Pleasing the Pirate: A Loveswept Historical Romance (11 page)

Phin went still. The story was all too familiar and hit far too close to home. He wanted to hunt those soldiers down and kill every last one of them.

“I’m sorry,” he said, the words entirely inadequate.

“Don’t you see? Don’t you understand why I can’t like any Englishman? They’ve taken everything from me. Everything. I have no family. Few friends. No possibilities.”

“I have never served in the English army, Mairi. Those soldiers aren’t me.” No, he’d never served in the English army but wasn’t he working for the crown now?

“I’m not attending their dinner or that opera. I can’t sit among them and pretend I’m having a grand time when their sons and husbands pillaged my country.”

It had been obvious to Phin for days now that Grant was not coming to fetch Mairi. At least not here where he could be easily caught. That left Phin only one other option and that was to parade Mairi about London. Short of marching her up and down the street, he didn’t know how else to do that. Sebastian had provided him an excellent excuse to get her out and make her appear vulnerable. Already his men were down in the main room talking about their captain attending the dinner party with his “lady friend.” He had no doubt that word would get back to Grant. And he was also positive that Grant would be furious enough to try to “rescue” his sister from the hated English pirate.

Sebastian had men in place and Phin had reinforced them with his own men. Tonight could be the night that he captured Grant McFadden.

He didn’t want to make Mairi vulnerable and he hated himself for using her in such a way, but he had no choice.

“Mairi, the more you’re out and about the more chances Grant has of coming for you.”

She waved his words away. “Grant is well aware of my whereabouts. He will come for me. There is no need for you to be my nanny. Go to dinner if you wish.”

“Grant won’t return here, Mairi. The crown is aware that he’s been seen here before and he knows that.”

“He will send someone for me.”

He took a deep breath to calm himself. “Be that as it may, we will attend the dinner.”

* * *

They arrived at Sebastian’s house late in the afternoon. Gabrielle’s maid bathed Mairi, dressed her, powdered her, spritzed her, combed her, curled her and did all other manner of things that Gabrielle claimed would make Phin weak in the knees.

She didn’t want Phin weak in the knees and she didn’t want to be with these people, but when Phin was her only protection in this city, and her only hope of finding her brother, she had no choice.

Grant would be furious with her when he discovered she was consorting with the enemy.

And yet, Gabrielle had been nothing but kind and generous. She’d opened her home to Mairi, gave her two beautiful gowns and loaned her a maid. And she treated Mairi the same way she treated Claire and Emmaline, who both materialized later in the afternoon to partake in what Claire said was “fun,” but that Mairi considered torture.

There were long stretches of time in which Mairi was left alone with Gabrielle’s maid, a woman of few words, which suited Mairi fine. It left her with her thoughts. Not all of which were welcome. Especially when they turned to Phin and
the kiss
, as she referred to it.

When she’d bargained her virtue, she promised herself that she would not enjoy coupling with Phin. She was merely paying a price, she’d told herself. A steep price to be sure, but nothing was too steep for her brother. However, after that kiss she was beginning to wonder if she’d had any idea of just what she had gotten herself into. She’d thought she could handle it, but oh, how wrong she had been. And that had only been a kiss. What would happen if Phin decided he wanted his payment and demanded that she sleep with him?

She made a sound and Gabrielle’s maid looked up at her from where she crouched on her knees pinning the hem of Mairi’s new gown. Mairi smiled faintly, feeling flushed as memories
assailed her. Her knees grew weak and that place between her legs, that sensitive place she never even knew existed, quivered in a longing so fierce that it made her blush in mortification.

Surely no woman of quality felt such wicked things.

Then again, she was no woman of quality. She was Mairi McFadden, unwilling laird of Clan McFadden. A clan that, according to Phin’s people, should not exist anymore.

Gabrielle sailed into the room and stopped short. “Oh, my,” she said. “You are exquisite.”

Mairi looked down, unaccustomed to such praise. On a normal day she wore her work-worn gowns and toiled in the kitchen gardens or helped the old stable master bail hay for the few horses left to them. She’d never been exquisite before.

