirates have meetings for? And for that matter, who did they have them with? She thought pirates only plundered other ships and looted villages, but maybe she was wrong.

Then again, maybe there was something about Captain Justin Timberlake that she didn’t know about and that Jackson wasn’t letting onto. Either way, it wasn’t her place to be asking these sorts of questions. After all, she was now a lad of fourteen, not a gently-bred lady of twenty-two.

All too soon, they stood before the door to Justin’s cabin and Jackson quickly knocked. A muffled “enter” came and Jackson opened the door for Kalinna before he took off to go man the wheel.

“Ah, Kip, good, I could really use your help,” Justin stated as soon as he spotted the new cabin boy. Kalinna blushed to the root of her hair as she took in the site of the half-naked man, who had discarded his shirt for some reason unbeknownst to her.

“How can I be of service?” Kalinna questioned, trying not to stare as he walked toward her, the muscles on his chest rippling in the dim light of the cabin.

“You said you were educated and my French is quite rusty, so I was wondering if you would translate something for me,” the captain said as he shrugged into a clean shirt, much to Kalinna’s relief, “Take a seat.”

She quickly sat down and began to look over the aforementioned document, her curiosity getting the better of her. What was a pirate doing with a French letter that didn’t seem to have anything to do with the plundering and robbing that pirates were known for? Of course, she had only glanced briefly at the first sentence, so she was most likely coming to wild conclusions.

“Can you translate it?” Justin asked as he looked over her shoulder.

“Yes,” Kalinna confirmed, “Do you want me to read it or write it down for you?”

“Write it down if you don’t mind. Let me grab you some parchment and ink,” he replied. He disappeared into another room of the cabin for a few moments, but soon returned with the items in hand, which he quickly set on the table for her.

“Is there anything else you need from me sir?” Kalinna questioned as she dipped the quill in ink and prepared for the task.

“That’s all for now,” Justin concluded as he walked across the room and picked up some more papers that Kalinna itched to have a look at, “And it’s Justin. No more sir, Kip. Not on this ship.”

“Okay,” she said, barely catching the sir from slipping out. At least she hadn’t called him “your lordship” or “your highness”. That definitely would have given her away.

Silence descended over the cabin as they sat, Kalinna at the table translating the French letter, and Justin sitting in a comfortable leather chair behind a desk. Occasionally, Kalinna would look up to steal a glance at her new “employer”, and would immediately blush. She had seen many a men since her father had practically thrown her at them, but none compared with this man’s fine features.

He was like the pirate prince of any young girl’s dreams. The dark and brooding type that would steal the maiden from her bed and whisk her away to faraway lands on his beautiful ship. Of course, that was child’s play.

She was a grown, mature woman who was not prone to such fantasies. And now, she was posing as a fourteen-year old boy, a far cry from the gentle lady she was brought up to be, so daydreams about her captain were definitely off-limits. Besides, she was not going to break that second promise that she had made to herself.

About twenty minutes later, Kalinna felt the boat began to shift underneath her, and sat up with a start. Justin gave her a strange look, and then grinned as he set his papers down and walked over to her.

“Is this the first time you’ve ever been away from England?” he questioned, surprising Kalinna with his gentle tone.

“Yes,” she quietly breathed, ashamed at the fear that was coursing through her veins. She was strong, she shouldn’t be afraid of leaving her previous life behind.

But of course, England was the only place she knew, the only place she had ever called home. If truth be told, she wouldn’t miss her father or the life she had been forced to lead, but she would miss the great land and it’s wonderful, colorful people that she called her own. Six months was a long time to be away, especially for a first-time voyage.

But there was no turning back now. She couldn’t very well reveal her identity and make it off the ship alive. She had lied to the captain and his men from the beginning, and she knew that they would not take that lightly. No, she was going to go through with this. And she would be even stronger when she set foot on her homeland’s shores in six months time.

“Come, let’s go topside,” Justin suddenly stated, breaking into her racing thoughts, “It’s your first voyage away from home, and I know what it means to get that last glimpse of the place.”

He did? Well then again, maybe he called England home. She didn’t know. Mutely, she followed after him after carefully setting aside the parchment she had been working on. He was definitely right; she wanted to set her sights on the shores for one last time before they disappeared.

The two of them quickly made their way down the hall and up the stairs to the deck. Kalinna felt her breath catch in her throat as she felt the ship shift beneath her feet, a very unfamiliar sensation.

“You’re not going to be sick, are you kid?” Jackson suddenly called, much to Kalinna’s embarrassment. She had hoped her queasiness would go unnoticed, but apparently that was not to be.

“Not unless it’s over your head,” she finally shot back with a grin, causing a roar of laughter to emanate from the men onboard.

“I knew you were a keeper,” Justin announced, grinning, “Anybody who can keep old Jackson in line is a winner in my book.” More laughter.

“Who you callin’ old, grandpa?” Jackson taunted, a challenge in his voice.

“Hmm, last time I checked, you were the one with the gray hairs, not me,” Justin retorted, much to Kalinna’s amusement. This crew really seemed like a family to her; a family that she could hopefully come apart of.

“If you weren’t the captain and we weren’t on a ship sailing out of port, I’d be callin’ you out for a duel at dawn,” Jackson responded, laughter glinting in his eyes, “Guess I’ll have to settle for a little swordplay.”

“Now, now, I wouldn’t want to tire you out and cause you to take to your bed early,” Justin retorted back.

“Hmm, well maybe that new cabin boy will take a swipe at you instead,” Jackson announced, and Kalinna felt the blood drain from her face; there was no way she was going to duel with the captain. “I hear he’s got a good arm, ain’t that right kid.”

“I think you’re just trying to save yourself from losing in front of the crew,” Kalinna stated, grinning as she hear more laughter from the rest of the men listening and watching the lively conversation between the three of them.

“I see where your loyalties lie,” Jackson grumbled.

“Hey, I’m the captain, of course he’s going to be loyal to me. I’m the one that could always make him walk the plank after all,” Justin retorted.

“Whatever you say captain,” the beefy first mate stated before turning his attention back to the ship’s wheel.

Kalinna stood beside Justin, who was still grinning, glad that the conversation was over. It was exciting to finally have stimulating conversation after being told all her life to hold her tongue, but she still wasn’t sure how she fit in with this group of men. She didn’t want to make enemies on the first day; well, she didn’t want to make any enemies period.

“Better take a look, England’s almost out of sight,” Justin suddenly said.

Startled out of her thoughts, Kalinna quickly turned her attention to the rapidly disappearing shoreline. Her heart jumped to her throat as she finally realized the magnitude of all that she had done. Her father would be furious. Her suitor would probably retract his offer of marriage, which would only make matters worse.

But she was free. She was finally able to get out of the prison her father had created for her all those years ago and live for nobody but herself. It felt good. No, it felt wonderful.

And as she watched England’s shores finally disappear from sight, she felt a sense of peace invade her heart. It would be six months before she saw her homeland again, but lying ahead of her was six months of adventure. She couldn’t wait.

Two weeks had passed and Kalinna was quickly becoming used to her daily routine. She would get up early in the morning to help Trenton with breakfast, then spend an hour or two telling the man some of the stories she had read in the books of her childhood. After that, she and Justin would take some time going over papers before she headed topside to join the rest of the crew. A few hours were then spent helping the crew with the sails, as she had quickly learned how to climb and all the crew members seemed to appreciate her agility on the rigging. And of course, she then proceeded with teaching two of the crew members the swordplay that had got her on the ship in the first place.

As the end of the day neared, she would help Trenton once again, with the dinner and enjoyed spending the evening meal with the crew. Afterwards, she helped Justin, whom she was quickly growing fond of, a little more, before heading off to bed. There, she would read a passage or two of her mother’s diary or the bible before writing in her journal and finally, falling asleep.

Then, the routine would start all over again the next morning. Kalinna loved it. When she had been home, she had been allowed to sleep as late as she wanted and had never been asked to perform any type of task unless it was ordering the servants around. That got dull fast. But sailing on this ship with the crew was never dull.

Now, however, she was terrified. The crew was planning on raiding a merchant vessel that was on its way from the London docks and traveling to France. Kalinna had never seen a pirate attack before and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to start now. But she had a feeling that the captain would want her sword arm in the fray.

She was part of their family now. It was something that she had wished for that first day onboard the ship, and now that she had it, she knew she couldn’t let any of the crew down. They all doted on her, just as she cared immensely for all of them. Therefore, she couldn’t let them down now.

But she was afraid that they would find out her secret. She had never killed a man before, and she definitely didn’t want to start now. But there was no way Justin, Jackson, or any of the other crew members were going to let her hide in her cabin. Maybe, though, the captain would be more understanding if she went and talked to him.

So that’s where she stood, in front of the door to Justin’s cabin, rubbing her sweaty palm on the legs of her breeches. She hesitantly knocked, her nerves quaking and making her a little sick to her stomach. She was incapable of killing a man, so she didn’t know how much use she’d be to the captain and crew; but there was no way she was going to reveal her weakness now. Not after she had made it this far on her own.

“Come in,” Justin suddenly called and she quickly entered the chamber.

If she was surprised at the captain’s bedraggled appearance, she made no comment. After all, he liked to dress in fine clothes, but who could take a pirate seriously when he looked more like a duke than an evil plunderer?

“How much longer?” she questioned as she plopped down in a chair at his table; captain and cabin boy had bonded over the past two weeks and were quite comfortable around each other.

“Not long. Why, are you eager to test that new sword of your’s?” Justin questioned, gazing in her direction as he tied a bandana around his head. The captain had found her a sword of her own and she was eternally grateful.

“Of course I am, it’s just…” Kalinna trailed off, wondering if the man would laugh if she told him that she had never killed a man before.

“What is it? Just spit it out Kip, I’m not going to bite,” Justin teased, giving her his trademark boyish grin.

“I’ve never killed a man before,” she blurted, blushing. She hadn’t come there to tell him that. Not at all.

“You’re only fourteen, I would hope not,” he commented, then sat down across the table from her, “Don’t worry, we don’t kill unless somebody tries to kill us. We’re just in it for the loot.” Kalinna breathed a silent sigh of relief.

“Okay,” she said.

“Lighten up Kip, everything is going to be fine,” he assured her as he gave her a friendly pat on the back, “Now you better go see what Jackson is up to; I haven’t heard a thing from him since earlier this morning and there’s no telling what trouble he’s got himself into.”

“Aye captain,” she responded as she got up and made her way out of the cabin. She almost laughed; Jackson was probably the most serious crew member aboard and hardly got into a heated discussion, much less trouble.

But putting that thought aside, she thought instead of Justin’s words to her. She was amazed how kind and understanding the pirate captain was being towards her. It was enough to make her toes curl inside her shoes.

Then again, she was also surprised at his comments. What kind of evil pirate plundered a ship and didn’t kill anybody? It seemed rather odd to her, but what did she know? Absolutely nothing, that’s what.

Maybe the captain didn’t have the stomach for killing a man, just like her. Or maybe they got more amusement out of taking everything from the ship and leaving the people onboard with nothing. She didn’t know, and she definitely wasn’t going to question. It was not her place to demand an explanation.

“Hey kid, you ready for this?” Jackson questioned as Kalinna made her way to the helm where the burly first mate was steering the ship’s wheel.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Kalinna replied as she lounged against the railing and gazed off into the distance. The small outline of a ship was on the horizon and Kalinna knew deep down in her gut that this was their target. Her nerves started dancing a tango, but she was careful to keep her emotions from her face, a trade she had picked up from the ever stoic Jackson.

“I bet you’re eager to use that new sword ‘o your’s, eh?” the big man continued as he gazed in her direction, “You’ve been practicing up a storm late at night.”

“Thought I’d better hone up my skills before the big battle,” she told him.

“You’re the last person that needs to practice your swordplay,” Jackson told her with a shake of his head, “Why, me thinks that you could probably beat the captain if he ever got his sissy butt out ‘o that cabin.”

“Who you calling sissy?” the captain’s voice suddenly called as he joined the two of them at the helm.

“You,” Jackson replied with a snort of laughter, “Kip here has beaten the likes of every member of this crew, including me, and has yet to lay swords against you. I think you’re too scared.”

“Too scared, eh? Mayhap the lad is just afraid that he’ll do me some damage. I am the captain after all,” Justin stated, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Captain or not, I can still whip you at swordplay,” Kalinna boldly stated.

“We’ll have to see about that sometime,” Justin responded, nodding is head as an acceptance to the challenge, “But for now, we’ve got a ship to plunder.”

Kalinna glanced towards the horizon, and in the fading light of the day, noticed that they were almost upon the merchant vessel. Well, now she was going to see how much of a pirate she had truly become.

“Prepare to board!” Justin called above the din of the gulls and the terrified cries of the people aboard the other ship.

The men seemed to come from nowhere. As they pulled up beside the shipping craft, some of the crew swung over from ropes, and some just jumped the short distance from the Christina to the other vessel. Jackson handed the wheel to second mate Tom Larkins as he and Kalinna followed after Justin.

“Lay down your arms and we won’t harm anybody,” Justin’s voice boomed.

The crew of the other ship did as they were told and Kalinna soon found herself swinging from a rope to the other ship, a feat that one of the crew members had taught to her. She landed on her feet with a soft thud and turned to Justin for orders.

“You stay here with Jackson and guard the crew while I go below with the rest of our men,” Justin stated as he noticed her questioning look.

“Okay,” she agreed as she brandished her weapon and pointed it towards the shipping vessel’s crew. She noticed one of the men smirking at her and immediately sent him a deathly glare.

“The pirate left a kid to guard us,” the man suddenly scoffed as soon as Justin and the rest of the men had disappeared in search of the loot, “He’s either more stupid than I thought or just puts too much confidence in his little cabin boy.”

“Care to have a go?” Kalinna challenged, angered at the slandering of her captain’s name, “I assure you, sir, that I am quite qualified to handle this weapon.”

“Oh, and he speaks well too. What ye be doin’ with the like ‘o the pirate captain laddy?” the man taunted, “Shouldn’t ye be at home with yer ma and pa learning scholarly things?”

“Jackson?” Kalinna asked, turning a questioning gaze in the direction of the beefy man.

“Be my guest kid. I don’t think Justin won’t take no mind to a little swordplay as long as you don’t hurt the man,” Jackson responded, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

Kalinna quickly pulled her sword out and got ready to do battle with this filthy man. The adrenaline rushed through her veins as she waited for the man to pick up his weapon.

Below decks, Justin wasn’t having much luck. The ship was filled to capacity with fine goods. There were crates of spices, exported fruits and vegetables, bolts of fine cloth, and a number of scientific looking gadgets. Nothing to suggest a traitorous plan.

Sighing, Justin made for the captain’s quarters, hoping that he’d find something useful there. He was getting tired of boarding ships only to discover that there was no connection at all to the traitorous plot of the French. He needed a break and soon.

Upon entering the room, he wrinkled his nose. The man obviously didn’t take great pride in his ship for the room was a mess and smelled rancid. But shrugging that aside, Justin proceeded to turn the room upside down.

Nothing but parchments and letters detailing what kinds of goods were aboard the ship. He turned over chest after chest, and raided the cabinets to no avail. Was there nothing aboard this ship as well? This would take his count up to thirty vessels that were clean.

Finally, just when he thought there was nothing useful, he opened one last drawer of the captain’s desk and came upon a small chest. He pulled it out and was shocked when he opened it.

The Wickham emeralds? What was this ship doing with these? As far as he knew, the prominent family had not reported the jewels missing, but then again, they had been out to sea for over two weeks. He’d have to make inquiries once they stopped in Port Chamblay later that night.

The Wickham’s were a very influential family in the English court. They were the family who held the Dukedom of Barclay; his mother knew of them well because the present duke, Colin Wickham, had two daughters of marrying age. But that didn’t explain why the emeralds, which had been in their family for years, were on their way to France.

He’d have to dispatch a letter to Benton Lancaster as soon as he stepped foot in Port Chamblay. He had a sinking feeling that somehow these jewels, and the Wickham family, were connected to the traitorous plot to aide the French.

So he tucked the chest under his arm for safekeeping and headed back topside. It was time for them to get out of there before the vessel’s crew got too restless and tried to fight back.

As he reached the open air, he was surprised, however, to see Kip engaging in swordplay with one of the crew members of the merchant vessel. Amused, he watched the whole scene unfold, knowing full well that his well-trained cabin boy could hold his own against this burly sailor.

“Hurt me? Hardly,” the crew member scoffed at Kalinna as he picked up a sword and faced her, anger and cockiness relayed in his stance, “C’mon kid, let’s see what ye got.”

With that, the man charged at Kalinna, sword raised to attack. She quickly rolled out of the way and regained her feet just as the man came at her again. Their swords clashed, glinting off the light of the fading day, and Kalinna was quick to disengage and twirl away.

In terms of arm strength, she was no match for the brute, but as far as sword skill went, she had the upper hand. So she would play with her strengths and not allow the man to determine her weakness.

She went for the man, parrying, blocking, parrying again. Their swords clashed again and again; she was so intent on the battle that she didn’t notice Justin’s return from below decks, a small chest in his hands.

She swung at the man, and his sword suddenly went clattering to the deck. Before he could move to grab it, she kicked the man’s legs out from underneath him. He lay on his back, a shocked expression on his face as he stared down the blade of her sword.

“Care to go again?” she demanded in a cold tone, “Or have you had enough?”

“You’re a devil with a sword,” the man growled as he limped back to join his comrades with a sore back and bruised pride.

“I’ll take that as a compliment kind sir,” Kalinna scoffed, giving the man a short bow as a grin graced her lips. Her opponent scowled at her lofty attitude.

“I see you kept yourself busy while I was gone,” Justin suddenly called out as he ambled over.

“He was asking for it,” Kalinna supplied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

Truth be told, she was afraid Justin would be angry with her. He had told her just to guard the men, not to fight with them. But the man had done nothing but insult her and the captain, and she couldn’t let him get away with that.

“I’m sure he deserved a little comeuppance,” Justin agreed with a grin, turning his gaze to Jackson.

“Hey, don’t look at me, that piece ‘o trash was slandering your name. The kid just reacted ‘fore I did,” Jackson stated.

“Well then, glad to know my good name is still intact. But we’d best not tarry any longer. Let’s get out of here,” Justin stated as he turned to the crew, “Much obliged to you kind gentlemen.”

“Rot in hell pirate scum!” one of the men yelled and Justin just grinned.

“Many thanks for the wonderful compliments,” he called before jumping back onto the Christina, the small chest clutched in his arms.

“You’re all going to pay one day,” another crew member called as Kalinna and Jackson turned to follow.

“My sword will meet your’s any day,” Kalinna replied, giving them all a mock bow before she joined the rest of the crew back on the Christina.

She quickly walked towards the ship’s wheel as they left the merchant vessel behind. Jackson silently stood manning the wheel; the captain had already disappeared down to his cabin. She stood there, staring out onto the horizon for a few minutes before Jackson spoke up.

“You did well kid,” he gruffly stated as he turned the wheel a little to the left, “Made me and the captain right proud, that ye did.”

“Thanks,” Kalinna stated as she sheathed her sword and lounged against the railing, “Where are we headed to next.”

“To port. We need to restock supplies,” Jackson explained.

“We’re going all the way back to London?” Kalinna questioned, surprised. They were hundreds of miles out to sea and going back to London to dock would take at least another week.

“No kid, we’re going to Port Chamblay,” Jackson said, grinning, “Rowdiest pirate cove for miles around here. You’ll like it.”

“Oh,” was all Kalinna could say.

An all pirate port? Lord, she was excited to see what new adventures this would bring. She was used to all the crew members, but now she was going to get to meet other pirates. Maybe even have her first drink of liquor.

Her father had never allowed her to drink any sort of alcohol besides champagne. He said that anything else would make her woozy in the head and he couldn’t have her embarrassing him.

Of course, he didn’t realize that she never got light-headed or dizzy. She was one who could hold her liquor really well, but her father didn’t seem to understand. But it didn’t matter now. He wouldn’t be there telling her not to drink anything. Nope, she was going to break every rule her father had made for her if she could.

Port Chamblay seemed just the place to do it.

The Christina pulled into Port Chamblay within two hours. Kalinna stood on the deck, eagerly awaiting her first glimpse of the place. She was not disappointed in the least.

The port was a sprawling place, with an innumerable amount of docks. There were ships of every shape, size and color docked, and rowdy men, and yes, even women as well, were crawling all over the ships and the docks. The port itself was like a city.

Building upon building made of wood and stone lined the main road, which was filled with horses, pirates, dancing girls, and all sorts of goods. Most of the occupants were dressed in a pirate’s uniform with obscene hats, chains, jewels, coats, cloaks, boots, and any other possible apparel imaginable. Foul language filled the air, mixed with raucous laughter, giving the place a sense of rowdy hominess. Kalinna knew she’d love it here.

“How long will we be here?” she asked Jackson, who stood silently guiding the ship to a large dock.

“Until tomorrow mornin’, when we push out again,” Jackson said as he glanced in her direction, “Don’t worry kid, I’ll take ye to see whatever ye want.”

“Really?” she breathed, amazed at his generosity.

“Sure. I got nothin’ better to do. Sides, it keeps me from getting’ meself in trouble with those beautiful dancin’ girls,” he said, rolling his eyes, “They get all teary-eyed when we leave again. I swear kid, you stay away from women and you’ll be better off, ‘ear me?”

“Yes sir,” Kalinna responded, keeping the grin from her face. She was not about to have any trouble with that demand.

Silence descended over them as Kalinna watched the port with rapt eyes, trying to soak up everything at once. She quickly left Jackson at the wheel to go stand at the forward aft of the ship where she could see better. She never saw Justin join Jackson at the wheel a few moments later.

“We’re right on schedule I see,” Justin commented to his first mate as he squinted his eyes for a familiar figure, “I’ve got a meeting with Anthony and then I’ll be heading back to the ship for the night. Are you taking Kip with you?”

“Yeah, gonna show the lad around,” Jackson commented as he finished pulling the ship into port; some of the crew members immediately got off to tie up, “I was thinkin’ that maybe I’ll stay there for the night.”

“Bring Kip back to the ship before you do, he shouldn’t be staying out late here,” Justin commented as he rested his hat atop his head, “This place gets really rowdy at night and it’s no place for a fourteen-year old boy, even if he does have a great arm with a sword.”

“I was thinkin’ the same thing,” Jackson agreed as his hands left the wheel, “Got any specific orders this time?”

“Just keep your eyes and ears open for any news about the French. There’s no telling what kind of information the pirates around here are privy to,” Justin commented, surveying the busy port as he spoke, “Just be sure to stay out of trouble. I don’t need to be bailing your ass out anytime soon.”

“Of course,” Jackson said, rolling his eyes. He had gotten into a fight with a man one time, and now the captain made sure to warn him every time they pulled into Port Chamblay for more than a few hours.

Then again, he didn’t blame Justin. They were trying to discover the traitor who was leaking government secrets, so one could never be too careful. Especially here, where there were no laws and no government to enforce laws.

“Are we going?” Kalinna excitedly questioned as she approached the two men.

“Hold your horses kid, it’s still early yet,” Jackson grumbled as he pulled a bandana over his head of dark hair.

“I know, but I want to see everything,” Kalinna stated, practically bouncing with unrestrained energy.

“You stick close with Jackson at all times, you hear me Kip?” Justin demanded as he claimed her attention, “Just because you’ve got a great arm with a sword doesn’t mean you need to go looking for trouble.”

“Of course captain,” she said with a grin. Justin restrained from moaning. He was afraid that the kid’s cocky and unconcerned attitude would get him in trouble. That was the last thing he needed.

“Alright, I’ll see you two sometime later,” Justin called as he disembarked from the ship and headed in the direction of the pub where he always met his friend Anthony.

“You ready to go explorin’ kid?” Jackson asked as he turned to his young charge.

“Yes,” Kalinna responded as she restrained herself from jumping up and down like a little child.

“Alright, let’s get outta here then,” Jackson said as he led the way off the ship. Kalinna quickly followed after, eagerly anticipating this new experience.

“Good to see you Justin, how have you been holding up?” Anthony Maddox questioned as his old friend sat down across from him at a table in the corner.

Anthony was Justin’s best friend, had been since they were kids. He was a duke as well, Duke of Hastings to be exact, and had the same interests in the English government as did Justin. His past six months had been spent on this island, trying to scrounge up whatever information he could. Unfortunately, he seemed to be having the same luck as his friend.

“Not too bad,” the pirate captain responded as he ordered himself a tankard of ale, “How’s this old island treating you.”

“Eh, I’ve seen better days,” his friend replied, frowning, “I’ll just be glad when this is all over and I can get back home.”

“Elizabeth still waiting for you?” Justin questioned, referring to his friend’s fiancée.

“Yes, I don’t know how much longer she’s going to put up with me being gone all the time. I’m afraid that she’d going to up and leave me one of these days,” Anthony confessed as he took a swig of his ale.

“You know as well as I that broken engagements cause scandals in society’s circles,” Justin admonished, thanking the barmaid for the tankard, “Besides, you two are so sickeningly in love that there is no way you aren’t going to get married and end up with twelve children.”

“I’m glad you have so much confidence,” Anthony replied, grinning wickedly, “What about you my friend? Have you found any appealing lady friends yet?” Justin groaned.

“I’ve been in and out of London the past year and a half that I haven’t any time for women at all,” Justin stated, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke, “Besides, you know that the kind of woman I want doesn’t exist.”

“Maybe you should lower your standards a bit,” Anthony said, shrugging his shoulders.

“I don’t want a wife that is afraid of me,” Justin replied with a sigh, “You know how I am. I need somebody who can meet me head on and not back down. Hell, I’d take a woman with even half a brain above those soft-spoken debutantes that my mother insists on throwing at me.”

“A woman like that doesn’t exist, trust me,” Anthony told his friend, “But enough of this, we need to get down to business. What happened that you needed to stop in Port Chamblay and seek me out?”

“Well, we just raided another shipping vessel on it’s way out of London,” Justin began as he leaned closer to his friend so he was able to lower his voice, “You’ll never believe what I found onboard.”

“I don’t know, the queen of France,” Anthony sarcastically said. Justin rolled his eyes.

“No, the Wickham emeralds,” Justin said. Anthony’s eyes widened in surprise at this new bit of information.

“The Wickham emeralds? Why on earth would they be on a ship out of London? And who managed to get their hands on them anyway? Aren’t they supposed to be locked up in a safe that only the family members know the combination to?” Anthony prattled.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Justin responded, “I know the Wickham’s as well as you do. They would never turn their backs on England, never. Their family has been there for decades.”

“I agree,” Anthony said, running a hand through his blond hair, “But who do you think was able to get to the safe and steal the jewels. It’s a known fact that nobody but the family knows where the safe is, and even at that, only a select few of them know the combination.”

“I know. It just doesn’t add up,” Justin agreed.

He glanced distractedly around the pub, trying to think of a reason behind the stealing of the emeralds. He was surprised to see Jackson walk in with Kip trailing behind. The two of them immediately came to the table.

“Jackson, you remember Anthony,” Justin said, reintroducing the two friends, “And Anthony, this is my new cabin boy, Kip. Kip, this is my best friend Anthony.”

“Nice to meet you Kip,” Anthony said as he shook the lad’s hand. For some reason, the face looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t quite place it. There was something about those expressive green eyes that didn’t quite fit on the lad’s face. But what did he know?

“Same here,” Kalinna responded as she shook the gentleman’s hand. He was a well-muscled blond-haired man with sharp green eyes.

“I just have a message to drop off for you and then the two ‘o us will be off,” Jackson’s deep voice rumbled as he pulled a rolled up parchment from his vest pocket.

“Thanks Jackson,” Justin said as he took the offered object.

“No problem captain. Well, we’ll be on our way now. Kip here has his heart set on seeing everything this island has to offer,” Jackson explained.

“Trust me, you’ll get bored fast,” Anthony commented, his eyes twinkling with laughter, “We pirates know only a few things; plundering, women, drinking, and fine goods.”

“I’m sure I’ll be highly entertained for at least another hour or two. Especially after coming from all the boring trappings of London,” Kalinna quipped, a little nervous under the man’s scrutiny.

“Well, after London, this place does seem to be quite interesting,” Anthony agreed as Justin silently read over the parchment, “Enjoy yourself lad, the first time here is always the best.”

“See you later captain, Anthony,” Jackson suddenly said as he ushered Kip out of the pub. Anthony stared after them, still curious about the lad.

“Good lord, looks like we’ve finally got some good news,” Justin suddenly stated as he looked up; he was surprised to see Jackson and Kip nowhere in site, “Where’d Kip and Jackson go?”

“They left to go find some fun,” Anthony explained, then leaned forward, “But what’s this you say about good news?”

“Apparently there was a Frenchman that came through here not two days ago,” Justin began, “One of the pirates managed to pick his pockets and this letter was in it. It’s detailing a shipment of gold coming in from France in exchange for arms from England.”

“Good lord…” Anthony said and the two immediately lapsed into a discussion about what this could mean for them and the English government.

Kalinna quickly followed after the ever-quiet Jackson, who was leading her down row after row of fine goods for sale. But her mind wasn’t really on the beautiful things on display. No, they were back on that man, Anthony, back in the pub with Justin.

She knew him. She could swear by that fact. But she couldn’t recall ever meeting a man by the name of Anthony who was a pirate. Of course, she’d never met any pirate before she became Justin’s cabin boy two weeks ago.

She quickly thought back in her memory, certain she had seen this man’s face before. All of a sudden, it dawned on her. Anthony Maddox, Duke of Hastings. Her friend from finishing school, Elizabeth Fairlane, was engaged to this man; this man who was dressed as a pirate?

What on earth was going on here? Why was this duke on a pirating island when he was supposed to be home getting married to one of her friends? There had to be something going on that nobody was telling her, and she was utterly convinced that that something lay in the hands of Captain Justin Timberlake.

Then again, who was Justin Timberlake? Was he actually a pirate, or was he in disguise as well? But why would he have to be in disguise to begin with? And why did she have the nagging feeling that her father had something to do with all of this?

It was all too complicated and she didn’t want to think about it anymore. Instead, she turned her attention to the cart of goods in front of her. Jackson had disappeared somewhere ahead, but she knew her way back to the ship, so she wasn’t afraid.

“Beautiful shawls for sale,” a vendor suddenly squawked near her ear. She glanced up and her breath caught in her throat as she looked over the beautiful items. She longed to buy one for herself, she even had the money, but nobody in their right mind would believe her if she said she bought it for a lady friend.

Then again, who cared? She was free to live life the way she wanted, even if that meant she got questioning stares from others. It was none of their business how she spent her money.

She quickly purchased a beautiful green silk shawl, and after she paid and the vendor had folded it nicely for her, she carefully placed it into the inner pocket of her coat. No sense in having to explain things to Jackson when she didn’t have to.

Then again, the large man was nowhere in sight, so she didn’t have anything to worry about. She continued on by herself, enjoying the loud, foreign atmosphere. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for her and she was going to live it to the fullest.

Finally, she came to a ring where two pirates were sword fighting. It appeared to be a contest and Kalinna itched to try her hand in the ring. But she knew that she wasn’t supposed to; she wasn’t even supposed to be by herself right now. Well, that didn’t mean she couldn’t watch.

“That’s the end of the match. Do we have anybody willing to challenge the undefeated Marcus Black?” the announcer yelled above the din of the crowd; his eyes landed on Kalinna and she wanted to bolt, “What about you laddy? You got a nice looking sword there, how about giving it a try.”

“No…” she started to say before somebody picked her up and placed her into the ring. Her face drained of blood as she glanced at the big man standing in front of her, leering at her small frame.

“Let’s see what ya got, eh?” the man known as Marcus Black said as he advanced on her, sword drawn. There was no place for her to go as the crowd had drawn a tight circle about them.

Kalinna had no choice but to draw her sword. She couldn’t very well stand there and let the man have his way with her. Besides, she was never one to back down from a fight when placed in the position. She just hoped that her skills were well enough to compete with this undefeated champion.

Marcus Black was the first to strike, lashing out strongly. She met the blow head-on, ignoring the pain that seared down her arms. She twisted out of the way and struck out, only to be met by the hard steel of the man’s sword. He was quite good, she grudgingly had to admit. Her best opponent so far.

The two of them went back and forth. Marcus used both hands, one to swipe with his sword, the other to lash out punches with. It took all of Kalinna’s concentration to stay out of the way. She dipped and ducked, rolled and squatted. But she valiantly fought back, not wanting to give up easily.

She could beat the man, she was convinced of it. She just had to tire him out a little more so she could take his legs out from underneath him. it was the best way she knew how to disarm a man so much bigger than her.

Just as she was about to do the deed, a sharp, cold voice rang out through the air, startling her concentration. The next thing she knew, she was flat on her back, her jaw aching from a punch that had met it’s mark this time.

“Kip Davenport, what the hell are you doing?” Justin yelled as he shoved his way through the crowd, “You shouldn’t be in there, you could be killed. Come out right now!”

Kalinna felt the fury build up in her soul. How dare he tell her what to do! He was not her father and had no say over her actions. Just because he had been a pirate longer than her didn’t mean she couldn’t hold her own. And she would have finished the man off if he had not interfered.

Completely angry, she rolled to her right and hopped to her feet. She took a few quick swipes at Marcus before laying him flat on his back. His sword flew into the air and in one swift movement, she twirled and caught it, pointing both dangerous weapons at her opponents throat. He looked at her with surprise and a new respect shining in his eyes.

“I believe we have a new champion,” the announcer cried as Kalinna bent down to help her opponent up to his feet and handed him his weapon back.

“You fight good kid. I ain’t never seen better swordsmanship in me life,” Marcus grudgingly stated. He held out his hand in a friendly gesture.

“You are the most worthy opponent I’ve had thus far,” Kalinna responded as she gave the man’s hand a firm shake; he smiled at her.

“Many thanks for the compliment,” Marcus said, then pointed towards the crowd, “I believe your captain be needin’ ya lad. Me hopes to see ya around again sometime.”

With that, Marcus Black walked off, leaving Kalinna standing alone in the ring. She could feel Justin’s cold glare digging into her back and she didn’t want to turn around. But she had to face the music.

She walked towards him, her shoulders back and her head held high. She wasn’t going to show him how scared of him she actually was. She kept her pride as he practically dragged her back to the ship.

But she knew in her heart that this could not turn out well.

Justin couldn’t believe what Kip had done. He had wandered away from Jackson, who had returned to the pub, frantic when he couldn’t find the lad, and had engaged in an actual pirate’s duel. The pirate could have killed him.

It was time to teach the boy a lesson. Obviously, Kip’s father had never gotten around to teaching the lad obedience and good decisions. Well, Justin would make sure that the lad never chose wrong again. As much as it would pain him to do this, it would have to be done, and the sooner the better.

Justin walked into his cabin of the practically deserted ship and slammed the door. He dropped Kip unceremoniously into one of the chairs at the table and stalked to his bedroom, which was the second room of the spacious cabin. He returned moments later with a large paddle in hand.

Kalinna’s eyes widened in shock as she realized what he was going to do. He was going to spank her! She had never been spanked before, and she was not going to start now with this man. No way was she going to endure that type of embarrassment.

Without thinking, she stood up and pulled her sword out.

“En guard,” she suddenly cried. Justin gave her a surprised looked at her sudden announcement, but immediately obeyed the challenge.

He drew his sword and took up a ready stance. Kalinna was shaking with fear because she knew this man was deadly; deadlier than any of her other swordplay opponents. But a duel was better than having her butt spanked and risking him finding out that she was a girl.

She normally let her opponent attack first, but her nerves were frayed and her mind exhausted, so she took the first swipe. Justin easily deflected it and Kalinna immediately knew she had made a mistake. This was no oversized pirate who she could easily defeat; no, this man was possibly the only person who could easily beat her instead.

But she put that thought aside. No sense in panicking now. She had to keep a cool head or else she’d be getting a paddle on the backside. And she didn’t want that.

Justin saw the fear and hesitancy in Kip’s eyes. The lad knew he had made a wrong decision, but it was too late. Instead of a paddle on the behind, maybe being beat at his own game would teach Kip a lesson. And this meant he wouldn’t feel guilty afterwards; the lad had initiated the fight after all.

Kalinna hesitantly took another swing at the captain. He easily batted away her sword as if she had no skill whatsoever. Suddenly, she knew that she shouldn’t be afraid. She was skilled enough to fight this man; if he was trying to punish her by beating her at the one thing she was good at, well he had another thing coming to him.

With more confidence, she struck out again, and this time, saw Justin have to put more effort behind blocking. And finally, he struck back. Before, he had just let her swing, only blocking, but not fighting back. Now the duel was real.

The two of them went at it for what seemed like hours. Kalinna struck, dipped, and spun, trying to gain the upper hand but not succeeding in the least. Justin attacked just as ferociously, using all his skill for he was determined not to be beaten by his cabin boy. But he wasn’t able to gain anything over his opponent either.

Finally, they both stood there, swords hanging at their sides, breathing hard out of exhaustion. Neither had won, but neither had lost either. Justin couldn’t believe it; he’d never had a duel where neither party came out the victor.

“Are you finished making foolish decisions?” he finally asked as he sheathed his sword; Kalinna did the same, “I don’t want to have to drag your dead body back to the ship any time soon.”

“I had no choice in the matter,” Kalinna explained as she sank gratefully into a chair, her body exhausted and her jaw throbbing from the punch she had received earlier courtesy of Marcus Black.

“What do you mean by that?” Justin demanded as he sank into his favored leather chair behind the desk.

“They shoved me into the ring and would not let me out,” Kalinna continued as she wiped the sweat from her face and winced when her hand came in contact with her sore jaw, “I wasn’t going to stand there and not defend myself.”

“Well I’m glad you didn’t get killed in the process,” Justin almost snapped, then sighed, “Why don’t you head to bed? I’ve got a lot of things to take care of. From now, I don’t want you fighting unless you absolutely have to, is that understood?”

“Aye captain,” Kalinna said and quickly vacated the room lest he change his mind about the paddling.

Justin sat there in thought long after the lad had gone. He kept thinking about some of the things Anthony had said before he had left in search of Kip. Something about how the lad distinctly reminded him of somebody he knew from home. Unfortunately, after Justin had pressed for a name, Anthony couldn’t recall anything but a blank.

The pirate captain didn’t know what to do about the lad anymore. Kip Davenport was hiding something from him and he’d be damned if a fourteen-year old boy was going to put his mission into jeopardy. No, he was going to find out exactly what secrets lay behind those expressive green eyes.

Kalinna lay on her bed not ten minutes later, her mother’s diary lying open before her. It was at times like these, when she was all alone, that she missed her mother the most. They had been close up until her death eight years ago, and Kalinna still felt a hole in her heart that she was afraid would never be filled by any other person.

But the words on these yellowed pages provided her comfort and a sense of peace. It was if her mother’s soothing voice spoke to her, telling her that everything was going to be all right. That was definitely what she needed right now after that inconclusive duel with the captain of the ship.

She didn’t quite know what to make of Justin Timberlake, or the secrets he withheld from her, but one thing was for certain. Nobody else could ignite her fury quite like he could. He was the catalyst that made her blood boil out of control.

They’d only been out to sea barely three weeks and she had already had at least one argument with him per day. He was the only person who seemed to be able to keep up with her sarcastic quips and biting comments and return the favor. It was thrilling but at the same time frustrating.

Ah, but that was the last thing she wanted to think about now. Her body ached in places she thought it was impossible to ache in and her stomach was cramped up. Her jaw felt like it was swollen to the size of a balloon and she was exhausted to the core. It was best to put away the diary before she fell asleep.

She crawled off the bed, intent on putting the diary back in its rightful place when, suddenly, her stomach was hit with a fresh wave of cramps. She doubled over in pain and bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her heart filled with dread as she realized exactly what it was.

Her woman’s time. Lord, this couldn’t be happening, not now. She wasn’t prepared to deal with this and had no idea how to go about procuring padding that she could use for the next week. Quietly, she crept towards the galley, hoping there was something there that she could swipe at least for the night.

She made it there without mishap, thankful that everybody seemed to be ashore at the present moment. After lighting a lamp, she turned to begin her search. And almost screamed when a hulking figure came through the door.

“Here now, what ya lookin’ for at this time ‘o tha night?” the kind voice of Trenton Sheridan, the cook questioned as he walked fully into his domain.

“I…” Kalinna fumbled, not knowing how she was supposed to explain her predicament to this man who thought her to be a boy. But he seemed to pick up on the fact that she was hiding something.

“Do ye want ta tell me tha truth?” Trenton asked as he sat down at the table and motioned for Kalinna to join him. She readily obeyed, knowing there was no way she could talk herself out of this now.

“Do you promise not to tell the captain, or Jackson, or anybody else for that matter?” Kalinna demanded, searching the man’s face.

“Cross me ‘eart that I won’t breathe nothin’ to nobody,” Trenton said, placing a chubby hand over his chest. Kalinna sighed, knowing she could trust this man with her secret.

Without another word, she quickly pulled her hat off and shook her hair out. The glorious dark waves bounced and shown in the dim light before coming to rest around her face and down her back like a halo. Trenton stared at her in shock.

“Lord ‘o mighty, yer a girl,” the cook finally breathed when he had recovered enough for comprehensible speech.

“Kalinna Davenport at your service,” she softly said as she held her hand out.

“Pleasure to meet you m’lady,” Trenton said as he bent over and kissed her hand; Kalinna blushed, “Now what ye be doin’ on a ship like this ‘un?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Kalinna mumbled, hanging her head out of embarrassment.

But Trenton knew he had to get an answer out of the beautiful lass. After all, they were investigating her father Richard for crimes against the crown. He wasn’t going to take any chances that she was somehow connected with the scheme.

“Tell me anyway,” he commanded, sending her a reassuring smile when she looked up and fear shown from her eyes.

“You’re not going to take me back to London, are you?” she cried, “I can’t go back, I just can’t. I made a promise to myself weeks ago that I would never return.”

“Hold yer horses, I ain’t takin’ ye nowhere until I ‘ear what ye gots to say for yerself,” Trenton reassured the distressed lady.

“Okay,” Kalinna said as she breathed a sigh of relief; she promptly began to explain the reason for her escape, “My father, Richard, was trying to force me to marry a man I didn’t want to marry. He’s been manipulating me and throwing me at men ever since my mother died eight years ago.”

“That makes ye…” Trenton trailed off, wanting to know her age.

“Twenty-two last month,” Kalinna supplied, then grimaced, “I refused every single suitor he brought for me again and again; he just wanted to gain access to more money, not see me happily married. But it never got through his thick skull that I was unhappy. So I did the only thing I could think of. I ran away.”

“Seems pretty drastic ta me,” Trenton commented as he scratched his red beard in thought, “Why was yer father after money?”

“He’s always after money,” Kalinna spat, her eyes glowing emerald fire as she thought of her greedy sire, “That’s all he ever thinks about. In all honesty, I think that’s all I ever was to him, a ploy to get rich and attach his name to a titled gentleman.”

“Sounds awful,” the cook said, as he patted her hand in a consoling fashion. She gave him a small, unhappy smile in return.

“It was. My life was a living hell after my mother died,” Kalinna admitted, tears rising in her eyes. Oh, she would not give into the buggers, not now, not ever. She was strong. She didn’t cry.

“Tell me about your mother,” Trenton suddenly stated, sensing how emotional she was becoming.

“She was wonderful,” Kalinna breathed as the tears dried without falling, “I can remember all the times her and I would stay up late at night, reading each other stories from some of the books she had kept from her own childhood. She was always so kind and gentle and understanding. She was never one to scold, but rather used soothing words to make everything better. She never deserved all the unhappiness that came attached to my father.”

“She sounds like she was an amazin’ lady,” Trenton mused, “You must ‘ave gotten yer looks from her.”

“That, and her spirit. There were so many times she stood up to my father. He yelled quite often when he thought I couldn’t hear, and I can remember her yelling right back,” Kalinna mused, a faraway smile on her face, “Now, though it’s me who has to deal with my him, and every time I say something he doesn’t like, he threatens to marry me to the oldest, ugliest man he can find no matter how much money the man has.”

“I can see now why ye ran away,” Trenton agreed, wondering how a father could treat his own flesh and blood so horribly.

“Really? So you won’t take me back to England?” she hopefully questioned. He shook his head in the negative and she quickly hugged him. “Oh thank you Trenton, thank you for being so understanding.”

“My pleasure m’lady,” he responded with a broad grin, “Now what were ye doin’ sneakin’ ‘round in the kitchen at this time ‘o tha night?” Her blush returned with embarrassing force.

“It’s my womanly time,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. Trenton felt his heart go out to the lass before him, who was dealt a nasty hand in life yet still managed to possess an uncommon amount of strength in one of the fairer sex.

“I think I can help wit that,” Trenton said as he stood up and walked over to the cupboard where he kept the clean linens. He quickly pulled out a few small pieces of cloth. “Will this work?”

“That’s perfect, thank you Trenton,” Kalinna said as she took what he offered, “What can I ever do to thank you?”

“Just keep yer wits ‘bout ye,” Trenton replied after giving her a fatherly hug, “Ye don’t need nobody takin’ advantage of ye cause ye be a lady.”

“What about the captain?” she hesitantly questioned.

“It’s up to ye what ye want to tell him an’ when,” Trenton responded, smiling as he let her go, “Yer secret is safe with me m’lady.”

With one last thanks, and after tucking her hair back underneath her cap, Kalinna vacated that galley and headed straight back to her cabin. She was amazed at how kind Trenton had been to her and knew that the jolly cook would keep her secret for as long as she asked him to. She couldn’t ask the kind gentleman for anything more.

Back in the kitchen, Trenton sat back down at the table, amazed by this new bit of information. Kip the lad with the great arm was actually a spitfire of a beautiful woman with more spirit than he had ever seen in one of the opposite sex. And she was the daughter of Richard Davenport.

This would only increase their chances of catching the traitor. Kalinna knew her father and would be of some use to them in the future. For now, though, he was going to keep quiet.

If the men knew there was a woman aboard, an uproar would occur. Many of them had been away from the fairer sex for over a year and with Kalinna’s beauty, she would have no chance for survival. There was also the fact that Justin would be furious.

The captain hated to be lied to, and that’s exactly what the pretty lass had done from the moment she had met the handsome young man. Of course, he’d be lenient because she was a woman, but he’d be angry nonetheless. He had promised Kalinna that he would not reveal her secret until she was ready to do it herself and he intended to keep that promise.

She was obviously running from the demons her father had created in her life so it wasn’t his right to go ratting her out to the captain. She deserved a chance to put everything to rights before she returned to England with the crew.

Besides, they could always use her arm in a tight squeeze. Despite the fact that she was a woman, she wielded the weapon as well as any grown man. There was no doubt in his mind that she would defend any man aboard this ship until her last breath. After all, she had become part of their close-knit family just as they had become the loving, albeit unusual, family that she seemed to have missed in her childhood.

With a sigh, Trenton blew out the lamp and made his way out of the galley. He only hoped that whatever the young lass was searching for, she would find it. And not end up getting hurt in the process.

London, England – Barclay Manor

“There is still no trace of her my lady,” the Bow Street detective said as he sat sipping tea with the Dowager duchess and her son. The serene woman frowned.

Violet Wickham, the widow of the Alexander Wickham, seventh Duke of Barclay and the current Dowager duchess was the type of lady a person did not easily forget. She carried herself with confidence, her green eyes filled with defiant fire, her spirit and sharp tongue not dulled by age in the slightest. The woman was in her seventies yet still insisted on attending balls and taking daily jaunts in the park.

Now, however, Violet was concerned for the granddaughter who had no idea of her heritage. The fault was mainly her’s, and her daughter Elizabeth’s, yet Richard Davenport was not without blame either.

It had happened when Elizabeth, her second daughter and the youngest of her three children was just eighteen years old. She had met Richard Davenport at a ball during her first season as a debutante. According to Elizabeth, Richard had been the most handsome, refined and courteous gentleman at the entire ball. Of course, Violet had disagreed, due mainly to the fact that the man was merely a merchant with less-than-worthy bloodlines who was just looking to make it rich off an unsuspecting young heiress.

But it had been not two months later that Elizabeth had become pregnant with Richard’s child. Violet had, accordingly, been furious with her daughter. Her other two children had married well and she felt that she had failed her youngest, who had the most spirit and determination of the three.

