Chapter 9

Noah would be the first to admit that he had no idea what he was about. What he did know was that battling her left him feeling more alive than he had in years. Her spirit and sheer fearlessness opened up a window in the black recesses of his soul to let in a light so intoxicating and freeing, he craved more, and because of that she’d become the woman he wanted in his life.

“You can put down now,” she directed coolly when they reached the silent book-lined study. Instead, he took a moment to feast on her features, the still damp eyes, the tensely set brown jaw, the pridefully raised chin. The night they’d first met, he had no idea the hooded cloak concealed such a beautiful gaminlike face. Her dark curly hair, its texture resembling his own, was cut short like a youth’s, thus setting her apart from most of the fashionable women of the era, yet the style seemed to suit her unconventional nature perfectly. She faced him like an angry prize of war, a true warrior queen—bested but not conquered.

“As you wish.” He set her on her feet and watched her pull his jacket closed over her exposed corset. She reached into his pocket and withdrew a handkerchief. Handing it to him she said, “Your chin’s bleeding.”

He took it with a ghost of a smile and pressed it against the nick.

“I won’t apologize for that.”

“I don’t expect you to.”

Her mother entered with the young woman in the rose-colored gown he’d noticed earlier. Based on the strong resemblance to both Desa and Pilar, she had to be the other daughter. Both women shot him impatient glares and went to her side.

“I’m fine,” she assured them and sent him a blaze-filled look that left him quietly exhilarated.

Miguel Ventura entered next with his wife. Concern filling his face, he looked first to his niece and upon finding her alive and in once piece, asked Noah, “Now what is this about piracy?”

Noah’s gaze shifted back to the woman in his coat. “Pilar, do you wish to tell the story?”

“I’m sure you can tell it better than I.”

He inclined his head and gave her uncle a truthful but abbreviated version of both his abduction and the theft of the Alanza. When he concluded, Miguel appeared to be speechless. His wife wasn’t.

“I knew we shouldn’t have taken them in! Soldiers could come knocking on our door at any moment. I’ll not lose everything we have because of your sister and her trash!”

Miguel snapped, “Be quiet or leave us! My apologies, Desa.”

The blaze in Desa Banderas’s eyes mimicked her daughter’s. “Accepted.” She then warned Simona, “Do not slur my girls again.”

“Or what?” she sneered.

Desa’s powerful slap sent her sister-in-law reeling. “That’s what! Now, shut your foul mouth!”

Simona was so stunned, it apparently took a moment to register what had just occurred. Hand to her face, tears flooded her eyes. “Miguel!”

He gritted out, “Go put some cold water on your face, Simona.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Yes. Leave us!”

With a wail, she hurried from the room.

The still seething Desa spun to Noah. “So, what do you want in compensation?”

“Permission to marry your daughter.”

The room went still as a tomb.

Ventura offered an uncomfortable-sounding chuckle. “Surely, you’re joking.”

“No. Would you rather she be turned over to the authorities?” he asked, viewing Pilar’s shocked face.

“Of—of course not,” he stammered. “But—Noah, you don’t even know her.”

“True, but I would like to, and I think we would suit. If you’d prefer a courting period, I’d agree to say, a month, two at the most.” He knew he couldn’t just carry her off like he wished, and being well raised, he’d conform to the necessary protocols, but within his parameters. “I’d like to get back to California as soon as I can to resurrect my business, with my wife.”

Her mother finally found speech. “And if you don’t suit?”

“As I said, I believe we will.” He glanced Pilar’s way. She was staring at him as if he’d suddenly grown two heads. “Not what you were expecting?” he asked her.

“No.” It came out a whisper.

“Neither was I.” His eyes lingered on her for a long moment before he turned his attention back to Miguel and her mother. “Discuss my proposal and let me know what you decide. I’ll be out on the patio.”

And he exited.

In the silence that followed his departure, Pilar was still so stunned, speech refused to come. She looked to her mother, who appeared equally as outdone.

Doneta asked her uncle, “Tio, do you think he would really give her over to the authorities?”

