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“No, I’m certain I won’t be the first husband to ask it.” Raven thought Eden’s concern charming and pulled her into his arms. When she hesitated only a moment before relaxing against him, he tilted her chin and provided what he hoped would be a reassuring kiss. “I’d not risk either the babe’s health, or yours, for my own pleasure. Don’t you know that?”
Eden nodded, then rose up on her tiptoes to return his kiss. The idea of a child was still too new for her to want to plan how long they would be able to make love. That they could do so now was all that mattered to her. When his affectionate hug became a far more fervent embrace, she tightened her hold on his waist. Raven had always been able to sweep all reasonable thought from her mind, and she was aware only of the sweetness of his taste until she heard a light rap at the door. Badly startled, she backed away from his arms as though she had no right to be there.
Yadira Morales stood at the door. Apparently completely recovered from the shock of Alex’s death, her expression was one of cool detachment rather than the deep distress Eden had seen earlier that afternoon.
“Forgive me, my lord, I did not mean to intrude. Is this where you wish your men to bring Lady Clairbourne’s trunks?” the housekeeper asked, when Raven glanced her way.
“Yes, please.” Raven quickly introduced the two women. He then explained the Southern Knight moored at their docks was captained by his wife’s father. Yadira nodded slightly as if that information were of interest, but she did not come forward to bid Eden welcome.
“I thought Alex meant for you to have an English bride,” she remarked coolly.
Yadira’s voice was husky, and so soft it barely carried across the room. While her tone was not critical, her comment certainly was and Raven took exception to it. “Let me assure you that Eden was Alex’s choice, as well as mine. Now if my men are here, please send them up with my wife’s belongings.”
“As you wish, my lord.” Yadira turned away without saying more than her initial greeting to Eden, and left them as silently as she had come.
Eden sighed unhappily. “I think winning that woman’s friendship is going to be far more difficult than I had thought.”
“She was devoted to Alex, and I expected her to take the news of his death badly. I’m sure she didn’t realize how hostile she sounded.”
“I just don’t want her to think us unfeeling.”
Raven kissed his worried bride again before he replied. “She’s here to make our home comfortable, not to add to our worries. You needn’t be so concerned about her.”
Again distracted by his affection, Eden decided to give Yadira the benefit of the doubt and tend to her unpacking rather than worry that the housekeeper might continue to be aloof.
After an early supper Yadira had managed to produce even without the assistance of the rest of the staff, Raven and Eden walked down to the docks to visit Nathan. As eager for exercise as they, the captain joined them in a stroll along the riverbank. The evening was warm, and still light enough to make a walk enjoyable.
“I’ve not had the time to sit down and write up that agreement we talked about,” Raven admitted as the three started toward the beach. He had ordered the munitions unloaded, but he would not allow them to be transferred to the Southern Knight until he had his father-in-law’s promise of payment in writing.
“We were able to repair most of the rigging on the way here. I doubt we’ll need to stay the week Michael mentioned. I think we can be ready to sail again in about four days. I’d appreciate it if we weren’t delayed waiting for you to draw up that document.”
Eden was walking between the two men, and pressed her father’s hand in hopes he would become less argumentative. “That’s a simple matter. I’m sure you can do it tomorrow, can’t you, Raven?” she asked pointedly.
“I’ll attend to it first thing,” he promised.
“You realize, of course,” Nathan cautioned, “that if I’m killed before I can provide your gold from the Confederate treasury, you’ll have to recover the amount due you from my estate. Or to put it more bluntly, you may find you have to ask Eden for the money. I hope that won’t prove bothersome.”
“Daddy, please!” Eden yanked on his hand hard enough to stop him this time.
“Well it’s the truth, sweetheart. Your husband is very clever and I’m sure he knows he can’t collect debts from a dead man.”
“Stop it!” Eden demanded tearfully. “I’ll not listen to you talk like that.”
Raven put his arm around Eden’s shoulders and drew her near. “Your father’s merely trying to be realistic, Eden. But I’m sure that I’ll be paid for the arms so there’s no need to agonize over how that might come about.”
“I want to go back to the house,” Eden replied without glancing up at either man. She knew Alex and her father would have gotten along beautifully, but it was apparent that, other than their interest in sailing, Nathan and Raven had no grounds for mutual respect. The antagonism that flowed between them made her too uncomfortable to want to remain with them. “I expected too much from you both,” she announced suddenly, and pulling away from her husband, she started back up the path on her own.
Raven turned to follow her, but Nathan reached out to stop him. “Let her go. She can’t possibly get lost and we may never have another chance to talk privately.”
While Raven didn’t like the idea of leaving Eden alone when clearly she was badly upset, he decided his father-in-law deserved at least a few minutes of his time. “That you obviously don’t like me is unfortunate, but I think you ought to make an effort to at least be civil for Eden’s sake.”
“To hell with being civil!” Nathan replied with a disgusted sneer. “I think you’re a lying opportunist, and I’m sorry Eden ever met you, let alone married you. For some reason she’s determined to defend your actions so I have no choice but to leave the matter in her hands for the time being. At the War’s end, however, you’ll have to answer to me for her happiness.”
Raven was not the type of man who would calmly listen to threats. “The last man who made the mistake of calling me a liar didn’t live five minutes. What makes you think you can do any better?”
Nathan eagerly accepted that challenge. “If you’d rather settle this now, that’s fine with me.” Although born into a wealthy family, he had gone to sea at sixteen and considered himself as tough as Raven any day. He ripped off his jacket and tossed it aside, then waited while his son-in-law shrugged off his. The path by the river was wide enough for a fistfight, but just barely. Nathan took the precaution of placing his back toward the palms and then swung at Raven with a blow that would have torn off his head had it connected.
Raven dodged that blow, but wasn’t as fortunate on the next. For a man in his forties, Nathan was surprisingly agile and strong, but Raven doubted he would have much endurance and responded to the Southerner’s savage blows w