Violet and Elizabeth had argued and argued to no avail. Violet’s husband had washed his hands of the whole situation and chose not to speak to his daughter any longer. Sadly, Violet had rashly done the same thing, not knowing what else to do at the time.

She had heard, through the grapevine, that the couple had married and had a beautiful daughter with brown hair and green eyes named Kalinna Ann. Violet had been happy at the news, but her pride kept her from visiting her youngest at the couple’s small townhouse.

Unfortunately, the years had passed with no contact until Violet had received word of her daughter’s death. That was a blow like none other. She had attended the funeral, kept to the back, but had caught her first glimpse of the granddaughter she had never met.

Fourteen-year old Kalinna was the spitting image of her mother Elizabeth. Violet had felt the tears come to her eyes at the sight of the confused young girl who couldn’t seem to accept the fact that her mother was dead.

Oh, Violet had wanted to run to the child and take her in her arms, tell Kalinna that everything would be okay. But she didn’t know how to approach the broken family, not after years of neglecting them and pretending they did not exist. So she just went back to her house and tried to forget.

Unfortunately, her husband died and Violet finally realized that it was time for her to try to make amends with her estranged family members. The only problem was that Kalinna was gone and Richard was refusing their help. So Colin had insisted on hiring a Bow Street detective, but thus far, it didn’t seem like Detective Beddingfeld was able to find anything.

“I want you to continue your efforts. I will pay you whatever you need to find my granddaughter,” Violet responded as she sighed, “I should have taken her in when that wretched son-in-law of mine first decided he wanted to marry her off.”

“Mother, you had no idea she was going to run away,” Colin Wickham, the Duke of Barclay, consoled his distraught mother, “It is partially our fault as it is for not taking it upon ourselves to see to the raising of Elizabeth’s child.”

“It was because I was too proud to forgive Elizabeth for the mistakes she made when she was younger. And now look what has happened. Elizabeth has been dead eight years and my granddaughter is missing,” the elderly lady moaned, becoming more distraught by the minute.

“My lady, if you please, I will be sure and double the efforts in the search for Miss Davenport. We will find her,” the detective assured the woman.

“I know you will detective, I have all the confidence in you and your men,” she responded as she stood up; the two men stood as well, “Now if you two gentlemen will excuse me, I need to rest for a bit.”

“As you wish my lady,” Detective Beddingfeld said as he took the lady’s hand and kissed it.

“I’ll be sure and show the detective out mother. You just go lay down and I’ll take care of everything,” Colin Wickham told his mother as he gave her a reassuring smile.

“Thank you Colin; good day Detective Beddingfeld,” the Dowager concluded.

“My lady,” the detective replied as he slipped into a courteous bow before the regal lady left the drawing room.

As soon as his mother was gone, Colin turned a questioning gaze to the detective. He knew there was something that the man had not said in front of Violet, and he was afraid the news was not going to be pleasant.

“I take it you have some news that is unfit for my mother’s ears,” Colin said as he motioned for the detective to regain his seat; Beddingfeld did so immediately, a worried look on his face.

“It is the strangest sort of news,” Detective Beddingfeld began as he tried to relax under the Duke’s scrutiny.

“Please proceed,” Colin urged the man.

“Well, as you well know, the government believes that a leak has occurred that could result in an attack from the French,” the detective continued, “And we have men working on it as we speak.”

“Yes, I’m quite aware of that, but what does that have to do with my niece?” Colin questioned, a little puzzled.

“Apparently, your niece seems to have joined the crew of Justin Timberlake,” the man said, wincing when he saw the scowl pass across the duke’s face.

“That’s impossible,” Colin scoffed, “The Duke of Schellden is posing as a pirate to try and discover the traitor amidst our people. He would never accept my niece ab0ard. There has to be some mistake.”

“She was apparently dressed as a boy,” Beddingfeld supplied. The duke cursed.

“Where is the ship now?” Colin demanded, as he rose and paced in front of the fireplace, his agitation evident in the quickness of his stride.

“They are currently out at sea and will be for the next five months,” Beddingfeld supplied, nervously watching the duke.

“Is there any way we can send a ship to overtake the duke’s and bring back my niece? You understand that this kind of news would greatly upset my mother and with her age, it could seriously affect her health,” Colin Wickham explained as he returned to his seat and faced the detective.

“I understand my lord, but to try and go after the Christina would certainly blow the Duke of Schellden’s cover, which we cannot afford to do at this moment,” the detective responded, “I’m sorry sir, but the best that we can do is wait until the duke’s ship returns to London.”

“That is six months away!” Colin cried, running a hand through his hair in frustration, “My mother is becoming sicker as the days pass. She wishes to see her granddaughter and make amends before she passes on.”

“I understand the urgency my lord, but I assure you that we will have your niece here in one piece on time,” Beddingfeld stated. Colin merely grunted at the detective’s overconfident manner.

“Is there any way I can get a letter to the Duke of Schellden?” he suddenly questioned, “I’m sure his ship has to dock at some point. Is it possible that I can send a letter and have it waiting for him when he arrives in port?”

“I will try my best sir. The next spy ship leaves within the hour, and will dock at Port Chamblay in a week’s time. Schellden’s best friend Anthony Maddox is currently stationed undercover at the port. I can have the letter left with him on the chance that the Christina will dock there, but I’m afraid that’s the best I can do short of blowing the duke’s cover completely.”

“I know, we can’t do that,” Colin ground out, starting to get annoyed with the detective’s repetitive sentences, “If you would give me but ten minutes, I’ll have a letter and you can be on your way.”

“Certainly my lord,” the detective agreed. He stayed where he was sitting as the duke hastily made his way to his study where he stored his ink and parchments.

Colin sat at his large desk, lost in thought for a moment. What was he supposed to say to this duke who unknowingly had his estranged niece aboard? He didn’t know the man at all, which only made him more nervous for Kalinna’s safety.

Then again, she was Elizabeth’s daughter. Elizabeth had been the most daring, the most resourceful, and the most courageous of the three of them, so there was no doubt that Kalinna’s was taking care of herself. At least, that’s what Colin hoped.

Sighing, he penned a few formal sentences to the young Duke of Schellden before signing the letter and closing it with his seal. It would have to do for now. Besides, it was doubtful whether the letter would get to it’s intended recipient anyway.

Colin walked back to the parlor where the detective sat waiting. After handing over the letter and biding farewell, Colin sent the detective on his way, praying that something came of this. He had no idea how much longer his mother would last. Her chest cough seemed to be worsening every day, and though she still insisted that she was fine, Colin and his wife Emily knew better.

Violet Wickham was slowly dying; she just was too stubborn to admit that to herself. She was clinging to the small shred of hope that she would get to meet her granddaughter before death took it’s toll on her. Colin just prayed that hope last her for another five months if the need arose.

The Duke of Barclay sat there for a few minutes, lost in his thoughts. He was startled to attention, however, when the butler announced the arrival of Richard Davenport. Not exactly the man Colin wanted to see at the moment, but he couldn’t very well turn him away.

Colin forced himself to his feet just as his brother in-law walked through the door. The man seemed to be in good form considering the fact that his daughter had been missing for the better part of two weeks. Richard Davenport quickly sat down across from the duke without being asked to.

“What’s this I hear about you hiring a Bow Street detective to search for my daughter?” Richard barked without preamble, “I thought I told you that I didn’t want any help from your family; I can take care of my own daughter and have been doing so for the past eight years.”

Colin stiffened at the man’s demanding tone. He didn’t like being talked to like that by the man who had ruined his little sister’s life. But Richard did have a point. He and the rest of the Wickham family had done nothing for Kalinna over the years, so it would seem rather strange that they would want to help now of all times.

“It is better that we have more than one resource searching for Kalinna,” Colin coldly replied, portraying an aloof countenance towards Richard, “My mother wishes to see her granddaughter before she dies.”

“Who the hell cares?” Richard cried, an angry expression darkening his brow, “She never wanted anything to do with her before now.”

“I suggest you hold your tongue, sir, or else I bid you good day,” Colin practically spat, growing impatient with the merchant’s lack of good manners, “My mother made mistakes, she would tell you that plainly herself, and now she only wishes to make amends.”

“I do not care for my daughter to be introduced to your family,” Richard announced. Colin seriously considered punching the man, but thanked the heavens for his restraint.

“Still shouting your demands, I see,” a sharp feminine voice suddenly announced from the doorway. Richard’s mouth dropped open as he beheld the Dowager standing in the doorway, a cold stare on her face.

“Mother, I thought you had gone to lie down,” Colin said as he hurried forward to escort the elder into the room.

“I’m am not incapable of walking Colin,” Violet retorted as she brushed her son’s arm away and marched into the room to settle onto a chair, “Now Mr. Davenport, why do you wish to keep your daughter from meeting her relatives?” For a moment, Richard didn’t know what to say.

“You didn’t care about her when she was born, nor when her mother passed away eight years ago. What gives you the right to demand an audience with her now?” Richard finally stated as he crossed his arms over his chest, “I see no reason for introducing her to your circles when she will be an outcast anyway.”

“That she will not be,” Violet countered, emerald eyes flashing, “Kalinna would be a lady, introduced only to the finest ladies and gentlemen of the ton. Despite the fact that you and my daughter led a simple life does not cast your daughter into the shadows of scorn.”

“What makes you think that she will even be accepted by society?” Richard demanded, “There was quite a scandal when Elizabeth and I got married, so who’s to say that Kalinna wouldn’t be cast aside because of that simple fact?”

“I cannot say for sure. But I will forever be on her side as will Colin and his family. Nobody will dare question her heritage or her good name,” Violet concluded, “Now, do you really want to deny her what is her right?”

“I am her father, I will decide what’s right,” Richard practically yelled. The Dowager pretended not to notice his tone of voice. “I already have made arrangements for her hand in marriage to a viscount.”

“A horrible, disgusting creature of a man if I understand correctly,” Violet countered. If looks could kill, she would have been dead a hundred times over. “Now, I have set aside money for her as her marriage dowry. Would you deny her the greater match that that would bring?”

Colin almost snorted in disgust. He could practically see the dollar signs lighting up in Richard Davenport’s eyes. It’s no wonder his sister had been miserable in her marriage to this scoundrel.

“I guess I could bring her around to meet you,” Richard hesitantly stated, trying not to look too eager at the prospect of lining his pockets all the more, “I’m just not sure how well the lass will take it when she learns of her true heritage.”

“If she is anything like my Elizabeth was, she’ll adjust just fine,” Violet confidently replied, “Now, if there is nothing left to discuss, this time I do intend on taking a nap. Excuse me gentlemen.”

Richard and Colin immediately hopped to their feet until Violet was out of site and the door was firmly shut. Once Colin was sure his mother was gone, he turned to glare at the merchant, who still stood, a smug smile on his face. Colin itched to wipe it off, but he knew that violence would not solve anything. Especially when his niece was concerned.

“Don’t think for one minute that you are getting one coin from Kalinna’s dowry,” the duke threatened, “My mother has worked it out so that the contract is ironclad. Nobody but your daughter and her future husband may lay hands on that money.”

“Oh, I’m not worried,” Richard nonchalantly replied.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Colin demanded, not trusting how Richard seemed to be unaffected by this announcement.

“Nothing,” the man responded as he donned his hat, “Well, good day to you my lord.”

Without another word, Richard quickly made his way out of the large manor and entered his carriage, a lightness in his step that left the duke quite confused. If only Colin, Violet and the rest of that loathsome family really knew what he was planning. The old bat would be sure to croak if she ever found out.

Richard smiled evilly to himself as he instructed his driver to take him home. With that new dowry that Violet had conveniently arranged for Kalinna, he was bound to attract a higher French lord than he had originally intended. And by aiding the French government, he was sure to get a title himself.

Soon, he would be living in France, a wealthy man who would no longer have to worry about whether his ships made it to port on time and with the right goods. No, all his worries would be gone once this plan was executed.

He knew the British government suspected something, but they had no idea what he was actually planning. And he had covered his tracks well enough that even if they suspected him, they could never prove that he was actually involved. Of course, once everything was over, they’d know he was the mastermind behind the entire plan.

He would go down in history as the man who single-handedly undermined the British government. Finally, he would be known as somebody other than that merchant who didn’t always deliver the right goods. No, life would be smooth sailing in a few months.

The only hitch in his plan was that Kalinna had disappeared. She was the key part in getting his title and power in France, but as of now, he wasn’t quite all that worried. He had a reliable source that confirmed that she had left by port.

Well, whatever ship the chit had left on was bound to return sooner or later. He would have a man waiting so she couldn’t escape again. No, he would teach his daughter never to disobey him again. After all, he was her father and was in charge of her life.

After the craziness that was Port Chamblay, two uneventful weeks passed for the crew aboard the Christina. The captain was still trying to determine why the Wickham jewels had been stolen, but to no avail. Kalinna, meanwhile, retreated back into herself.

It wasn’t like she was angry with the captain, or any other crew members for that matter, it’s just that she was afraid of somebody discovering her secret. If Trenton was easily able to figure out that she was hiding something, then it would only take one small mishap for the whole crew to discover her lies.

“Kip, what do you make of this chest?” Justin suddenly questioned, startling her out of her daze.

She had been working with the captain all morning translating letter after letter. Her hand was beginning to cramp up, but she was enjoying the busy work. It kept her mind from straying too far.

“It looks like a regular old jewelry box to me,” Kalinna commented as she fleetingly glanced at the small chest Justin had set on the table in front of her.

“I know, but look closely at the lid,” Justin instructed, “Does it not look like there is another compartment?”

Kalinna examined the chest further and knew that he was right. There seemed to be a shallow compartment on the top that was shut tightly with a lock, as attained by the small keyhole located near the back of the case. She ran her hands over the hole, a memory suddenly stirring in the back of her mind; something her mother had said long ago…

Unfortunately, Kalinna had never figured out what her mother had meant late that night. With the death of Elizabeth, she had forgotten all about the mysterious conversation and the locket her mother had placed around her neck. Now, for some reason, it all came flooding back.

Without thinking, and not knowing quite what possessed her, she pulled the locket out from beneath her tunic. After turning the chest around, she fitted it to the keyhole and was shocked when the lid popped open. Lying in the shallow compartment was a few pieces of folded parchment and a small leather-bound book.

She heard Justin make a low noise in his throat and turned confused eyes to him. What was this supposed to mean? She had no recollection of this chest, had no idea where it came from or who it belonged to, so how was it that she came to hold its key?

“Kip, where did you…” Justin began, prepared to interrogate his cabin boy until he finally got some straight answers. They were interrupted, however, by a crew member named Robert, who burst into the room at precisely that moment and cut off the rest of the captain’s sentence.

“Captain, we’re under attack!” the man breathlessly stated, his eyes filled with a worry that Kalinna had never seen before.

“What? By whom?” Justin demanded, his interest no longer on Kalinna and the jewelry chest.

“French ship by tha name ‘o the Manicle,” Robert stated, “She gots her guns drawn and is headed straight our way.”

“Prepare for battle,” the young captain snapped as he began to buckle his sword to his waist, “Tell Jackson to steer us back towards Port Chamblay as fast as he can.”

“Aye captain,” Robert said before disappearing from the room to carry out his orders.

“Captain…” Kalinna began.

“Are you prepared to fight?” Justin demanded as he returned from his desk, a loaded pistol in hand, “I’m going to need that swift arm of your’s if we’re to escape. The Manicle is supposedly the fastest French schooner the country has.”

“I’m at your service, Justin, as always,” Kalinna stated as she stood up and shuffled the papers together.

“Good,” the captain said as he snapped the compartment of the jewelry case shut and grabbed it and the letters Kalinna had been working on and locked them in his desk, “Don’t be afraid, I need you to fight with all you’ve got, you hear me?”

“I hear you captain,” Kalinna responded as she held her head high, green eyes sparkling with fire, “I’m not afraid.”

“Let’s go then,” Justin commanded as he walked quickly out of the cabin, Kalinna close on his heels.

The two of them were topside in no time at all, and Kalinna stared in horror at the huge French ship that was fast approaching from the east. Its cannons outnumbered their own, as did the number of crew members. Kalinna wondered if they would be able to make it back to the port alive.

Of course, the crew aboard the Christina was battle-worn pirates who had probably faced worse odds than this. No, she was just letting her mind run away with her because of the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Everything would turn out okay, it just had to.

“Bonjour garcon,” a rather burly-looking man with jet black hair and a trimmed moustache yelled above the crash of the waves. He could only be the captain of the Manicle.

Justin practically glowed with anger, resenting that the man had called him a boy. It was an insult, plain as day and the captain clenched his hands to his sides. He willed himself to stay calm; it would be rash for him to charge right at the man and endanger himself and the rest of the crew aboard the Christina. No, he would bide his time.

“Good day sir, what is it that you seek?” Justin called in a loud, clear voice, “We are pirates, so be warned that we do not take kindly to being pursued.”

“Pirate or not, you stole something that belongs to the French,” the French captain replied, his eyes as cold as steel on a winter day.

If Justin was surprised at the man’s mastery of the English language, he did not let it show on his face. The man was after something important, which could only mean that he had somehow stumbled upon something pertaining to the plot against England. If only he knew what precisely that was.

“I have not seen hide nor hair of a French ship for the last year,” Justin replied, “So I do not know how I would possess something that would rightly belong to you. Besides, kind sir, a pirate would never give up what he has plundered, no matter who it was stolen from.”

“You will hand over the chest I seek, or I will take it from you. It is your decision,” the Frenchman concluded as his men pulled out their weapons and prepared to do battle.

“I should like to see you try,” Justin challenged in return as he crossed his arms over his chest, a look of cool disdain adorning his features.

Kalinna watched in dismay as the large Frenchman drew a wicked looking sword and moved like lightening to lash out towards her captain. Without thinking, she spun forward, drew her sword, and deflected the blow. The Frenchman cursed as he was denied his target.

“You think yourself tough, eh boy?” the foreign captain taunted, “You are too weak to defeat the likes ‘o Captain Tobias Bontecou.”

Kalinna felt the blood in her veins boil with anger at the insult. But she immediately moved back when Justin pulled her away. The cocky Frenchman was right that he was no match for her, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t help defeat the Manicle’s crew.

“Men, attack!” Bontecou cried as he jumped aboard the Christina.

Justin’s men drew their weapons and prepared for the oncoming assault without being told to do so. This was going to be their fiercest battle yet, a far cry from the English merchant vessels that they normally attacked, but they were up for the challenge. After weeks of turning up nothing, they were ready to take their frustrations out on this cocky French captain and his mangy crew.

The attack was swift, the Frenchmen quite talented with their swords. But Justin’s crew fought back, refusing to be beaten on their own ship.

The clash of swords and many a swear words filled the open sea air. The Christina’s men pivoted and spun, blocking swing after swing the Frenchmen delivered. They were sure-footed and confident on the deck of their lady ship who had never let them down before.

One by one, the crew of the Christina won their personal battles with their opponents. Frenchmen flew over the side of the Christina to land back aboard their own ship, or to splash into the cold spray of the unforgiving sea. They were no match for the determined pirates and they immediately realized their mistake and cowered on the deck of the Manicle.

Meanwhile, Justin kept himself busy battling with Captain Bontecou, unaware that the tide of battle had turned in their favor. The men of the Christina were slowly disposing of the last of Bontecou’s men and turned to watch the battle of their captain and his enemy. Bontecou may not have had the greatest skill with a sword, but he overpowered the pirate captain in the strength department, which had Kalinna fearing for his safety.

She stood on the ledge of the Christina, holding tightly to a rope that secured one of the sails. Her attention was solely focused on Justin so that she didn’t hear the Frenchman sneak up on her until it was almost too late.

“Eh laddy, me thinks you’ll be coming with us since you tried to kill me captain,” the Frenchman declared as he tried to grab for her.

Kalinna quickly stepped out of the way and looked at the man in disgust, his scarred face and fetid breath making her want to gag. She quickly pulled her sword back out of its sheath and prepared to fight.

Unfortunately, she underestimated the man’s skill with his weapon as well as his agility, and charged stupidly in his direction. He twirled out of her reach, balancing on the ledge of the railing. Kalinna took a deep breath as she steadied herself, not wanting to fall.

Their swords clashed, creating a blinding light from the overhead sun, meeting again and again in a scoreless battle. Kalinna’s breathing became ragged as she struggled to keep up with this man, who had more talent with fighting than she had originally thought. She had to take every precaution or else she’d be on a ship heading to France.

The man struck out again, and Kalinna twirled out of the way. But she was not fast enough. The wicked blade cute through the front of her shirt and left a jagged cut in her stomach. Kalinna felt the pain course through her body, but before she could react, she felt herself falling. Falling. Falling.

She splashed into the freezing water of the sea and flailed about. God help her, she did not know how to swim. And even if she did, the wound in her side would have kept her from making much leeway anyway.

She used all her strength to try and keep her head above the water, but slowly and surely, the dark blue murkiness surrounded her and blocked out the sunlight. Her lungs gasped for air and her head pounded with the loss of oxygen. She flailed around, but it was no use.

A blinding white began to surround her and she was terrified. This was not how she wanted to die. She had so much left to live for, so many more things to see and do.

With that last thought, she slipped out of consciousness and gave up the struggle.

Out of the corner of his eye, Justin saw Kip teeter dangerously on the ledge of the railing before finally falling overboard. With a cry, the pirate captain quickly finished off Bontecou before running to the railing. He stripped out of his coat and hat and set his sword on the deck before climbing up onto the ship’s railing.

Justin dove off the ship and into the murky water. He quickly made his way to the surface, his long, muscled arms cutting through the cold sea. After taking a fresh breath of air, he dove down to search for his fallen cabin boy.

He swam around until his lungs finally gave out on him. After grabbing another lungful of air, he dove beneath the surface once again, his search becoming frantic at this point. Kip had been underneath the water for altogether too much time.

Finally, just when he thought the search was hopeless, his hand brushed a body. It was Kip and without thinking, he grabbed a hold of the limp body and made for the surface. He broke into the air, the small body of his unconscious cabin boy clutched to his chest.

He looked down to see if the lad was breathing and was surprised to discover a wet mass of brown curls framing the still face. The face that looked more feminine now that it was rid of the dirt and grime. Lord in heaven, Kip Davenport was a girl!

He wanted to be angry. He wanted to cry and yell at the deception she had pulled. But his first concern was getting back aboard the ship and making sure she lived to tell her tale.

Justin quickly swam to the side of the ship where a rope had been thrown over the side and grabbed a hold. His crew hoisted him and Kip up and he collapsed onto the safe haven of the Christina’s deck.

Without thinking, and ignoring the curious and surprised stares of his crew members, he turned the lass onto her back and listened closely to her chest. There was a faint heartbeat, but she was still not breathing. Frustrated, he began to breathe for her, hoping she was not beyond saving.

He was rewarded for his effort a few moments later when she started to cough up sea water. Justin quickly turned her on her side so she did not choke and breathed a silent prayer to the heavens.

After a few more moments of relieving her body of the foreign water, Kalinna rolled onto her back once again. She lay there taking deep breaths, her body exhausted and a sharp pain radiating from somewhere near her middle. She opened her eyes as she felt the sturdiness of the deck beneath her body and discovered blue orbs staring back at her.

It was Justin. He was saying something to her, but everything was a little bit fuzzy and out of focus. She felt like she was adrift on a soft cloud and a small smile played on her full lips before she drifted back into blackness.

Justin tried to shake her awake again. He had seen her eyes open for the briefest of seconds; his eyes had not played tricks on him. But she was as unresponsive as when he had first pulled her from the water, the only difference being her quiet, even breathing.

He was just about to turn away in frustration when a dark red stain near her abdomen caught his attention. No wonder she had fainted. That French scoundrel had given her a good-sized slash in the stomach.

“Justin?” Jackson suddenly questioned, interrupting the silence on the deck, “What’s going on?”

“Our Kip is actually a girl,” Justin said as he stood up and pulled her small body into his arms, “She’s injured, tell Trenton to prepare some hot water and clean rags. I’m going to put her in my cabin and I don’t want anybody going near her, is that clear?”

A rumbling of agreement met Justin’s requests. If they found it odd that their captain’s cabin boy turned out to be a girl, they didn’t voice their opinions. After all, Justin was their leader and knew precisely what he was doing.

“Once she wakes up, I’m going to find out exactly who she is and what she was doing posing as a boy,” Justin concluded as he walked off, not bothering to wait for comments from his crew.

The young captain quickly walked down the stairs and with his long strides, was at the door to his cabin in no time. He immediately opened it and crossed the spacious study to the bedroom which he occupied. He didn’t care if he had to sleep in his chair later that night, he was not going to take any chances where this lass was concerned.

He didn’t know her name or her motives for pretending to be a boy. With the danger and secrecy of his mission, he wanted to be sure that she was not a spy. There was no way he was going to mess this up because of one willful and spirited lass with a good sword arm.

His stomach suddenly dropped as he realized how much danger he had put her in. Spy or not, she was still a woman and the protective side of him screamed in protest at the travesty. In his opinion, a woman should not be exposed to such kinds of dangers that he faced and his unconscious cabin girl was no exception, no matter her explanation.

Sighing, Justin set his burden gently on the bed, careful not to jar her wound. She didn’t move except to curl deeper into his comfortable mattress. Looking at her, unconscious to the world, he felt his heartstrings playing a ghostly, unknown melody.

“I brought ye some hot water and clean rags,” Trenton suddenly said as he bustled in and interrupted the silence and Justin’s thoughts, “How is she doin’?”

“Wait, you knew she was a lass?” Justin questioned, shocked. The portly cook blushed at the inquiry.

“It was two weeks ago when she ‘ad her monthly times. I told ‘er I’d keep ‘er secret for as long as she wanted me to,” Trenton explained with a shrug of his shoulders, “Poor lass is runnin’ from somethin’ tha she is.”

“What’s her name?” Justin demanded.

“Kalinna Davenport,” Trenton replied, staring the pirate down when he glared, “I already asked ‘er why she be runnin’ and she told me it was ‘cause ‘er father was makin’ her marry some chap she didn’t take no fancy to marryin’.”

“Are you certain?” Justin responded as he took a fleeting glance at his unconscious patient who was oblivious to their conversation.

“Absolutely cap’ain,” Trenton assured his superior, “I jus’ think she was dealt some nasty cards in life an’ didn’t know no other way to escape.”

Justin just grunted in reply as the man set down the pot of hot water and rags and left the young man alone with the injured woman. He didn’t quite know what to make of the cook’s words, but he knew he was going to find out exactly what Kalinna Davenport was hiding. And it would come from her own lips.

With a start, he pulled a chair next to the bed and began to dress her wound. He was glad she was unconscious because otherwise she would have been fighting him the entire way. That would have only added to the pain she already was in.

He had to remove her shirt to properly clean and bandage the cut. He grimaced to himself as he noticed the tight bindings that bound her breasts down; she had definitely gone all out in playing the part of a boy. He itched to undo the bindings, but he quickly turned his attention back to his task. No sense in getting drawn in by her luscious body when he had no idea where her loyalties lay.

Finally, after gently cleaning her wound and bandaging it up, Justin carefully pulled one of his clean tunics over her head before tucking her securely beneath the sheets of his big bed. With that task done, he sat back down in his chair and sat watching her. With each rise and fall of her chest, more and more questions flooded his brain.

“What secrets do you hold Kalinna Davenport?” Justin quietly whispered as he brushed a stray piece of hair from her face.

The only answer was her even breathing and slight stirrings as she drifted on in uninterrupted sleep. He sighed. Maybe, just maybe, the beautiful lass would be the key he needed to unravel this traitorous plot that loomed ever closer on the horizon.

Her body ached. No, her body throbbed. It took all her strength to open her eyes and vaguely take in the unfamiliar surroundings of a room that did not belong to her. Everything suddenly became fuzzy and she blinked, trying to clear her head of the slight buzzing sound.

She tried to move, but groaned as a stab of pain shot down to rest around her stomach. Her hands traveled down and she drew in a deep breath when they came in contact with a bandage that covered most of her abdomen. Where had this come from? And what was she doing in this bed? More importantly, precisely whose bed was this?

She turned her head slightly to the right and finally took in the sight of the man asleep in the chair a few feet away. His breathing was even, his chest steadily rising and falling. His curly hair was mussed from sleep and the bandana that had fallen to the floor; his soft lips were curled up in the slightest smile. Suddenly, it all came rushing back.

She sat up with a start, a hand automatically traveling to her head where her hat should have been. When she was met with a handful of her wavy tresses, she almost broke down and cried. She was a boy no longer and her secret had been revealed in the most awkward fashion.

Oh, she wanted jump off the ship and swim away. No, she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. But neither option was available, so the only thing she could think to do was get out of there and back to the safety of her own cabin as fast as possible without waking the sleeping captain.

Moving quickly, she pushed the covers off and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She crawled out of the warm cocoon and took a few steps towards the door. But she underestimated the extent of her injury and cried out as the pain coursed red hot through her body.

She quickly collapsed to the floor, grabbing her stomach as she fell. The cool wood was unforgiving, and she cowered into a fetal position, willing the pain to just disappear. Tears filled her eyes, threatening to fall, but she just clenched her jaw, not allowing the hot liquid to roll down her cheeks.

In his chair, Justin jerked awake. He hadn’t realized he’d dozed off until he’d heard a noise and opened his eyes to find his patient on the floor, crouched into a protective position. With an aggravated sigh, he quickly got up and pulled her into his arms.

“Put me down!” Kalinna cried the moment his body came into contact with her’s. She squirmed against the hot steel of his muscled arms, suddenly oblivious to the pain of her wound.

Without a word or care, Justin dropped his bundle unceremoniously onto the bed. She shot straight up, intending to get complete her mission of making it to the door. But the pirate captain would have none of it. With an annoyed grunt, he pulled her onto his lap and held her tight.

“You’re not going anywhere until you answer my questions,” he ground out as he tried to contain her squirming figure.

“Like hell I am!” she cried, wiggling her butt in an effort to slide beneath the cage of his arms.

Much to his utter horror, Justin felt himself starting to get aroused. The thin material of her boys’ breeches betrayed the soft roundness of her butt and left little to the imagination. With a growl, he set her away from him and went to lean against the door to prevent her escape.

Of course, that wasn’t the greatest idea either. He got a full glimpse of her standing there, her breasts heaving from her exertion, her hair a tangled mess, her eyes emitting emerald fire. Lord, she was magnificent.

His heart beat just a touch faster as she gave him a haughty glare, unaware of how beautiful she looked. But this was Kip. Kip was anything but a lady, he kept telling himself.

“Sit down,” he suddenly said in a coldly quiet voice as he got a grip on his emotions, “You have already tested my patience far beyond its limit so I suggest you desist.”

Kalinna opened her mouth to give him a sarcastic retort, but thought better of it when she noticed the dangerous glint in his eyes. Her butt made a beeline for the bed, where she sat not saying a word, and waited for the captain to take the floor. He kept his guarded position near the only door, distrust screaming from the lines of his taut body.

“Okay Miss Davenport, the truth if you please,” Justin practically barked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I, well, that is…” Kalinna trailed off, her thoughts scattered like leaves on a fall wind. She shifted nervously under his piercing gaze, wishing she had not been so headstrong and had stayed home rather than follow her heart in its search for freedom.

“Now is not the time to be shy,” Justin growled, becoming more agitated as the minutes passed and he still had not received a single word of explanation.

Lord was he infuriating. He was arrogant, demanding and altogether too sure of himself for any one man. It amazed her that his head didn’t explode from the size of his ego.

Well, she would not be talked to like she was some common whore who’d gone to the bad. No, she was a lady and she would present herself as such despite the fact that she was still wearing lad’s clothing. She was done with men who thought of nothing besides satiating their own needs and wants.

“Do not take that tone of voice with me, sir,” Kalinna haughtily stated as she stood from the bed and drew herself up regally, retaining the ladylike skills she had learned years ago.

“I shall talk to you however I see fit. You have lied to me, and I do not take kindly to that,” Justin ground out as he took a step in her direction, “Now, I deserve an explanation, and I would prefer it now. Do not make me any angrier than you already have for the outcome will not bode well for you.”

“Do you threaten a lady?” she coldly stated, her hand itching to slap him and put him in his place. Good sense, however, kept her from doing so.

“You do not seem much of a lady to me,” Justin retorted, regretting the words the second they left his lips.

Kalinna’s eyes widened at the statement. How dare he insinuate such foul ideas. Despite the fact that she was dressed in a lad’s clothing and had pretended to be of the rougher sex did not mean that she deserved such treatment, even from the likes of a pirate captain.

She quickly picked up the closest weapon she could find, which happened to be Justin’s loaded pistol. She aimed it at his chest and he stared at her, his eyes wide with shock as he froze in place. Good thing he didn’t know that she hadn’t a clue how to use the blasted thing.

“Kindly move out of the way or I shall send you to kingdom come,” she whispered, her voice laced with ice.

“I want some answers, damnit,” he stubbornly cried as he stayed glued to his spot at the door, fearful of her finger that dallied near the trigger. At such a close range, he was sure to be a dead man.

“Don’t you understand? This is precisely what I was running from!” she suddenly cried, her hand that held the gun beginning to tremble, “You men are all alike. You take and take and never give anything in return. Well sir, I have been a pawn in my greedy father’s games since I was fourteen; I will not be bossed around by the likes of you, pirate or not.”

“Kip…” Justin began, as he slowly began to inch his way towards her.

“Stay there, or I promise, I will shoot you,” she threatened, her voice barely a whisper, “I…I mean it. Don’t make me hurt you.”

The arm that held the pistol slowly began to lower, her courage wavering under the pirate’s tense, unblinking stare. Unwanted tears, yet again, began to well up in her eyes and the world around her began to blur. Moments later, she was being crushed against the sculpted chest of the pirate captain as she finally gave into the emotions she had kept pent up for the past eight years.

“I couldn’t s…stay. Not any l…longer. I was supposed to m…marry this man so my f…father could get rich, but I couldn’t go through with it,” she prattled on through her sobs, “Ever since my mother d…died I’ve been pushed at men like there was n…no tomorrow. My father never c…cared that I was his daughter, his only child, just how m…much money lined his pockets.”

“Shh, everything is going to be alright,” Justin soothed as he held her and awkwardly ran a hand gently up and down her back.

“N…no, it’s not,” she protested, clinging to him for support, “You don’t k…know my father. Whatever he wants, he gets, no matter the obstacle in t…the way. I could run to Timbuktu and he’d s…still find me.”

Justin didn’t quite know what to say to ease her pain. He had never been a smooth talker, Casanova, whatever some men were called, so an emotional woman was completely new territory to the 28-year old man. And it definitely didn’t help that he was watching and searching for signs that her father was possibly entangled with the French in some traitorous plot against the English government.

So he just stood there, holding onto the young woman. Her arms were wrapped securely about his waist as if he was her life support. He had to give her a lot of credit though; she sure was made of some strong stuff if she had been able to survive in a man’s world for the past month. And on a ship to boot.

A few more minutes passed before Kalinna was finally able to get a hold of herself. She pulled away from the pirate captain, embarrassed at how easily she had lost control over her emotions. She stared at the floor as she felt the intensity of his gaze on her lowered head.

“I’m ready to answer your questions now,” she softly stated as she continued to find the wooden planks of the floor rather interesting.

“You need rest now,” Justin surprised her by saying; she quickly looked up at him, “I’ll save the questions for later.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, amazed that he was letting everything slide for the moment.

“Positive,” he assured her as he shuffled her back to her bed.

“But this is your bed,” she protested.

“And I’m not using it right now,” he responded while helping climb back beneath the sheets, “Besides, you need the rest more than I do and this is the most comfortable bed on this floating tub.” Kalinna managed a small smile at his attempt to lighten the situation.

Twenty minutes later, however, found the lass fast asleep, her worries and frustrations wiped from her face. Justin sat there staring at her for a few moments, trying to comprehend the puzzle that was Kalinna Davenport. But he got nowhere and quickly exited the room in search of Jackson.

“What did you do with Tobias Bontecue?” Justin asked his first mate as he approached the man at the ship’s wheel.

“He’s locked in the prison cell below the living quarters,” Jackson explained as he turned the wheel slightly towards the right.

“What do you reckon we should do with him?” the pirate captain asked as he lounged against the railing of the deck, “It’s obvious that he knows more than he’s letting onto.”

“I agree. I’m thinkin’ we should see if we can get anythin’ outta him,” Jackson began, “Then send ‘im back to London with the next spy ship that’s goin’ there.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Justin agreed as he got to his feet and stared off into the horizon, “Are we long from docking?”

“Little more’n an hour,” Jackson replied, “Course, that’s as long as this storm holds off.”

Justin stared broodingly at the approaching clouds, dark and threatening on the horizon. At the pace they were going, it was likely they would beat the storm. God knows the last thing he wanted was to be cooped up on this ship with Kalinna Davenport for longer than he had to.

He wasn’t quite sure what to make of her. She was the most stubborn, determined and headstrong lass that he had ever come across. And to top things off, she was beyond beautiful, a fact that she seemed utterly unaware of.

“She doin’ okay?” Jackson asked as if reading the younger man’s thoughts. Justin barely repressed a groan.

“She’ll be fine,” Justin assured his friend as he sighed and gazed into the horizon again, “I didn’t get around to questioning her…”

“Did she pull a sword on you?” the first mate interrupted, a twinkle in his eyes. Justin gave the man a light punch on the arm.

“Nope, just aimed my own loaded pistol at me,” the pirate retorted with a roll of his eyes, Jackson grinned, “I swear, she’s got more courage than ten men put together.”

“Yeah, what a hellcat,” Jackson commented. Justin laughed.

“Hellcat? What kind of name is that?” the young man demanded as he lounged, once again, against the railing of his ship.

“Fits, don’t it?” Jackson returned. Justin had to shake his head in agreement. “Ah, well what’s the lass’ name anyway?”

“Would you believe it’s Kalinna Davenport, Richard Davenport’s one and only daughter?” Justin revealed; Jackson didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the information, “Just think of what we could learn from her. She’s known the man her whole life and has to have some idea of his habits and addictions.”

“Or she might be in on the plot an’ will tell us a bunch ‘o lies just outta spite,” Jackson commented, “You gotta figure that as well.”

“No, I don’t think she has any idea what her sire is up to in respect to the English government,” Justin said, his gaze faraway as he recalled the incident that had happened in his cabin just a short while ago.

“What exactly happened that would make ye say something like that? You’re one ‘o the most cautious spies I ever seen and don’t ever take no chances on being wrong,” Jackson commented as he glanced in Justin’s direction.

“Nothing,” the pirate was quick to respond with.

“It ain’t nothin’ when you keep shufflin’ around like that,” Jackson retorted as he watched the younger man begin to pace the deck.

With a sigh, Justin quickly muttered what had occurred in his cabin as he rocked back and forth on his heels the entire time. Once he had concluded, Jackson threw back his head and gave a great roar of laughter. Justin glared at the man, not seeing exactly what was funny about the whole situation.

“Care to let me in on the joke?” the pirate captain questioned as he raised his eyebrows in Jackson’s direction.

“You’re turning into a softy Timberlake,” the burly man commented, a grin lighting his lips, “Like it or no, that lass has gotten under yer skin without ye even realizin’ it.”

“That isn’t so,” Justin scoffed, “Hell, I’ve known the chit as a boy for the past four weeks, not as a beautiful lass.”

“Beautiful? Lord ‘o mighty, ye are gettin’ soft on me,” Jackson stated as he continued to laugh, “Yer mother will be thrilled to know yer finally turnin’ an interested eye at the likes ‘o the softer sex.”

“I’ve always been interested in women,” Justin protested, crossing his arms over his chest in agitation, “It’s not like I’m some untried lad just barely out of his youth.”

“Bah, jus’ dancin’ girls and whores,” Jackson retorted with a wave of his hand, “Ye never been with a real lady ‘fore.”

“Kalinna Davenport is not a lady,” Justin stonily said, not enjoying where the conversation was headed, “My mother would have a fainting spell if she ever heard that I was taking up with a merchant’s daughter.”

“Yer mother just wants ye to marry one ‘o those silly heiresses that got lots ‘o money and a title to spare,” Jackson commented, rolling her eyes, “Crazy idea if ye ask me, but what do I know?”

Justin didn’t let on that he agreed with his first mate. There was no doubt about the fact that he thought the idea of marry a young woman with oodles of money quite ludicrous, but his mother wouldn’t have it any other way. So he just avoided the subject of marriage altogether whenever he was around the Dowager.

But he couldn’t deny the fact that all the conversations he’d had with Kalinna had been stimulating, a new challenge for him that he never tired of. If she wasn’t a merchant’s daughter, she sure would make him the perfect wife. Of course, a horror to his ever-proper and reserved mother, but when did he ever care what she thought?

Lord, he was getting himself into hot water now. He was already imagining marrying the chit when he didn’t even know a single thing about her besides her name and the fact that she could handle a sword about as good as any man. He needed to get her off the ship and fast before he did something rash.

Once they got back to Port Chamblay, he’d get her some proper clothes and send her back to England with the next spy ship on its way to dock there. He didn’t want to send her right back to her father, but what choice did he have? He had a duty to his government and no young woman, beautiful or not, was going to get in the way of his goal.

Satisfied with that decision, he turned back to Jackson, only to find the man grinning slyly at him. He gave him a questioning stare, yet the first mate did not back down. Justin sighed.

“What are you grinning at?” the pirate captain finally questioned.

“Softy,” was all Jackson said.

“Suddenly I feel the need to find some other company,” Justin said as he began to walk away, annoyance bogging down his normally springy steps.

“Ye ain’t gonna get no solitude below decks. The whole ship is buzzin’ ‘bout the lass. Old Trenton is livin’ in the spotlight cause he knew about her ‘fore everybody else,” Jackson revealed, much to Justin’s chagrin.

“Am I supposed to jump off this ship to get some peace and quiet?” the captain demanded as he stopped in his tracks.

“You’d be doin’ me a favor,” Jackson joked, “Always was mighty keen on havin’ a ship like the Christina.” Justin glared, not finding the statement in the least bit funny.

“I’m going to go lock myself in the cabin and pray that we get to Port Chamblay before the sun sets,” the young man ground out as he continued on his way to the stairs leading below decks.

“Don’t ye be thinkin’ of pullin’ something on the lass while she’s asleep in yer bed,” Jackson called, enjoying getting a rise out of the younger captain.

The only reply was Justin’s annoyed footfalls as he quickly made his way back to his cabin. Some of Jackson’s words had hit too close to home, but there was no way in hell that he was going to let some lass take over his mind. No, his plans had been laid years ago and there was no way he was changing now just because of one willful lass with big green eyes.

It was roughly an hour later, and moments before the storm broke, that the Christina pulled into port. With the only idea of meeting up with Anthony on his mind, Justin quickly disembarked from the ship. Not able to fully trust Kalinna, he left Jackson to watch over the sleeping girl.

“Justin! What brings you back to port so soon?” Anthony said as he opened the door of his small home and found his friend standing there, “I had thought you were going to be back out to sea for the next few weeks.”

“My plans were abruptly changed,” Justin said as he walked inside just as the first raindrops began to fall from the dark clouds.

Anthony shut the door and Justin quickly followed the blonde man through the small sitting room, which held two chairs, a couch, a table and a few other bric-a-bracs. They then passed through a short hallway, a door that led to a bedroom on either side, before entering into the kitchen located at the very back of the home. It was furbished with a wood-burning stove, a washbasin, many cabinets, and a large table in the center of the room that could easily fit six. The two men quickly sat there, intent on getting straight to business.

“What precisely has happened that made you turn back for port?” Anthony said a moment later.

“The ship was attacked,” Justin said, resting his arms on the table as exhaustion finally began to overcome his body.

“What?!? By whom?” Anthony demanded, surprised.

“The French, who else? English trade ships are terrified of the Christina and steer clear if possible,” Justin stated as he ran a hand through his unruly curls, “It was christened the Manicle and captained by a Tobias Bontecue.”

“The Manicle? I’ve heard that is the fastest schooner the French own,” Anthony commented with a frown, “That is not good news for us. Do you think it probable they know you for your true colors? As a duke and not a pirate?”

“It does not seem so, but I was not about to take any chances. Their captain is in the hold of the Christina and I intend to send him to England on the next ship headed in that direction,” Justin stated.

“The next vessel headed for England won’t be docking for at least another week if the weather holds out,” Anthony announced, “Though I guess we shall keep the scoundrel here until then so you can be about your business on the seas.”

“Actually…” Justin began, trailing off as he didn’t quite know how to tell his friend that his cabin boy was in actuality, a woman.

“Actually what? Did the cat get your tongue?” Anthony prompted, very aware of how uneasy the pirate captain was.

“Kip is a girl,” Justin blurted. Anthony’s mouth fell open in shock.

“Wait a minute, Kip, as in Kip your little cabin boy that has a good sword arm?” Anthony said as if to confirm what Justin had just said.

“Yes,” Justin reaffirmed, “She had me completely fooled as well, the little chit.”

“I knew those green eyes appeared familiar,” Anthony rambled as if he hadn’t heard a word of Justin’s reply.

“Wait. You mean to tell me that you know the lass?” Justin demanded, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

“Kalinna Davenport, am I correct?” Anthony returned.

“Yes,” Justin confirmed, a little put off, “How do you know the lass besides the fact that her father is the prime suspect in our investigation?”

“My fiancée, Elizabeth, and her were the best of friends in their school years,” Anthony explained, shrugging, “When the two of us became engaged, Kalinna was one of the first to know. We came to be good friends until Kalinna’s father decided he needed to find her a husband. It has been about two years since I last spoke with her, so I doubt she recalls my name.”

“You have personal connections to the Davenport’s and yet you failed to mention it to me?” Justin ground out.

“It is not as if all the women I know go parading about in boys’ clothing, pretending to be what they are not,” Anthony retorted.

“Still, you should have said something. Perhaps it could help with our investigation,” Justin grumbled, a tad bit annoyed.

“It as not if I know every secret of her’s,” Anthony returned, “We were friends at a point in time, but now, I would probably be unable to tell you much about her as hard as I try.”

“Well no matter, I am sending her straight back to London on the next ship. It is where she belongs,” Justin concluded, “A young girl has no business on any ship, but most especially one posing as a pirate vessel.”

“Young girl? Kalinna Davenport is anything but a young girl?” Anthony said with a laugh, “Why, she’s two and twenty, an old spinster in your mother’s eyes.”

“She doesn’t look more than fourteen,” Justin commented, surprised.

“That is precisely because you have not seen her in proper clothing. Dressed as a boy, I will admit, that she does appear to be quite young,” Anthony told his friend, “You will change your mind once she dons a dress.”

A picture of Kalinna when he had pulled her onto his lap quickly invaded Justin’s thoughts. No, she did not seem much like a young girl, indeed. It made him uneasy for the time when the lass would shed her disguise and embrace her true sex; he was quite afraid that he would rather like the outcome and that scared him. As well as annoyed him just the slightest bit.

“I am sure it does not matter whether she is wearing a dress or breeches for it will be hard for me to discern between Kip and Kalinna,” Justin commented, then shrugged, “Of course, she will be leaving with the next ship, so it does not matter anyway.”

Anthony could sense the underlying energy his friend emitted as the subject of Kalinna Davenport was discussed. Though he longed to demand an explanation, he knew when it was best to leave be. Besides, he was curious about the letter that had been dropped of for the pirate captain not two days ago.

“Before I forget, you have a letter from England that was left with me not two days ago,” Anthony voiced aloud as he pulled the sealed parchment from the pocket of his overcoat.

“From my mother?” Justin questioned as he took the offered object.

“No, from Colin Wickham, Duke of Barclay,” Anthony returned, “I trust you’ve heard of him?”

“Yes, though I’ve never had the opportunity of speaking to him myself,” Justin responded, puzzled, “I wonder what he could want.”

“Well go on, open it,” Anthony encouraged.

With no further ado, Justin broke the seal and began to read the short missive from a man he knew by name only.

Justin sat there in shock. Now it all made sense. Richard Davenport was the brother-in-law of the Wickham’s and would have full access to the house without being questioned. There was no doubt in his mind that the man had used that to his full advantage, had stolen the jewels, and sent them on the next ship out of London.

But where did Kalinna fit into the picture? It was obvious that the lass knew nothing about her family relations or else she would still be back home with her relatives. Therefore, she probably didn’t know anything about her father’s supposed traitorous activities. Then again, it wouldn’t hurt to question her before he put her on a ship back to England.

