'Upon my life,' he urged softly, 'I am not lying to you. I beg of you, you must find it, now, before it is too late.'

Hypnotized by his gaze, she found herself nodding. Did she actually believe what he was saying? He seemed sincere, so much that she couldn't help thinking this purse of his meant a great deal. 'All right,' she said with a sigh. 'I'll go out and search for it. What does it look like?'

' 'Tis made of leather, tied in oiled canvas, the size of a small book.'

Meredith grabbed her slicker and pulled it on. If she didn't know better, she'd think his mental state was rubbing off. She had to be crazy to go out into the storm again. 'If I do this for you, you have to promise to behave until the sheriff gets here.'

'I will,' he said.

The wind had subsided considerably, but the rain spattered her face as she stepped outside. She held her hand to her forehead and made her way to the spot where she'd first found him, shining a flashlight in front of her. The beam struck something shiny and she bent down to pick it up. It was exactly as he had described it, a small packet, wrapped in waterproof canvas. Meredith tucked it into her pocket and ran to the house.

'The storm is weakening,' she said as she stepped inside. Then she froze. Griffin was sitting up on the edge of the couch, methodically unwinding the ropes from around his ankles.

He glanced up at her and grinned. 'You need not bother with the knife. I would disarm you in the blink of an eye, if you would try.'

'You tricked me,' she said, pressing her back against the door, ready to make her escape if she had to.

''Tis always wise to let an enemy believe he-or she- has the upper hand. It makes him less vigilant.' He gave her a sideways glance. 'Ah, do not look so frightened, girl. I swore I would not harm ye and I am a man of my word.'

'You didn't even care about this purse, did you?' Meredith accused. 'It was just a ruse to get me out of the house.'

He stood and tested his swollen knee. Meredith drew a sharp breath. She didn't realize until this moment how tall he was, well over six feet, his lithe body well-muscled and graceful. She watched as he ran his fingers through his shoulder-length hair, brushing it back from his face. He was a handsome man, a man who seemed to ooze danger from his very being. Yet, something told her she could trust him. He might be crazy, but she recognized a deep sense of honor in his character. He wouldn't hurt her.

'I have risked my life for that purse you hold,' he said. 'I would not treat it lightly.' He held out his hand, but she refused to turn it over to him.

'You may look at it if you like,' he offered.

With numb fingers, she untied the leather lace and unfolded the canvas. Inside a leather purse was a small book with a rough leather cover and a bundle of letters, some marked with sealing wax. To her surprise, all the documents were perfectly dry. She opened the book.

'It-it looks like an old journal,' she said. 'A logbook from a ship. My God, this must be quite a valuable antique. I can see why you were concerned.'

He frowned. 'An antique?'

She nodded as she continued to scan the entries. 'How old is it?'

'Old? 'Tis not old at all.'

'What year was it written?'

'It begins nearly a year ago, in 1717. I suppose I will have to trust you, Merrie-girl, though I do not know why. What you hold in your hand is the evidence I need against the devil himself.'

'The devil?' Meredith asked.

'Teach,' he muttered. 'The pirate Blackbeard.'

Meredith stared at him, openmouthed, then looked down at the journal. His words whirled in her mind. She slowly flipped through the pages, now reading the text more closely. The entries recounted nautical positions and weather conditions, all in a spidery hand reminiscent of colonial times. There were also long lists of what appeared to be captured booty. She recognized many of the names contained within-Israel Hands, the first mate… and the boatswain Gibbens, the quartermaster Miller, Curtice, Jackson, and more.

'Are you telling me this is Edward Teach's journal?' she asked in disbelief.

He nodded. 'Aye. And there is correspondence as well that proves Teach is in league with Eden, the governor of North Carolina. I stole them from Teach's cabin and have to deliver them to Spotswood's man tonight and then return them again before the Adventuresets sail. 'Tis the proof that's needed to bring the pirate down. He will be hanged for this.'

Meredith shook her head and held up her hand. 'Stop. Right now. Who put you up to this? I'll bet it was Katherine Conrad, wasn't it? She'd do anything to mess up my chances at winning the Sullivan Fellowship. She thinks they'll name herdepartment head after Dr. Moore retires, but I'mgoing to get the post. How much did she pay you to forge an original source?'

Griffin lifted his left eyebrow and looked at her as if she'd just told him there were Martians living in her refrigerator. He shrugged warily. 'She did not pay me a farthing,' he replied slowly.

He was obviously not quite sure how to phrase his answer to please her. He thought she was as crazy as she believed himto be. Meredith closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. The notion was preposterous at best, yet she couldn't deny it. She held the very proof in her hands, original documents, signatures and handwriting that she'd seen with her own eyes in museums and archives. She knew Blackbeard's life better than she knew her own and she could not dispute the credibility of these documents. Either they were authentic, or someone had spent a great deal of time and money on fakes.

There had always been rumors of Blackbeard's keeping a journal, of letters that had given solid proof of the pirate's arrangement with the governor of North Carolina, Charles Eden, the man who shared in the pirate's loot in return for protection from the law. But somewhere along the way, the letters had been lost. Now, if this man was telling the truth, she held them in her hand.

Meredith quelled a violent shiver. For her to believe these documents were real, she would also have to believe something even more preposterous. She would have to believe that this man, this Griffin Rourke, with his hand- made boots and his odd way of speaking, had somehow traveled through time to bring her these papers.

She stood and tossed the leather pouch on the coffee table. 'I don't believe this. It can't be possible. These are forgeries and you are a fraud.'

'Believe what you will,' he said. 'I do not care. Now, do you possess a horse?'

Meredith stared up at him distractedly. 'We're on Ocracoke Island. What good will a horse do you?'

He opened his mouth to speak, then schooled his expression into blandness. She understood the look. He didn't believe they were on Ocracoke Island, either. 'Don't look at me like that!' she cried.

'Like what?'

She rubbed her forehead. 'like you don't believe what I'm saying. Just stop this charade and tell me who you really are!'

'I have told you, girl. Would have me say it all again?'

'Stop it!'

He chuckled and shook his head. 'All right, Merrie, my girl, I will believe whatever you will have me believe, as long as you find me a good horse and forget you ever met me.'

She slowly approached him and sat down on the couch, staring into his eyes. 'You aren't lying, are you?'

'No,' he replied.

She buried her face in her hands and turned away from him, unable to look at him any longer. 'Oh, God, I amgoing crazy. This hurricane has sent me right over the edge. There's just no way… no way… it just isn't possible. I have to be dreaming, that's the only explanation.'

He stepped in front of her and pried her fingers off her eyes. 'The horse, Merrie. I need a horse.'

Merrie avoided his gaze, logic at war with reality, the battle jangling her nerves and muddling her mind until she could not think straight. She drew a deep breath, then spoke the words, words she didn't really believe, but words that had to be said. 'Griffin, I want you to listen to me very carefully and answer truthfully. Do you consider yourself an open-minded man?'

He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, drawing her gaze up to meet his pale, wary eyes. She felt a flood of warmth rush through her body as their eyes locked and she didn't pull away. His touch didn't frighten her.

Вы читаете The Pirate
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