The Pirate's Lady (Spies of London #1)

Chapter 15

Hey people!

First of all, 1816 reads and 84 votes! You guys r more than amazing! :*

This one is for NatalyeD and BrookeHarding ! :)

And for NatalyeD , and whoever else has that doubt, 'Ton' is actually correct. "The ton" is short for "haute ton", a French phrase that the English used to describe their aristocratic class - the dukes, earls, barons, and other titled people and their families who were part of the "upper ten thousand". You are born into it and can't rise into it (unless you were extremely, absurdly wealthy, and even then it would take a couple of generations and some great marriages before your family would be accepted).

Moving on, lets see what this chapter brings!

Onward! :)

******************************************************************

When Olivia first awoke, she had panicked slightly as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings.

The room was small, but not tiny. The bed she was sleeping in was comfortable, and she was covered in blankets......... Dear Lord!

What was she doing in a bed ? No, it couldn't be Davy! She prayed fervently as the day's events came back full force. No, that couldn't have happened.

Besides, wouldn't she feel different if that had happened. And she wasn't feeling anything but a bit queasy, which must be the effects of that chloroform she had inhaled.

That scoundrel Davy! Just wait till he comes back! She'd skin his hide! How dare he do this to her! She had never, in her wildest imaginations, thought that he could stoop so low.

On the heels of that thought came another, far more shocking than the first.

Would she have to marry Davy?

How long had it been since she had lost consciousness? Where was she? Dear God, what would mama and papa say!

Mind whirling with these questions, she sat up, pushing the blankets off her body. But then she noticed the young maid in the room, who immediately rushed to her side.

"My lady, are you alright? Would you like to eat anything? Water to wash? A bath? Perhaps-", she was cut off mid-sentence by a very irritated Olivia.

"I wish to leave this chamber at once! Where is my cloak?", she said, though she soon spotted the cloak on a nearby chair and rushed to it, putting it on swiftly.

"My lady you cannot leave! The door-"

But Olivia had already begun pulling on it, when someone on the outside pushed it open and she fell down in an undignified heap, with a loud "Ah" erupting from her lips. But she soon shut her mouth when she noticed the burly man standing in the doorway. He sneered at her.

"Ah, so ye's the lady that the fancy Lord wants to keep locked in 'ere! A fine specimen indeed! 'tis no wonder he paid a pretty price for me to keep ye safe! Now, there'll be no 'leaving this chamber' anytime soon for ye missy! Ye'd do best to go and sit nice and quiet on that chair there, see? One shout from Betsy here and I'll tie ye to the bed! ", so saying he gave her a menacing stare, promptly shutting the door, before Olivia could even say anything!

Olivia was tempted to jump out of the window, Betsy was a tiny thing and couldn't stop her from doing that. But she couldn't risk that big brute outside coming in as soon as the girl called for help. Dash it all! She couldn't think of anything but trying to convince Davy that he was making a mistake. But he wasn't even here yet! How could she speak to him if he didn't come to her?

Resisting the urge to pull her hair, she quietly asked the maid what the time was.

"Three o'clock, my Lady.", she replied timidly, after looking at the rusty timepiece dangling from the waist of her gown.

Just more than an hour since she had left home, sighed Olivia. The thought brought a pang to her chest.

What if she was forced to marry Davy? She could not marry him. Why? Because he didn't make her happy, didn't make her heart swell in her breast, didn't make her long for his kisses, like.......

James. She now realized how much she was attracted to him, how one look from those grey eyes could turn her into mush, how much she longed for his touch. She could not bear it if he married some other woman. She wanted to marry him! She had never felt this way about any other gentleman and she would not lose him because of Davy!

The thought gave her courage. She would scream at Davy to stop this foolishness. She did not wish to marry him. She would not marry him. Maybe, after all her cajoling had failed, the plain truth would awaken him.

Steeling herself for the confrontation, she sat on a chair facing the door, and pondered her plan of attack.

*********************************************************************

Davy walked down the hallway towards the room where his future wife waited. The temporary footman, actually a hired thug, had sent word a few minutes before, claiming that she was awake. Davy had wasted no time in leaving what he was doing halfway before rushing to meet Olivia.

He dismissed the man standing at the door, paying him the fee he had promised, before opening the door and entering.

He noticed Olivia sitting in one of the chairs, an unreadable expression on her face. She must be waiting for me to tell the maid to leave, he thought, marveling at the thought that she did not order the maid herself, but waited for him to do so. She would make him an obedient wife, he thought, smiling at her. She did not smile back.

When the maid, who had been paid earlier, left, he closed the door and turned to face her with a bright smile.

"Olivia-"

"I shall not marry you."

Davy was shocked at her words. But he tried to reason with her. "My dear, of course you are going to marry me! That is why you are here."

