The Heart is Slow to Learn
 

Chapter Eight

          �That should do quite nicely, I should think.�  Connor MacKinnon crossed his arms and looked down at the sailor sprawled on the deck of the Corsair sloop.  Beside him, India brushed the dust off her hands, having just dispatched another sailor to a similar fate.

          The count of captives now ranged to twenty.

          Connor smiled tightly into the dancing moonlight as he studied his ragged army.  Christine had just gone off for more rope while Philippe went to deposit the two bound and gagged captives into the hold.

          Overall, it had been a most successful twenty minutes.  The foreign sloop was now theirs and all the crew dispatched to captivity.

          Connor had not been entirely surprised when a rider had raced up after them only an hour after they had started.  India, knowing that her brother Philippe was nearby had sent off a message before leaving.

          They had waited for Raoul to return, and when he did not, they had gone looking for the headstrong aristocrat.

          Connor had picked up Raoul�s tracks, prints of one horse surrounded by a half dozen more.  The tracks had led north to an isolated stretch of river not far from where it spilled into the cold North Sea.

          There they had found the Corsair ship rocking at anchor.

          They had each taken a part in the attack on the hidden sloop.  Christine had waited on horseback with two primed pistols in case any escaped from the ship.

          Now they sat waiting, Philippe cursing as he saw his brother standing under guard.  Seconds later, he saw his brother drop.

          India�s fingers tensed on her rifle.  �It�s less than two hundred yards, Philippe.  I could pick that man off from here.�

          �We dare not risk it, India; for all that you�re a crack shot.  Unless I�m mistaken, the brute has a pistol trained on Erik�s back.�

          �But what about Raoul?�

          �We�ll go after him as soon as Erik is safe.  You must know that is what Raoul would want.�

          India muttered angrily.  �But we can�t just sit here and watch them escape!�

          �Escape is not what I have in mind,� Connor muttered from behind.  �No, I think our nasty friend will find a little surprise when he boards his boat.�  He turned quickly to Philippe.  �Help me get the rest of these men taken care of.  Then this is what we�ll do next.�

          Erik stared at his captor, fury glinting in his eyes.  �You�ll never get away with this, you scum!  You�ll have to turn away some time, and the second that you do, I�ll make you pay.�

          �Stop your empty threats.�  Stefan gave Erik�s hair a savage twist.  �You no longer frighten me.  Once you are returned to my cabin, I will teach you what fear really is.

          Erik glowered at him.  Someone would learn fear, but it was not going to be him.

          He tried not to think of the gunshot and the sound of Raoul�s body dropping.  He would come after him; somehow, he knew that he would.  Until then he had to concentrate on outwitting this cursed son of a snake.  To do that he needed time.

          �What if I do know about the doll?� he asked coolly.  �Perhaps Christine told me something after all.�

          His captor�s eyes narrowed.  �Your timing is most unfortunate.  But none of this matter for soon the young woman herself will tell me everything that I want to know.�

          The little boat pulled alongside the sloop.  Cursing darkly, Stefan seized Erik and shoved him up the narrow gangway in front.  Erik stumbled forward, moving as slowly as he could, wincing when he felt a dagger prick his back.

          The deck was silent.  He glanced about quickly and saw only shadows.

          No crew.

          The thought cheered him vastly.

          Behind him, Stefan stiffened.  He shouted a string of orders, but no answering voices came from the deck.  Muttering savagely, the pirate pulled him across to the bow.  Out of the corner of his eye, Erik saw a hint of movement and for the briefest of moments caught a glimpse of hair.  Hair that appeared to be golden.

          His heart lurched.  A wild stab of hope surged through him.

          Again, the faint movement came, and this time Erik was sure that he saw India de Chagney crouched behind a row of thick wooden crates.

          He chewed his lip, thinking furiously.  If only he had his pistol or a rope!  But he had neither, so he only had his wits.

          Bitter rage exploded within him.  This man had tortured his friend and threatened the family that was given him.  He had tormented Christine�s father and then killed him in cold blood.

