would love no other.
But she also knew that nothing she could say would convince the judge he was wrong about Jack, so she remained silent. Judge Houghton was a man, and she was merely a woman…a young, unmarried woman at that, and as such she must bend to his wishes.
She might to a point, but at least no one could change what was in her heart; she would love Jack until the day she died.
*
John Houghton studied his stepdaughter as she left the table. She was more than comely, and she was still fairly young. Perhaps he could make her a match with some other prosperous landowner here in Ceylon? Or better yet, maybe he could find a husband for her amongst the many landed gentry in England? Yes, that might be the wiser course of action. If he set the stage for her return, no one in England need know of the debauchery she had suffered at the hands of that pirate.
He felt certain that her maidenhood had been stolen by that dastardly man, Jack O’Bannon, but it would do no good to dwell on the matter. Quite the contrary; the fewer people who knew, the better. That was why he had refrained from having his doctor examine her upon her return. If it was true that she was no longer a virgin, then it was a truth best kept secret. With a little luck he would be able to interest an older gentleman in marrying her…perhaps a widower, a man who was in ill health and unable to consummate the marriage. Then no one would be the wiser. Yes, that was the answer! And once she got over feeling sorry for herself—for that was all this moping about could possibly be—he was certain she would want to retake her place in society.
This reminded him that he wanted to write a letter of thanks to Captain Spencer, the commander of the Royal Navy ship who had rescued her. John also wanted to inquire about the body of the pirate. The story he’d been told was that a few of the outlaw’s cohorts had survived and had somehow spirited the body away before the ship was blown to Kingdom come. It was a bit of a mystery, but one he could put aside. What was important was that Katherine was safe and sound, and now it was his duty to see her make a respectable marriage, as soon as possible.
It was, therefore, very good news when his manservant announced that Sir Anthony Spencer, 5th Earl of Lisle, had arrived and wanted to speak to him privately.
Chapter 11
In a large house on the north side of the island of Oahu, Jack lay in bed, his nut-brown chest bare except for a white bandage. He sat up when his old friend limped into the room carrying a tray containing a steaming bowl of soup and thick slices of bread.
“Is there any word?” Jack asked, as Jim set the tray on the bed.
“Aye. She’s at home now, where she belongs. Ye and ’er were never meant to be. Let ’er go, lad,” the gray-haired man advised him in a fatherly tone.
Jack smirked at the man’s audacity, knowing he meant well. “Have you ever been in love, Jim?” He could still picture Katherine’s smiling face, her look of awe when he showed her the huge cavern, and when he’d first taught her what it was to be a woman. That second night on the island he had poured his heart and soul into her, and she had responded with equal passion, just as he’d known she would.
“A’course I ’ave, lad, and it was most painful. Ye be better off without ’er, Jack. Women are all the same; they whine ’n cry when they don’t get their way. And when ye give in to ’em, they take everything ye ’ave an’ run off with some other bloke,” he said, shaking his head.
Obviously he was thinking back to his own experience, and Jack wasn’t having any of it. “No, Jim, Katherine is not like that. She’s good and true.”
“Ye may think what ye like,” Jim said agreeably. He had waited until Jack began to eat, and now he turned to go. Jack saw Jim hesitate in the doorway and suspected he had more to say.
“Eh…I hate to mention it, but the men want to know when they’ll be gettin’
But she also knew that nothing she could say would convince the judge he was wrong about Jack, so she remained silent. Judge Houghton was a man, and she was merely a woman…a young, unmarried woman at that, and as such she must bend to his wishes.
She might to a point, but at least no one could change what was in her heart; she would love Jack until the day she died.
*
John Houghton studied his stepdaughter as she left the table. She was more than comely, and she was still fairly young. Perhaps he could make her a match with some other prosperous landowner here in Ceylon? Or better yet, maybe he could find a husband for her amongst the many landed gentry in England? Yes, that might be the wiser course of action. If he set the stage for her return, no one in England need know of the debauchery she had suffered at the hands of that pirate.
He felt certain that her maidenhood had been stolen by that dastardly man, Jack O’Bannon, but it would do no good to dwell on the matter. Quite the contrary; the fewer people who knew, the better. That was why he had refrained from having his doctor examine her upon her return. If it was true that she was no longer a virgin, then it was a truth best kept secret. With a little luck he would be able to interest an older gentleman in marrying her…perhaps a widower, a man who was in ill health and unable to consummate the marriage. Then no one would be the wiser. Yes, that was the answer! And once she got over feeling sorry for herself—for that was all this moping about could possibly be—he was certain she would want to retake her place in society.
This reminded him that he wanted to write a letter of thanks to Captain Spencer, the commander of the Royal Navy ship who had rescued her. John also wanted to inquire about the body of the pirate. The story he’d been told was that a few of the outlaw’s cohorts had survived and had somehow spirited the body away before the ship was blown to Kingdom come. It was a bit of a mystery, but one he could put aside. What was important was that Katherine was safe and sound, and now it was his duty to see her make a respectable marriage, as soon as possible.
It was, therefore, very good news when his manservant announced that Sir Anthony Spencer, 5th Earl of Lisle, had arrived and wanted to speak to him privately.
Chapter 11
In a large house on the north side of the island of Oahu, Jack lay in bed, his nut-brown chest bare except for a white bandage. He sat up when his old friend limped into the room carrying a tray containing a steaming bowl of soup and thick slices of bread.
“Is there any word?” Jack asked, as Jim set the tray on the bed.
“Aye. She’s at home now, where she belongs. Ye and ’er were never meant to be. Let ’er go, lad,” the gray-haired man advised him in a fatherly tone.
Jack smirked at the man’s audacity, knowing he meant well. “Have you ever been in love, Jim?” He could still picture Katherine’s smiling face, her look of awe when he showed her the huge cavern, and when he’d first taught her what it was to be a woman. That second night on the island he had poured his heart and soul into her, and she had responded with equal passion, just as he’d known she would.
“A’course I ’ave, lad, and it was most painful. Ye be better off without ’er, Jack. Women are all the same; they whine ’n cry when they don’t get their way. And when ye give in to ’em, they take everything ye ’ave an’ run off with some other bloke,” he said, shaking his head.
Obviously he was thinking back to his own experience, and Jack wasn’t having any of it. “No, Jim, Katherine is not like that. She’s good and true.”
“Ye may think what ye like,” Jim said agreeably. He had waited until Jack began to eat, and now he turned to go. Jack saw Jim hesitate in the doorway and suspected he had more to say.
“Eh…I hate to mention it, but the men want to know when they’ll be gettin’
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