"Right now, Jack?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes." He picked her up, carrying her a few feet down the corridor, out of the gloom and into the ray of sunlight beaming in from above. "We're going to have to do this quickly," he whispered as he sat her down on a rung of the companionway's tilted ladder.

Clutching the rung behind her head, she leaned back but didn't dream of protesting as he lifted her skirts, pausing to play with the ribbon garters that held up her stockings. "Very pretty, Miss Farraday," he remarked as he stood between her legs.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"What if we get caught?" She flinched with a little shiver of delight at his tickling touch above her knee.

"We won't. Ahh," he breathed, as his climbing touch glided up to her flowing wetness.

Eden fixed him in a sultry stare, too hot for him to bother with maidenly embarra.s.sment when he realized just how ready for him she already was. The place between her legs was soaked with want.

"Take me," she commanded him in a whisper.

Lit up by the single golden sunbeam deep in the underworld gloom belowdecks, Jack stared into her eyes and seemed to realize in that moment how genuine her feelings for him were. Yes, she wanted him, but she was not the sort of girl ever to act on l.u.s.t alone, and he knew it.

She reached out and took hold of his shirt, pulling him toward her. "I love you, Jack," she breathed. "Make me one with you again."

He leaned down to kiss her, unb.u.t.toning the placket of his black breeches. Then he entered her with a groan. "G.o.d, Eden."

She wrapped her legs around him and savored every deep stroke of his wonderful c.o.c.k. His devouring kisses ravished her mouth.

There were voices from one of the decks well overhead, but instead of deterring either of them, the risk of discovery only spurred on their stealthy l.u.s.t, making them hurried, panting, frantic for each other.

When one of the voices from above them came too close, Jack lifted her off the ladder, his manhood still buried deep within her. Holding her b.u.t.tocks in his hands, her skirts spilling over his arms, he carried her back into the darkness, still making love to her on the way.

She hooked her heels behind his back, dazzled and quite crazed by his virtuosity. Rippling muscle, flexing ma.s.sive biceps, raised her up and down on his slick shaft with ease. His sheer physical power took her breath away, and then he had her right where he wanted her, with her back braced against the wall.

Her feet still couldn't touch the ground, so she kept her legs wrapped around him, her rear end gripped in his hands. His growl thrilled her; soon she was arching her back while Black-Jack Knight simply had his way with her deep in the lower gun deck, ramming her against the wall with the most delicious barbarity.

"Shh, sweeting," he whispered, panting. He hushed her with a soft kiss. She hadn't realized how loud her moans had become-but she noticed her lover had worked up a sweat.

"Oh Jack, you delicious beast, you're so good."

He smiled modestly at her moan and took a short break, breathing hard. He rested his forehead against hers, as though merely savoring the experience. The way he brushed his face against hers so lovingly reawakened her tenderness amid the storm of pa.s.sion. She stroked his hair and kissed his cheek gently. She knew now how much this hard man needed her love.

Starting again, he moved much more slowly now, more deliberately, in counterpoint to his wild ferocity of a few moments ago. Eden gasped, helplessly; threw her head back and surrendered to him, going weak in his strong, strong arms. As she writhed, each breath ripping from her turned into a bewildering sob; his sweetness had burst a floodgate inside her, releasing a long-buried anguish of such piercing pain that she found herself weeping for reasons she could not begin to explain. Words sounded senseless tumbling from her lips as he kissed the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I found you. I can't believe I truly found you-Jack."

"I love you," he whispered barely audibly, and then he gave himself to her in huge pulsations of pure virility. His kiss was too fierce for her mouth-he bit her shoulder through her dress as he came, just hard enough to let her know that she was his. Shudders racked him. "Oh, Eden." After a long moment, he eased her upward a bit and then withdrew from her body, shaking.

She collapsed against the bulkhead behind her, staring at him while her chest heaved. He dragged himself two steps away, to the other side of the pa.s.sageway, and leaned heavily against the wall across from her.

He let out a ragged exhalation and slowly raked both hands through his tousled hair.

She ran her hands sensuously down her belly, half imagining she could feel his potent seed sparking life in her womb.

Physically spent, her emotions also felt thoroughly wrung out as she wiped the traces of those strange tears away. "Why did I cry?" she whispered.

"Because you know now you won't be alone anymore."

His quiet answer brought fresh tears to her eyes. Maybe her heart had remembered all those times she had climbed to the jungle's highest treetops and had searched the empty horizon, praying for someone to love.

