Sea of Fire (39 page)

“Including me.” Adam finally spoke after he had listened to the exchange for some time. “It’s true. This experience has made me realize how important my children are to me.” He glanced at her. “I do have a son and a daughter.”

She recalled the tiny chair and doll at the Traynor town house.

“Since my wife died, I’ve not been as attentive as a father should. It’s not that I didn’t care. I simply missed my wife. She can only live on as a memory, but one which I will always cherish. This episode has made me understand how much my children need me. Life is for the living.”

“If Mr. Turner hadn’t delivered the missive to you and found what he did,” she said, “I’m afraid none of us would be here. I’d like to thank him, Father.”

“You can. I asked Hannah to get a message out by courier early this morning. I’ve invited him for dinner, and he accepted,” Edward said, apparently quite pleased with himself that he had surprised them all.

A short time later, Hannah appeared with Mr. Turner.

Hannah waited until after introductions by Edward and said, “Supper is almost ready. I’ll be back to call you into the dining room in no time.”

“Thank you, Hannah,” Edward said. He dragged a chair from a corner of the parlor for Turner to sit.

“We all want to thank you,” she told the tall thin man.

“No need for thanks. I was just doing my job,” Turner modestly answered.

“And you’ve done it splendidly,” Edward said. “Any news of Maguire?”

“Nay. Nothing more than what you may have already learned from these two,” Turner pointed to Christian and her. “His crew was unable to control the fire. They abandoned ship, at Maguire’s orders. The ship sunk. The crew was rescued, but Maguire hasn’t been seen since.”

“Do you think he drowned?” Adam asked.

“No one knows.”

“What about Roderick?” she asked.

“I can answer that.” Christian faced her, and quickly explained. “I didn’t want to tell you until you expressed an interest. I know you’ve been deeply hurt by Charlotte. She didn’t know Roderick and Adam had abducted your father until the end. The only information she kept from you was her knowledge that her brother was involved in counterfeiting.”

“Go on,” she said with a pout.

“I talked to Bloomfield several hours after we first brought Edward and Adam here. According to Walter, Charlotte truly was concerned for your welfare.” He gave her the opportunity to reply. She chose not to do so.

“When you told Charlotte your plans about Cullenmore Abbey, she was afraid of what Adam, or Maguire might do. She told Roderick in hopes of soliciting his support. Instead, Roderick told Maguire. Charlotte guessed Bloomfield was the friend who planned to help us. She knew Walter and I had become friends. That night was the first night since they announced their engagement that Walter was not to see Charlotte. Charlotte rushed to the ruins. We were already gone. Roderick already had fled, presumably the country.” Christian stopped to take a quick sip of his claret before he continued.

“Charlotte untied Bloomfield and confessed everything.

He forgave her for keeping Roderick’s activities a secret and understood her reasons why. Roderick was her brother. She couldn’t bear to see him swing from the gallows, which is what will happen if he returns and is caught.”

“I don’t care to hear anymore,” she said. “I was never so terrified as I was that night.”

“It’s time!” Hannah burst through the door.

Thank the Lord, she thought. In her opinion, the conversation had turned quite unpleasant.

She watched as one by one the men proceeded from the parlor across the entryway to the dining room until Christian and she were left alone.

He smiled at her.

“What’s that for?”

“You’ll see,” he said.

He was acting strange, but his entire attitude had changed since the nightmare had ended. She followed him to the entryway until he stopped and grabbed his overcoat from the banister where he earlier had draped it.

Her heart fell to her stomach. “You’re leaving?”

“Nay. We’re leaving.”

He reached for her cloak, and she realized he must have earlier set it under his. “We can’t go. Hannah has prepared a meal. My father’s expecting us to dine. What would ...”

He silenced her with his lips. God in heaven, it was wonderful to be back in his arms again. Feverishly, she kissed him. To blazes if anyone walked in on them. She wanted this man.

He broke apart. “Let’s tell them we’re leaving,” Christian said, and tugged her by the arm to follow him.

Before Elizabeth could protest, they stood before the group comfortably seated around the dining room table. Hannah was serving all sorts of luscious food in a grand style. Yet, Elizabeth noticed, there were no places set for her or Christian.

Edward was the first to speak. “Are ye ready then?”

“Aye. We’ll be back later,” Christian answered.

“Close your mouth, Bethy, and enjoy yourself.” Hannah glanced up from a smoked salmon mousse to speak.

“What do you all know that I don’t?” Elizabeth glanced around the room from Adam to Edward to Hannah to Turner. No one answered. They carried on as if she wasn’t there.

