Henry halted,seeming unsure of what to say next. Or how to say it.
“He had noidea when Roselyn and I began to get… involved. At first, it wasplatonic. I pitied her for the vile things she had to do each day.But the more I got to know the young woman growing up before myeyes, the more I fell for her.”
“In love?” Iasked, barely a croak of a whisper.
Henry shookhis head and let out a deep breath, squeezing my hand. “No, notlove. I cared for her, yes. But I always knew I could never loveher. It just wasn’t there.” He touched the center of his chestwhere his heart would be. “I could feel it. So, I left as soon as Icould.”
I replayed hiswords over in my head, still unclear. “So, how did she come to ownher father’s entire business if he barely regarded her as his ownheir to begin with?”
Henry grinned.“Like I said, Wallace regarded me akin to a son. When he fell ill,he wrote a will. Leaving it all to me. On the day of his passing,it was like the final piece of the iceberg breaking off. I couldleave. I no longer needed him, nor he I. Roselyn was older, wiser,and more than capable. And the rightful heir to all, in my opinion.So, before anyone was the wiser, I did the paperwork and left itall to her.”
We sat insilence for a while. Me, letting Henry’s words stew in my brain.Him, waiting patiently for my forgiveness. Finally, as an act ofprogress, I squeezed his hand back and pulled him toward me, ourfaces just inches from one another. From this distance I couldsmell the stench of red wine and tobacco on his skin and inhaledit. It reminded me of when we first met and, I realized then, howhe must have stopped shortly after. For me.
I pursed mylips and nodded. “Alright, so what happened tonight? Why did youdisappear and why did I find you alone, with her?” My eyesglossed over. “Kissing.”
“Oh, no.Christ, no. Dianna, we weren’t kissing.” He cleared his nervousthroat as I raised my eyebrows, daring him to lie to me. “She hadsomething to share with me. News. She’s met someone and wanted toknow if we’d all come to meet him. Roselyn thanked me foreverything I’d done for her in the past and apologized for herbehavior the other day.”
“That’s all?”I ask.
“Yes, I swearit. The embrace you saw was just two old friends.” Henry’s headhung low. “The kiss, however, may have been slightly out ofline.”
I guffawed.“You think?”
“I assume shesaw you down below and did it for a rise,” he explained. “Roselynwas never one to shy away from a reaction. It was the only way sheknew how to get her father’s attention. I suppose old habits diehard. She’s truly a good person, deep down. I promise you.”
I tucked myknees closer to my chest, as much as my round belly would allow,and rested my chin atop them. Henry’s hands rested around myankles, desperate, waiting, pleading. I looked at the man before meand the sincerity in his black eyes. A range of hot emotions stillflowed through my veins, but I was tired. And, in that moment, Iwanted nothing more than for my pirate king to take me in hisloving arms. To tell me everything was going to be alright.
“I believeyou,” I told him sternly, still holding my ground. “But this cannever happen again.”
His big blackeyes pleaded with me from above my bent knees. “Y-you forgiveme?”
I waited abeat before responding, softening my tone as I did. “Yes, I forgiveyou, Henry. I mean, there’s hardly anything to forgive.”
The reliefthat washed over him was palpable and Henry hugged into my knees.“Oh, thank God. I thought… I thought I was going to lose you.”
I pulled athis head, now buried in the blankets that draped over my legs andforced his tear-filled gaze upward to me. I held his glorious facein my hands, rubbing the thumbs under the skin of his eyes. Muchlike he always did for me. Henry pushed a cheek into my palm beforeturning and leaving a kiss there.
“You willnever lose me, do you understand?” I reassured the man and placedone of his hands over my belly. “I am yours and you are mine.Forever.”
Henry smiledand twisted to fetch something from his trouser pocket. A ring. Hepinched it between his fingers and held it out for me to see, bothof us admiring its simple beauty and the promise it offered. Thethin gold band and emerald gems held on by a golden claw gleamed inthe dim candlelight of our room.
“Speaking offorever,” he began. I tried to mask the sudden burst of sheer joy Ifelt rush through my body. But he saw it and his mouth widenedknowingly. “However did you findthis?”
“In the markettoday,” I told him. “The ring caught my eye. Then Lottie pummelledthe merchant into submission after he revealed the other goods hehad.” I laughed and shook my head. “Poor guy.”
“Othergoods?”
I leaned overand fetched the velvet bag from the floor next to us and dumped itscontent on to the bed. “That’s what Lottie and I rushed back totell you. Before we were hustled off to Wallace’s. Maria’s beenaround, long after reaching the shores. She traded these thingsjust a few days ago.”
“Christ…”
Henry’sfingers moved over them, scooping up the ship-in-a-bottle I oncegave him and smiled before discarding it in favor of his blackleather journal. The piece that started it all. My heart broke forthe boy contained within its pages. Funny how I would come to fallin love with the man who grew from it. I watched as he pried thepages open and rubbed his thumb over the dried blood stains. Hismother’s blood.
“My mother wasa beautiful woman. She would have loved you dearly.” The journalsnapped shut and he tossed it on the bed before holding out thering once more.
“And I know,without a doubt, that she would