"No. I am here because you abducted me. Davy, you must understand! I like you, I truly do, but I cannot in good conscience marry you! I don't lo-"

"Don't say that! You do love me Olivia, as I love you! We are made for each other, don't you see! All those conversations, those dances, they were proof of your love!", Davy reiterated, voice slightly hysterical. He could not afford to lose her now! He must tell her-

Just then the door opened with such force, it knocked into the wall with a resounding 'crack!'.

Davy turned towards it, and almost collapsed to the floor, horrified at the sight before him.

***********************************************************************

James was beyond furious. It had started as a mild anger, but had quickly escalated as he reached the inn where Olivia had been taken.

He was angry because it had been so easy to find the place where she had been taken to. A few coins slipped into the right pockets, and all the story spilled out. He could only hope that the wagging tongues he had paid to talk as well as keep quiet about the whole story, would not spread the tale anywhere else.

Townsend had been foolish enough not to take any extra precautions to prevent scandal, taking Olivia to the first high quality inn on the road to his country house. His carriage had stood proudly at the front of the inn, proclaiming his arrival. James had sent the carriage away to the back of the establishment, seething with anger.

If the bastard had done anything to Olivia, he'd kill him. As it is he was going to call him out over this matter. He didn't want to have to kill him.

In a matter of minutes, he had the information he was looking for, after threatening the innkeeper. He pushed the door open with all his strength, expecting it to be locked. But it swung inwards without protest, crashing onto the wall.

James looked at the two faces before him. Townsend looked as if he was about to faint. And Olivia looked like...... well frankly he could not tell what she looked like. It seemed like a mixture between relief and anger, but he could not be sure. He almost laughed. Leave it to his Siren to be angry at him at a time like this!

"I have come for Lady Olivia, Townsend.", and at the look on the other man's face he continued, "You'd do well not to protest about it, puppy. I do not wish to harm you right now. As it is my seconds shall call on you tonight. Make yourself available for a dawn appointment."

James watched with satisfaction as the blood drained from the Viscount's face, giving it an ashen pallor. But his thoughts were interrupted by Olivia saying one word.

"No."

"What?", he asked, incredulous.

"I said that you shall not have a dawn appointment.", she stated clearly, not even flinching at his glare.

"You should at least wait till we are married to start ordering me around."

Now it was Olivia's face that lost all of it's angry colour as she stared at him, dumbstruck. Had he just said 'married'? Her brain could not get past that, but she had important things to take care of.

Davy would not survive in a duel with James. And even though she was angry with him for bringing her here, she did not want him to die. Which she was sure would happen if he accepted the challenge James had put to him. And he would accept, she knew that. Why? Because he was a male. A stupid, egotistical, addle-brained male!

Everything had to be solved by a duel or some show of their strength. And she was tired of it!

"You shall not have a dawn appointment, my Lord. And that is the last thing I shall say about it!", she said marching out of the door, head high.

She walked down the stairs, and with just a disgusted look at the innkeeper, who was still frozen with fear at James threats, left the inn. But when she stepped outside the inn, she realized she was without money for conveyance. Her reticule had been lost, perhaps in Davy's carriage, and she had nothing except her cloak. Her only chance to go back home was James. The very one that she had left in a room inside while proclaiming that he would not have a dawn appointment.

Ah! She was such a fool sometimes! Why would he even listen to her? And he was .... Alone in a room with Davy! Oh dear! He must have killed him by now! But before she could rush into the inn, she collided with a hard male body. James.

"Where is Davy? Is he okay? Why is he not with you? Why-", her questions were cut off as James dragged her close to him and crushed his lips to hers.

All thoughts of Davy's welfare flew out of Olivia's mind as she felt James lips slant hungrily over her own. She felt his desire in the kiss, but there was a hint of ... anger? He was angry at her? Just then, he bit her lip and she gasped, and he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth.

Olivia felt like she had been set aflame. James tongue did unthinkable things to her mouth, making her feel a rush of heat at her center. But just as the kiss became more heated, James set her down abruptly, breathing ragged.

As James stared at the temptress in front of him, breathing heavily and eyes dark with desire, he berated himself for his behavior. But since he had seen her in the room with Townsend, not seeming like she wanted to escape the man, he had wanted to mark her as his. There had been a primitive rush flowing through his veins, one he had tried to control, but when she had begun asking about 'Davy' after colliding with him, he had lost whatever control he had.

He began to tell her that they would be going to Benham Park, his country house, for their marriage.

And saw her eyes roll back in her head as she fainted.

***********************************************************************

How'd you like it?

I worked hard for this one, though I still have some doubts about it. But I wanted to give you guys the next chapter, so here it is!

Also a shout-out to my frnd Pooja, who after pestering her to read TPL for so long, finally did it! Thanks sweetpoison! :P

Vote and comment dear readers! :)

~shreya07