Free The Pirate and the Pagan by Virginia Henley Page B

Summer’s mouth turned up in a secret littlesmile. “I think I’ll borrow that delicate pale gray outfit today. I might as well leave the lovely clothes I bought packed. After all, I’ll be sailing home at week’s end.”
    Lil Richwood would have bet money on it.
        The unusual trio left their coach at the first dock and the two servants followed behind Summer as she carefully scanned each ship and passed on to the next. Suddenly she saw him, but immediately pretended otherwise. She gave all her attention to the names painted on the ship’s sides until he was almost upon her.
    Lord Helford swept off his hat. “Lady Summer,” he said warmly.
    She looked up at him, then sank to her knees before him. “Your Majesty,” she breathed.
    He immediately took hold of her hands to raise her and a slight frown marred his brow. “I’m not the King,” he said, puzzled.
    Her eyes flew open in surprise. “Oh, surely my aunt wouldn’t play such a cruel trick on me?” He stood holding her hands, looking down into her lovely face framed by the pale gray fox fur of her hood. She said hesitantly, “After you left, I asked my aunt who the tall, dark gentleman was and she told me it was the King.” Her lashes swept to her cheeks and she blushed prettily.
    Ruark threw back his head and laughed. The corded muscles in his bronzed neck stood out strongly. She cast him a reproachful look at his amusement. “The other man was the King. Forgive my terrible manners for laughing at you, Lady Summer, but in truth I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted.”
    She looked at him innocently, but she knew damned well he had been flattered to have been mistaken for the King or she wouldn’t have made the deliberate mistake.
    “Ruark Helford, at your service, Lady Summer. Whatever are you doing here on the docks?” he asked.
    “I’m looking for passage home to Cornwall. I arrived on the
Seagull,
an American ship, but I don’t seem to be able to locate it here,” she said breathlessly.
    “Cornwall?” he asked with disbelief.
    She extracted her hands from his and slipped them into her pretty fur muff, out of his reach. “I’m going home to Roseland. It’s mine now,” she said delicately without mentioning her father’s death.
    “But Roseland is the next estate to mine,” he said with delight.
    “What an amazing coincidence,” she said with wide-eyed wonder. “You must be
Lord
Helford.”
    “There are no coincidences. It’s fate, Lady Summer. All things happen for a purpose. I shall take you home on my ship.”
    “You are too kind sir, but I couldn’t possibly put you to such inconvenience,” she demurred.
    “As a matter of fact ’tis the most convenient thing in the world. I leave for Cornwall day after tomorrow by order of the King.” His face was hard and serious. “I won’t take no for an answer. I couldn’t possibly entrust you to an American captain.”
    She took a deep breath. He liked to take control. He was clearly a man used to having his own way. “Come aboard now and I’ll show you my
Pagan Goddess.”
    Summer glanced behind her at the forbidding faces of her attendants. “Ah sir, I don’t think they would permit me to do such a thing.”
    “Dragons,” he muttered. “My dear Lady Summer, you do not need permission from servants to do anything.” He raised his voice and said with authority, “I am taking your mistress aboard my ship. Be good enough to wait.”
    His firm hand was under her elbow guiding her up the gangplank and he couldn’t believe this stroke of good fortune. Lady Summer had been the name on everyone’s lips at Court, and he assumed she would take the opportunity offered her to become its latest courtesan, to be feted and fawned upon and, yes, fucked, if he was going to be honest. First by the King and then by the King’s cavaliers when he grew negligent. That she was innocently unaware of the stir she had caused and was returning home to Cornwall was almost