disappointment, for all the hours she spent planning and nurturing?”
“Enough gold can soothe most disappointments.”
She shook her head. “Perhaps in your world. Not here.”
“Then she will have to be disappointed.” He came toward her. “And I didn’t come here to discuss vegetable gardens.”
She gazed at him defiantly. “It’s all I’ll discuss with you.”
“Where is your father?”
She stared at him in silence.
“I’d advise you to tell me. It will be easier for you.”
“I don’t want it to be easier for me. You have no business here. Go back to England.”
“On the contrary, I have very important business here.”
“Murder?”
He was silent a moment. “Retribution.”
“I know my father. He could never have done anything that would deserve death.”
His expression hardened. “Yes, what a kind and sacrificing father he must be. He fled like the coward he is and left you to lead me away from him.
You
could have died on that mountain.”
“It wasn’t his fault I was clumsy. He didn’t want to leave me. I made him go.”
“And you weren’t as important to him as his neck.”
“My father
does
love me. I told you, I made him go.”
“He loves you so much, he goes off into the hills and lets you run wild and half-naked where any man can assault and rape you,” he said violently.
“There’s no shame in nakedness, and no islander would take me by force.” She stared at him scornfully. “They’re not like you English.”
“I didn’t take you by force. I didn’t take you at all. I thought you a child. Another lie. According to what I was told, you were eight when you left Marseilles. That would make you near your twentieth year now.”
“I didn’t lie.”
“You didn’t make any real attempt to dissuade me.”
“Why should I care what a stranger believes?”
“You were lucky that this particular stranger believed you to be an innocent child instead of the half-naked voluptuary you obviously are.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
She inhaled sharply as heat burned her cheeks. “What would you have done? Ravished me? Kill the father, rape the daughter? What a splendid man you are.”
“I don’t rape women.” His mouth tightened. “And how was I to know you were that bastard’s spawn? Respectable women don’t wander around beaches at night and masquerade as natives.”
“I wasn’t masquerading. I was with my friends, who are just as respectable as any of your Englishwomen. You’re the intruder. You’re like all the otherforeigners. You come here and lie with the women, give them a few beads, and then sail away.”
“These women you say I victimized were not only eager but aggressive, and I didn’t come here to take advantage of them.” He paused. “You know why I came here.”
“I won’t let you do it,” she said fiercely. “My father isn’t without friends here. Even the king is fond of him.”
“But he’s fonder of the prospect of guns to make war on the chief of the neighboring island.”
Cassie had hoped he would not make that discovery. Lani was right, he was very clever. “And will you give him those guns?”
“Let us say I would do almost anything to have your father.”
Dead. He meant he wanted Papa dead, she realized, feeling sick. “Why? You don’t know him. He’s a kind man who wants only to paint and live his life in peace.”
Danemount’s eyes were suddenly merciless. “He’s a butcher and deserves to be butchered in turn.” He turned and moved toward the door. “Go back to bed and rid yourself of any idea of going to him. My men have orders to stop anyone from leaving.”
“Then it’s true? We’re to be prisoners here?”
“That’s not the precise term I’d use.” He opened the door. “Bait for the trap. We’ll see how much love your father has for you.”
She shivered as she watched the door close behind him.
Bait for the trap. It mustn’t happen. She had to find a
“Enough gold can soothe most disappointments.”
She shook her head. “Perhaps in your world. Not here.”
“Then she will have to be disappointed.” He came toward her. “And I didn’t come here to discuss vegetable gardens.”
She gazed at him defiantly. “It’s all I’ll discuss with you.”
“Where is your father?”
She stared at him in silence.
“I’d advise you to tell me. It will be easier for you.”
“I don’t want it to be easier for me. You have no business here. Go back to England.”
“On the contrary, I have very important business here.”
“Murder?”
He was silent a moment. “Retribution.”
“I know my father. He could never have done anything that would deserve death.”
His expression hardened. “Yes, what a kind and sacrificing father he must be. He fled like the coward he is and left you to lead me away from him.
You
could have died on that mountain.”
“It wasn’t his fault I was clumsy. He didn’t want to leave me. I made him go.”
“And you weren’t as important to him as his neck.”
“My father
does
love me. I told you, I made him go.”
“He loves you so much, he goes off into the hills and lets you run wild and half-naked where any man can assault and rape you,” he said violently.
“There’s no shame in nakedness, and no islander would take me by force.” She stared at him scornfully. “They’re not like you English.”
“I didn’t take you by force. I didn’t take you at all. I thought you a child. Another lie. According to what I was told, you were eight when you left Marseilles. That would make you near your twentieth year now.”
“I didn’t lie.”
“You didn’t make any real attempt to dissuade me.”
“Why should I care what a stranger believes?”
“You were lucky that this particular stranger believed you to be an innocent child instead of the half-naked voluptuary you obviously are.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
She inhaled sharply as heat burned her cheeks. “What would you have done? Ravished me? Kill the father, rape the daughter? What a splendid man you are.”
“I don’t rape women.” His mouth tightened. “And how was I to know you were that bastard’s spawn? Respectable women don’t wander around beaches at night and masquerade as natives.”
“I wasn’t masquerading. I was with my friends, who are just as respectable as any of your Englishwomen. You’re the intruder. You’re like all the otherforeigners. You come here and lie with the women, give them a few beads, and then sail away.”
“These women you say I victimized were not only eager but aggressive, and I didn’t come here to take advantage of them.” He paused. “You know why I came here.”
“I won’t let you do it,” she said fiercely. “My father isn’t without friends here. Even the king is fond of him.”
“But he’s fonder of the prospect of guns to make war on the chief of the neighboring island.”
Cassie had hoped he would not make that discovery. Lani was right, he was very clever. “And will you give him those guns?”
“Let us say I would do almost anything to have your father.”
Dead. He meant he wanted Papa dead, she realized, feeling sick. “Why? You don’t know him. He’s a kind man who wants only to paint and live his life in peace.”
Danemount’s eyes were suddenly merciless. “He’s a butcher and deserves to be butchered in turn.” He turned and moved toward the door. “Go back to bed and rid yourself of any idea of going to him. My men have orders to stop anyone from leaving.”
“Then it’s true? We’re to be prisoners here?”
“That’s not the precise term I’d use.” He opened the door. “Bait for the trap. We’ll see how much love your father has for you.”
She shivered as she watched the door close behind him.
Bait for the trap. It mustn’t happen. She had to find a
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