Hart's Passion (Pirates & Petticoats Book 2) (5 page)

“Dr. Garrison...” Oh dear, she had hoped he would be as content to break the engagement as she. Granted, she’d been slightly tipsy at the time. Seeing Landon waltz with the stunningly beautiful Annette Camsby had affected her recollection of the amount she’d sipped. The wine had given her the courage to tell the doctor she didn’t love him, and she’d rather not marry him. Unfortunately, she’d done so rather bluntly. The doctor didn’t take the news well. Not well, at all.

 
What could she say now, without hurting or angering him further?

 
A multitude of expressions crossed his face. They moved across at such a pace, she could barely follow them. Shock…anger…confusion…fear.

“Please,
please
accept my apology, Miss Keelan.” He approached her with his hands spread and palms open. “I don’t want to break our engagement. I truly want to marry you. I’ve no one…no one but you, now. My family…” He coughed and blinked a few times. “They all perished at sea a few years ago. I’ve been so lonely. I…I need you with me. Believe me when I say I will take care of you. I promise.” He reached forward and grasped her hands. This was going to be more difficult than she’d anticipated.

Maybe a different tack will work better. “Dr. Garrison, you don’t want to marry me.”

“I do! Yes, I do. I will marry you and take you all the way to England.” He sank to one knee. “If the commodore wanted you to go back to Wind Briar, then I’ll take you as soon as we’re married.”

Wind Briar? Her heart began to pound more closely to her skin. She’d said nothing about Wind Briar.
 

She shook her head. “For reasons I cannot explain to you at this time Dr. Garrison, a marriage between us is impossible.” She couldn’t tell him about her plans to run away with Landon. He’d tell Uncle Jared and then Uncle Jared would have an apoplectic fit and probably insist she marry Dr. Garrison today. Why had he mentioned Wind Briar? An odd feeling squirmed across the back of her neck, making her more wary.
 

Dr. Garrison drew his hands back and clenched them at his sides. Although she could tell he tried hard to hide it, Keelan couldn’t ignore the anger flashing across his features. Her guilt at hurting his feelings added to her burden, but his response fortified her resolve. Perhaps a more financial perspective would help.

“Dr. Garrison, Papa left everything to Uncle Jared. I don’t have a dowry. I can’t return to Wind Briar to live. I’m not even George Grey’s kin by blood.”

Everett jerked as if shot. He stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. “Not blood kin,” he repeated so softly she could barely make out his words. “Not blood kin!” His eyes lit and he pulled her up and enveloped her in a hard hug.

The band of his arms pinned hers to her sides, preventing any opportunity to push him away. She fought to think of a delicate way to extract herself from his embrace without inciting his anger again.

He swayed with her in his arms, mumbling into the hair on top her head. “I knew you could never be like him. I knew it. This is perfect. You will be perfect. Everything will be as it once was, perhaps even better.”
 

Without releasing her arms, he stared into her eyes. “I heard of the treasure chest the commodore hid in his country house. Together we’ll find it, and everything will be as it should be.”

“Treasure chest?” What in the world was he talking about? Before her father died he’d mentioned a chest containing information about her real father, but no treasure.
 

And I was alone with him at the time.

“Yes,” he smiled broadly. “I heard the commodore talking about it. He said it was extremely valuable and wanted you to have it, so it’s not as if we’d be stealing. We only need to retrieve it.”

She needed to clear up this misunderstanding now. It wasn’t the items inside which were valuable, it was the information, and it was valuable only to her.

“Dr. Garrison, you are mistaken—”

“Please call me Everett, my love.”

Before she could say another word, he kissed her. The pressure of his mouth on hers took her by surprise and she gasped. He took the opportunity of the slight opening of her lips to plunge his tongue into her mouth.
 

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. The more she tried to arch away from him, the harder he kissed her until she was sure her teeth would break through the skin of her lips. His thick tongue swirled in her mouth, and for a second, she thought she might gag. If only her arms weren’t pinned to her sides, then she could defend herself. At this point she cared not a whit if she angered him or not.

“It wasn’t my intention to interrupt a tryst.” The deep baritone voice from behind her pulsed with an undercurrent of fury.
 