She had found him now.

"You won't be alone anymore, either."

He gave her a smile with such sadness in it, as though he was trying, but could not quite bring himself to believe.

Tra-la!

A distant sound reverberated through the silence at that moment, carrying to The Winds of Fortune from over the waves.

Eden turned her head with a small gasp, listening. "What was that?" She could have sworn it was a hunting horn. Two rich, mellow notes- Tra-la! again.

When she glanced at Jack in question, his white teeth flashed in a grin as he hastily tucked in his shirt.

"Sail-ho!" the men shouted abovedecks.

Tra-la!

"What on earth is that sound?" she exclaimed, nervously tying her bodice and trying to smooth her rumpled hair.

"That," he replied, "is my uncle."

"Sail-ho!" They could hear Higgins hollering from all the way up in the crow's nest. "It's the Valiant, lads! Lord Arthur's come!"

A general cheer arose from the men.

"Sail-ho!"

Hastening to make themselves presentable after their blazing encounter, Jack and Eden hurried up on deck to greet their guest. Flying the company's colors and insignia, the frigate, Valiant, soon anch.o.r.ed at a short hailing distance off the starboard bow.

Jack gave the order for the Winds to drop anchor as well, coming to a full stop.

Before long, a mellifluous baritone carried across the waves as the n.o.ble old captain of the Valiant commanded his crew to lower one of his ship's boats.

Soon, they came across the water, the kingly, uniformed fellow standing in the lifeboat in a stately pose while a half dozen of his trusty sailors rowed.

Jack couldn't stop smiling. First Eden, and now the old fellow he simply adored. He hadn't seen Uncle Arthur in nearly seven months.

As the distinguished nabob clambered aboard The Winds of Fortune, at once, across the decks, everyone cheered at his arrival, for he was loved by all who made his acquaintance.

Tall and hale, gray-haired with sky-blue eyes and patrician features, Lord Arthur Knight was still handsome in his sixties, nearly as tanned as Jack after thirty years' service in India.

Arthur was the younger brother of the duke whom Jack had just finished telling Eden about; indeed, Arthur had incurred his elder brother's wrath when he had reproached Hawkscliffe for the way he treated Jack as a child. Uncle Arthur was the only person whom Jack could ever recall standing up for him.

He shook his uncle's hand warmly, received a clap on the back in return, and with a brief exchange of pleasantries, escorted Lord Arthur toward the quarterdeck.

Along the way, their distinguished guest greeted familiar faces among his crew never failing, of course, to remember Rudy. Lord Arthur reached into his pocket and tossed out a biscuit for the dog, who was leaping gleefully on him, then he rumpled the Nipper's hair.

"Ah! There you are, my brave young lad! Great Zeus, you've grown a foot since last we met!" He bent down low to the lad's eye level, bracing his hands on his thighs. "Now, boy, have you been working on your punches?"

"Yes, sir!" little Phineas cried enthusiastically.

"Show me." Lord Arthur held up his left palm. "Ow!" he exclaimed as the Nipper socked Lord Arthur's open hand as hard as he could. "Excellent, Mr. Moynahan! Well done. By Jove, you hit quite as hard as Gabriel and Derek did at your age."

"Do I really, sir?" The boy sprouted another four or five inches before their eyes at the compliment.

"Indeed so! But-not yet as hard as Jack did when he was just as big as you. Keep practicing."

"Aye-aye, sir!"

Moving on, Lord Arthur saluted Trahern with affection and bowed to old Brody, spared a nod for Martin and Peter Stockwell, and exchanged a few pleasantries with Mr. Palliser, the surgeon. Everyone beamed to see him.

Only Trahern sighed to find Lord Arthur had not brought Georgie with him, but it was just as well, Jack thought, for it would have taken ten Traherns to tame that vixen.

"And who have we here?" Lord Arthur exclaimed with a look of astonishment, as he beheld the red-headed beauty.

Eden was blushing scarlet, no doubt with the knowledge of their secret liaison belowdecks, though her gown and her hair all looked perfectly demure.

The contrast between her very proper appearance and her l.u.s.ty performance of a short while ago fired Jack's interest anew. Even he was a little shocked by his appet.i.te for her.

When Lord Arthur glanced at him expectantly, Jack lifted his bride's dainty hand to his lips and drew her nearer with gentle chivalry, presenting her to him. "This, my good uncle, is Miss Eden Farraday, and would you by chance have a chaplain on board?"