And he would put her on a ship back to England, there was no doubt about that fact. He couldn’t very well have her on his ship while he was attempting to figure out the plot to invade England. Especially when she had no idea that he was not really a pirate; she could blow their cover wide open without even meaning to. It was a chance he just wasn’t willing to take.

“Bad news?” Anthony suddenly questioned, breaking Justin out of his thoughts.

“Not really. Why do you ask?” the taller man questioned, raising a brow in his friend’s direction.

“You’re scowling. We have been friends since we were kids J, and the only time you scowl is when you’re upset or when you’re thinking too hard about something,” Anthony retorted, rolling his eyes, “And trust me, I don’t think you’ve ever gotten to the point where you’ve been thinking too hard.” Justin gave his friend a friendly punch on the arm.

“I’m plenty smart, thanks,” Justin responded.

“So you like to say,” Anthony stated, grinning. Justin snorted. “So…are you going to tell me what that letter is all about or am I supposed to guess?”

“You’re such a nosy bastard,” Justin commented, laughing when Anthony’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“I should call you out for that you know,” Anthony said as he rubbed the back of his neck to relieve some tension.

“But you know my mother would kill you if you so much as touched a hair on my head,” Justin replied, his eyes twinkling with laughter, “And we both know that my mother on the warpath is not an experience we’d like to live through more than once.”

“That is something you don’t have to tell me twice,” Anthony agreed as he took a swig of his ale, “I swear, the woman will not be happy until you are married to a rich heiress and give her fifteen grandchildren.”

“Don’t remind me,” Justin mumbled, and then quickly straightened, “Wait, fifteen?” Anthony burst into laughter at his friend’s stricken face.

“Maybe only seven,” the blonde responded, enjoying the rise he was getting out of the captain, “That way there is one grandkid for her to spoil every day of the week.” Justin groaned, not wanting to think about marriage and children, and more importantly, his ever-persistent mother.

“If you don’t stop I am seriously going to think about turning myself into a priest,” Justin stated as he slouched in his chair.

“Fine, now tell me what that letter is all about,” Anthony said, pointing to the forgotten parchment, “Neither of us knows the Duke of Barclay but for name and face, so what could the man possible want with you?”

“Kalinna,” Justin simply stated before handing the parchment to the blonde man.

It took Anthony a few minutes to read the missive, but once he had done so, he set the parchment down and whistled in amazement.

“It looks as though we have been handed the missing link of this puzzle,” Anthony stated as he leaned back in his chair, “It all makes perfect sense now.”

“Yes, I agree with you,” Justin said, crossing his arms over his chest as he thought, “I believe that it is quite probable that Richard Davenport was able to retrieve the jewels from the safe at Barclay Manor.”

“This could possibly the best link we…” Anthony began, but was cut off as a loud bang resounded on the front door and echoed through the house.

“Who could that be?” Justin questioned, quickly following after his friend towards the front of the house and the closed wooden door.

“I couldn’t possibly fathom a guess,” Anthony responded.

Anthony opened the door without hesitation and he and Justin were both surprised to see Jackson standing there, a limp Kalinna in his arms and a bulky package underneath one side of his coat. Without thinking, Justin jumped forward and grabbed the girl from his first mate’s arms.

“What is going on?” Anthony demanded as he quickly led the trio to the guest bedroom.

“She ‘as a fever and I haven’t been to wake ‘er up,” Jackson’s deep voice rumbled, “I didn’t no what else to do, so I brought ‘er here, where she’s sure to be safe.”

“Put her on the bed and I’ll run and get a doctor,” Anthony said as he began to pull the bedclothes down.

Once Anthony was done, Justin gently set the unconscious young woman down and proceeded to tuck her in. If anybody found his worry strange, they didn’t comment. Instead, Anthony quickly left the house in search of the port’s doctor and the two pirates left the room for the kitchen.

After rummaging around in the cabinets and producing a loaf of bread and some ale, the two men began to silently eat. Justin’s mind was solely focused on Kalinna, unaware of the frown that marred his otherwise handsome features. Jackson was too busy with nourishing his body that he didn’t notice his captain’s strange behavior.

“Jackson, the chest,” Justin suddenly stated as he thought of the wooden box that was locked in his desk.

“Right ‘ere,” the elder said, suddenly remembering the bundle wrapped in his coat. He pulled the chest out and set it on the table.

“Thank the lord,” Justin breathed as he ran his hands over the wood.

“Ye got any idea why that English vessel ‘ad it?” Jackson questioned as he took a short swig of his ale.

“Yeah, it has to do with Kalinna Davenport and her father,” Justin commented as he stared off into the distance.

Tree branches tugged at her unkempt hair. Roots caused her to stumble and she almost lost her footing. But she kept running, her heart thumping a wild rhythm in her chest. An eerie wind whipped through the dense, dark forest and plastered the thin nightgown to her body.

“Kalinna! Come back!” the voice of her father cried above the cruel sounds of the threatening forest.

No, she was not going to turn around. She wasn’t going to give into him, not when she had gotten this far on her own. But she risked a quick glance over her shoulder.

That was a mistake. Because she had taken her eyes off the ground in front of her, she immediately stumbled on a tree root and went tumbling to the ground. She quickly tried to get to her feet, only to be forced down again from pain radiating from her left ankle.

She cursed and tried again to no avail. Her father would be here any moment and then she would be forced to give up the locket. No, he would never get it. He would have to kill her first before she handed over her golden treasure to his greedy hands.

“Kalinna? Are you alright?” Justin suddenly questioned near her ear, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, “Can you walk?”

“My ankle,” she whispered, grasping the pained limb in her hands.

“I’ll carry you,” he said as he helped her to her feet, “Put your arms around my neck and we’ll be on our way.”

Kalinna did as she was told and soon the two of them were creeping steadily through the forest. The young pirate captain moved fast for having a dead weight on his back, and she was amazed at his superior strength.

“Put my daughter down, you scoundrel!” Richard Davenport suddenly roared as he gained on the pair, “You shall not get away that easily. I will have what is mine!”

“Justin!” she cried as she glanced over her shoulder. Her father was not fifteen paces back, and gaining fast.

“Hold tight,” he simply told her as he hacked his way through the dense forest, “We shall make it through, my love.”

My love? She didn’t have time to ponder the endearment for Richard was suddenly upon them and was pulling her from Justin’s back. She screeched in protest, but found it was useless to struggle against her father, who was surprisingly strong for his age.

“Let her go, sir, or I shall be forced to kill you,” Justin threatened as he turned on the elder man, pulling out a sword as he did so.

Richard simply laughed as he pulled out a gun, aimed at the younger man, and pulled the trigger. The roar of the gun was deafening and Kalinna screamed as she watched Justin drop like a fly. He shuddered a few times before lying still on the moss-covered floor of the forest.

“JUSTIN!” she screamed.

“She’s hallucinating,” the doctor said as Kalinna screamed the pirate captain’s name and then began to weep.

“Is that normal?” Justin demanded, trying to ignore how shook up he was at Kalinna’s unconscious mumblings.

“I’m afraid her fever is very serious. She shall be lucky if she comes out alive,” the doctor informed the three men. Justin felt the blood drain from his face.

“Is there anything we can do?” Anthony said as he stepped closer to the portly gentleman.

“Keep her cool and make sure that she gets enough water,” the doctor said and proceeded to leave a small bottle on the night table, “If she begins to hallucinate again, give her a small dose of laudanum to quiet her. And make sure to clean her wound and redress it at least twice a day. I shall be by to check her in a day or two.”

“Thank you so much doctor,” Anthony said as he led the doctor out of the room and towards the front door.

Justin was left alone with the unconscious Kalinna. He sighed as he ran a tired hand through his curls. The last thing he needed was for the young woman to die and cut off all ties he had to Richard Davenport.

And that was not the only reason. He was also worried about her because he was starting to care for her. Oh, he hardly knew her, but he would be more than sad if she passed onto the next world. And even worse, it would be all his fault because he was the one that put her in danger in the first place.

Ah well, no sense in beating himself up about it now. The pirate captain made to leave the room when he suddenly noticed something golden shimmering from Kalinna’s hand. Curious, he quickly crept forward and pried her fingers apart.

He was surprised to discover her locket, clutched tightly in an unrelenting grip. It was odd, seeing as though the young woman never took it off no matter what. Nevertheless, he grabbed a hold of the trinket, intent on finding out here and now what exactly the jewelry chest’s secret compartment contained.

With his mind made up, he quietly crept out of the room and left the young woman to her dreams. She merely mumbled his name once more before turning over and giving into the depths of uninterrupted slumber.

Five Days Later

Kalinna groaned as she rolled over. Her head was pounding, her throat felt like it was on fire and her entire body ached. A sharp pain radiated from her stomach and when she placed her hand there, she encountered the bulky dressings of a bandage through the material of the gown. Hesitantly, and with much effort, she cracked an eye open and, after not recognizing her surroundings, sat up with a start.

After gazing wildly around, she was relieved to discover that she was indeed alone. All traces of her boys clothing were gone, not that she would have liked to don that dirty outfit in her present condition. After a deep sigh, she began to study the room that she had been placed into.

It was a simple room, the only other furniture besides the bed being a large armoire chest, a small bedside table, and a chair in the far corner, next to a window. Two beautiful Parisian rugs lined the floor, one on the side of the bed that was not against the wall, the other at the foot of the bed. The curtains were drawn, but a few slivers of moonlight peeked through, affirming her suspicions that it was nighttime.

Quietly, she pushed the covers down, wondering where the simple white nightgown that adorned her body had come from. Shrugging her shoulders, she quietly crept out of the bed and, not finding a dressing gown to don, decided to continue on anyway. She had no idea where she was, and though common sense told her to stay in bed, curiosity got the better of her. Besides, she desperately wanted a cool glass of water to calm her aching throat.

Softly, not sure if the building housed other occupants, Kalinna made her way into the hallway. After opting to turn left, she wandered along until she came to a rather spacious kitchen. She stood in the entranceway, just staring.

The room was larger than she expected it to be and, after getting over her surprise, she began to inch forward, running her hand over the smooth countertops, her bare feet padding softly against the wooden planks of the floor. When she reached a large window above one of the counters, she turned her face upward and gazed into the night.

She ran a hand through her unruly curls before letting them settle against her back, just above her butt. Amber sparkled from her locks as the moonlight took hold. She sighed, lost in her thoughts as she dreamed of home and the mother she missed with all her heart.

From his seat at the table, immersed in shadows, Justin couldn’t help but stare as she stood still. She was a beautiful goddess bathed in moonlight, her mass of curls tumbling down her back and the white nightgown giving the impression of an angel about to take flight. Her bare feet peeked out from beneath the hem of the demure gown and he felt shivers go down his back as she let loose a very feminine sigh.

She was the picture of perfection; the princess of any man’s dream. As she finally turned away from the window and began to search the kitchen for food and drink, he continued to sit there in silence, awed by this new side of her that he was witnessing. Was this the same Kalinna? The one who had challenged him to a duel; the one who had nearly gotten herself killed by a French sailor?

How could she be this lovely? He was an idiot to actually believe that she was a boy; any man in their right mind could see that she was indeed, a woman in every aspect of the word.

Good God, he was getting hard just looking at her. Of course, any man in their right mind would, but that didn’t quite make him feel any better. The lass was quickly starting to take over his mind inch by inch; so much so that he was beginning to become alarmed. The only thing he could do was put her on a ship as fast as he could do so and try to forget about her. If that was even remotely possible.

After shoving his desires aside with a frown, the pirate captain surged to his feet, intent on putting those pesky thoughts aside once and for all. Unfortunately, he managed to knock the chair over in the process of standing. He let out a soft curse as Kalinna jumped and turned to face him, a wooden spoon clutched in her hand as a protective weapon. Justin fought the urge to laugh.

But all mirth died on his lips as the two of them stood there, the only light coming from the moonlight, not quite sure how to break the awkward silence that had descended. Kalinna, after realizing how ridiculous she looked holding a harmless wooden spoon, quickly put it aside and hesitantly approached the pirate captain. He still stood, staring at her, which didn’t help her nerves.

He was clad in a pair of breeches, boots, and a loose-fitting white tunic that was completely unbuttoned and hung free. Her mind immediately went into overdrive as she tried to keep her gaze from straying down his body and a blush immediately sprung to her cheeks. She was very thankful it was too dark for him to see.

“How are you feeling?” Justin suddenly questioned as he began to move in her direction after he had finally gotten himself together.

“I…I am fine. Why do you ask?” Kalinna softly questioned, wondering what her health had to do with this strange predicament.

“You do not remember what happened?” Justin responded, a surprised look registering on his face.

“Well, I do recall fighting that Frenchman and then falling into the water. And I also remember that you took care of me,” Kalinna began, nervous as the tall man approached, “After that, there is only a large blank spot. It is as if I were missing a few days of my memory.”

“You are. You have been unconscious with fever the past five days,” Justin began as he held out a chair for her, which she gracefully accepted, “The doctor stated that your wound became infected and it would be a miracle if you survived.”

“Goodness, now I know why I feel so awful,” Kalinna commented as Justin took a seat next to her; she continued to glance around the kitchen as she spoke, “But how did I get here?”

“Jackson brought you,” Justin simply stated, “He feared that you had taken ill, and brought you straight to me. We had the doctor look in on you straight away.”

“Oh. I am afraid that I have become much more of a burden than I intended,” Kalinna quietly replied as she stared down at her hands.

If she would have glanced up, she would have noticed the strange look pass across the young man’s face. In all honesty, he was quite confused. The young woman who sat here was nothing like the spitfire he had encountered a mere week earlier. He hoped that the fever had not done any lasting damage. Then again, perhaps she was just tired and a little uncomfortable. That had to be it. Of course, what did he know?

“Do not concern yourself with such thoughts,” Justin told her with a friendly smile, “You gave us quite a scare, I will admit, but it appears that you will be as good as new in no time at all.”

“Well, it was not my intent to let that cur get the better of me,” Kalinna spat, eyes flashing, “Why, if I could have another chance at him, I’d surely make certain my aim ran true.”

“No need to go rushing off in the middle of the night, you might wake Anthony and then I will be forced into a duel at dawn for my friend dearly loves his sleep,” Justin drawled, his eyes twinkling as the old Kalinna returned with full force.

“Anthony?” Kalinna questioned, curious as she arose to get the glass of water she had come for in the first place.

“My friend, Anthony Maddox, this is his home,” Justin explained, pushing her back down into the chair as he jumped up and got the water for her, “We are back in Port Chamblay. We had to turn back after the attack from the French vessel.”

“Is everything alright?” Kalinna, questioned, afraid of what had happened after she lost consciousness under water. She took a refreshing sip of the cool water as she awaited the captain’s response.

“The ship is safe, none of the crew were harmed, and the French captain is locked away as we speak,” Justin reassured her.

“I am glad,” Kalinna commented, trailing off; but she sat up with a start as a thought crossed her mind, “The chest!”

“It is right here,” Justin reassured her as he brought it forward from a cupboard situated in a corner, “And I believe this belongs to you.”

“My locket,” Kalinna breathed as she took the trinket from the pirate’s outstretched hand, “Where did you find it?”

“You dropped it when Jackson brought you here,” Justin lied, not wanting her to think that he had taken it and opened the chest without her being there.

“Well thank you,” Kalinna responded, then sighed, “I suppose we’d best see what is in here after all.”

Justin had to refrain from rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He hadn’t had the courage to open the chest without the young woman being there, and now that she was awake and coherent, he would finally get to see what secrets the jewelry chest held. He held his breath as Kalinna inserted the locked and the secret compartment popped open again.

A couple sheets of parchment, bound with a leather thong, sat at the top and Kalinna slowly pulled them out and set them on the table. Underneath lay a small, yet thick, leather-bound bible which Kalinna set next to the pile of parchments. The last thing in the chest was a small box, which, when Kalinna opened it, held a beautiful diamond bracelet. Justin whistled.

“I, I don’t understand,” Kalinna began as she snapped the box shut and set the diamond bracelet aside, “What does all this mean?”

“I believe this may clear up some of your confusion,” Justin said as he held out the bible to her, opened to the front cover.

Kalinna silently took the leather edition in her hands and began to pour over the family tree that was recorded in the front. It was not an unnatural occurrence to do such a thing, but what made her slightly dizzy was that she found her name near the bottom of the tree, listed as the only offspring of Richard and Elizabeth Davenport. That wasn’t the part that amazed her. What amazed her was who her mother’s family actually was. If this family tree was correct, the Duke of Barclay was her uncle, the Dowager Duchess of Barclay her grandmother. And lord in heaven, that meant she had family with noble connections!

“My father never mentioned my mother’s family,” Kalinna finally whispered a few moments later as she collected herself, “I was told that my mother had no remaining family members, and my father himself is an only child.”

“You had no idea whatsoever?” Justin pressed, wanting to know precisely how involved the young woman was in the traitorous plot.

“My mother never mentioned a word about her family, and whenever I asked, my father would always tell me that they had all passed on and that my mother did not like to discuss such things,” Kalinna explained as she ran a hand over the ink writing that revealed her true heritage.

“Are you alright?” Justin nervously questioned as he noticed the young woman’s face becoming paler.

“I am not going to become sick if that is what you mean,” Kalinna bravely returned and rewarded him with a dazzling smile and roll of her pretty eyes, “This is just a bit much for me to accept at the moment so excuse me for not singing to the highest heaven.”

“I can understand that,” Justin agreed as he smiled and once again refrained from rubbing a soothing hand down her back, “Perhaps you would like to go through the rest of these things in the privacy of your room?”

“No, you saved the chest, it is only fair that you be able to see what it contains,” Kalinna responded, smiling, “And who knows, maybe I am actually a lost princess and you will get some reward for returning me safe and sound.”

“I doubt that,” Justin retorted, grinning, “You are far too pretty to be a princess.”

“Do I detect a compliment coming from those lips of your’s?” Kalinna teased, her eyes sparkling as she relaxed in the pirate captain’s presence.

“Maybe,” Justin returned as he leaned closer.

His breath was warm on her face and smelled of mints; his lips a mere few inches from her own. Kalinna felt her heart beat faster as she caught a whiff of his musky scent mixed in with the minty breath; it sent shivers down her spine. For some strange reason, she ached to lean forward and unite their lips, but that was preposterous!

“We should see what these letters contain,” Kalinna abruptly stated, soundly killing the mood as she leaned forward and grabbed the stack of parchment. Justin took the hint and sat back in his chair, giving her more space and allowing her thoughts to return to normal.

“Good idea,” Justin absently stated, trying not to stare at her for too long. He just couldn’t seem to help himself, though. It had been ages since he had been around a woman, especially one as beautiful as Kalinna.

But that was neither here or there. He had a job to do and that in no way, shape or form included romancing a young woman who was alone and vulnerable. And of course, she knew him only as Justin Timberlake, the feared pirate, not Justin Timberlake, the smooth, debonair duke who had endless wealth and many more acres of land than he knew what to do with. He had to keep his cover, despite the fact that it was killing him.

“Oh!” Kalinna suddenly stated, sitting forward as she began to read through the first letter of the stack.

“What? What is it?” Justin demanded as he leaned closer

“This is a letter from my mother to my grandmother dated a few months before I was born,” Kalinna softly stated, combing through her mother’s neat handwriting as she spoke.

“What does it say?” Justin asked, interest piqued.

“It appears that my grandmother wanted nothing to do with my mother after she ran away and married my father. In this letter, my mother tries to explain everything, but by the look of this stack of letters, I do not believe she ever succeeded,” Kalinna revealed before setting aside the first letter.

“Does it say why your mother ran off with your father?” Justin pressed, a thought forming in the back of his mind. Of course, that had to have been close to twenty-three years ago, when Richard Davenport was barely a man. Then again, he had encountered far stranger things as a spy for the British government.

“From what my mother writes, the two of them were in love and my grandmother and grandfather did not approve of the marriage because he was a merchant. I suppose they did not like the fact of my mother marrying under her station, as most parents,” Kalinna softly stated, frowning, “I have no doubt in my mind, that did not help my parents’ marriage.”

“I would say not,” Justin agreed as his thoughts quickly jumped to his own mother, who would, indeed be shocked if her eldest son and heir married a woman below his station or wealth.

Silence descended over the two of them as Kalinna began to read a second letter, her hands trembling as she poured over the words. Justin sat watching her, unsure of what to say, now knowing, in his heart, that Kalinna knew nothing of her father’s traitorous activities. To him, it was a great relief. And also a great dread. Now that he knew precisely where her loyalties lay, he wanted nothing more than to sweep her up in his arms, kiss her senseless, and ride away with her into the sunset, like the knights of lore.

Kalinna bit her lip as she felt the emotions of her mother’s words and the disbelief of everything that had occurred between her mother and grandmother years ago. She was oblivious to the pirate captain’s thoughts, and quite unaware of the few tears that trickled down her cheeks. In fact, it was as if she was the only person in the room, and that time had melted away and stood still in that moment.

“Kalinna?” Justin softly whispered as he noticed the tears running down her face and how she trembled. At first, she didn’t hear him. “Kalinna?”

She quickly turned a tear-stained face in his direction, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she realized just how lost she had become in her mother’s letters. She quickly wiped away the last remains of the tears as she set aside the letter she had been reading.

“I apologize,” she quietly replied as she attempted to pull herself together, “I did not realize how emotional this was going to be for me. It has been years since my mother’s death, and yet I still have not been able to get over it.”

“There is nothing for you to be sorry for; the loss of a parent is always tough,” Justin stated as he brought his chair closer to her’s, “I lost my father two years ago, and yet the pain is still there. I don’t believe that it will ever go away, but you learn to be strong, and you go on, and you find something to be happy about.”

“How can you be a pirate and a philosopher at the same time?” Kalinna joked, sniffling as she wiped at a stray tear.

“I am a man of many talents,” Justin returned, smiling as he stood up and pulled her into a hug, “And hugging just happens to be one of them.”

“As long as you do not plan on taking advantage of me, mister,” Kalinna teased, sighing as she leaned into the comforting, innocent embrace.

“Believe me, I would do no such thing,” Justin softly responded as he hesitantly began to stroke her hair. When she made no protest, he wrapped one arm about her waist, pulling their bodies flush, and continued the soft stroking of her long curls.

Standing there, silent in his arms, Kalinna felt her heart began to race like it never had before. The intoxicating smell of him, his gentleness, his understanding…it was all making her weak in the knees. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say she was falling in love with him.

But that was preposterous. He was a pirate captain, bound to his men and his ship, and a traitor to all that was good and righteous. Justin Timberlake was a rogue; a man she could never have. She sighed.

Unaware of her tumultuous thoughts, Justin stood holding her and gritting his teeth. The things this woman was doing to him, it was rather embarrassing. He was the one who normally had control of all his emotions and basic wants, but for some reason, Kalinna broke through all those barriers.

Hesitantly, and without much thought, Justin turned her face up to his. She was beautiful, bathed in the soft moonlight, auburn shining from her long locks. Before he knew quite what he was doing, Justin leaned down and united their lips in a soft kiss.

Kalinna sighed. Never had she been kissed in such a romantic way. All the kisses from her past suitors had been altogether too eager and sloppy; so much so, that she dreaded the act of kissing. But this…this was different.

Justin knew she was quite innocent to the ways of kissing, but nonetheless, his blood was boiling. He wanted nothing more than to ravish her, right here, right now. But he couldn’t do that, not when there was so much at stake, for her as well as for him.

“Justin!” Kalinna suddenly said as she abruptly pulled away.

“Kalinna, I…” Justin trailed off, confused.

“No,” the young woman whispered, before fleeing the room, leaving behind a very puzzled pirate captain.

“What have I done?” Justin whispered, collapsing into a chair, his head in his hands.

The next morning Kalinna was woken up by the sound of drapes being pulled back and a woman humming. Carefully, she cracked an eye open to discover the source and found a slim woman bustling cheerily about the room, cleaning. Relieved, Kalinna opened both eyes and began to sit up.

“Goodness me, ye are awake,” the woman, who appeared to be in her mid-forties, stated as soon as she noticed movement from the bed, “Ye stay right there while I alert Mr. Anthony and the captain.”

Before Kalinna could utter a word in protest, the woman was gone in a rustle of skirts and sweet-smelling perfume. Kalinna sat back into the pillows, quite aware that the pirate captain must not have breathed a word to anybody about their encounter late last night. She was relieved, however, that didn’t keep the blush from her face as she thought about the kiss they shared. She couldn’t resist running a hand nervously over her lips, a faraway look in her eyes.

She didn’t have much time to ponder the kiss though, for it was not a moment later that the woman was back, Anthony following right after her. He wore an anxious look on his face as he strode in. Kalinna immediately shrunk back into the pillows as she recognized her friend’s fiancé, and knew that she’d have a lot of explaining to do.

“Kalinna, thank god you are alright. How are you feeling?” Anthony stated as he came forward and enveloped her in a hug. She was shocked.

“I, I am fine,” she stuttered, hesitantly hugging him back.

“You gave us quite a scare there,” the young man stated as he broke the embrace, pulled a chair up next to the bed, and sat, “Now tell me, what in heavens are you doing in the company of a band of pirates? And dressed as a lad no less.”

Kalinna blushed at the inquiry. What was she to tell this man, whom had befriended her all those years ago when she had been an awkward young girl? What would his reaction be?

“Do not worry Kal, I shall not be mad for I know you are not the type to make a rash decision,” Anthony encouraged; she smiled at the familiar nickname.

“My father believes that it is time I marry – to the richest man he can find,” Kalinna softly began, staring down at her hands as she spoke.

“Why did you not write me? You know very well that my family would not hesitate to take care of you,” Anthony gently stated, taking one of her hands in his own, “They consider you their daughter.”

“I know. And I tried to write, oh how I did try. But every time I would send a letter out, my father would intercept it, no matter what time of day,” Kalinna explained, “It was as if he was trying to keep me a prisoner in that house. I was never allowed out unless he went with me, and even then it was only for short periods of time.”

“But why?” Anthony questioned, curious.

“I have no idea,” the young woman responded with a delicate shrug of her shoulders, “I think something happened between him and my mother before I was born, something that he will not tell me. I do not understand in the least, though he has been unbearable since my mother died.”

“I am sorry that you had to go through that and I was not there to help,” Anthony said, squeezing her hand and knowing that he would mention all this to Justin.

“It is not your fault. I just could not take being there anymore, so I did the only thing I could think of, I ran away. Of course, I believed that I would be safer as a boy,” Kalinna continued, relaxing.

“It was a smart thing you did, for I do not believe you would have gotten far looking as you do now. Why, I hardly even recognize you as you look nothing like that scrawny kid I knew all those years ago,” Anthony stated, smiling at her, “You have grown into a beautiful young woman Kalinna.”

Kalinna blushed at the praise, not quite knowing what to say in reply. It had been ages since she had received such a sincere compliment; her father never paid her any mind other than to introduce her to every fop and phony with enough money to make his eyes glimmer with anticipation. It never occurred to Richard Davenport how much using his daughter for his own personal gain actually hurt her.

“Now, I have received a letter from your uncle,” Anthony began after clearing his throat to disperse the awkward silence.

“My uncle?” Kalinna began, eyes widening. Maybe Justin actually had told Anthony of their late night encounter after all.

“I know this may come as a shock, Kal, but your mother actually has kin whom are alive, namely a brother and a sister,” Anthony began, unaware that Kalinna already knew all this, “Your uncle is Colin Wickham, the 8th Duke of Barclay. Perhaps you have heard of him?”

Kalinna mutely nodded her head as she allowed Anthony to tell the full story of her heritage and family connections. After all, the bible she had poured over the previous night, as well as those few letters she managed to read, only provided a partial picture. It appeared that Anthony would be able to provide her with the entire tale, start to finish.

“The story, so I am told, is that your mother and your grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Barclay, had a rather heated argument about your mother’s choice for a husband. Your grandmother did not like the fact that Richard Davenport was a mere merchant, nor did she even like the man himself,” Anthony continued, “One thing led to another, and somehow the two of them never resolved the rift before your mother passed away.”

“My father never mentioned any of my mother’s family,” Kalinna stated, her brow furrowing in thought, “Why would he do such a thing?”

“Maybe it was because your mother’s family did not approve of him,” Anthony suggested, shrugging, “Either way, your uncle wishes to see you, so I agreed to send you back to England the first chance I got.”

Kalinna felt her mouth drop open in shock. How was she to face the relatives she had never met before, especially after running off and disguising herself as a boy? They would never approve of her!

“What about my father?” the young woman finally managed, “I do not think I could face him, not after running away on him like that.”

“Kalinna, your father has disappeared,” Anthony gently said, unsure of her reaction. He was surprised to see relief and just a touch of joy in her eyes.

“Well then I guess now would be the perfect time for me to meet my long-lost relatives,” she cheerily stated.

Anthony was a little bewildered by Kalinna’s lack of concern for her father, especially when nobody had heard any word from the wayward merchant for going on two weeks. Then again, Kalinna was merely a pawn in Richard Davenport’s game to get rich. Therefore, Anthony knew he would do whatever it took to see that she stayed out of his clutches.

“Well, first things first, Mrs. O’Brien is going to help make you presentable to good society,” Anthony said, referring to the woman who had been cleaning the room earlier, “Then we will talk about getting you back to England, okay?”

“Okay,” Kalinna agreed, her eyes welling up with tears, “Thank you Anthony. I do not know what I would do without you.”

“Anytime, Kal, anytime.”

Justin groaned as he rolled over on the makeshift bed and tried to block out the sunlight from one of the small attic windows. Damn the blazing orb for coming out so early in the morning and interrupting his much-cherished hours of sleep. It had been late – altogether too late for that matter – when he had finally stumbled up the stairs and collapsed on his pallet next to Jackson.

He had reflected on the entire situation over and over again, long after Kalinna had fled the room. Though he dreaded doing so, an apology would be best in this situation. After all, he did not want to jeopardize the mission, or compromise her good name any further than it already had been.

It was a mere few moments later when he realized that sleep had deserted him, so with an aggravated sigh, he threw off the bedcovers and rolled slowly to his feet. After a quick stretch of his sore muscles, he pulled on his boots and tunic and made for the stairs that led down to the main floor. His footsteps echoed through the quiet house and he was suddenly uneasy.

“Anthony?” Justin called as he wandered into the empty, and spotless, kitchen, “Jackson?”

Just when he was about to head out the front door in search of some form of life, the door burst open to reveal Anthony and Jackson, arms loaded with parcels wrapped in brown packaging. The two men quickly set their burdens down in a pile on the floor when they noticed their comrade staring at them in bewilderment.

“What in god’s name is going on here?” Justin demanded as the two men stood silent under his studious stare.

“Have you returned with all I have asked for?” an unfamiliar feminine voice suddenly intruded from somewhere behind Justin’s right shoulder, thus preventing the two men from responding.

The pirate captain quickly jerked around to discover an older woman, blond hair tinted with the smallest threads of silver and blue eyes still snapping with life, standing with her hands on her small hips and looking expectantly in the direction of the three of them. Justin blinked in shock as his two friends immediately picked up the packages and brought them back into Kalinna’s room. The older woman just followed after, her hands crossed over her chest as she mutely watched over them as if to make sure everything was put precisely where it needed to go.

A few moments later, after thanking Jackson and Anthony, the woman shooed them out of the room and shut the door. Justin just stood there, hands resting on his slim hips as he tried to process what had just happened. He was startled out of his reverie by Jackson, who let out a great bout of laughter.

“What precisely did I miss?” Justin finally demanded after sending his first mate a glare.

“Kalinna will be heading to England this evening,” Anthony began, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms over his chest, “She will be meeting her relatives for the first time and therefore needed some proper clothing. I hope you can put two and two together from there, or else I may have to disown you as my friend.”

“You are quite the comedian today,” Justin retorted, rolling his eyes at his friend, “So the lass will be leaving this evening? And there is still no word on her father?”

“Nah, no word at all,” Jacks0n confirmed as he attempted to fit his burly frame into one of the chairs situated about the room.

“Maybe we should ask the lass again. Are you certain that she has no knowledge of her father’s whereabouts and the fact that he might indeed be a traitor to England?” Justin stated.

“I do not doubt Kalinna does not know a thing about her father’s plans,” Anthony began, closely eyeing his friend, as if daring the taller man to challenge his words, “Her whole reasoning for disguising herself as a boy was so that she could experience the freedom Richard Davenport never allowed her.”

“You are sure of this?” Justin demanded as he paced the wooden floor. He completely missed the annoyed glare that Anthony sent him.

“Absolutely sure,” the blonde got out between gritted teeth.

“Well Jackson, I want you to make the rounds of the port, even if you have already done so, to see if you can scrounge up any other information on the whereabouts of Richard Davenport and any plans he may have up his sleeve,” Justin ordered, still pacing, “Anthony you and I need to…”

Justin came to an abrupt stop and trailed off as the door to the bedroom opened and he stared at the figure outlined in the early afternoon soon. That couldn’t be Kalinna. Could it?

Kalinna took a deep breath as she stepped out of the bedroom and found three pairs of male eyes trained on her. It had been months since she had worn a dress, and though she had worn less clothing when she had been disguised as a boy, she felt more naked now. Maybe it was the low neckline of the gown, or the fact that her full figure was well-enhanced by the beautiful dress.

The gown she wore was made of the softest emerald cotton and clung to her form like a second skin. The sleeves, adorned in white lace, came down to her elbows and bunched up in the latest fashion; the neckline scooped and was lined with the same white lace to accent her décolletage. The skirt of the gown was full and layered, accentuated by ribbons and lace, all in creamy white, while the waist of the gown was drawn tightly in by two thin strips of ribbon that betrayed her slip hips and small waist.

She wore a small strip of white ribbon about her neck on which a small emerald pendant dangled. All in all, the outfit brought out the green in her eyes and made the specks of red in her hair more noticeable. Justin thought she looked like a goddess of olden day.

Hesitantly she stepped forward as Anthony quickly snapped out of his daze and came to offer her his hand. She blushed as he bent over and kissed her hand before tucking it into the crook of his arm as was proper. The two walked fully into the room, Kalinna biting her lip as she concentrated on keeping her balance in the shoes she wore. Therefore, she was blissfully unaware of the hungry stare the pirate captain was sending her.

“I believe you may have outdone yourself Anne Marie,” Anthony stated a moment later as he caught sight of the older woman coming out of the bedroom.

“Thank you sir,” Anne Marie responded, curtseying, “And the young lady has two other dresses for the journey home, so she shall be sure to meet the duke in proper attire.”

“Well then, now that this business is settled, we must see to your departure this evening,” Anthony concluded as he glanced down at Kalinna, who mutely nodded her head, “Jackson?”

“Yes sir?” the burly man questioned as he stood from the chair he had been lounging in.

“I would like you to prepare Kalinna’s belongings so they may be loaded onto the Shadow Dancer as soon as the captain gives us the go ahead. Ask Anne Marie to help you,” Anthony instructed, “Justin, you are coming with me.”

All the pirate captain could do was pick his jaw off the floor and follow after his friend and the beautiful lady that used to be his cabin boy.

A Few Days Later

Kalinna was nervous. She paced the floor of her small cabin aboard the Shadow Dancer as the ship slowly crept into the London port. She smoothed down the emerald dress, which she had taken off the moment the ship had left the pirate port and had traded for day dress, which was much more suitable for travel by ship. She wanted to impress her relatives; she wanted them to actually like her.

It had been bad enough leaving Anthony, Jackson, and yes, even Justin behind. The pirate captain had been nothing but polite and perhaps a tad bit cold towards her as she had prepared to leave the island. He had offered her a formal apology for the kiss, privately of course, and after he had bid her farewell, that had been the last she had seen of him.

It had almost made her sad to see him go, knowing that was probably the last time in her life that she would interact with him. After all, their lives were worlds apart; there was hardly any chance that they would run into each other again. So she had pushed the memory of the dashing rogue out of her mind and instead concentrated on the day she would be meeting her relatives.

Now that day was finally here. A single, sharp rap on the cabin door startled her out of her tumultuous thoughts and she quickly went to answer it. It was the captain of the ship and her heart lurched violently in her chest.

“M’lady, we have arrived in the London port. I will escort you ashore where your aunt and uncle await you,” the captain, an older gentleman with kind blue eyes, announced.

Silently, Kalinna gathered up the few small belongings that she had carried on the ship with her. The trunks that had been packed and provided for her would be unloaded by the crew in the next few hours, and sent on to her uncle’s house. She was glad she did not have to worry about that; however, she would have taken that over meeting her long-lost, well-connected relatives any day.

With a deep breath, and knowing she could avoid the inevitable no longer, she took the arm the captain offered her and allowed him to lead her above decks. The sun was shining brightly as they reached the deck, and Kalinna had to blink to adjust to the new setting. Quietly she scanned the docks, searching for a possible telltale sign that would announce the presence of her aunt and uncle.

She was shocked, however, when a dashing-looking man, with dark hair and eyes that matched her mother’s exactly, boarded the ship and approached the two of them. With a slight bow, the captain let go of her arm and left her standing there, trembling under the intense gaze of the man that could only be her uncle. The older man studied her for a moment, before a boyish grin broke out on his face and he pulled her in for a great big hug.

“Kalinna, my dear, you look just like your mother,” the man stated as he held her close; she could do nothing but hug him back, “I am your Uncle Colin, and I want to be the first to welcome you home.”

“Thank you,” Kalinna softly responded as her uncle released her and she stared at the planks of the ship, embarrassed.

“My dear, do not be shy. You are family, and you will be treated as thus,” Colin commanded as he lifted her chin with a finger, “Now come, meet the rest of the family. I assure you, you shall enjoy your stay with us.”

“Thank you Uncle Colin,” Kalinna said, tears welling up in her eyes.

She surprised them both by throwing both her arms about his neck and squeezing tight. The older man felt tears well up in his eyes as he held tightly to the only child of his beloved younger sister. Too many years had been wasted; too much time had been lost. Well it was time to make up for that.

It was time for Kalinna to know her true family.

One Year Later

Muted laughter could be heard over the melodic tones of the orchestra as it played a waltz. Candlelight cheerily blazed over the heads of the crowded ballroom, adding to the Christmas spirit and illuminating the couples as they danced around the room. A lighthearted atmosphere was present as the people celebrated Christmas Eve together.

Tables were set up along one edge of the dance floor, and were draped with expensive white linens. On one side of the ballroom lay a half dozen set of large glass doors, framed by draping white curtains, which were thrown open to the chilly December night in order to keep the room at a comfortable temperature. A few brave couples wandered out onto the balcony overseeing the gardens and could be seen strolling along.

It seemed as if all the crème de la crème of London society was in attendance. The gentlemen were dressed in their finest tailored suits, bedecked with ribbons, jewels and chains while the ladies were attired in beautiful gowns of gold, silver and white silks with extravagant hairstyles and glittering gems. All wore masks to disguise their true identity. After all, it was Madame Chesterfield’s masked ball, the highlight of the year.

From her spot next to her aunt, Kalinna adjusted the half mask that covered her face and fanned herself. She was still amazed that she was here, at the most talked-about party in all of London, and to top it off, she was spending the holiday season with her newfound family. Her mood could not be better.

She was also thankful for the small breather as she allowed her aunt and uncle to introduce her around to their many acquaintances and friends. After all, there was hardly a time at a ball or gathering where she was left alone by the young men in attendance. Now seemed to be a rare exception.

It was not that she didn’t enjoy the attention; it was just that she found herself comparing all of the gentleman to Justin, and none seemed to measure up, which left her slightly disappointed. She knew it was foolish to act this way, but she feared that she could not help it. There was something about the pirate captain that just had her blood racing and she had yet to find a young man of respectable London society who did the same.

Kalinna sighed. She knew that she should be more grateful to her aunt and uncle, and especially her grandmother, for introducing her into society and lavishing her with such finery. However, she couldn’t fight the nagging sense that life had been more fulfilling when she had been on her own, fighting French pirates and scrubbing the decks of the Christina.

From the moment she had stepped foot off the Shadow Dancer a year ago, Kalinna had been swept up in a whirlwind of activity. She had met her aunt, and cousins, as well as many other relatives, who all seemed to take to her, as she did to them. Her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Barclay, had seen fit that she was properly cared for, complete with a brand new wardrobe, an introduction into society, and a sizeable inheritance. From there, things had seemed to only pick up pace.

She had attended ball after ball, danced with many young men, been introduced to so many people the names kept her head spinning. And somehow, unbeknownst to her, she had managed to charm them all. It had been just yesterday that the Dowager had overheard the conversation of two eligible young gentlemen, and how they had been raving about her granddaughter.

There was also speculation among many of the ladies of the ton, as Kalinna’s aunt had reported, what lucky man would be the one to win the heart of such a beautiful, well-mannered and elegant lady. The Dowager Duchess, however, knew it would have to be somebody special. Somebody who was Kalinna’s equal. And so far, no man had come remotely close to the elder lady’s standards.

“Kalinna dear, come forward, there is someone I would like you to meet,” Rachel Wickham, Kalinna’s aunt and the current Duchess of Barclay, stated as she placed a hand on the young woman’s arm.

Kalinna immediately stepped forward and turned her attention to the regal lady that stood next her aunt. The woman was dressed in a beautiful flowing gown of the softest silver, her golden locks drawn up in the latest style. A large diamond pendant glowed around her neck. Yet what drew Kalinna in were the woman’s eyes. Though her face was hidden behind a half mask, the snapping blue eyes distinctly reminded Kalinna of a handsome pirate captain.

She shook herself. This was becoming too much. She was seeing Justin’s eyes on another person…and a woman to boot! It was time to let demons rest and forget about the man. It would do her no good to dwell on what she could never have.

The woman removed her mask, as did the young man next to her, and Kalinna found herself doing the same. It was better that she put an actual face to the name her aunt was saying.

“Kalinna, this is my good friend Christina, the Duchess of Schellden. She and your mother were the best of friends years ago,” Rachel Wickham continued; Kalinna curtseyed to the woman, who did the same, “And this is her youngest son, Derrick.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Kalinna responded as she curtseyed.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Derrick responded as he made a quick bow over he hand and kissed it. Kalinna blushed.

“Oh Derrick, stop making such a fuss and let the young woman breathe,” the Duchess of Schellden scolded as she batted her son on the arm.

“I am sorry that you find my charm so disarming mother,” Derrick replied as he placed a quick kiss on his mother’s cheek, “Now if you ladies will pardon my hasty exit, but I believe I am needed in the salon.”

With a last bow, and after returning his mask to its rightful place, Derrick took off in the direction of the salon, where many of the men had sought comfort in drink and cigars. The Duchess of Schellden turned her full attention back to the young woman as her son disappeared into the crowd.

“You shall have to excuse Derrick. He sometimes seems to think that the world revolves around him. I do not know where he gets it from,” Christina said with a roll of her eyes, “My eldest son should be along any moment, and I pray that he has more sense than that brother of his.”

“I am sure I shall enjoy meeting him, as long as he is nothing like some of the boorish men I have been forced to dance with this evening,” Kalinna retorted, then promptly clamped a hand over her mouth in horror.

Much to Kalinna’s surprise, the duchess let out a laugh and her blue eyes twinkled in merriment. The young woman let out a silent sigh of relief.

“I am sorry…”

“My dear, do not apologize. You have the same spirit your mother had when she was your age,” Christina stated, smiling, “Just as you have her beauty.”

“Thank you my lady,” Kalinna responded.

“Now come, let us take a stroll. Standing still like this makes me feel like an old woman,” the duchess announced as she linked arms with the younger woman; Kalinna smiled.

“Tell me about my mother,” Kalinna said as soon as they were alone, “My father rarely talks about her anymore, and never did he mention her family, or the connections she had to London society.”

“Well, as I am sure you are aware, your mother and grandmother had quite a heated argument when Elizabeth announced that she was going to marry your father,” Christina began, “Everybody thought that she would marry a nobleman. In fact, her father, your grandfather, believed that Elizabeth would marry no lower than a viscount.”

“I take it my mother believed otherwise,” Kalinna stated.

“Apparently so,” Christina confirmed, frowning, “Though I must admit, your mother’s engagement to Richard seemed somewhat out of the blue; none of us knew him all that well, and he did not seem the sort of man your mother had dreamed of when we had been girls.”

“But I thought the reason my mother ran away with my father is because they were deeply in love and my grandmother would not allow them to marry,” Kalinna commented, a little confused.

“I believe, in her heart, your mother cared deeply for Richard, but something did not appear right. At least in my eyes, and I had known your mother for many years; we had been girlhood friends,” Christina explained, then shrugged, “But do not take to heart the ramblings of an old lady. Your mother made the choices she wanted, and I will not condemn her for them.”

Kalinna smiled as the duchess grew silent, lost, apparently, in memories of the past. The young woman let the silence continue, as she became lost in her own thoughts. She knew that her parents had not gotten along perfectly, in fact, their entire marriage, at least that she had seen, seemed to be one argument after the other. Maybe there was something to the story that neither Kalinna, nor the duchess for that matter, knew. Kalinna desperately wished her mother was alive so that they could set the story straight, but alas, that wish was not meant to be.

“Oh dear, I have become lost in my memories. I am sorry my dear. Would you like to hear of some of the stories when your mother and I were growing up together,” Christina suddenly questioned as she shook herself out of her daze.

“Yes, indeed,” Kalinna readily agreed, smiling.

“Well, then, let me think…”

The two continued to stroll the edge of the dance floor, Kalinna listening intently as the duchess recounted story after story of the times she spent with Kalinna’s mother, and of the trouble the two used to get into. Therefore, she was unaware of an intense blue gaze that had had her locked in its sight for the past ten minutes.

The young man was dressed in black breeches with knee-high boots. A black waistcoat was worn over a deep blue tunic adorned with silver buttons, which matched the silver buckle at his waist. His hair was styled so that blondish-brown curls were visible over the half mask he wore to conceal his identity.

Within the mask, the deep blue eyes stayed focused on Kalinna Davenport and the Duchess of Schellden. The eyes narrowed as a young man interrupted the two women and asked the younger to dance with him. She accepted, leaving the duchess alone and thus giving him time to talk to her.

He moved gracefully across the room, one eye on the duchess, the other on Kalinna, who was being whisked around the ballroom by some young fop, who could barely keep time with the music. He increased his pace, annoyance evident in his stride. And at that precise moment, the young woman and her dance partner stopped right in front of him, where the silly young man proceeded to try to kiss her.

“May I cut in?” he questioned as he stepped up to the couple, wondering what on earth he was doing, running a risk such as this.

“You may,” Kalinna replied as she turned and stepped into his arms. Her previous partner stood there throwing him daggers with his eyes, furious at the ruined opportunity to kiss the most sought-after young woman at the entire ball.

The music began, a slow, sultry waltz, and the two of them were off. Kalinna smiled gratefully up at him, recognizable even though half her face was hidden by her mask.

“I must thank you sir, for rescuing me from that unpleasant situation,” she said in a light tone, “I fear the young man was ever-pressing in that regard and could not be persuaded to discontinue his affection.”

“Well than it is lucky for you I was nearby to stop such a catastrophe from occurring,” the young man quickly replied.

“Indeed it was,” the young woman responded with a small laugh, “If looks could kill, sir, I believe you would be dead a hundred times over.”

“Then we must both be thankful that the young man does not have a sword, or else I might be facing my doom at this moment instead of sharing a dance with a beautiful woman such as yourself,” he replied; she blushed.

“Thank you,” she shyly responded before allowing him to lead her in a turn, “I am Kalinna Davenport, lady of Barclay.”

“I am the Duke of Schellden,” he nervously responded, suddenly feeling the need to bolt out of the room, “You were just conversing with my mother a few minutes earlier.”

“Ah, so you are the elder brother, the one who is rumored to have better manners,” Kalinna stated, openly grinning.

“You must have met that fiend of a brother that I unfortunately have,” the duke responded with a short laugh, “I do not know if an apology from me is enough to cover the damage inflicted by his ego.”

“Do not worry sir, he has done nothing to cause offense,” Kalinna said, not wanting to be the cause of a fight between two brothers, “I was merely commenting on the fact that our meeting was so brief that it is a wonder I met him at all.”

“Derrick still has a lot of growing up to do,” the duke stated in reply as he gazed down at her with his blue eyes, “You do not need to make any excuses for his behavior or fear that you are causing a row between us. Now tell me, how are you enjoying London? Is it to your liking?”

