continued speaking to fill the
silence, inane, stupid words she wished she could stop. “I wrote
you I was coming. I sent a letter when he died.”
“ I never got any post. We
aren’t to be married for another year.” Rupert had clearly snapped
out of his shock. “You need to return home posthaste.”
“ Home? I just got
here.”
“ Don’t get smart with me,
Roselyn,” he snapped at her. He seemed to be hitting his stride
now. “And just what in tarnation are you wearing? You look like a
whore.” By now his clothes were put to rights, even the clerical
collar was tucked neatly in place.
“ I guess you’d know,” she
hissed back at him.
Behind her, she heard Jack slowly
approach the doorway. He snorted at her comment.
“ How dare you talk to me
in that manner. You know nothing of men’s needs.” Rupert was in
fine minister mode now. All he needed was his pulpit.
“ My horizons are being
broadened,” she retorted, dryly.
“ By this man?” Rupert
demanded, gesturing to Jack who leaned on the doorjamb watching the
scene unfold before him with great interest. “Do you have carnal
knowledge of this man? Your father is spinning in his
grave.”
“ Never mind about my
father. Aren’t you the hypocrite?” Roselyn planted both hands on
her hips. She barely recognized the man before her. She had never
loved him, but she thought she had at least respected him. She had
believed the man to whom she’d been engaged to be a pious man of
the cloth, a harsh critic of pleasure in any form. The judgmental,
hypocrite before her was not the man she thought she knew. Even if
he did still want her, she would refuse to marry him
now.
“ I will not take a ruined
woman to wife,” he roared at her. “You have lain with this filthy
pirate. No one will have you now.” He lifted his hand as if he made
to strike her.
Rupert was still screaming at Roselyn,
his face turning puce, before he noticed too late that the giant
pirate was almost on top of him.
Before the weasely, little man could
even get up a good head of steam, Jack pushed away from the door
jamb and purposefully strode through the room, tossing furniture
out of his way in order to make a straight path to the man. He
picked up the pasty skinned bastard by the throat and slammed him
up against the wall, the minister’s toes dangling a good inch from
the floor.
“ You will apologize to the
lady,” Jack spoke with a quiet, terrifying voice. There was no need
to yell. He could smell the acrid stench that proved the minister
had already pissed himself.
Rupert gasped for air. “I can’t marry
a fallen woman. I’m a man of the cloth.”
“ You will refer to her as
Miss Weldon,” Jack spoke clearly and slowly, “and you will
apologize to her.” He squeezed his hands a little tighter around
the minister’s neck. “I can’t hear you.”
Point in fact, Rupert did make a
little squeaking sound when Jack gave him a shake and waved the
minister’s soft body about.
Roselyn placed her hand on his arm.
“You’re killing him, Jack.” She was thrilled that he had come to
her defense, no one had ever intervened during her father’s rants
and punishments, but she couldn’t allow Jack to kill the man in her
name. “Let him go. He won’t hurt me now.”
Jack released the pathetic man from
his grip and the minister fell to the floor in a heap, dragging in
ragged breaths.
“ I’m taking Miss Weldon
with me,” Jack told the cowering vicar. “Consider your arrangement
terminated.”
Her pirate took her by the hand and
headed for the door, but she pulled her hand free. She smiled to
reassure him, and then strode back to her ex-fiancé with a gleam in
her eye.
Rupert watched her approach with a
leery expression, and visibly flinched when she knelt down next to
him on the floor. She pulled back her arm and slapped him with an
open hand leaving a very satisfying palm print across his cheek.
“That’s for all the women you’ve
silence, inane, stupid words she wished she could stop. “I wrote
you I was coming. I sent a letter when he died.”
“ I never got any post. We
aren’t to be married for another year.” Rupert had clearly snapped
out of his shock. “You need to return home posthaste.”
“ Home? I just got
here.”
“ Don’t get smart with me,
Roselyn,” he snapped at her. He seemed to be hitting his stride
now. “And just what in tarnation are you wearing? You look like a
whore.” By now his clothes were put to rights, even the clerical
collar was tucked neatly in place.
“ I guess you’d know,” she
hissed back at him.
Behind her, she heard Jack slowly
approach the doorway. He snorted at her comment.
“ How dare you talk to me
in that manner. You know nothing of men’s needs.” Rupert was in
fine minister mode now. All he needed was his pulpit.
“ My horizons are being
broadened,” she retorted, dryly.
“ By this man?” Rupert
demanded, gesturing to Jack who leaned on the doorjamb watching the
scene unfold before him with great interest. “Do you have carnal
knowledge of this man? Your father is spinning in his
grave.”
“ Never mind about my
father. Aren’t you the hypocrite?” Roselyn planted both hands on
her hips. She barely recognized the man before her. She had never
loved him, but she thought she had at least respected him. She had
believed the man to whom she’d been engaged to be a pious man of
the cloth, a harsh critic of pleasure in any form. The judgmental,
hypocrite before her was not the man she thought she knew. Even if
he did still want her, she would refuse to marry him
now.
“ I will not take a ruined
woman to wife,” he roared at her. “You have lain with this filthy
pirate. No one will have you now.” He lifted his hand as if he made
to strike her.
Rupert was still screaming at Roselyn,
his face turning puce, before he noticed too late that the giant
pirate was almost on top of him.
Before the weasely, little man could
even get up a good head of steam, Jack pushed away from the door
jamb and purposefully strode through the room, tossing furniture
out of his way in order to make a straight path to the man. He
picked up the pasty skinned bastard by the throat and slammed him
up against the wall, the minister’s toes dangling a good inch from
the floor.
“ You will apologize to the
lady,” Jack spoke with a quiet, terrifying voice. There was no need
to yell. He could smell the acrid stench that proved the minister
had already pissed himself.
Rupert gasped for air. “I can’t marry
a fallen woman. I’m a man of the cloth.”
“ You will refer to her as
Miss Weldon,” Jack spoke clearly and slowly, “and you will
apologize to her.” He squeezed his hands a little tighter around
the minister’s neck. “I can’t hear you.”
Point in fact, Rupert did make a
little squeaking sound when Jack gave him a shake and waved the
minister’s soft body about.
Roselyn placed her hand on his arm.
“You’re killing him, Jack.” She was thrilled that he had come to
her defense, no one had ever intervened during her father’s rants
and punishments, but she couldn’t allow Jack to kill the man in her
name. “Let him go. He won’t hurt me now.”
Jack released the pathetic man from
his grip and the minister fell to the floor in a heap, dragging in
ragged breaths.
“ I’m taking Miss Weldon
with me,” Jack told the cowering vicar. “Consider your arrangement
terminated.”
Her pirate took her by the hand and
headed for the door, but she pulled her hand free. She smiled to
reassure him, and then strode back to her ex-fiancé with a gleam in
her eye.
Rupert watched her approach with a
leery expression, and visibly flinched when she knelt down next to
him on the floor. She pulled back her arm and slapped him with an
open hand leaving a very satisfying palm print across his cheek.
“That’s for all the women you’ve
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