The Devil's Necklace. Kat Martin

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СКАЧАТЬ in her cheeks. “Of course.”

      “Perhaps I should come with you, my dear,” her companion volunteered.

      She managed to give him a smile. “That won’t be necessary. I’m sure this won’t take long. I shall be back very shortly to finish our game.”

      Like bloody hell.

      She started for the ladder and the captain and Ethan fell into step behind her. Once on deck, Captain Chambers briefly explained why Ethan had come.

      “I’m sorry, Miss Chastain, but Captain Sharpe claims you are wanted for questioning in a matter of national security.”

      Her burnished brows drew together and a confused look appeared on her face. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

      Ethan fought to control his temper. She knew why he was here, yet clearly she meant to continue her deception. Well then, so would he. “I’m sure you haven’t the slightest notion about any of this. Still, the matter requires clarification. I’m afraid you will have to come with me.”

      The last hint of color drained from her face. She looked as if she might faint dead away, and he swore beneath his breath. A swooning woman would only make the inevitable result more difficult for all of them.

      Grace Chastain did not swoon.

      Instead, her shoulders subtly straightened. She had resolved to brazen it out, to play the innocent victim. In a way he admired her courage.

      “I’m a passenger aboard this ship. I cannot believe you expect me to simply leave. That is clearly impossible. I am on the way to visit my aunt, Lady Humphrey, in Scarborough. Should I not arrive, my aunt will become quite distraught.”

      “Captain Chambers can make your explanations. Once the matter is resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, you will be allowed to resume your journey.” He urged her forward, toward the rope ladder slung over the side of the ship that led down to a small wooden dinghy waiting to return them to the Sea Devil—eager to get her there before any real trouble ensued.

      Captain Chambers stepped forward, blocking their escape. “I’m sorry, Captain Sharpe. I am forced to agree with Miss Chastain. I’m sure you have a valid reason for all of this, but I simply cannot allow you to remove this young woman from my ship. As long as she is aboard the Lady Anne, Miss Chastain is under my protection.”

      A noise sounded behind them, a shuffling of feet on the deck. Six armed members of the Sea Devil crew stepped from their hiding places, pistols loaded and pointed at the captain’s chest.

      “I’m afraid, Captain Chambers, that you have no choice.” Ethan reached for Grace Chastain, slid an arm around her waist, and dragged her back against his chest. The guns remained leveled in the captain’s direction.

      Ethan spoke to Grace Chastain. “As I said, there are questions you need to answer. The truth will be better ferreted out aboard my ship.”

      He dragged her backward till he reached the rope ladder. He could feel her trembling, feel the icy chill of her skin, yet she made no attempt to escape. Perhaps she felt the captain’s life would be endangered should she make any sort of move.

      Perhaps she was right. He intended to take the woman no matter the cost.

      “What…what about my things?”

      “There isn’t time. You’ll have to make do without them.” He hauled her the last few feet to the ladder. She gave a little gasp of surprise as he spun her around, bent and set his shoulder into her middle and hauled her over his shoulder.

      “What do you think you’re doing? Put me down!”

      “Take it easy. I’m just carrying you down the ladder. You’d never make it in that dress.”

      She didn’t say more, though he thought that she wanted to very badly. She was afraid for the captain, somewhat of a surprise since Ethan hadn’t believed a woman of her morals would give a damn for anyone but herself.

      It didn’t take long to reach the bottom of the ladder. He plopped her down on one of the gunwales, draped a woolen blanket over her shoulders, and took his place at the stern of the boat. The rest of his men scrambled down the ladder, took their seats and picked up their oars.

      “Put your backs to it, lads. We don’t want trouble if we can avoid it. The sooner the lady is aboard the ship, the better for us all.”

      He glanced in her direction, saw that beneath the blanket her body still shook with a combination of shock and fear, but she stared toward his ship with a look of resignation. It was obvious she knew why she was being taken. If he’d had the least doubt—which he didn’t—her silence would have convinced him of her guilt.

      They arrived at the ship without incident. The Lady Anne was an old, three-masted square-rigger, an ungainly old tub in the water. Once the Sea Devil got underway, there would be no chance of the slower boat catching up with them.

      As the wooden boat came up alongside the hull, one of the crewmen tossed up a line to secure the vessel while they climbed the ladder to the deck.

      “I can make it on my own,” Grace said, gazing up at the high rope ladder.

      He was almost tempted to let her try. “You’ll go up the way you came down.”

      She opened her mouth to argue but he didn’t give her the chance, just set his shoulder against her middle, hoisted her over his shoulder and started up the ladder to the deck.

      The instant her slippers hit the holystoned wood, she spun to face him. “All right, I am here now, as you have commanded. You have spouted some sort of nonsense about national security. I presume you intend to take me back to London.”

      A hard smile curved his lips. “Eventually. At present, we’re sailing south along the coast, then heading for France.” Surprise widened those bright green eyes. “Wh-what!”

      “I’ve business to see to before I deal with you.”

      She swallowed, seemed to collect herself. “I demand to know why you brought me here. What do you want with me?”

      It was the question he had been pondering since the moment he had discovered her identity back in London. The question foremost in his mind the instant he laid eyes on her aboard the Lady Anne.

      “That is the question, is it not?”

      Instead of fear, her green eyes flashed with an unexpected fire. The color was back in her cheeks and in the moonlight her hair gleamed like flames. “Precisely who are you, Captain Sharpe?”

      He looked into that beautiful, treacherous face and a sweep of lust rushed through him. “You want to know who I am? Well, I am the devil incarnate and you, my sweet, are about to pay the devil’s due.”

      Three

      Grace stood rooted to the deck of the Sea Devil, fear a living thing inside her. She could hear the thunder of her heart, feel the tightness in her chest that made it hard to breathe. The captain stood in front of her, long legs braced against the roll of the sea, a cold, triumphant smile on his lips. It took sheer force of will not to let him know how terrified СКАЧАТЬ