“Oh, very much so,” the young woman eagerly responded, smiling, “I have not been to so many balls and gatherings in my entire life. I fear my head is spinning from all the people my aunt, uncle and grandmother have introduced me to.” The duke let out a laugh.

“Do not worry yourself overmuch about that. The names shall come in time,” he assured her, “And how is your grandmother? It has been a long time since I last conversed with, yet if I remember correctly, she is a spitfire of a woman.”

“Oh yes, one would not believe she is a grandmother at all,” Kalinna gaily responded, her eyes glittering with love for the woman, “I do not know how I will ever repay her generosity. She is the one responsible for all this finery, and has also set up an inheritance for me. I only wish that her and my mother would have been able to put aside their differences so I could have known my relatives sooner.”

“Well it appears that you are surely making up for lost time, no?” the duke questioned as the music changed to a languid ballad, and he drew her closer.

Kalinna mutely nodded her head, unable to form a coherent reply due to his nearness, the masculine scent of him stirring up a distant memory. She tried to latch onto it, to no avail. So she shrugged it aside and concentrated on dancing, rather than the handsome man who stood before her, who was causing her heart to speed up.

Silence descended over the pair as the music changed from the slow ballad to a more up-tempo piece. There was no time for words, however, as the two of them concentrated on dancing, unaware that they were catching the attention of many of the other guests.

They made quite a handsome couple, and danced well together. So well, that soon, they were the only couple on the floor. The fact that the masks disguised the couple’s identity added to the excitement buzzing through the room, though many a young man knew, with heavy hearts, that this was the beautiful Kalinna.

Kalinna dipped and spun; her thoughts were out of focus, her attention solely on the man in front of her. Something flickered again in the back of her brain as she gazed intently into his blue eyes, but each time she tried to grasp it, it flitted away. So she continued to dance, allowing the duke to dip her, and enjoying the feeling of him holding her close.

Justin didn’t know how much more he could take. It was obvious that Kalinna did not recognize him, had not yet put two and two together, for which he was grateful. However, he knew this bubble of ignorance she was living in was bound to be popped sooner or later. And it appeared that it would be sooner, if the evening continued as it was going.

He didn’t know why he had allowed his mother to convince him to attend this ball. He had come home, intending to spend the Christmas holiday with his mother and brother, make a short visit to his father’s grave, check in with the English government, and then be back out to sea. Somehow, he knew things were not going to work out in his favor.

The music came to a close and Justin pulled Kalinna into a last dip. Clapping echoed through the ballroom, jolting the pair out of their thoughts and alerting them to the fact that they were, indeed, the only couple on the dance floor. Kalinna felt a blush rise to her cheeks.

“It appears we have charmed them all,” the duke quietly whispered as he righted the young woman and the two stepped apart.

“Indeed,” Kalinna replied, breathless.

Thankfully, the music started back up again and other couples filed back onto the dance floor to enjoy a slower-paced song. Kalinna and Justin stood there, a bit awkward after their display of dancing skills. They didn’t quite know what to say, but the silence did not last long, for it was only moments later that their hostess, Madame Chesterfield, Duchess of Windmere, claimed everybody’s attention.

“The time is now midnight. I would like to wish everybody a very merry Christmas,” the stout lady announced to the hushed crowd, “Feel free to remove your masks and enjoy the champagne.”

Hesitantly, Kalinna’s hands went to the ties of the mask, shaking for some reason. Maybe it was all the champagne that she had consumed earlier in the night. Or maybe it was all the dancing she had done that had left her a bit lightheaded.

But maybe, just maybe, it was the anticipation and the nervousness of seeing the face of the man standing in front of her. A man that somehow made her heart beat and blood boil just like the pirate captain had managed to do over a year ago.

Justin felt dread in his heart. How could he avoid taking off his mask and keep his identity concealed? All around them, masks were being removed and people were hugging, wishing Merry Christmas, and celebrating. He had no valid excuse to leave the mask on, and he certainly did not want to lie.

So somehow, his fingers slowly made their way to the ties that kept the mask in place, wondering what Kalinna’s reaction would be. He knew she would be angry, hell, he expected her to give him a good piece of her mind; all of that he could deal with. However, he was not sure how he would react if she refused to see him ever again.

Kalinna quickly withdrew her mask, and her green eyes immediately went to the young man standing next to her, who was still in the process of removing his mask. Oh how she itched to just yank the concealing contraption from his face and look at him. But she thankfully repressed the urge.

Finally, he dropped the mask from his face and Kalinna felt herself become lightheaded as she gazed at the one person she thought she’d never see again. Was she hallucinating? Had she drank too much champagne this evening? Or was that really Justin Timberlake, the pirate, standing before her, looking handsome in all his finery?

And he had introduced himself as the Duke of Schellden. But that was impossible – the man was in charge of a ship of unruly pirates. A ship that plundered, and raged the high seas…and was named the Christina. The Duchess of Schellden’s first name was Christina, how could that just be a coincidence?

“Kalinna, I…” the young man began as he stepped towards her; she immediately took a step back, her green eyes wide, her face pale.

“Do not touch me,” she whispered; his outstretched hand immediately fell back to his side.

“I can explain,” he began, blue eyes pleading, “Just give me a chance.”

“You lied to me,” she said in a low voice, her eyes narrowing in anger, “Why? What are you hiding from me? How could you treat me like I am a blind idiot? Just leave me alone, I never want to speak to you again.” Justin felt his heart sink.

“If you would just let me explain…” he began again, but was interrupted by the untimely arrival of his mother.

“Justin dear, there you are. Merry Christmas sweetheart,” the duchess began as she placed a motherly kiss upon his cheek, “And I see you have already met Kalinna. Wonderful.”

“If you two will excuse me, I seem to have developed are rather nasty headache and fear I must depart for home. Merry Christmas to you both and goodnight,” Kalinna stiffly responded, curtseying before she left a dejected Justin and bewildered Christina behind.

“Justin, what on earth is going on here?” Christina demanded, her eyes narrowing as she pulled her eldest offspring to a secluded corner of the ballroom, “What have you done to offend the young lady?”

But Justin was not paying any attention to the duchess. His eyes were trained solely on Kalinna Davenport as she donned her outer wrappings and left with her aunt, uncle, and grandmother, taking his heart with her.

Three Days Later – December 27

Kalinna yawned as she grumpily rolled over, and tried to block out the sunlight coming from the windows. The drapes had been opened by a maid just moments earlier and the request had come from the Dowager for Kalinna to join her for breakfast. Yet all she wanted to do was bury herself in the pillows and forget what had happened a couple nights ago.

The image of Justin’s face came back to haunt her, and with a huff, she rolled out of bed, donned her dressing gown and slippers, and went to sit at her vanity. She took a brush to her long hair as she gazed at herself in the mirror. Green eyes, a freckled face, and lips turned down in a frown stared back at her, and with a roll of her eyes, she threw down the brush and crossed the room to ring the bell for the maid.

The maid came almost immediately and it was about ten minutes later that Kalinna was dressed in a pretty day dress of spring green, made of calico, with bell sleeves, a scooping neckline, and straight, simple skirts. Slippers adorned her feet and her hair was pulled up in a simple knot at the top of her head, small tendrils of hair escaping to rest against her cheeks and neck.

Kalinna slowly made her way to the formal breakfast room, which was decorated with a mahogany table and matching chairs, two tall cupboards, three smaller ones and a small hutch in one corner. A long Persian rug was placed over the finished hardwood floor, the walls papered in a muted beige with small rose buds, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Three tall windows lined two sides of the room and were draped in a light green that matched the rosebud leaves on the wallpaper. All in all, this was one of Kalinna’s favorite rooms.

“Good morning my dear,” Violet Wickham stated the moment she laid eyes on her granddaughter, “How did you sleep?”

“Very well, thank you,” Kalinna quietly replied as she allowed Sanford, one of the servants, to pull out a chair for her and seat her at the table.

“And you are feeling better? No more awful headaches like the one you had at the Christmas Eve ball?” the Dowager prompted.

“Not a single headache since then,” Kalinna stated as she looked down at the empty plate that sat before her. She hated lying to Violet, especially since the old lady seemed to have a keen sense for when something was amiss.

However, there was no way she was going to tell the former duchess that she had spent a couple months on a ship with one Duke of Schellden. A man who was supposedly one of the most eligible bachelors of high society. And she certainly wasn’t going to tell anybody that that same man had kissed her.

Violet had asked after her health each morning for the past three days, which led Kalinna to believe that the elder lady knew something had transpired that the young woman was not talking about. But Violet did not directly come out and ask Kalinna what the problem was, and the young lady was certainly not going to offer any information at this point in time. So they just continued to skirt around the problem.

“Sanford, please make Kalinna a plate for breakfast,” the Dowager stated a moment later to the serving man who had gone to stand in one corner of the room after seating Kalinna at the table.

“Right away my lady,” the middle-aged man responded as he turned to Kalinna, “And what will you be drinking with the morning meal my lady? Tea? Juice?”

“Orange juice will do just fine, thank you Sanford,” Kalinna said, giving the middle-aged man a genuine smile. With a blush, he quickly left the room for the kitchen.

“I was thinking that perhaps today, we shall attend an opera. I know your aunt, uncle and I have kept you terribly busy the past year, introducing you around to friends and acquaintances that you have not had much time to yourself,” Violet began, buttering a biscuit as she spoke and training her eyes on the young woman who sat to her immediate right, “Does that agree with you?”

“Oh, I would like that very much,” Kalinna enthusiastically responded, “I have always wanted to go to an opera, but my father would never allow it. He said it was a sin to attend.”

“Nonsense,” the Dowager said with a shake of her head, “The true sin would be to turn a deaf ear to popular culture. I believe you will greatly enjoy the opera.”

“I am sure that I will,” Kalinna said as Sanford came back with her glass of juice and a full plate of food, “Will my aunt and uncle be attending as well?”

“Your uncle has some business to attend to for the evening, I’m afraid, however, I believe your aunt and cousin are going to join us for the evening once your cousin arrives home,” Violet explained as she smiled.

“Benton is coming home from school?” Kalinna questioned, referring to the 24-year old cousin who had just finished his last year at Oxford and was returning to help his father manage the estates.

“Yes my dear,” Violet responded as she turned her attention back to her food, “Do not be worried, you will take an instant liking to Benton, as I’m sure he will take an instant liking to you. And perhaps he can help ward away those suitors who do not meet your fancy.”

Before Kalinna could even begin to think of a reply to her grandmother’s comment, Sanford reappeared in the room carrying a tray with a letter. It was addressed to Kalinna, and the handwriting quickly gave way to the fact that it was from a gentleman. The young woman had to refrain from rolling her eyes, wondering if she had yet another admirer writing her sappy love poems.

“My lady, this letter has just arrived for you. And I was told that the messenger needs a reply to take back to his master,” Sanford announced as he approached the table and held the tray out to the young miss.

Hesitantly, Kalinna picked up the parchment from the tray, her eyes widening as she noticed the official-looking seal that kept the single page folded together. It was from the Duke of Schellden. Lord in heavens, what could he want with her now? Especially when she specifically told him to stay away from her.

She quickly broke the seal and began to read the letter, not noticing the curious look her grandmother was sending in her direction. She was shocked at the young duke’s bold request for her to accompany him to the opera tonight, as if she could forgive and forget all the lies that had fallen so easily from his lips over a year ago.

“Who is it from my dear?” Violet questioned, her eyes sparkling with excitement, “Do you have another admirer? Hopefully this one will not send you one of those awful poems.” Kalinna didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her grandmother’s absurd statement.

“The Duke of Schellden has asked me to accompany him to the opera tonight,” she finally stated, her voice flat and devoid of any emotion.

“The Duke of Schellden? Christina’s son has shown some interest in you, why my dear, that is absolutely wonderful. He is such a magnificent young man,” Violet began, clapping her hands together like a young child, “Your mother used to be best friends with Christina, and I remember the two of them talking about that when they had children…”

“I am not going,” Kalinna interrupted, staring stonily at her half-empty plate.

“What? My dear, why on earth not?” the Dowager questioned, fully confused, “I am aware that the two of you danced at the Christmas Eve Ball, and seemed to like each other well enough, if not more. What has you so dead-set against accompanying the duke?”

The young woman did not know how to answer her grandmother’s question. Should she tell the truth and risk alienating her grandmother and the rest of her relatives? Or would it be better to come up with some sort of lie to throw them off track for now?

Kalinna sighed.

“I would rather spend time getting to know my cousin,” she quickly supplied as her grandmother continued to study her, “And the duke is too arrogant for my tastes.”

The Dowager burst out laughing at her granddaughter’s last statement on the Duke of Schellden’s arrogance. It was true, the man had too much pride for one human being, and he could be insufferable at times, but it was not like Kalinna could not handle him. If anything, she could probably put him in his place with her sharp tongue and dazzling wit.

“My dear, the duke will only be as arrogant as you allow him. Use that head of yours and put him in his place. Lord knows he deserves it once in awhile,” Violet finally stated after she had gotten her laughter under control, “You cannot have me believing that that is the sole reason you mean to snub your nose at one of the most handsome, eligible bachelors out there.”

Kalinna gritted her teeth in order to refrain from breaking down and telling her grandmother the true story of what had transpired between her and Justin Timberlake, Duke of Schellden. Thankfully her aunt and cousin chose that moment to enter the room, thus saving Kalinna from answering the Dowager’s questions.

Benton Wickham was an exact replica of his father, Colin. With a dark head of straight hair, boyish grin, tall lean frame complete with broad shoulders, and a determined stride there was no doubt that he was his father’s son. His eyes, however, were his mother’s, a sparkling blue fringed with dark lashes.

“Why Benton, we weren’t expecting you for another few hours,” Violet said as she quickly got to her feet and went to envelop the tall, lean figure that was Kalinna’s cousin, “How was the trip home?”

“Dull and boring as usual,” Benton grumbled, grinning as he gave his grandmother a great big bear hug before turning his attention to Kalinna, who had gotten up from her chair, “And you must be Kalinna.”

“Yes…” was all the young woman could manage to get out before Benton pulled her in for a tight hug. Laughing, she hugged him back with all her might before they stepped apart.

“Welcome to this crazy bunch of people I call family,” the young man stated as he dropped an arm casually about her shoulders.

“The only crazy person around here is you my dear,” Rachel told her son with a roll of her eyes.

“And I love you too mother,” Benton retorted, gazing down at Kalinna with laughing eyes, “Now what is this my mother tells me about attending the opera tonight? Am I to be your escort then?”

Before Kalinna could open her mouth to reply in the affirmative, the letter from the Duke of Schellden completely forgotten, the Dowager quickly piped up with her own response.

“I hope you are not too disappointed to hear that our Kalinna will be accompanying the Duke of Schellden to the opera this evening,” Violet coyly responded, “I trust you remember him from earlier school days?”

“Why yes, Justin and I go way back. In fact, if I remember correctly, he, Anthony Maddox, and I used to pull these pranks on…” Benton began, but was sharply cut off by an elbow in the side from the cousin he had just met. Rachel and Violet just chose to ignore the misdeeds the young man had been about to reveal.

“And you have accepted his invitation?” Rachel questioned her niece, her eyes lighting up in excitement precisely the way the Dowager’s had done minutes earlier.

“Well I…” Kalinna began, chewing her lip in thought.

“Of course she will accept. There is no better man I know than Justin Timberlake,” Benton stated, then grinned, “Unless I count myself, in which case, he is the second best man of my acquaintance.”

“Benton, I do believe your head has grown since you last came home,” Rachel teased her only son, grinning as he pretended to be offended.

“My dear mother, you are getting as bad as that sister of mine,” Benton retorted as he and Rachel joined Violet and Kalinna at the breakfast table for a meal, “And speaking of which, how is Georgiana doing these days?”

“She and Caleb have been busy taking care of their two children,” Rachel responded, referring to her other child, Benton’s older sister Georgiana, “They will be back to ring in the new year with us as they are visiting Caleb’s family for a few days.”

“You will like Georgiana immensely,” Benton stated, turning to Kalinna as he spoke, “And if you ask her any question about married life, she will surely have an answer.” Kalinna felt the blood drain from her face at that comment.

“Hold your tongue Benton,” Violet sharply instructed as she noticed the strained look on her granddaughter’s face, “Now Kalinna, I believe you are keeping the duke’s messenger waiting. Perhaps you should reply to the gentleman’s letter.”

“Yes,” Kalinna faintly responded, not quite knowing what else to say.

“Good girl,” Violet said with a reassuring smile.

“You let me know if he so much steps one toe out of line, you hear me Kalinna?” Benton stated, grinning, “I will be more than happy to stick up for your honor, even if that means dueling with one of my old friends.”

Laughter rang out through the room, cutting through the tension and lifting everybody’s spirits. Kalinna got off a quick reply to Justin’s messenger, who immediately left for his master’s home. She then returned her attention to her breakfast, her hands shaking, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

Kalinna nervously fidgeted as she sat and allowed the maid to curl and style her hair a couple hours later. A beautiful ball gown of sage green silk, complete with matching shoes and hair ornaments, hung in plain view of the young miss, reminding her exactly where she was going that night, and exactly who she was going with.

“Kalinna, dear, if you stop fidgeting for one moment, I believe Alice will be able to finish with your hair in less time,” the kind voice of her Aunt Rachel stated into the silence.

The older woman stood in the doorway, dressed in a fine gown of dark blue silk, her dark locks piled above her head in a demur, but attractive style. Beautiful diamonds hung at her throat and sparkled in the soft lighting of Kalinna’s bedroom. The young woman immediately beckoned her aunt in, and the elder quickly came and sat near her niece, who was now chewing thoughtfully on her lip.

“Don’t be nervous my dear,” Rachel reassured Kalinna as she gave the young woman a bright smile, “You are so much like your mother that I have no doubt that you will sweep the duke off his feet. I remember going to a ball and saw your mother, who was holding the attention of almost every eligible gentleman who was there that evening.” Kalinna tried to laugh, but it came out something like a choked sob.

“I don’t want to sweep him off his feet,” Kalinna admitted with a sigh as the maid finished her hair, “Aunt Rachel, can I tell you something?”

“Why of course my dear, Alice, will you give us a moment?” Rachel responded; the maid immediately left the room and shut the door as she left, “Now tell me what is on your mind. Does this have to do with the duke?”

“Yes, everything,” Kalinna whispered.

“Come, sit with me Kalinna,” Rachel coaxed, patting the empty spot next to her on the two-person loveseat. The young woman immediately obeyed.

“Uncle and I have had numerous talks about the months that I was gone before I came to stay here,” Kalinna bravely began as she took a deep breath.

And with that, the whole entire story tumbled out. Kalinna told her aunt of her adventures as pirate Justin Timberlake’s cabin boy. How she had disguised herself as a boy, fooled everybody aboard the ship, dueled with French pirates, almost drowned, and how they had all discovered she was a girl. She didn’t leave anything out. And with cheeks flaming, the last thing she told her aunt was of the kiss she had shared with Justin the night before she had left to head back to England.

“I just recently discovered that the pirate Justin Timberlake, and Justin Timberlake, Duke of Schellden are one and the same,” Kalinna concluded with a frown, “Now I don’t know what to believe about the man, and I certainly am not comfortable accompanying him to the opera this evening.”

“Oh my dear, why did you not speak up earlier?” Rachel questioned, hugging her niece close, “I have known Justin since he was a lad, and I can assure you that he is a gentleman in every sense of the word. He may have too much pride and he may be arrogant as all hell, but underneath it all, he has a good heart.”

“I hope you are right,” was all Kalinna could manage.

Twenty minutes later saw Kalinna walking down the grand staircase of her uncle’s house to meet Justin, who, she had been told, had arrived a few moments earlier. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and practically clutched the stair railing to steady herself. Her cousin was talking with Justin as she descended, but as soon as they caught sight of her, their conversation ceased. She immediately felt a blush rise to her cheeks.

Justin knew that his jaw was practically on the floor as he watched Kalinna descend the staircase. He couldn’t help it. Her beauty just took his breath away.

Hesitantly, he walked forward to meet her at the bottom of the staircase and held out his arm for her. He was thankful when she took it, and he risked a short glance down at her. He was surprised to see her face turned toward his, studying him, an unreadable expression on her face.

“You look beautiful tonight Miss Kalinna,” he quietly told her, tightening his hold on her arm as he spoke, “I do hope that you will enjoy the evening.”

“I am sure that I will your Grace,” the young woman softly responded, after she had finally torn her eyes from the handsome man’s face.

“I trust we shall see each other at the opera then?” Benton stated, reminding the pair that they were not alone in the hallway, “And Justin, you better take care of her, or I swear…”

“Well, we are off then, and shall see you later,” Justin states as he quickly shook Benton’s hand, and received a warning look from the younger man.

After helping Kalinna into her cloak, and buttoning his outer jacket back up, Justin held open the front door for the young woman, and escorted her to his carriage, where he immediately helped her in. Once the two were comfortably settled across from each other, Justin immediately pulled a blanket from beneath one of the seats and handed it to Kalinna.

“So you don’t catch a chill,” Justin stated when he saw her questioning look.

“Thank you,” she softly responded as the carriage began to move and headed in the direction of the lavish opera house.

Silence descended over them as Kalinna focused her gaze out the window, on the ceiling, to her fingernails…anywhere but the handsome man across from her whom she still had no idea what to make of. From his position, Justin could tell that the young lady was uncomfortable in his presence. If only they could have met under different circumstances. In his eyes she would make the perfect…

“Why did you lie to me?” Kalinna abruptly questioned, fixing an intense green-eyed stare in his direction.

Justin felt his throat constrict at the direct question. What could he tell her? He could, in no way, risk blowing the cover he had worked so hard to craft for the benefit of the English government. But he also could not keep her in the dark for much longer, or else he would risk losing her.

He scowled. Losing her? She was not, by any means, his to lose. He was stupid to think that just because he had spent months with her on a pirate ship, and had helped her discover her true heritage, that he had any claim to her.

A sigh escaped the young woman’s lips, her patience beginning to wear thin as the silence continued to stretch on in the carriage. Just as Justin was about to open his lips with a short explanation, the carriage pulled to a stop in front of the opera house and they had no choice but to remove themselves from the quiet solitude the short ride had provided.

“You are not going to answer me, are you?” Kalinna questioned as she allowed the duke to help her alight and quickly pulled her arm from his once her feet had reached solid ground. They quickly walked into the warm air of the opera house.

“Kalinna, please…” Justin began, but was cut off.

“Justin, my dear, I had no idea you were in town for the holidays!” a young woman dressed in a beautiful red dress, blonde hair piled high, cried as she rushed over and threw her arms around the tall man’s neck.

“Nice to see you too Penelope,” Justin grunted in annoyance.

“And who is this lovely lady?” the chatty blonde questioned as she turned a blue-eyed gaze to Kalinna, who stood silently next to the duke.

“Penelope, this is Kalinna Davenport, the niece of the Duke of Barclay,” Justin began as he once again tucked Kalinna’s arm into his, “Kalinna, this is my cousin Penelope Sutherland, wife of the Viscout of Rye.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Kalinna politely murmured as she gave the young woman a small curtsey.

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Penelope happily responded as she dipped into a quick curtsey of her own, “We must get together some time and do lunch. I had heard that you have only been in London a year, and still have not seen all the sites. I am told that I am an excellent guide.”

“I’m sure that will all be just wonderful my dear cousin, but we must hurry and take our seats so that we do not miss the opening of the opera,” Justin interceded, much to Kalinna’s relief, “Tell your husband I am sorry I missed him, and we shall see you later.”

Before Penelope had a chance to reply, Justin quickly steered Kalinna in the direction of his private box, where they were helped out of their outer wrappings and sat down. Justin still had not bothered to explain anything to Kalinna, and by that point, the young woman was highly annoyed with him.

The entire first act passed by in a blur. But Kalinna was not really enjoying herself, due solely to the fact that she was sitting next to the most irritating, arrogant, and prideful man she had ever had the pleasure of meeting.

As the curtains closed, signaling the twenty-minute intermission between acts, Kalinna was shocked to find herself being pulled to her feet. Wordlessly, Justin practically dragged her out of their private booth, down the hall, and to a secluded corner of a deserted hallway. Once they had stopped, Kalinna immediately yanked her hand from the duke’s strong grip and glared daggers at him.

“What is the meaning of this?!?” she hissed, crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes emitted emerald fire, “You sir, are way out of line. Kindly take me to my aunt’s booth right this minute.”

“Not until we talk,” Justin stubbornly responded, his blue eyes icy, “You wanted an explanation, well that is precisely what you are going to get.”

“You dragged me all the way out here so that you could explain yourself? Are you that embarrassed of yourself that you can’t risk being overheard by some silly gossiper?” the young woman spat.

Out of the corner of his eye, Justin saw somebody running towards him, a sword drawn. Without thinking, he pushed Kalinna behind him, drew his sword, and parried with the attacker just in time.

Angrily, Justin fought his attacker, wanting nothing more than to get back to talking with Kalinna. Kalinna, with her expressive green eyes. Kalinna with her sharp tongue and quick smile. Kalinna who…was attacking the masked man!

Justin felt his throat go dry as he noticed Kalinna advancing on the man he was fighting, a serving tray clutched in her hand. Without thinking, Justin quickly increased the intensity of the attack so his opponent had to concentrate solely on the swordplay. He never saw the tray coming his way, and quickly slumped into unconsciousness.

Justin and Kalinna stood staring each other down, the former breathing from the exertion of the fight, the latter biting her lip and deep in thought. Without a word, Justin quickly held out his hand to Kalinna, snapping her out of her train of thoughts. She silently accepted.

“I think it is time that I told you the truth,” Justin wearily stated as he sheathed his sword and lead her away from the unconscious body of the attacker, which he would have his driver take care of.

As they came to stand at the end of the hallway, the lively sounds of the opera distant and muted, the entire story began to tumble out of Justin’s lips. Starting from the very beginning, when the English government had first discovered something was amiss, to his becoming involved, to the clues that pointed to Kalinna’s father, and finally, the missing Barclay emeralds.

“You mean to say my father…” Kalinna trailed off, shocked.

“Yes, we believe your father is behind much of this,” Justin confirmed, rubbing a soothing hand down her back as she struggled to comprehend all that he had told her in the past ten minutes.

“That explains why he seemed to want to get me married off in a hurry,” Kalinna mused with a roll of her eyes, “I should have realized that he would look for some other way to line his coffers than just giving me away in marriage.”

“Kalinna, I know this is all a shock to you, but you must promise that you will not breathe a word of this to anyone,” Justin suddenly stated as the young woman began to drift off into her thoughts again, “Your uncle has been informed of what is going on, but still, you must never mention this to anybody, is that clear?”

“Let me help,” she simply replied.

“What?”

“I said let me help. I can disguise myself as a boy again, sneak around, get information for you,” Kalinna suggested, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Absolutely not,” Justin ground out, scowling, “I will put you in that kind of danger.”

“You already did before,” Kalinna reminded him. Justin sighed.

“That was before I knew who you were and before I knew that you were not a boy,” the duke reminded her; she merely rolled her eyes at him.

“That does not matter. You have seen my skill with a sword, and you know for a fact that I am quite capable of going around unnoticed,” Kalinna continued, “Now please, this is my father we are talking about. Let me do something.”

Justin sighed. He knew that letting Kalinna help was going way beyond his better judgment. But he had left his better judgment at the door when he had opened his mouth and told her everything.

“Fine, you may help,” he responded, “But only when I say so.”

“Thank you,” Kalinna breathed, grinning, “I won’t let you down.”

That’s exactly what he was afraid of…

Three Months Later

“Keep an eye on her Benton,” the strong male voice stated over the sound of two sets of boots tapping along the polished wooden floor, “I may have agreed to let her help me in this investigation, but in no way am I prepared to put her life in danger.”

“Don’t worry yourself overmuch Justin. I will see to Kalinna’s care; you just promise me that you’ll find that bastard she calls father,” a second male voice, equally as strong responded, “And when you do, try to leave a piece of him for me.”

Justin snorted, grinning at his friend’s passionate statement. But that was the way Benton was and always had been; passionate, trustworthy, dependable, honest, and above all, the best friend a man could hope for. And all this, Justin knew.

Though Benton had told his family that he had stayed extra years at school to further his knowledge, the truth was that the younger man had been helping in their cause against the French traitors. Justin had come to count heavily on the man when background information was needed on short notice. And of course, Benton added a sense of level-headedness to his and Anthony’s sometimes thoughtless assumptions and actions.

Now that Benton was back in London, it had been easier, and quite inconspicuous to prying eyes, for the two gentlemen to meet up. The two had, unbeknownst to Kalinna and the Wickham family, gone on a few spying missions throughout the city, turning up a few leads and almost getting themselves caught in the process. That is precisely why Justin was taking no chances where Kalinna was concerned.

He knew very well that Benton was itching to get into the fray of things and lend his resources and abilities, but the younger man was the only person, whom Justin knew he could trust, that was in the position to protect and keep an eye on the young woman. And though Kalinna could handle a sword exceptionally well, she was no match for any man strength-wise, much less a man intent on doing her harm.

“I am sure you were looking for more exciting avenues in which to help our cause,” Justin suddenly stated as their discussion of their next move and plans came to a close, “But alas you are the one in the best position to keep an eye on Kalinna.”

“Bah. Keeping up with Kalinna is excitement enough for now,” Benton responded, grinning, “Why just the other day, I saw her sneaking out for a ride before dawn even broke. In boys breeches.”

Justin cursed, rolling his eyes heavenward knowing full well the dangers Kalinna could be exposing herself to in her lone morning rides. The things that spitfire of a woman did never ceased to amaze him. There were times where she mad him so impossibly angry.

And then there were times where one look from her had his blood racing with desire.

Justin quickly squelched that last thought. No sense in opening up that can of worms at this point in time. His thoughts were consumed with thoughts of his mission, and adding Kalinna and what she made him feel to that mix would just drive him crazy.

“Does that chit not realize how much danger she could be putting herself in?” Justin finally exploded, pacing the wood floor as he ran a hand through his blondish-brown curls. Benton hid a smile as he realized just how deeply his friend was beginning to care for his cousin.

“That is precisely why I shall be watching over her like a hawk,” Benton piped up, a slight grin on his cheeks, “Rest your mind Justin, nothing will happen while I am around.” Justin blew out a large breath of air, knowing the younger man was right.

“So you’re heading to port for the next few days then?” Benton questioned a few moments later, breaking the silence that had descended over them.

“Yes. I need some time away from London’s high society. And there are a few matters I must look into while I am there,” Justin responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

“You’ll let me know if anything comes up?” Benton said as the two of them made their way to the front door of Justin’s London townhouse.

“Certainly,” the elder responded.

“Then I’ll take my leave of you,” Benton concluded, and with a slight bow to his friend, left through the front door and to his waiting carriage.

Justin watched through a large front window as his friend’s carriage rode off into the distance. In a way, Kalinna’s life was in Benton’s hands, and though Justin knew he should feel reassured by that fact, he could not help but feel a sense of impending doom.

The next morning

Kalinna hummed to herself as she sat at her vanity in the early morning, lost in thought. She idly pulled the brush through her long hair as the events of the past three months ran through her head. Instantly, a frown marred her otherwise flawless features.

She and Justin were partners. Oh, she knew that was the last thing he wanted, but there was no doubt in her mind that he needed her. She was the link to the one person whom was the greatest suspect in the plot to invade England.

That night back in December, she had not been expecting the Duke of Schellden to come clean about his pirating ways and the reason behind them. She had deemed the man too arrogant and prideful to tell her the real reason behind his clever disguise. However, she had obviously been quite wrong about him in that aspect.

After the truth had been revealed to her, Kalinna had been all too eager to put previous grievances aside and put a tentative foot forward in the task of protecting her homeland. Of course, at the time, it had been a shock discovering her father was involved, but in the past three months, her heart had hardened and she truly couldn’t care less what happened to him. He wasn’t really a father to her – only her sire in name and nothing else.

However, despite their best efforts, the duo had not made much headway in their quest. Lead after lead led to dead ends and more questions that had no way of being answered. It was truly becoming frustrating for both Kalinna and Justin, which is part of the reason the latter had recently removed himself to port.

And the sense of foreboding, felt keenly by Justin, Kalinna, and even members of the Wickham family did nothing to help. Something was on the horizon, there was inevitability in that, but what that something was, none knew.

A knock sounded on Kalinna’s bedroom door, interrupting the quiet solitude she enjoyed in the early morning hours of the day. She was an earlier riser than most as she enjoyed watching the sun rise over the rolling hills and a healthy ride on the horse her uncle had brought here from her father’s house over a year ago. Of course, none knew of these rides besides her, especially since she wore boys breeches on these secret escapades. Thus, a secret is what she wished to keep her improper pre-dawn rides.

Therefore, a knock on her door at such an early hour made her eyebrows rise in surprise. Her uncle was normally the only one about at this point in time, though since Benton’s return from school, he too joined her for tea in the morning after her secret rides. However, neither man had ever sought her out at this time of morning, and especially not in her chambers.

Cautiously, Kalinna opened the door after throwing on her dressing robe over the filmy white nightgown she had slept in. Shock registered on her face when she noticed Benton standing there, fully attired in riding clothing and grinning at her. She stood there mute, her jaw hanging open.

The sound of her cousin’s laughter finally jolted Kalinna out of her stupor, and the young woman quickly gave him a reproving glare.

“What, pray tell, are you doing here at such an hour cousin dearest?” Kalinna pointedly questioned, crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke.

“I was hoping to catch you before you went out for your early morning ride so that I may accompany you. That new beast of yours is itching to race, I can see it in his eyes, and I believe that my own horse, Danger, is up for the challenge,” Benton breezily stated.

For the second time in the past few minutes, Kalinna was speechless, her eyes widened with surprise. How had her cousin known about the early morning rides? Surely she had taken every care not to wake a soul in the house. Not to mention the fact that she looked like a young lad when she went off on her own, not a lady of genteel breeding. After all, she knew that she would receive firm disapproval if any relatives or servants found out about them.

“Whatever are you talking about?” Kalinna finally managed, her voice coming out more like a squeak. Benton couldn’t help the grin that overtook his lips. “Oh all right, I shall meet you in the stable in ten minutes.”

“Don’t forget your boys breeches,” he teased. Kalinna gave him a small shove in exasperation.

“Have you been spying on me then my dear Benton?” she demanded.

“Oh of course not. I merely noticed the few times you were sneaking out dressed like a boy,” the young man responded, much to her horror, “But I’ll take my leave of you so you do not waste out on a moment of your ride.”

With a knowing grin, Benton gave his cousin a little bow before walking back down the corridor and towards the back stairs. They were the same ones she took every morning to avoid being confronted by a servant or relative, so it was obvious her cousin knew the house quite thoroughly. She knew that she should ask about her mother’s room and belongings, but that would have to wait until a later time. For now, she would focus on her ride; hopefully it would help to clear her head as usual.

It was not ten minutes later that Kalinna crept into the stables. She tiptoed towards the stall where her horse, Colby, stood, careful not to wake any of the stable hands, who would be sure to run crying to her uncle if they realized her intent to ride at such an hour.

Benton stood across from her, busily preparing his thoroughbred horse, Danger, for their ride. He briefly glanced up when she entered and sent a lazy grin in her direction, but otherwise, the two remained silent. It wasn’t until they were flying through the silent streets of London did they begin to talk.

“Who taught you to ride so well?” Benton asked as their horses slowed to a gentle trot and he was able to catch his breath from their earlier sprints.

“My mother,” Kalinna stated, a loving smile drifting over her face as she spoke, “Whenever my father was away on business, which was quite often as you may know, my mother would take me on rides out to the English countryside. Once we were out of sight of the ton and anybody else, we would don boys breeches and have races.”

“I recall my father telling me stories of him, your mother, and our aunt, how grandmother had a hard time keeping the three of them away from horseflesh,” Benton added, “And your mother won each and every race they had, so the story goes.”

“My mother was, indeed, quite an extraordinary woman,” Kalinna agreed, “Would you mind terribly if we stopped by my father’s house? There are a few things I would like to have that belonged to her.”

“Certainly,” Benton readily agreed, and they immediately turned their horses in that direction.

Their talks of Kalinna’s mother continued on until the modest, two-story house Kalinna had grown up in came into view. She was just about to say something to Benton, when he quickly grabbed her horse’s reins and jerked the both of them into a thick patch of bushes. He quickly quieted her confused glance with a finger to his lips before pointing in the direction of her home.

Much to her horror, Kalinna watched as a hulking figure, clad in dark breeches, red tunic, black boots and black bandana emerged from the back of Kalinna’s home, a small chest clutched to his chest. A chest that Kalinna knew very well belonged to her mother. It was one of the objects she had come here to retrieve.

With a cry, and before Benton could stop her, she had grabbed his sword and came charging out of the bushes, heading straight for the intruder. Fire was in her eyes as she approached the man, who looked shocked to see her. But he quickly reacted, dropped the chest to the ground and brandished his own sword.

Knowing she had the advantage, at least for the moment, Kalinna struck out against him. The man parried, successfully blocking as the young woman fought to stay on her frightened horse. But it was no use.

Kalinna soon found herself on the ground in front of the man, the sword a few feet away and definitely out of her reach. Her heart thudded dangerously in her chest as the man advanced on her, leering in triumph. The chest, however, was still forgotten, the one thing she was grateful for.

“So you must be Kalinna,” the man spoke, his voice colored with an accent she recognized as French, “Your father did mention that you had quite a bit of spirit.”

“You’ve seen my father?” she questioned, her eyes widening in shock.

“Why of course I have. He is my boss after all,” the man revealed, grinning as he advanced and stood directly in front of the young woman, who had not moved from her position on the ground, “And it’s about time that you visit him, isn’t it? I believe he is sorely missing you right about now.”

The man began to close in on Kalinna, who kept back up on the ground, a frightened look on her face. The man was going to kidnap her! What the hell was Benton doing waiting in the bushes?!?

“The lady will not be going anywhere,” Benton suddenly piped up as he lazily made his way over to the pair and picked up the sword his cousin had lost in her fall from the horse.

“You going to stop me boy?” the older man taunted, despite the fact that he was shorter than Benton.

“Certainly,” the young man calmly replied.

Unexpectedly, the stranger lashed out in Benton’s direction. But the younger man had already seen it coming and quickly blocked before lashing out with his own strikes. Kalinna quickly scrambled out of the way as the two men went at it. She picked up the forgotten chest, placing it in her saddlebags before turning back to the ensuing fight.

A few moments later, the tide of the battle began to turn in the stranger’s direction as Benton began to tire. The result, much to Kalinna’s horror, was a gash to Benton’s left arm. With a curse, he struggled just to keep the other man at bay. At that, Kalinna rushed forward, took the sword from her cousin and began to fight.

“Come now Kalinna, you know very well your father would skin me alive if I so much harmed a hair on your head,” the man stated as he began to back off.

“Do not use such familiarity with me, sir,” Kalinna ground out, eyes flashing in annoyance.

“Fulton is the name,” the man revealed, as he lazily batted away her sword swipes in his direction, “Now, do not make me hurt you. I am not one to hurt a lady, but I cannot ignore my orders.”

With a cry of rage, Kalinna angrily began to attack the man named Fulton, years of pent-up emotion making her sword a deadly combatant. This Fulton seemed to realize immediately. The grin was wiped from his lips and replaced with a grim smirk as he had to use all his skill to keep the young woman at bay.

Minutes seemed to pass like hours until the young woman finally began to make some headway. With a lunge, Kalinna gave the man a good-sized gash on his stomach. Howling in pain, Fulton doubled over, a look of shock and anger in his eyes.

“You’re going to regret that,” he growled.

Kalinna made to give him a killing blow, her anger billowing, when the man’s horse suddenly appeared out of nowhere. With a last curse in her direction, Fulton leapt upon it and was soon riding off, horse’s hooves thundering. The young woman had no time whatsoever to react.

“Kalinna, are you okay?” Benton suddenly spoke up, jolting Kalinna out of her daze. With a worried frown, she turned her eyes to her cousin, who was holding his arm.

“I am fine, but we must get you home. I have no idea how we shall explain this to your mother and father without raising their suspicions,” Kalinna responded as she and Benton got back on their horses and turned back in the direction of the Duke’s home.

“You let me worry about that,” Benton assured her, grimacing, “I’m just glad Justin has me looking out for you. There is no telling what could have happened had I not accompanied you on your ride.”

“What?” Kalinna cried, eyes wide, “You mean to tell me that the duke does not believe I am capable of looking after myself? I thought I was supposed to be helping him, but instead, he sends you to babysit me like I am some child.”

“Kalinna…” Benton began.

“Unbelievable!”

With that last statement, Kalinna kicked up her horse into a run and left Benton behind, not sure whether it was anger or disappointment that caused the tears to form in her eyes. Shrugging them away, she quickly took care of her horse and slipped back into the house and up to her room, her mother’s chest clutched in her arms.

With a sigh, the young woman, after washing the dust from her face in the wash basin, donned her nightclothes again. Climbing back into bed, she silently opened her mother’s chest, an object she had never placed hands on before. What she saw there made her eyes widen in shock.

Kalinna’s breath caught in her throat as she gazed at two sets of jewels, one ruby and one diamond, which rested in two velvet trays in the chest. Sunlight from the windows of the room made the gems sparkle and the young woman immediately noticed that the set of diamonds was missing a bracelet.

A sudden thought popped into her head and she quickly got off the bed, walked over to her vanity and opened the top left drawer, which held her case of jewelry. In a secret compartment of that case, she had stashed the diamond bracelet that had been hidden with her mother’s letters and the bible. The former articles were kept safely locked in the bottom drawer of her desk.

Pulling out the diamond bracelet, the young woman quickly hurried back to her bed to compare it with the rest of the diamond pieces. It was a perfect match. But what did that mean? So her mother had two sets of nice jewelry that Kalinna had no knowledge of; that was not all that strange. What confused her was how the diamond bracelet had gotten with the Wickham emeralds, when Kalinna’s mother had obviously not spoken to Violet Wickham since her marriage to Richard Davenport.

With a sigh, Kalinna returned the bracelet to its companion pieces, and was about to close the chest, when she noticed a piece of parchment sticking out from the bottom of the second tray of jewels. Curiously, and carefully so as not to rip it, Kalinna pulled it out. Slowly, she opened it, and came face to face with her mother’s neat handwriting.

The more Kalinna read, the more confused she got. By the time she reached the end of the letter, she knew that everything she thought she had figured out about her father and these supposed traitorous activities, were merely a cover-up for something much larger. A something which her mother seemed to think she could discover and put a stop to.

Her mother. That was another thing that she did not understand. Her mother had been dead for the last nine years now, yet here she held a letter written only a year and a half ago by the very woman. Dated October of 1734, the letter had been written in the time when she had been part of Justin’s crew and when her father had gone missing.

Could it possibly be that her mother was, in fact, very much alive? Could her death and the funeral be an elaborate scheme to somehow stop Richard Davenport’s plans – whatever they were? The thought, though seemingly impossible, quickly took hold in the young woman’s mind and had her reeling in shock.

She was suddenly in the middle of a very elaborate mystery. Questions ran endlessly through her mind, one right after the other which she had no answer to.

Could this letter help them discover what Richard Davenport had planned? Vague ideas had been shared between Kalinna and Justin, but neither had been able to come to a concrete conclusion as to what Richard was really after. This letter hinted at some other plans, which meant that this could possibly be the best lead she and Justin had had in a long while.

But there was also the possibility that the letter was a hoax. How was it possible that her mother wasn’t dead? What was the supposed object her father needed that was hidden in this very house? What other locks was her locket supposed to unlock? And who on earth were the Bradbury Trio and how were they supposed to help her?

None of it made any sense. Kalinna sighed. For stressing to Justin how much she wanted to help with his investigation, she sure wasn’t coming to any brilliant conclusions about this letter. But there was no way she was going to admit her inabilities to him any time soon.

She would just have to show Justin the letter, as well as the jewelry, and see what he thought. Her gut was telling her that somehow, the letter was not a hoax and that she was finally heading in the right direction in this investigation. But common sense bade her to run it by Justin just to make sure.

And it would give her an excuse to be in the company of that very handsome, very charming, blue-eyed… Kalinna pushed away that last thought of Justin as she focused back on the letter and the task at hand.

Tonight, a ball was being given in honor of her cousin, Georgiana, who had just sent word that she was expecting her third child. Justin and his family had, of course, been invited to the celebration. Therefore, it made perfect sense to wait and talk to him then, when they had a moment alone, rather than send him a letter now and possibly blow their cover.

Thus satisfied with her plan, Kalinna rang for her maid, eagerly anticipating a nice soak in the bathtub before she joined her uncle for tea in the breakfast room. She quickly slipped the letter from her mother back inside the jewelry chest that contained the two sets of jewels, and locked the entire thing in the bottom drawer of her desk along with her mother’s other letters, and the bible. No sense in running the risk of somebody trying to steal the chest and its contents.

Moments later, she languidly sat in the bath, letting the water ease the tension in her muscles, her mind wandering to a pair of crystalline blue eyes that preyed on her mind more and more often as the days passed. Her anger with him had completely vanished, leaving her with confusing feelings that had her heart beating rapidly.

“Why Ms. Davenport, I had no idea you had such an interest in horses,” David Stockholm, Viscount of Durham, stated later that evening as he stood with the young lady on the edge of the dance floor.

The Viscount of Durham, a stocky older gentleman, had the best stable, so she had been told, in the entire city of London. The man’s horses won race after race, and men felt privileged if they were able to buy a horse from the Durham stables. Kalinna, having known all of this for quite some time, had practically cornered the man for the past twenty minutes, talking of nothing but horseflesh and racing.

The man had been surprised at first; his own daughter had no interest in horses and preferred the safety of a carriage. But as the minutes wore on, and Kalinna continued to pay rapt attention to all he talked about, the Viscount became convinced that her interest was pure and not of polite indifference.

In all honesty, though she was interested in Durham’s stables, Kalinna was trying her hardest to avoid the dance floor and all the young fops who seemed determined to have her hand in a waltz. She was in no mood for dancing, feelings of anxiety steadily increasing as the hour grew later and Justin had yet to make an appearance. She wondered if she would have to seek him out at the docks, a task that she would be hard-pressed to accomplish when the watchful eyes of her aunt, uncle and grandmother were forever on her.

Turning her attention back to the Viscount, Kalinna forced herself to pay attention to the man’s words. She would be shocked if Justin showed up; the hour was late and all the other invited guests had already arrived, including Justin’s mother and younger brother, Derrick. So she told herself she would try to enjoy the remainder of the night and form a plan of action before she retired to her bed for the night.

Across the room, blue eyes intently watched the young woman as she conversed with the viscount. A smile suddenly lit her face, her eyes sparkling, and the young man felt the breath catch in his chest. He had been present for some time, but she had yet to notice his presence. He, however, had noticed her right away; had spent hours the previous evening thinking about her and how she had somehow managed to bewitch him body and soul.

Of course, now was not the time and place to be letting something as silly as romantic notions come in the way of his investigation. And besides, he had thought, it was merely a passing fancy, an infatuation so to say. The young lady’s passion, wit and beauty had caught him by surprise, that was all.

But a frown instantly sprung to his face as he watched Kalinna accept the hand of a handsome young viscount for a waltz. It was not, he told himself, because of such feelings he had just recently admitted to, but the mere fact that she was not concentrating on their investigation. At least that’s what he tried to tell himself.

Kalinna smiled up at the handsome young man, surprised at how much she was enjoying their dance. Bryan Ashton, current Viscount of Weatherby, was only four years older than her at twenty-seven, yet had done so much with his life already. His father had passed when he had been a lad of fourteen, so he had been running his family’s household ever since.

The two had much in common and had met on many previous occasions, thus having a very good opportunity to further their acquaintance. Violet Wickham had, quite naturally, been thrilled, a feeling she had professed loudly and regularly. The two, she claimed, would be a perfect match.

Kalinna, however, was not as convinced. The Viscount of Weatherby summer estate neighbored with the Duke of Barclay’s and the two families were old friends, which was half the reason the Dowager Duchess was so taken with the idea of Kalinna and Bryan marrying. But though the young lady liked Bryan Ashton well enough, a marriage with him was not something she desired. Not when the crystalline blue eyes and striking figure of the Duke of Schellden constantly preyed upon her mind.

