An irresistible smile spread slowly over his face, and he drew her against him, whispering into her ear, “Is that what you’d like?”
The wetness increased between her legs. “Yes, I think I would.”
“I’m delighted to hear it. But there’ll be no ravishing tonight. I promised you a proper wooing, and that is what I mean to give you.” His mouth trailed fiery little kisses over her cheekbones. “Tonight I had something else in mind.”
Drugged with passion, she tipped her head back. “Something else?”
“Yes. There’s something I must tell you.” Adam held both her hands, pressed his mouth to them, and gazed directly into her eyes. “Cathy, I love you.”
They were the words that, long ago, she’d stopped hoping he would speak, and even now she questioned her hearing. “Adam... are you certain?”
“I’ve never been more certain about anything. I love you with all my heart.” When he lifted her onto his lap so that she could lean against his chest, he felt her tears on his shirt front. “You don’t have to say anything yet. Just let me hold you.”
Over the top of her head, Raveneau thought he saw a shadow move in the grove of coconut palms. However, his impulse to investigate was overridden by the sweetness of the moment with Cathy. Perhaps it was a green monkey that had strayed over to the coast. How could it be a person? He had no enemies, after all...
Chapter 32
Retta sat in a rocker on the sunny stone terrace at Crowe’s Nest, her purple-striped headtie bobbing with each movement of the chair. “How long we do be stayin’ in dis house?”
Adam glanced up from the papers he had spread over the same table where he and Cathy had dined two nights before. “Retta, how can you be out of sorts? It’s a beautiful day. Just look at the ocean; aren’t you enjoying the change of scenery?” He threw her a disarming smile. “The end is in sight. We’ll be back at Tempest Hall soon.”
She sniffed and turned her attention to Paul, who was playing quietly with his wooden Noah’s Ark. “Mind you stay ‘way from dat wall, child.”
“Don’t worry,” Adam assured her. “We’ve already had a long conversation about the rules if he is going to be out here. He understands, don’t you, Button? And Alice is standing guard.”
The little boy nodded soberly at his father and returned to the task of lining up the animals on the deck of the ark while the old Lab sat up a little straighter, her gaze fixed on Paul.
“I love it here!” called Byron’s cheerful voice as he emerged onto the terrace carrying a plate of eggs, coconut bread, and warmed-over flying fish. “It’s a real holiday. Ah, listen to the ocean... And look, there’s a pirate ship anchored in the distance!”
“Papa’s ship,” Paul informed him.
“That’s right; I almost forgot that your papa is a pirate at heart!”
Raveneau moved a paper aside to make room for Byron’s plate. “Can you be serious for a moment? I’ve been waiting to go over my plans with you.”
“‘Bout time,” Retta declared.
He ignored her, speaking instead to Byron. “I have everything arranged. The rest of the crew for the Golden Eagle will arrive after lunch today, and they’ll be rowed out to the ship. We aren’t sailing that far, so I’ve asked Forester to supply only a skeleton crew.” He slanted a look at his friend. “Of course, you’ll be onboard.”
Between bites of coconut bread, Byron remarked, “Why does that not surprise me? And what about Paul?”
“Simon is going to fetch June when her classes are finished today. Tomorrow is Saturday, so she is free to stay here overnight and help Retta with Paul. She is very excited to be playing a part in this adventure.”
“It seems that the only person who is not aware of your plot is Cathy. What if she declines to be abducted by you, Lord Pirate?”
A slow, secret smile touched Raveneau’s mouth as he remembered her whispered confession that she longed for him to ravish her. “I don’t think she’ll decline. Quite the opposite.” Looking down, he pointed to the various Stede Bonnet papers arranged on the table next to the faded treasure map. “I’ve worked out the code for how many steps to pace off, and the map shows the angle to follow. This morning, I’d like to go up to Cave Bay again and see if I can narrow down the treasure site. I need to locate the mysterious ruby that appears to be one of the keys to the map. I can’t take Cathy there and then be digging all night.”
“Has it not occurred to you that the sands have shifted tremendously since Bonnet buried that treasure... if he buried a treasure?”
“Yes, I’ve thought of that, but I am determined to find it. I’d be a fool not to try.”
