Part 15 (1/2)
”Jon!Oh, Jon!”
'Where the h.e.l.l have you been?” he yelled into her hair, rocking her against him like a small child. ”I've been going out of my mind! Didn't you see those s.h.i.+ps out there?”
”Oh, yes, I did! I'm so glad you're here!”
”How did you get here,Cap'n ? From whatIcould see, they've surrounded the whole d.a.m.ned island, begging your pardon, miss!”
”Allexcept the southeast corner-they must think the reef makes it impa.s.sable.The 'Margarita's' hovering there, about a mile out. I swam through. The opening's not big enough for even one of the 'Margarita's' gigs, but I think a smaller boat could make it.”
”Oh, Jon, are they going to attack us? Why?” Shetilted her head back to stare up into his bronzed face. His teeth flashed suddenly in a savage grin.
”We're pirates, my love, or had you forgotten? We do get attacked from time to time.One of the less pleasant aspects of the business.”
”Master Jon-will we fight?”
”h.e.l.l, yes, we'll fight-we have to. There's no way off this d.a.m.ned island now except through the reef, and not many can make it through there. There won't be time.”
Jon looked down at Cathy, who was watching him anxiously, pressed a brief, hard kiss on her trembling mouth, and set her away from him. His voice turned crisp and authoritative.
”Petersham, I want you to take Miss Cathy to the place where I came through and wait. If there's need, I'll either come myself or send someone to get you through the reef.The 'Margarita's' under orders not to move from that spot without you, so you don't have to worry.”
”But, Jon, if you come now, too, we can all get away,” Cathy protested, trembling. ”You can't mean to fight so many s.h.i.+ps. You'll be slaughtered if you try.”
”Since when did you become a military expert, my love?” he forced a teasing note. ”You just do as I tell you, and everything will be fine.”
”Don't treat me like a dim-witted child, Jon Hale!” Cathy flared, glaring at him. ”If you seriously expected everything to be fine, you wouldn't have the 'Margarita' waiting offsh.o.r.e to get me away. Not to mention taking the chance of swimming through a coral reef! Well, I'm not going, do you hear? I'm staying with you!”
”Don't be childish, Cathy,” he chided in a bored tone. ”The best thing you can do is stay out of the way. Good G.o.d, what kind of fight do you think I could put up, constantly worried about where you were and what was happeningtoyou!now, theres no time toargue, Go withPetersham , he'll look after you 'til I can.”
”He's right, miss. You'd only get in the way,”Petersham put in quietly. Cathy ignored him, her eyes searching Jon's lean face. Suddenly he smiled, his eyes warm on hers.
”Please?” he asked. Those silvery gray eyes and that twisted grin were her undoing.
”All right,” she said grudgingly, defeated. ”But be careful, will you?For my sake?”
The words had a special meaning now, though he didn't know it. He had to be careful for their baby, too.
”For your sake,” he answered, as if making a solemn oath, then gave her a little shove toward the bedroom. ”Go get your warmest cloak, you may need it. It gets cold on the water at night.”
Cathy did as she was told. As always, he was getting his own way. When had he ever not, with her? As she came back into the room, her cloak over her arm, she heard Jon say, ”. . . see that she gets back to her father.”
”Cap'n, there's something you ought to know . . .”Petersham began, only to break off as he saw Cathy standing in the arched doorway, eyes wide as the import of Jon's words sank in.
Jon turned slowly to face her, the set bleakness of his face, which he quickly tried to disguise, echoing the fear in her own heart. Tears started in her eyes and threatened to overflow as she ran to fling her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
”Jon, you must come with us,” she whispered frantically into his ear. ”I'm going to have your baby. You have to come!”
There was a moment of astounded silence. Jon's long body stiffened in her arms as if he'd beenpoleaxed .Petersham turneddiscreedy away.
”Oh, my G.o.d, no,” Jon muttered at last in a queer, strangled voice. ”Are you sure?”
Cathy pushed away from him to look up into his face. He looked horrified.
”You're sorry, aren't you?” she criedtormentedly . 'You didn't want anything as permanent as a child, did you? Well, you should have thought of that before you raped me!”