“The men are waiting,” Gabrielle said. Her maid got to her feet and brushed her hands together with a nod as if saying, “You’ll do.”

Mairi turned to step down from the platform she’d been standing on for hours, and caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror. She pulled in a surprised breath and peered closer at the woman in dark, shimmering sapphire with her red hair piled on top of her head in such a way that softened her sharp cheekbones. Tendrils had sprung loose as it was wont to do, but instead of looking messy, it looked artfully elegant.

Blue earbobs winked and sparkled from her ears and a matching necklace, loaned to her again by Gabrielle, glimmered in the candlelight.

Reluctantly she pulled her gaze from the mirror and the stranger looking back at her, discomfited and bemused. Who was that person? She looked like any gently bred English woman ready for an evening with friends.

Except you’re not a gently bred English woman. You’d best remember that, Mairi McFadden. Don’t ever forget from whence you came and where you will return. These earbobs and this gown are not yours and never will be. Your future is with your people and your land
.

With that thought, she turned on her borrowed heels and followed Gabrielle to the drawing room where the men and other ladies awaited her, feeling like the worst sort of fraud and traitor to her people.

But when she entered the drawing room she stopped, her gaze immediately seeking out Phin. ’Twas not difficult to find him, for he commanded the room in his black breeches, a shimmery silver waistcoat, and a black coat. His cravat and shirt were a snowy white, his hair
combed straight back and secured at the nape with a black ribbon. For a moment her head spun and she became dizzy. She feared if she walked one more step she would fall on her face.

If she was exquisite, as Gabrielle said, then there were no words to describe Phin.

He’d been in the process of raising his glass to take a drink when he saw her. His hand stopped in midair. His gaze took in her gown, her hair, the jewels at her neck.

“My God,” he said.

Sebastian chuckled and slapped Phin on the back almost causing him to spill his drink. He set it down without looking where he was placing it and walked toward Mairi. Emmaline had to slide out of his way lest he roll right over her.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

“So are you.” She couldn’t stop looking at him. Who was Phin Lockwood? A pirate or a gentleman? A little bit of both? Her gaze slid to his lips and memories of kissing him came unbidden.

The butler appeared to announce the arrival of their guests. Mairi stepped to the side, her stomach a knot of nerves as a large woman in a bright pink gown and a massive amount of bracelets that clinked and clanked entered with a stern, gray-haired man who appeared to be her husband. She embraced Gabrielle, enfolding the smaller woman until no one could see her.

Another man entered and Mairi’s gaze was riveted to his bright yellow and blue ensemble. He appeared to be what the English called a fop. Mairi had heard of such a person before but never encountered one. She was intrigued as she watched him flounce around the room, keeping mainly with the women. He seemed to take to Gabrielle, but Sebastian didn’t appear to mind much.

And then another man entered all alone. There was an aura about him that made Mairi shiver. He stood near the door looking around with a deliberateness that was disconcerting. He was dressed in the finest fashion, all in black with the exception of his white shirt and white cravat. He was tall and thin, but she sensed there was more beneath the expensive clothing.
Danger
was the word that came to mind. His cool gaze fell on her before moving slowly away.

Sebastian walked over and the two spoke.

Eventually the men congregated on one side of the room, where it seemed earnest discussions followed, while the women gathered together and sat in the chairs. Mairi hesitated, caught between the two groups, not fitting in either.

She would much rather be with Phin than these women with whom she felt very out of place. Oh, Claire and Emmaline were nice enough, and certainly Gabrielle had helped her out
more than she needed to, but they weren’t her people and she wasn’t certain how to act around them. She hovered at the perimeter wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. It would be a blessing if it did.

The larger woman, Lady Eastman, was the most gregarious of the bunch. She spoke with her hands, the numerous bracelets clacking as she talked. She seemed to be the one with the most gossip to impart while the others simply listened. Occasionally Claire and Gabrielle would share a secret look, their mouths pursed in amusement.