“De ruby do be on a peg,” Retta said suddenly. “Orchid say dat old pirate trick, to mark stepping-off place.”
Raveneau’s heart jumped as he remembered the day he’d dragged Cathy out of the surf at Cave Bay and she’d tripped near the cave on an immovable egg-shaped object with a red center, barely peeking from the sand. At the time, he’d been so preoccupied with the argument they were having, and with the infuriating presence of his mother-in-law and Auggie, that he hadn’t given it any further thought.
“Retta! That’s the key! You are a genius!” he cried, and went to lift her off her feet and embrace her. “What would I do without you?”
Paul began to jump up and down beside them, a carved wooden giraffe in each pudgy hand. “Yay, yay, Retta!”
“Sir! Put me down. Squeeze too hard, dis ole woman can break!” Fondly, she reached up to pat his cheek. “You do be such a Rav’neau. Watch out for danger.”
“What danger could there be? It’s not as if Stede Bonnet, or even Xavier Crowe, can intervene tonight. It’s 1904! I am only creating this adventure for Cathy’s sake, because she deserves pleasure and excitement on a grand scale. Otherwise, I’d just go over to Cave Bay and dig the bloody thing up right now.”
Byron looked pensive as he popped the last bite of papaya into his mouth. “Speaking of danger, I’ve been meaning to mention to you that I think saw someone outside the night that Cathy was here. When you two were with Paul, and I took Alice outside to do her business, I swore I saw a figure moving on the beach. Alice saw it, too, and barked, but... perhaps it was one of the servants, or a crewmember from the Golden Eagle.”
Remembering the shadow he’d glimpsed in the palm trees, Adam frowned. “Right. After all, who would want to spy on us?”
The twilight sky was streaked with hibiscus pink, and a soft, salty breeze filtered through the jalousie flaps as Cathy finished going over the week’s menu with Mrs. Ford. Under one arm was a folder containing her students’ first essays, and she was anxious to retreat to her room and read them.
“Aren’t you glad that Yvette will return from Speightstown on Sunday?” asked Theo when she emerged from the kitchen.
She considered his question. “Yes, I suppose I will be. I’ve been grateful to feel useful here, but now I have more than enough work with my students.”
“You’ve been a tremendous asset to the Ocean Breeze. I don’t know if I could have kept going without all your assistance and advice.”
“I could say the same thing to you, my friend.” She held up the folder of essays. “Would you mind if I eat in my room? I’m longing to read these. I think I’ll have a bath and go to bed early.”
“That’s an excellent idea.” Just then, someone coughed, and they both looked up to see Basil Lightfoot advancing toward them. He wore a frock coat, and his hair was neatly parted in the center above his horsey face.
“Ah! Just the person I was hoping to see,” he announced, ignoring Theo. “Catherine, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me? I’ve been longing to see you, to talk to you...”
Her eyes danced toward Theo, who had raised both brows. “It’s very kind of you to ask, Mr. Lightfoot—”
“I beg you to call me Basil.”
“I’m not sure that would be proper, since I am a married woman—”
“What sort of married woman lives apart from her husband in a common hotel?”
“Now just a minute,” cried Theo. “The Ocean Breeze is hardly common!”
Basil gave him a scornful glance. “If you had any knowledge of true refinement, Harrismith, you would know just how common it is. Hardly the sort of proper environment Miss Parrish was raised to enjoy, but then neither is Tempest Hall!”
“Excuse me, sir,” she interjected. “I have tried to be polite, but you go too far. If you can’t behave like a gentleman toward me and Mr. Harrismith, I will have to ask you to leave us.”
When Lightfoot had turned on his heel and stormed away, Cathy gave Theo a big smile. “What an insufferable snob. Good riddance to him!”
After the sun had set and she had finished her dinner of potato and plantain casserole, Cathy indulged in a hot bath, then drew on a thin lace-trimmed batiste nightgown and got into bed. There were some comforts at the hotel that she appreciated; running water in a proper bathroom and modern gas lighting were among them. Now, with plenty of light and a view of the sea through her balcony’s shuttered doors, Cathy snuggled into her bed and took out the folder of essays.