Page 16 of The Pirate and the Pagan
Summer sat in the small breakfast room pensively sipping her chocolate. Guilt nagged at her for leaving Spider alone for so many days, but she reasoned that he was beginning to chafe at her mothering him and was probably delighted to be fending for himself, as a man.
Lil came in with sparkling eyes and Summer could tell she had news. “Darling, the most extraordinary thing! The King is sending Helford back to Cornwall.”
Summer’s quicksilver thoughts raced about to put this exciting information to advantage when Lil’s drawl dropped a bombshell.
“He’s been appointed magistrate of the whole of Cornwall to put a stop to smuggling.”
“Oh, no!” cried Summer, all her lovely prospects lying shattered at her feet and a small curl of fear threatening to knot inside her stomach. Again she saw clearly the dark, piercing eyes, the hard, dangerous mouth, and the risk and challenge he represented sent a shiver of excitement through her. She loved to sail too near the wind and knew in that moment she would hazard everything. Fortune favored the bold!
She saw her situation clearly, knew she was in danger of getting her fingers badly burned as she would constantly be between two fires, but the simple truth hit her.
She had chosen him.
She was going to get him.
It was fate.
She pushed the chocolate cup away, stood up decisively, and said, “Where can I go to meet him again?”
Lil made a moue with her lips. “It will be difficult if not impossible. The reason he wasn’t at Anna Maria Shrewsbury’s last evening was because he’s readying his ship. He’s leaving at the end of the week, so I don’t suppose he’ll be socializing at all.”
“Where is his ship?” asked Summer.
“In the Pool of London, of course. Oh no, darling, you can’t possibly go wandering about the docks,” insisted Auntie Lil. “There are limits to what a lady may do and still remain a lady. Perhaps we could get away with a discreet note asking him to call.”
Summer shook her head. “For God’s sake, Lil, I was on the docks in Plymouth and sailed to the docks of Portsmouth. How the devil do you think I got here? I’ll not wait about for discreet notes. I’ll go this morning.”
Lil took hold of both her hands and made her sit on the small satin-covered settee while she imparted some much-needed advice. “Listen to me, darling. You must make him think you are a lady. If he thinks you’re anything less, he will love you and leave you as casually as he would buy a jewel or a horse. You must accept nothing less than carte blanche.”
“I know that’s French, but I don’t know what it means exactly.”
“It means full powers of a mistress,” Lil explained.
Summer squeezed her hand. “Don’t be so serious. I promise I will accept nothing less.”
Lil sighed and relaxed her hold. “I’ll send the little maid with you, who brought your chocolate this morning.”
“Oh, no,” said Summer. “I want that older woman with a face like the back of a fishcart.”
“She isn’t a waiting woman, darling, she’s the terror of my kitchens,” explained Lil.
“He won’t know that,” pointed out Summer. “I’ll take that haughty old footman, too. The one who looks like he just smelled something disgusting.”
“Very good, Summer,” drawled Lil with admiration. “You play the game rather well.”
The corners of Summer’s mouth turned up in a secret little smile. “I think I’ll borrow that delicate pale gray outfit today. I might as well leave the lovely clothes I bought packed. After all, I’ll be sailing home at week’s end.”
Lil Richwood would have bet money on it.
The unusual trio left their coach at the first dock and the two servants followed behind Summer as she carefully scanned each ship and passed on to the next. Suddenly she saw him, but immediately pretended otherwise. She gave all her attention to the names painted on the ship’s sides until he was almost upon her.
Lord Helford swept off his hat. “Lady Summer,” he said warmly.
She looked up at him, then sank to her knees before him. “Your Majesty,” she breathed.
He immediately took hold of her hands to raise her and a slight frown marred his brow. “I’m not the King,” he said, puzzled.
Her eyes flew open in surprise. “Oh, surely my aunt wouldn’t play such a cruel trick on me?” He stood holding her hands, looking down into her lovely face framed by the pale gray fox fur of her hood. She said hesitantly, “After you left, I asked my aunt who the tall, dark gentleman was and she told me it was the King.” Her lashes swept to her cheeks and she blushed prettily.