Emmaline, catching Mairi’s eye, motioned her over but at the same time the butler arrived to announce dinner. Phin appeared at her side to escort her in. Mairi was relieved that this portion of the evening was over. Now she need only suffer through dinner and whatever else Gabrielle had planned for the evening. By Mairi’s calculations they weren’t even half finished. So far she’d managed to avoid most conversation, but she doubted she could do so during dinner where it was polite to converse with the people you were seated next to.

Why, oh why had she agreed to this? Then she remembered that she hadn’t agreed at all. She’d been forced into it by Phin, who seemed to be having a grand time with his friends.

What would he do if she forced him to eat with her clan? More than likely he would fit in as he fit in here. A pirate who could converse with ease with the social elite. He was a veritable chameleon.

Mairi found herself sandwiched between Lady Eastman and the fop, who she’d learned was Benton Fitzthomas, Lord Havers. She was relieved to see that the other man, Sir Colin Atwater, was down the table. He made her uneasy with his unnatural stillness and those eyes that missed nothing. Occasionally she caught him watching her and it would make her shiver and look away.

“That gown looks quite fetching on you. A very admirable color,” Lord Havers said, eyeing her lazily.

“Thank you.”

“Sapphire goes well with all that titian hair. Beautiful. You can call me Fitzie.” He twirled the wine around in his glass. He seemed more interested in the color and style of her gown than anything else.

Lady Eastman had turned to the person on her left, who happened to be Claire. They were keeping up quite an animated discussion that didn’t involve her, so that left Mairi with Fitzie.

“You may call me Mairi,” she said.

A footman appeared and placed a plate in front of her with a large slab of reddish meat. Mairi tried very hard not to wrinkle her nose and recoil. She was sure it was the best of food but having gone for so long without rich food, the thought of eating this made her stomach churn. It could also be the fact that she was breaking bread among the enemy.

“Mairi from Scotland,” Fitzie said, ignoring the beef placed before him.

“Yes.” She picked up her fork and looked around the table. Others were delicately cutting small pieces and chewing. She could do the same.

She pierced a small piece and put it in her mouth. It was seasoned well and cooked through and her stomach suddenly rumbled in appreciation.

“Scotland’s a beautiful country,” Fitzie said. “I was there a few years ago. Before the troubles.”

Ah, yes. The troubles. As if the Scots were recalcitrant children who needed a bit of discipline. She forced down her rising anger along with another bite of food.
Do not take everything so personally, Mairi. Let it go
.

For a while they ate in silence. The beef was removed and a potato, steaming hot and topped with butter was placed before her. The Addison’s knew how to give a dinner party and knew the best cuts of meat and vegetables to serve.

“So what brings you to England?” Fitzie asked, spearing his potato.

She hesitated, knowing enough not to mention her brother by name. Yet she refused to act like she was on holiday or out to land herself a husband or some such nonsense. “I’m looking for my brother. Mr. Lockwood has agreed to help me.”

Fitzie’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “Mr. Lockwood, eh? And where did you lose your brother?”

Again she hesitated finding that she was becoming too enmeshed in this conversation fraught with too many obstacles she needed to maneuver around. “He’s somewhere in London. We just need to discover where.”

There. She was pleased that she’d answered and yet not answered as well.

Fitzie eyed her sharply. Apparently he wasn’t nearly as indifferent as he wanted others to believe.

Dinner was winding down and Mairi was pleased she’d managed to survive so far. It
hadn’t been too horrible and the food had been marvelous. She feared she would tear the seams of her stays if she ate one more bite. Until dessert was served.

It had to be pudding. Her favorite.

“And Lockwood, is he treating you well?” Fitzie asked, pushing away his bowl of pudding.

“Very well, thank you.” She looked down the table to where Phin was sitting between Sebastian and Emmaline. As if sensing her, he looked up from his pudding and their gazes locked.

He smiled faintly causing her stomach to clench in a way that reminded her of their carriage ride. Mairi looked down at her bowl, disconcerted by her reaction. There were times she felt as if she were a panicked fish that had been lured to Phin by irresistible bait and now he was reeling her in a bit at a time.