Free Captive Embraces by Fern Michaels

father’s likeness. The beauty of height was there as was the magnificent breadth of shoulders. There was no doubt he was Regan’s son. Except that the boy’s hair was dark where Regan’s was the color of winter wheat; the seed hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
    Frau Holtz hurried to the rail for a glimpse of Caleb. She, too, saw immediately that Sirena was behaving strangely. The old woman brought her hand to her mouth and shivered inwardly. Sirena was walking as though she were a puppet and invisible strings were attached to her limbs.
    Sirena moved up the gangplank keeping her gaze straight ahead, neither looking right nor left. Jacobus eyed her warily and with a slight motion of his hand warned the others to remain quiet. He knew that burning look, and it struck a chord of warning within him.
    â€œHoist anchor,” Sirena said tersely. “We sail for Spain.” With a nod to Caleb, she moved jerkily toward her quarters and a change of garments.
    Caleb, his expression forbidding and unreadable, nodded slightly to the crew and held out his hand to Franco, the second mate.
    â€œYou’ve grown, boy,” Franco said quietly. “School must have agreed with you.”
    â€œIt’s good to have you aboard again, Caleb,” Jan welcomed him softly.
    â€œThe last time these old eyes saw you, you were a mere child. And now you’re a strapping young man. We missed you,” Jacobus grinned. “It’s good to have another pair of reliable hands aboard. Welcome back.”
    Frau Holtz gathered him to her bosom in a motherly embrace and was momentarily startled that it was her head resting against Caleb’s chest and not the other way around. Standing on tiptoe she whispered, “I must talk with you. Now!” she added urgently.
    The crew busied themselves readying the Rana for departure, having taken on stores as soon as they had made port earlier that day. Soon the frigate’s tightly strung sails billowed and thumped as they caught the early-evening breeze.
    Frau Holtz led Caleb to her cabin. “What is it? What happened back at the school—and don’t lie to me. What’s wrong?” Her voice took on the harsh note it always did when she knew something was troubling her Mevrouw.
    Caleb debated for a moment before speaking. His gut churned as he tried to find the right words to answer the housekeeper. “Sirena ... Sirena, for the first time in her life has ... No, Frau Holtz. It’s not my place to discuss it with anyone. Sirena will have to tell you.”
    The elderly woman looked at Caleb and grimaced. “I see they taught you many things at your fancy academy. I admire your loyalty to the Mevrouw; but, perhaps, if you were to tell me what it is that’s troubling her, the crew and I could help.”
    â€œFrau Holtz, at this moment there is no one on this earth who can help Sirena. You must believe me when I tell you this. For now, she must work it through in her own mind. Nobody, not even you and least of all me, can help her.”
    â€œAnd you learned all this from books?” the housekeeper asked snidely, indignant to be excluded from Sirena’s troubles.
    Caleb grinned. “No, Frau Holtz. Not books. You must remember Sirena was my teacher for a long time. I learned many things from her, things that I ... Never mind. It’s not important for you to know what I learned from Sirena or my books.”
    â€œYou may have been taught many things, but the lesson you have learned best is your father’s arrogance! Be careful, young man. that you’re wise enough to handle this haughtiness. You may look like a man and you may act like a man, but are you a man in here where it counts?” she challenged, jabbing her finger repeatedly into his chest.
    Caleb laughed. “Make no mistake, Frau Holtz. Boyhood is far behind me. And,” he said coolly, “I am my own man. I make my own decisions and I lead my own