He shrugged. “I’ve never known him to be anything but honorable and a man of his word. If what he told us was true he has more than ample grounds on which to bring charges.”

“But I don’t wish to be courted or marry, Mama!” Pilar stated wildly.

“I understand that, Pilar, but do you wish to be imprisoned?” she was asked.

“Of course not.”

“And we don’t wish for you to be either.”

Her uncle mused aloud, “Maybe if we offer to get the boat back to him—”

Her mother confessed: “It was sunk by the Spanish navy. And Miguel, as much as I hate to agree with Simona, there is a chance that the government may seek her out.” She told him about Pilar’s run-in with the navy.

He threw up his hands. “Dios! This gets better and better. Desa, what kind of child have you raised?”

“A fervent but reckless one sometimes.” There was sadness in the smile she sent Pilar’s way.

Pilar didn’t mind her mother’s description but had no intentions of spending her remaining years being described as the wife of Noah Yates. She’d never been courted by a man in her life.

Her mother asked her uncle, “What do you know of him?”

“That he’s very wealthy and from an old and venerable Spanish family in California. She could do worse.”

“I’d think a man of that stature would have his pick of any woman he fancies.”

He shrugged again. “Apparently he’s taken a fancy to your daughter.”

Doneta said, “Tio, maybe if you talk to him he will see reason.”

Pilar shook her head. She had come to a decision. “No. If anyone talks to him it should be me.”

“Are you certain?” her uncle asked.

“Yes.” But it was lie. She wasn’t certain at all. In fact, having to broach this madness with Yates filled her with dread.

Her uncle said, “You’ve done him a great wrong, Pilar. That ship was his livelihood and my livelihood is tied to his as well. He could’ve easily gone straight to the American authorities; instead he’s offered you something you just might want to consider.”

Properly chastised, Pilar knew he was telling her the truth but it was not what she wanted to hear. “Yes, Tio.” She felt as if the world had suddenly turned on its axis and now more than ever she wished she had listened to Tomas and chosen another target. Marriage? To him? She had to find a way to talk him out of it without being jailed.

“Let’s repair your dress first,” her mother suggested.

Needle and thread were found and after a few well-placed stitches, Pilar departed.

As she wound her way through the house, a part of her hoped he’d changed his mind and gone away, but she knew that was just wishful thinking. Walking outside into the torch-lit darkness, she heard off in the distance the faint buzz of the guests making their departure. The gossips were going to have a field day. She was truly sorry for turning her uncle’s birthday rumba into a debacle but there was no help for that now. The swordplay was something people would be whispering about behind their hands and relating to others for months, if not years, to come.

The scandal aside, it was an idyllic night. The moon was high, casting light along the stone path she was following and the air was sweet with the scent of flowers in bloom. Too bad her nerves weren’t as peaceful or serene.

He was sitting in a chair on the patio when she walked up. A lone, lit candle inside of a glass globe sat in the middle of the table and sent wavering flickers of light over his presence. He stood gallantly at her approach.

“I’ve been expecting you. Join me, please.”

She handed him his coat and as he helped her with her chair, she swallowed her nervousness. For a few moments she studied him silently and tried to decide the right tack to take. “From what my uncle tells me, you are wealthy enough to have any woman in the world, so why me?”

“Because you’re the only one who can wield a rapier.”

She didn’t believe that.

“It’s what a woman with your spirit and fire deserves.”

That made her heart pound. She’d never had a man say anything so potent to her before. “You can’t possibly care for me.”

“No, but I hope to in time, and that you will come to care for me as well.”

His soft-toned reply set off more inner havoc, even as she wondered if he had some sort of mind sickness. “I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I but I’d like to try and sort it out. Would you prefer to be my mistress instead?”

“Of course not.”

“I didn’t think so.”

She thought she saw a faint smile as the light played over his scarred face and she wished for full day so she could see him better. “For the sake of argument suppose we do marry. As my husband you can do whatever you wish to me. Are you doing this so you can take your revenge on me for stealing your ship?”

