Chapter Fourteen #2
Josephine smiled as the couple strode out onto the dance floor.
“Miss Montclair?” The lieutenant’s baritone voice rumbled from just over her shoulder.
She spun. “Has anyone ever told you it’s rude to sneak up on people?”
He grinned. “Yes, but I wanted to ask you to dance.”
“I thought you didn’t like dancing?”
“What can I say? You’ve inspired me to try to change my mind.”
She snorted. “Very funny.” The music rose in a graceful swell, the lilting rhythm of a waltz—a dance Josephine had definitely never learned. “Unfortunately, I don’t know how to waltz.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
She swallowed, her pulse quickening, as he took her hand, the warmth of his fingers steady against hers, his other palm settling at her waist with practiced ease. He tugged her toward the dance floor but she hesitated.
“This is the part where you move with me.” Amusement laced his voice.
“I told you, I don’t know how.” The words tumbled out in a paralyzed whisper.
His thumb brushed lightly over the back of her hand, a fleeting reassurance. “Follow my lead, and I’ll teach you.”
The way he said it, full of command and assurance, gave her no option other than to agree.
He moved with effortless confidence, each step measured, while she fought to match his lead, her muscles taut with the strain of keeping pace.
The steps were unfamiliar, the movements too fluid, too close.
She concentrated on her footing, wary of tangling her feet with his, but he kept his hand steady at her waist, his fingers a silent guide.
“Trust me.” His voice came soft and her fingers curled slightly against his shoulder, though whether in agreement or unease, she wasn’t sure.
As they glided through a turn, he drew her close and the heady scent of sandalwood unraveled what little reluctance remained. The music grew louder, and he increased their pace, his hold never faltering.
“Better,” he murmured. His breath stirred against her temple, sending heat curling low in her stomach.
She decided in that instant that she very much liked the waltz.
The music carried them through another turn, her steps growing steadier. A happy sigh escaped her as the room blurred around them, the flicker of candlelight and murmur of voices fading beneath the steady rhythm of their steps. She focused on the movement, on the warmth of his hand at her back.
“Were you able to find any more information to help you in your search for Thorne?” Her voice came thick and she drew in a steadying breath.
“The ship carried archived naval orders. The survivors we talked to said Thorne and his men took them off the ship before sinking it.” Another turn loosened their hands and separated them by an arm’s length.
“What do you think he was looking for in them?”
He drew her back in, his hold steady, his gaze unwavering. “We’re not sure. Thorne used to be a navy captain, so it may have been he’s searching for records of an event that happened during his service. Maybe something that happened to cause his wife to be targeted.”
“His wife?”
He pressed his eyes shut. “Pretend I didn’t say that.”
Josephine swallowed, thinking back to all she knew about Thorne. It wasn’t much. But no one had ever mentioned a wife. She filed the knowledge away. “Perhaps retribution for a ship he captured?”
“Perhaps.” He didn’t sound convinced.
The music began to wind down and the lieutenant slowed their steps, guiding them toward the edge of the dance floor. The last notes echoed softly in the room, leaving a quiet stillness in their wake.
His ocean-hued eyes stayed locked on hers. “Care to join me for a stroll outside? We may be in the city, but I’m sure they’ve got a garden out back.”
She nodded and slipped her hand into his elbow.
Outside, they took a turn around the busy verandah before he led her down the stairs.
A stone pathway led them between tall hedges and the sounds of the party began to fade.
They came to a stop in a small clearing, moonlight reflecting off a statue in the center.
Lieutenant Caldwell’s gaze lingered on it before dropping to her. “Did you enjoy your first waltz?”
The intensity in his eyes sent her pulse racing and all she could do was nod, her throat tight, the air between them suddenly thick.
He stepped closer, just enough to feel the heat of him, and a shiver that had nothing to do with the night air slid all the way down to her toes.
Time seemed to slow, each beat of her heart thumping against her chest as he slowly leaned down.
His fingertips grazed her neck. Her jaw. A sweet shudder passed through Josephine as his mouth paused a hairsbreadth from hers. And then, the softest touch, a barely there brush of warmth against her lips. Her breath hitched as her eyelids fluttered shut.
