"You've brought me such joy. I hope you know, all I've ever wanted is your happiness. If I thought you weren't happy or if you were going forward with the wedding for my sake..."
Elyse smiled. "There you go, worrying." She gave her grandmother a smile.
But behind the smile, she had her doubts. She loved her grandmother. Regina Winslow had been both mother and father to her, giving her unconditional love and care. She would never do anything to hurt or disappoint her. Squeezing her grandmother's hand affectionately, she swept out of the room in the wake of Mrs. Evers, in pursuit of a costume for the ball that evening.
Eleven
Jerrold Barrington pushed back the leather chair behind the mahogany desk.
"When you give this draft to my man in London he will arrange for the transfer of funds." His smile was brief, then gone. "After he's verified the shipment, of course. I'll keep the draft here in my safe until you leave for London." He looked up.
"How long will you be staying?"
Zach met Barrington's dark, hooded gaze evenly from across the desk. This man was being very careful. He must be even more careful.
"For the next few days, if that's agreeable with you, of course," Zach replied, his tone one of faint boredom. "London is so warm." He favored Jerrold with that lazy smile he'd practiced to perfection. "I'm glad to be done with this business. There's always the risk that someone might try to steal it." He gave particular emphasis to this last statement, watching for Barrington's reaction.
Jerrold looked. "Someone such as the Raven?" he suggested with a tightening around his mouth.
"So it seems," Zach agreed, shrugging his shoulders. "You must admit the fellow has played a devilish game in Australia. From what I hear, no one has caught him yet. He's very clever."
"Not clever enough." Jerrold straightened in his chair, just thinking of the Raven tightening every muscle. "I promise you, the man will hang from the yardarm before I'm through. And every one of his men with him."
Zach slowly smiled. He enjoyed playing this game with Barrington, much like a cat with a mouse. "Ah, but first you much catch him. So far, it would seem you've been less than successful."
"Until now. But I have a different strategy," Jerrold replied. "As soon as the fellow shows himself again, he will find out what it is. Until now, my ships have been easy victims. But if it is war the Raven wants, then it is war he shall have. And not only he will suffer for it, but the colonies as well." He rose from his chair to lean over the desk, almost as if he were directing these threats at his guest. His eyes gleamed with an unnatural light, his lips thinned, and a muscle in his cheek twitched with long-held frustration over the matter.
His fist suddenly came down on the desktop, rattling the feather quill in the inkwell. "I will destroy the man, and then I will destroy this trade rebellion of the colonists. The Crown learned a lesson from the American colonies. We will not lose control again. The colonies in the Pacific will submit or they will be brought to their knees by force if necessary."
The atmosphere in the room was electrically charged, like the sky at sea before a storm. Zach's gaze locked with Barrington's. He didn't blink as he slowly rose, having decided it was time to end this conversation.
"It seems you've already set the example." He nodded courteously. "I'm certain you'll give it your best effort." Zach was sincere in making that statement. However, he was equally sincere that Barrington's best effort would gain him nothing.
Barrington followed him to the door of the library. "I do apologize. The Raven has been most elusive. I find the situation very... annoying."
He chose his words carefully, not wanting to give the Raven too much importance or to appear less than confident of the eventual outcome. "I can see that it would be, but I believe the Crown can rest easy. It has the very best man to deal with the situation."
Barrington smiled and adjusted his coat front over his puffed-up chest. "I appreciate your confidence, sir."
"Indeed." Zach smiled, greatly enjoying this little game. Barrington might be the best, at least in his own opinion, but this was a case where the Crown's best wasn't good enough.
"When did you say you were leaving? I do hope you can at least stay for a few days." Jerrold asked.
"Even now my crew is seeing to the cargo for our return voyage. That should take only another two or three days at the most."
"What a pity you can't remain longer. I should like you to attend my wedding to Miss Winslow. It promises to be the grand occasion of the season."
Zach nodded but inside, his thoughts churned. How the devil could Elyse be interested in a pompous ass like Jerrold Barrington? He almost laughed out loud. She'd calledhimthat very same thing on more than one occasion.
He felt it again, that whisper of memory he'd first experienced months ago when he'd discovered his father's journal and the pendant at Resolute, identical to the one Elyse had worn. It was the same feeling that had come upon him repeatedly ever since he'd arrived in London. It was always there, just beyond his grasp, elusive. Like a beautiful woman, he thought wryly, and his next thought was of Elyse.
She was a lovely, passionate, and unpredictable creature that he found to be fascinating. But he'd known many equally beautiful and passionate women. What was it about her that continued to haunt him?
Why the devil did the fact that she was marrying Barrington leave him with a feeling of contempt, even anger? It shouldn't matter. A few weeks ago, it wouldn't have. Even now, he told himself he'd made love to her that night only to prove to himself that he could do so and not be affected by her, but he was wrong and knew it.
It was ridiculous, of course, and he put the thought away. He had only one goal, to find out the truth about his father and to sell the gold, for thesecondtime, to Barrington. That thought made him smile as he turned to Barrington.
"I'm looking forward to this evening's party. It promises to be most... interesting." He chose his words carefully.
