Stowaway (A Pirate Novel) (Completed)

Chapter 59 He Was A Pirate Before

This chapter has given me some very serious SHIST! I'M unsure but I'm posting it anyway. Maybe I'm just being to critical. By the way there is only ONE CHAPTER left after this one.

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Elle woke quickly,the smell of smelling salts overpowering. She lifted a hand and pushed the vial away. She knew immediately she was not on her bed yet it took a moment to realize she was in the Father's office. She lay on the small hard sofa, pillows piled under her head. She started to sit up.

Father Leo peered down at her, face concerned, brows pinched and lifted.

"Slowly, dear. You've had a shock."

"Ohh." Elle moaned. "I had - I had the worst dream." She blinked. Pushing her way up she turned and placed her feet on the floor. It was then she saw the other occupant of the room. She blinked but the image of the refined Talbot didn't waver and right itself to the actual Captain Talbot.

"I know your confused." He said as he stood, resting his hip on the edge of the desk.

"Confused?" Yes. I'm confused. She thought. But the confusion had a few companions. Betrayal, being the second. Anger, being the first.

"You kept this from me? Even when we sat in your office discussing this. You. As if you were someone else. You could have -" she stood. Her hands shaking. "I though I was going to jail. I thought I was coming in here to be confronted by a stranger." She shook her head, hurt.

"This was not the way I meant this to go, Elle. Sister Abigail was my nanny as a child. I had no idea she was here." He glanced at Father Leo. Then back at her.

"We planned to tell you. The Father called her in here to have her find you. We were sending someone to find you. She recognized me as soon as she saw me." He gave her a look full of contention.

Elle didn't know what to say. He meant to tell me, she thought. But he should have told her before she came here. She shook her head. "You should have told me before I came." She felt a spark of guilt. She had kept her own secrets for over two years.

"Yes, I should have." He admitted. "Truth be known I wasn't ready because I knew it meant returning to my life."

Elle didn't know what this meant. How could telling her who he was effect his old life?

Talbot saw the question on her face. "By acknowledging it I would be accepting it. But more I would be accepting that I only wanted to return if I had you at my side. But I had hid from my past so long that I continued to hid from my present." He told her.

Neither of them noticed Father Leo slowly leave the room.

Elle remained mute. Her heart thumped on. Please, it begged. Her mouth went dry. Her mind was caught on just a few words. 'At my side'. He wanted her to go back with him?

"But you pushed me away. You were mean. You ignored me. You sent me here." She accused him.

"I was trying to protect you. From Sir Travis, from me. Resisting my desire for you was becoming impossible to resist." He looked away. "Elle, your so innocent and I didn't want to spoil you. You deserved everything not just a night in my bed. I didn't know what was going on in my head or my heart."

Her brows furrowed. That would never work. It would put Talbot in danger. Sir Travis could be determined enough to hurt him to get to her. He would never believe her if she told him she would remain silent for her friends and family. Her silence for their safety.

Her captain was a royal. He wasn't really a pirate. She didn't know why she hadn't realized before. He had never hid the fact that he was well educated. None at of the other crew, except Harv could say the same. Talbot was born into almost the same social circle as Sir Travis. It would be to easy for Sir Travis to get close to him.

If he knew how she felt would he let her go for his own safety? He would have to. She couldn't live if she were the cause of harm to him or his family.

"I realized after you were gone what I wanted. I wanted you before but I was to stupid to realize it or admit it to myself."

No. Her mind screamed. Please stop talking. She took a step towards the door. If he kept talking she knew it was entirely possible that she would confess that she loved him. But she knew it was too dangerous.

Her mind argued, You didn't think that before. To which she argued back, HE WAS A PIRATE BEFORE!

"Elle?" He said. She looked up. He looked hurt. His eyes glanced at the door that was much closer to her then it had been.

She swallowed. "I - you -" she licked her lips. She inhaled a deep breath. Before she could speak he did.

"Elle, I know I messed up. But if you give me a chance, if you tried you could maybe fall in love with me, too." He was taking slow steps towards her. His hands hung at his sides. Eyes hopeful, "Do you think you could try?"

Elle's back touched a wall or door, she had no idea.

"You can't. I can't." She whispered. But he was so close he heard the words. She saw him flinch. Needing to ease the pain she caused she continued, "It's not that I don't want to. I do love you. But it's too dangerous." She looked up at him her sadness like blanket in her eyes. "Sir Travis could hurt you to get to me." She shook her head.

He was smiling. He reached out and took her in his arms. Her body refused to protest.

"He's dead, Elle."

Dead? She had expected something else. A confrontation? To run forever? Revenge? Something. Dispite her relief the news felt anticlimactic. Then a new thought surfaced.

She drew back stepping away from him.

"Elle?" He was confused and concerned. "I though you'd be relieved." He said.

"Did you? Did you -" she couldn't finish the question. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"No, Elle. I didn't kill him." He reached for her. She moved into his arms. "And to answer your next question; Harv didn't either." He said as he tucked her head into the hollow under his chin.

For a moment they just stood there. She took in his scent and held onto him afraid it was all a dream after all. He didn't seem inclined to release her any more then she was him.

"I love you, Elle." He said into her hair. His arms tightened slightly.

"I love you, too, Captain."

***
The epilogue is next and this journey comes to an end. In celebration make a cup of hot mint tea and sip as you read the last part of their story. (I'm sipping a cup of Elle's favorite tea now so you are certainly not alone.)

What do you think should happen 5 yrs later for Elizabeth (Elle) and Alexander (Captain Talbot)?

I know what I want but I want to know what you want. You can message me anyway you choose... My Wattpad wall, Facebook wall, comments, Wattpad private message, my yahoo.

And yes I MAY incorporate some of your ideas.

Please check to see you have voted on all the chapters you enjoyed. (Author Note chapters; don't worry about them. I usually don't vote on them either.)

I admit I'm a bit sad to see it over but all things eventually come to an end. On the plus side it's gratifying to have shared the journey with all of you.

I adore all of you!