Read Online The Bargain: A Port Elizabeth Regency Tale: Episode 2 by Vanessa Riley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vanessa Riley
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black.”
Preposterous; he hadn't brought the girl along to find away to seduce her. Right? She was a piece of Eliza, dear to Jonas. Yet, the drunk had noticed something, enough to guess that Gareth had become partial to Precious.
There was no more denying it. The playful cat and mouse banter with her was something he enjoyed until she flung herself into the ocean. And the feel of her curling into him, the surprising softness of her scarlet lips, it stirred something inside.
He rubbed at his skull and pushed away his own inner doubts of his motives. Ralston needed to be a better man. He would be next in command if anything befell Gareth. It would take both his first mate and his friend Mr. Narvel to command Port Elizabeth.
As twisted as Ralston's values were, there was good in him. Gareth had seen it when he helped to rebuild a cottage for a widowed colonist. No man had worked as hard as Ralston to get that roof back over the poor old lady's head after the Xhosa raiders burnt it to the ground.
But how could he get through to his first mate? Perhaps with the truth. “Wenching doesn't make a man a man. At what point does all the sin just make him corrupt?”
A belly laugh poured out of the fool. “None that I could ever see.”
“You need to start spending time with the colony's vicar.” Gareth started to pivot, but stayed in place. “Ralston, I don't know how you are going to do it, but I need you to shape up. We are in charge of how this new world of Port Elizabeth grows. We are to make it good, or it will die on the vine. Wenching won't work for that. Women need protection, someone to count on. All the colonists need us to be fair, worthy to put their trust in.”
The laughter had drained away from Ralston’s face. The man gazed down and fidgeted with his hands. Maybe there was hope for him. Looking back from how Gareth had let Eliza down to how he’d been of use to Precious, maybe there was hope for him as well.
“Sorry, Captain.”
He extended a hand to him. “Behind Narvel, you’re the fellow I depend upon. It can't be if you have no morals. What if something happened to me or Narvel? I want the leadership of Port Elizabeth to fall to a man of conviction, not a war department bureaucrat.”
Head lifting, with a glint in his eyes, Ralston stood erect. “You see that in me?”
“Yes, when you're not boozing or starting mutinies. Take the wheel. No drinking up here.”
Smiling, Ralston stuck a hard handshake then took hold of the column. “You can count on me, Captain. But maybe you should head off to your prize. She hasn't left your room for days.”
Nodding, Gareth headed for his cabin. Perhaps Precious was awake and felt well enough to answer some questions. At some point he’d need to figure out what had happened to her. That kind of fear couldn't be kept inside. It could come out again and endanger her or others.
"Have fun, Captain."
Gareth couldn't help rolling his eyes as he stalked down to the deck. He definitely couldn't give in to his attraction to Precious Jewell, who very well could be his sister by marriage, no matter how alive she made the dead parts of him feel.
Precious tried to open her heavy lids, but they must be sewn closed. Was she dead? Heart racing, she tried again, but couldn't. She must be dead or nearly dead.
Another moment of trying and she gave up and just let her fingers absorb the smoothness of the fine sheets. She must've fallen asleep in Eliza’s bed again. Eliza would forgive her once she saw how tired and how hurt Precious was.
Well, as long as Mr. Marsdale didn't catch her, she'd be fine.
As long his nephew never caught her again, she'd recover.
He hurt her real bad last time.
Something tucked bedsheets about her. She tried to stop shaking, but was too weak. She wanted to scream for Eliza, but her mouth felt dry, like bales of cotton.
A few blinks and she cracked her eyes open.
Mrs. Narvel’s face became clear. She
Preposterous; he hadn't brought the girl along to find away to seduce her. Right? She was a piece of Eliza, dear to Jonas. Yet, the drunk had noticed something, enough to guess that Gareth had become partial to Precious.
There was no more denying it. The playful cat and mouse banter with her was something he enjoyed until she flung herself into the ocean. And the feel of her curling into him, the surprising softness of her scarlet lips, it stirred something inside.
He rubbed at his skull and pushed away his own inner doubts of his motives. Ralston needed to be a better man. He would be next in command if anything befell Gareth. It would take both his first mate and his friend Mr. Narvel to command Port Elizabeth.
As twisted as Ralston's values were, there was good in him. Gareth had seen it when he helped to rebuild a cottage for a widowed colonist. No man had worked as hard as Ralston to get that roof back over the poor old lady's head after the Xhosa raiders burnt it to the ground.
But how could he get through to his first mate? Perhaps with the truth. “Wenching doesn't make a man a man. At what point does all the sin just make him corrupt?”
A belly laugh poured out of the fool. “None that I could ever see.”
“You need to start spending time with the colony's vicar.” Gareth started to pivot, but stayed in place. “Ralston, I don't know how you are going to do it, but I need you to shape up. We are in charge of how this new world of Port Elizabeth grows. We are to make it good, or it will die on the vine. Wenching won't work for that. Women need protection, someone to count on. All the colonists need us to be fair, worthy to put their trust in.”
The laughter had drained away from Ralston’s face. The man gazed down and fidgeted with his hands. Maybe there was hope for him. Looking back from how Gareth had let Eliza down to how he’d been of use to Precious, maybe there was hope for him as well.
“Sorry, Captain.”
He extended a hand to him. “Behind Narvel, you’re the fellow I depend upon. It can't be if you have no morals. What if something happened to me or Narvel? I want the leadership of Port Elizabeth to fall to a man of conviction, not a war department bureaucrat.”
Head lifting, with a glint in his eyes, Ralston stood erect. “You see that in me?”
“Yes, when you're not boozing or starting mutinies. Take the wheel. No drinking up here.”
Smiling, Ralston stuck a hard handshake then took hold of the column. “You can count on me, Captain. But maybe you should head off to your prize. She hasn't left your room for days.”
Nodding, Gareth headed for his cabin. Perhaps Precious was awake and felt well enough to answer some questions. At some point he’d need to figure out what had happened to her. That kind of fear couldn't be kept inside. It could come out again and endanger her or others.
"Have fun, Captain."
Gareth couldn't help rolling his eyes as he stalked down to the deck. He definitely couldn't give in to his attraction to Precious Jewell, who very well could be his sister by marriage, no matter how alive she made the dead parts of him feel.
Precious tried to open her heavy lids, but they must be sewn closed. Was she dead? Heart racing, she tried again, but couldn't. She must be dead or nearly dead.
Another moment of trying and she gave up and just let her fingers absorb the smoothness of the fine sheets. She must've fallen asleep in Eliza’s bed again. Eliza would forgive her once she saw how tired and how hurt Precious was.
Well, as long as Mr. Marsdale didn't catch her, she'd be fine.
As long his nephew never caught her again, she'd recover.
He hurt her real bad last time.
Something tucked bedsheets about her. She tried to stop shaking, but was too weak. She wanted to scream for Eliza, but her mouth felt dry, like bales of cotton.
A few blinks and she cracked her eyes open.
Mrs. Narvel’s face became clear. She
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