Page 59 of The Tempest
Payne snorted with mirth. “I’ve a position that doesna require me tae steal or kill from others,” he said. “I’m the educated one, Declan. I’ve been trained, far more trained than ye’ll ever be. All ye’re good enough for is tae stand on the deck of yer mammy’s ship and steal from those who have more than ye do. Ye’re a thief and an outlaw and that’s all ye’ll ever be.”
By the time he was finished, Declan was shaking with rage. “Ye bastard,” he growled. “I’ll not forgive ye for that.”
“I dunna care if ye do or not.”
Declan shook his head, slowly, his jaw tight. “Da should have disowned ye,” he said. “Ye think ye’re too good for the family and he should have disowned ye. Now ye marry a captive. A captive! A woman who says she’s a Portuguese princess, but how do we know? For all we know, she was a whore for the men on her ship and now she’s a whore for ye!”
Payne moved in his direction menacingly, but Maude and Francis stopped him from charging. “Nay, lad,” Maude said steadily. “He’s not worth yer talent nor yer time. Ye’ll not tear him apart in front of me.”
Payne was furious. He let his considerably smaller mother stop his forward progression as Francis moved toward Declan and picked up a fairly large branch off the ground as he did. Declan saw him coming, stepping back just as Francis swung the branch at his head.
“Get out of here,” Francis demanded. “Ye’re a shame tae the entire family, Declan. Go somewhere else before Maudie lets Payne rip yer head off.”
Declan was already backing away. “I’ll go,” he muttered. “I’ll go forever. I’ll not stay with the lot of ye, filthy whoremongers and cowards. I’m finished with ye.”
He stormed off, leaving his brothers and mother to watch him go. Maude took her hands off Payne’s chest, taking a few steps after Declan, watching him as he headed back into the encampment. There was concern in her expression for the son who was the most volatile, and the most unpredictable, out of them all.
“Francis,” she said in a low voice, “ye’d better go. He’ll try tae turn the men with his lies, so make sure he doesna.”
Francis nodded, following his brother’s footsteps into the encampment. They could already hear his voice in the distance as Declan began to shout his case.
“Should ye go, Maudie?” Payne asked. “Those are yer men, after all.”
Maude shook her head. “Nay,” she said. Then she took a deep breath and faced him. “Payne, ye may as well know that I intend that Francis should succeed me. Declan… he thinks only of himself. He doesna think of his men. That was the one thing yer grandfather begged of me before he died—take care of my men, Maudie.He told me that, and I’ve done just that for ten years. But Declan doesna think like that, and it’s going tae be a battle when I turn the family business over tae Francis.”
Payne understood what she was saying. In fact, it occurred to him that Maude was where he got his weakness from. That weakness that saw him show more empathy or emotion than he should. Maude had it too. Both he and his mother had hearts that they couldn’t quite protect, which was strange, given their chosen vocations. But Declan didn’t have that problem.
As Payne had once described him, the man was dangerous.
Even to his family.
“Ye’re pitting yer sons against one another,” he said quietly. “But I suppose ye already know that.”
“I do,” Maude said. “Francis is strong, Payne. In his heart and mind, he is strong.”
“Is he?” Payne asked. “Because ten years ago, he was my weak little brother.”
“He’s grown since then. He’s matured.”
“I hope it is enough.”
“It is,” Maude said. “Speaking of maturing, how are ye and Astria getting on?”
Payne averted his gaze, unable to keep the smile off his lips. “Well.”
“Howwell?”
“Well enough that I dunna think she is going tae try tae escape any longer,” he said. Then he paused a moment in thought before continuing. “Maudie, she’s my wife now, so that makes her family. It also makes her untouchable.”
“Of course it does.”
“That means by anyone. Even ye.”
“What are ye driving at, Payne?”
Payne drew in a long, thoughtful breath before facing her. “I’m going tae tell ye something that she told me,” he said. “But I’m telling ye as a matter of yer safety. Do ye understand that?”
Maude nodded. “I do,” she said. “What must ye tell me?”