Landon!
Thank God
. Oh no
…
her
stomach lurched at the scene he was witnessing and obviously misinterpreting.

Garrison broke the violent kiss and pivoted his head toward the voice. She wiggled and jerked and when she stomped on his foot, he released her. Garrison stepped away, although he kept a hand on the small of her back.
 

“What brings you here, Hart? I daresay, unless you have an invitation or a summons from Mr. Grey, it’s my understanding you are not welcome.”

“That’s not true,” she hissed to Garrison. Her hands shook as she reached up and wiped her mouth then glared at the doctor, speaking through her clenched jaw, “Remove your hand this instant, Dr. Garrison.” She wanted to slap him hard enough to make his ears ring, but was unwilling to start another brawl between the two men. It took a second to compose her anger, then she turned her attention back to Landon.
 

He wasn’t there.
 

Lifting her skirts, she dashed down the porch steps and rounded the corner toward the street. Landon, already astride his horse, was trotting back toward the wharf. There was no way she could hail him without luring unwanted attention.
 

Damn that man. How could he possibly think she’d ever willingly kiss Dr. Garrison? Surely he’d noticed her predicament. She glanced over the hedge, pursed her lips at the sight of Garrison staring at her, and then understood.

She could view only the doctor’s upper chest over the hedge. Her pinned arms had been out of sight from Landon’s view. She groaned. She could understand his ire. He’d been betrayed before. His first wife died giving birth to another man’s child. Landon himself had once told her he wasn’t “the marrying kind.”

She expelled an annoyed breath. Well, this issue could be solved with a simple, civil conversation. As soon as Garrison was gone or occupied, she’d slip out and head straight to the
Desire
and speak with Landon. She clenched her jaw and straightened her shoulders. He’d listen to her if she first had to clobber him over the head and tie him to a chair to say her piece.

She headed for the door and stomped past the doctor. He grabbed her arm, and the glare she gave him should have frozen him solid. “If you touch me again, I will chop off your hand with a hatchet.”

Eyes widening, he lowered his arm and took a couple of steps back. He opened his mouth to say something, but she was already flying down the hall and up the stairs to her room.

Slaney was closing the lid on her trunk when she entered. “Did ye square things away with Dr. Garrison?”

“I don’t think so. Things are worse, actually. He seems to think we are still to be married.” Keelan grabbed her quill and a piece of parchment. “And Captain Hart seems to believe so too.”

“What?” Slaney stepped back as if slapped. “Why in the world—”

“Our course is set,” Keelan answered swiftly. “The livery carriage Daniel summoned should be here. We must leave now.”

Keelan signed the letter to her uncle stating her plans, saying good-bye and left it on the dressing table. She grabbed her reticule and bonnet and slipped down the servant staircase; the aroma of toasted pecans and raisin scones wafted up the passageway. She would miss Ruth, the soft, brown kitchen slave who loved cooking and all things spicy-hot. Under Ruth’s tutelage, Keelan could cook and also dress meat and fish, and prepare a good many household remedies from removing rust stains to making lard candles.

The women quietly exited the back door and made their way to the side street where the carriage waited. Her uncle and aunt were hopefully still at the luncheon. Thankfully, there was no sign of the doctor.
 

Daniel helped both women step into the carriage. As she settled herself on the seat, the sound of running feet and a shout drew her attention. To her horror, Uncle Jared was running up to the carriage. Dr. Garrison was close behind him.
 

When her uncle took in the trunks strapped to the back and the three of them, his expression darkened. “What is the meaning of this?”
 

“Please, Uncle Jared. Allow me to explain—”

“Garrison has explained everything to me. I forbid you to leave on this fool’s journey.” He stuck his head into the carriage. “Have you forgotten why you and your father fled England? Someone has a serious vendetta against our family. Your mother, aunt and uncle were all murdered within weeks of each other. In addition, our country is but a hair’s breadth away from a full scale war and I’ll not permit you to endanger your life by attempting a return to England now.”

“But Uncle,” she couldn’t explain her reasoning about Garrison while the doctor stood there. She needed to calmly explain her suspicions to him in private. Instead, she gave the only lame excuse to pop into her mind. “Captain Hart said a passenger ship would be able to make it safely from Boston.”

