Read Online Beloved Castaway by Kathleen Y'Barbo - Free Book Online

cancellation of his debt—the Jude for some bucolic spot called Woodbine Park in Clapham, a quaint burg known for its do-gooders and zealots—but he knew it would be an arrangement most unsatisfactory to his creditor.  
    Only gold could settle the debt.
    Josiah inhaled a deep draft of damp air and listened to the rumble of thunder as it rolled across the Mississippi. Shrugging the tightness from his shoulders, he turned to stare at his reflection in the pier glass.  
    The man in the mirror frowned. Josiah looked away.
    Before landing in New Orleans, he had felt that the disconcerted-ness he was experiencing must be due to the unfamiliarity of the vessel and the nature of his mission. At the moment, he attributed the feeling to the fact that his prime means of escape now stood in peril.
    Josiah sighed and studied the teeth marks on his palm. Un-fortunately, leaving the woman to rot in the pitch-blackness of the vestibule was not an option. A second plan began to take shape.
    “Mademoiselle,” he called, easing the slightest bit of jocularity into his tone, “perhaps you’d like to join me before the river rats take notice of your scent.”
    A shuffling sound and a soft gasp gave the only indication of the lady’s presence in the stairwell. Josiah leaned against the polished mahogany wall and stared down into the darkness.
    Stubborn woman.
    “I assure you,” he added, “your safety is my utmost concern.”
    A most unladylike sound emanated from the darkness. “Should I be forced to choose, Captain Carter, I would prefer the company of the rats,” she said, her voice quaking with either anger or fear.
    Josiah preferred to think he heard fear. “As you wish.”  
    He stalked away from the door and settled onto the single remaining chair. Propping his feet on one of the women’s empty trunks, he crossed his arms over his chest and set out to watch for his guest’s return. To help pass the time, he looked to the shelf in the corner, where part of his collection of books had been stowed.  
    Bypassing the King James Bible of his youth, a chronicle both amusing and slightly unsettling, he retrieved a well-worn copy of the memoirs of Vidocq, the French police agent, and turned to the first page. Two chapters later, he tired of the ruse.
    “Enough of this nonsense!” he shouted as he replaced the volume on the shelf. “Appear forthwith, or I shall be forced to come down and fetch you myself.”
    He paused. “Or perhaps you prefer I send for your lovely traveling companions.” Another pause, this one calculated for the maximum effect. “I would so enjoy an interviewwith each of them,” he said, punctuating the statement with a chuckle before adding, “individually and at length, of course.”
    “That won’t be necessary,” came the small, uneven voice.  
    A moment later, Isabelle Gayarre stepped out of the shadows, her face showing equal parts defeat and defiance. She seemed to be having difficulty accustoming herself to the change in light, and leaned heavily against the wall, shielding her eyes.
    Josiah gave no show of sympathy as he leaned over to kick at a small traveling case, then watched it slide across the floor to land at the woman’s feet. She jumped in surprise and knelt to set it to rights.
    If only she knew how little chance she had of actually being hurt by him. No, the sins of the father would not be visited on this son.
    “I will be brief,” he said. “I require payment as promised. Until such payment is delivered, you and I shall be at odds. Unlike the arrangement with your sister, I demand gold for your passage.”
    Before his eyes, the cowering lass stood, her backbone straight and her eyes shining. She cradled the case in the crook of her arm as it were made of pure gold. Her full lips twitched, and she looked as if she were about to say something.
    Josiah congratulated himself. An unpleasant situation had been averted. The truth of her deception would now be told and his debt to the