Read Online The Irish Bride by Alexis Harrington - Free Book Online Page A

carefully
blank, but it was as if Farrell could hear his thoughts while he
considered their options. Ten pounds was a fortune to people who
lived off the land. Farrell didn’t think she’d ever seen that much
money at one time in her life, and it would be a lot to lose if
McCorry turned out to be nothing but a pirate.
    Aidan folded his hands in front of him
on the table and gave the captain an even stare. “A pity it would
be but there are other ships, and we’ll find passage with one of
them if needs be. And ye don’t look to be the kind of man who would
pass up the chance to make ten pounds, even if it comes later in
the day.” He lifted one brow. “So, Mr. McCorry, would ye be kind
enough to tell me the name of your vessel so we’ll know which one
to look for?”
    The captain let out a roar
of laughter. “Aye, boyo, ye’re no bumpkin, after all. Come to
the Mary Fiona as
soon as ye like. We sail just after noon.”
    The two shook hands then, and McCorry
rose from his chair and made his way to the pub door. As he passed
the soldiers, he threw them a loud greeting. “Top of the day to ye,
boys.”
    “ Can we trust him?” Farrell
asked as she watched McCorry’s departure.
    “ No, but it’s a bit less
worrisome with our ten pounds still in my—uh, pocket.” He gave her
a sudden, wicked smile that she was annoyed to find quite
disarming. Oh, and didn’t the sight of it probably make all the
girls melt away like hot butter? she thought dryly. Well, it didn’t
fool her, though she made a pointed effort to ignore the little
jolt that shimmied through her. “And I’ll ask about to make sure
the good captain isn’t after telling us a tale about other ships
bound for New York.”
    While Kate had disappeared into the
kitchen, the soldiers still stood at the bar, and now they were
casually scanning the pub patrons. At this time of day, there
weren’t many to look over, and it wouldn’t be long before they
discovered Aidan and Farrell.
    “ Do you think they’re
searching for us?” Farrell whispered, her stomach fluttering
nervously. Aidan sat next to her on a short bench with his hard
thigh pressed against hers. She felt the tension in his muscles
through her thin skirt, and half expected him to leap up at any
second, grab her arm, and make a run for the entrance.
    Their exit was to be more subtle,
though. “Best that we not find out. Come, wife,” he answered
quietly. “We will be leaving now. Don’t hurry, but don’t lag,
either.”
    Aidan stood and extended his hand.
Farrell closed her fingers around his and drew comfort from his
warm, firm grip. He led her across the room and toward the door,
slipping past the soldiers with the nonchalance of a man escorting
his wife. Just as he had his hand on the knob, Kate reappeared and
brayed, “That’s ’em now! The man and the woman I was tellin’ ye
about.”
    Aidan swore vehemently under his
breath, cursing the pub owner with a profanity that Farrell had
heard only once in her life, and with his fingers still tightly
interlaced with Farrell’s he jerked open the door and pulled her
along with him into a heavy rain.
    Terror arced through her like
lightning, and Aidan’s iron grip on her arm was so tight, her
fingers tingled.
    “ Halt!” one of soldiers
called from the pub doorway behind them. But Aidan didn’t stop
until they reached a narrow, garbage-filled alley on the next
block. Plunging between the buildings, he pushed her into a tall,
shallow depression in one of the brick walls and flattened himself
over her, breathing hard.
    Farrell could scarcely breathe at all.
Her face was pressed hard against his chest, and his shirt buttons
dug into her cheek. Heartbeats, strong and fast, mingled with her
own galloping pulse, making it impossible to separate hers from
his. The male scent of him, laced with a tang of high tension,
filled her head. From the street she heard the sound of running
footsteps as they passed the alley, but Aidan didn’t move