And rumor had it, that Bryan was currently looking for a wife, and thought her quite acceptable for the position. If true, this latest piece of news made Kalinna want to run to the nearest ship and sail out of London as fast as the wind would take her. She could not marry Bryan Ashton, not when she didn’t love him. She was not going to make the same mistake as her parents and end up with some man she could barely tolerate and who would treat her like a piece of property.

She could only hope that the London gossips had gotten the story wrong and that Bryan was not thinking of marriage to her. She considered the man a good friend; she always enjoyed their daily strolls and the heated debates they had over religion and philosophy. Thus, her heart was heavy with the possibility that she would have to tell him no and therefore hurt him in the worst way imaginable.

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself though. The gossipers, who were more often than not, widowed and elderly ladies, could have gotten the entire story wrong. Maybe she was just on edge for no reason at all.

“Kalinna, my dear, may I have a word with you out on the terrace?” Bryan suddenly stated as they bowed to each other at the end of the waltz, “There is something I wish to ask you.”

Looking up into his passionate eyes, Kalinna had no idea how to reply. Her stomach was tied up in knots, her eyes wide as she fully comprehended the reason for his request. Oh how was she supposed to get out of this without hurting the man’s feelings and embarrassing them both?

“Excuse me Viscount, but I believe the lady has saved the next dance for me,” a smooth voice suddenly cut in from somewhere behind her.

Kalinna felt chills go up and down her spine as she knew precisely who stood not inches from her back. The scent of him, and the powerful, manly heat that made her heart flutter every time he was near convinced her that Justin Timberlake was, indeed standing directly behind her.

“Why of course sir, excuse me,” the surprised viscount responded as he quickly gave Kalinna’s hand a light kiss, bowed to the duke, and left them to their dance.

Hesitantly, Kalinna slipped into a deep curtsy, Justin bowing at the waist in return, as the music for the dinner waltz started up. She had purposely kept this dance open for the evening so that she would not have all the young men clamoring for her attention at dinner. But now she had no choice in the matter; she would be accompanied to dinner by the one man she could not get out of her mind.

“I want to thank you for rescuing me Your Grace,” Kalinna began as she stepped into his arms, ignoring the giddiness in her heart, “I fear I had quite lost my tongue.”

“Well then you are quite welcome Kalinna,” Justin returned, stressing her name; her eyes shot to his face, “None of that ‘your grace’ business; not when we are among friends.”

“Only if you insist,” she relented, allowing him to turn her in the steps of the waltz, “Before you leave, however, there is something I wish to discuss with you. Something very important pertaining to our project.” Justin’s ears immediately perked up at her reference to their investigation.

“We may have some time to slip away after dinner,” he softly whispered as he held her close as was customary for the dance.

It took all of Kalinna’s might not to throw her arms around the duke’s neck and kiss him senseless. What an absurd thought though. Just because his nearness made her weak in the knees, and her brain suddenly became fuzzy, like she was walking through a fog didn’t mean she had to go and act like one of those giggling debutantes she had been introduced to at the beginning of the season.

Besides, there were many reasons that such romantic thoughts about the Duke of Schellden were improbable. The first and foremost on the young woman’s mind, and the most important in her opinion, was that the handsome man did not return her feelings. That alone made her feelings futile, not to mention the fact that her position in society forbade him to marry her.

With a frown, Kalinna closed off all of those thoughts and focused her attention back on dancing and the task at hand; the investigation. No sense in getting tangled up in her emotions now, when there were more important things that needed to be accomplished. Those thoughts were better left for the time right before sleep, when she was alone and could concentrate solely on what her heart was saying.

Justin had noticed the frown on her face almost immediately. Ever since they had ceased to talk, Kalinna had seemingly become lost in her own world of which he was not a part of. He wanted her to be able to share everything with him, but alas, he had no right to that sort of privilege.

Yet somehow, some way, over the past few months – ever since the masquerade ball in fact, Justin found his thoughts turning to the beautiful Kalinna more and more often. She had managed to get under his skin; her beauty took his breath away, her wit made him laugh, and her passion and caring made his heart skip beats in his chest. There was no doubt in his mind that he had found the one woman who was his equal…but how to tell her?

Before he could ponder that last question, the music of the waltz came to and end and Justin immediately bowed to Kalinna and offered her his arm as the dinner gong reverberated throughout the ballroom. Smiling, her eyes still somewhat distant, she accepted and the two were quickly on their way to the dining hall.

Dinner was uneventful. Amidst happy chatter, Justin and Kalinna kept sneaking glances at each other when they thought the other was not looking. They ate what was in front of them, but neither tasted a thing as unknowingly similar thoughts preoccupied their minds.

As dinner came to a conclusion and some of the men began to head towards the lounge for a cigar and after-meal drink, Kalinna knew it was the perfect chance to slip away unnoticed. She quickly poked Justin in the side and used her eyes to convey her message. With a slight, almost unperceivable nod of his head, Justin confirmed that he understood her message.

As the guests of the party began to head every which way – some to the lounge, some back to the ball room, some out on the terrace, and some to the powder room, Kalinna quickly snuck out of the room and to the back stairs she knew so well. She and Justin had agreed that they should leave separately, then meet in front of her room, which she had given Justin directions to. He had readily agreed, and would thus wait five minutes before he joined her.

As she climbed the stairs, heart beating heavily in her chest, Kalinna knew that if they were caught together, alone in her room, then there was bound to be a scandal, unless Justin agreed to marry her on the spot. But in no way, shape or form was she going to allow that to happen. He would always resent her if he was forced to walk down the isle when it was truly not what he wanted.

But Kalinna pushed those thoughts aside as she pulled out the key to her room, unlocked it, and stepped inside to wait for Justin to join her. Before she knew what was happening, however, a hand clamped over her mouth and she was being dragged farther into the room and away from the door. She tried to wiggle free, but whoever held her had a vise-like grip that there was no escaping from.

“Ye best give up tha struggle now, missy, for I ain’t gonna let ye go,” a deep voice stated near Kalinna’s ear; she almost fainted from the smell of the man’s breath and body odor. But he held her fast.

“Now, if you care to tell me where you’ve hidden the object your father so desires, we shall be on our way and you will be reunited with your father,” a new voice, belonging to Fulton, the thief from earlier, sneered as he came into her line of sight.

“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Kalinna hissed as her captor removed his hand from her mouth and allowed her to speak.

“Oh you most certainly do. The answer was in that chest that you managed to take from me earlier this morning,” Fulton continued as he sauntered in her direction.

“What do you want with my mother’s jewelry?” Kalinna demanded, her eyes spitting emerald fire that promised an incomparable wrath to the two men who had invaded her private chambers.

“Not the jewelry, but rather a map that is hidden within that chest,” Fulton explained, “The map leads us straight to the object your father desires, which I am to retrieve for him and bring back to France along with you.”

“And what exactly does my father seek? Money? Jewels? What is it that is hidden in this house that he absolutely must have?” Kalinna demanded, knowing that if she got out of this predicament, she was going to turn that chest upside-down to look for a map.

“Wealth and immortality,” Fulton stated, “It is written that centuries ago, a group of explorers happened upon the Pool of Immortality in the newly discovered Americas. As the story goes, any person who drinks from such pool will live forever. Each member of the group of explorers, therefore, kept a bottle of such water to take back with them to use as they saw fit. Your great great grandfather was one such explorer.”

“Then why is my great great grandfather not still alive?” Kalinna demanded, rolling her eyes at the absurdity of such a story.

“Silly girl, it was because he did not drink the elixir. The stupid man thought it better to live life rather than become immortal,” Fulton sneered.

“You are after a bottle of immortal water that may or may not exist? How can you be sure that my father did not send you on a wild goose chase?” Kalinna demanded, knowing full well that Justin would be arriving any moment, so she just had to keep the man talking.

“We have recently come across articles of your deceased mother that talk of such an article hidden in her childhood home, this manor house. And what’s more, hidden with that bottle, is a map that will lead us straight to the Pool of Immortality in the Americas,” Fulton concluded, grinning, “Once your father secures all his money from the French for selling British government secrets, we shall be on our way to the Americas for glory and immortality.”

“You are despicable,” Kalinna spat, still somewhat in disbelief over the entire story; it was just like her father to go on such a wild goose chase, “I don’t know how you can believe such rubbish, and I find it even harder to believe that the French monarchy will back such an absurd venture.”

“Ahh, who said anything about the French monarchy being involved? There is such an uproar in France right now, over the naming of the new king, that a few of the nobility have decided to take things into their own hands,” Fulton explained, “Once they pay your father handsomely for a bottle of that elixir, they will be over to overrun the current French monarchy and thus rule France how it should be.”

Kalinna’s eyes widened in shock as she realized just how in over her head she actually was. Her mother had been right about there being more to the story than even she knew. But how was she to get out of this predicament now? Five minutes had come and gone and there was still no sign of Justin.

“How am I a part of this? Why kidnap me to France when my father obviously wants nothing to do with me?” Kalinna demanded, knowing full well that Fulton was ready to turn her room upside-down in the search for that supposed map. She just had to keep him talking and find a chance to escape.

“That is part of the bargain your father has made with the leader of the French rebels, Andre Carlton. Andre is looking for a wife, and when he saw you from afar, approached your father about your hand in marriage,” Fulton explained, “Your father agreed as long as he had the firm support of Andre for this venture to find the Pool of Immortality.” Kalinna fell speechless.

Her hand in marriage to some strange Frenchman for money and support? She should have known her father would stoop to such extremes in order to secure his own name and future. But she’d be damned if she was forced to marry some French stranger she didn’t love, and all because of money.

“You will not get away with this,” Kalinna cried in desperation as Fulton began to search her room, his accomplice still holding her tight despite her attempt to wiggle free.

“Oh but you see, I already have,” Fulton concluded with an evil grin, “Now where have you hidden that chest?”

“I will never tell you,” Kalinna bit out, her eyes flashing in anger and defiance.

The slap across her cheek came out of nowhere and stung, causing Kalinna’s eyes to water and her head snap back from the force of the blow. She, however, kept silent, her eyes mutinous, her lips a thin line of contempt. She was not going to confess anything, not if she could help it.

“I am losing my patience with you,” Fulton cried in an angry tone as he grabbed the young woman’s chin and forced her to look him in the eye, “I’m going to ask one more time, where have you hidden that bloody chest?”

“I suggest that you take your hands off the lady,” a new voice coldly drawled, “I do not take well to the abuse of the fairer sex.”

Kalinna felt her heart soar as she noticed the tall frame of the Duke of Schellden leaning in the doorway, his sword glinting off the dim light of the room. A frown marred his handsome features, his eyes an icy blue that did not bode well for the two other men in the room. He lazily strode toward the three of them, his eyes lighting briefly on Kalinna before turning fully to Fulton.

“Ah, the Duke of Schellden is it?” Fulton stated, not the least bit intimidated by the taller man, “Otherwise known as the feared pirate Captain Justin Timberlake.”

“At your service,” Justin said with a slight smirk.

“Too bad your days of pirating and sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong are over,” Fulton concluded as he drew his own sword, a wicked-looking blade that made Kalinna’s face turn a slight shade of white.

“That’s what you think,” was all Justin said in reply before the two began a dangerous game of sword play that had Kalinna’s heart wrenching in her chest with concern for the handsome duke.

Momentarily stunned, the man that held Kalinna suddenly loosened his grip, and as much as she wanted to watch Justin, and feared greatly for his safety, she had her own freedom to secure. Without another thought, she brought her elbow rearing back into her captor’s gut. He grunted in pain, and suddenly Kalinna found herself free.

Whirling out of the man’s reach, she hurried across the room and pulled her own sword free from its hiding place. She turned back to her captor, a large lecher of a man, with greasy black hair and beady black eyes, prepared to do battle. Sending her a condescending grin, the man drew his sword and beckoned her forward.

Trying to keep calm, Kalinna slowly advanced on the man, blocking out the sound of Justin’s battle with Fulton and focusing solely on the man in front of her. She gave him a slight grin, and suddenly he was nervous under her haughty gaze. Without another thought, he struck out, a movement she had anticipated and easily blocked, spinning quickly out of the reach of his deadly sword.

The sound of swords clashing rang out through the otherwise empty, dim room. Kalinna quickly found herself backing her opponent into a corner, a wary look residing on his face. Just as she was trying to decide what to do, Justin snuck up behind the man and brought the butt of his sword down on his head.

The man crumpled unconscious to the floor, and Kalinna quickly turned surprised eyes in the young man’s direction. He was breathing heavily and she quickly noticed that Fulton was nowhere to be seen.

“He got away,” Justin simply replied, a scowl lighting his features, but quickly replaced with a concerned gaze as he noticed the redness in the cheek that had been slapped, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she softly whispered as he stood close to her and turned her cheek toward him as if to inspect that she was, indeed fine.

She was about to ask about his own health, but before she could say another word, however, Justin’s lips were hungrily devouring her’s. Passion sparkled between them as he traced his tongue over her bottom lip, requesting entrance to the recesses of her mouth, which she readily gave. Groaning, he pulled her flush with his hard, muscular body, sending shivers of anticipation up and down Kalinna’s spine.

Her hands began to travel up his arms to rest around his neck and pull him closer. A gasp of pain suddenly escaped Justin’s lips and the kiss was abruptly ended as he jerked back in pain. Kalinna’s eyes immediately filled with concern as she noticed the darkening red stain on his upper left arm.

“You’re hurt,” she whispered.

“It’s just a scratch,” he returned his voice low, his eyes sparkling with passion that Kalinna did not notice, for her attention was solely on his wound.

“We must get you fixed up,” she responded as she moved within the circle of his arms and began to think of the best way to explain this latest development to her relatives.

“Kalinna,” Justin groaned, quickly realizing that she was quite oblivious to the erection in his lower half that was entirely her fault.

“Not another word,” she replied as she escaped from his arms and began to bustle around the room, and thus not giving him a chance to explain his actions.

Whether her sudden need to be busy was due to his kiss, or the recent trauma that she had just experienced, he wasn’t sure. But he definitely knew that they needed to get out of here so he could figure out precisely what Fulton had admitted to her and how it pertained to their investigation. He had only caught the tail-end of the conversation, but from what he’d heard, this entire plan concocted by Kalinna’s father was far more involved than he or anybody else realized.

“Kalinna, we must get out of here. There is much we need to discuss and I would prefer to do it someplace other then your chambers,” Justin stated as he laid a hand on her arm to stop her movement about the room.

“Where do you propose we go?” she asked in surprise.

“The room I have rented down at the docks is very private and we will not have any interruptions. I suggest you change into your boy’s clothing, grab all the articles pertaining to our investigation, and I will meet you in your stables in fifteen minutes,” Justin stated.

He didn’t know if it was such a good idea to be alone with her in closed quarters, but that couldn’t be helped now. They had to get to the bottom of the recent developments before Kalinna found herself on a ship bound for France and Justin was left without a clue as to what was really going on in the investigation. Besides, he was a gentleman, and could act thus.

“What about my family?” she questioned, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she looked in his direction.

“Tell them you have retired for the evening due to a headache and not to let anybody bother you until the late morning tomorrow,” Justin stated, “I shall have you back before then, so you needn’t worry about being caught in a lie.”

“Alright, give me fifteen minutes then, and I will meet you in the stables,” Kalinna agreed, “My horse, Colby, is housed there, if you would like to saddle him up.”

“I shall do that. I will send my man here to take care of this intruder, and then send my carriage back to my manor house, and saddle up my own horse as well,” Justin concluded, unable to keep the wince from his face as a sharp pain suddenly coursed down his arm.

“Are you sure you can manage?” Kalinna asked, concern in her eyes.

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her, gritting his teeth against the pain, “I shall see you in the stables in fifteen minutes.”

With a bow, he left Kalinna’s room, snuck down the back stairs, and went in search of his man, and Kalinna’s relatives to bid them goodnight. Back in her room, Kalinna quickly sent word to her aunt and uncle that she was not to be disturbed by anybody until late the next morning before she quickly slipped out of her dress and into her boys’ clothing.

Justin’s man came to retrieve the unconscious intruder minutes later, and once he had gone, she set about the task of gathering all the important things pertaining to the investigation and placing it all in her mother’s jewelry chest. Minutes later, her heart beating rapidly, she was on her way to the stables to meet Justin and embark into unknown territory.

The two horses slipped quietly through the back alleys of a bustling London, unnoticed by the many of the ton’s rich and fashionable, who were too preoccupied with the evening’s activities to notice them. Darkness gave them secrecy, of which Justin and Kalinna were both very grateful for. Soon, however, the sights and sounds of upper-crust London gave way to the danker and rowdier taverns and warehouses of the docks where it no longer mattered whether or not they were spotted.

Justin, not wanting to risk being out in the open too long, quickly led the way to a tavern with a stable attached, that was located in a better part of the port. After he and Kalinna climbed off their horses, Kalinna retrieving her mother’s chest from her saddlebags, they surrendered the reins to a kind-looking stableman. Justin gave the man a handsome tip, with the strict instructions to take care of the two, obviously well-bred horses before leading the way to the front door of the establishment.

The two entered amidst the noise of drunken patrons and squealing barmaids, and Kalinna tried her hardest not to stare as one of the barmaids shoved her well-endowed, barely-covered chest into the face of a patron, who just laughed, fully enjoying his view. Justin, who noticed her stare, quickly finished up the short conversation he had been having with the tavern’s owner and steered the young woman in the direction of the stairs. Obediently, she followed close after him as he silently led the way to his room, which was located at the end of the hallway.

The noise of the crowded room below became almost inaudible, especially after Justin had shut the door of the room after them. Looking around, Kalinna took a quick note of their surroundings. For a tavern, it was a fair-sized room, complete with a comfortable bed, dresser and vanity, desk, dining table and a screen which allowed a person some privacy to change, or take a bath. Two sets of windows were opened to the cool night air, curtains blowing cheerily in the breeze. A long rug was laid haphazardly across the floor, giving the room a sense of familiarity and homeliness.

“Make yourself at home,” Justin suddenly stated, shrugging out of his overcoat and startling Kalinna from her perusal of the room.

“How long do you plan on staying here?” the young woman questioned as she set her mother’s jewelry chest on the dining table and shrugged out of her own overcoat, “Surely you must have to sail out on the Christina soon.”

“Until we have a clearer picture of exactly what is going on, the Christina, as well as the crew and I, will remain in London,” Justin explained as he disappeared behind the screen to change out of his evening wear, “There is no sense rushing off into the unknown and possibly blowing everything we’ve worked so hard on these past couple years.”

Kalinna wasn’t really paying much attention to what the young man was saying. She couldn’t help the stare she sent in his direction; his form was outlined through the screen by the dim light of the room and she instantly felt her pulse quicken. She bit her lip, willed herself to look away, and wondered how safe she truly was, alone in a room with a devilishly handsome man whom had just recently kissed her.

A sharp hiss of pain, and a muttered curse, however, quickly brought her attention back to the young man who was all but hidden from her view except for his silhouette. With a frown, Kalinna suddenly remembered the cut Justin had received on his arm as a result of the duel with Fulton. Hesitantly, she stepped closer to the screen.

“Justin?” she softly called, wondering if she should attempt to help him or remain where she was.

“Bloody Frenchman,” the young duke responded as he emerged from behind the screen, dressed in a comfortable pair of worn breeches, his naked chest gleaming in the dim light of the room’s candles.

Kalinna gulped as she took in his chiseled form. Well muscled arms were attached to broad shoulders and a wide, well-defined chest, which tapered down to a slim waist. She had seen a naked chest before, but never one as magnificently powerful as Justin’s. She stood there frozen, unaware of his gaze resting upon her face.

As Justin watched Kalinna admiring his form, he fought the urge to pull her into his arms and ravage her. He could not help the fiery stirrings she awoke deep within him, but he held the reins of his passion tight, not wanting to frighten her away, or do something he would, ultimately, regret. So he just stood there, trying to ignore the pulsating heat his body was radiating due to her inquiring gaze.

“Come, we must get you cleaned up,” the young woman suddenly stated a few moments later as she abruptly turned away from him, finally realizing that she had been staring at him for quite some time.

“As you wish,” he conceded and took a seat on the dining chair she had pointed to.

Silently, Kalinna poured water into the basin that had been provided, and after rummaging around in the vanity drawers, came up with some clean towels and cloth she could use for bandaging the duke’s wound. She carried these articles over and set them on the table before rolling up her sleeves and turning her attention to the injured man.

Gently, after dipping a towel in water and lathering it with soap, she wiped away the blood that had dried around the wound until she could see the edges of the cut. Justin’s breath hissed through his teeth, clenching his jaw in pain as the soap caused an almost unbearable sting. But he knew that he must grin and bear it if he didn’t want to end up losing the arm to disease or something worse.

Kalinna bit her lip as she finished washing away all the soap from Justin’s wound and began to bandage it up. Neither one of them found it necessary to speak, which Kalinna was grateful for. She could concentrate on helping Justin rather than the fact that he sat, half-naked, before her.

All too soon, however, the task was complete and Justin was quickly donning a loose, well-worn tunic over his upper half, much to Kalinna’s disappointment.

“Now, it’s about time that we piece together what precisely is going on so that we may be able to get a clearer picture what it is exactly that your father is up to,” Justin stated.

A knock on the door, however, kept Kalinna from responding to his statement. The young man quickly walked over and opened the door to find a serving man, laden with trays of food, standing at attention. He had forgotten all about the meal he had requested from the tavern’s owner, but a slight grumbling in his stomach at the smell of the warm food quickly reminded him of his hunger.

Twenty minutes later, after a serving man had come with dinner and left the two of them alone, they sat eating, both silent, and somewhat nervous in the other’s presence. Justin had given no explanation for the earlier kiss he had bestowed upon Kalinna, and now he was berating himself for such a thoughtless action. He knew that it had been the wrong move, but for some reason, he had not been able to stop himself.

Kalinna, too, was thinking about the kiss from earlier. Though she refrained from touching her lips, she swore that she could still feel them tingling from his wonderful assault. She swallowed, wondering what precisely had gotten into her, a lady of good breeding and extreme sensibilities.

All too soon, the small dinner was over and it was time to get down to business. After the empty dishes had been removed from the room, the young woman wordlessly brought her mother’s jewelry chest forward, which contained all the necessary material pertaining to their investigation.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” Justin suggested when he noticed Kalinna’s loss for words and the large pile of letters that she had set on the tabletop.

“Okay,” she agreed, “It all started this morning, when my cousin Benton and I went for an early ride on our horses…”

And with that, the whole story came tumbling out. She told him how she normally went for rides by herself in the early morning hours, but how Benton had managed to find her secret out and demanded to tag along with her. And she ended up being glad that he did, when they came upon a thief sneaking out of the house belonging to her parents, which had been their destination for Kalinna wished to retrieve some of her mother’s possessions.

The thief had been trying to sneak away with a chest in his hands, which made Kalinna see red for it belonged to her mother and was what she had come to retrieve. She then explained about the sword fight between her, Benton, and the thief, whose name she learned was Fulton.

“You mean to tell me that the man I fought in your room earlier, you and Benton actually fought this morning?” Justin warily questioned, rubbing his temple in agitation at the information.

“Yes, the very same,” Kalinna confirmed with a frown, “And he seems utterly determined to kidnap me to France, where he says my father is waiting for me.”

Inwardly, Justin cursed at Kalinna’s lack of concern for her own safety. Sure, she had a magnificent talent with a sword, especially for a female, but that didn’t mean that she was invincible. He knew how the male mind worked; a job was a job and it had to be completed no matter what the consequences.

Obviously, trusting Benton to watch over her would not keep her safe, as had just been proven earlier this day. Short of marrying her and keeping her under lock and key, Justin was at a loss for what to do to keep Kalinna on English soil. This Fulton was obviously intent on kidnapping the lass to France, for what purposes the duke still didn’t understand, but he’d be damned if he let that happen.

“Of course, once I got the chest back to my room this morning, the first thing I did was go through it,” Kalinna continued, not noticing the scowl that was residing on the duke’s face, “I couldn’t quite help it as it belonged to my mother and I was never allowed to touch it while she was alive.”

She then explained, in it’s entirety, the story of the jewelry in the chest, and how the missing diamond bracelet turned out to be the very one they had found months earlier, stashed with the Wickham emeralds. As she began to launch into the strange tale of the letter she had come upon, written in her mother’s handwriting, Justin’s scowl immediately turned into contemplation.

“Your mother has been deceased for the past nine years, correct?” Justin asked as he sat forward to rest his elbows on the tabletop.

“Yes. She died when I was fourteen,” Kalinna confirmed.

“May I see the letter then?” he questioned, his eyes somewhat glazed over as his mind worked overtime, trying to come to some plausible explanation

Wordlessly, Kalinna handed over the parchment that contained her mother’s neat handwriting and allowed the duke to read it. While he was doing so, she got up to pace the room, trying to fit pieces together and get a grasp of what was truly going on.

“And you’re quite sure that this is your mother’s handwriting?” Justin questioned a few moments later as he finished the letter and set it back on the table, now wholly confused.

“Yes, very sure. But that’s about the only thing I’m sure of,” Kalinna cried, her pacing becoming more frantic as the words spilled from her lips, “I don’t know how it is possible that my mother could write that letter when she has been dead for the past nine years. And what is my locket supposed to unlock? And who in heaven’s name are the Bradbury Trio and what do they have to do with this investigation.”

Justin couldn’t help but grin at the image she presented. The boys clothing showed off her slim figure, and the hat that had earlier been placed on her head to keep her hair up, had fallen off, allowing her hair to fan about her. Her green eyes were flashing, her cheeks flushed a becoming pink, and it took all Justin’s strength not to grab her and pull her down on the bed with him.

But he quickly shook that thought away as her words finally sunk in. And suddenly, a few things began to make sense, at least to him.

“Kalinna, calm down. I believe that I can explain a few things,” Justin stated, as he motioned her back over to the table.

“What?” she demanded, plopping unceremoniously into a seat next to him and fixing him with an inquisitive stare.

“First of all, your locket probably has something to do with finding whatever object your father desires,” Justin began, thinking, “If I recall correctly, Barclay manor has many secret passageways and locked off rooms that nobody knows how to get into. I was there a lot when your cousin and I were growing up. Secondly, I think that whatever object your father seeks is merely a small part in whatever it is he really has planned…”

“Yeah, I’d already established that much after my talk with Fulton,” Kalinna broke in as she recalled the conversation she had had earlier with the tattooed thief.

“What?” Justin questioned, quite caught off guard.

With that, Kalinna quickly recapped her entire conversation with Fulton, starting with the thief’s reason for wanting the jewelry chest, to the crazy story about a Pool of Immortality and a map, and finally to Richard Davenport’s plans with the French rebels. Throughout it all, Justin didn’t say a word, just went to stare out one of the windows, lost in thought. Things were beginning to fall into place, yet the picture that was being presented was almost too absurd to actually be truth.

“How is it possible for a dead woman to write a letter?” Justin muttered to himself as he ran a hand through his tousled curls, “Unless…there is the slim chance that maybe she’s not dead at all.”

“Justin…?” Kalinna hesitantly questioned as she overheard his mumblings.

“That would mean her sickness and funeral were all an elaborate act. But to what ends?” he continued on as if he did not even hear her.

“Well, my father seems fine with using me to his own gains, why not my mother as well?” Kalinna suggested, suddenly reminding the young duke that he was not alone, “I can recall many an argument between my parents, for they were never the happy couple they portrayed to the world. It was always a different story once doors were closed to the outside world.”

“Then it makes perfect sense to me,” Justin explained as he sat back down at the table, “I have heard all the stories of your parents’ marriage, how it was very sudden, and how your mother did not seem to be in love with your father at all. It was even whispered when you were born almost exactly nine months later, the true reason for your parents’ marriage was because your mother had gotten pregnant. So I’m guessing there was no love lost between Richard and your mother.”

“I have heard all those stories as well,” the young woman slowly agreed, not wanting to paint her mother in anything but a pure light, “I asked my mother about them before she died. The only thing she said to me, which I found quite strange, was that she was sorry and that she was going to correct her mistakes, no matter what it took.”

“That is rather odd,” Justin agreed, lapsing into thought, “Well if Richard was trying to use your mother for his own gain, and your mother was trying to hide some secret she had, then it would make sense for her to fake her sickness and funeral. It would mean that…”

“She would be out of my father’s clutches, and her secret would stay secret,” Kalinna said, eyes widening as she finished Justin’s thought.

“Okay, so let’s say that your mother truly is alive and somewhere out there at this very moment,” Justin proposed, drumming his fingers on the table in thought, “How does she know so much about this investigation? And why on earth would she leave you to fend for yourself?”

“That I do not know,” Kalinna responded, chewing on her lip.

“Well my next question is, where on earth did Fulton get all this information from about the Pool of Immortality?” the young man stated, totally switching topics, his mind working overtime.

“You don’t mean to tell me that story Fulton told me is actually true?” Kalinna demanded, eyes wide with doubt. Justin frowned.

“Well, it is true to a degree. I have heard the story many a times from my grandfather, who heard it from his father, whose father was part of the exploration group. As it goes, the group of them, about two dozen or so, set out for America in search of new spices, and ended up finding an elaborate civilization of American Indians. In the center of their civilization sat a large pool framed by large boulders that supposedly, when drunk, gave a person immortality and the power to see the future,” Justin explained.

“How can that be true?” the young woman demanded.

“It isn’t. Every single one of the men from the exploration group drank from the pool, and as you can see, none survive to this day. The reason for the bottles of water that were kept and transferred back to England were merely for mementos sake,” Justin concluded, “The story was passed along by word of mouth, and got jumbled through the years as tends to happen.”

“Well how did you come to know the truth then?” Kalinna demanded.

“My great, great grandfather was a smart man, so I’m told. He wrote the entire story down in a journal, which easily disproves the myth of immortality. However, as those journals have been lost over the years, it is only one person’s word against another’s,” the duke revealed.

“Which is why my father believes such an unbelievable tale,” Kalinna concluded, frowning, “And in order to chase after such a dream of immortality, he is going to use me to secure the money he will need.”

“I will not allow that to happen Kalinna,” Justin sharply replied, then grinned at her startled look, “After all, you have the Bradbury Trio looking out for you.”

“What?” the young woman sputtered, confused.

“One-third of the Bradbury Trio at your service,” Justin said with a slight inclination of his head in her direction, “Along with your cousin Benton and Anthony Maddox, the three of us make up the Bradbury Trio, as we are called by the British government. The three of us work as a team on investigations, and the name comes from the first case we cracked, a murder at the old Bradbury mansion.”

“Benton KNOWS all of this?” Kalinna practically shouted, her eyes flashing emerald fury as she stood up from her chair and resumed her frantic pacing about the room.

“Kalinna…”

“Is there anything else you would like to tell me right now, because I am not one who enjoys being lied to,” the young woman snapped, unaware of the duke walking in her direction, “I don’t appreciate being treated like I am some…”

Before she could utter another word, however, Kalinna was silenced as she was pulled roughly to Justin’s body and his mouth crashed down on hers. Hungrily, he nibbled on her bottom lip, his tongue darting out to tease and caress her mouth open. When she sighed and surrendered to him, opening her mouth, he wasted no time in plundering its dark recesses.

The kiss seemed to drag on for an eternity. Justin’s hands were wrapped tightly about Kalinna’s waist, her body flush with his as she wound her arms about his neck, one hand splayed across his back, the other tangled in his unruly hair. They were oblivious to their surroundings, all attention focused on the soul-searing kiss and the electricity that seemed to jump between them.

Kalinna suddenly broke away as she realized exactly what was going on. She went to pull away, but found she could not do so, and merely settled for resting her forehead against Justin’s. Justin was too preoccupied with trying to get his body under control that at first he didn’t notice her unease.

“Kal,” he softly whispered when he finally took note of her reaction, “Kal look at me.” Obediently she raised wide eyes to his face; eyes that were a deep green, betraying the passion she had felt from his kiss.

“Justin, I…” she began, equally as soft, not really knowing what she was trying to say. What they were doing was wrong, but all she wanted at that moment was for Justin to be kissing her again like he had been doing only moments ago.

As if reading her mind, the young man suddenly lowered his head and gently took her lips in a soft, caressing kiss. A breathy sigh escaped Kalinna’s mouth and she felt her resistance caving in, her knees becoming week at his gentle touch. She felt like she was floating upon a cloud, her senses becoming alive all at once.

When she felt one of Justin’s had grasp her breast, however, her eyes flew open and her mouth dropped in shock. This was nothing like the gentle kiss he had just bestowed upon her. No, this was like fire, and her body was responding to it like it was mere kindling.

As he continued to tweak her nipple through her tunic, which was quickly hardening under his attention, he pulled her ever closer, so that she could feel exactly what effect she was having on him. She bit her lip as something like amazement and curiosity trilled through her body when she felt that hardness against her belly.

“Justin,” she gasped out as he began to lavish her other breast with the same attention while his tongue danced over the soft skin of her neck and traced a hot path up to her ear lobe.

“You have been driving me crazy,” he muttered in explanation before capturing her mouth once again in another dangerously enticing kiss.

Kalinna could feel her heart slam in her chest, knowing full well that this man desired her plain and simple. The thought made her feel quite powerful and boldly, she arched against Justin’s body before quickly pulling his head down for another kiss. Though surprised by her actions at first, the duke quickly responded, his lips hungrily devouring hers.

As they continued to kiss, Justin began to move them backwards until he felt the edge of the bed at the back of his knees. Without a word, he broke the kiss, picked Kalinna up in his arms and gently laid her down on the bed. He joined her only moments later, to pull her close and bestow another kiss upon her before settling to the task of removing her clothing.

Warming bells were going off in his head that this was no courtesan or dancing girl who knew the ins and outs of lovemaking, but rather an untried virgin. However, he just pushed the thought aside, the desire for her so overwhelming that he quickly lost all sense of thinking. And with his heart swelling with something resembling love, the young duke knew it never felt so right in his life.

As he began to pull her tunic over her head, kissing each inch of skin as it was revealed, Justin felt his body begin to ach with longing. The tunic and protective undershirt lurking beneath were quickly removed, which were soon followed by breeches and other articles of underclothing, until she laid naked before him. Moonlight cast her body in an ethereal light, and he quickly sat back to take in the beauty before him.

A long, slim neck gave way to petite shoulders and a pair of well-sized breasts that arched proudly up at him. Her waist was slim, tapering down until it met with the gentle curve that was her hips. Slim, well-shaped legs tapered down to tiny feet as his gaze completed its quest and returned to her face.

She was gorgeous, plain and simple. He wanted her; wanted every part of her, wanted to ravish her until she screamed his name with pleasure. But he quickly reined in his passion as she trembled under his gaze, nervous and unsure.

“My beautiful Kalinna,” he whispered, before settling a gentle kiss on her lips, one of his hands placed possessively at her waist to draw her closer to him.

Their tongues danced and intimate dance, a hallow promise of what was yet to come, what they both desperately wanted. Again, Kalinna arched against him as one hand fondled her breast, tweaking the nipple until it was a hard, aching peak. His hand suddenly moved lower and she felt a gasp involuntarily escape from her lips.

“Relax,” Justin gently stated as he parted her legs, fingers seeking the heated folds resting at the apex of her thighs.

Wordlessly, Kalinna tried to do as told, but the minute his fingers began to caress her most secret place, she couldn’t help but cry out. Utter heat; raw, passionate and all-consuming, began to course through her body before coming to pool in the pit of her stomach. With a mind of its own, her body began to arch, straining for something she did not understand.

“Not yet,” Justin whispered as he continued to stroke her.

Kalinna could only lay there as he brought her body to full awareness, her hands restlessly roving of his still-clothed form. Wanting him to be as naked as she was to him, she found the edge of the tunic and began to pull upwards. Justin had no choice but to turn his attention away from what he was doing and allow her to undress him.

His tunic joined her’s on the floor, followed quickly by his boots, breeches, and undergarments until he laid next to her, completely bare for her perusal. Unashamedly, she allowed her gaze to travel over his wholly male form, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest as she did so.

He was glorious. Wide shoulders and a sculpted chest tapered down to a slim waist and hips. His member stood proudly erect, thick and waiting, a testament of the feelings she awoke in him, and she almost gasped in shock. Muscular thighs and lean calves spoke of a figure that was elementally male and all in all, Kalinna thought he was beautiful.

Before she could say anything, however, Justin covered her body with his, both of them quite aware of the electricity that shot through them at the skin-to-skin contact. He kissed her when he felt her nerves tense, and ran a soothing hand up and down her side. His fingers found her most sensitive spot again and began to caress, sending trills of heat coursing through her.

Without warning, he fitted himself to her entrance and began to invade her body. Involuntarily, she shuddered at the sweet invasion, until he came to the natural barrier her body created. As he pushed past, she bit her lip in pain, not wanting to cry out.

Justin saw the pain flit across her features, and gently readjusted so that she grew comfortable with him. He pulled out a little, and she clenched her jaw tight, expecting to feel the same pain she had just experienced. However, when she felt only his thick heat and a somewhat heady feeling, she relaxed.

Then he began to move within her.

Kalinna’s eyes opened wide as unfamiliar feelings began to pool in the pit of her stomach, much like what had happened when he had caressed her with his fingers. But this… Oh this was beyond anything she could ever imagine.

Justin fought for control as he felt her body respond beneath him. She was so wet and tight, her body arching, her hips rising to meet every thrust he gave her. She would, he was convinced, be the death of him.

“Justin,” she gasped a moment later, the heat becoming unbearable.

His pace increased by leaps and bounds as he pounded in and out of her. Her legs became wrapped around her hips, allowing him better access, while her nails dug into his back in sweet pain. He didn’t even notice.

All of a sudden, Kalinna’s body tensed, and she was sent soaring above the clouds. She cried out Justin’s name in ecstasy and amazement as the intense feelings wracked through her body. Never before had she ever imagined that lovemaking could be so wonderful.

Seeing the pleasure flit over her face only turned Justin on all the more, and with a last few frantic thrusts, he emptied himself into her. The two of them collapsed back on the bed, a tangle of exhausted, sweaty limbs, sedated and quite content to just lie there.

A few moments later, Justin stirred and rose to lean on one elbow so that he could gaze down at the beauty lying next to him. Her eyes were closed, her breathing deep and even and he knew in an instant that she was asleep. He couldn’t help but grin at the fact that he had completely exhausted her.

After laying a gentle kiss on her lips, he snuggled close to her, wrapped his arms about her waist, and let sleep overcome his exhausted body.

It was a few hours later when Justin stirred Kalinna from sleep to make love to her again. Their pace was slow, as they explored each other’s bodies. Neither spoke a word, didn’t have to, passion consumed them and sent them to the highest heavens for the second time that evening.

After they were sedated again, Justin began a lively conversation about his family and what it had been like growing up under the stern tutelage of his father, the deceased duke. It was an unspoken agreement between the pair that their lovemaking would not be discussed, at least until they both had time on their own to figure out exactly what was going on.

Justin knew that he cared deeply for Kalinna, but was it love? He certainly wasn’t sure for he had never been in love before. But when he tried to picture his life without this fiery spitfire of a woman by his side, he couldn’t quite do it. She had taken him over, body, mind and soul, without him even realizing.

“Come, let’s go stretch our legs,” Kalinna suddenly stated a moment later as Justin finished his latest story about a scrape him and his younger brother had managed to get themselves into years ago.

“As you wish,” he agreed before donning his clothes and helping her into her own.

They exited the room, Justin locking the door, before the headed down a set of back stairs to walk out, undisturbed, into the late night air. The docks, normally rowdy, were beginning to settle down for the night, so there were not many around to notice the pair departing from the safety of the tavern.

“Do you think my mother really is alive?” Kalinna suddenly questioned, a thought that had been on her mind for some time now. Justin put a comforting arm around her shoulders and held her close as they walked, searching for the proper reply.

“I honestly don’t know. From what we’ve pieced together, it all makes sense that her sickness and the funeral could have all been an act,” the young duke slowly stated, “But it is such a stretch to believe, that there is still doubt wiggling around in my mind.”

“That is what I was thinking as well,” Kalinna agreed, biting her lip.

They walked on in comfortable silence, leaving the tavern behind, and quite oblivious to anything but each other. Therefore, they never noticed the trio of men that quickly descended down upon them.

“Justin!” Kalinna cried when she felt herself being pulled from his side and tossed to another man up on horseback.

Justin was quite busy and almost didn’t hear her cry as he tried to fend off two attackers, weaponless while they both held swords and leered at him. He balled his hands into fists, helpless to save Kalinna, who sat securely in the arms of the third man atop a tan-colored horse.

“I warned you Schellden, not to interfere,” the man on the horse coldly stated; Justin looked up in shock as he realized the man on the horse was none other than Fulton Knox, the thief whom he had fought and had tried to kidnap Kalinna earlier.

And if he wasn’t careful, the thief would succeed this time, for though Kalinna struggled, Justin could see that she was having no luck escaping her captor. Cursing to himself, he quickly got ready to fight the two men who stood in the way. He never, however, saw the blow coming, and blackness quickly slipped over him as one of the men brought the back of his sword down on the duke’s head.

“Justin!” Kalinna yelled as the tall frame of the young man crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

“Leave him. I want him to live with the guilt that he screwed up his entire investigation,” Fulton called to his two men before turning his horse towards the point where ships sat docked, “Search his room and report back to me. We set sail in thirty minutes, so do not be late.”

After nodding their heads in confirmation, the two men climbed on their horses and took of in the direction of the tavern. Fulton turned to his captive, who sat in front of him, yelling expletives worthy of any strong sailor. Grinning, he whipped out a gag and tied it securely around her heard. She glared mutinously up at him as speech was taken from her.

“Oh I’m sure once you get settled in with Andre, he will give you many more reasons to scream, though I have no doubt that you’ll be screaming his name rather than Schellden’s,” Fulton stated as he leered at her.

As the full meaning of Fulton’s words sunk in, Kalinna felt her eyes widen and began to struggle in vain against her captor. But she soon found herself just trying to stay atop the horse as the thief kicked the horse forward. They were soon leaving the fallen duke behind and Kalinna only managed one more fleeting glance of the man who had stolen her heart before she found herself being kidnapped into the night.

Chapter 17 - A Heart to Heart With Momma 

With a groan, Justin rolled over, his head pounding, his body aching, and no idea where he was exactly. He cracked open an eyelid and immediately noticed a few things. He was in a very soft, very large bed, with pillows stacked at his back, the room was quite familiar, with its darkly masculine décor, and the woman sitting at his bedside side was, without a doubt, his mother.

“What happened?” he groggily got out as he tried to sit up.

His mother immediately sat forward when she heard him speak and realized that he was now awake. She fussed over him, adjusting his pillows and checking a bandage on the back of his head, which must have been the source of his pounding headache. Gently, he placed a hand on her arm and stopped her flutter of movement.

“How did I get here mother?” he said this time, his voice coming out clearer and more in command. With a sigh, the older woman stopped moving and sat back in the chair she had just vacated moments before.

“Your man, Jackson, brought you here, when he found you unconscious in the streets of the docks,” Christina Timberlake began in a soft voice, the worry still etched in her expressive blue eyes, “You have been sleeping for four days now, and the doctor said that it was a combination of the blow to your head and exhaustion.”

Justin groaned again, but this time from frustration instead of pain. There was no telling what was going on in the investigation, now that he had missed four perfectly good days. And he knew without a doubt that Fulton’s men had most likely found and retrieved the chest and all it contained right after they had kidnapped Kalinna…

Kalinna!!

With a jolt, Justin quickly threw off the covers and donned his nearby dressing gown over his loose-fitting bedclothes before he began to pace. His mother apprehensively looked on, silent as she tried to understand what was worrying her son. And it was worry, there was no doubt about that, as his blue eyes were clouded over it, his stride frantic, his thoughts distant.

Good lord! Kalinna must be halfway to France at this point in time, as he had been powerless to thwart Fulton Knox’s latest kidnapping attempt. His heart beat painfully in his chest as he realized how much danger she was in, and that, at the present time, he was unable to do anything about it. Bloody hell.

“Justin, dear, do sit down before you injure yourself further. You have just woken up and the doctor prescribed bed rest and lots of fluids once you came to,” Christina stated into the pensive silence that hung about the room.

“Not now mother, there is too much that has to be done. I need to speak with Anthony and Benton immediately, and then Jackson, for I’m sure he will be able to come up with a plan,” Justin began to mumble to himself as half-formed thoughts presented themselves in his mind.

“But Justin, the doctor said…”

“I don’t care what the doctor said,” Justin practically yelled, then hung his head sheepishly, embarrassed by the rude display of emotion he had treated his mother to. She was only trying to help.

With a sigh, Christina walked to her son’s side and gently but firmly led him back to the bed where she forced him to lie back down and she tucked him in, just like she had done when he was a child. All words of protest on his tongue were held in check as he let her fuss over him like the caring mother he knew she was. Wordlessly, she accepted this as his way of apologizing for his outburst.

Once all the fluffing of the pillows and tucking of the sheets was accomplished, Christina rang the bell for one of the servants to alert Justin’s friends that he was awake. She was very aware that the three had been pacing the floor of the front parlor for the better part of the morning, quite worried over Justin’s health. It was best to lay their apprehensions to rest before she had four exhausted men on her hands rather than just one.

“Justin, dear, I know you have many things to discuss with your friends,” Christina began as a knock sounded on the door of the large master bedroom where they were ensconced, “However, there is much I wish to discuss with you once you are done with business, so please seek me out before the evening is through.”

“I will mother,” Justin assured her as Benton, Anthony and Jackson came into the room, practically treading on the heels of the servant that had brought them there.

With a last kiss to his forehead and a regal nod of her head to the three newcomers, Christina followed the servant out of the room, thus leaving the four men to their business.

Once his mother was gone, Justin turned expectant eyes to his three friends as they began to comfortably settle themselves on furniture located near the bed where he lay. The silence was awkward at first. This was the first time any of them had been hurt, physically, so none of them were quite sure exactly how to react.

When the silence continued on for a few moments longer, Justin finally rolled his eyes in exasperation. It wasn’t like he was dead, not even close to that in fact. He just had a bump – albeit rather large – on the back of his head and a bruised pride to go along with it.

“In case you three haven’t noticed, I’m not dead, just merely indisposed for the time being,” Justin dryly got out, adjusting the comforter as he spoke.

“You’ve been unconscious…” Benton began, biting his lip in agitation.

“Sleeping. I’ve been sleeping for the past four days. There’s a world of difference between sleeping and being unconscious,” Justin teased in an attempt to lighten the situation.

“Your mother…” Anthony stated, not at all at ease, Justin noticed, when he recognized worry residing in the blonde man’s gaze.

“My mother enjoys over-dramatizing everything, and you Anthony, of all people, should know that by now,” Justin interrupted, grinning in an attempt to get the three to relax, “You have anything you want to add Jackson?” The burly man grunted.

“You’re such a stubborn ass,” Justin’s right-hand man finally grumbled.

“Okay then, so now that we’ve established the fact that I’m fine, I’m not dead, and if it weren’t for my mother, I’d be out of bed by now, Anthony, what the bloody hell are you doing here?” Justin demanded as he cocked a questioning eyebrow in his friend’s direction.

“Parliament has recalled me from Port Chamblay due to the sudden change of events that have occurred in the last couple days,” Anthony explained, shifting uncomfortably under the piercing blue stare of the Duke of Schellden, “They believe that these plans against the English government have finally come to a head.”

“What events, if I may ask, are you talking about?” Justin bit out, his nerves on edge, “And what has caused the government to conclude that this conspiracy against them has been figured out to the fullest extent?”

“That’s what I said. We don’t even know where Richard Davenport be hiding himself right now,” Jackson piped up as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Seems ta me that them wigs sitting in Parliament are just out ta get anybody and everybody which may be involved.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Anthony agreed, “Parliament has been under heavy fire from the king and his advisors because of its inability to solve this dilemma so now they are trying to make up for lost time by assuming what they don’t know.”

“Many of the spies have been unable to turn up anything, but Parliament nevertheless has been itching to take some firm action, even if they must rely on rumors rather than facts,” Benton added, frowning.

“What has convinced them that every aspect of this case has been figured out and that we are ready to take action against those responsible?” Justin demanded, quite confused by this most recent turn of events.

