Sloan touched his son’s hair. “I know that she loves me,” he whispered. “She just does not know how to reach for happiness anymore.”
Chapter 22
Brianna did not sleep much through the night. Fury kept her awake. But by the morning, she was resigned. Sloan held not only the physical power—but the legal power as well. Brianna would never allow him to leave with Michael and without her. She swore to herself that she would leave calmly, with her head high.
It was difficult when they came to the wharf that morning. She hugged Alyssa with all the warmth and fervor she could express. “Thank you, Alyssa. For Michael and myself.”
There was moisture in Alyssa’s eyes. “I will miss you and Michael. I had come to think of him as a little bit mine. But—here, we mustn’t get like this. I know that you will come back. Sloan has an eye upon a lovely manor up the river. He’s thinking of buying it. So we shall determine that we’ll see one another soon!”
Brianna didn’t bother to remind Alyssa that her position with Sloan was extremely precarious. He’d ordered her onto the ship—that was all. He’d made no promises for the future—he’d only made demands.
Rikky gave her a monstrous hug then. “Best of luck!” he told her. Then he kissed her again and whispered, “They’ve always been wrong. You’re a sorceress, not a witch. A highland nymph, to catch the heart of man! My love goes with you—all three!”
“Ye must come aboard now, Brianna!”
Paddy was there, setting a hand upon her shoulder. Rikky and Alyssa were gazing past her. Sloan was near the great wheel of the ship. Michael was atop his shoulders, waving.
“Good-bye!” Brianna kissed Alyssa one last time, hugged Rikky, and turned to hurry along the plank.
Paddy shouted out an order; the walk was lifted, and thick hemp ropes were thrown from the dock.
TheSea Hawkwas under way.
Brianna did not go to Sloan and Michael; she maneuvered past the sailors to the aft and waved to the shoreline as long as she could. She had loved it there; the people, and the peace.
“With or without him, I will come back!” she whispered fervently to herself. But then there was a touch on her shoulder and she turned to see George Percy’s familiar face. She had to smile at the welcome she saw there.
“Welcome back, my lady!”
“I’m not a lady, George, but I thank you for your greeting.” She held silent for a moment, then added softly, “After all the trouble that I have caused.”
“Caused, Brianna?” George chuckled. “Nay—the wind causes tides and the sun causes heat—but of us? We move along, sometimes as we choose! Come, now, and I’ll show you the little cabin arranged for your son. It’s affixed to the captain’s own, so you’ll not feel he’s far away.”
“Thank you, I’d like to see it,” she murmured.
He led her belowdecks, and she saw that it was the small cabin where Eleanor had stayed the night they had run from Salem. The bunk was fine, the cabin was neat. And there was a set of toy soldiers upon a small desk. A few old and worn primers, a little ball—and a strange assortment of tins that all seemed to fit into one another.
“Where did you come by these?” Brianna murmured.
“At a shop along the wharf. The captain sent me yesterday,” George replied cheerfully.
“He did, did he?” Brianna said sweetly, curling her fingers around one of the little primers. He’d known all along he could force her hand, she thought angrily. Tears stung her eyes. Damn Robert! she thought. How could he have given Sloan the legal right to steal Michael from her?
She set the soldier down. “George, would you be so good as to retrieve Michael for me?”
“Well, I’ll try,” George said uneasily. “But it seems he’s happy enough with his fa—with the captain, ma’am.”
Brianna lowered her eyes and wet her lips angrily. Did everyone know the truth of it, then? And did it matter? Sloan wanted the child legitimized; he wanted to make him his heir. All well and fine, he would grow to be the lord of a vast estate.…
A rotting pile of stones, I’ll daresay!she thought with annoyance. She had always been a little frightened of his holdings, and of his position. And yet once…
Once he had said that he would marry her if he could. But now he hadn’t asked her aboard the ship as his wife. He hadn’t asked her at all, but rather demanded that she pay her passage.
“George, I am Michael’s mother. He is not yet three and a half years old, and I do not believe he should be on deck with all the rope and gear and sails. He could get hurt.”
“Ah, nay, begging your pardon, ma’am!” George exclaimed. “Why, they’ve all been at the wheel since they were just little things, all the Treveryans, that is. Why Paddy said Sloan held a wheel beneath his father’s hand when he was but two.”
“I’d like my son, George.”