The faint scrape of a boot against stone came from nearby, and Josephine’s eyes snapped open. A shape materialized in the shadows behind the lieutenant and she gasped. His hand dropped to his side and he spun.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
The metal point of a blade pressed beneath the lieutenant’s chin and he slowly released his grip on the sword he’d drawn, dropping it to the ground with a clatter.
Josephine’s heart went cold as the man stepped into the light and she recognized him from the drawing in Christian’s papers.
“What do you want, Thorne?” Isaac ground the words out.
The pirate laughed, the hollow sound sending a shiver up her spine. “So sorry to interrupt your romantic moment, but I needed a word.”
Isaac glared at him, shifting his weight to position Josephine behind him.
“I’d like to give you the same offer I gave my son. Join me, Lieutenant.”
Lieutenant Caldwell sucked in a breath.
“Choose your response carefully. Remember, I’ve no reason not to slit your throat.”
His hands clenched into fists. “Are you insane?”
Thorne chuckled. “Perhaps.”
“This isn’t a game, Thorne.”
All amusement faded from the pirate’s face. “You’re right. It’s not. I could use your help. In return, I’ll give you anything your heart desires.”
“Never.” Isaac spat the word out and Thorne drew his lips into a snarl.
“Very well. But hear me and hear me well. This is the only warning I’ll give you. I intend to finish this. Keep prying and I will kill you.”
“Not if I kill you first.”
“Bold words for someone standing in your current position.” Thorne slipped the sword to the side of Isaac’s neck and stepped to the side, his dark gaze settling on Josephine. His lips curved into a predatory smile when she lifted her eyes to meet his. “I heard you’ve a bone to pick with me?”
She sucked in a gasp as he repeated her words from earlier.
“Don’t touch her,” the lieutenant bit out, his voice a low growl.
The pirate arched his brow. “Or what?” His blade swung toward her. “You know what I do to those my enemies hold dear?”
“She’s not…I don’t…”
A numbness crept over her and the cold laugh rang out once more as her jaw tightened. “Now, now, look at what you’ve done.”
Sharp steel pressed against her cheek. “You’ve gone and hurt her feelings. Not very gentlemanly, I must say.”
Her chest heaved with each ragged breath as the weapon brushed down her jaw, grazed the skin of her throat, and came to a stop at the ribbon disappearing below her neckline.
“What do we have here?” He twisted the sword and lifted the key from its hiding spot.
His eyes narrowed before flicking up to meet hers. The darkness in his gaze made her breath hitch as a coldness began to twine within her. After a long moment, his lips drew into a thin line and he returned his attention to her chest. “What an interesting piece. Where did you get it?”
She swallowed and reached up, her hand closing around the key. “I’ve had it a long time.”
His gaze sharpened as she spoke. “What’s a girl from the Caribbean doing here in North Carolina?”
“Thorne, leave her alone. She’s got no part in this.” Isaac had edged toward the pirate’s side.
Thorne whipped his weapon back toward Isaac with a snarl. “Don’t do anything stupid, boy. She’s not worth dying over.”
Somehow, the words cut her worse than the blade could have.
The pirate began to back away, keeping his sword level. “Remember what I said, boy.” A few more steps, and he disappeared in the shadows.
Lieutenant Caldwell took her arm. “Come.” They rushed up the stairs to the verandah. Once the light from the open doors washed over them, he paused and turned to her.
“Are you hurt?” His thumb grazed the skin at her neck, where moments before, Thorne’s blade had rested.
No.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat as warmth spread from the spot he touched her. “I’m fine.”
His eyes searched hers for a brief moment, and he dropped his hand to her elbow. “Let’s get inside. I need to alert my men.”
She followed, heart still racing. “Lieutenant, perhaps you should listen to him. He said he would kill you. Is this mission worth dying for?”
He twisted his head and continued toward the doors. “Do you take me for a coward, Miss Montclair?”
Her steps faltered. “Of course not.”
“Then don’t think for a second I will let him bully me.”
They passed into the light of the ballroom, and she slowed, forcing him to as well. “He could have killed you out there, but he didn’t. It would be wise to heed his warning.”
“Thorne is an enemy of this country. His actions have sealed his fate. It is my duty and honor to track him down.”
Her throat thickened and she clamped her mouth shut. No use arguing with him at this point. They crossed the dance floor, dodging twirling couples, and headed straight toward Christian and Samantha.