t a gentleman we need in that castle. 'Tis a man with the courage to take control, and to care. "
8
A n hour after returning to the castle, Douglas stood at his arched bedchamber window, his goblet of Bordeaux untouched. He could see Rowena ' s candlelit silhouette in the window of the east tower where he had placed her, removed from the rest of the castle. She beckoned him to stare at her like a solitary star in the dark sky of his life. An iron grille reminded him she was a treasure not to be touched—at least not yet.
Yet it pleased him to look upon her.
She appeared to be pacing—the princess kept late hours. He wondered whether her mind was so burdened with worries that she couldn ' t sleep. Or was she distraught over Matthew ' s failure to make their meeting?
Why?
Why had Matthew lured her here without warning her that his half-brother Douglas was a wolf in nobleman's clothing? God knew she wouldn ' t have strolled down those shadowed passageways holding Douglas ' s hand if she ' d had a clue to his true identity.
He raised the goblet in a mock toast. " One brother ' s loss is another ' s gain. "
" Why are you quoting Shakespeare to that goblet of wine, Douglas?" a puzzled voice asked behind him. " Are you that drunk?"
" ' Twasn ' t Shakespeare, lass," he said, half- turning to see Gemma in the door, her young face creased in concern. "And no, I am not drunk."
She glanced past him to the window. "You weren't watching the princess, were you? ' Tisn ' t decent to be watching someone undress. "
"And I am such a pillar of decency."
"She seemed to like you well enough, " she said grudgingly as she slipped into the room. " Did you count the stones in that tiara?"
" What tiara? "
She stared up at him with a look of worry crossing her face. " How could you not notice such a thing?"
" I don ' t know. I suppose I was a little taken aback. She is a charming woman."
" She isn ' t yours. She ' s Matthew ' s. "
" That remains to be seen. " He took a deep gulp of wine, frowning in irritation.
" Never expose your beam, Douglas. No matter what fancy title they give you, you ' re still a pirate at heart. "
"Go to bed, Gemma. It must be two o ' clock in the morning. "
" Do you think you could fall in love with her? " she persisted, perching on the foot of his bed.
"If I'm a pirate at heart, then you'll remember I have no heart. I cannot fall in love."
"Dainty said that Henry Morgan had been elected Admiral of the Black, " Gemma said con versationally. "He ' s looking for men to help him find Maracaibo. "
Douglas showed no reaction, but something of his conqueror's spirit, that wildness he ' d hoped to subdue, stirred inside him. Maracaibo was the city built of gold, passage to the legendary El Dorado. Was there a pirate alive who had not dreamed of discovering it? Could he really reform when that magical chimera still eluded him?
Gemma curled her knees into her chest. "He said that Morgan wants to name you Vice Admiral. The entire fleet would be at your disposal. "
Douglas smiled, setting his goblet down on the nightstand. " 'What profiteth a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?' "
She gazed down at her ragged slippers. " From where I sit, a little profitething wouldn ' t be un welcome."
He laughed quietly. "Aye, lass."
" Will she help us? " Gemma asked anxiously.
"Not if she finds out what rotten scoundrels we are. "
Gemma giggled.
' "Tisn't a laughing matter, lass. We are the veritable scum of the earth. ' Tis only a matter of time before we betray what bastards we ' ve been by our behavior. All we need is for the Princess Rowena to walk into the hall to have a pirate with a braided beard and wooden leg jumping onto her shoulders from the gallery. "
"She ' s quite lovely, isn't she? " Gemma said, chin propped on her knees. "I can see why Matthew wants to keep her all to himself. "
Matthew, who had braved enemy cannonfire to save his commander ' s beloved horse
8
A n hour after returning to the castle, Douglas stood at his arched bedchamber window, his goblet of Bordeaux untouched. He could see Rowena ' s candlelit silhouette in the window of the east tower where he had placed her, removed from the rest of the castle. She beckoned him to stare at her like a solitary star in the dark sky of his life. An iron grille reminded him she was a treasure not to be touched—at least not yet.
Yet it pleased him to look upon her.
She appeared to be pacing—the princess kept late hours. He wondered whether her mind was so burdened with worries that she couldn ' t sleep. Or was she distraught over Matthew ' s failure to make their meeting?
Why?
Why had Matthew lured her here without warning her that his half-brother Douglas was a wolf in nobleman's clothing? God knew she wouldn ' t have strolled down those shadowed passageways holding Douglas ' s hand if she ' d had a clue to his true identity.
He raised the goblet in a mock toast. " One brother ' s loss is another ' s gain. "
" Why are you quoting Shakespeare to that goblet of wine, Douglas?" a puzzled voice asked behind him. " Are you that drunk?"
" ' Twasn ' t Shakespeare, lass," he said, half- turning to see Gemma in the door, her young face creased in concern. "And no, I am not drunk."
She glanced past him to the window. "You weren't watching the princess, were you? ' Tisn ' t decent to be watching someone undress. "
"And I am such a pillar of decency."
"She seemed to like you well enough, " she said grudgingly as she slipped into the room. " Did you count the stones in that tiara?"
" What tiara? "
She stared up at him with a look of worry crossing her face. " How could you not notice such a thing?"
" I don ' t know. I suppose I was a little taken aback. She is a charming woman."
" She isn ' t yours. She ' s Matthew ' s. "
" That remains to be seen. " He took a deep gulp of wine, frowning in irritation.
" Never expose your beam, Douglas. No matter what fancy title they give you, you ' re still a pirate at heart. "
"Go to bed, Gemma. It must be two o ' clock in the morning. "
" Do you think you could fall in love with her? " she persisted, perching on the foot of his bed.
"If I'm a pirate at heart, then you'll remember I have no heart. I cannot fall in love."
"Dainty said that Henry Morgan had been elected Admiral of the Black, " Gemma said con versationally. "He ' s looking for men to help him find Maracaibo. "
Douglas showed no reaction, but something of his conqueror's spirit, that wildness he ' d hoped to subdue, stirred inside him. Maracaibo was the city built of gold, passage to the legendary El Dorado. Was there a pirate alive who had not dreamed of discovering it? Could he really reform when that magical chimera still eluded him?
Gemma curled her knees into her chest. "He said that Morgan wants to name you Vice Admiral. The entire fleet would be at your disposal. "
Douglas smiled, setting his goblet down on the nightstand. " 'What profiteth a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?' "
She gazed down at her ragged slippers. " From where I sit, a little profitething wouldn ' t be un welcome."
He laughed quietly. "Aye, lass."
" Will she help us? " Gemma asked anxiously.
"Not if she finds out what rotten scoundrels we are. "
Gemma giggled.
' "Tisn't a laughing matter, lass. We are the veritable scum of the earth. ' Tis only a matter of time before we betray what bastards we ' ve been by our behavior. All we need is for the Princess Rowena to walk into the hall to have a pirate with a braided beard and wooden leg jumping onto her shoulders from the gallery. "
"She ' s quite lovely, isn't she? " Gemma said, chin propped on her knees. "I can see why Matthew wants to keep her all to himself. "
Matthew, who had braved enemy cannonfire to save his commander ' s beloved horse
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