Swept to Sea (21 page)

Clive ran away from his father that night and spent two years begging on the streets of London before, in a twist of events, he was taken in by an earl and his wife who longed for children but had never had any little ones of their own. When the man had died in a carriage accident, eighteen year old Clive became a wealthy earl, and every day he had regretted not giving his birth father what he deserved for shaming him so.

Even though he did not get his retribution on his father, Lady Eden Trenton would get what she deserved for shaming him. He would tame the little flower’s wild nature no matter the cost.

****

Caspian could not sleep. Even if he had been on his soft bed and not hard wooden crates, he knew he would still have the same problem. He had spent his fair share of days sleeping in obscure places. No, it was not the discomfort at all. It was the woman.

He could not stop thinking of her.

He could not stop thinking about how soft, how utterly perfect and
right
she had felt in his arms.

He should not have left her up there, alone, without telling her where he was spending the night. The poor, dear woman was probably out of her mind with worry. If she even cared about him. Maybe she had not even noticed that he was missing. She certainly always seemed happy to be in Reed’s company and not his.

But she had said she loved him, however disoriented she had been that night. He had to see her. In all reality, he should not leave her alone. Caspian climbed up the stairs and marched across the companionway to his cabin. The sun was rising, casting a soft pink hue over the ship.

Caspian hoped she was not asleep… which was selfish, in all reality, because the poor woman needed her rest. But he wanted to talk to her. He found he had begun to crave her companionship. He could only hope she was thinking the same of him.

His hand hovered over the thick oak slab as he thought. Did he truly want to wake her? She was probably sleeping, and from what had happened in the past, the woman did not enjoy being woken from her sleep. Caspian chuckled at how upset she had been with him and how she had slapped his hands away. The woman was all the prettier when she got all riled up with him. He loved how her cheeks turned pink and those pretty brown doe eyes flashed in fury.

Just before he could knock to give her some warning of his arrival, the door burst open. Gage stepped out of the cabin. A grin sped across his face like it did whenever he saw his captain and best friend. The man never seemed to be without a smile.

"Hello, Captain. I haven’t seen you in a while," he greeted cheerfully.

"Blast it, man, you startled me." Caspian frowned. What had the man been doing in his captain’s cabin? In the middle of the night, while the beautiful Lady Trenton was sleeping in there?

"I am sorry, Captain. I just… I did not mean to alarm you. Um… Lady Trenton is…" The man’s eyes searched around the companionway, a worried look tightening his features.

What was going on here? Caspian had to get to the bottom of this immediately.

"Hang it, Gage, what were you doing in my cabin? You know I do not permit anyone to go in there without my bidding, not even you," Caspian stated.

He did not believe Gage, his best friend, would hurt Eden, but he could never take any chances with the woman he loved. Surely it was all some innocent mistake. Caspian peeked through the door. Reed was sleeping alone on the bed, curled onto his side. Caspian's gaze swept over the cabin, but the beautiful woman was nowhere in sight. That was certainly a change.

And most likely a problem. Why would Eden be out of the cabin at this time of night? Something was wrong. Utterly wrong.

Panic began to run through Caspian’s body in thick, sharp waves. It had to be Kelton. Where had the blasted man dragged her off to now? Kelton had been locked up into the hold…

But why had Caspian not heard her screams? The only reason could be that Kelton had hurt her too much for her screams to be heard…

Caspian’s heart accelerated to a rapid pace. Gage remained silent, looking down. His expression was hidden by a shadow.

"Why were you in my cabin, Mr. Thompson? What have you done with Eden? Where is she? Where’s Lady Trenton?" Caspian’s voice shook with emotion, but he did not care if he appeared weak in front of a member of his crew, even if he was his first mate. He loved Eden and had to discover why she was gone and where she was. There was nothing weak about being in love with a woman.

"I-I, but, I had thought—" Gage stammered.

"Quit your stuttering already, man. Where is Eden — Lady Trenton?"