”Oh, Cathy, no, of course it's not that I don't want it! I . . .”
The unmistakable boomof a cannon cut him off.
”Christ, there's no time to talk about it now!Petersham , get her out of here!”
With a frustrated groan Jon's mouth covered hers in a hard, pa.s.sionate kiss, his lips bruising hers with their intensity, and then he was pus.h.i.+ng her away from him, giving her toPetersham as he turned to stride from the house. In seconds he was gone, andPetersham was urging her through the French windows and across the garden.
The distant booming of cannon could be heard as they made their way across the small island. Spirals of smoke began to float toward the sky with increasing frequency as the guns found their mark. An acrid, burning odor filled the air.
The stench of fire and destruction made a chilling contrast to the languid beauty of the countryside they were hurrying through. Parrots squawked in the palms and hummingbirds flitted from bush to bush, lunching on the lush tropical fruits and berries. The crimson of the bougainvillea blossoms blended with the pink and white hydrangeas to form rolling banks of exotic color. After a twenty minute walk they reached the sea, sparkling like an endless silver carpet before them.
Petershamurged her down into the lee of a clump of small palms, and Cathy dropped to the soft ground. She huddled with her arms around her knees, her back resting against one of the trees.Petersham eyed her with some concern as she stared silently out to sea.
”He doesn't want the baby,Petersham ,” she said, finally.Petersham squatted down beside her, catching her small cold hand and chafing it briskly.
”Miss Cathy, Master Jon was upset. When all this fuss has pa.s.sed, and he's back to normal, he'll change his tune, you'll see.”
Cathy stared up at him blindly. ”When all this fuss is over. . . .if Jon's even alive. Oh, G.o.d, life is such a mess!”
The thought that Jon might even now be dead or dying mixed with the horrible realization that their child was nothing more than an unwanted responsibility to him. Her lips trembled, and she bit down hard on her lower one, willing back tears. Her arms wrapped protectively about her midriff as she fought for control.Petersham could only sit beside her, aware of her pain but unable to do anything to alleviate it. From time to time he patted her drooping shoulder.
Cathy watched the breaking waves blankly, her mind ina turmoil . The one thought that consistently came through was that, more than anything, she was concerned for Jon's safety. If he came through this battle in one piece, she would ask nothing else of G.o.d!
Petersham'svoice broke through her reverie, and Cathy looked up to find that he was leaning over her anxiously.
”Miss Cathy, someone's coming. We must move.”
Cathy was suddenly fully alert. She got quickly to her feet, followingPetersham in a crouching run until they were out of sight of the cliff. From their new position they couldn't see who was approaching, nor, however could they be seen themselves. In the present situation, it was better to be safe than sorry.
”Cathy! Cathy!” A man's voice rang out from the overhang above them. Cathy andPetersham looked at each other,then scrambled out from their hiding place.
”Harry?” Cathy called disbelievingly. The man strode into view, and, sure enough, it was Harry. Cathy felt a coldhtde hand of fear clutch at her heart. Jon had said he would come himself if he could. Why hadn't he? Had something happened to him ... or did he no longer want to be with her now that he knew about the baby?
Petershamdrew closer to Cathy's side as Harry came toward them down the cliff. When at last he was near, the valet asked challengingly, ”What are you doing here?”
Only then did Cathy remember the contretemps between Harry and Jon.Petersham was right to be wary, she thought. Jon wouldn't send Harry of all men to get them through . . . unless he no longer cared whether or not Harry wanted her.
Harry came right up to them, stopping directly in front of Cathy. She could see the marks of powder burns on his face and hands.
”Jon sent me,” he said shortly toPetersham . Cathy felt the last little ray of hope die. If Jon had sent him, then it must mean that he himself no longer had any use for her now that he knew she was with child.
”Now that I find hard to believe.”Petersham'shand closed over Cathy's arm protectively. Harry looked at him impatiently.
”Oh, for G.o.d's sake,Petersham , do you think I'm going to rape her now that she's pregnant? I know when I'm beaten, and Jon knew that I would feel that way when he told me.”