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

Chapter Seventy Four

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The weather had been fair over the last week and the Green Eyed Lady was making excellent time across the ocean. Her captain estimated that, should the weather hold, they would make England in four week's time. Her first mate had disagreed. With a glance toward the future Countess of Trent, Alejandro had stated that he thought it would be closer to three and a half week's time.

Derek smiled as he noted Roman close to his father's side. It had been a rough few days there after leaving the island. Derek had been the one to discover Alejandro and Roman standing statuesque before the scene of Bailey's gutting. He had just seen the maid and the pirate wed before Bell and Tiny had walked around the bend in the sands, gaining his attention.

Alejandro, despite the fresh blood upon his hands and shirt, had snapped back into reality upon Derek's arrival. Lodging his blade back in its sheath at the top of his boot, Alejandro had dropped to his haunches in the sand before his son and spoken calmly and quietly.

"Roman, have you seen the marks across your Mamà's back and legs?"

Roman had nodded, his eyes traveling from his father to the corpse behind him and back again.

"That man did that to her. He struck her with whips, Roman, and he hurt her in other ways that we cannot see."

Roman's large, dark eyes had changed slightly. They still held horror but now they also held pain.

"No one is going to hurt you or your mother again as long as I breathe."

Roman had nodded once more and tears had begun to fall from the boy's eyes. Large sobs had rocked his small body and he had not protested as his father pulled him close. Roman had buried his face in his father's shoulder and Alejandro had held him for long minutes until the sobs had subsided.

Once they had, Alejandro set his son back far enough so that he could see into his eyes. "No one is going to hurt our family again, my son. I promise you that."

"Thank you, Papà. Mama never told me, but I heard the talk of others. That man was evil and he scared me."

Derek had watched the tension drain from Alejandro's shoulders. "You have nothing left to fear, my son. Now let us gather our things and sail away to a new land where we can be together in peace."

"I want that very much." The boy had breathed. His eyes had lifted to his father's and the words Alejandro had needed to hear finally came to the boy's lips, "I love you, Papa."

Alejandro had pulled his son tight against him repeating over and over his love for his child as well as the boy's mother.

Derek smiled as the memory faded away. For the first few days out, Roman had been rather quiet and cautious around his father. But after seeing that his mother knew what had happened and seeing for himself that she seemed to treat Alejandro no differently, Roman had given up his fear and was now Alejandro's constant shadow. The boy almost seemed to worship his father in a hero's light.

Almost everyone seemed pleased that Bailey was gone. Everyone, save Thomas Bell. The man had caused quite an uproar when he found his reward money spilt into the sand. He had finally quieted when Derek offered to compensate him everything he had lost. Alejandro had agreed that he would put up half of what was owed to the man.

The Duchess, upon finding out that Bailey was deceased, had been ecstatic. Even the crewman haphazardly loading the ship had not daunted her spirits that day.

Arianna, however, had been too wrapped up in worry for her maid, and mistrust for Betsy's pirate husband, that she had barely acknowledged that Bailey no longer lived. A glance towards the bow confirmed that, even a week later, Arianna had not given up her fretting. Derek smiled and handed the helm into his first mate's capable hands. He supposed it was far past time to bring his bride to be back to the present.