“Well the attack on you for one thing,” Jackson stated.

“And Kalinna disappeared the same night,” Benton added, worry lighting his brown eyes, “Nobody has any idea what has happened to her, but she went to her room early after my grandmother’s ball, and the next morning we found her gone. Her bed was still made, which means that she was gone sometime in the evening.”

“That, as well as the attack on me, I can explain perfectly well,” Justin quietly stated. Benton almost fell out of his chair at that statement.

“You know where Kalinna is?” the younger man demanded, concern for his cousin showing through.

“And you didn’t tell us?” Anthony added.

“Bloody hell, I just woke up. When was I supposed to get that information to you? While I was conked out on the streets of the London docks?” Justin demanded, rolling his eyes at his friends’ reactions, “You think I don’t regret what happened to Kalinna? Do you think I don’t wish I had been able to protect her instead of get knocked out?” Benton and Anthony fell speechless at the young duke’s outburst.

“Spit it out kid, what exactly is goin’ on?” Jackson finally demanded after a few moments of stilted silence, “You ain’t makin’ no sense right now.”

“Benton, you remember that French pirate you and Kalinna had a run-in with the morning of your grandmother’s ball?” Justin tiredly questioned, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration.

“Fulton Knox?” Benton asked, surprised by the question.

“Yes, the very same,” Justin confirmed with a sigh, “Well that evening, during the ball, he tried to kidnap your cousin as well as steal the chest she had taken from her family’s home when the two of you went out riding that morning.”

“He what!?!” Benton practically yelled, glowering at this new information.

“I was going to meet with Kalinna. She wanted to discuss some things with me pertaining to our investigation before I left for the evening,” Justin continued, ignoring the glare Benton was throwing in his direction, “I walked in on Fulton and another man trying to abduct her and the chest she had rescued.”

“When I get my hands on that dirty sonova…”

“Calm down Benton and let Justin say his piece,” Anthony interrupted as he laid a soothing hand on his friend’s arm and turned to Justin to continue, “Why was Fulton after Kalinna, as well as that chest?”

As quickly as he could, and with all the detail he could remember, Justin quickly recounted the tale of the chest, the jewelry contained within, Elizabeth Davenport’s letter to Kalinna as well as all the possible theories the two of them had discussed. He refrained from telling of how he had made love to Kalinna, knowing very well that Benton would probably throttle him. When he finished with his tale, he looked at his friends, who were all silent.

Anthony was pacing the bedroom floor, Benton had his head in his hands, and Jackson sat, his arms still crossed over his chest. Justin waited patiently for one of them to speak.

“What happened next?” Benton finally questioned, his voice soft as he turned agonized eyes on Justin.

“We took a break from figuring everything out and took a walk to clear our heads. Next thing I know, we were attacked by Fulton and two other men. I left my weapons in the room, because I figured we wouldn’t be gone long, and we were quite inconspicuous,” Justin stated, his hands balled into fists, “If only I had thought to bring my pistol or my sword. I was powerless to stop them. They took Kalinna and knocked me out cold.”

“Bloody hell Justin, you were lucky they didn’t kill you,” Anthony responded as he continued pacing the floor at the foot of his friend’s bed.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Justin dryly responded, in an attempt to take control of the emotions that were slowly slipping through his iron grip.

“They’ve taken her to France,” Benton suddenly stated, quickly grabbing the attention of the other three occupants of the room.

“What’s this?” Jackson questioned, “How would ye know where they’ve taken Miss Kalinna?”

“Well when Kalinna and I first got mixed up with Fulton that morning, he mentioned returning Kalinna to her father in France. I hadn’t thought he was being serious, but now I’m getting the feeling that he was,” Benton explained as he slouched in his chair.

“That is precisely what I was thinking as well. Fulton mentioned France when I was fighting in Kalinna’s chambers the night of the ball,” Justin added, running a hand through his hair in thought.

“Well then we must head to France at once and rescue her,” Anthony said, “We cannot leave her to the mercies of her father and Fulton Knox, especially since she plays a key role in this investigation.”

“We can’t jus go marching into France uninvited,” Jackson immediately pointed out, “With no idea where the lass be trapped at, and France not on friendly terms wit England, we have ta wait until we get more information.”

“Jackson is right,” Justin agreed, much to Benton and Anthony’s surprise.

“Well what the bloody hell are we supposed to do until then? Sit around and twiddle our thumbs?” Anthony demanded as he once again resumed his pacing.

“We wait,” Justin concluded, “It’s all we can do at this moment.”

A few hours later, after donning some comfortable britches and a tunic, Justin lazily ambled his way to his mother’s personal parlor, where he had been told that she was currently ensconced with a book and a cup of tea. Benton, Anthony and Jackson had left over an hour ago, all three of them with their own plans and orders to carry out, leaving Justin alone with his thoughts, feelings, and a nagging sense to talk to his mother about Kalinna. So that’s precisely what he planned on doing.

“Come in,” Christina called a few moments later, smiling when she saw her eldest son standing there, “Justin dear, it’s so good to see you up. Please do come in and sit with me. There is much I have to talk to you about.”

“There is much I wish to discuss with you as well,” Justin stated as he gently closed the door and took a seat in a wing-backed chair near his mother.

“As you wish my dear, would you like some tea?” the Christina questioned, and when Justin nodded in agreement, she quickly rang a bell for one of the servants.

As soon as the two of them were comfortably situated and sipping contentedly on their tea, Christina turned questioning eyes to her son, intent on listening to what he had to say. Her news would have to wait as it would take her quite some time to explain it to the fullest. And she knew that Justin would, more likely than not, become upset at her words.

“I don’t quite know how to explain everything that has happened in the past few months, but I shall try,” Justin began with a sigh as he set his tea aside, “I just would like your opinion on it all.”

“Is anything wrong dear?” Christina worriedly questioned as he began to pace finished wood of the parlor floor.

“Yes and no. I mean, it is all so complicated,” Justin replied.

“Well start from the beginning,” Christina urged as she set her tea cup aside and turned her full attention to her eldest son.

“Well as you may know, I have been busy with my latest investigation with Parliament and the Bow Street detectives. My ship has been in and out of port, posing as a pirate vessel as we try to gather what information we are able to. Well, one of the times we stopped into the London port to make a report my contact in Parliament, we happened to take aboard a cabin boy with the most amazing sword arm I have ever seen…”

As Justin told the tale, he was quickly taken back to the day he had first met Kalinna, when he knew her as a boy, with a dirty face, quick wit, and a wicked sword arm. His heart began to clench in his chest, an unknown feeling beginning to surface as he recounted tale after tale of the days he spent with Kalinna as his cabin boy, when he had known her merely as Kit.

Christina watched her son pace as the words poured from him, a confused look residing on her face. What did Justin’s cabin boy, a lad of fourteen summers, have to do with Justin being so upset? But instead of speaking up, like so wanted to do, she kept silent and let him continue on with his tale.

“It was a couple months ago, when the crew and I were out on another mission to try and gather more information, that we were attacked by French pirates,” Justin stated, touching a gentle hand to the bandage that was still wrapped around his injured head as he stopped his pacing, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

“Justin?” his mother gently prodded. He quickly shook himself out of the daze he had fallen into and continued on with his story.

“We were quickly overcome, and I thought for sure we were going to be captured and our cover would be blown. However, at the last minute, the tide of battle began to turn in our favor until almost all the French pirates had been driven back to their ship. Kip was a great asset in the battle, as usual,” Justin stated, quickly resuming his pacing, “I ended up battling the French captain, which is when Kip was attacked and fell overboard.”

“Oh dear,” Christina stated, her eyes widening with alarm.

“That is precisely what I thought, just not quite so elegant,” Justin dryly stated, “Especially after I learned that Kip could not swim.”

“Please do not tell me the lad drowned,” Christina practically pleaded.

“No, not at all. I rescued Kip in the water, only to discover that Kip was not a boy like we all had thought, but a young woman. Kalinna Davenport to be more specific,” Justin explained with a sigh.

“Not the same Kalinna Davenport that I know,” Christina protested, her eyes wide at this bit of information.

“The very same,” Justin confirmed as he finally took a seat back in the chair he had vacated some minutes before.

“But what was she doing aboard your ship? And dressed as a boy no less?!?” Christina cried, wringing her hands in agitation.

“It is quite a long story…”

With that, Justin quickly went into a full explanation of all that he had learned of Kalinna’s past and the situation with her father, as well as her reasons for running away. He did not leave anything out, not even all that had occurred at port Chamblay before Kalinna had been sent back to London. Christina sat there in shock.

“The Chesterfield Ball on Christmas Eve was the first time Kalinna and I came face to face since she had left for England over a year before,” Justin softly explained, “And it was the first she knew of my true heritage and position in society.”

“I can understand now, why she was so upset with you at Lady Chesterfield’s ball. It was wrong of you to deceive her, especially when she has had to put up with her father for so many years,” Christina gently stated as she placed a comforting hand on her son’s arm. He quickly jerked away at her words.

“It’s not like I wanted to do it on purpose. You know very well that I think quite highly of honesty,” Justin muttered as he began to pace yet again, “And it was not as if she was entirely truthful to me either.”

“That is true,” Christina agreed, “But from what I understand, the two of you have discussed your past misdeeds and have come to a ceasefire of sorts.”

“In a way, yes. The two of us have become partners in this investigation,” Justin revealed, frowning.

“Justin Randall! It is bad enough that the lady was subjected to the vulgarities of the sailors of your crew and that she was bounced around on a vessel for a number of months. But how can you possibly think of allowing her to be exposed to the dangers of your government investigation? It is unheard of!” Christina practically yelled, her eyes flashing icy fury. Justin winced at her words, knowing that she was, unfortunately, correct in her thinking.

“It has already been done mother, and I am paying for those sins as we speak. Kalinna has been kidnapped to unknown parts of France all because of me. I could not say no to her when she pleaded with me to allow her to help,” Justin angrily retorted, his hands balled into fists, “And you know why I couldn’t say no? Because I am weak. Because I have fallen so helplessly and completely in love with woman that I can’t seem to control anything anymore!”

Christina sat there, speechless as she stared at her son. He continued to pace, his eyes flashing, his mouth set in a grim line, unaware of the interested stare his mother sent in his direction. He was too busy trying to calm down his racing heart.

“Justin, please sit down, there is something I must tell you,” Christina began as she indicated the empty space next to her on the comfortable couch. Reluctantly, and with a defeated sigh, he took a seat and turned his undivided attention.

“I hope that what you are about to tell me is not something along the lines of Kalinna is already married, engaged, my cousin, or something of that nature,” Justin quietly stated as he stared at his hands. Christina had to refrain from grinning.

“She has been betrothed since she was a child…” Christina began, but got no farther.

“She what? Why did she not tell me this?” Justin demanded as he clenched his hands into fists to keep himself somewhat calm.

“Perhaps she did not tell you because she is still quite unaware of the fact,” Christina continued on; Justin glared at her, “Her mother passed on before she was able to tell Kalinna that she has been promised to a duke.”

“Wonderful. It just had to be another duke,” Justin grumbled; Christina felt a grin beginning to form on her face as she listened to him grouch, “It couldn’t be a viscount or a marquis, no, it had to be a duke.”

“Justin…” Christina warned.

“Who is the bastard?” Justin finally spat as he frowned, quite unhappy at the turn of events that had just taken place.

“You,” his mother stated.

“Why when I get my hands on that…wait, what did you say?” Justin demanded, his eyes wide as he wondered if he had heard her correctly. She hadn’t just said that he was Kalinna’s betrothed…had she?

“You and Kalinna Davenport have been betrothed since the two of you were children,” Christina confirmed as she finally allowed the smile that had been lurking at the corner of her mouths.

“Why did you not tell me this?” Justin quietly asked as his eyes intently searched his mothers face. He was, if truth be told, still somewhat in a state of shock at this new information he had been given.

“The betrothal itself was a secret that was between Elizabeth Davenport, your father and I,” Christina began as she picked up her tea and took a calming sip, “The three of us were very close friends up until the point where Elizabeth married Richard and your father and I saw very little of her. But we continued to stay friends despite this new distance and the difference in our lifestyles.”

“But I had thought that once Elizabeth had married Richard Davenport, she had lost all contact with her family and friends from her younger days,” Justin stated, finally beginning to relax as the news that Kalinna was his betrothed fully sunk in.

“That is what everybody has been led to believe. But your father and I never lost touch with Elizabeth, especially not when things began to get rough between her and Richard. I was even the one who delivered all the letters from Elizabeth to her mother, Violet Wickham,” Christina continued, “But anyway, once Kalinna was born, Elizabeth, your father, and I all agreed that it would be best if she were betrothed to you, our eldest son. Elizabeth feared that Richard would try to manipulate her daughter in some way in order to line his own pockets with money or better his station in society.”

“But why keep the betrothal such a secret?” Justin asked, confused, “Surely if you expected to keep Kalinna safe from Richard, Richard would have to know about the betrothal. And as far as I know, the man hasn’t a clue that his daughter is already promised to someone.”

“That, my dear, was a mistake on the part of your father and I. There are two copies of the betrothal, one which rests in my personal safe, and one that is stored with some of Elizabeth’s belongings. When Elizabeth died, her copy of the betrothal was lost amidst her things,” Christina stated, setting her empty tea cup aside as she spoke, “Your father and I had no idea what should be done about all the plans that had been made, especially when Richard took Kalinna away to the country for a few months after Elizabeth’s death. So we did nothing.”

“But I still do not understand why you did not mention such a betrothal at an earlier date,” the young duke said.

“You would understand if you met Richard Davenport. The man is an insufferable boor, callous and uncaring about anything besides himself. I have never met a more selfish man in all my life,” Christina practically spat, “Once he had control of Kalinna, we knew there was no way he was going to let her go. Especially if one copy of the betrothal was missing.” Justin sighed.

“Well I guess if we look on the bright side of it all, at least Kalinna has been able to provide us some insight to how her father works. And she has discovered very many useful bits of information that have helped aid in our investigation,” Justin concluded with a half smile.

“That may be so, but that does not mean I haven’t failed my best friend. I promised that I would look after her child if anything happened to her, and I have failed miserable in that aspect,” Christina quietly stated.

“Mother, what has happened, has happened. The past cannot be changed, nor done over again, so we must accept it at face value,” Justin began, his tone encouraging, “We will set to right what has been wronged, I promise you that.”

“Justin?” Christina questioned, turning confused eyes to her son.

“I am going to find Kalinna and bring her back home,” Justin confidently stated, “And once this entire ordeal is over with and England is safe again, I intend to marry her. Whether she’ll have me or not.”

Chapter 18: Across The Sea 

The large ship that pulled into port that day did not gather much attention from the men and women working about the docks. It’s flags, somewhat bedraggled, hung limply in the slight breeze of the sunny April afternoon, a testament to the storms it had survived. The weatherworn wood of the deck, though clean and devoid of excrements, bespoke of years of service. Nevertheless, the ship quickly dropped anchor and tied up at a designated wooden dock, majestic in all it’s worn, wooden splendor.

As soon as all the ropes were tightly secured to the dock, the ship became alive with activity. Sailors moved upon the deck, in the rigging and on the docks, preparing the ship for a long stay. Crates, barrels, trunks and sacks were quickly unloaded and taken to a waiting train of wagons to be transported to their final destination, a grand castle that was visible in the distance.

Fulton Knox drew in a large breath of air as he removed his hat to allow the breeze to cool his scalp, somewhat glad that the journey back to France was over. He had had enough of Kalinna Davenport to last him a lifetime that was for sure. The chit had been nothing but trouble from the beginning, complaining nonstop, being stubborn as a mule, and refusing to relent even an inch. If she wasn’t the promised bride to his boss, one of the richer men in France, he would have seriously considered taking a fist to the back of her head.

Oh he was certainly glad to be rid of her; there was no doubt about that.

“Captain, everything is secure. The first of the wagons have left for Westgate Castle and the few remaining are being loaded and will soon depart for that destination as well,” Fulton’s second-in-command, Philip, stated as he approached the burly, tattooed man he called captain.

“Very good Philip. You and Jacob will help me transport Lady Davenport to Westgate Castle where her father and fiancé wait, and then you are free to enjoy yourselves in town tonight,” Fulton responded, placing his hat back upon his head, “I expect you and the rest of the crew to report to me at the agreed time tomorrow morning, is that understood?”

“Yes captain. Gives me a whole night to get reacquainted with the lady I left here at the beginning of our voyage,” Phillip stated before he left the captain to assist with the last of the crates and to find Jacob.

“Not everybody can be so lucky,” Fulton grumbled to himself as he glared at the closed cabin door behind which Kalinna Davenport sat.

Unaware of the unhappiness of her kidnapper, Kalinna sat glumly staring at a wall as she realized that there really was no escape for her this time. Justin was not here to save her, and she was without a sword, helpless to defend herself in any way. As much as she didn’t want to face the truth, she was trapped.

But was this how her life was supposed to turn out? Forced to marry a Frenchman she didn’t know or love, live life in a foreign country she knew nothing about, and lose the family she had just found after all these years? Would she have to try to forget about the one man she had fallen hopelessly and completely in love with?

Oh, she had had plenty of time during their three-week journey across the sea to think about her feelings toward Justin Timberlake and had come to the firm conclusion that she loved the man. It was plain and simple as that. He had become everything she wanted in a man, with his handsome features, caring disposition, stubbornness, knack with a sword and the more tender side she realized he showed very few people. He was her ideal.

But how was she to tell him?

When it came to matters of the heart, she was shy. Losing her mother at the tender age of fourteen had seen to that. Elizabeth Davenport had been gentle, caring, soft-spoken and the one person Kalinna had ever idolized; she had been the one to teach Kalinna how to be strong, yet listen to her other, more “feminine” emotions.

When Elizabeth had died, Kalinna had been beyond devastated. She had cried, not only for the loss of her mother, but for the loss of the lessons and wisdom that Elizabeth would never get to tell her. So in her new world, devoid of the caring mother she had shared fourteen years with, she had learned to bottle up emotions. Instead of becoming a soft-spoken young woman who would make the perfect wife, Kalinna found herself presenting a tough, somewhat unlady-like exterior to the world as she knew it – one which was ruled by her ever-frustrating, self-absorbed father.

Growing up and becoming a young woman without her mother to guide her, Kalinna had known that love existed, but she had never known its tender touch from her remaining parent. So being courted by a young man, being in love with a young man, was completely new territory to her. And it was territory that, quite frankly, scared her.

All that, though, she was willing to get past. She was willing to put her heart out on her sleeve, willing to give it into the hands of another all for the sake of that little thing known as love. Of course, unfortunately for her heart, she knew for a fact that love was not what the handsome duke felt for her.

Despite having made love with her, Kalinna knew without a doubt that Justin put duty to country and to his family before love. He was not ready to marry, much less marry a nothing in society like she. She had no title, no strong connection to the upper crust of society, only a good-sized dowry thanks to her grandmother. But that was not enough for Justin – who would have to marry somebody of his own station, with similar wealth and familial connections.

So in reality, she was kidding herself into believing that anything would come of her love to Justin Timberlake, Duke of Schellden, most eligible bachelor of London society.

And that realization is what had pushed her into the blackest of moods for the second half of the journey. She found herself snapping at the poor crewmen who brought her food and drink, fighting sleepless nights of restlessness and constantly pacing the wooden floor of the small cabin she had been locked into. She needed freedom, needed some way to forget about the man who had stolen her heart and would always be just out of her reach.

But no relief was in the near future, and so she suffered.

A knock on the cabin door interrupted Kalinna’s depressing flow of thoughts and with a start, she realized that they must have finally docked. A feeling of dread immediately took up residence in the pit of her stomach. Very soon she would be seeing her father again, and meeting the man that she was being forced to marry.

The thought sent a shudder through her body, and with a stubborn set of her chin, she ordered herself to be strong. She wasn’t some weak, twittering female who would get the vapors at the mention of the word marriage. No, she could take this latest turn of events with the grace and maturity of an adult, and maybe with a little bit of stubbornness thrown in on the side.

“Lady Davenport, are you ready to disembark? The carriage awaits us,” Fulton Knox announced, knocking a second time as he had received no answer from her.

“Yes,” she stiffly called back as she gathered the small reticule that had been provided for her by her kidnapper.

“I do hope you have changed your clothing, for it would not be proper to meet your future husband wearing boys’ breeches and a dirty tunic,” Fulton continued, still talking through the closed door, which was locked from the outside so she had no chance of escape.

“Since when do you care about being proper, you bloody pirate?” Kalinna spat, her green eyes shooting dangerous daggers at the closed wooden panel that stood between her and a freedom of sorts.

“Just following orders my lady, no need to be so stubborn and hard-headed,” Fulton tiredly responded.

“Stubborn and hard-headed? Why sir, you have not even seen all that I am capable of. But since we have landed in France, I fear I am saving the most severe tongue-lashings for my father. Count yourself lucky,” Kalinna angrily retorted.

“I already have,” Fulton grumbled to himself as he pulled the keys to the cabin from his pocket and proceeded to unlock the door.

The moment the door was opened, Kalinna wanted to bolt out into the fresh air and run as fast and as far away from this nightmare that she could. But she knew it would be a foolish thing to do and instead, resorted to biding her time for the right moment where she could, without a doubt, successfully gain her freedom. Thus, she walked out of the cabin without a fuss.

Fulton was not sure what more surprised him: the fact that the young woman had actually obeyed orders and changed her clothing, or that she did not try to run the moment the door had been opened. He knew without a doubt that the lady was not one to just ramble off at the mouth or issue idle threats; no, she always stayed true to what she said. So the fact that she did not try to act out the moment freedom was in sight caused him to become slightly wary and just a touch confused.

His attention, however, quickly left those thoughts as he became aware that the surprise of his crew was due solely to the fact that the lady was wearing a dress, which showed off her beauty to the fullest extent. A lithe, curving body, pert breasts, long, flowing hair, and those haughty green eyes gave the young woman a classic look. Her’s was a beauty which, in all of their minds, could certainly rival that of any other woman.

“Come along my lady, we mustn’t keep your father and your fiancé waiting. Your father has been most anxious to see you and I am quite positive that you will want a chance to get to know your fiancé before you marry him,” Fulton concluded as he sent a few warning glares into his crew.

“IF I marry him,” Kalinna quietly retorted, shrugging aside the arm that Fulton offered her and preparing to disembark the ship. She didn’t, however, count on her legs feeling so unsteady.

“You will marry him, my lady, just as your father wishes you to,” Fulton replied as he took a hold of her arm to keep her from falling on her face while her legs adjusted to dry land.

Kalinna didn’t say a word to that. Silently, she fumed, highly anticipating the moment where she would be reunited with her father so that she could finally say what was truly on her mind. She wanted to wound him just as much as he had wounded her for the better half of her life.

Fulton quickly guided the silent young lady to the waiting carriage and handed her up to Philip, who was waiting inside, before climbing in as well. He nodded to Jacob, who held the reins, and they were soon off in the direction of the castle that stood forebodingly in the distance.

The ride, at first, was a silent one. Fulton sat silently reading through some paperwork, while across from him, Philip was slouched into the seat, dozing, his head leaning against the window though quite oblivious to the passing scenery. Kalinna, on the other had, was trying to get the wild beating of her heart under control as what was happening was finally beginning to fully sink in.

Once they had gotten under way, however, the young woman immediately began to stare out the window, watching the castle as it grew larger and larger with each turn of the carriage wheels. Was this going to be her new home? There was no way on earth she was going to be able to handle running a place so enormous…

“Who owns that place?” Kalinna abruptly questioned as she realized that she was starting to resign herself to accepting what was happening to her. But she refused to give up without a fight.

“Your fiancé, Andre Carlson, Marquis of Westgate,” Fulton responded as he looked up from his paperwork and sent a quick glance in the young woman’s direction, “That is Westgate Castle, his primary residence, and where you shall live once you are married.”

If that happened.

“Does the Marquis have any family?” Kalinna continued. She would gather as much information as she could from Fulton so that once she was situated in Westgate Castle, escape would be all that much easier.

“He has a younger sister around your age and I believe her name is Adele. She is engaged to the Marquis’s best friend, Barnaby LaCroix, Marquis of Sussex,” Fulton explained, “Other than that, the Marquis has no family to speak of.”

“No family?” she prodded, now curious.

“The Marquis’s parents were both only children, hence the family becoming nearly extinct. Andre, therefore, carries the burden of producing an heir and continuing the family name,” Fulton stated, shrugging his shoulders, “The late Marquis and his wife died some years ago, of the flu of some sorts.”

Perfect. No annoying parents of her intended, only a betrothed sister, who, most likely was so wrapped up in her own engagement that she wouldn’t pay Kalinna the slightest amount of attention. Escape, therefore, would be easier than she thought.

“By chance, does the Marquis own a stable?” Kalinna questioned, careful to keep the calculating light from her eyes. No sense in alerting Fulton to the fact that she was already planning a way to escape this fate.

“Oh yes, a rather large one if I’m not mistaken. The Marquis takes pride in breeding only the finest of steeds,” Fulton responded as he began to put away his paperwork, fully intent on answering all of the questions she had, “Many of the steeds that come from the Westgate stable are racehorses or are bred to be excellent rides.”

“I do hope that the Marquis will let me ride sometime,” Kalinna commented, her gaze still trained to the window. She did not see Fulton’s confused frown.

Truth be told, Fulton Knox was beyond confused. The woman he was now talking to in no way resembled the stubborn spitfire that he had kidnapped and spent three weeks on a ship with. It seemed unbelievable that she had suddenly accepted her fate, especially without a fight.

Trouble was brewing, that he knew. And unfortunately, he would probably be around to see it come to a head.

“It appears we have arrived,” Fulton smoothly announced before the young lady could ask another question, “Philip, you and Jacob will take care of the horses and carriage before returning to help the rest of the crew unload everything in the wagons into the castle.”

“We’re here already?” Kalinna practically screeched, panicking.

“Yes,” Fulton confirmed before turning back to Philip, “Make sure that the groom is quite capable to handle my two blacks, for I will not have my horses treated poorly.”

“Everything will be done as you say captain. Is that all you will be needing?” Philip finally responded as he jerked to attention. It was as if he had not fallen asleep at all.

“For now, yes. You and the crew may return to town after everything is done, or you may stay here. I believe the Marquis intends on throwing a party tonight to honor his fiancée, and from what I understand, all are welcome,” Fulton responded as the carriage came to a halt in front of the vast stone steps that led up to the castle’s front door.

“Very good captain,” Philip said with a slight nod of his head before he disembarked from the carriage and let the steps down so that Kalinna could descend.

“Welcome to Westgate Castle, my lady,” Fulton announced as he stepped out of the carriage and held out his hand to her.

Kalinna begrudgingly took his hand and descended down the small steps of the carriage. Once her feet touched solid ground, she looked up to take in her surroundings. And immediately froze.

The place was beautiful.

The courtyard of the castle was paved in cobblestone, and was bordered on the edges by the homes and workplaces of the villagers. Cottages with thatched roofs and wooden walls dotted the landscape amidst stalls of wares that were being sold. The clank of a blacksmith rang through the air and Kalinna’s nostrils filled with the scents of cooked food, manure, sulfur and the faint aroma of seawater.

At the far end of the courtyard, a set of wide stone steps led up to the front door of the castle, which is where Kalinna presently stood. She quickly looked up, taking in the grey stone of the foundations as they rose to insurmountable heights. A numerous number of turrets and balconies gave the place a feeling of comfortable disarray, and the clean panes of the windows, glittered welcomingly in the light of the day.

But what had made Kalinna freeze was not the scenery nor architecture, but the entourage that stood waiting for her at the top of the stone steps.

The house servants stood in a straight line, waiting to be introduced to their new mistress, smiles of welcome on their faces. All were dressed in demure grays and earthy browns as was acceptable for their stations. Among the crowd were butlers, chambermaids, footmen, serving men, and a number of other individuals whose job she did not yet know.

Amidst them all, with a large, happy smile on his face, stood her father. For a moment, Kalinna stood rooted to her spot at the bottom of the stone steps, her eyes glaring daggers at the parent whom had so brutally betrayed her trust. But after a few moments, she was marching up the steps, ready to battle him head-0n.

“My dear, it is so good to see you, and looking as beautiful and healthy as ever,” Richard Davenport began, smiling as his brown eyes dared her to be anything less than civil to him.

“Father,” Kalinna stiffly responded as she reluctantly accepted a hug from him, “Is it too much to ask that I retire to my room right now? I fear I have a large headache from the journey.”

“Why of course dear daughter. The Marquis is throwing a ball tonight, and I am sure you will want to feel your best. Mrs. Heston?” Richard called, waving a hand to one of the elder women who stood with the rest of the servants.

“Yes Sir Davenport?” the lady, who stood regally, her silver her coiffed perfectly, her blue eyes sharp as she sank into a small curtsey for the man.

“Please escort my daughter to her room and assign her a few ladies-in-waiting. I fear she is not feeling her best and needs some rest before the ball tonight,” Richard instructed as he placed a hand under Kalinna’s elbow, “The servants shall have to be introduced to her later, if that suits you.”

“It does indeed sir, I will make sure everything is done as you instructed,” Mrs. Heston replied, quickly turning her attention to Kalinna, “Come my lady, I will see you to your room where you may lie down and collect yourself after such a long journey.”

“Thank you,” Kalinna softly replied as her father released her elbow and she followed the housekeeper through the front door.

The inside of the castle was much of a blur to Kalinna, who was still trying to get over the shock and anger of seeing her father. She noted that the housekeeper took her up a grand flight of stairs and down a long hallway, where she stopped before a closed door. After quickly opening it, the housekeeper ushered Kalinna inside where she jolted the young lady out of her thoughts.

“My lady, this is Tabitha, she will be your personal assistant,” Mrs. Heston began, motioning to a young woman who immediately dropped into a curtsey, “She shall see to any personal needs that you may have.”

“Pleased to meet you Tabitha,” Kalinna kindly stated. There was no sense in making enemies of the household staff if she was going to successfully escape.

“My lady,” the servant responded.

“And this is Jeffrey, he will be your footman. Any time you need transportation, or feel the need to go on an afternoon ride, please don’t hesitate to call for him,” Mrs. Heston continued.

“Pleased to meet you Jeffrey,” Kalinna responded, giving the flustered young man an encouraging smile. He flushed under her gaze.

“Ma’am,” he finally managed, adding a quick bow as an afterthought.

“There will be a few other servants who may be in and out of your room and at your disposal, but they are quite busy at the moment, what with your arrival this morning,” Mrs. Heston concluded, “So anything you need, please ask Jeffrey or Tabitha. And I will also be available, if you wish to seek me out.”

“Thank you Mrs. Heston, you have been most kind,” Kalinna concluded before the housekeeper, along with Jeffrey, the footman, took leave of the room.

“Shall I help you undress my lady? I know you shall be wanting a nap before the ball this evening,” Tabitha stated as she closed the bedroom doors and turned back to her new mistress.

“If you do not mind. I should like to catch a little bit of rest to get my legs back underneath me,” Kalinna responded.

“Very good my lady,” Tabitha agreed.

“Kalinna. Please call me Kalinna,” the young woman stated as she raised her arms and allowed the servant to begin unbuttoning her dress.

“Kalinna,” Tabitha shyly responded as she set about the task of helping her new mistress, whom she was taking an immediate liking to.

It was not ten minutes later that Kalinna was finally alone, clad in a nightgown, her long hair pulled down from its clips and pins. She sat on the large bed, lost in thought, unaware of all the splendor that surrounded her as her steely façade began to crumble. A lone tear traveled down her cheek, and she angrily wiped it away.

Now was not the time to get all weepy, not when she was about to be married of to a rich French marquis whom she had never met. No, she needed to come up with a plan, some infallible way to escape this horrid fate her father had condemned her to. She was not going to sit back and watch her life crumble to ruins, not when she could do something to prevent it.

With that settled, Kalinna rolled off the bed and began to pace around the room, her eyes unseeing to her surroundings. She was so lost in thought that she almost didn’t hear the soft knock on her bedroom door. But when she finally realized that the noise she was hearing was coming from outside her door, she immediately went to answer it.

Standing on the other side of the massive wooden doors stood a beautiful young woman with a tall, slim body, a head of long brown curls, freckles dotting her nose, and a pair of kind brown eyes. The moment she laid eyes on Kalinna, she graced the newcomer with a shy smile. Kalinna quickly returned the gesture and ushered the girl inside before shutting the door.

“I know it is awfully rude of me to interrupt your nap, but I fear I could not wait any longer to meet you,” the young woman gushed, her brown curls bouncing, “I am Adele, Andre’s younger sister, and the current mistress of this household.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you Adele, I’m Kalinna,” Kalinna responded as she offered her surprise guest a chair by the fireplace. Adele quickly sat down.

“I trust you find your chambers suitable and all the servants agreeable?” Adele asked as Kalinna sat in the chair opposite of hers.

“Oh I have indeed,” Kalinna confirmed.

“And the journey from the docks was not too unbearable?” Adele continued, sending a searching look in Kalinna’s direction.

“No, not at all. I found the journey rather comforting after being tossed about upon the sea in a ship that I feared would not hold together,” Kalinna retorted with a roll of her eyes. Adele laughed.

“Very good.”

“Now tell me, what is it that has made you seek me out, especially since you do not really know me. I had heard that you are engaged to be married, so I assumed you would be busy with preparations for that event,” Kalinna stated, curiosity getting the better of her.

“That is precisely what I came to talk to you about,” Adele deadpanned, a frown marring her features, “I fear, like you, I have fallen prey to the greedy ambitions of a man. Well, two men, to be exact.”

“I beg pardon?” Kalinna questioned, shocked.

“You see Kalinna…I may call you Kalinna?” Adele questioned, Kalinna quickly nodded her head in the affirmative, “I do not love, nor even remotely care for the man I am engaged to.”

“Is it an arranged marriage by your parents?” Kalinna responded, interested by the young woman’s tale, which so far, mirrored her own.

“Oh heavens no, my parents would be horrified if they were alive to see that my brother is trying to marry me off to his friend Barnaby,” Adele explained, her eyebrows furrowing in thought, “My parents were quite the extraordinary couple for they married for love, not a title, riches, or land. And I intend to do the same.”

“I know precisely how you feel,” Kalinna softly agreed, staring down at her hands as her thoughts turned to the handsome young duke across the sea.

“You are in love?” Adele questioned, her eyes sparkling.

“Very much so,” Kalinna replied, blushing, “But I fear he is not in love with me. Not to mention the fact that the marriage is an unsuitable match and would be frowned upon. He is a duke, whereas I have nothing but a small dowry from my grandmother.”

“Did you ask this duke of yours how he feels?” Adele demanded as she glanced in Kalinna’s direction.

“Well, no. I didn’t exactly get the chance to since I was so rudely taken from my homeland,” Kalinna grumbled, frowning.

“I have no doubt in my mind that he is in love with you, and just does not know how to tell you. Nor was ever given the opportunity to,” Adele confidently stated with a smile.

“How can you be sure?” Kalinna demanded, confused.

“Well, when you grow up with loving parents like mine were, and two brothers, it is easy to understand the workings of men and love,” Adele explained, her eyes twinkling.

“Two brothers? But I had thought Andre was your only living relative,” Kalinna commented.

“Not many know that Andre has a twin brother, Bastien,” Adele began, her eyes becoming sad and somewhat distant, “Bastien and I were so close during childhood, despite our age difference of eight years. I think Andre always resented that. One would have expected that Andre and Bastien would be close considering they are twins, but it was not to be.”

“Does your other brother still live?” Kalinna questioned, eyes wide with curiosity as she discovered more and more that she did not previously know about her betrothed.

“Oh yes, Bastien is very much alive and well, residing in London at this moment,” Adele explained, frowning, “The last time I saw him was right after my parents died, when he and Andre got into a rather heated quarrel. It was around four years ago.”

“What happened?” Kalinna asked as she got up to put on her dressing robe over her nightgown and quickly returned to her chair next to Adele.

“From what I understand, Andre stole the young woman Bastien cared for at the time and ruined her. Bastien, of course, was furious and demanded a duel for the travesty, which Andre bluntly refused,” Adele continued, “The next day, Andre ordered Bastien from the house and told him never to return, citing that is why my father stated in his will. And since Andre held a letter that said precisely that, Bastien had no choice but to flee Westgate Castle.”

“Well surely your father could not have favored one son over the other so much. That would be such a horrible thing to do to one’s child,” Kalinna commented, her eyes narrowing in disgust.

“Oh there was no doubt about it that Andre forged the letter. My father, if anything, favored Bastien a little more than Andre mainly because Bastien had such skill with a sword and riding a horse, while Andre had more of a knack for numbers and books. Andre always resented Bastien for that,” Adele stated with a sigh, “But since there was no way that Bastien could prove the letter a forgery, he decided to leave France and make a life for himself in London.”

“How awful for someone to do such a thing to flesh and blood,” Kalinna angrily spat, completely disgusted with the man she was supposedly going to marry, “And you have not heard from Bastien in all these years?”

“Not to my knowledge. I have not seen hide nor hair of a letter in the past four years, which, I have no doubt, Andre has something to do with it,” Adele concluded with a disgusted frown, “Now you understand why I have sought you out. I figured since you were being brought here against your will, you could help me escape my fate, just as I will try to help you escape yours.”

“I am very glad you did, for I had thought I would have to figure out a way to sneak out of here without anybody spotting me. And since I have no knowledge of this castle or the surrounding countryside, the task certainly seemed impossible,” Kalinna replied, smiling at her newfound friend.

“Well I have lived at Westgate all my life, so I know every secret passage and entranceway where we may leave the castle undetected,” Adele firmly announced, her eyes sparkling with excitement, “And I know the perfect place where we may go to lie low for some time while we think of how we shall travel to England.”

“Is that where you intend to go then?” Kalinna asked.

“Yes indeed. I hope to reunite with Bastien and make up for the past four years which were lost because of Andre,” Adele said.

“Then I shall help you with that. Justin, the man I am in love with, the duke, has many connections, and I’m sure will be more than happy to help us,” Kalinna stated as she finally began to relax for the first time in weeks.

“Oh, do tell me about your duke,” Adele begged as she grabbed one of Kalinna’s hand in her own, “What is he like? Is he handsome?” Kalinna giggled at the young woman’s eagerness.

Before she could reply, however, there was a firm knock on the door, announcing a visitor to her chambers. Both women immediately froze.

“My lady Kalinna?” a male voice questioned. Adele became quite pale.

“Who is it?” Kalinna politely asked, though knowing deep in her heart, that this was her dreaded fiancé.

“It is Andre my lady. I would like to have a few words with you and get better acquainted before the ball tonight,” the male voice continued. Adele quickly scrambled to her feet when she realized her brother’s intent.

“Hide me,” she practically screeched, though careful to keep her voice low, “If my brother discovers that I have visited you in your chambers, he will know something is up. We must not let that happen.”

The two women raced around the room, looking for a suitable hiding place as Andre waited patiently at the door for an answer to his request.

“Just a moment, I must make myself presentable,” Kalinna called, hoping her voice came out as steady as she thought.

“No need to rush my dear,” Andre assured her, making Kalinna want to roll her eyes and throw the nearest object at his head.

A few moments later, Kalinna finally managed to hide Adele in her dressing closet, just as the handle of the bedchamber door began to turn. Kalinna barely had time to belt her dressing robe close and put her long hair in a sloppy up-do before she found herself face to face with the last man she ever wanted to see.

“Hello ma petite,” Andre calmly stated as he bowed to her, his accented voice a deep timbre that reverberated throughout Kalinna’s chambers.

“My lord,” Kalinna responded, dropping into a quick curtsey before straightening herself and looking at him. She was startled when he took hold of her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist before releasing it back to her.

“Please, do not be afraid of me, I only wish to get to know you better so that we may not be strangers on our wedding night,” Andre continued, his eyes lighting on her face as he noticed her hesitancy. It took all of Kalinna’s effort not to scowl at his words.

There would be no wedding night, not if she could help it.

“I am not afraid,” she stubbornly responded as she raised her chin in his direction. And finally got a good look at the man she was supposedly going to marry.

Andre Carlton stood just shy of six feet, at about five feet, eleven inches, and sported a shock of dark hair that fell haphazardly across his forehead. A strong jaw, high cheekbones and an aristocratic nose almost overpowered his dark eyes, which were either black or a very dark brown as far as Kalinna could tell. His shoulders were wide, his chest broad, tapering down to a slim waist, thick muscled thighs and long legs, which were currently encased in knee-high black boots.

Oh why could he not be harder on the eyes? True, he was not astonishingly handsome, but neither was he terribly ugly either as far as Kalinna was concerned. But then again, he was not the type of man she would ever consider having as a husband. He was not Justin.

The two men may have shared relatively the same height and build, but that was quite obviously where the similarities ended. Justin was lighter of hair, with curls where Andre’s mane was dark and completely straight. Ocean blue perfectly described the color of Justin’s eyes; Andre’s were of an indiscernible dark color that made Kalinna quite uncomfortable.

A deep laugh resonating from Andre’s direction quickly snapped the young woman out of her thoughts and reminded her of exactly where she was and the situation she was currently in. She vaguely noticed her fiancé set a large box on the edge of her bed before heading in the direction of the chairs that sat by the fire.

“Your father did not lie when he said you had spirit,” Andre commented in response to her small defiance as he took a seat in the chair that his sister had vacated just moments before, “Come, sit with me.” She had no choice but to obey the direct order.

“My lord?” Kalinna questioned as she reluctantly sank into the chair situated on his right. Whatever he was about, she certainly hoped that he did not intend to stay long. She knew without a doubt that the dressing closet where Adele was hiding was not the most comfortable place to be.

“Please, ma petite, call me Andre,” the man responded with a gentle smile that Kalinna thought more resembled a leer, “I am to be your husband, thus you do not have to address me so formally.”

“As you wish…” Kalinna trailed off in a quiet voice, “Andre.”

“Much better,” Andre said with another of his unbecoming smiles, “Now I trust your journey here was comfortable and to your satisfaction?” She had to fight back a snort, since she hadn’t wanted to come to this blasted country in the first place.

“It was fine,” she replied, noncommittally, “Though I must admit I did not take that well to your captain, Fulton Knox. He and I did not get along, to put it lightly.” Andre merely laughed at her words.

“Goodness ma petite, I must say that your humor is quite refreshing to me,” the marquis commented, much to her annoyance since she was being quite serious, “And don’t mind Fulton, all he needs is a good roll in the hay and he will be as mellow as a kitten.”

Kalinna had to choke back her horror at his blunt words. What kind of man spoke of lovemaking in such a manner so as to make it seem like such a crude deed? Certainly he did not suspect that she was no longer a virgin…

What if he did? What if the true reason he had sought her out was to bring her to task for the sins she had committed with the Duke of Schellden? Was she quick enough to escape him if he dared lay a hand on her?

Of course, she could very well be exaggerating due to the exhaustion she felt and knew was caused by the trip. But she didn’t trust this man as far as she could throw him, and by god, she certainly couldn’t throw him very far.

“Your father tells me you are reluctant to be married,” Andre stated as he stretched his long legs out in front of him. Kalinna immediately felt her heart pick up pace in her chest.

“Yes,” she almost choked out, quickly becoming terrified at the direction the conversation was taking.

“Do tell me why that is. From what I understand, most young ladies dream of their wedding, running a household, and giving their husbands children,” Andre commented, fixing her with a questioning gaze as he patiently waited for her to answer.

Kalinna took a deep, calming breath as she grew angered at her fiancé’s words, knowing at once that her earlier fears were nothing but silly musings. This man may be arrogant and annoying as all hell, but he did not know that she had made love with another man, and was in love with that same man.

“I do not wish to be confined to a house, treated like a piece of chattel and never allowed any type of freedom,” she honestly responded, seeing no reason to lie to him.

“I am not an ogre, ma petit. You shall have whatever you ask for, within reason, for I wish to do nothing but make you happy,” Andre responded, his eyes bright with laughter, “All I ask in return is that you perform a few wifely duties, such as attend social engagements with me, oversee the running of my household, and provide me with children.” Kalinna had to gulp down a bout of nervous laughter at the mention of children.

“Thank you,” she squeaked out, quickly betraying her nerves to her fiancé.

“Come here,” Andre suddenly commanded as he stood up and motioned her to his side; she reluctantly obeyed, “I know you do not trust me right now, but I promise in time, you will come to love me and enjoy life here at Westgate.” Kalinna almost blanched at his overconfident words.

“I am just tired from the journey and have not yet adjusted to my new surroundings,” Kalinna protested as he took both her hands in his and she suddenly realized his gaze was resting on her lips.

“Perhaps I should let you get some rest before the ball this evening then,” Andre softly stated as he cupped her face with one of his hands, his thumb gently rubbing her cheek, “We can discuss the wedding later this evening or tomorrow. Your father mentioned you loved riding, so I’ve arranged for a picnic for us tomorrow afternoon.”

“I…thank you,” Kalinna weakly managed, forcing herself not to pull away from his touch.

Without warning, Andre leaned down and united their lips in a soft kiss. Kalinna was taken by surprise, and could to nothing but stand there, frozen, while her fiancé attempted to deepen the kiss. She gave herself a mental shake and reluctantly responded to him, despite the fact that her skin was crawling from the contact.

Truth be told, she desperately wanted to pull away and force him out of her room and make this nightmare go away, but unfortunately, she had no choice in the matter. This was his home, and he could go wherever he pleased, do whatever he pleased, and there was certainly nothing she could do to stop him. And unfortunately, kissing her certainly was one of his rights.

It was a few moments later that Andre ended the kiss and Kalinna attempted to gather her wits about her once again. He gave her a confident smile at her dazed expression, thinking that he had completely swept her off her feet with the unexpected affection he had bestowed upon her. If he only knew.

“Ma petite,” he softly whispered as he caressed her cheek, smiling contentedly, “I believe I have something that belongs to you.”

“Wha…what?” she questioned, still in shock from the kiss.

Andre quickly brought forward a small box, and Kalinna’s eyes widened when he opened it and she beheld a beautiful engagement ring. A large round diamond sat in a golden band, surrounded by six smaller round emeralds, her favorite stone. She could find nothing to say as her fiancé quickly slipped it on her left ring finger.

“Your father mentioned that you love emeralds, so I had this made especially for you,” he began as he kissed the hand the ring lay on, “And I must say, those stones certainly bring out the green in your eyes.”

“Thank you,” Kalinna softly responded, quite overwhelmed with all that had happened in the past half an hour, “It is certainly very beautiful.”

“I am very glad you like it. Now, I shall leave you to get some rest,” Andre concluded as he grasped her hands and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before finally letting her go, “I shall come for you in a few hours once the ball has started.”

“But I fear I do not have anything suitable to wear,” Kalinna protested, hoping that the weak excuse might get her out of the night’s celebrations.

“I have taken care of that as well,” Andre assured her as he led her to the edge of her bed where the big white box lay where he had set it earlier, “Your father helped me with the measurements and my sister helped pick out the fabric. I do hope you like it.”

“But…but…” Kalinna protested, her eyes glued to the unopened box; she sighed, “Thank you. You have been too kind and generous to me.”

“Think nothing of it ma petite. You are soon to be my wife, and I find no qualms in spoiling you with pretty things,” Andre responded with a gallant bow, “Now, I really must be getting back to my business. Sleep well and I shall see you in a few hours.”

Before Kalinna could utter a word in reply, the man who was her fiancé had disappeared from the room, the door shutting quietly after his form. She stood there for a few moments, frozen in shock, before she rushed over to the dressing closet and threw the doors wide. Adele quickly appeared from within, a frown resting on her face.

Kalinna watched as her newfound friend paced the room for a few minutes, quite obviously lost in her thoughts. Adele didn’t even notice when Kalinna sank gratefully into one of the fireside chairs, exhaustion finally showing on her face.

“It appears this situation is worse than I thought,” Adele finally remarked as she picked up Kalinna’s left hand and examined the engagement ring, “My brother appears to be quite besotted with you.”

“So I noticed,” Kalinna dryly stated with a roll of her eyes, “Now what do you suppose we do? I certainly don’t want to find myself married to such an arrogant and overconfident man, especially when I love another. I hope you do not take offense to that.”

“Certainly not,” Adele retorted with a snort, “Andre may be my brother, but that does not mean I have to care for him. After all, he is the one that decided that I needed to marry his best friend Barnaby, when I obviously do not wish to by any means.”

