Enchanted by Your Kisses (37 page)

"Is that what you think he has done?"

"Of course."

"No. You are wrong. He loves me. I know it here," she placed a hand on her chest. "In my heart."

He didn't look appeased by her words. "Well, you shall not have the opportunity to find out if he truly does or not. He is to be taken to the Tower the moment I give the signal."

"I am surprised you have not done so already."

"I have not because I wish to make you an offer of sorts." And here her father's eyes turned crafty.

"An offer?"

"I will let Nathan
Trevain
go free if you agree to cut off all relations with him."

"No," she immediately said. "I already told you. I will not do it, Father. I love him, and he me."

"That is my offer. Take it or leave it."

"Then I will leave it. I will find some way to be with him, even if it means never seeing you again."

His face became pinched. "You would not dare to cut off relations with me. Think of the scandal."

"Scandal?" Anger had her taking a step forward, had her flexing her fingers. "As if I care. You may be my father, but you do not act it. You could have arranged a marriage for me years ago, a marriage that would have helped to salvage some of my reputation. But you did nothing, just as you promised. You left me in
Bettenshire
to rot. I have nothing to gain by staying under your control and everything to gain by following my heart."

"There is
Wess
Trevain
."

She all but flinched. "What about him?"

"He is on board this ship."

"No," she gasped.

Her father's expression turned unreadable. "'
Twas
a simple matter to have
Trevain's
brother transported to this ship."

"Release him, Father. Release
Wess
Trevain
." Her pulse pounded at her neck. She held her breath as she waited for his response.

"No," he said.

She closed the distance between them, grabbing his cold, hard hand. "Please, Father. If I mean anything at all to you—anything—do this for me."

His lips tightened. He pulled his hand away. "No," he repeated. "We will use the man as a way to get information out of Mr.
Trevain
."

"Information? But the war is over."

Her father shrugged. "To some it is, but the political war is far from over. There are still battles being waged, but they are not of the physical kind. Nathan
Trevain
can help us shed some light on the climate back in the colonies. His brother will serve as the perfect impetus to do so."

She stepped back, felt her face drain of color. "Have you no heart? The man has been through enough already."

"The man is a traitor to the Crown and a former spy. Ah, yes. I know he is Helios, though I see by your face you are surprised. I've always known. '
Tis
why I choose to take my time helping him. '
Tis
the least I can do to repay him for the damage he caused us in the war. And now his recapture will only enhance my position with the Board by showing them that my foolish daughter's actions were the result of a broken female mind."

"You bastard."

He lifted one side of his mouth. "I am a man of war, Ariel. It is time you realized that."

"Please don't do this."

"You have only to give the word and I will not. I will let him go—and
Wess
Trevain
—if you promise to have nothing further to do with the man—and if you promise to have Dr. Anthony
Addington
examine you."

She jerked in surprise. "Dr.
Addington
? Why, that is a mental physician."

"Aye, it is, and the perfect way for your behavior to be explained."

Her temper flared. "So you would sacrifice my reputation even further? You would now have me branded mad as well as a harlot?"

"That is the deal, Ariel. You may take it or leave it."

No. She would leave it, for what he suggested was so heartless, so cruel, she could barely fathom his loathing for her.

"Why?" She found herself croaking. "Why do you hate me so?"

He gave her a look of impatience. "Ariel, I do not hate you. For all your faults, you are still my daughter—"

"Am I? I begin to wonder."

The impatience turned to anger. "You are my daughter, and as such, I will do what it takes to insure that you behave in a manner befitting your station. A mental imbalance is the only explanation to my peers of your recent behavior. Imagine, parading about town as if nothing had happened. That in itself speaks of madness. And it is the only deal I am willing to give you. Give yourself over to Dr.
Addington
and never see Nathan
Trevain
again, or do your best to make a life with him in the Tower, his brother left to rot somewhere else. The choice is yours."

She lifted her head, a tear of frustration and disappointment escaping. "You truly mean to make me decide?"

"Be grateful I am giving you something to decide on at all."

"Ah, but you do so for your own political gain, not for me."

"I do so for both our sakes. The
D'Archer
name has been synonymous with government since Henry VIII was on the throne. That will not change with me simply because I have had the misfortune to sire a daughter without an ounce of common sense in her head."

She wanted to hit him of a sudden, even found herself leaning forward to do so. But the fight drained out of her. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing how he'd stripped away whatever love she'd felt for him.

