The Duke's Daughter -Wattys2014 Collector's Dream Award Winner-

Chapter Thirty Three

Thomas watched the girl across from him, full bloom in beauty and femininity. She could be a very useful ally if she could be directed along the correct path. He truly hoped she had the fortitude for the mission though.

From what he had observed through the windows of the dining room, as he had watched her dine with the Admiral, he knew her woman's skills were well honed. The question was, just how far was she willing to go, to see the end met. He did not need her to surrender her virtue, just make it appear that she might. He did not plan to ask her to do any dirty work either, only to cause a distraction, so that he might.

"Lady Kent, how much do you know about his lordship?"

"Nothing other than what the Admiral told me last night. He plans to wed and bed me to get control of my dowry."

"There is much we must discuss then. Do you even know his given name?"

A negative shake of her head was his answer.

"Have you ever heard of Marcus Bailey?"

She thought for a moment. The name sounded somewhat familiar, but then again, both the first and last names were common ones. "Nay, I can not say."

"Marcus Bailey is wanted by the crown for seven counts of rape and murder as well as treason. Marcus Bailey is a very dangerous man."

Arianna stared at him wondering where he was going with this. She did not expect his lordship to be a kind and considerate gentleman.

"I have no illusions about what lies ahead, sir."

"But do you have a plan yet? Have you decided how you're going to get away from him, alive, whole, and free?"

"Nay, other than watching for opportunities that are presented to me. What can I plan when I know not what I am walking into?"

Thomas laughed, "Strategy, my lady. If you have an idea of a plan going in, you may be able to turn a situation your way more easily."

Her right brow lifted and she said nothing, not following his lead.

"Let me say it this way, my lady. I need to take Marcus Bailey alive. 'Tis the only way I collect the reward on the treason papers. Taking him is not the problem, however. Getting him, and us, off the island and back to England is where the problem lies. However, what I may need from you, is a bit of distraction so that I might set that in motion. Would you be willing to run interference for me, if I promise to get you out of this, and back to your father?"

Arianna took a bite of her fare and thought over his words. A lot was left to chance but that was simply something that could not be helped at this moment. What choice do you have, my lady?

Thomas's words from the previous evening on deck rang in her mind. And though she was not sure that back to her father was the destination she desired, that could be discussed once she did indeed decide where another possible destination might be. It could not hurt to have an ally.

"Aye, Mr. Bell. You have yourself an agreement." She stuck her hand out across the table and Thomas shook it. Neither was quite sure what they had just gotten themselves into.

*****

The Caribbean sun had risen high in the sky the next day, by the time Carmelita had climbed from the dungeons, back to her attic room. Her punishment had not been light. She shuddered off the memory and washed herself. Physically she hurt. Mentally she was numb. She had learned that nothing came from allowing herself to analyze the time spent in the dungeons. Now, and for the last ten years, she was not a person, simply a possession. An animal, less than human, that could, and would, be beaten anytime its owner felt they want.

No tears fell now, her breathing was calm and even. She sincerely hoped that the luncheon was prepared correctly today, or they would all find themselves down in the dungeons, once again. She shuddered with the thought. She had been lucky this time, she had managed to save the others from joining her. But the punishments were always so much more physical when one was sent down alone. At least when it came to group punishments his lordship was pleased with embarrassment. Such had not been the case last eve. No, something had been on his mind. He had been drinking heavily, something he never did while punishing slaves. And he had called her by another name in the wee hours. Something he had never bothered to do, as he knew she hated the nickname he had given her long ago, when he had first come to the Island. Cammie. Oh, how she hated it. Her name was not difficult to pronounce, if it were she would be able to understand that to some degree. But he had done it with almost all of the slaves, 'renaming' them the closest English name to their own, so that he could pretend that he was still in his beloved country.

A commotion in the hall caught Carmelita's attention as she slipped into a clean shift. Her door burst open and Roman, her eleven year old son came running in.

