The Duke's Daughter -Wattys2014 Collector's Dream Award Winner-

Chapter Fifty Nine

Derek became conscious of a warmth against his side. Arianna. His mind whispered.

He saw her smile down at him as she brushed a bit of his hair from his face. "We will marry soon, my love, all will be well."

She knew? He did not have time to process the thought as she leaned close and he drew her up against him. He turned his cheek to nuzzle the soft skin below her jaw... But instead of the creamy, smooth skin of his angel, his face came in contact with rough, whisker studded skin.

Derek's eyes flew open as he jumped away from... Whatever it was he had been cuddled up with... And came to a sitting position.

His eyes made contact with his first mate's laughing stare.

"Am I in danger of being ravished?" Alejandro batted his lashes at his captain. "Silly me, without a chaperone."

Derek ignored his first mate's humor and rose from the sand. A glance around confirmed that the storm had passed and sunshine once more spilled from the sky.

"We need to find the others." Derek commented dryly.

"Aye, aye, captain." Alejandro mocked as he rose from the sand.

"That rise should help us locate them." Derek again commented dryly, ignoring his first mate.

Alejandro waved a hand indicating for Derek to proceed him. For half of an hour they fought the natural vegetation until they finally reached the top of the rise.

Surveying the island, Derek spotted a plume of black smoke drifting to the skies.

'Twould seem the smoke would be their best bet. Derek just prayed that they did not discover a band of cannibalistic natives when they reached the fire.

*****

Arianna rose from the women's tent the next morning, when the smell of cooking meat filled her senses. Pulling back the flap of sailcloth that served as a door, she noted the dry weather, sending a prayer of thanks for the clear blue skies. Her gaze fell upon the Lady. She was still stuck on the reef, though the stern half of the ship was obviously taking on water. Arianna's eyes flew wide as she searched the faces around her.

She spotted Thomas near the cook's tent and quickly made her way over.

"Thomas, was Bailey retrieved from the brig?"

"Aye," The American answered, as he spooned gruel into a bowl. "He was transported yesterday while you were changing."

Arianna glanced once more around their impromptu camp. "I have not seen him."

"You wouldn't." Thomas smiled at her, as he replaced the lid to the gruel. "Your mother would not have him near camp."

Arianna raised a brow at that. "Where would she have him?"

"About a quarter mile south, hanging from a palm." Thomas' lips twitched as he paused, "She insisted he be far enough away that he did not offend any of her senses, particularly her sense of smell."

Arianna shook her head, as she noted that south, was downwind. Her mother was quite a character.

"Have the captain and his first mate been found yet?"

Thomas' humor fled with a negative shake of his head. He noted the apprehension behind her question. He had noticed the way she and the captain stole long looks at each other when the one's attention was occupied elsewhere.

"You do realize, my lady, that they may not be found?"

Only a moment's hesitation gave away her concern, before she lifted her chin and managed to glance down her nose at him, even from her smaller height. "If you believe that to be a possibility, sir, then you do not know the captain, or his mate, at all."

'Twas Thomas who raised a brow this time. "I've seen some of the best men done in by far less fearsome storms, my lady."

"Well, before the day is out you will see that they live."

"I pray that you are right." Thomas replied with a nod, before moving off to a large rock to have his breakfast.

Arianna found herself praying that she was correct as well.

*****

"No, no, Roman, dig deeper, you will not find clams that shallow."

"Yes, your grace." The boy smiled up at her, before he followed her instructions.

A few of the mothers had been reluctant to rise with their children this morning, as their exertion to help establish the camp yesterday, had left them exhausted. The Duchess, who was never able to sleep the morning hours away, no matter how little she slept at night, had taken all the children old enough to walk, down to the beach, allowing their mothers to rest. She had taught a couple of young girls to dribble wet sand from their fingers and they were now expert sandcastle architects. The young boys were busy collecting pretty shells for the teenage girls to make necklaces out of, in hopes of being able to gift their mothers with the finished jewelry. The older boys had wanted to fish, with Roman as their leader, but the Duchess had been reluctant to let them wander deeper than their knees into the surf.

Instead, she had taught them to dig for clams so that they still might be able to help and have something to hand Cook for supper. The boys had been amazed with the Duchess' lucky first dig, they had soon found that the beach was literally, one large clam infestation. They now competed with one another, all wanting to collect the most.