“No, Pilar. I may appear to be a barbarian on the outside, but I am a gentleman underneath. As my wife, you’ll have all the advantages a woman of my set has: a nice home, servants if you choose, money of your own. Whatever your heart desires, within reason, I will move heaven and earth to set at your feet.”

Her heart stopped and she stared. Once again rendered speechless, she finally managed to say, “This doesn’t make sense.”

“We are in agreement. Have you ever been courted?”

She wanted to lie and say Dozens of times, but . . . “No.”

His voice was soft. “Have you given your heart to anyone?”

This was the most unnerving situation she’d ever faced. In spite of his quiet tone and manner she found him so overwhelming, she wanted to hike up her skirts and flee again. “No.”

“Then let me court you, chiquita. Let me show you what it means to be with a man who finds you intriguing and yes, desires you. I promise, we’ll go slow.”

Pilar’s heart was pounding; her breathing heightened, her senses spinning.

“Say, yes, mi pequeño pirata . . .”

Pilar couldn’t’ve said her name.

“If you’re worried about being so far from your family, my mother will be as fiercely protective of you as your own. You’ll have two sisters-in-law who will help you along, and should anything untoward happen to me, my brothers will care for you as if you were their own blood.”

“But I don’t wish to marry you.”

“Understood, but many couples in arranged marriages have managed to find their way.”

“Not always. My mother left her novio at the altar to run away with my father.”

“Is that where you get your determination?”

She’d hope to throw him off pace with that example; instead he’d responded with hushed-voice praise that once again set her senses spinning. “Suppose I offer to pay you for your ship?”

He evaluated her silently for a moment. “You offered to pay for it, but not return it. Why is that?”

She hesitated so long he coaxed, “Pilar?”

She finally confessed, “It was sunk. Cannon fire from the Spanish navy.”

“Were you on board?”

“Yes.”

“Were you hurt?”

“Bumps and bruises. Swallowed a large amount of seawater . . .” Her voice trailed off.

“And my Alanza was being used for . . .?”

“Gunrunning.”

He chuckled softly, sat back, and folded his arms. “For the rebels?”

She nodded and hoped her answer would scare him off. As she’d noted to her mother, no man wanted a wife who smuggled guns.

“Is the government searching for you?”

“Possibly.”

“As the wife of an American citizen you may be offered some measure of protection should they come hunting. Yet another plus for saying yes.”

But who would protect her from him? came the thought.

His next question brought her back. “How long have you been with the rebels?”

“Since my father’s death in ’seventy-seven.”

“And you were how old?”

“Fifteen.” She’d begged her mother to let her join the Revolutionary Army, but because she was deemed too small to fight, she’d been attached to the Mambi women who ran the support columns.

“How did he die?”

“Spain hung him for treason.”

He went still. “My condolences.”

“Thank you.” Her father’s death broke her heart. She’d loved him so much. He’d taken up the cause for his lost brothers, and she’d done the same for him. Now she was being forced to live for herself and she wasn’t certain she knew how. “I can sail a ship and shoot a gun. I can walk a hundred miles silently through a jungle on little food and no sleep. I can start a smokeless fire, feed myself on what I can forage, treat wounds, and sharpen a machete until it gleams. I know nothing about being a wife.”

“And I know nothing about being a husband. That makes us even. Once you and I have worked through our initial clash of wills, I will send for your mother and sister with the hope that they’ll consent to visit.”

“I doubt this will go as easily as you envision.”

“I’m envisioning a hard-fought battle, Pilar. Nothing worth having comes easy, especially not a woman so beautiful and fearless.”

Once again she was swept away, but managed to say. “As long as you understand.”

“I do.”

And with that she stood, and she was admittedly shaking inside, not out of fear of him or for her safety but of something unnamed: something that called to a portion of herself that was as intrigued by him as he claimed to be by her, even though the thinking rest of herself didn’t wish to be.

“You still haven’t given me an answer,” he reminded her softly. “Do you wish to be courted?”

“You don’t leave much choice, do you? Yes, you may court me. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She distinctly saw him smile that time. “This isn’t funny.”

