Care and Feeding of Pirates Read Online Free Page B
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Tags: Historical Romance, Sea stories, Regency Romance, buried treasure, pirate romance
to release her from their marriage contract so she
could go to her Mr. Templeton.
But when Christopher had seen Honoria
tonight, walking so regally out of the theatre, he'd known he could
never let her go. If this Tuzzlewitz truly loved her, the man would
be magnanimous and not stand in Christopher's way.
"A woman when she marries, agrees to obey her
husband." Christopher said.
"You were my husband for all of one day."
"I have been your husband for four
years."
"In name only," Honoria said, jaw tight.
Christopher smiled. She made his blood hot.
"In all ways, Honoria. You gave me your maidenhead in that cell,
remember?"
Honoria flushed and glanced at Diana. "I was
distraught. I didn't understand what I was doing."
"Really? I believe your words were, Please, Christopher ."
"If you'd been a gentleman, you'd have sent
me home."
Christopher got to his feet. The whiskey
burned through his veins, and he wanted to laugh, loud and long. "I
was a pirate . I was about to be hanged, and you had half
your clothes off. When a beautiful woman wants a pirate, the pirate
obliges." He went to her. "You were made for me, Honoria. You know
it, and your body knows it."
At the head of the table, Ardmore's son made
a small mewl of protest as their voices penetrated his sleep.
Christopher threw Diana a look. "Will you
excuse us, Mrs. Ardmore? My wife and I want to argue."
"I think I had better stay," Diana said.
"Why?" Christopher wanted to laugh and rage
at the same time. "Are you afraid Honoria will try to make herself
a widow?"
"I am not certain what I fear," Diana
answered. "But I will stay."
Honoria shoved back her chair and jumped to
her feet. The chair fell over backward with a bang, and Baby
Ardmore squeezed his eyes shut and let out an irritated wail.
"I beg your pardon, Diana," Honoria said, her
voice ringing. "I certainly will not stay here and embarrass you
further. Please have a servant show Mr. Raine the door. Good
night."
She nearly fled the room, shoving aside a few
more chairs in her haste. The dressing gown slid down, baring her
kissable shoulders. A most enticing picture.
Diana crooned to her son and bounced him in
her arms. After the bedroom door slammed--the draft of it rocketed
down the stairs--the child settled down again into his peaceful
slumber.
Christopher let Honoria go. For now. There
would be time, plenty of time. He had to search for Manda, and he
could not leave England until he found her. Before Christopher
departed, he would scoop up Honoria and carry her off. It was
inevitable.
Her body had fit to his again so easily. She
belonged to him--Christopher had known it in his bones since the
day he'd first met her in the garden room at the Ardmore house.
Circumstance had had other ideas, but circumstance had led him back
to her once more.
It would be a fight. Honoria would not come
easily. But Christopher would have her, even if he had to drag her
off, kicking and screaming.
Christopher took leave of Mrs. Ardmore and
let himself out of the house. Outside, London was still misty, but
a certain warmth had penetrated his blood, which began to burn him
hotter than the sun in the Pacific islands.
*** *** ***
"Do you want to talk about it?" Diana asked,
sitting on Honoria's bed.
Her sister-in-law had put baby Paul to bed,
looked in on Isabeau, seen the house locked for the night, and
returned to Honoria's bedchamber. Honoria supposed Diana had
tactfully been giving her time to compose herself, but Honoria
thought she'd never be composed again.
She felt limp, sick, and worried, and at the
same time very angry. How dare Christopher come back to life
just as she'd gotten her own life put in order?
She'd finally been able to begin a normal
life, preparing to have a family of her own. So of course,
Christopher would choose that moment to come back from the dead and
turn her heart inside out. He'd done it on purpose. Honoria was
certain of it.
"What is there to say?" she told Diana. She
lay facedown on
could go to her Mr. Templeton.
But when Christopher had seen Honoria
tonight, walking so regally out of the theatre, he'd known he could
never let her go. If this Tuzzlewitz truly loved her, the man would
be magnanimous and not stand in Christopher's way.
"A woman when she marries, agrees to obey her
husband." Christopher said.
"You were my husband for all of one day."
"I have been your husband for four
years."
"In name only," Honoria said, jaw tight.
Christopher smiled. She made his blood hot.
"In all ways, Honoria. You gave me your maidenhead in that cell,
remember?"
Honoria flushed and glanced at Diana. "I was
distraught. I didn't understand what I was doing."
"Really? I believe your words were, Please, Christopher ."
"If you'd been a gentleman, you'd have sent
me home."
Christopher got to his feet. The whiskey
burned through his veins, and he wanted to laugh, loud and long. "I
was a pirate . I was about to be hanged, and you had half
your clothes off. When a beautiful woman wants a pirate, the pirate
obliges." He went to her. "You were made for me, Honoria. You know
it, and your body knows it."
At the head of the table, Ardmore's son made
a small mewl of protest as their voices penetrated his sleep.
Christopher threw Diana a look. "Will you
excuse us, Mrs. Ardmore? My wife and I want to argue."
"I think I had better stay," Diana said.
"Why?" Christopher wanted to laugh and rage
at the same time. "Are you afraid Honoria will try to make herself
a widow?"
"I am not certain what I fear," Diana
answered. "But I will stay."
Honoria shoved back her chair and jumped to
her feet. The chair fell over backward with a bang, and Baby
Ardmore squeezed his eyes shut and let out an irritated wail.
"I beg your pardon, Diana," Honoria said, her
voice ringing. "I certainly will not stay here and embarrass you
further. Please have a servant show Mr. Raine the door. Good
night."
She nearly fled the room, shoving aside a few
more chairs in her haste. The dressing gown slid down, baring her
kissable shoulders. A most enticing picture.
Diana crooned to her son and bounced him in
her arms. After the bedroom door slammed--the draft of it rocketed
down the stairs--the child settled down again into his peaceful
slumber.
Christopher let Honoria go. For now. There
would be time, plenty of time. He had to search for Manda, and he
could not leave England until he found her. Before Christopher
departed, he would scoop up Honoria and carry her off. It was
inevitable.
Her body had fit to his again so easily. She
belonged to him--Christopher had known it in his bones since the
day he'd first met her in the garden room at the Ardmore house.
Circumstance had had other ideas, but circumstance had led him back
to her once more.
It would be a fight. Honoria would not come
easily. But Christopher would have her, even if he had to drag her
off, kicking and screaming.
Christopher took leave of Mrs. Ardmore and
let himself out of the house. Outside, London was still misty, but
a certain warmth had penetrated his blood, which began to burn him
hotter than the sun in the Pacific islands.
*** *** ***
"Do you want to talk about it?" Diana asked,
sitting on Honoria's bed.
Her sister-in-law had put baby Paul to bed,
looked in on Isabeau, seen the house locked for the night, and
returned to Honoria's bedchamber. Honoria supposed Diana had
tactfully been giving her time to compose herself, but Honoria
thought she'd never be composed again.
She felt limp, sick, and worried, and at the
same time very angry. How dare Christopher come back to life
just as she'd gotten her own life put in order?
She'd finally been able to begin a normal
life, preparing to have a family of her own. So of course,
Christopher would choose that moment to come back from the dead and
turn her heart inside out. He'd done it on purpose. Honoria was
certain of it.
"What is there to say?" she told Diana. She
lay facedown on