"Perhaps we should change the rules. How about the first boy to ten clams is the winner?"

"I've already got four." Roman said as he looked up at her. "Why only ten each?"

"Well, I am sure you will each have a hard enough time carrying ten back to camp, and how many do you truly expect us to eat today?"

"We could save some for tomorrow." Another boy chimed in.

The Duchess turned his way as she shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "They would begin to smell and that might draw animals in from the forest."

Every set of young eyes were wide, as they stared up at the Duchess. "What kind of animals do you think are out there?"

"I cannot begin to say I have the slightest idea. In my opinion, the less we encounter, the better."

This started a discussion between the boys, the Duchess simply smiled as she let them debate the possibilities. Thoughts of her son William, when he had been around the ages of these boys, brought a tear to her eye. Oh, William, she thought, I will find a way off of this island and back to you and your father.

The Duchess glanced up the beach, spotting Arianna coming her way with something tucked under her arm. Carmelita and Betsy were with her.

When they drew close, the Duchess noticed a smile upon her daughter's face. She was hopeful that there were no hard feelings from the day before.

"Mother, let Carmelita and Betsy relieve you. I would like to show you something in the forest."

*****

Derek paused to catch his breath as they crested another rise. 'Twas only two more hills before they reached the fire. Derek was wary. Anyone who would pronounce their presence so boldly would protect it as well.

If this were some native tribe, and not the Lady's passengers, he and Alejandro might find themselves in even more trouble before the day was out. As it was, he was only armed with the blade that was concealed in his boot. Luckily, Alejandro wore a saber at his belt that had somehow survived the turbulent surf they had fought the night before. It had already come in handy with the stubbornly thick undergrowth they had been traversing through this morning. A strange animal call sounded to their left. A bird or monkey perhaps?

Derek made eye contact with his first mate. Alejandro's simple nod set them both into motion again. Neither man was a fan of monkeys. Both had seen the damage an angry primate could inflict upon a man. Neither Derek, nor Alejandro, cared to irritate a territorial male primate of any species. They tended to go for ones softer parts and... Well, eat them while they were still attached.

Derek's step quickened as he dismissed the thought.

*****

"What was it that you wanted to show me, daughter?" The Duchess asked, once Arianna stopped in a small clearing surrounded by vegetation.

"This." Arianna replied, as she unwound the cloth from her set of pistols.

"Daughter, why do you have these?" The Duchess asked, as she picked up the dead pirate's horse pistol, weighing it in her hands.

"This one," Arianna replied as she retrieved her father's pistol, "I borrowed from father before I left. And that one, I acquired from a pirate."

"A pirate?"

"Yes, well.. I killed him in defense of myself and Betsy before I relieved him of it."

"I see. I assume this was when Lord Trent came to the rescue?"

"Oh, yes, most gallantly so." Arianna laughed. Her mother saw the light that infused her daughter's eyes as she remembered. "I can still see him, blade between his teeth, swinging on a line to fight the pirates. I was quite busy myself, Betsy and I were surrounded by pirates at the bow of the Seahawk. It had not been long though, before Derek came and they surrendered." Arianna's focus was distant, as the night that had followed that day, also refreshed itself in her memory. Even at this late date, a blush graced her cheeks as she remembered how she had danced with abandon. She hated the rift that had grown between her and Derek recently.

The Duchess watched the emotions, as they crossed her daughter's expressive face, and smiled secretly to herself. She was confident that the two would find their way to one another... Should Trent return.

"Anyway," Arianna shook the memories from her mind, turning back to her mother, "I want you to keep the pirate's pistol. 'Tis a bit much for me."

The Duchess surveyed the pistol in her hands. "It has been years since I have handled a firearm."

"Then perhaps you should practice. I have extra ammunition here." Arianna unfolded the cloth more, to reveal a set of powder horns, ready patches, and a surplus of lead balls.

"If you do not mind, I will leave you to it. I want to ensure that Betsy understands the workings of the pistols as well."
The Duchess nodded distractedly, before she brought her eyes to Arianna's once more.

"Are you expecting trouble, daughter?"

Arianna smiled as she glanced through the vegetation around them. "Not particularly, mother. But trouble has been around every corner since I left England." Her chin lifted slightly, as a smile graced her face. "I have simply decided that I would rather be prepared for it, should it strike again."