Chapter.

Thirteen.

There was a chaplain on board the Valiant, and he married them in a simple ceremony on the quarterdeck at sunset. Afterward, a volley of celebratory cannonfire was let loose, along with cheers from the men for Cap'n Jack and Lady Jay, as the Nipper had dubbed her, now that her legal name was changed to Lady John Knight. A feast was then served in honor of their nuptials, with as fine a meal as could be made down in the galley, and plenty of grog for the men.

Now lanterns blazed and rustic tunes filled the night. Men sang ballads and played airs on a bouncy fiddle, a high-piping piccolo, and a hurdy-gurdy. Merriment filled the air, but Jack knew the occasion was tinged with sadness for his bride because of her beloved papa's absence.

It had fallen to Lord Arthur to bring her before the chaplain and to give her away in her father's stead. After the ceremony, the nabob had entertained her with amusing stories about his adventures in India, along with a few accounts of his sons' latest deeds of derring-do with the cavalry there.

She had listened, smiling, but Jack knew her heart was aching a little. When the meal was over, she let Trahern escort her up to listen to the music, leaving Jack some time to visit privately with his uncle.

They rose as she left, but sitting down at the table again, Lord Arthur beamed warmly at him. "Well done, my boy. She is a charming creature."

Jack smiled faintly in the direction she had gone. "Just being with her feeds my soul," he declared.

Lord Arthur arched an eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done with my ill-tempered nephew?"

"Oh, leave me alone. A man's got to get heirs, don't he?" he drawled as he poured them both another drink.

"Right. That's all this is about between the two of you."

"Of course." Jack's eyes twinkled as he fought to look stern. "She was a stowaway. What else was I to do with her?"

"Ah, you may try to throw me overboard for saying it, but I know when I see a man in love."

Jack shrugged but did not protest it.

"She'll be a fine amba.s.sador for you when you go back and face the family, I daresay. Ah-that reminds me!-speaking of amba.s.sadors. Your brother Robert's friend, Ian, the Marquess of Griffith-"

"Yes?" he asked. He had just been telling Eden about Maura's elder brother, Ian.

"He's been sent to India to try to negotiate a treaty between our side and the rajas of the Maratha Confederation."

"Really?" Jack murmured. He knew that Ian had developed a certain expertise in diplomacy, but most of his work had taken place in Europe, according to Jacinda's letters. He had been instrumental behind the scenes at the Vienna Congress.

"He was in the region anyway, apparently purchasing tea plantations. Investment, I suppose. He remembered me from years ago and said he'd be honored to call on me in Bombay when he arrived, but of course, I haven't been home in months. Georgie wrote, telling me all of this," he added. "Her letter made its way to me being pa.s.sed along by your various ships."

Jack nodded. His vessels crisscrossing the seas routinely pa.s.sed along mail for him and his closest contacts, allowing urgent messages to travel from one end of the globe to the other much more quickly than they did for people who weren't lucky enough to own a shipping company. It was a service that his pretty cousin Georgie did not hesitate to use.

"Last I heard," Arthur continued, "things were coming to quite a boil between the army and the Maratha princes. Trust was so eroded on both sides that an outside negotiator was being sought-someone with whom both sides would feel comfortable-and of course Lord Griffith has developed such a sterling reputation."

"Indeed."

"It was sheer luck that a negotiator of his expertise was so near to hand. I shall be sorry to miss his visit, but Derek and Gabriel will at least get to meet him up at the frontier."

Jack arched an eyebrow. "Won't Georgie get to meet him, as well? If he's planning on calling on you at your palace in Bombay-?"

"I'm trying not to think about that," Lord Arthur said drily, "considering I'm not there to make sure my daughter behaves herself."

Jack snorted. "Even if she doesn't, Ian will. He was always so upright and serious, Arthur. You've got nothing to worry about."

"But you don't understand. To Georgie, a standoffish fellow will seem like a jolly challenge for her seductive skills. With most men, she only has to smile to make them fall in love."

"You shouldn't have named her after my mother," Jack taunted with a smile.

"I liked your mother," he retorted. "And admired her. After the heroic way she died, I was happy to name my daughter after her in tribute."

Jack grumbled a wordless answer and tossed back a swallow of liquor.

"In any case, the letter from Georgie wasn't the only communique I received on my way here to meet you. I hate to put a blot on the festivities, but-" Arthur hesitated. "Hard news from Venezuela Jack."

He sat forward. "What news?"