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

Chapter Fifty

Carmelita stood wringing  her hands in the hallway. It had been long enough since Thomas’s interruption for the potion to have worked. Arianna had to have been successful in slipping it to him or they would all pay shortly.
As if thinking the girl's name had called her forth, Arianna stepped into the hallway from the west wing.

"'Tis done." She said, her expression sober, she seemed calm and collected. It was only when Carmelita looked directly into the girl's apple green eyes, she noticed the turbulent storm that resided in them. Lady Kent was anything but calm and collected.

Before Carmelita could comment, they heard footsteps on the stairs. Thomas came around the balustrade first, followed by Alejandro, and then Derek.

Thomas nodded to the ladies respectively, before he moved past Arianna towards the west terrace. Alejandro came to a stop before his wife. No words passed their lips as Alejandro's hand lifted to her cheek. Carmelita rubbed her soft cheek against his sea roughened palm, her eyes slipping closed, as she enjoyed the feel of his skin on hers. Alejandro pulled his wife to him for a hungry kiss. Arianna turned away from the couple, slightly embarrassed by their public display of affection.

She found Derek's eyes upon her. She watched as his gaze searched her features, finding the hidden turmoil in her eyes. At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to be pulled in close to his chest and held in his strong arms. Through out this entire kidnapping experience, the promise of returning to Derek had kept her strong. She watched as he moved towards her cautiously and could see his features change from concerned to unreadable. He stopped just short of her, his hand lifting, as if.. well, she would not know what he had wanted to do, because his hand dropped back to his side and his gaze moved away from hers.

“I must see if Thomas requires assistance.” Derek claimed as he pressed a kiss to her forehead before following down the hallway Thomas had taken a moment before.

Arianna’s face fell as he left her and she stared after him quizzically. Where had the man who had held her after Shaw’s murder disappeared to? Where was the man from the orchards earlier? What had caused this? Her eyes met those of Alejandro and she could see her own pain mirrored back in those dark eyes. She knew he understood what she was feeling and that almost made it more difficult. With one last glance towards Alejandro and Carmelita, Arianna picked up her skirts and ran for the stairs, never once pausing until she reached the third floor.

After a quick knock upon the doors, Arianna let herself into her mother's apartments.

*****

Carmelita shied away from Alejandro's tense body, as he stared at the stairs Arianna had fled up moments before. Every muscle in his being was tensed, the muscle in his cheek danced in a frantic rhythm. Carmelita had never seen her husband like this before. The Alejandro she had known, had always been quick of wit, and slow to anger. Perhaps he had changed over the years as well. Odd, how this man before her wore the face she had prayed to one day see again, but was virtually a stranger.

She must have made a noise, because his attention swiveled to her. His body and face relaxed, he looked spent, as the anger melted away. "My captain is a damned fool. That girl wants nothing more than his affection. The American could have handled an unconscious villain himself."

"I can agree with that." She said, comforted by the fact that he was willing to speak of his turbulent emotions.

"He is in love with her."

"Hopefully, she is patient with him then. I remember a time, when someone else we both know, acted like a fool."

Pain lanced through Alejandro's chest. Was she referring to the attack on their village?

"I remember when this.. acquaintance.. serenaded me under my window for a week straight. When my father had him removed and barred from the property, the fool had persisted. He played his lute upon the walls below my window, where the guards could not reach him, for the remainder of the month until I finally agreed to meet with him."

Her eyes were soft and warm, as she let memories of their time together fill her heart. Alejandro watched her face, mesmerized. For years he had dreamed of seeing her before him, a smile upon her face and her eyes bright with happiness, as they were now. God how he had missed her.

"In that case, the fool was persistent," He stepped closer to her, catching her hand in his, a lazy half smile adorning his handsome face. "In this one, the fool is blind."

She smiled as she looked at her hand in his. He brought her knuckles to his mouth and kissed them. "I thought the fool quite blind when he was dodging my father's bullets upon the tall wall outside my window. 'Tis why I agreed to meet with him."

Alejandro grinned, "How could a woman resist such bravery and determination?"

Carmelita laughed, "'Twas not warm admiration that filled my heart that night. 'Twas much closer to fear and anger, for I worried that you would die a fool's death, a bullet in your side and a broken neck. I never would have forgiven you, had you fallen that night."

Alejandro's expression was sober as he remembered, "You were magnificent in your anger that night."

"Yes, well." She blushed, "You demanded a kiss and swore you would climb right back onto the wall if I refused. You said that if your kiss did not affect me, you would leave and never return."

"But could I? Did my kiss affect you?"

"It did, devastatingly so. But it also affected you when my father found us."

"I was affected long before your father arrived, love." Alejandro pulled his wife closer, refreshing her memory once more, of how affective kisses shared between them could be. After a long moment he lifted his head and looked down into her smiling eyes. "Come, let us find our son."

"What of Bailey?"

"I am sure my captain and the American have him secured by now."

*****

Alejandro was right. Thomas and Derek had Bailey bound at wrist and ankles and propped against the terrace wall. Bailey was still unconscious, though he had grunted and groaned as they had moved him.

Thomas lifted his hand to Derek. "I thank you for your assistance. I am sure you are aware that there is a bounty upon his head. Once he is returned to the king, we will split the bounty."

Derek shook Thomas' offered hand. "I cannot guarantee that my first mate will let the man live that long, but your assistance has been vital."

"Now, how do we move forward?" Thomas asked, willing to handle the first mate when the time came.

"I will have my ship put into harbor tonight after the sun sets. We can be on the open seas by noon tomorrow. I have the room to take any who wish to come, we should see about organizing our efforts now. After dark, I will see to my ship, ensuring her readiness for the voyage ahead of us."

"Where shall we keep him in the meantime?"

Derek looked down at Bailey's unconscious face. It was strange, how such a monster looked so human, once consciousness evaded him. The man's crimes filtered through his mind.

"Only one place is appropriate."

When Thomas shifted his gaze to Derek's, with a confused tilt on his brow, a lazy grin spread across Derek's face.

"His own dungeon. I say, once he awakens, we let his slaves have at him."

Thomas stared at the Englishman before him. They sure were a cold blooded breed.