Driven by the greatest fear she had ever known, she darted downstairs and went to her father's study. She took a deep breath, then wentinside. "Papa?"
He looked up from his desk with afrown. "Yes?"
Clenching her courage, she said, "Did--did Mr. Chandler speakwithyou?"
"He did indeed. I'm deeply ashamed that you were so lost to decency as to engage in a clandestine relationship," her father said with icy fury. "Your precious suitor cost me half a year's income, but at least he's gone now, and goodriddance."
The blood drained from her face. Refusing to believe the implication, she asked, "What doyoumean?"
"He threatened to ruin you if I didn't give him money. He boasted of his power over you. That you believed everything he said. He wanted five thousand pounds to leave you alone, though he came down to a thousand quickly enough." Her father made a disgusted face. “It was worth that to get rid of him, but don't you dare believe the lies of another debt-ridden scoundrel. I can't afford a second affairlikethis."
She gasped, shocked to her core. "No, you're lying! Dominick didn't want money. Helovesme!"
A contemptuous expression on his face, her father shoved a piece of paper across the table. "Oh?Readthis."
She looked at the words scrawled on the page.For a consideration of one thousand guineas, I promise never to see Miss Roxanne Mayfield again. Dominick CharlesChandler.
Her vision darkened and she swayed on the verge of fainting. It couldn't be true. Itcouldn't!
Yet that was his signature, she recognized it from the notes he'd sent her. Charming, laughing letters, in which he had declaredhislove...
Nausea swept through her. She had believed him.She had been fool enough tobelievehim!
In that instant her youth died. Setting the paper back on her father's desk, she said in a trembling voice, "It appears that I was mistaken in Mr. Chandler. I'm sorry for costing you so much, Papa." She swallowed hard. "It won’t… happenagain."
"See that it doesn't." Her father rose and gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder. "You're a sensible girl. You'll see, this is all for the best. In Wiltshire, his father was called the Devil, and young Chandler was called the Devil's Spawn. You're better offwithouthim."
She gave a brittle smile before leaving the room. No doubt her father was right and this was all forthebest.
But it was a pity that she hadn't died two hours earlier, when she had still believedinlove.
Chapter2
PlymouthHarbor,1829
After a nerve wrackingclimb up a wildly unstable rope ladder, Sir George Renfrew swung gratefully onto the deck of theLovely Lady. To the nearest sailor he said, "I believe that Lord Chandler isexpectingme."
"Right thisway,sir."
Renfrew followed the sailor across the swaying deck, trying to remember when and where he had last seen his friend Dominick. It must have been five years ago, in Hong Kong. Or had it been in the Sandwich Islands? Somewhere exotic, at any rate, and that night they had become roaring drunk, making toasts to the good old days at King's College. He smiledreminiscently.
The sailor led him to a cabin door, then withdrew. Renfrew knocked and entered when a familiar voice called, "Comein."
Renfrew stepped into the lavishly furnished owner's cabin. "Dominick, old man, how… " His voice cut offabruptly.
In the center of the cabin stood a hulking savage, his face obscured by wild black hair and a riotous beard. He was almost naked, with a crude whale-tooth necklace swinging across his chest and only a loincloth to cover his modesty. Hard muscles rippled beneath his bronzed skin as he stalked across the cabin, a guttural sound vibrating deep in his throat and a stone headed spear inhishand.
For a shocked moment Renfrew considered bolting. Reminding himself that he had bested Malay pirates in the South China Sea, he raised his cane and barked, "What have you done with Lord Chandler, you uglysavage?"
Amazingly, the brute began to laugh. "So I can deceive even you, George," he said in smooth, impeccably upper-class English. "Thatbodeswell."
Renfrew gasped. "My God, is that you,Dominick?"
He looked closer and saw the familiar gray eyes. With a sigh of relief he lowered his cane. "Dare I ask what you are up tothistime?"
Dominick waved his friend to the padded bench built against one wall. "I've comea'wooing."
George snorted as he sat and accepted a glass of brandy. "You've been away too long. If you want to win a wife in England, all you'll need is your title and the fortune you made trading in the East. You’ll have to beat women off with a club." In fact, he thought as he examined the other man's powerful body, even the title and fortune wouldn't be needed. Women had always become buttery and wide-eyed around hisfriend.