"Mamá, your home!" He rushed into her open arms and squeezed as tightly as she squeezed him. The tears his lordship had tried to force from her with pain, finally filled her eyes as she held her son close. He was her reason to breathe, her reason to live. Were it not for the beautiful boy in her arms, and the memory of his father that he stirred with every smile, Carmelita would have thrown herself from the northern cliffs years ago. She kissed the top of his head and held him out before her. His eyes were as damp as hers. He did not know what she had gone through in the last twenty four hours, what she had endured. Simply because his lordship had not bothered to brush the mud off his boots before entering the house. Years ago she had told Roman that his lordship sent everyone away when he was angry with them, and should his lordship ever be angry with her, Roman was to hide himself until she returned. Carmelita would not put it past their owner to hurt her young son to punish her, and thus far she had managed to successfully protect him.

"Roman, my boy. Have you been behaving yourself?" She asked as she kissed both of his cheeks. He squirmed slightly under her affectionate manner.

"Si, Mamá!" He laughed as he moved across the room to sit on his small bed with a bounce, "I have worked hard every day, and only gone swimming with the other children, after the sun is down."

"I'm proud of you, my son." She smiled at him after she slipped into a fresh gown and she sat on the edge of her own bed across from his. Their knees almost touched in the small space between.

"Did you know that there are spiny little black urchins off the west shore, mamá? Jamie stepped on one last week and she is still sick. Her mamá said they have poison and that we weren't allowed to swim off that beach no more."

"Are not, any more." She replied, reaching out to ruffle his thick dark hair. He was such a handsome boy.

"What?"

"Never mind, my love. Hurry back to your chores, I must get to mine. Will you stay in with me this evening?"

"Yes, mamà. Whatever you would like." He was gone just as quickly as he had come.

Carmelita followed much more slowly in his footsteps. She made the stairs, and coddled her aches and pains, because once she reached the bottom of the steps she would have to hide them once more. Mary, one of the upstairs slaves, was waiting for her when she finally reached the kitchens.

"Oh, Miss Cammie, thank heavens, there you are. Her ladyship is in a terrible fit, and his lordship is supposed to visit her this afternoon, I can not calm her."

Carmelita sighed, it always made things difficult when her ladyship upset his lordship. "I will see if I can calm her. Have cook send up a toddy, will you?"

"Yes, Miss Cammie."

Carmelita turned and made her way back up the stairs to her ladyship's wing on the third story. She knocked upon the door, and Eliza, her ladyship's personal slave, pulled it open.

"Miss Cammie, I just don't know what to do with her. I ain't never seen her this upset."

An angry scream and a crash reverberated through the sitting room. Cammie and Eliza both winced.

"I will speak to her. Cook will be sending a toddy up, do not bring it in until I ring for you please."

"Yes, ma'am." Eliza replied, happy to take a small break upon the settee, and wait for the toddy.

Carmelita moved to the chamber door and took a deep breath before she pushed it open.

*****

Arianna awoke from a morning nap shortly after noon. Something had awakened her, but she knew not what. Her senses were heightened and the fine hairs on her arms stood on end.

She heard the noise again, a scraping at the cabin door. Thomas was not present, but his pistol was. She sat in the bunk and retrieved the pistol.

"Damn it!" She heard on the other side of the door.

"Shut up, ya fool! She's gonna hear ya." Another voice said much louder than the first.

"I do hear you, and you have three seconds before I send a bullet through that door."

"Shit!" She heard scrambling and then all was quiet once more.

Arianna moved to the door and pressed her ear to it. No sound met her ears so she rested the pistol back upon the nightstand.

Arianna looked around the cabin. She was extremely bored and there was not one thing that caught her interest. She had gone through every nook and cranny, every drawer and box and still had not found anything to pass the time. She had finished the novel that she had found, and been most disappointed with the predictable storyline.

She saw Thomas's knife upon the desk and moved to it. It had been years since she had practiced throwing a blade. Perhaps, by the time they reached their destination, she could regain her once spot on technique.

Arianna picked a knot in the wood that made up the opposite wall and aimed, letting the blade fly across the room. The butt of the handle hit the wall a foot to the left of her mark and the knife fell to the floor. Arianna smiled as she retrieved it. Perhaps she needed more practice than she had anticipated.