Read Online A Captain's Destiny by Marie Caron - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marie Caron
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one evening of the deal he had struck, he was obviously very pleased with himself.
“The captain is now an earl with a grand estate in Bedfordshire, my dear. Yet he is willing to overlook your…ah…situation and give you his good name. Eh…I think you should thank him,” he cajoled, giving Anthony an apologetic smile and shrug when she didn’t immediately speak.
Katherine was at once shocked and then appalled that she was being given no choice in the matter. “No!” she cried, shooting up from her dining chair so rapidly that it fell over, clattering onto its back on the marble floor.
One of the servants rushed to her side to right the fallen chair, and once it was set straight, the judge told the footman to leave the room. Providing the servants with gossip was not something either of them wanted to do.
“Please sit down, my dear. You are being disrespectful to our guest. He has traveled a long way to make this offer. The man clearly had his heart set on marrying you, and I think you would be wise to accept his gracious offer. After all, you are tarnished goods now, daughter, and damned lucky to have any decent man ask for your hand,” he finished hotly, wiping his florid, damp face with his napkin.
Katherine collapsed back into her seat, and their guest gave her an understanding look.
“I can assure you, Miss Conlon…Katherine…that I have the utmost regard for you. Obviously I am familiar with the distasteful experiences you suffered at the hands of that dog, O’Bannon, and I find no reason to hold you liable for his actions. I am an earl with all the privileges that title affords me. I can marry whom I please, and by doing so erase your unfortunate past. You will never want for anything,” the nattily dressed man stated calmly, his blue-gray eyes smiling at her from his pink face.
He was blond and fair, the total opposite of Jack, and he looked less like a sailor than anyone Katherine had ever seen. But she had heard about his stellar record with the Royal Navy. He was a decorated hero, even more so since he had destroyed the Lady Elizabeth and most of her crew.
After that horrendous day, her stepfather had informed her that Anthony had taken the survivors back to England to stand trial and that a few of Jack’s men had escaped. No one had any idea where they’d gone, and though she could speculate, that episode of her life was truly over. She knew that her stepfather thought she should be glad for it, but Katherine simply couldn’t forget the ecstatic awakening she had experienced in Jack’s arms. Was she never to feel that again?
Shocked by this sudden proposal, and by the fact that it was coming from the man who had more or less killed the love of her life, Katherine blinked mutely at the captain cum earl.
Apparently he thought her silence meant she was willing to listen, because Anthony continued. “I have a lovely country home in Bedfordshire where we can live, or there’s Houghton House in London, which your stepfather has so graciously offered us.”
Katherine rallied a bit and managed to ask, “What will you do now that you’re no longer in the navy?” Knowing he must love the sea, she hoped he planned to take long voyages without her. Her face fell when she heard his reply.
“I plan to become a gentleman farmer. Perhaps I’ll raise horses, as it is a pastime which pleases me. It would also please me greatly if you would consent to be my bride,” he added, smiling at her.
“Katherine, he is willing to overlook your…uh…unfortunate circumstance,” the judge almost whined.
They all knew to what he was referring—she was no longer a virgin. Why must that be so damned important to everyone? Huffing out her frustration, Katherine scooted back her chair and made to stand up again, determined to announce her intention to remain unmarried, until doomsday if necessary. Let the gossips talk about how she’d been ruined beyond reparation. She didn’t care what others thought of
“The captain is now an earl with a grand estate in Bedfordshire, my dear. Yet he is willing to overlook your…ah…situation and give you his good name. Eh…I think you should thank him,” he cajoled, giving Anthony an apologetic smile and shrug when she didn’t immediately speak.
Katherine was at once shocked and then appalled that she was being given no choice in the matter. “No!” she cried, shooting up from her dining chair so rapidly that it fell over, clattering onto its back on the marble floor.
One of the servants rushed to her side to right the fallen chair, and once it was set straight, the judge told the footman to leave the room. Providing the servants with gossip was not something either of them wanted to do.
“Please sit down, my dear. You are being disrespectful to our guest. He has traveled a long way to make this offer. The man clearly had his heart set on marrying you, and I think you would be wise to accept his gracious offer. After all, you are tarnished goods now, daughter, and damned lucky to have any decent man ask for your hand,” he finished hotly, wiping his florid, damp face with his napkin.
Katherine collapsed back into her seat, and their guest gave her an understanding look.
“I can assure you, Miss Conlon…Katherine…that I have the utmost regard for you. Obviously I am familiar with the distasteful experiences you suffered at the hands of that dog, O’Bannon, and I find no reason to hold you liable for his actions. I am an earl with all the privileges that title affords me. I can marry whom I please, and by doing so erase your unfortunate past. You will never want for anything,” the nattily dressed man stated calmly, his blue-gray eyes smiling at her from his pink face.
He was blond and fair, the total opposite of Jack, and he looked less like a sailor than anyone Katherine had ever seen. But she had heard about his stellar record with the Royal Navy. He was a decorated hero, even more so since he had destroyed the Lady Elizabeth and most of her crew.
After that horrendous day, her stepfather had informed her that Anthony had taken the survivors back to England to stand trial and that a few of Jack’s men had escaped. No one had any idea where they’d gone, and though she could speculate, that episode of her life was truly over. She knew that her stepfather thought she should be glad for it, but Katherine simply couldn’t forget the ecstatic awakening she had experienced in Jack’s arms. Was she never to feel that again?
Shocked by this sudden proposal, and by the fact that it was coming from the man who had more or less killed the love of her life, Katherine blinked mutely at the captain cum earl.
Apparently he thought her silence meant she was willing to listen, because Anthony continued. “I have a lovely country home in Bedfordshire where we can live, or there’s Houghton House in London, which your stepfather has so graciously offered us.”
Katherine rallied a bit and managed to ask, “What will you do now that you’re no longer in the navy?” Knowing he must love the sea, she hoped he planned to take long voyages without her. Her face fell when she heard his reply.
“I plan to become a gentleman farmer. Perhaps I’ll raise horses, as it is a pastime which pleases me. It would also please me greatly if you would consent to be my bride,” he added, smiling at her.
“Katherine, he is willing to overlook your…uh…unfortunate circumstance,” the judge almost whined.
They all knew to what he was referring—she was no longer a virgin. Why must that be so damned important to everyone? Huffing out her frustration, Katherine scooted back her chair and made to stand up again, determined to announce her intention to remain unmarried, until doomsday if necessary. Let the gossips talk about how she’d been ruined beyond reparation. She didn’t care what others thought of
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