No matter, for Christian gently nudged her to leave the room. At the entryway, she refused to go further without some explanation. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what this is about.”

“What does it matter? We go with your father’s and Hannah’s blessing.”

He had a point, and she’d be with him. Isn’t that what she wanted?

Still, she could not give in too easily, so she said, “I’m hungry.”

“I am, too. For your love,” he said quite seriously and held out his hand to her.

She placed hers in his and together they stepped outside into the night air. He could have taken her to hell and back and she wouldn’t have cared as long as she was with him. Instead, the carriage stopped in front of his town house. He helped her alight and next touched her back with his hand to guide her. She sensed his heat through her cloak down to her skin, or was it her imagination?

He led her inside. His home was dark and quiet save for the moonlight through the windowpane. He removed his overcoat and helped her with her cloak. He took her hand, kissed the palm and guided her upstairs to his bedchamber.

She eagerly followed. At the door, he held her in his arms and kissed her deeply before he released her and motioned for her to step inside.

He lit a lamp, or she thought it was a lamp, but it was
not. It was two candles that sat on a table with an arrangement of white jonquils in the center. Arranged neatly around this, was a table setting for two and covered dishes.

“It’s lovely,” she said and sniffed the fragrance of the flowers. “So this is the reason Hannah had no place set for us.’’

“Aye. I wanted you to myself. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Nay, but how did you convince my father and Hannah?”

‘ ‘Tis quite simple.” He reached inside his waistcoat pocket and gave her a tiny square black velvet box.

Hesitantly, she took it. It was a ring box. She glanced at him. Did she dare hope that it might be a ring?

“Open it.”

She obeyed.

She covered her mouth with one hand to hide her disappointment, and to give her time to think of something to say. She swallowed and at last, said. “This is the prettiest silver coin I’ve ever seen. The shiniest of shillings.” What else could she say about the coin pressed into the black satin pillow where for anyone else a ring would have been.

“Aye. Just a little something to remind you of our days together.”

“Aye. Just a little something,” she said wistfully.

A few moments passed. She sensed he was watching her closely, but she couldn’t bear to look him in the eye for fear he’d read her disappointment until he said, “Lift up the pillow.”

She glanced up at him. He grinned broadly.

Instantly, she removed the pillow. Beneath it was an oval-shaped diamond encircled with rubies, and more than she ever had hoped for.

“Will you marry me, Elizabeth?”

“Oh, Christian, then you meant what you said on the ship.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

“With all my heart.”

He took the ring from her and placed it on her finger. “From the moment I gazed upon those auburn locks of yours, I knew I was in trouble. Only then I didn’t know it would be in a good sort of way.” He paused. “There’s one problem we must resolve, though.”

“What?” she asked while she admired the ring.

“I love the sea. You hate it.”

“I may like it more if you teach me to swim,” she declared confidently.

“You
get seasick.” He reminded her.

She would not be dissuaded. “I’ll get my sea legs and overcome it.”

“I love you, Elizabeth Corry,” he whispered to her and gathered her into his arms. “I only wanted to hear you say all this. I love you too much to insist you do anything you don’t desire.”

“I love you, Christian Traynor,” she whispered back and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “But, my only true desire is to always be with you, on land, or in our own sea of fire.”

Author’s Note

When the story of Jalene and Taylor ended in
Fields of Fire,
I wasn’t ready to leave Ireland, nor did I want to say good-bye to the Traynor family. Consequently, I wrote
Sea of Fire.
In
Winds of Fire,
the final episode of the Traynor family, it was time to leave lovely Ireland and visit the pristine shores of St. Augustine, Florida—the land Christian enjoyed so much.

Winds of Fire
takes place in 1837-8, during the Seminole Indian Wars. Megan Traynor, the daughter of Christian and Elizabeth, loves Florida and the Seminoles as much as her father had. When Megan fails at her attempt to rescue her friend, Osceola, from his jail cell in St. Augustine, Florida, she is only more determined to help Osceola’s people and vows not to allow anyone to interfere again. Army Captain Stephen Savant, under orders to assist in the removal of all Seminoles to Indian Territory, accuses Megan of passing supplies to the Indians as well as being a cohort in their looting and burning of nearby plantations. He swears he’ll prove it. It is at the Traynor plantation home, Sanctuary, where Megan meets Stephen, and their story begins. Please watch for
Winds of Fire
in the future.

Copyright  1997 by Carol Caldwell

Originally published by Pinnacle(ISBN 0786003634)

Electronically published in 2011 by Belgrave House/Regency Reads

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This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.