          He would pay for that, and everything else, Erik vowed.

          Wildly, he drove his elbow into his captor�s stomach and threw his body sidewise.  Rage gave him the strength of three men as he flung of Stefan�s arm, grabbed a glass-paned lantern and threw it down on the deck.

          After that, the deck seemed to explode with life.  Flames shot out from the shattered lantern.  India de Chagney, crouched behind the crate, put a rifle ball into one of the remaining guards arm and sent him screaming.  Philippe and Connor meanwhile launched themselves on the other guard.

          This left only Erik, who backed toward the port railing, stalked by Stefan.  And since the pirate held a pistol clenched in his fingers, there was nothing that the others could do for fear of him firing.

          �You have many friends.  It has made my plans fare badly from the very beginning.�  He moved in chilling silence, skirting a waist high coil of rope and folded canvas.  �Which means you will pay for the inconvenience you have brought me.�

          Torn sails flapped around them.  Dimly, so dimly, Erik caught the smell of tar and salt.  Then, there was another smell.

          Faint, but unmistakable.

          The hint of citrus.  The smell of tobacco and brandy and fine, aged leather.

          He saw him then, his eyes dark hollows of savage determination as he strained his way up the anchor cable.  His shirt was gone and his back was crossed with bloody welts.

          But his smile was as arrogant as it had ever been.

          Erik turned to Stefan and smiled coldly, inching backward to bring him astern so that Raoul would be out of his line of sight.  �Do you really think that you can defeat me?  Teach me fear?  I had you quacking in your boots by my very footsteps.  Take me back to the Dey, and within hours I�ll have you twisting from a noose.�

          Raoul was at the railing now, his body inching toward the deck.  Erik kept moving back.  �But not before I teach you some desperately needed manners.  Before I send your soul to hell that is.�

          A shadow hurtled over the deck.  Stefan staggered.  Their enforced inactivity at an end, India and Connor ran toward Erik.

          Revenge came very sweet as he watched Raoul�s fist land against Stefan�s jaw.  Two more left hooks and a swift jab to the stomach finished the job.

          It was all over.  The pirate gasped and fell panting to the deck, blood gushing from his mouth.

          Raoul swayed as he stared at the man he had lived only to hate � the man he had in his sights now.

          His finger tightened.  His eyes hardened as the muzzle leveled at Stefan�s throat.

          �Fire, frenghi� the pirate spat.  �Do me this honor.  And know that I shall meet you in hell soon enough.�

          A muscle flashed at Raoul�s jaw.

          Slowly his pistol fell.

          It was over.  Hatred would only keep him chained to the past and all the old nightmares.  Once, he would have killed Stefan.  But now . . .

          �You have one unpleasant stop before you depart for hell, Stefan and I doubt you�ll care very much for the inside of an English gaol.  I�m certain that the English prisoners won�t care at all for you.�

          Raoul wiped away a trickle of blood, and then smiled as Philippe threw an arm around his shoulders.  �My thanks, big brother.  You are a surprise, as always.  And you,� he said, smiling at India, �are unnervingly good with that rifle of yours, minx.�

          His sister merely smiled from Erik�s embrace.  �I learned it all from my chucklehead of a brother.�  India shot a thoughtful look at Erik.  �I hope this adventure doesn�t make you yearn for your old life.�

          Deep laughter rumbled from Erik�s chest as he held her close to him.  �Not if it means leaving you behind.�  Slowly, he lifted India�s face to his.  �Marry me, India.  Share my days.  Haunt my nights.  Make me laugh and swear and shout.  I want to see your eyes go silver in you passion.  I want to drink your laughter and watch you bear our children.�

          Joy soared through India�s heart.  He was everything that she had ever wanted, her every dream of a hero.         

          Erik�s heart sank, as he misunderstood her silence.  With one fluid movement, Erik seized India�s shoulders and pulled her back against him.  His mouth slid down over hers, hard and hot and hungry.

          �Welcome to the family, Erik.�  Raoul planted a kiss on India�s flushed face.  �Try to keep her in line, will you?