Free Enter The Brethren (The Brethren of the Coast) by Barbara Devlin Page A

door shut and smiled in that boyishly sweet expression that never failed to give her gooseflesh.
    “I did not sleep well.”
    “Believe I already knew that.”
    “Did I disturb you?”
    “Not much,” he said, setting the tray on the table.
    “I am sorry.  Will you forgive me?”
    “Only if you consent to have dinner with me.”
    Oh, he was in a playful mood, and she was in a mood to play.  But as Caroline eased into her chair, she second-guessed her plan.  Picking at her food, moving vegetables from one side of her plate to the other, she searched for some way to broach the subject foremost on her mind.
    “What can I do?” Trevor asked, his forehead a mass of furrows.
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “How can I make it better?”
    Cursing her suddenly absent courage, she considered his question, then said, “I want to know about you.”
    As her host studied his clasped hands, Caroline reconsidered her request.  “Perhaps--”
    “I suppose I should begin with what I love most.”  Trevor inclined his head and smiled.  “Sailing.”
    Intent on learning all she could about the handsome captain, before she divulged her last secret, she gave him her full attention.
    In a few short minutes, Caroline realized Trevor was a man very much like her brother.  He hired experienced seamen, no landsmen, he cared for his crew, and his men respected him.  Possessing knowledge of sailing that would rival her elder sibling’s, he had made the rank of captain in the Royal Navy at the ripe old age of six and twenty.
    “Tell me about the sword.”  She motioned with her hand.  “The one hanging on the wall.  I noticed it the night you brought me here, and if I recall correctly, you said it has been in your family for years.  Does it have a history?”
    “Indeed, it does, and it has a mate.”  Balancing the heavy decanter, he refilled their glasses.  “But for you to understand the significance, we must journey to another time.”  Trevor tapped his fingertips together.  “The weapon dates to the eighth century.  It was a gift in observance of a marriage arranged to solidify ties between two warring factions.”
    “Your ancestors?”  Fascinated, Caroline itched to press for more details, but something in his expression warned her she was treading dangerous waters.
    “Exactly.”  He nodded once.  “The images engraved on the hilt, Adam and Eve, were meant to symbolize a new beginning.  A land of peace.  The original pair were handed down from one generation to the next.”
    “But you said there were two.  What of the other?”
    “Ah, yes.  Eve.”  His face took on a harsh, hardened appearance.  “Look closely, and you will notice the figure etched at the base of the hilt is male.  The sword I have is Adam.  When I was five, my mother took Eve and fled to France with her lover.  I presume she needed money, because once on the Continent, she sold it.  I have tried to recover the heirloom, but my solicitor has never been able to locate the weapon.”
    “Excuse me.”  Caroline blinked.  “Did you say your mother abandoned you and your father?”
    “Bear with me, because I was very young when it happened, but it began with another arranged marriage.  There were no treaties signed or wars to be averted.  It was the wish of a couple of old men, one being my grandfather, to unite their families, so they betrothed their eldest at birth.”
    “Your parents?”
    “Eventually.”  He dipped his chin.  “My father loved my mother, of that I am sure, but I do not believe she returned his affection.  As it was their duty, they wed, and I was conceived.  About five years later, a distant relative came to stay with my parents.  Whoever he was, I do not know.”  Trevor shrugged.  “My mother fell in love with the man, and they engaged in an affair.  When my father found out, he confronted them, and they sailed to France.”
    “Your poor father.”  Caroline rose from her chair and walked to