the only one I can turn to. He will help me because of Juanita.’ Tears stung her eyes. ‘You must let me go. You must…’
His manner was stern. ‘I have given my word that you will not be harmed, but I cannot let you go there.’
‘Why? My father will probably refuse to pay the ransom. Why should he pay for my return if he wants my fortune?’
‘I think he will pay, for his pride’s sake, and because if you married your estates would belong to your husband. Under the law, he could not keep them from you then. Unless your future husband agreed to give them up…’
‘Do you think Lord Roberts agreed to give them up? Why…?’ Her gaze narrowed. ‘Why would he agree to such a bargain?’
‘Perhaps because he has little chance of finding a young and beautiful bride of good birth in England. Besides, once you were his wife, he could have reneged on the deal had he wished.’
‘Then my father knew what kind of a man he was sending me to.’ Maribel felt sickened. ‘I will not marryhim. I shall never marry, for who could I trust if even my own father would use me thus?’
‘You may not have a choice.’ Justin’s eyes were on her. ‘Would you rather go to England with Captain Hynes or take your chance with me? I promise that I will help you find freedom. I shall not let your father sell you to that man or anyone else.’
He was asking her to trust him. It was a huge step, but she was not sure she had a choice, and there was something about him that reassured her…something that made her insides melt and she longed to feel safe and secure within his arms. Her father would call him a rogue and hang him if he had the chance, but her father had sold her to a man she must despise and fear. This man seemed honest and something was telling her to give him her trust for all he was a pirate. Once again she experienced a desire to be held in his arms, to give up the struggle to be free and let him dictate her life.
‘Do you swear it?’
‘I swear on all I hold sacred.’
‘Then I shall believe you.’ She felt close to swooning; if he had taken her into his arms then, she would not have resisted.
‘Come back to the camp—and give me your word that you will not try to run away again?’
Maribel stared at him for a moment, then inclined her head. ‘Very well. I give you my word.’ Her eyes sparkled with tears. ‘I do not know why I have resisted you. You have been kinder to me than my own father.’
‘Maribel…’ Justin moved towards her, gazing down at her face in the dawning light. Her heart pounded in her breast and she found it difficult to breathe as she caught the fresh masculine scent of him. She swayed towards him, her will to fight almost gone. ‘Will you give yourself into my care? I promise I shall not force you to do anything against your will.’
‘I believe you. I think that I…’ Maribel hesitated, looking into his eyes. Even as she would have spoken, they heard a booming sound from out at sea. Looking down at the beach, she saw the pirates were awake and yelling something as they dashed down to the water’s edge. ‘What is happening? Are we being attacked?’
‘No, the ship is mine—one that I took captive some weeks ago. It is bringing a message from your father.’
‘But you told me you were to meet on Cyprus…’ Her eyes widened and she drew away from him, feeling hurt. ‘You lied to me. You were planning to sell me to my father all the time!’
‘At first, yes, I thought of a ransom.’ Justin frowned. ‘When I spoke to you of Cyprus I planned to leave a message here for my other ship, but it has arrived sooner than I expected.’
‘How can I believe you?’ Maribel felt betrayed. ‘You are the same as my father—you care only for the money I may bring you.’
She turned from him and began to run back down the hill to the beach below, the tears stinging her eyes. He had looked at her in such a way that she had begun totrust him, to believe that he would treat
His manner was stern. ‘I have given my word that you will not be harmed, but I cannot let you go there.’
‘Why? My father will probably refuse to pay the ransom. Why should he pay for my return if he wants my fortune?’
‘I think he will pay, for his pride’s sake, and because if you married your estates would belong to your husband. Under the law, he could not keep them from you then. Unless your future husband agreed to give them up…’
‘Do you think Lord Roberts agreed to give them up? Why…?’ Her gaze narrowed. ‘Why would he agree to such a bargain?’
‘Perhaps because he has little chance of finding a young and beautiful bride of good birth in England. Besides, once you were his wife, he could have reneged on the deal had he wished.’
‘Then my father knew what kind of a man he was sending me to.’ Maribel felt sickened. ‘I will not marryhim. I shall never marry, for who could I trust if even my own father would use me thus?’
‘You may not have a choice.’ Justin’s eyes were on her. ‘Would you rather go to England with Captain Hynes or take your chance with me? I promise that I will help you find freedom. I shall not let your father sell you to that man or anyone else.’
He was asking her to trust him. It was a huge step, but she was not sure she had a choice, and there was something about him that reassured her…something that made her insides melt and she longed to feel safe and secure within his arms. Her father would call him a rogue and hang him if he had the chance, but her father had sold her to a man she must despise and fear. This man seemed honest and something was telling her to give him her trust for all he was a pirate. Once again she experienced a desire to be held in his arms, to give up the struggle to be free and let him dictate her life.
‘Do you swear it?’
‘I swear on all I hold sacred.’
‘Then I shall believe you.’ She felt close to swooning; if he had taken her into his arms then, she would not have resisted.
‘Come back to the camp—and give me your word that you will not try to run away again?’
Maribel stared at him for a moment, then inclined her head. ‘Very well. I give you my word.’ Her eyes sparkled with tears. ‘I do not know why I have resisted you. You have been kinder to me than my own father.’
‘Maribel…’ Justin moved towards her, gazing down at her face in the dawning light. Her heart pounded in her breast and she found it difficult to breathe as she caught the fresh masculine scent of him. She swayed towards him, her will to fight almost gone. ‘Will you give yourself into my care? I promise I shall not force you to do anything against your will.’
‘I believe you. I think that I…’ Maribel hesitated, looking into his eyes. Even as she would have spoken, they heard a booming sound from out at sea. Looking down at the beach, she saw the pirates were awake and yelling something as they dashed down to the water’s edge. ‘What is happening? Are we being attacked?’
‘No, the ship is mine—one that I took captive some weeks ago. It is bringing a message from your father.’
‘But you told me you were to meet on Cyprus…’ Her eyes widened and she drew away from him, feeling hurt. ‘You lied to me. You were planning to sell me to my father all the time!’
‘At first, yes, I thought of a ransom.’ Justin frowned. ‘When I spoke to you of Cyprus I planned to leave a message here for my other ship, but it has arrived sooner than I expected.’
‘How can I believe you?’ Maribel felt betrayed. ‘You are the same as my father—you care only for the money I may bring you.’
She turned from him and began to run back down the hill to the beach below, the tears stinging her eyes. He had looked at her in such a way that she had begun totrust him, to believe that he would treat
Similar Books