Uncle Jared’s expression darkened further. “I don’t give a damn about what Hart said. I made a promise to your father that I would make sure you’re safely married, and so I shall.”
 

Keelan reached out and grasped her uncle’s arm. “I made a promise to him, too. He made me give him my word to retrieve something vitally important.” She needed comprehension and understanding from him. Instead, his face showed a hardened resolve, making her shoulders tighten.
 

She lowered her voice. “It was his dying request, Uncle Jared. Please.”
 

His expression softened slightly, and for a moment, it appeared he understood. Then he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Keelan. Such a journey can never be made safely by you or anyone in our family. I cannot let you go in good conscience. It’s now my duty to see to your welfare and so I shall.”

Horrified, Keelan glared at Everett, who stood a little straighter at Jared’s words, but wouldn’t meet her gaze.
 

Everett stepped forward. “Sir, I am prepared to marry your niece as soon as you deem necessary.”

Uncle Jared glanced at Everett and uncrossed his arms. He frowned and lowered his voice to a more soothing tone…A tone that had warning bells sounding in Keelan’s head. “I’ll consider your offer with Pratt’s. We shall discuss particulars in the study.”

No!

Keelan could only stare in disbelief at her uncle. A marriage to Pratt was a prison sentence. How could he even consider such a thing?

“Uncle Jared, please don’t do this. I cannot marry Pratt. He is unsavory and cruel—”

He batted her words away. “Keelan, those rumors are typical of ones spread by the house slaves. You’d do better not to listen to them. They carry no credence.” He managed to look a little sympathetic. “He’s older by more than a bit, but trust me Keelan. You’ll live quite well.”

Tears burned in the back of her eyes. She couldn’t let this happen. She simply couldn’t. It was time to admit her plans. “Uncle Jared, I cannot marry Pratt. I…I have a confession.”

Uncle Jared’s brows rose. “I don’t doubt it. You tried to sneak away, rather than confer with me about your plans, so obviously you knew I wouldn’t approve.”

She hoped if he understood her true motives, he’d let her go. “If truly your motive is for me to be happily wed, then let me go. I will be fine. I’ve promised Captain Hart I would marry
him
. He’s waiting for me. I’m on my way to his ship. Daniel and Slaney will go to Boston and then on to England. They will secure Papa’s trunk for me. He told me there is important information within it which I must secure.” She moved closer to her uncle and murmured, “I believe I’ve discovered who is behind the assassinations.”

“Really?” Her uncle looked at her in surprise. “How? Who?”

She pulled him out of the doctor’s earshot and told him her suspicions about Everett Garrison. “The ‘accidents’ began after the sinking of the ship. Then Papa got sick and died while under his care.” She tiled her head in the doctor’s direction. “It makes sense, don’t you see?”

Jared inhaled deeply then let his breath out in a sympathetic whoosh. “Keelan, my dear, I understand your reasoning a little, but it doesn’t quite fit with the events.”

“It does, Uncle Jared, think about—“

He held up his hand and closed his eyes. “He can’t be responsible, my dear. I received a post today from my eldest brother’s barristers. Edmond was found murdered in his home. The assassin is in England. Dr. Garrison has been with us for months, Keelan.”
 

Everett coughed and raised his voice, “I believe, Miss Keelan, you might have been duped by Captain Hart. On my way to your uncle’s office, I passed by the docks and witnessed both the
Seeker
and the
Desire
departing the port for open sea. For South America, I was told by the harbormaster. I’m sorry, Miss Keelan, but perhaps you misunderstood Captain Hart’s intentions?”

His words hit her like a blow to the stomach. Her tongue seemed to be paralyzed; she could only stare. A sharp jolt pierced her chest. No, it had to be a lie. She did not misunderstand Landon. He wouldn’t leave without her. Would he?
 

She recalled their last conversation in Aunt Sarah’s garden at Twin Pines.

“Come away with me, Keelan,” he had whispered. “Leave behind your secrets and schemes, and let me show you what it is like to be loved and worshipped for the goddess you are. Let me take you aboard the
Desire
and show you the world.”