“No, but battling you will be fun. There’s a difference.”

Exasperated, Pilar shook her head and left him.

As she disappeared into the darkness, Noah mined his own thoughts. He was now certain he’d lost his mind, but the parts of him that were drawn to her didn’t care. As he’d noted, she was as lovely as she was fierce; even though it was readily apparent she’d never crossed swords on the field of courtship. He couldn’t wait to begin his quest to win her. The memory of the rapier battle resurfaced, bringing with it the glorious surge of joy he’d felt during the encounter. To experience that again even occasionally was worth more than gold. He’d been wearing the dark horror of the island like a lead-lined mantle for over a decade. Never once had it fully lifted—until tonight. And even now, as it slowly descended again, the knowledge that it could be banished even temporarily gave him hope that over time he might escape it permanently. She held the key, the first he’d ever found, and just thinking about her seemed to ease the pain. Because of her he knew that hidden beneath his inner darkness lay something still alive, and he wanted to feed it so it could rise and grow. And as it did, and he and his recalcitrant warrior queen feinted and parried their way to a mutual understanding, maybe, just maybe he’d get to experience the joy his brothers seemed to have found with their wives, and that gave him hope as well. He was so elated by the evening’s turn of events he wanted to wire Drew and let him know, he was finally having fun.

Pilar’s mother and sister were waiting in the bedroom the sisters shared when she returned.

“How did you fare?” her mother asked.

Pilar sank into a chair. “He refuses to change his mind.” She thought back on the overwhelming encounter and fought to ignore the lingering effects on her senses. “I asked if this was his way of extracting his revenge.”

“And his reply?”

“No.”

“Then why do this?” Doneta wanted to know.

Instead of revealing he’d spoken of desire, she hedged. “He said it’s because I’m the only woman he knows who can wield a rapier.” She rolled her eyes at that, and added truthfully, “He also said that I would have a fine home, money of my own, servants. Whatever I desired he’d move heaven and earth to place at my feet.”

Her mother stilled with surprise.

Doneta said over a laugh. “Oh my. If you don’t want him, Pilar, I’ll take him.”

They all laughed, and Pilar wondered how she’d survive in California without Doneta’s wonderful sense of humor. She held the gazes of the two people she loved most in the world. “He wants the two of you to come to California to visit once he and I are settled. I told him it wasn’t going to be that easy. He can’t possibly believe he’ll win me over in two months.”

“Does he frighten you?” her mother asked quietly.

She shook her head. “He assured me I won’t come to any harm and truthfully, I believe him. I just don’t understand why he’s so set on doing this.”

“Maybe he’s in love with you,” Doneta said and shrugged. “Tio said he’s honorable. You could do a lot worse.”

“But I don’t want to do at all.” She thought back to the night she ordered him to the rowboat. “He said he’d find me, and he has.” The confusion on her mother’s face made her explain what she was referencing.

“He’s very driven then,” her mother concluded.

“Apparently.” She quieted and thought back on his potent encounter once more. “I don’t know anything about being courted, Mama.”

“I do,” Doneta said dreamily. “In the books, the man takes his novia walking, brings her flowers and chocolates, and sometimes when the duenna isn’t looking, he’ll steal a kiss.”

The thought of Noah Yates kissing her made Pilar go weak. “I won’t be kissing him, Doneta.” Would he really try and kiss her? She guessed he would. Saints help her!

Her mother was eyeing her keenly.

“Yes, Mama?”

“Nothing. I’m just listening to your silly sister. Did he say anything about when he’d return?”

“No, but I told him I would see him tomorrow.”

“Did you agree to be courted?”

“I don’t have much choice.”

“Maybe this will work out better than you think.”

“I doubt that.”

“Just keep an open mind.”

Pilar didn’t want to do or think about anything that might bring her closer to the man she’d left sitting on the patio. “I’m ready for bed.”

“I believe we all are. It’s been quite the evening.” Her mother gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Rest well.”

“You too, Mama.” But Pilar doubted she’d be able to, knowing she’d be facing Noah Yates for battle in the morning.