Tempest(24)
“She reports that the map came to them from Xavier Crowe in 1818, through someone called Huntsford Harms. Crowe was the arch-enemy of my grandfather, who therefore was convinced that the map was counterfeit. Gran, however, had other suspicions. Crowe apparently told Harms that Bonnet buried this treasure near the time of his capture, when he was trying to elude both Blackbeard, who had been his partner, and the authorities. Gran saved the map, hoping that a descendant would share her curiosity.”
Cathy watched him fold the letter in half and get to his feet. “And are you?” she ventured. “Curious?”
“You must be joking.” He began to strip off his clothes, walking into the dressing room, and his voice carried out to her. “Before I forget, I wanted to tell you that I found a new housemaid for you who arrives tomorrow. Her name is Liza and she’s eighteen. She’s been working in one of the hotels in Bridgetown, so she ought to have enough experience to be of some real use.”
Reeling from the sight of his lean-muscled legs and tapering back, Cathy fought an urge to go after him and put her arms around him. “I’m glad to hear it, Adam, but what about the treasure map? It’s Stede Bonnet, after all— the person you were masquerading as the night we met! Doesn’t that map pique your spirit of adventure?”
He reappeared in the doorway, fastening a collarless shirt that was white as snow against his tanned face. “Catherine, do I have to spell this out? The map is counterfeit, a creation of Xavier Crowe. I heard about it from Grandfather when I was a boy. Crowe devised the map to distract his English houseguest, Harms, from the real crimes he was committing. The fellow was soon busy digging holes all over the beach at Cave Bay! I would be as big a fool as he if I wasted one more moment thinking about it, let alone believing that there is treasure to be found!”
Rising, Cathy went past him in search of her own fresh clothing. “I have asked that you not call me Catherine.”
“May I make a request of my own? Take off that headtie. Your own hair is much more becoming.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a brute?”
“Frequently. And as I recall, I warned you of that very fact.”
When they came down the Chinese Chippendale staircase for supper, with Alice trundling behind them, Adam and Cathy appeared to be a comfortably married couple.
“May I pour a glass of sherry for you?” he asked.
“That would be lovely.”
Cathy felt very lonely. Her heart ached as she wandered down the long gallery, listening to the tree frogs begin to chirp. Even the air smelled different here: damp, green, and salty. With each passing day, she felt farther from home.
Adam had just come in carrying her sherry and his planter’s punch when Cathy spied a horse outside Tempest Hall’s gates.
“Oh my goodness! A visitor!” Her face lit up.
“Probably a deadly dull neighbor coming to nose around for gossip.”
“I don’t think so...” Cathy went to the front of the gallery for a better view. Standing on tiptoe, she saw a man leading a horse into the overgrown garden. “It’s Theo!”
“Who the devil is Theo?”
“Theo Harrismith. How quickly my ill-tempered husband forgets.” With that, Cathy hurried out to meet her friend, ignoring the dust her cream silk skirt threw up as she rushed down the pathway.
At the sight of her, Theo swept off his boater and bowed low, eyes twinkling. “You honor me, my lady.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Stop bowing! Oh, Theo, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see a friend!”
His face fell. “That bad, eh? I was hoping for a better report, though I confess I feared the worst.”
“May I hug you?” She savored the affectionate contact, resting her cheek on his shoulder for a moment before stepping back. Her fingers clung to his. “Tell me what brings you to Tempest Hall.”
“Truthfully, I was visiting a friend nearby at Farley Hill and decided to pay you a visit to invite you to the Ocean Breeze Hotel tomorrow for luncheon.”
Delighted, Cathy replied, “May I bring my bathing costume? I’ve been longing to swim in the ocean, but Adam has put me off so far.” She made a little moue. “I used to go every day to Bailey’s Beach in Newport, you know, and I miss that.”
“Absolutely. We have the finest bath houses on the south coast, you know. Hastings is the coming place to holiday.” He took a small, hand-drawn map out of his coat pocket. “Can you find someone to bring you? I’d fetch you myself, but I have already missed so much work today.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll be there at noon. I can’t wait to see the hotel. And Sutton! How is he?”