“Well we need to come up with a plan then,” Kalinna stated as Adele finally stopped her pacing and took a seat in the chair next to her, “I don’t know when Andre expects me to marry him, but I have the feeling that it is going to be quite soon.”

“Next Saturday afternoon,” Adele bit out, scowling, “He thinks to give you a week to adjust to him and life here at Westgate. As if that is enough time to adjust to anything, much less a fiancé and a new home.”

“That certainly doesn’t leave us much time then,” Kalinna mused, frowning, “And what of your engagement? Has your fiancé set a date yet?”

“In a month’s time,” Adele mournfully supplied as she slumped dejectedly in her chair, “If we don’t do something soon, both of us are going to find ourselves married to men we don’t love. I may not have a duke waiting for me in England, but at least I have a brother that I haven’t seen in years. And I would certainly like to have the chance to see him again, as well as make my own choices where marriage is concerned.”

“I know precisely what you mean,” Kalinna readily agreed, her spirits suddenly taking a dive to the depths of despair. Adele immediately noticed the abrupt change in her friend’s mood.

“Well no sense in getting upset about what has already passed. We are quite capable of changing what the future holds, and I promise you, I will try my hardest to help get you reunited with that duke of yours,” Adele passionately stated in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Kalinna couldn’t help but smile. She had certainly found a new and quite loyal friend in Adele, and for that she was very grateful. She was in a foreign country, engaged to a man she could not stand, but at least she was not alone.

“Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me, even though we have just met,” Kalinna said as she gave her new friend a dazzling smile.

“Well I can certainly tell why your duke fell in love with you,” Adele teased, brushing away the thanks, “With a smile like that, it’s a wonder he wasn’t spouting poetry at you.” Kalinna immediately blushed at the compliment.

“We do not know for sure that he is in love with me,” she protested, not wanting to get her hopes up too much where the Duke of Schellden was concerned.

“Trust me Kalinna,” Adele simply responded, grinning, “Now what do you say we figure out a plan so that this duke of yours can tell you himself just how in love he is with you?” Kalinna had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

“Alright,” the young woman reluctantly agreed.

With a squeal of delight, Adele quickly pulled Kalinna out of the chair and the two of them hopped up onto the bed. In whispered voices, they began their discussion of how they were going to win their freedom from the unwanted chains that had been put around them.

Kalinna nervously paced her chambers later that evening. Adele had snuck away undetected hours ago, thus leaving the young Englishwoman to her thoughts. And they were turbulent at best.

The chatter from downstairs alerted her to the fact that the ball was more than just a gathering of friends, which certainly didn’t help calm her. If anything, it made her more apprehensive for the moment when she would have to leave the safety of her chambers. Adele would be there, along with her unwanted fiancé, but that wasn’t all that much of a comfort to her.

Andre was going to be introducing her tonight as his fiancée which was the main reason she was so nervous and out of her element. She had just arrived on a ship from London this morning, and she was supposed to face a roomful of French aristocrats? She wasn’t too sure she was going to make it through the evening.

At least her appearance wasn’t wanting in any way.

She bit her lip as she stared at herself in a full-length mirror. Was that really her reflection staring back at her? She had never worn a gown so beautiful before, nor ever had somebody spend so much time on her hair as Tabitha had done earlier that evening.

The dress she wore was of the finest emerald silk, which molded to her waist and hips, and then flared out to flow gently to the floor. The bodice was cut a little too low for her liking, but it greatly enhanced her assets, the color of the dress bringing out the ivory smoothness of her skin. Small emerald sequins dotted the entire dress, which had very short, capped sleeves, and she wore a beautiful emerald necklace and bracelet that matched the ring Andre had given her. Emerald clips kept her hair pulled up in a twist, while small, curled tendrils of hair framed her face and fell softly on her neck.

Kalinna had never felt more beautiful in her life and she desperately wished Justin could see her dressed up in all this finery. But unfortunately that was not to be as an ocean still separated them. Not to mention the fact that she now belonged to another man.

A knock on the door of Kalinna’s chambers alerted her to the fact that it was time she made an appearance downstairs. With a dejected sigh, she raised her chin and opened the door to reveal her fiancé standing there in his evening wear.

Andre looked quite handsome in a tailored jacket made of deep blue silk, a white dress shirt underneath and a matching cravat resting at his throat. His tan breeches fit almost to perfection and his feet were encased in a pair of perfectly polished, knee-high boots. The dark hair that had been unruly hours before was now neatly combed to one side and out of his eyes.

“Good evening ma petite. You look quite ravishing in that outfit,” Andre drawled as he held out a hand in her direction. Reluctantly she took it. “I trust your nap was very relaxing?”

“Yes, thank you,” she softly responded as he led her out of her chambers.

The two of them walked leisurely, Andre holding tightly to Kalinna’s hand, their destination the grand marble staircase which led down to the beautifully decorated ballroom where all the guests waited. Kalinna took a deep breath as she slowly walked down the stairs by her fiancé’s side, all eyes in the room trained on her, or so it seemed.

They stopped at the middle landing of the stairs and Andre put an arm about her waist and drew her closely to his side. Kalinna quickly squelched the words of protest that were on her lips as she realized that she and her fiancé were the center of attention. Her eyes widened, her breath began to quicken and she desperately wished for the safety of her sleeping chambers.

But she had no choice in the matter.

“Friends and guests, I would like to introduce you to Lady Kalinna, my fiancée, and the next Marchioness of Westgate,” Andre’s voice suddenly boomed out over the crowded ballroom. Kalinna wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

Excited chatter began to make its way through the ballroom, and from the few snippets that Kalinna was able to catch, she realized that they were all talking about her. There was mention of when the wedding would be, what Andre would name his first child, and on and on. Kalinna thought she was going to be sick.

Thankfully, Andre quickly led her down the rest of the stairs and she breathed a sigh of relief when her slippered feet reached the safety of the ballroom floor and she was no longer visible to every eye in the room. However, she soon found herself whisked around the room to be introduced.

The names and faces were all a blur as Kalinna tried to keep her wits about her and it wasn’t until she found Andre introducing his sister Adele to her that she was actually able to relax just the slightest bit. Adele gave her an encouraging smile as the two women pretended they had never met before, and the Englishwoman was quite grateful for the small support the Frenchwoman was able to provide.

Adele’s fiancé, Kalinna was able to note, was not much to look at. He was a few inches shorter than Andre, and certainly not as solidly built. A bright shock of red hair clashed with a rather large nose and watery gray eyes that almost made the man look like he was crying. And the fact that his mouth was set in a grim line did nothing to help his appearance.

Kalinna could certainly tell why Adele did not want to marry this man, and he had yet to even open his mouth.

“Ma petite, they are playing a lovely waltz. Would you do the honor of dancing with me?” Andre suddenly questioned in her ear a few minutes later as he stood at her side while she idly chitchatted with his sister and her fiancé.

As much as she wanted to say no, she could do nothing but agree.

“Certainly my lord,” Kalinna confidently replied as she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her onto the ballroom floor, which was starting to clear from the last dance number.

“It is Andre,” the man reminded her and she smiled prettily up at him in response before sinking into a low curtsey as was customary for this dance.

After bowing and pulling her into his arms, the two of them were off across the floor, which was still nearly empty except for a few brave couples who dared dance while the lord of the house was. Kalinna and Andre were silent at first as they measured each other’s dancing skills, but Kalinna soon found that her fiancé had a hard time keeping his mouth shut.

“I trust you are adjusting well to life at Westgate?” Andre prompted.

Just stick to the plan, Kalinna told herself as she almost blurted out the fact that she hated it here, was in love with someone else and just wanted to go home to her family. There was no sense in messing everything up with just a small slip of the tongue. She could definitely not let her anger get the best of her, especially where Andre was concerned.

“I am enjoying it very much,” she lied, pasting a bright smile on her face as Andre whirled her around, “Though I must admit, I would greatly like to see more of the countryside. That is, if you would permit me to ride a horse.”

“Why certainly ma petite,” Andre responded with a gentle smile, “Whatever made you think that I would not permit you to ride a horse?” Kalinna blushed.

“I assumed that once the wedding takes place, I will need to stay in the castle and see to the running of the household,” Kalinna lied, careful to keep her expression neutral.

“Well you will have other duties once we are married, but that does not mean you are confined to Westgate,” Andre responded.

“Oh, well do forgive me for the mistake then,” Kalinna ground out.

“Think nothing of it,” Andre cheerily replied as the dance number came to a close, “Tomorrow, before our picnic, I shall show you the stables and you may pick a horse of your own.”

“Thank you my lord…”

“Andre.”

“Thank you Andre, you have been most kind,” Kalinna stated, her disposition in a little better shape now that the first part of their plan was in place: to get access to the stables and horses for escape.

“Anything for you ma petite,” the Marquis responded as they completed the waltz and bowed to each other, “No come, let us go to dinner. I believe your father has just returned from his business and will be joining us shortly.”

“As you wish,” she simply agreed as she allowed her fiancé to lead her off the ballroom floor and in the direction of the large dining room reserved only for balls and parties.

Dinner passed pretty uneventfully. Kalinna was pleased to find herself seated next to Adele for the meal and readily conversed with the young Frenchwoman. She barely acknowledged her father, who sat across the table from her. She had yet to have a proper conversation with him and she hoped to keep it that way for she had nothing nice to say to him.

The meal, and the rest of the evening, at least to Kalinna, seemed to fly by. She soon found herself on the way to her bedroom at the conclusion of the ball. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and all she wanted to do was change out of her ball gown and crawl into bed.

As she entered her chambers and closed the bedroom door, she almost didn’t notice the shadow which stood at her jewelry box. With a startled cry, however, she quickly grabbed the nearest object to defend herself: a candlestick.

“Please lady, I don’ mean ye no harm,” the voice of the figure squeaked out, “I’m only ‘ere cause me master sent me.”

“Who is your master?” Kalinna bravely demanded, the candlestick clutched tightly in her hands, wavering just the slightest bit.

“Monsieur Pierre,” the shadow hesitantly responded, obviously scared of the man who had sent him here, “He says that the Marquis be loaded and I should take whatever I can so’s that he can sell it.”

“The Marquis is my fiancé,” Kalinna stated, not knowing why she suddenly found herself defending the man she didn’t want to marry, “You shall not steal a thing from this room, or any other room in the house for that matter.”

“You’re nots gonna turn me, are ye lady?” the shadow pleaded, finally stepping into the light of the room. Kalinna’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Good heavens, you’re but a boy!” Kalinna gasped as she took in the disheveled appearance of a blonde-haired lad who appeared to be no older than twelve summers.

“So? Don’t mean I can’t take care of meself!” the boy scoffed as he raised his chin and shot a glare in the young lady’s direction.

“What is your name?” Kalinna demanded, ignoring the thief’s outburst, “And why are you not with your family at this time of night?”

“Name’s Benedict mum,” the lad quietly began as he shifted from foot to foot, obviously nervous at this new line of questioning, “And I ain’t got no family.”

“I’m sorry,” Kalinna softly stated, her heart going out to the young boy.

“Don’t be,” Benedict grumbled, brushing away her kind words, “I ain’t never met them before.”

“So you do not know if they are alive then?” Kalinna asked.

“No mum. All I gots is this necklace but it ain’t ever done me any good,” Benedict responded, pulling forth a pendant strung on a golden chain.

“I know that,” Kalinna quickly cried as she strode forward and began to study the necklace more closely, “This is the coat of arms of one of the noble families of England.”

“You mean to tell me that’s I’m a bloody English noble?” Benedict incredulously cried, his eyes suddenly filled with excitement.

“It’s possible,” was all Kalinna said, not wanting to get the lad’s hopes up when she had no idea what the pendant actually meant. For all she knew, Benedict could have stolen it.

“Well how do I go about finding this stuff out?” Benedict demanded, and Kalinna suddenly began to doubt that the lad had stolen the necklace. His excitement and determination seemed too sincere to be false.

“I could help you,” Kalinna responded, quickly thinking how the lad could help her out of the situation she was now in.

“Why would ye do that mum? I was just tryin’ to rob ye,” Benedict stated, somewhat confused at the lady’s sudden kindness.

“Because you, in turn, shall help me,” Kalinna boldly stated.

“What?” Benedict asked, now completely confused by her statements.

“I can help you find your family in England, but in order to do this, you must help me escape marriage to the Marquis,” Kalinna explained as she finally set the candlestick aside and motioned for the lad to join her at the chairs situated around the fireplace.

“Ye mean ye don’t wanna marry him?” Benedict questioned, his eyes growing wide with surprise. Kalinna vehemently shook her head in the negative.

“I was forced to come to France to marry the Marquis, whom I do not like, much less can even stand,” Kalinna easily explained as the two of them sat, “My father will receive a hefty amount of money from the Marquis in exchange for my hand in marriage.”

“That’s bloody awful,” Benedict commented with a scowl, “If I had a daughter, why, I’d let her marry whoever she wanted to.”

“Unfortunately my father does not see it that way,” Kalinna glumly replied as an image of Justin once again popped up into her mind. Her heart beat with longing as she wished she could see him. But that was impossible.

“Ye are in love then?” Benedict asked, immediately picking up on her change of mood from the faraway look in her eyes and the soft sparkle in her eyes.

“How did you know?” Kalinna abruptly questioned as she focused back on the young lad who sat to her left.

“Ye glow like a candle and your eyes do this sparkly thing,” Benedict honestly answered, for lack of a better way to explain it. Kalinna blushed at his words.

“Well that does not help me get out of marriage to the Marquis,” Kalinna pointed out as she slouched dejectedly into her chair.

“What do ye want me to do?” Benedict eagerly questioned. Kalinna immediately perked up at his response, glad that he was so willing to help her.

“I need you to travel to England and deliver a letter to Justin Timberlake, Duke of Schellden,” Kalinna explained as she got up and went to her desk to compose the letter. Benedict immediately followed after her. “He shall know what to do.”

“How am I ‘sposed to get to England?” Benedict asked.

“Ship of course. The next vessel leaves from here in two days time and I want you to be on it,” Kalinna determinately stated, her mouth set in a grim line.

“You mean I’m really goin’ to England?” Benedict demanded, his eyes lighting up again, “I ain’t never been anywhere but France in me life.”

“Well now is your chance,” Kalinna returned as she penned a short note to Justin, her heart beating rapidly in her chest at the thought of the handsome duke, “In order for me to help you, you must secure passage aboard this ship. Do you think you can manage to get aboard?”

“That’s easy,” Benedict scoffed, grinning.

“Well when you get to England, find the ship the Christina. It belongs to the Duke of Schellden, and he may be there. If not, somebody aboard his ship can direct you to where he is,” Kalinna instructed as she finished her letter and sealed it.

“Don’ worry, I’ll find yer duke for ye,” Benedict confidently stated as he took the letter the young lady offered him and tucked it into the pocket of his ragged jacket.

“I have every confidence you will,” Kalinna regally stated as she rose and turned to face the lad, “Now, I’m going to ask you once, Benedict. Can I trust you to complete the task I have given you?”

“Yes mum,” Benedict solemnly responded as he stared her in the eye.

“And you know if you do not complete everything I have asked, then I shall not help you discover what that pendant of your’s means.”

“Yes mum. I promise ye on my blood family’s lives that I will do what ye ask of me,” Benedict stated. Kalinna smiled.

“Good,” she replied as she reached up to her neck to unclasp the locket that hung there, “Take my locket as a token to give to the duke so that he may believe your story.” Wordlessly, Benedict took the necklace.

“Take me own pendent then mum. That way ye know I will return,” Benedict suddenly stated as he put Kalinna’s necklace around his neck and surrendered his own pendant over to her. She was touched by his actions

“Thank you. Now go, get out of here before somebody discovers you,” Kalinna abruptly stated, her heart beating with longing for freedom and the handsome duke across the sea.

Without another word, the young lad disappeared into the night, taking with him all of Kalinna’s hope and part of her heart. She could only hope that she had done the right thing and that Benedict could complete her mission. She could only hope that she had made the right decision in trusting a complete stranger.

Or had she just made a terribly foolish mistake?

The day dawned bright and clear. A few clouds were scattered across the blue sky, the wind blowing gently through the thick trees, the temperature pleasantly warm for April. It was the perfect day for a picnic.

And the perfect day for Kalinna to take the next step in the plan for escape.

“Watch your step ma petite, the path is somewhat uneven around here,” Andre suddenly stated, quickly reminding Kalinna that she was not, unfortunately, alone.

“Thank you,” she demurely responded as she reluctantly took the hand he was offering her and allowed him to lead her on.

The two of them were on their way to the stables, where André’s extensive stock of horses was housed. He was going to show her his greatest pride and joy, and as promised, would allow her to pick a horse for herself. She was eagerly anticipating that particular event.

Kalinna’s step quickened as they drew closer and closer to the outer buildings of the property, which held the breeding areas, the training areas and so on. All this, the young woman expected to see. However, she was shocked to discover that her soon-to-be husband had not one, not two, but three stables of horses. Her mouth fell open. Andre chuckled at her reaction.

“Not what you expected ma petite?” he dryly questioned, one hand resting on the small of her back as he steadied her across the remaining few steps to the largest of the three stables.

“Indeed not,” she honestly responded, trying to take in everything at once, “I had not realized how extensive your interest in horses went until now.”

“Quite alright,” was all he replied with before the two of them lapsed into a somewhat comfortable silence.

They continued on in that way until they stood at the entrance to the largest of the three stables. Soon enough, however, they were being greeted by the head stableman, who began to show them around the first stable, which housed Andre’s most prized horses, and the winners of many races. Kalinna tried to pay attention as the stableman began to explain about bloodlines, breeding, and racing, but her mind was, not surprisingly, elsewhere. Andre immediately picked up on that fact.

“I’m sorry Jake, but I believe the lady is more interest in the horseflesh than what you are saying,” Andre dryly stated, Kalinna immediately blushed at his words, embarrassed at being caught, “Do not be embarrassed ma petite. Come, I will show you the best of my stock and then you may pick a mare for yourself.”

“But my lord, you and I know very well that the horses aren’t going to be…”Jake began, but was immediately silenced by a warning glare from his employer.

“We shall discuss this later Jake. Come ma petite, I shall lead you to the stable that houses the mares and you may choose one for yourself,” Andre stated, abruptly turning away from the stableman and leading the young woman out of that stable and in the direction of another, smaller one.

Wordlessly, Kalinna followed, wondering what on earth had transpired between her husband-to-be and Jake the stableman. She made a mental note to ask Adele if she knew of anything going on with her brother’s horses the next time the two ladies were alone together.

For now, she turned her attention to the horses, quite excited that one would soon belong to her, and solely to her. If she had felt any remorse of taking advantage of the marquis, for she knew very well that the horse she chose would be elemental in the escape of her and Adele, it had vanished long before. When she thought of her fiancé, she could not summon anything more than lukewarm acceptance. Nothing more.

Kalinna quietly followed after Andre as he droned on about the name of each horse, their bloodlines, who they would mate with and so forth. However, she had tuned him out ages ago, her somewhat expert eye roving over the horseflesh and sizing them up for strength, speed and agility.

Her mother had had a passion for horses. It was a passion that had come from her father, the late 7th Duke of Barclay, as Violet had mentioned shortly after Kalinna had arrived to stay with her newfound family. And Kalinna, in turn, had learned all she could in the years before her mother had passed on, so while she was not an expert on horseflesh, she knew a good specimen when she saw one.

While the mares she had seen so far were, without a doubt, of excellent breed, none caught her fancy. A soft whinny from the corner of the stable, however, quickly claimed the young woman’s attention. Without a word to her fiancé, she left his side and strode in that direction, her curiosity getting the better of her.

As she approached the pen where the noise had come from, the breath caught in her throat. Standing in the dim light of the stable was one of the most beautiful mares that Kalinna had ever set eyes on. Slowly, she crept forward, unsure how the animal would take to her.

The horse was a beautiful Arabian mare, as far as Kalinna could tell. She possessed a coat of fine light brown fur, a mane and tail both as black as night, and a rather striking patch of white fur on her forehead. All four legs were white halfway down, though dried mud almost made the young woman miss that fact.

Brown eyes were wide in what seemed like fear, and the horse’s nostrils flared as she let out a quick snort of air when Kalinna drew closer. The young woman frowned at the mare’s behavior and the fact that she did not seem to be well cared for.

Quietly, and slowly, Kalinna opened the latch of the stall and began to walk forward. Remembering all that her mother had taught her, Kalinna carefully held her hand out for the mare to inspect. The young woman was not going to take another step until she was sure the horse was comfortable in her presence.

Thankfully, after cautiously sniffing, the horse began to nuzzle Kalinna’s hand in search of a hidden treat. Giggling, the lady quickly dug into an apron pocket and produced a piece of carrot, which she offered to the animal. The horse greedily took it, looking for more as soon as it was gone. Kalinna forfeited another piece of carrot.

“You are such a beauty my sweet,” Kalinna softly whispered as she turned her attention to physically assess the mare, “Why have they stuck you back here in the corner of the stable?”

Gently, Kalinna ran her hands along the animal’s flanks, pleased to feel strong muscles which appeared to be, thankfully, uninjured. She was quite disgusted, however, when she encountered a great many burs stuck in the mare’s beautiful coat. Thus Kalinna knew, without a doubt, that her fears were confirmed; this horse had certainly been neglected for one reason or another. Which is what she intended to find out the moment her fiancé joined her.

“What are you doing ma petite?” Andre’s stern voice suddenly stated, breaking Kalinna out of her somewhat angry thoughts, “Come out of there, you may get hurt as that mare is quite unpredictable.”

“I am fine,” Kalinna stubbornly responded, not budging an inch, despite the fact that her husband-to-be’s eyes were spitting anger, “I have been around horses before and am perfectly capable of handling them.”

“Even my best grooms have been unable to care for that beast. She is a temperamental pain in the ass, a waste of my time, money and effort, and if I had it my way, she would be shot,” Andre roughly stated, causing anger and shock to quickly well up in Kalinna’s heart.

“You will do no such thing. That is cruel and inhumane punishment for such a magnificent specimen of horseflesh. This horse could most likely produce some of the finest fillies, and it is quite obvious, just by looking at her, that she is built for strength and speed,” Kalinna spat, her eyes flashing an emerald fire as she continued to deny the obnoxious man standing just outside the stall.

“Do not tell me what I can and cannot do,” Andre erupted, banging his fist against a wall of the stall, “This is my house, and damn it, you are my fiancée; you will bloody well obey me when I tell you to.”

“You sir, underestimate me. Just because I am promised to you in marriage, albeit by force, does not mean that I belong to you, or must abide such barbaric behavior,” the young woman acidly retorted, defiantly crossing her arms over her chest, her feet firmly planted within the stall and next to the horse she now desperately wanted as her own.

“You will do as I say this instant, Miss Davenport, or I shall be forced to take drastic measures,” Andre icily stated, resting his hands, which were clenched into fists, at his waist and looked down his nose at her in an attempt to get his temper under control.

Kalinna shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, quite aware that she was treading on some very dangerous ground. However, she would not let the care for this obviously beautiful animal go untended to, not while she was here. The mare sorely needed some attention, and if the young woman had it her way, she would be the one giving that attention.

She did not care how much Andre yelled at her, she was staying firm.

She was not some twittering female that became frightened of the first angry word thrown in her direction; no, she could certainly hold her own. After all, she had spent practically her entire life arguing with her father. So she found that it was not difficult to defy the man she was promised in marriage to, a man she was coming more and more to hate with each passing day.

However, since her fiancé appeared to be frightened of the beast, while she herself was quite comfortable around her, as long as she stayed in the stall, she had nothing to fear.

She had no doubt that if given the chance, Andre would haul her off back to the house and give her a severe tongue lashing…even if that meant embarrassing the both of them in front of servant and family alike. She had come to learn that he did not care about appearances to those he thought beneath him – which was practically everybody.

She, despite her hot temper, did not wish to cause a scene and bring more attention to herself than was necessary. After all, come Thursday evening, she and Adele would be long gone from this place, and there would be no wedding occurring. Not between Adele and her fiancé, and certainly not between her and Andre. So she had to make escape as easy as possible, which meant having the cooperation of the servants, a fact that would most likely not occur if they knew she was spurning their master.

“Good god my lady, come out of there at once! That horse is immensely dangerous and quite untamed,” the voice of the groomsman Jake suddenly stated, quickly pulling Kalinna’s attention back to the situation at hand.

“Do as he says,” Andre added, his eyes like steel, “As I mentioned before, I do not want to see you get hurt.” Kalinna wanted to laugh at that. It was more like he did not want her to be able to handle a horse that he could not.

“I believe, gentlemen, that I am quite capable of handling this horse. I grew up around horses, have been taught about pedigree and how to tame a new horse, so do not think that I am stupid enough to put myself in a dangerous situation. This horse only needs careful attention and patience on the part of her rider,” Kalinna stubbornly stated as she ran a hand along the mare’s coat, “And I certainly intend to give her that.”

The horse whinnied at the soft touch and quickly turned and began to nuzzle Kalinna’s shoulder for another treat. The young lady willing gave up another piece of carrot as she waited for one of the men to speak. Surprisingly, they both grew silent as they watched her with the mare.

“Why, I’ve never seen that horse behave that way before,” Jake softly stated in awe, as he watched the mare continue to lavish the young woman with obviously adoring attention, “My lady, what on earth did you use to calm Geneva?”

“Geneva?” the young woman questioned.

“That is the name my sister gave the horse when the mare first came here two years ago,” Andre quickly supplied, curious, “Now please, ma petite, answer Jake’s question.”

“Well I did nothing extraordinary to calm her, if that is what you mean. I merely allowed her to adjust to my presence, and when I was sure she was comfortable, I offered her my hand to inspect. She seems to have taken to me, but I am not sure if she likes me, or merely wants the treats I provide her with,” Kalinna ruefully stated, a small smile on her face.

“All that you mentioned has been tried before. Jake, you said that this beast was untamable and that I would be wise to sell it,” Andre shortly accused of his head groomsman, “I should hope that you were not lying to me.”

“My lord, I was not!” Jake cried, alarmed at the turn the conversation was taking, “I, and every other groomsman for that matter, have struggled to keep this beast under control. She was constantly rearing up and kicking her hind legs at anything and everything.”

“Then how is it that my fiancée was able to approach the horse and calm her and is yet unharmed? The lady is half of your size!” Andre cried, his eyes now flashing with annoyance, “You would have me believe that you did not try your best to successfully prepare this mare for riding and breeding?”

“My lord, there was nothing more I could do,” Jake responded, now fearful that the job he held would soon no longer be his, “I am sure if I worked with her now, we could quickly make up for the last two years that were lost.”

“I should hope you are right, or else you may find yourself working elsewhere,” Andre threatened, much to Kalinna’s surprise.

“My lord, I am sure that whatever could be done, Jake here did it,” the young woman protested, not wanting the head groomsman to loose his job just because the mare had taken to her and nobody else. The man would hate her for sure.

“Ma petite, do not make excuses for Jake. He is a grown man and can handle his own,” Andre shortly responded, his anger beginning to grow yet again from the stubborn temper his fiancée possessed.

“Maybe all the horse needed was a female’s touch,” Kalinna continued on, pretending she had not heard the threatening note in the Marquis’s voice.

“That is enough Kalinna,” Andre hissed, his patience for her just about gone at that moment. Wisely, the young woman held her tongue.

“My lady, I have been around horses practically my entire life. I shall have this mare in top shape for riding and breeding for you in no time at all,” Jake spoke up as he noticed the possessive and protective hand the marchioness-to-be rested on the horses back.

“Is she the horse you desire?” Andre questioned before he allowed his head groomsman to attempt to enter the stall where the mare stood, nervously stamping her feet as she eyed the two men.

“Yes,” she simply responded.

“Jake, see to it that you take all effort and care with the training and grooming of this mare. I will not have my fiancée riding a dangerous horse, is that understood?” Andre demanded, turning his full attention on the groomsman.

“Yes my lord.”

With that, Jake quickly stepped into the stall, intent on sizing the mare up to make sure her muscles were still in proper order as well as to see what needed to be done about her overall appearance. He did not, however, expect the mare to rear up on her hind legs, a warning that told him to back off. As quickly as he could, he got out of the stall and silently watched the young woman interacting with the stubborn horse. Slowly, Kalinna ran a soothing hand down the mare’s flanks in an attempt to calm her, unaware that she was, once again, alone in the stall with Geneva.

“Cállese mi dulce, es bien. Yo aquí le deberé proteger. Usted no será dañado,” the young lady whispered as she offered up another carrot piece and gently rubbed the mare between the eyes.

It was only a few moments later that the mare softly whinnied and began to nuzzle the young woman, her frayed nerves once again calmed. That feat accomplished, the young woman quickly turned her attention to the two men that stood outside the stall.

“You speak Spanish?” Andre questioned, surprise written on his face.

“Jake, give me your hand,” Kalinna instructed, ignoring the marquis completely. The groomsman immediately obeyed, though trepidation shown clearly from his eyes.

Kalinna gently took the groomsman’s hand and showed him exactly what she had done to calm the mare down. The horse whinnied, obviously jittery at the newcomer’s touch, yet she mad no move to rear up on her hind legs.

Softly, her voice at a comforting level, the young woman continued to instruct the groomsman on how to behave and treat the horse. All the while, she slowly backed out of the stall, crossing her fingers that this would work. She did not want to be responsible for Jake to get injured, yet at the same time, she very much wanted this horse to belong to her. And she certainly didn’t know enough to train an almost-wild mare.

Thankfully, the horse seemed to take to Jake, and Kalinna breathed a sigh of relief. She almost didn’t feel the arm her fiancé laid about her waist, yet she didn’t budge from her spot as she watched the groom continue to asses Geneva. Only when she was certain that the horse was fine did Kalinna turn to Andre.

“Come ma petite, let Jake do his job. You owe me an afternoon of picnicking and I intend to have it,” Andre strongly stated as he steered her away from the horse and out of the stable, obviously not taking no for an answer.

“If you insist,” was all Kalinna could manage, wishing she could get back to the main house and ask Andre’s sister a few questions about her brother’s horses.

“That I do,” Andre responded as he helped her up into the waiting curricle, a blanket and a basket situation near their feet, “There is much I would like to discuss with you before our marriage can take place.”

Kalinna felt her heart drop to her feet at those words. She knew very well that the Marquis was referring to her temper, which had obviously caught him off-guard. Well if he expected her to become some docile, unimposing female, he certainly had another thing coming. There was no way she was going to change who she was – especially when she was going to be out of his life in another couple days.

As long as things went as planned…

“Come along ma petite, I have a lovely picnic set up for us, just as I promised,” Andre stated as he helped her out of the curricle and began to walk with her down a well-worn path, tucking her arm within his as he went. She had no choice but to walk with him.

Truth be told, all Kalinna wanted was to turn tail and run straight back to the castle, and the safety of her room. Ever since they had arrived at this remote destination, on the edge of the marquis’s property, a feeling of dread had crept up her spine, refusing to leave. Despite being a perfect gentleman thus far, Kalinna still knew she couldn’t trust Andre – now more than ever since he was upset over her earlier temper.

“Here we are,” Andre stated as they arrived in a small clearing, where a picnic lunch had been set up for them under the shade and privacy of a couple weeping willow trees.

“I am quite hungry,” Kalinna commented, for lack of a better thing to say.

“As am I,” her companion agreed as he helped her settle onto the blanket before taking a seat on her right, where he promptly began to dole food out for the two of them.

Once the food had been doled out, the two of them sat in a somewhat stilted silence, consuming the food that had been prepared by the head chef at the marquis’s orders. Though it was all delicious, the young woman barely noticed, her mind racing with thoughts of her fiancé and the escape of her and Adele that would take place in three days time. Andre, surprisingly, kept silent as well, which just put Kalinna more on the edge, for he was never one to keep quiet, especially where she was concerned.

All too soon, the food was consumed and the two set aside their plates. With a sigh, Kalinna stretched her back, once again wishing for the safety and solidarity of her room back in the castle. Therefore, she was unprepared when Andre lunged in her direction, the weight of his body causing her to fall back on the blanket, completely helpless beneath his much larger frame.

The unexpected action made her cry out; however, she was quickly silenced as Andre roughly kissed her with a mix of passion and anger. One of his hands tangled in her hair while the other rested possessively at her slim waist. Kalinna felt her heart beat rapidly in her chest, her lungs seizing in terror for she was quite unaware of what her fiancé was capable of, and she was none too eager to find out.

The assault on her person continued, his hands roaming possessively over her body – and she was helpless to do anything. One hand squeezed a breast through her riding habit, and she felt tears pool in her eyes. A moment later, she felt her skirts being raised and she forcefully broke the kiss Andre was giving her to protest the travesty.

“I shall teach you to disobey me,” Andre roughly stated, his dark eyes blank and unseeing as he failed to notice the pain he was causing her.

“No,” Kalinna whispered as she tried to fend him off, knowing instinctively that he no longer seemed to be punishing her, but rather fighting an inner demon from the past.

“Isabelle, why couldn’t you love me?” the marquis practically sobbed out a moment later as he ran his hands along Kalinna’s bare legs, despite her every effort to wiggle free of his embrace, “What does Bastien have that I don’t?”

“Andre,” Kalinna forcefully stated in an attempt to break him out of his trance as well as get her tumultuous emotions under control.

But it was no use. She was silenced again by a forceful kiss she did not want as her fiancé continued to paw at her being. As soon as he began to try to unlace her dress, however, Kalinna panicked.

She struggled and squirmed as best she could. It didn’t work. She tried to kiss him to drag his attention away from what he was doing. No use. Finally, her hands groped wildly behind her, searching for something to defend herself with. She found a small rock – but it was big enough for what she intended to use it for.

With a small, whispered apology, she brought the rock down on the back of Andre’s head and he instantly fell unconscious, now a deadweight on Kalinna. She breathed a wobbly sigh of relief, willing the tears away and thanking god for stopping what had almost transpired.

Quickly, the young woman rolled the marquis off her. He made not a sound as he lay on his back, still unconscious to the world around him. Kalinna immediately began to straighten her dress and pack up their picnic – anything to keep her mind off what she had just experienced.

She knew she had to get them back to the castle. Andre needed to be tended to, just in case she had hit him harder than she thought, and she, well, she certainly needed some time to herself. Everything was progressing far faster than she had hoped, and now, more than ever, she wanted to escape this situation and return to her beloved England where her family and Justin waited.

Justin. She hadn’t thought of him all morning, but the moment his name crossed her mind, an image of him immediately popped up. Justin with his good looks and gentle hands. Justin who treated her like a princess and would never commit a sin such as Andre had just attempted. Justin whom she had given her heart and soul to – even though he did not return her feelings.

Kalinna sighed and quickly pushed away thoughts of the handsome young duke. She had to concentrate on the task at hand before she let her mind run away with thoughts of what her heart desperately wished for.

After struggling for a good ten minutes, Kalinna finally got her fiancé up into the curricle, his chin resting on his chest, still unaware of his surroundings. She hoped he stayed that way until they reached the castle, for she was in no mood and no state of mind to deal with his antics all over again. She wanted peace and quiet she that she could get a grip on herself.

So they left the clearing not moments later, Kalinna expertly holding to the reins and driving the two beautiful horses back in the direction of the castle. She was grateful that the beasts knew the way home for she had gotten quite lost on their way out to the picnic site earlier.

“What happened?” Jake, the groomsman, questioned as soon as he saw them pull up in the stable yard, his employer slumped unconscious on one side of the curricle. He threw a confused look in the young woman’s direction.

“He had an accident,” was all Kalinna replied with, not wanting to get the whole castle talking even more about her and Andre than they already were.

“Well I shall ride with you to one of the backdoors of the castle, where we may get the master up to his room and into his bed to sleep it off,” Jake promptly responded as he took hold of the situation. Kalinna was quite grateful.

It took two manservants to remove the marquis from the curricle to his lavish bedroom, where the housekeeper immediately began to tend to him. Once she was assured that her master was in no danger, she began to look Kalinna over, assessing for any injuries. Satisfied that the young woman had sustained none, the kind woman sent her straight to her room, with orders that a hot bath be drawn up for her so that she could soak before she took a nap.

Kalinna didn’t say a word in protest. A hot bath sounded wonderful to her, especially after all that she had endured this afternoon, and it would give her a chance to think things out. She would summon Adele to her chambers so the two women could discuss this latest development and decide what type of action must be done.

“Adele, where are you?” Kalinna whispered into the dark of her friend’s room three days later, the day of their planned escape.

“Over here,” the younger woman responded, pulling Kalinna’s eyes away from the empty, unmade bed Adele normally slept in.

“Is everything all set?” Kalinna asked, moving to where her friend stood, packing the few belongings she was planning on taking with her into a soft knapsack.

“Yes, the plan has already been set into motion,” Adele responded in a quiet voice, here eyes suddenly watering up with unshed tears.

“Are you alright?” Kalinna quickly questioned the moment she noticed this fact, “Has something happened? Have you changed your mind?” Adele couldn’t help the few sniffles that broke the silence of the dark room.

“I’m fine,” the Frenchwoman bravely stated as she gave her friend a wobbly smile, “Nothing has happened and I have not changed my mind. It is just that I have only been away from Westgate a few times, and I have never been outside of France. It’s like I’m leaving my whole life behind and that terrifies me.” Kalinna immediately pulled her friend in for a tight, reassuring hug.

“Everything is going to work out just fine, you have my word on that,” the Englishwoman said in a consoling tone, “Just think of what you’d have to look forward to if you stayed here. I know that is not what you want, and that is certainly not what I want for you.”

“I know you are right,” Adele said, straightening her shoulders and stepping out of her friend’s embrace, “We are sticking to the plan, so why don’t we get a move on?”

Kalinna smiled at Adele’s renewed strength and determination, knowing very well that her friend was putting a lot on the line in order to gain her freedom. Kalinna was just glad she was not in this alone. She vowed that once she and Adele reached England, she would do everything in her power to help the Frenchwoman find her brother. It was the least she could do after all that Adele had already done for her.

A knock on Adele’s door interrupted the silence that had descended over the two women. It was the signal they had been waiting for, which now meant there was no turning back. Kalinna determinedly squared her shoulders, excitement and anticipation creeping up her spine.

Adele quickly answered the door to find Marcus, one of the household servants, stand there, dressed all in black. Wordlessly, he entered the room, followed closely by Kalinna’s footman, Jeffrey. The two men were brothers.

“My ladies, everything is ready,” Marcus, the older of the pair, stated in a low voice.

“Very good then,” Adele concluded.

“Are you sure you two want to do this?” Kalinna questioned as s he noticed a hint of fear in Jeffrey’s eyes, “If you do this, you will be in danger until we reach the shores of England. And you will be forced to leave behind your homeland.”

“I am not afraid,” Jeffrey stated, his jaw set in a determined line and the fear gone from his expressive brown eyes.

“Jeffrey and I have family in England that we wish to join as soon as possible. They have been waiting for us for some time now,” Marcus explained, “Besides, I have been looking for a reason to leave this place behind for years.”

“You just gave us the perfect opportunity,” Jeffrey concluded grinning boyishly.

“Well as long as you are sure…” Kalinna trailed off.

“We are quite sure,” Marcus confirmed as he ushered them towards the door, “Now come my ladies, the night grows later and we’ve a long ride still ahead of us.”

Quietly, the two women gathered the belongings they were going to take with them and left the room, heading down the hallway to a secret passageway located behind a large wall painting. Adele, who had lived at Westgate her entire life, had revealed that this underground tunnel they were entering came up right beneath the largest of the three stables her brother owned. It would be the easiest way for the four of them to escape the castle undetected.

Their plan was really quite ingenious and simple, thanks to the four of them putting their heads together. It was a known fact that due to all the unrest in France because of the naming of the new king, roaming marauders were constantly attacking many towns and outlying farms, taking valuables, kidnapping women and causing chaos. They were going to use that fact to their advantage.

Adele had learned that her brother was dealing with a couple marauding bands from the north. Farm animals had gone missing, family heirlooms had been stolen, and a couple men had come back from their fields to find their wives kidnapped. Marcus and Jeffrey were going to act as the two women’s “kidnappers”, allowing a few of the stablehands to see them so that it actually seemed believable and Andre would be thrown of their real intent.

Their destination was a more northern port, close to the French monarchy and capitol city. Marcus and Jeffrey had a cousin, Becky, who worked in a large tavern as a barmaid where the four of them were going to get a job and stay low until they could secure passage to England. They had wigs and a change of clothing for both women so that the ladies would blend in and be able to pull off the plan.

It would be quite a change fro Kalinna and Adele, who were both not used to doing any work. But they didn’t have a choice. It was quite unlikely that Andre would venture that far north and he would most likely not think to look for his sister and fiancée working in a tavern. Plus, with the four of them working, they would be able to buy passage on a ship without having to sell some of Kalinna or Adele’s belongings and running the risk of alerting Andre to their whereabouts.

If they were unable to buy passage on a ship within a month, Kalinna would send off another note to Justin, asking for his help. The short message she had sent with Benedict, the pickpocket, had just been to reassure the duke that she was safe and tell of her whereabouts. She had also warned him not to come after her unless he received a second note from her. She could only hope that he would listen, for if he came to France, he would be in far more danger than she and that was not something she was willing to risk.

“We’re almost there,” Adele said in a quiet voice as she led them along, torch held high to illuminate the dark tunnel.

Quickly, as they came to a short flight of stairs, Marcus and Jeffrey pulled mask on to complete their disguises of all black and to hid their identities. Kalinna’s heart began to beat at a rapid pace within her chest as they doused the torch and crept quietly out of the tunnel and into the stable. The two men worked quietly saddling up the two horses they would take – Kalinna’s own Geneva, who was built for speed, and her equally fast brother, Gilliad, another of Andre’s horses.

Once everything was situated – the horses were taken care of and all their belongs were stowed in the saddlebags, Kalinna let out a loud scream. Their plan was now set into motion and there was no turning back for any of them…

It only took a few seconds for a couple of the stablehands, in different states of undress and alertness, to appear from their quarters. The four continued to play out their scenario, both women pretending to try to get away while their “captors” attempted to place them on the prepared horses. It only took a few more seconds for the stablemen to react to the scene that was going on before they reacted and a vigorous fight immediately ensued.

Thankfully, Marcus and Jeffrey proved to be better fighters than the four stablemen who had awoken. It was not five minutes later, their four foes lying unconscious on the stable floor, that the four escapees were flying north in the darkness of the night, leaving behind Westgate and Andre Carlton. Kalinna finally breathed a sigh of relief once the castle was out of view.

She had her freedom back…now she just had to find a way home to her family and the one man who held her heart without even knowing it…

The young boy scrambled around the docks of the large, bustling port, clutching the locket that hung around his neck as his eyes searched the names of the ships docked. His journey across the sea had been long and he had almost been discovered a couple times, so he was thankful to have his feet back on solid ground. However, he was still somewhat disoriented and nervous since he was unfamiliar with his surroundings.

Nevertheless, he was determined to complete the lady’s errand so that he could finally figure out who his family was and where he truly belonged. He trusted that the lady was telling the truth when she said she could help him. And besides, he was tired of taking orders from his demanding boss, the leader of a large thief gang, so this trip was somewhat of an adventure for him.

Taking a deep breath, the boy continued walking along, weaving his way through a number of different sea-faring men who were hard at work. He passed ship after ship, wondering if the ship the lady had mentioned was no longer in port. Just when he was about to give up and look for shelter for the night in the fading light of the day, he spotted her.

The Christina was an impressive vessel, especially in the eyes of a boy his age. Floating gently in the fading light of the day, sails blowing in the slight breeze, her decks gleamed with cleanliness, uncluttered and well organized. A few crew members roamed around, their seafaring clothing an odd mixture of pirate and English government, but neat nonetheless.

The boy could certainly tell that the vessel, without a doubt, belonged to a man of means – the lady’s Duke of Schellden.

Satisfied that he had found the right ship, the young boy scanned her width, looking for a way to board without being noticed. Spotting a rope that was anchoring the ship to the dock, he quickly strode forward, confident of his plan. After making sure the lady’s note was securely stashed in his pocket, he began to shimmy up the rope, his eyes trained on the deck.

About five minutes later, he dropped silently to the deck, his ears trained for any sound that would alert him to the fact that somebody had seen him. Thankfully, he didn’t hear anything. He stood up and strode in the direction he thought the captain’s cabin lay in.

His heart dropped to his shoes, however, when he felt a large hand on his shoulder, preventing him from taking another step on the highly polished deck.

“Jus’ where do ye think yer goin’ eh laddy?” a deep voice questioned.

The boy looked up, eyes wide, as he saw one of the biggest men he had ever come across in his young life. The man was dressed in dark breeches, white tunic and gray vest, his legs encased in knee-high boots. A grim, untrusting expression was on the man’s face, and immediately the boy felt a shiver of fear run down his spine.

“What’s yer name boy?” the man suddenly barked, becoming more wary as the boy continued to keep silent, “And what ye be doin’ sneakin’ onto this ‘ere ship?”

“P-please sire, I only wants to talk to the duke, I don’t mean no harm to yer ship,” the boy stuttered, fear still coloring his eyes.

“There ain’t no duke aboard this ‘ere ship. Now if that’s all ye gots to say fer yerself, then I’m going ta have ta return ye to dry land,” the burly man stated, his wary expression replaced with a frown.

“Please! The lady said it’s urgent I deliver this ‘ere letter to Justin Timberlake, Duke o’ Schellden,” the boy spit out as he dug into his pocket and pulled forth the parchment he had so carefully guarded the past few weeks.

Immediately, the burly man let him go, his frown gone, replaced with an excited, hopeful light in his brown eyes. He began to walk away and the boy looked after him, confused by what had just happened and wondering if he was supposed to follow after.

“Follow me…”

“Benedict,” the boy nervously supplied, “Me name’s Benedict.”

“Follow me then Benedict. You’ll get yer chance to talk to the captain,” the burly man supplied as Benedict hurried after him, “I’m warning ye though, ye better not be pullin’ the wool o’er our eyes, for the captain ain’t been in a good mood for some months now.”

Benedict felt his eyes widen. Why was he going to the captain and not the duke? The duke was who he had come all this way to see. Was the captain going to question him before he was allowed to talk to the duke? Unfortunately, Benedict had no answers for his questions.

All too soon, the burly man was knocking on the door of a cabin located below decks. Benedict nervously shifted from foot to foot as they waited for a reply, his mind working overtime. The door suddenly opened and Benedict found himself staring up at a very tall, muscular man with curly hair and blue eyes.

“What is it Jackson?” the young man tiredly questioned, not even noticing his first mate’s reluctant companion.

“I found this ‘ere lad sneaking onto the ship and he says he needs to talk to ye,” Jackson responded as he pushed a nervous and silent Benedict in the pirate captain’s direction. Justin’s eyes immediately focused on the young boy.

Benedict, who was not expecting this sudden movement from the first mate, and surprised that the duke and captain were the same man, found himself stumble. He caught himself on the doorway and quickly straightened, a blush burning his cheeks. But the duke didn’t seem to notice for he was staring at Benedict’s neck, a strange look on his face.

“Where did you get that?” Justin sharply questioned of the lad. From one glance, he immediately recognized Kalinna’s locket and his heart began to beat faster in his chest.

Benedict looked down, and realizing what the duke was referring to, breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately handed the trinket over to the tired-looking man, who took it and intently began to study it.

“It looks like we have much to talk about,” Justin softly stated as he fingered the locket of the woman he loved, “Jackson, go get Anthony and Benton, for they need to be here to hear the lad’s story.”

“Sure captain,” Jackson responded, and was immediately gone to carry out the young man’s orders.

“What’s your name kid?” Justin asked as he turned his attention to the nervous lad.

“Benedict sir,” the boy replied.

“Well Benedict, come on in and make yourself comfortable,” Justin said, waving the boy in as he spoke, “Are you hungry?”

“Yes sir,” Benedict replied, warily eyeing the tall man as he straightened some papers and stowed them within a desk drawer. He was quite unsure of what had just transpired and was shocked, and confused, by how nicely the duke was treating him – a common pickpocket.

“Alright, well once Jackson gets back and we get everything squared away with your information, we’ll wake Trenton up and he can get you something to eat…” Justin trailed off as he sat back in his desk chair and stared at the necklace sitting on the desk’s surface.