"Well?" he asked.

"I need time to decide."

"Time? What is there to think about?"

"There is much." She turned.

"Where are you going?"

"On deck." She paused, looking back. "Do not fear, Father, I will not do something truly mad, like toss myself overboard in an attempt to swim ashore."

"Just the same, you will be escorted."

She almost balked, almost told him to go to the devil. But again she refused to react. "As you wish."

If her father was surprised by her easy acquiescence, he didn't show it. He called out to Phillips, who apparently stood right outside the door. Tightening her cloak about her, she didn't give her father another glance as she left his quarters. She ignored Phillips, too, preferring instead to seek the company of a black night and foggy air. Moisture clung to her face. No, not moisture, she realized, tears, instant tears of anger and frustration and hopelessness.

What to do?

Truly, she didn't seem to be able to think straight. She turned left, climbed the steps of the poop deck, then headed for the back rail. '
Twas
quieter up there, the men who inhabited the main decks going about their evening business of stowing ropes and sails.

What to do? she asked herself again and again.

She closed her eyes, grateful that Phillips gave her a bit of distance.

If she left the ship now, her father would have Nathan taken to the Tower. Worse, he would do so before she could reach him, for the only way off this ship was to jump or be rowed ashore. And on such a dark and foggy night, finding shore would be a lucky guess at best, not to mention she could drown in her clothes or suffer from the cold to the point at which she lost consciousness and drowned. The possibilities were endless, even though she knew the shore lay less than a quarter-mile away. Dare she risk it?

"I wouldn't if I were you, my lady."

She jumped, surprised that Phillips had moved in so close.

"Wouldn't what?"

"Jump," he said.

"What makes you think I shall jump? My father runs this ship. If I wish to go ashore, I shall simply ask."

"I am your father's second in command. I know the offer he presented you with."

She straightened in surprise and hurt before turning back to the rail. Though she could barely see his face, she could feel his presence like a shadow of her father's will.

"Then you know of my relationship with Nathan
Trevain
?"

"Yes, but jumping will do you no good. If you made it to shore, there would be nothing you could do to help him—
if
you made it. You could lose your way in this soup. Find yourself swimming toward
France
before you realized what you'd done. '
Tis
not worth the risk."

She clutched the rail, the dank wood sinking into her nails. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. "But I cannot do it, sir. I cannot make a decision like this." Sudden tears choked her throat, tumultuous emotions pooled in her stomach and made it ache. Or was that her heart? "I love him, you see."

He didn't answer. Truly, she didn't expect him to. He was her father's ally, one who'd been sent to keep her doing something foolish. A decision must be made and made tonight, yet never had she felt more confused and more incapable of one in her life.

"You need to understand that your father will do anything to protect your reputation."

"Have I truly damaged it then? Have I plunged the
D'Archer
name into scandal again."

"Aye. Only this is much worse than ruining yourself."

So he knew of that, too? She should not be surprised. She would dare say every man on board knew of her scandalous behavior.

"What I have done I have done to right a wrong. Mr.
Trevain
is not a traitor for serving his country any more than you are."

"Not in the colonies, but here on this shore he is. That your father is willing to let him go free is a risk I am surprised he is willing to take."

"Oh, I've no doubt he will spin it into a political move on his part. He will claim to be restoring relations between the two countries or some such nonsense. '
Tis
how my father is. Nothing is done unless he stands to gain."

She felt a hand fall on her shoulder. For some reason the contact nearly shattered her control. More tears slid down her face, tears she been valiantly trying to hold back.

"Sometimes, my lady, one must give the ultimate sacrifice in order for the greater good to be done."

She stared down into the black water. "But how can I let him go?"

"The way we all let go of our loved ones when we step aboard this ship, many of us never to return to shore. Say good-bye."

"He will not let me. I know it."

"Then send him a note, fabricate an excuse, but do what you must."

Do what she must? But did she have to do this? Was there not some other way to resolve it all?

Yet she knew there wasn't. '
Twas
why her father had brought her aboard the ship. The waters around her acted as a prison. He knew she might try to flee when faced with such a decision. He'd also known she'd elect to stay with Nathan, as his wife or as his lover, she didn't care. Only now she knew that would never happen. If she told her father she cast her fate with Nathan, then he would take him to the Tower.
Wess
would be kept a prisoner, too, for how long Ariel had no idea. Short of pleading her case before the king, her hands were tied.