Read Online Once Upon a Midnight Sea by Ava Bradley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ava Bradley
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her. The idea of lying to his daughter, again, sat sourly in his stomach, but he had to say whatever was necessary to keep her from learning about Christian De la Croix.
Edmund sighed as he gazed out the window. Such a long string of lies, he thought. Lies that had not gotten any easier as he'd piled one on top of another.
A shadow passed over him as someone moved into the doorway, blocking the light from the hall outside his room. Edmund glanced at the mysterious silhouette and his heart skipped a beat.
In an instant, the dread and fear he'd felt the night his attacker stood over him returned, brighter and sharper than it had been even as he'd seen the arm lift, even as he'd seen the outline of the pistol aimed on him.
Edmund tried to call out. His ruined tongue flopped uselessly in his mouth. The figure stepped through the door and started nearer. Edmund gripped the arms of his chair to push himself out. He would throw himself on his attacker and grab for something, anything, if only to secure a death-grip the man who was to kill him.
"Easy there, old man." John Locke rushed over, catching Edmund as he toppled forward. "Sit down, 'eh?"
Even as he recognized his hired man, the fear refused to wane. John Locke's rough grip showed no kindness as he squeezed Edmund's emaciated arms.
"What are you 'oing here? Where is A-riana?"
"I thought she was here. She gave us the slip in Norfolk."
"What 'o you mean?" Edmund tried to shout. His pulse throbbed in his ears. "I 'old you 'o s-ay with her." He motioned furiously for something to write with.
Locke turned to gather paper and pencil from the bedside table. As he moved, Edmund eyed his hulking frame carefully. Why, in all these months, had he never noticed the resemblance between Locke and his mysterious attacker?
In the back of his mind Edmund knew it wasn't possible, yet in the forefront, while hot fear still coursed through his veins, he couldn't deny the startling terror that had overtaken him at the sight of the man's shadowed silhouette in the doorway.
"She sent me to Chinatown after a duck. I left her with Biddle and Newbury. When I got to the dock, the ship was gone."
"'uck?"
"She said Mrs. Ling was going to cook up duck for supper. I knew they planned to sail across the bay to a party, but when I saw Biddle and Newbury coming out of the pub I knew she'd left us behind."
Why would she have left you ? Edmund scribbled out. He glared at Locke. For the first time, he saw the mistake in hiring the vicious henchman. Only now, after too many years of uncompromising management, did he realize his workers didn't need to be bullied into keeping schedules.
"She wanted to come home. But I said no, because you said no. Those were your orders." The man scowled. There was more to it, Edmund knew well enough. Adriana despised John Locke and everything he stood for.
But Edmund had bigger things to worry about. If Adriana wasn't on the same train that brought John Locke here, she was on the Lady Luck, the captive of one very angry young man.
On a dangerous voyage to French Guiana.
* * *
When Christian heard Mrs. Bailey complain of sea-sickness and start below deck, he hurried back through the ship to the hatch opening at the front.
Adriana's eyes flicked over him briefly before she turned her gaze out to sea.
"You've decided to stay aboard," he said as he slowly crossed the deck, careful not to get too close to her. He didn't trust himself, nor did he trust her not to try and finish that punch Henri interrupted last night. "I take it you believe my tale."
"Bah!" She glared at him. "On the contrary, I believe you even less than I did before, if that is at all possible."
"Then why did you not go ashore when Henri offered it?"
She bit her lower lip and glanced away again, watching the rolling waves as if she might find her answer there. A loose strand of hair curled by her cheek, caught in the gentle breeze of what was a beautiful spring morning. Somewhere, someone was
Edmund sighed as he gazed out the window. Such a long string of lies, he thought. Lies that had not gotten any easier as he'd piled one on top of another.
A shadow passed over him as someone moved into the doorway, blocking the light from the hall outside his room. Edmund glanced at the mysterious silhouette and his heart skipped a beat.
In an instant, the dread and fear he'd felt the night his attacker stood over him returned, brighter and sharper than it had been even as he'd seen the arm lift, even as he'd seen the outline of the pistol aimed on him.
Edmund tried to call out. His ruined tongue flopped uselessly in his mouth. The figure stepped through the door and started nearer. Edmund gripped the arms of his chair to push himself out. He would throw himself on his attacker and grab for something, anything, if only to secure a death-grip the man who was to kill him.
"Easy there, old man." John Locke rushed over, catching Edmund as he toppled forward. "Sit down, 'eh?"
Even as he recognized his hired man, the fear refused to wane. John Locke's rough grip showed no kindness as he squeezed Edmund's emaciated arms.
"What are you 'oing here? Where is A-riana?"
"I thought she was here. She gave us the slip in Norfolk."
"What 'o you mean?" Edmund tried to shout. His pulse throbbed in his ears. "I 'old you 'o s-ay with her." He motioned furiously for something to write with.
Locke turned to gather paper and pencil from the bedside table. As he moved, Edmund eyed his hulking frame carefully. Why, in all these months, had he never noticed the resemblance between Locke and his mysterious attacker?
In the back of his mind Edmund knew it wasn't possible, yet in the forefront, while hot fear still coursed through his veins, he couldn't deny the startling terror that had overtaken him at the sight of the man's shadowed silhouette in the doorway.
"She sent me to Chinatown after a duck. I left her with Biddle and Newbury. When I got to the dock, the ship was gone."
"'uck?"
"She said Mrs. Ling was going to cook up duck for supper. I knew they planned to sail across the bay to a party, but when I saw Biddle and Newbury coming out of the pub I knew she'd left us behind."
Why would she have left you ? Edmund scribbled out. He glared at Locke. For the first time, he saw the mistake in hiring the vicious henchman. Only now, after too many years of uncompromising management, did he realize his workers didn't need to be bullied into keeping schedules.
"She wanted to come home. But I said no, because you said no. Those were your orders." The man scowled. There was more to it, Edmund knew well enough. Adriana despised John Locke and everything he stood for.
But Edmund had bigger things to worry about. If Adriana wasn't on the same train that brought John Locke here, she was on the Lady Luck, the captive of one very angry young man.
On a dangerous voyage to French Guiana.
* * *
When Christian heard Mrs. Bailey complain of sea-sickness and start below deck, he hurried back through the ship to the hatch opening at the front.
Adriana's eyes flicked over him briefly before she turned her gaze out to sea.
"You've decided to stay aboard," he said as he slowly crossed the deck, careful not to get too close to her. He didn't trust himself, nor did he trust her not to try and finish that punch Henri interrupted last night. "I take it you believe my tale."
"Bah!" She glared at him. "On the contrary, I believe you even less than I did before, if that is at all possible."
"Then why did you not go ashore when Henri offered it?"
She bit her lower lip and glanced away again, watching the rolling waves as if she might find her answer there. A loose strand of hair curled by her cheek, caught in the gentle breeze of what was a beautiful spring morning. Somewhere, someone was
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