Free Captive of My Desires by Johanna Lindsey Page B

You weren’t in the habit of going by your real name back then, were you?”
    “’Course not. Hawke was the only name I used back then. But apparently I did some talking in my sleep due to the medications I was given to help with my wounds, and some of it was about my family. He gained knowledge of who I was and ended up telling me his life story as well. We actually became friends after that.”
    “So who is he? An Englishman? Is that why he sent his daughter here for her coming out?”
    “Do you really need to know?”
    She frowned at that answer. “To launch her and find her a husband here, yes, I do need to know her background. You know how damned particular you aristocrats are about bloodlines,” she added with some disgust.
    “Don’t include me in that package, just because you Americans don’t like aristocrats. You did marry one, and I didn’t marry one. I rest my case.”
    She laughed and punched him lightly in the chest at the same time. “Just answer my question.”
    “You won’t like it. In fact, you just might be slamming doors shut on me again.”
    “Oh come now, it can’t be that bad.”
    “Beg to differ, m’dear. She’s the daughter of a pirate, not one who just dabbled at it like I did, but one who’s made it his life’s career.”
    “Who’s the daughter of a pirate?” Drew asked as he entered the room behind them.

Chapter 10
    A PARTY ALREADY? Gabrielle hadn’t yet had a chance to relax since she’d arrived at the Malory townhouse. Her nervousness might have decreased a bit during her talk with James and Georgina Malory, but it hadn’t dissipated completely. And she was expected to attend a party tonight?
    After she’d been shown to a room upstairs, she’d done nothing but pace until Margery had arrived a few hours later. The housekeeper had elected to stay behind at the inn when they couldn’t find a carriage big enough to accommodate all of them that morning, and to come over later with the baggage and Miss Carla.
    She missed Ohr and Richard already. They hadn’t intended to stay in the same house with her, merely to make sure she was welcome. But Malory had made it clear they weren’t welcome. Her friends wouldn’t be deserting her entirely, though, just the neighborhood. The original plan included their waiting in England until Nathan arrived, since it was quite possible he’d be on his way to join them before they got back to the Caribbean, so they were going to rent a flat near the docks where they could watch for The Crusty Jewel ’s arrival. She’d guessed her father had simply ordered them to remain here to keep an eye on her.
    Her father took care of incidentals like that without telling her, though she usually found out. His overprotective nature had been a surprise to her, had even included having reports sent to him regularly over the years about her progress and activities as she was growing up. Her mother’s gardener had been in Nathan’s pay. No wonder that old man had always questioned her extensively about what she was up to!
    When Nathan had fessed up about the gardener, she’d realized he must have also been informed about her mother’s affair with Albert. He didn’t say so, and she certainly didn’t mention it, but she’d felt bad for months, thinking about it, and had a feeling that his parrot hadn’t been taught derogatory remarks about Carla until after her father had knowledge of her mother’s unfaithfulness.
    Georgina Malory came up with Margery when she arrived, to tell Gabrielle they would be attending a soiree that night being given by her niece by marriage. “I wasn’t intending to go,” the lady admitted. “Regina has so many parties when she’s in London that I don’t feel the need to attend more’n a few of them. But as it happens my brothers Drew and Boyd are both in town for a visit and would make fine escorts. So it occurred to me that this will be the perfect opportunity for you to get your feet wet, as it were. So we’ll