"I heard a scream coming from your cabin, and the door was unlocked so I entered, afraid someone was hurt. Your son had just had a nightmare, and he was sobbing, so I consoled him. He was terrified something was wrong because he had woken up and neither you nor Lady Trenton was there with him." Gage’s words sped out of his mouth rapidly, like minnows darting into a reef.

"And Eden? What of her? Why was she not there? Where is she?"

"I had… assumed that… that she was safe with you somewhere…"

"Well, you assumed wrongly, Mr. Thompson! We must find her! Send a few trustworthy men to search with us. I'll ask Reed if he knows anything and then help search. It must have been that blasted Kelton! I thought I told you to put him in the hold and post a guard…"

Gage left, his head down, and Caspian barreled into the cabin to shake his little son awake. He hated waking the child so early in the morning, especially after he knew he had been awake with a nightmare, but he needed to get to the bottom of what was happening. Caspian had to find Eden and save her from whoever had stolen her.

"Good morning, Papa." The boy beamed at him, stretching. He yawned. “What time is it, Papa? It feels almost as if I just fell asleep.” Reed peered around the room with cute, sleepy eyes.

"Where is Eden, Reed? Lady Trenton? Where has she gone?" Caspian brushed a lock of tawny hair out of his son’s face.

"You mean Miss Eden, Papa?" He rubbed his eyes.

"Aye."

"I saw her before I went to sleep. She tucked me in and kissed me good-night like always. Then I had a really bad dream that some horrible man was hurting Miss Eden, and when I woke up she was gone. Master Thompson came in, and he told me she was with you so I wasn't worried. She is with you, right, Papa? Miss Eden is all right, right?"

Dread clenched its bony fingers around Caspian's heart.

She was gone.

Kelton had stolen her.

She was probably lying somewhere, naked, on his ship, sobbing, sullied. Broken.

Whatever was happening, he was certainly too late to save her.

But not too late to punish Kelton.

He was not certain he would be able to stop himself from killing Kelton if he found out the man had done something to harm her…

"Stay right here, Reed, and do not leave unless I tell you to. I will go find Miss Eden." He could only hope she would be safe and sound when he found her, but he feared she was not.

****

Gage stepped onto the main deck. He had assigned three men — the ones he trusted most to not hurt Eden, should she be found — to search for her below decks. Gage wandered above, searching in every nook and cranny he could think of for Lady Trenton, but to no avail. Where could the woman have run off to? She had all but vanished into thin air.

Gage scanned the deck. He spotted Hawthorne, the night watchmen, dozing on the main deck.

"Hawthorne!" He barked. The man leapt up, a startled expression written across his face.

"Aye, Master Gage?" The stout man rubbed a lump that was protruding from the top of his head.

Had there been a fight below decks that Gage and Caspian had not been aware of? That was odd. Hawthorne was not normally one to get into disagreements with other men.

"What happened to you?" Gage inquired, leaning forward to examine the wound.

"I-I'm not certain of that, Master Gage. I'd been a'sleepin' peacefully, when I woke to a noise. After lookin’ around I saw there was a ship pulled next to us. Just as I ran to tell the Cap'n, I got knocked in me head! That's 'bout all I remember."

"Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. That will be all. I will let the captain deal with your laziness later."

Hawthorne gulped but stomped away.

Gage leapt down from the forecastle deck and hurried toward the captain's cabin.

Someone must have stolen Lady Trenton. Otherwise why would there have been a ship next to theirs, and why would someone have knocked Hawthorne unconscious?

The poor girl. Who would have taken her?

In his rush to the captain's cabin, Gage ran straight into Caspian. The poor man's eyes were red-rimmed and moist with tears. Gage had never seen his captain this upset, not even when his wife had died. Sure, he had been clearly upset that day, but he had not been reduced to tears in the presence of any member of his crew. It showed he truly did care about Lady Trenton. A lot.

"Any news of her, my friend?" Caspian asked, rubbing the moisture from his eyes. His voice shook with emotion. Gage felt sorry for his captain and best friend.

"Aye, Caspian. Hawthorne saw a ship right next to ours. He was knocked unconscious when he came to alert you. I am guessing Lady Trenton was stolen."