“Fine, but counting every penny and worrying as usual—” Theo broke off at the sight of Adam Raveneau emerging from the house and advancing toward them. “Here comes your husband with a storm cloud over his head.” His eyes moved on to survey the peeling paint and broken tiles. “Looks to me as if his grand estate leaves a bit to be desired!”
“Catherine,” Adam said from a distance, “dinner is being served.” In response to her sharp look, he approached and put out his hand to the intruder. “Hello, Harrismith. I’m rather surprised to see you so far from Hastings.”
“I was just inviting Cathy— I mean, her ladyship— to pay us a visit at the hotel. I thought the change of scenery might do her good.” While shaking the other man’s strong hand, Theo called on his better nature. “Of course, you are invited as well, Lord Raveneau. No doubt you two are still on your honeymoon and don’t wish to be parted.”
“I’m sure,” interjected Cathy, “that my husband is far too busy with the plantation.”
Adam managed to breathe normally with an effort. “My wife is right. However, I trust that you’ll keep her safe for me?”
Pinned under Raveneau’s rapier gaze, Theo grinned. “My lord, could you possibly think otherwise?”
Moments later, Adam had dismissed the intruder and was leading Cathy back to the house. “Supper will be cold. There’s nothing worse than cold oxtail stew.”
She was fuming. “Kindly release my arm!”
Suddenly, Adam was nearly overcome with an urge to press her against the porch wall and have his way with her. Instead, he let go of her arm.
Cathy turned to face him. “You are unpardonably rude! How could you have treated my friend that way?”
“Friend? Friend?” God, how he wanted to brand her with his kiss, to tear away her clothing and possess her. “Never mind. Let’s go inside and eat.”
Marching after him, she cried, “I’m not finished!”
“I suggest, then, that we continue this conversation— or argument, whichever it is— after supper, in the privacy of our rooms upstairs. All right?”
Her heart began to race and, involuntarily, she raised a hand to her breast. “If you insist, sir.”
Chapter 15
“It’s good, isn’t it?” Cathy challenged in an undertone.
“The stew?” He lifted both brows. “For a first effort, it’s not bad.”
“That is not what I asked!”
“All right then.” Leaning in toward his wife, Adam looked deeply into her eyes. “It’s good. You may have talents heretofore unknown to me.”
She blushed to the roots of her hair and took a last bite of okra slices mixed with tomatoes. “We’re having nut cake for dessert. Retta made it herself.”
“Have some more wine.”
She stared at his long, handsome fingers as he lifted the bottle. “Thank you.”
Candles flickered inside hurricane lamps, illuminating the priceless Coalport china. A bouquet of plumeria lent its exotic fragrance to the air. Adam looked rakishly handsome and Cathy felt the electricity spark between them again. Ever since they’d arrived on the island, it seemed as if he’d turned an inner switch, shutting off that part of himself, but now it had unmistakably flared to life again...
“I don’t care for any nut cake,” Adam said. “Let’s go upstairs.”
“To argue?”
A smile touched his mouth. “Perhaps.”
As she watched him take the nearly full bottle of wine and gesture for her to precede him up the stairs, Cathy knew that she ought to be glad to sense his passion, but she wasn’t. Unsettled and excited, yes, but her pride wanted more from him.
“Adam?”
“Yes...?” Reaching the upper corridor, he steered her into his bedroom.
“You needn’t be jealous of Theo, you know.”
“Jealous! That’s ridiculous. I’ve never been jealous in my life.”
Cathy was sorry to see his light, if slightly smug mood being replaced by more storm clouds. Still, he did look terribly handsome when his brow gathered and the line of his jaw hardened. “You’ve never been jealous? Aren’t you human?”
The cloud passed. A predatory gleam crept into his eyes. “You know better than to ask such a question.” Circling around behind her, he flicked open the hooks closing Cathy’s dog-collar necklace and kissed the soft, sweet flesh beneath the strands of pearls. “You know very well that I am human.”