How had the lad come to be in possession of the young woman’s locket? Justin knew that she never took it off – it was the one keepsake she treasured from her late mother. And judging by the lad’s accent, Justin knew without a doubt that his love was somewhere in France, possibly even married to that scum of a Frenchman by now.

At that thought, Justin scowled. He would kill any man that laid a hand on his betrothed. He would search the ends of the earth for any person that made her upset or angry and…

“Are you going to throw me in jail?” Benedict suddenly questioned into the silence as he sat uneasily in his chair. Justin quickly banished his thoughts to the darkest corner of his mind and focused on the situation at hand.

“Of course not kid,” Justin said with a short laugh, “You have information I want and it was very brave of you to travel so far to tell me all of this. If anything, I am in debt to you.”

“But I don’t really have nothin’ to tell ye,” Benedict protested as he quickly brought the parchment forward and held it to the light, “The lady just told me ta give this ta ye, that’s all.”

Justin quickly leaned forward and took the parchment from the lad’s outstretched hand. His heart began to thunder in his chest and he became lightheaded as he saw it was addressed to him. In Kalinna’s handwriting…

“I think you need to tell me exactly what is going on,” Justin stated as he forced his eyes back to the lad who had brought him this small piece of hope right when he was sure everything had become hopeless.

“But aren’t you waiting for…” Benton trailed off as he finally noticed the lost look in the duke’s eyes. This was the man the lady loved!

“I don’t think this can wait any longer,” Justin stated as he stood up and began to pace around his cabin, trying not to let the tremor in his voice show, “Please, start from the beginning and tell me everything.”

With a slight nod of acquiesce, Benedict immediately began his story of how he had come to be in the possession of the lady’s locket and note…

“I ain’t no highborn lad, I’m just a common pick pocket,” the lad began, slouching in his chair, embarrassed at the profession that was all he had ever known, “Me boss is one o’ the biggest thief bosses in all o’ France and if ye displease him, then ye be in big trouble.”

“Go on,” Justin encouraged as he saw the lad hesitate. With renewed courage at the friendly smile the duke gave him, Benedict continued on with his tale as Justin returned to sit behind the desk, “How did you get this note?”

“I was jus’ doin’ me job,” Benedict continued on, a little worried when he noticed the frown starting to grow on the duke’s face. He was unaware that Justin’s look was not meant for him, but rather another; the one who had kidnapped the lady who had stolen his heart.

“Do explain,” was all Justin could manage in a gruff tone, unaware of the tautness of his body and his hands clenching into fists where they rested on the desktop.

“It was tha night o’ tha big party at the castle,” Benedict began, his hands quivering in nervousness, “The marquis be celebratin’ gettin’ married to some English lady and me boss wanted me to takes all I could and bring it back to ‘im.”

“Tell me about this English lady,” Justin prompted, not wanting to condemn a boy who didn’t know better about the life he was leading, “Is she the one who gave you this note?” Benedict readily nodded his head to the question.

“She was a very purty lady, that she was,” the young boy stated.

“How did you come to speak with her?” Justin questioned, his heart beating rapidly in his chest out of anticipation.

“I was sneakin’ ‘round ‘er chambers, lookin’ fer valuables to steal,” Benedict honestly responded, blushing, “She caught me. But ‘stead o’ rattin’ me out, she wanted to help me.”

“Help you?” the young duke vaguely questioned, confused.

“I ain’t never known who me family was ‘cept for a pendant I’ve had all me life,” Benedict explained as he shifted in his seat, “The lady said she thinks me real family is English. She said she’d help me if I helped ‘er by deliverin’ that there note to the Duke o’ Schellden.”

“What was the lady’s name?” Justin asked after inhaling a shaky breath and attempting to relax some of the tension out of his body.

“She didna tell me. But she didna want to marry tha marquis, I know that fer sure,” Benedict stated, “Which is why she wanted me ta come ‘ere to England. Said you could help.”

“By now it may be too late,” Justin murmured, frowning as his heart dropped in his chest at this new information. A journey across the sea had to have taken Benedict at least three weeks if the ship had good weather. Which meant Kalinna had long since been married to the French marquis she so obviously despised.

“I don’ think so,” Benedict commented.

“What?!?” Justin demanded, sitting forward. Did the lad have more to tell?

“I think the lady was plannin’ on runnin’ away,” Benedict said, shrugging, “She don’ know that I returned to tha castle a couple days later on me boss’s orders. I overheard her plannin’ on sneakin’ off with another lady named Adele.”

“Are you sure you heard correctly?” Justin demanded, frowning.

“Absolutely.”

With a growl of disapproval at the young woman’s rash plans, Justin grabbed the piece of parchment from where it sat on his desk and opened it. What he read made his worry for Kalinna’s safety grow by leaps and bounds.

Dear Justin;

If you are reading this then my plan has been set into motion. I cannot sit around, waiting for somebody to figure out my whereabouts and save me from this hell I am currently living in. I am engaged to be married to a French marquis, the man who paid my father so handsomely for my hand, however, I cannot go through such a travesty. So I am going to escape and find my way back to England on my own. Do not come looking for me, for if you do, you will be in grave danger and I cannot live with that on my conscience. I merely wanted to assure you that I am fine and will reunite with you in England as soon as I am able to. I have much to contribute to our investigation, and have recovered the chest that was taken the night I was kidnapped. I believe it still may hold a key to the map my father is still searching for, which I have come to believe is hidden in my mother’s childhood home, Barclay Manor. I ask that you wait until I return to start in that arena of the investigation, for I would like to talk to my grandmother first before we turn the manor on its head. Until that time comes, I remain respectfully yours,

»Kip

Justin didn’t quite know how to react at first. How could she do this? Did she know what kind of danger she was actually in? Did she have no thought for her own safety? He let out an agitated grunt as his thoughts continued to run rampant.

Thankfully, it was in that moment that Jackson returned with Anthony and Benton. The four of them would have to put their heads together to come up with a plan for there was no way Justin was going to leave Kalinna in France to fend for herself. He didn’t care that she didn’t want to be rescued…the protective male inside of him couldn’t live with just sitting on the sidelines and waiting for her to return safely on her own.

“Justin, what is going on?” Benton demanded as he lowered himself into the chair next to Benedict; he gave the lad a fleeting glance before turning his attention back to his friend.

“The night is only halfway over and we have still not learned anything,” Anthony added, frowning, “And we will not learn anything by being here. Now, have you crafted a different plan or something such as that which would attribute to our summoning?”

“Better than a plan,” Justin said with a half smile, “I believe we’ve found Kalinna.”

“What?” Anthony cried, eyes wide.

“Where is she?” Benton demanded, practically leaping from his chair to pace the room in agitation, “Is she alright? She’s not hurt is she? Does she need our help?” Justin would have cracked a grin at the younger man’s rapid-fire questions had the situation not been so serious.

“Benton, Anthony, take a seat, we have much to discuss,” Justin stated after taking a deep, calming breath, “Jackson, if you could close the door?”

The two noblemen quickly took a seat, both silent and waiting for the explanation that was coming. After the first mate had closed the door and taken a seat of his own, Justin began the tale.

“Benton, Anthony, this is Benedict,” the Duke began as he waved a hand in the boy’s direction, “He has come all the way from France with news of Kalinna and her whereabouts. Benedict, this is my friend Anthony, Duke of Maddox, and Kalinna’s cousin Benton, the future Duke of Barclay.”

“Pleased ta meet you,” Benedict stated; the two lords nodded in his direction, obviously curious about where exactly he fit into the picture.

“Benedict has seen and talked to Kalinna and has brought me this,” Justin stated as he held up the parchment that was Kalinna’s letter, “I believe you will both find it quite interesting.”

Anthony quickly grabbed the parchment, unfolded it and began to read aloud. After he was done, he turned questioning eyes to his friend; this was the best lead they had had in awhile. They hadn’t had any clue where to search for Kalinna, and their investigation, too, had hit some snags. With the information that Kalinna had provided, they might very well be able to wrap up this investigation and put a stop to whoever was selling governmental secrets once and for all.

Now the only thing they needed to figure out was where exactly Kalinna was in France. It would be a daunting task and unless they had some clue…

“You do understand that I will not just sit here while my cousin attempts to free herself, right?” Benton demanded, startling Anthony from his rapid-fire thoughts.

“My thoughts exactly,” Justin responded as he ran a hand through his hair, “The only problem is that I don’t know where to begin looking, and France is a rather large country to go looking for somebody in.”

“You don’t have any clue where she might have been heading, do you?” Anthony questioned as he turned his eyes on Benedict. The lad quickly shook his head in the negative.

“Alls I know is that tha lady was set on goin’ north,” Benedict supplied with a shrug of his shoulders, “She thought if she gots far enough north, the marquis wouldna be able ta find ‘er.”

“Northern France,” Anthony mused, lost in thought.

“Well at least that narrows down our search somewhat,” Benton halfheartedly commented as he slouched in his chair.

“We’ll have to assemble a crew of men to accompany us to France. I believe it would be wise for me to don the disguise of pirate again, for the sake of staying inconspicuous,” Justin stated, drumming his fingers on the desktop as he mused aloud.

“Benedict, you know France quite well, would you object to being our guide?” Anthony questioned of the young boy.

“Not a’tall,” Benedict readily responded, glad that the four men had deemed it necessary to include him in their rescue mission.

“She’s in Bellacomb,” Jackson suddenly stated; the room immediately fell silent as the other four occupants stared at him.

“What? How do you know that?” Justin demanded as his first mate walked forward, studying the parchment he held in his hands.

“Look here,” Jackson stated as he set the parchment down on the desk and they all crowded around to look at it, “See how she has capitalized some of the letters in the middle of the sentences. They spell out Port Bellacomb.”

“Smart woman,” Justin muttered to himself, a half smile lighting his features before he straightened and turned to his friends, “Jackson, I want you to assemble the best men we have and stand at the ready to leave in two days time.”

“Aye captain,” Jackson responded with a nod of his head.

“Anthony, I need you to make a full report to our governmental contact about what is going on. I’ll send word if we gather any other pertinent information before the Christina sets sail,” Justin continued, “Meet back here to leave for France in two days’ time.” Anthony gave his friend a small bow in agreement.

“What do you want me to do?” Benton questioned.

“You are going to accompany me to Barclay Manor,” Justin stated as he glanced down at the locket his held tight in one of his hands.

“Whatever for?” the younger man asked, confused.

“I believe we will find something there that will help bring a closure to this investigation…” Justin stated, his voice soft as he held up the locket of his beloved.

“Are you sure about this?” Benton questioned the next day as he, Justin and Benedict roamed through the dim, unused back halls of his childhood home, “I know this place like the back of my hand, and to my knowledge, there is no hidden room that has not been discovered by at least one person of my family.”

“Perhaps we are not looking for a room, but merely a secret compartment,” Justin responded as they traveled towards the front of the house.

“That is highly possible,” Benton agreed.

They continued on in silence for the next few minutes, both men lost in thought, and Benedict merely trailing after them, his eyes huge as he took in the lavish quarters of Barclay Manor. After a moment, however, Justin abruptly stopped walking as a thought came into his head.

“Where did Kalinna’s mother used to have her quarters at?” the pirate captain demanded as he turned excited eyes in Benton’s direction.

“Second floor of the east wing, why?” Benton questioned.

“Let’s go,” was all Justin replied with as he motioned for Benton to lead the way. Without another word, the younger man began to walk, his friend and Benedict following quickly after.

The room was dusty, its furniture covered in linen sheets, the curtains drawn to keep out the harsh rays of the sun. It was a good-sized room, with a four-poster bed and the usual trappings of a female’s room. Justin immediately set to work, with the help of his two companions, to set the room on its head, knowing, in his heart, that whatever he was searching for would be located in this very room.

After about ten minutes of searching, however, the three of them were unable to turn up anything. Justin was covered in dust, his curls in wild disarray, a frown, yet again, marring his features as he sat on the edge of the bed. He was so sure he had been right about this room…

“I don’t think we’re going to find anything here,” Benton commented as he walked in his friend’s direction.

Before Justin could utter a word in reply however, Benton tripped on the edge of a rug and went flying, face first towards the floor. In an effort to stop his fall, he grabbed onto a candle holder that was mounted in the wall. Justin’s mouth fell open when a panel of the wall next to the dressing table suddenly slid to the side, revealing a secret passageway.

“Nice going,” Justin stated, his eyes alight with excitement as he hopped off the bed and strode in the direction of the passageway.

“T…thanks,” Benton weakly muttered as he righted himself and moved to his friend’s side. Benedict came up behind the two men and quickly pushed his way forward and into the secret passageway, while the two men just stood staring in.

“Benedict…” Justin began, unsure of where the tunnel actually led.

“What are you waiting for?” was all the pickpocket said in reply as he followed the curve of the tunnel and was out of the two men’s sights. Benton and Justin exchanged looks with one another before grabbing candles, entering into the passageway and following after their young friend.

It seemed like they walked for an eternity. The passageway turned this way and that, and dipped down, then back up. Finally, though, the passageway gave way to a decent-sized room, in obvious disuse as it was full of dust, grime, and critters on four legs. Justin, however, didn’t seem to notice as his eyes were trained solely on the desk that sat in one corner of the room.

“Benton, search the left side of the room, Benedict, the right, and I’ll tackle this desk,” Justin barely got out as he quickly lit a few candles that were in the room to cast a cheery light about the dank, unused room.

Without a word, the three of them set to their task. Justin, his heart beating rapidly began to search through the desk, hoping against all hope that they would find what they were searching for. It became apparent, after only a few moments, that this room and the contents of this desk, belonged to none other than Kalinna’s great grandfather, the man who had been part of the exploration group to America. That could only mean that the map must be located somewhere within these chambers, as long as nobody had been here before them…

“Justin, I don’t think we’re the first to discover this room,” Benton suddenly stated, as if reading his friend’s thoughts, “Look at the footprints on the floor.”

There was a set of footprints showing clearly through the dust that seemed to circle about the room before coming straight to the desk Justin was searching through. The odd part about it, though, was that the prints were obviously female. Justin sighed.

“I think this may ‘elp you,” Benedict announced as he sidled up to Justin’s side, a piece of folded parchment in his hand that he had discovered laying on the daybed on the right side of the room. Justin felt his jaw drop as he read Kalinna’s name on the front of it.

Quickly, he grabbed the note, unfolded it and began to read, not caring that it was not addressed to him. His eyes widened, first in surprise, then in puzzlement.

“It’s from Kalinna’s mother,” Justin quietly said.

“But I thought Kalinna’s mother was dead,” Benton protested, confused.

“No, not at all,” Justin responded.

“What does it say?” Benedict eagerly prodded, curious and excited.

“It says that…” Justin trailed off as he grabbed Kalinna’s locket from around his neck, picked up a rather large book, and inserted it into a lock that kept the book shut.

As he turned the locket, Justin felt his heartbeat rapidly increase and his breathing become shallow as the lock popped. The book, which was a book on exploring America much to Justin’s amusement, immediately fell open to reveal that it was not, in fact, a book after all, but a small safe.

And inside, all that lay there was a piece of parchment that greatly resembled a map…

“What do you mean you can’t find her?” the angry male voice shouted, startling more than one servant in the household with the volume of his voice.

“My lord, we have searched high and low, cities and countryside and have found no trace of your fiancée,” another voice, much quieter, replied, “It is as if she and your sister have just vanished.”

“Detective DuBoise, young women who are kidnapped in the middle of the night do not just disappear off the face of the earth,” Barnaby LaCroix, Adele’s fiancé and Andre’s best friend, responded.

“I assure you, we are doing all in our power to locate the two young ladies,” Detective DuBoise stated as he nervously shifted from foot to foot under the watchful gaze of the two lords.

“Well perhaps your best just is not good enough,” Andre growled as he ran a hand through his hair in agitation.

“Perhaps if we provide more men…?” Barnaby suggested in an effort to calm his friend’s frayed nerves and give the detective a break from Andre’s unforgiving wrath.

“We could cover ground more quickly with more hands,” DuBoise truthfully responded, his eyes glued on the back of Andre Carlton, the more dangerous of the two lords.

“Take whatever men you want. I don’t care if you have to turn every city and every household on its ear, I want you to find my fiancée and I want you to find her now,” Andre boomed, a scowl marring his features, his body taut with frustration and anger, “And whenever you find those two scoundrels who kidnapped the two ladies, I want them brought to me immediately, for I will deal with them personally.”

“Of course my lord,” DuBoise agreed with a slight bow, “I shall personally see to it that we double our efforts and leave no tavern or store unsearched.”

“Very good. Report back to me the moment you hear anything and if you don’t discover anything, report back in three day’s time again,” Andre said with a dismissive wave. The detective, after making his bows to the two lords, quickly scrambled from the room, thankful the meeting was over.

“I just don’t understand how this could have happened,” Barnaby commented as he watched his friend pace the length of the study where they were ensconced, “With as many men guarding this castle, I don’t see how these two men could have managed to kidnap Adele and Kalinna with only a couple stablemen having seen them.”

“Yes, it doesn’t make much sense,” Andre agreed as he finally slouched into a chair, his mind running with half-formed thoughts.

“My lord?” a new voice questioned from the doorway. Both lords immediately turned to see a dark-haired, stocky man, a few years older than them, standing there.

“What is it Jenks?” Andre stated.

“I have some information that you might find useful,” the older man stated, coming fully into the room as Andre beckoned him to do, “It concerns the two young ladies who have gone missing.”

“Do tell,” Andre encouraged, indicating a chair to his left, “You remember Barnaby LaCroix, my sister’s fiancé?”

“My lord,” Jenks said with a quick bow before he settled his well-muscled frame into the straight-backed chair.

“Jenks has been my right-hand man for some years now, and the eyes and ears of the castle in the places I cannot be,” Andre explained to Barnaby as his friend gave him a somewhat confused look. LaCroix immediately relaxed. “Now, what exactly have you discovered Jenks?”

“Well, I was going about my duties and stopped in the kitchen to check on Cook’s progress. You know how she can get when she gets in one of her moods,” Jenks began; Andre immediately nodded his head, “As I was leaving, I overheard two of the maids talking.”

“Have you brought me mere gossip?” Andre suddenly demanded, a frown beginning to mar his features yet again.

“At first that is what I thought, and would not have bothered you if that was all it was. But I checked into the gossip to find it is true,” Jenks hurriedly continued, picking up on the fact that his boss was not of a happy disposition, “As I was saying, these two maids were talking about the O’Hara brothers and how they have suddenly disappeared.”

“Marcus and Jeffrey O’Hara? Aren’t they two of your best horse trainers?” Barnaby questioned as he turned curious eyes towards his friend.

“Indeed they are,” Andre responded, scratching his chin in thought.

“There is more,” Jenks added, shifting in the chair as he spoke, “Apparently the two men have been planning, for some time, to head to England, where they have family, and have just been biding their time. I discovered, after searching their rooms, a letter from a relative in England that confirms all of this.”

“Well what a coincidence it is that the O’Hara brothers turn up missing the same day our fiancée’s do,” Barnaby commented, puzzled.

“Not mere coincidence,” Andre bit out, his frown deepening, “The stable hands who fought the two kidnappers said they were very well built and both had blue eyes, exactly like the O’Hara brothers.”

“You mean to tell me that the kidnapping was staged?” Barnaby demanded, his eyes widening, first in shock, and then in anger.

“Precisely,” Andre confirmed, “I know for a fact that despite her brave façade, my fiancée does not wish to marry me. After all, her father forced her into it in order to get the money he desires, so it does not seem so surprising that she would find some way to thwart my carefully laid plans.”

“And Adele?” Barnaby prompted.

“Adele knows this castle as well as, if not better than anybody else who lives here. She would know which secret tunnels lead to where, hence they were able to escape without being undetected until they got to the stables,” Andre provided.

“This is outrageous,” Barnaby fumed as he suddenly stood up and began to pace around the room, “To think that we were actually worried for the women’s safety.”

“Don’t worry, we will get them back and then make sure that they never pull something of this magnitude ever again. And I also will be having a word or two with the O’Hara brothers,” Andre concluded with a grimace, “Jenks?”

“Yes my lord?” the older man questioned as he rose from his chair to await the orders of his master.

“Gather a party of the best men we’ve got. If I know my sister, she’s going to be laying low before attempting to sail to England and we definitely can’t allow her to do that,” Andre stated.

“England?” Barnaby questioned in alarm, “What on earth is there for her in England?”

“A past that should have died long ago,” Andre practically growled.

“My lord, I shall assemble as many men as I can and send you word once we are all gathered in the stables,” Jenks suddenly announced, anxious to escape his lord’s black mood.

“Good, I shall see you then Jenks,” Andre off-handedly stated as he waved the servant away. The man didn’t have to be told twice.

“What do you propose we do?” Barnaby demanded as he sat back down in his chair, only to have Andre stand up and begin pacing.

“We are going to find Adele and Kalinna and bring them back here,” Andre stated in a deadly voice, the blackest look on his face, “Then I intend to teach my fiancée the meaning of obedience once and for all.”

The tavern was loud, crowded and somewhat smoky, filled with all kinds of customers from every walk of life; sailors, businessmen, dancing girls, field hands – it truly made for quite a place to be working at. And the first night Kalinna had worked, it had been the shock of a lifetime. She had thought that all she had endured and witnessed while masquerading as a boy would help her adjust to life as a tavern maid. She had been very wrong.

Since arriving at the place nigh on five months ago, she had been grabbed, flirted with, spilled on, and had a number of kisses stolen from her. But there was nothing she could do about it, not if she wanted her plan to succeed. Which she most definitely wanted for there was no way, not in this lifetime, or any other for that matter, would she ever marry Andre Carlton.

Kalinna, Adele, Jeffrey and Marcus had completed their journey from Westgate Castle to the northern shipping port of Bellacomb just over five months ago. After selling the horses and meeting up with Jeffrey and Marcus’s cousin Becky, the four of them had acquired jobs in the tavern and inn where Becky worked, the Midnight Rose. The second part of their plan had been completed.

But life in the inn was not what any of them had expected. Though it had not been much of a stretch for Jeffrey and Marcus to adjust to their new situation, Kalinna and Adele had not had it so easy. The two women had never been subjected to serving others in their entire life, so assuming the role of an untitled, low-born maid proved a challenge.

Thankfully, Kalinna had gotten back on her feet in a matter of a few days, thanks mostly in part to the kindness and helpfulness shown by Marcus, Jeffrey and Becky. Adele, however, was not adjusting so well and still struggled to make it through each day.

Kalinna found herself keeping her fingers crossed and hoping that Adele was strong enough to survive for another month, when the ship that would transport them to England set sail. The Frenchwoman had known nothing outside of Westgate Castle and the servants who saw to her every need, so she was having a hard time adjusting to this new life. Kalinna, as well as Marcus and Jeffrey, tried to protect her as best they could, but that wasn’t always possible.

Becky, Jeffrey and Marcus’s cousin, therefore, was a godsend. The older woman, who was the widow of an English sailor, had taken Adele under her wing and made sure that the younger Frenchwoman was able to make it through each day. It was thanks to Becky that Adele was not exposed to the rowdy customers but rather, had the task of washing dishes and cleaning and preparing guest rooms.

Kalinna knew that Adele was trying to be strong and regain that spark of outgoing confidence that had caused her to form this plan in the first place. She was slowly starting to acclimate to her new surroundings, but Kalinna knew that above all else, Adele was battling homesickness. That in of itself had taken away that spunk that Kalinna knew the young Frenchwoman had.

Shaking away her thoughts, Kalinna adjusted her skirt and the blonde wig that hid her naturally dark hair and prepared for the long night ahead. She was not as lucky as Adele and had been given the job of serving customers. But after dealing with her father, none of the customers seemed to bother her all that much bar one.

His name was Stephen Montgomery, a French shipping captain that had set his eye on her the moment she had first served him four months ago. A big, burly man with a shock of dark hair, tattoos, and an earring in one ear, he made Kalinna quite uncomfortable. And he had made it perfectly clear that, one way or another, he would have her.

Adele and Becky knew all about her unwanted admirer and did their best to help her out when the man spent an evening drinking in the tavern. So far, nothing had come of the situation. But Kalinna knew she could be lucky for only so long and one of these times, the man would be pushed too far and she would have to pay the consequences.

She avoided him as best she could, but tonight she had the unfortunate task of serving him and a few of his crew members. She could only hope that his mind would be on other things but her. After all, she could not afford to cause trouble, which would surely happen if one more egotistical and overconfident male tried to run her life.

“Kalinna!” a booming male voice suddenly bellowed over the ruckus that was building in the common room. Without another thought, the young woman headed in the direction of the bar tap to see what Pierre Montague, the tavern’s owner, wanted of her.

“Yes Pierre?” she questioned as she stood in front of the large bar the tavern’s owner stood behind.

“Where is Adele? We need ‘er in the kitchen. Tonight is goin’ to be a busy night and we can’t ‘ave the dishes getting’ backed up and causin’ unhappy customers,” Montague practically barked as he filled up mugs of ale for one of the waiting barmaids who was servicing a table of businessmen.

“She’s not feeling well and is lying down for a bit,” Kalinna lied, wondering where on earth her friend could have gotten to in the past ten minutes since she had seen her last.

“Better not ‘ave gotten ‘erself with child,” Pierre growled with a frown, “I don’t want none o’ that happenin’ in me tavern.”

“She’ll be down in a few minutes,” Kalinna bit out through her annoyance. Pierre was fair, as far as bosses went, and she would be forever grateful for the jobs he had provided them with, however, there were times where Kalinna could not stand the man. The good thing was she would only have to stand him for one more month if everything worked out the way they had planned.

“Ye better be right Kalinna, for me charity only goes so far. If she be unable to keep pace ‘round here, I’m goin’ to have to find someone else to take ‘er place,” the tavern owner threatened. Kalinna wanted to sock him in the stomach.

“I’ll pass the message along,” Kalinna stated with a frown as she noticed Adele coming down the back stairs, her face somewhat strained, “Excuse me.”

Before her boss could reply, Kalinna was making her way through the kitchen to her friend’s side. Adele managed a wan smile, but Kalinna could see she was not, by any means, feeling herself. Kalinna immediately put her arm around the younger woman’s shoulders in comfort.

“What is it Adele?” the Englishwoman gently prodded as she steered her friend away from the loud noises coming from the common room, “Has something happened? Are you feeling okay?”

“I am sorry Kalinna, I’m just not feeling at all well tonight,” Adele stated in a shaky voice, an unhappy expression marring her features.

“Are you ill?” Kalinna questioned, a concerned look on her face.

“It is just my womanly time, but with all this work we have had to do, I feel so much worse than normal,” Adele confessed, blushing as the embarrassing words crossed her lips. Kalinna gave her an encouraging smile.

“Do not fret overmuch,” the older woman soothed as patted her friend on the shoulder, “I shall take over all your duties pertaining to the guest rooms if you can only manage with the kitchen tasks.”

“But what will Pierre say?” Adele asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I shall tell him that you are feeling a bit under the weather, but that together you and I will get all the tasks done,” Kalinna stated, a smile gracing her lips, even though she knew that with her tasks for the evening, she would be hard-pressed getting some of Adele’s done as well.

“Kalinna, you are too kind. I promise once we get out of this mess, I shall find a way to repay you,” Adele deftly stated as she gave the older woman a quick hug.

“Think nothing of it,” Kalinna responded, “It was you who helped me escape a fate of marriage to that awful man you unfortunately call brother. That is repayment enough in my eyes.”

At that moment, Becky, cousin of Jeffrey and Marcus came walking up, her steps quick and somewhat agitated. She immediately stopped next to the two young women.

“Tis gettin’ busy out there now,” Becky stated as shifted from foot to foot, “Pierre is shoutin’ up a storm askin’ where ye be Kalinna. Ye best be gettin’ out there and start servin’ for ye know Pierre don’t like his customers to be disappointed.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Kalinna replied as she adjusted her wig one more time before turning to head towards the open area of the tavern where customers sat at wooden tables as well as at the bar.

“And how ye be feelin’ lass?” Becky questioned, turning her eyes to Adele. Kalinna immediately turned around to explain what was going on. Adele beat her to it.

“About the same as before,” the young Frenchwoman responded with a small smile, “Kalinna has agreed to help with my above stairs chores and tonight I am just to keep up in the kitchen.”

“Are ye sure ye can handle that all?” Becky questioned, turning her eyes once again towards the older woman, “If ye want, I can help you since ole Pierre don’t have me runnin’ as much as ye.”

“That would be wonderful,” Kalinna responded with a bright smile, “We can quickly work together once there is a break in the crowd. I shall just let Pierre know what we are about so that he does not decide to flay one of our hides for not alerting him to the change in plans.”

“I shall go with ye,” Becky concluded as she looked searchingly at Adele one last time, “Are ye sure ye can take care of everything in the kitchen tonight lass?” Adele nodded her head in confirmation and Becky gave her a warm, encouraging smile before heading in the direction of the tavern’s main room.

“Let me know if you need my help at all in any of your other duties,” Kalinna instructed the younger woman before she followed Becky out into the common room.

As she entered, Kalinna saw that Becky was already talking to Pierre and explaining what was occurring with their tasks this evening. He did not seem too happy, but his scowl instantly left his features as his eyes lit on a new customer – a buxom woman who appeared to be in her late thirties. Immediately the newcomer headed over in Pierre’s direction and Becky was instantly forgotten. Shrugging her shoulders, the barmaid quickly made her way over to where Kalinna stood.

“He wasna happy at first, but it looks like he couldna care less now,” Becky said as soon as she reached Kalinna’s side, “Not since that woman came in.”

“That must be Lady Carmen, the elusive woman Pierre has mentioned the few times I have seen him too deep in his cups,” Kalinna commented, quickly assessing the red-headed siren who had stolen Pierre’s attention completely.

“Aye, must be her,” Becky agreed.

“Wench! We want some ale o’er ‘ere,” the deep voice of a man suddenly interrupted the two women.

“We best be gettin’ to work,” Becky said as she threw a glance in the direction of the man, who was with four of his comrades, “I shall meet ye by the stairs when there be a break in customers.”

“Certainly,” was all Kalinna got out before Becky hurried away to see to the impatient customers who had called out to her just moments earlier.

With a sigh, Kalinna quickly turned her attention to the rowdy room, which, despite the fact that the evening was still young, was almost completely full. It was going to be a long night, she was quite certain of that. And with the added tasks of Adele’s that she had taken on, it would certainly be a long while before she could rest easy for the night.

But it would all be worth it as soon as she could afford the passage that would transport her back to England. She could finally get away. Away from this godforsaken tavern. Away from the man who she knew was hunting for her right now. And finally back to Justin, her family and everything that she held dear.

No, a few long nights and stolen kisses were not going to keep her from that goal. That she was most certain of.

With that determination in place, Kalinna made her way over to the bar tap, intent on picking up an order for a table of business men that she had been serving. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the front door of the tavern open and a group of five men came in, a big burly man in the lead. Kalinna almost groaned aloud.

Stephen Montgomery scanned the room, his eyes lighting up as they found the familiar figure of Kalinna, the serving wench whom he desperately wanted, but who had thus far rejected his advances. With a promising grin sent in her direction, and knowing full well that she had seen it, he took a seat at one of the tables he knew she serviced. He was sick of her rejections, and he was bound and determined that tonight would be the night that she would no longer refuse him.

“What can I get you gentlemen tonight?” the object of his affections suddenly questioned as she appeared at the table, blonde hair cascading freely down her back.

Stephen felt his longing for the wench begin to stir as it did every night he and his men came into the tavern for a few drinks. Her beauty was immeasurable, her grace breathtaking, and her intelligence, though she tried to hide it, was obvious. She was the type of woman he would give half his merchant business to, and it baffled him as to why she refused him time after time.

Sure, where she had manners fit for a queen, he certainly lacked, but he was quite capable of giving her a comfortable living, away from the life of a tavern wench. Any other woman in the same situation would be grateful for his promise of a life without work. She, however, merely turned her nose up and spurned him every chance she got. He just didn’t understand it.

“A round o’ ale fer us all,” Stephen finally stated, his thoughts making him somewhat grumpy.

“Right away,” Kalinna stated, gritting her teeth as she noticed the burly man giving her a longing look; the faster she was away from their table, the faster she could breathe easier.

As quickly as she could, Kalinna made her way over to the bar tap, where she put her order in with Pierre and waited while he filled five mugs of ale. With a nod of thanks, she hoisted the tray of mugs up and made her way back to the table where the five men sat deep in discussion.

Methodically, Kalinna began to set the mugs of ale down at the table, holding her breath and praying that Stephen Montgomery would not try to detain her like he had done every other time she had served him. Her prayers went unanswered, for she soon found herself in his lap.

“My lovely Linna, why do ye continue to torment me so?” Stephen groaned into her ear as his hands roamed possessively over her frame. It took all of Kalinna’s might not to shudder in terror.

If she just held still and did not say anything, he would soon release her. That was what happened every other time he had lavished her with such unwanted attention. It was how he played this cat and mouse game with her…if she only played dead like a mouse, then he, the cat would soon lose interest and let her go…

He was a scary sight to behold. Blue eyes were clouded over, devoid of their usual shine. Lips were turned down into a frown, marring the normally handsome face into something a little more fearful. The man was agitated, unhappy, but most of all, restless.

Land was finally visible after weeks and weeks away from port, thrown on seas so turbulent they matched the mood of the ship’s captain. A captain who was more than ready to set his feet on the aforementioned dry land and continue the search for what his heart so desired. A woman – a woman who had stolen his heart and who just so happened to be betrothed to him.

Justin sighed for about the fifth time that evening. He was eager to lay anchor in this French port and start his search for Kalinna and the man who had stolen her away from him. He also wouldn’t mind coming face to face with the Frenchman she was supposed to marry and have a friendly conversation with him – one that would most definitely involve swords and a fight to the death, one in which he would come out very much alive.

“What is the plan once we lay anchor here?” Benton suddenly questioned, trying to ignore the pensive mood his friend had been in ever since Kalinna had disappeared.

“We start searching straightaway,” Justin practically barked, as if there was nothing more sensible than starting a search in the middle of the night, for it was very close to midnight.

“You are not being sensible,” Benton argued as he joined the captain as he leaned against one of the railings on the deck of the Christina, “You need sleep so that we do not go walking into a lion’s den when we finally locate Kalinna.”

“I do not need sleep,” Justin half-heartedly argued as a picture of the woman he loved flitted teasingly through his mind, “I need to find her and I will not rest until I do so.”

“Justin, we also have the investigation to think of,” Benton hesitantly reminded his friend, knowing full well it was not something Justin wished to hear about, “We cannot blow our cover, or else we may risk losing all leads in the investigation.”

“I do not care about some bloody investigation!” Justin hissed, his blue eyes suddenly flashing in anger, “I just want Kalinna safe. Only then will I think again about my duty to my country.”

“Justin, I know you do not want to hear it, but by blowing our cover in this investigation, we could end up placing Kalinna in more danger than she already is now,” Benton stated, hating that he had to pull that card in order to put some sense into his friend’s mind.

“Bloody hell,” Justin practically yelled as he ran a hand through his hair in agitation.

“I suggest that once we make port, we find a place to stay the evening and then we may start our search first thing in the morning,” Benton suggested as he sent a sympathetic look in his friend’s direction, “Port Bellacomb is a large port town. It’d be best to go searching in the morning at first light so that we may not find ourselves lost or at the mercy of some French gang.”

Justin sighed as he leaned on the railing of his beloved ship and rested his head in his hands. Benton was most certainly right about waiting until the morning to begin their search. After all, what other choice did he have at the moment? Kalinna, his love, his betrothed, was out there somewhere in this bloody French port doing god knew what to try and get back to England. The worst thing he could do was start a rash search for her and end up in some trouble and thus be unable to help her.

He was just so fed up with feeling so hopeless.

The Christina glided quietly into port and docked, her crew members immediately preparing for disembarkment, unaware of the pensive mood of their captain. They were to stay with the ship for the night while Justin, Benton, Anthony, Jackson and Benedict went ashore.

“Justin, the ship is secure and we’re ready to disembark,” Anthony stated as he joined his two friends near the ship’s wheel.

“Let’s go then,” Justin concluded as Jackson joined their group, Benedict close on his heels.

Quietly, after Justin had given strict orders to the crew that were remaining aboard the ship overnight, the small group headed away from the docks and into the heart of the port town, bags slung over their backs. They wove through streets crowded with whores and sailors, some alight with lamps, others ghostly dark and menacing. Benedict led the way, expertly weaving this way and that, taking first a right turn, and then a left, and then one more right before they ended up on a moderately kept street next to a good-sized inn that was neither shabby nor extremely well-to-do.

“These ‘ere be decent lodgings for the night,” Benedict stated as he motioned his four companions towards the front door.

“Looks good enough for me,” Justin agreed as he immediately strode after Benedict, leaving his three friends to bring up the rear of the group. They did so quickly, not trusting their surroundings, which were ever-menacing in the semi-darkness that was broken here and there by a few streetlamps.

Justin strode through the door of the establishment, which served as both tavern and inn, with Benedict at his side, Jackson, Anthony and Benton close on his heels. His eyes scanned the establishment, taking in the large crowd that was neither rowdy nor quiet, the barmaids that were flitting among the tables, and finally to a large, bearded man standing behind the bar tap who could be none other than the owner. He quickly caught the man’s eye before walking over.

“Ye be wantin’ rooms for tha night?” the man questioned, his French accent thick and partially softened by his enormous beard.

“Two,” was all Justin replied with before he pulled some French money from his pocked and placed it in front of the man. The bearded man’s eyes lit up as he quickly counted the money and realized that Justin was leaving him a generous sum that was more than what two rooms would cost for the night.

“Right away sir,” the man responded as soon as he had pocketed the money, “Becky will show ye to yer rooms. Tha names Pierre Montague and I own this ‘ere establishment if ye gentlemen be needing anything.”

“We’d like some dinner sent to our rooms if it isn’t too much trouble,” Justin politely stated as he suddenly noticed a serving wench appear out of nowhere, obviously the aforementioned Becky who was going to lead them to their rooms.

“O’ course. I’ll see what I can send up for ye’,” Pierre responded.

“My thanks,” Justin concluded as he turned away and motioned for his friends to follow him as the serving wench beckoned him in the direction of a set of stairs.

It was in no time at all that the five of them had gathered in one of their reserved rooms, intent on discussing what their plan for the next day would be and anticipating some hot food to fill their empty, growling stomachs.

It had been altogether too long since Kalinna had first been pulled into Stephen Montgomery’s lap. And she wasn’t liking it one bit. Every other time they had played this game, he had merely forced her to endure his company for a few minutes before surrendering her back to her duties with a leering smile in promise of something later. A something which she had managed to avoid thus far.

But something was different. Something about the man’s mood had her heart beating altogether too fast in her chest; a combination of fear and dread. Where was Pierre? He knew that she detested all the unwanted attentions she received and most especially those from Stephen Montgomery. And Becky? The older woman had come to her rescue many a times, but had yet to make an appearance to aid her.

She was starting to become really worried. A feeling that only heightened when she noticed Stephen draining the last of his ale, his eyes darting towards the staircase that led to the tavern’s rooms. Tonight, it appeared, was the night where he was done playing games with her.

“Come lass, it is time ye learned not to tease a man so much,” Stephen said in a low voice so that only she was privy to the comment.

“You sir…” Kalinna began, but was cut off as the beefy man grabbed hold of one of her hands and squeezed painfully. She couldn’t even finish her sentence as she was biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain.

“Ye’d do well to learn some obedience too,” Montgomery continued as he surged to his feet after setting Kalinna down.

Before she could utter a word in protest, Kalinna found herself being forcefully dragged towards the tavern’s staircase amidst the loud laughs and knowing leers of her captor’s companions. Pierre and Becky were still nowhere to be found, a fact she discovered in a last glimpse before she began her forced ascent to the rooms above.

“Don’ ye even think about screaming,” Stephen warned as he hoisted her up the last few steps, his face marred by an intimidating scowl, “I don’ wanna hurt ye if I don’ have to.”

Hurt her? HURT HER?!? He was already hurting her as was evidenced by the bruises that were already starting to form where he had grabbed her arm downstairs and by the way he was dragging her up the stairs. Her body ached from trying to resist him, from trying to pull away and flee in the opposite direction, but it was no use as he was at least twice her size.

But she’d be damned if she let some lowlife French trash defile her. She had already been through enough humiliation at the hands of her father, and then Andre, that her anger had built up to the point of bursting. If he thought she was going to go quietly, he had another thing coming to him.

With her mind racing at all the possibilities of how to escape him, an idea suddenly struck. Heaving a great, dramatic sigh, Kalinna pretended to faint. She landed on her back on the floor, the only thing stopping a dead fall being the arm that her captor held onto. Suddenly aware that his burden had become a dead weight, Stephen stopped and bent over his captive, surprise and a touch of concern lighting his features.

Kalinna waited. She continued to play unconscious until the right moment came along. Which presented itself not a minute later when Stephen let go of her arm to kneel down next to her.

Without a sign or so much as a twitch of her eyelids, Kalinna suddenly whipped her right leg out in a trip, causing Stephen to fall over backwards and land on his back, somewhat dazed. For Kalinna, it was all the time she needed to successfully complete her plan of escape. She quickly scrambled to her feet, and with her skirt in hand, took off running in the direction of the end of the hallway, where she decided to take a left turn instead of a right, knowing full well that the rooms on the left wing were all empty while those in the right were full. She intended to hide and hope that once Stephen regained his senses and came after her, he’d be too annoyed to figure out which direction she had taken and which room she had decided to hide in.

With her heart in her throat, Kalinna quickly opened the third door on the left and shut it with a bang, gasping for air. The run had overcome her senses and her tired legs wobbled underneath her. She needed to rest. She needed to sit down. She needed to…

Before she could even to finish her thoughts, much less manage a single step in any direction, a set of arms went about her body. She felt herself becoming trapped, her back caged against a wall of chest that was, without any doubt, most definitely male. A hand clamped over her mouth just as she was about to let out a terrified scream, a harsh voice next to her ear telling her to be quiet.

It was not like she had any choice in the matter. But she quickly realized that whoever held her captive was no friend of Stephen Montgomery’s.

“Linna, my lovely Linna, where are ye?” Stephen Montgomery called in a voice that was quickly becoming louder and angrier as he approached the room where she was currently hiding, “You canna hide from me ye stupid bitch. I ain’t through with ye yet.”

Kalinna’s eyes widened, her heart pumping rapidly at the Frenchman’s yelled words. She shivered as fear slithered, unwelcome and unwanted, down her spine. Her body suddenly felt light and her head spun and she realized that she was about to faint. A hysterical laugh started to bubble to her lips at the thought, for she had never before fainted in her life.

Oddly enough, it was her present captor that brought her back to earth. It took her a moment to realize that he had taken his hand away from her mouth and was now rubbing it soothingly at the nape of her neck; murmuring unintelligible words in her ear. She began to relax, her breathing returning to normal, thankful for the firm presence behind her that, from what she could ascertain, did not mean her harm.

As he stood there holding the terrified serving wench, Justin tried vainly to clear his mind. His body was responding to this woman, to her scent and her skin, like only one other made him respond. But the blonde hair was all the proof he needed to confirm the fact that this woman was not his beloved.

It must be the fact that she was so close to him, and he had not held Kalinna this way for so long that was wreaking such havoc on his senses. He was completely hard as she moved ever so slightly, her round butt coming into contact with that part of him that suddenly had a mind of its own. He almost groaned aloud in frustration and despair.

A soft sigh from his captive immediately brought him back to his senses, and Justin quickly pushed tantalizing images of Kalinna out of his mind and concentrated on the problem at hand. The woman was obviously terrified of the man who had come after her and did not want his attentions. Which, truth be told, Justin was not surprised about.

He knew the man – a French shipping merchant by the name of Stephen Montgomery. He’d had a run-in with the man a few years back when the lout had tried to pull the wool over his eyes and trade stolen goods for previously un-owned merchandise. The dispute had ended with Montgomery slipping out of port before Justin had a chance to call him out, and that was the last the he had seen of the Frenchman.

It was not like him to fight unnecessarily, but the protector in him had reared its head when he had felt this woman shake so much he thought she was going to faint from fear. There had to be a way to solve this so the poor wench would not be bothered by Montgomery again…

Justin was so lost in thought that he almost didn’t notice that his fingers, which were still rubbing the nape of the serving wench, had taken a life of their own. His mouth fell open in shock as the blonde hair he had been running his hands through suddenly became a rich, reddish-brown. Immediately, and without a thought, he grabbed a handful of blonde hair and pulled.

The blonde wig tumbled to the ground as reddish-brown hair fell free of the pins that had been keeping it hidden under the wig. Justin felt the woman stiffen in his arms and he immediately turned her around to demand an explanation.

But he could do nothing but gape as he came face to face with Kalinna…

Kalinna stared up into the eyes of the one man she had been dreaming about for the past few months. The one man she loved with all her heart, that she had been missing like crazy, that she wanted to kiss again and again and again until he physically had to stop her. There were no words to describe the rainbow of emotions that were coursing through her body, so she did the only thing she could.

She fainted dead away.

Reacting on instinct, Justin immediately caught her and swept her up in his arms. And couldn’t help but laugh as he carried her over to one of the beds in the room and set her down on it. His beautiful, strong, stubborn woman had done one thing he thought she’d never do and the one thing that she’d sworn she’d never do.

He soothed a hand over her hair as he sat on the edge of the bed, her head cradled in his lap. He was not about to let her go anytime soon, now that he had just found her again. It would take death or a life-threatening injury that would pull her from his side.

“Let me go! I know you have her!!” a female voice suddenly cried from right outside the closed door of the room. Justin looked up in surprise.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Justin heard Benton reply in a somewhat confused tone, “The only person in that room is my friend, and I assure you that he is quite alone.”

“You are lying! I know it,” the female voice continued, becoming quite emotional, “I saw her come this way not ten minutes ago, so do not try telling me that she is not in there right now. I know there are only two rooms down this wing that are being let for the night, and that they are both for you and your friends. Therefore, she has to been in one of the two, and seeing as how I checked the other, she must be in here.”

“Now hold on a minute…” Justin heard Benton begin, but the rest of his response was cut off as the door burst open and a furious dark-haired woman came striding through, her eyes shining with a murderous intent.

“Kalinna!” the newcomer immediately cried as soon as she took in the sight of the young woman on the bed, Justin cradling her head, “What happened? What have you done to her?!?”

“Kalinna?!?” Benton cried as he strode into the room and caught sight of his wayward cousin unconscious on his friend’s bed, “Justin, what is going on here? How did you find her? Is she okay?”

“Stay away from her,” the dark-haired young woman suddenly cried as she pushed against Benton’s chest in an effort to keep him from approaching the bedside where Justin and Kalinna were.

“Bloody hell woman,” Benton roared as he glared down at the slip of a woman that was trying to keep him from his cousin.

“Don’t you bloody hell me you damn oaf,” the young woman railed as she pushed against his chest, “I am a lady, and you sir, are acting like an ass.”

It took all of Justin’s effort not to burst out laughing at the scene playing before his eyes. It was rare that Benton’s temper got the better of him, but the fact that a beautiful young woman was able to do it was quite amusing to say the least.

“I…I…” Benton fumbled, a blush infusing his cheeks as he noticed the haughty tilt of the head and perfect speech patterns that confirmed that the siren before him was indeed, a lady.

“As for you,” the woman continued, turning her attention to the bed where Justin still held Kalinna, “I demand that you release her immediately or else I’m going to…”

“Justin, what is going on?” Jackson suddenly questioned as he and Benedict entered the room, followed shortly after by Anthony. Immediately, the young Frenchwoman lost her courage as she eyed the beefy newcomer who could easily break her in two.

All of a sudden though, her eyes suddenly sparked with understanding.

“Wait a minute…it’s you, isn’t is?” she began as she stared at Justin, “You’re the one she…”

“Justin…?” a groggy voice suddenly stated and all eyes immediately turned to Kalinna, who was slowly coming out of the faint that she had fallen into a few minutes before.

“I’m here,” Justin softly stated as he shifted and pulled her into his arms.

Kalinna opened her eyes and stared up into the blue ones she knew so well. She must be dreaming. There was no way that Justin was in the same room, holding onto her like he never wanted to let her go.

And then he kissed her.