Chapter Eighteen

Ivy scurried up on deck, deep in thought. She stepped up to the railing and glanced at the full moon that illuminated the black seas and washed the deck with a pale blue light.

She liked the calming rush of the water against the hull, and she would do anything to be relaxed. It had been quite a few nights since she had last slept peacefully. Ever since they had left for Port Royal, she had been beside herself with worry. Of course Ivy was still worried about her brother’s safety, but the gnawing fear inside of her belly had been not only for little William as of late. No, she had a sinking feeling something terrible was happening to Eden. It seemed like they should have found her days ago.

Her thoughts were interrupted, and she started when the sound of scuffling boots came from behind her.

****

Matthew’s footsteps seemed loud in the silence of the night as he paced about the deck. He had adopted the restless habit of pacing ever since a certain beautiful, blond woman had stepped aboard his merchantman. His steps halted when he passed by Lady Shaw. Her hands were folded together, and her face was tightly drawn.

"You couldn't sleep either, Lady Shaw?" he inquired, stepping up next to her.

"Nay, not with Eden in such grave danger."

"I understand." To his shame, Matthew's sleeping troubles were caused by something entirely different than worrying about Lady Trenton. There was just something about that blond beauty that was sleeping below on his ship that made his heart beat faster.

What was the matter with him? She was nothing but a spoiled, useless little girl like most women were. Something must be wrong with him. Maybe she had put some type of a spell on him, like a little witch.

"I am so worried about her, Captain Emery. What if Lord Rutger finds her before we do? Surely he will murder her and cover it up as a drowning or something because of the disgrace she has caused him. And, she stowed away passage on a ship — only the Good Lord knows what kind. Perhaps she was found, and the crew attacked her. Mayhap she has faced her death already!" Ivy ranted, holding a hand to her hair, which was wound tightly into a proper bun.

"Milady, I know how easy it is to worry, and, may God forgive me, I am certainly worried about her also, but we must place our complete and whole trust in God. We have not found her yet. All we can do to help Lady Trenton for now is pray."

****

Eden sat on the bed, realizing she was far too terrified to sleep, yet her body was utterly exhausted. Rutger would return sometime soon for sure, and she wanted to be awake should he decide to attack her. She would not be left defenseless when he did.

She hugged herself against the constant chill she had felt ever since Lord Rutger had found her.

Was this what the rest of her life on this earth would be like? Lying in bed, terrified that her husband would come home and attack her? If life went on like this, there was a large chance she would die of exhaustion and starvation before she was beaten to death by the man, if that was what it would come to be. She knew she would have no appetite any time soon with how much anxiety she was experiencing. It looked as if death was quite possible in her near future, and she had never even been given the chance to say so much as a farewell to Caspian.

Caspian.

She could only imagine how worried Caspian would be at the moment. If he truly cared about her. He had told her he loved her, but Lord Rutger had also. Those were just words. But she was certain some part of him did care… oh, what would she do, bound to a man other than Caspian all of her life? Eden would never know what it would be like to be his wife, to be the wife of a man who actually cared about her.
Oh, Caspian…

Before Eden even knew it, her heavy eyelids drooped shut, and she fell into a nightmare-ridden sleep.

****

Caspian swore under his breath.

He had spotted Hawthorne sleeping on duty but had not scolded him because he was as giddy as a blasted schoolboy who had just kissed his sweetheart for the first time. If Caspian had woken the man, Eden would still be safe in his cabin, under his protection.

He had failed Eden. Just like he had failed Isabelle. He clenched his fists, realizing he was shaking with anger. If he could not even manage to protect the dear women in his life, then how on earth was he supposed to care for a six year old boy, even if the boy was his own son?

"Who do you suspect took her, Captain?" Gage shuffled his feet.

"I don't know, Gage. I have no idea." Who would have something so against Eden they would steal her off of his ship in such an underhanded manner?

He vowed he would make whoever it was, pay dearly for harming his love.

****

Caspian averted his gaze, but not before Gage saw the sheen of moisture pool in his eyes. The captain was a strong man, but he was not beyond tearing up for this woman a second time in one night. Gage’s already high opinion of her grew even larger.