Chapter Eleven
Southern Coast of Wales
By sunrise, the weather hadn’t improved in the least. Constantine thought it might have even gotten worse. The spray was vicious and the ship was being buffeted mercilessly but, just after sunrise, the coast of Wales came in to view on the horizon.
Constantine had to admit that he was glad.
But it was a struggle to reach the shore because they were heading into the wind. They’d been using the tacking zig-zag maneuver since last night and had somehow made headway, but it had been a good deal of hard work. Even now, his men were exhausted as they continued to strain, trying to keep the ship in one piece as it rolled and shuddered against the sea. The Gaia was a strong, seaworthy vessel, but Constantine had to admit that he’d be glad to put the ship into the cove and find her some protection. Like most strong women, she could only take so much.
And that included Gregoria.
The woman had been sick all night and this morning, she was still deathly ill from the violent sea. Constantine had gone in to check on her throughout the night and she’d been in bed with the five dogs, unable to rise for her sickness. Constantine knew they had to reach land quickly, if only for her sake, but he also kept an eye on Augustin, who hadn’t returned to Perranporth with Kerk and the Persephone. He’d elected to travel on with Constantine. The man was carrying out his duties flawlessly, as always, but Constantine had seen him hanging over the railing on occasion. For Augustin’s sake, it would be better to find land, too.
Therefore, they crept along the sea, heading towards the land on the horizon. Because of the nearly horizontal rain at times, everything shipboard with the exception of the captain’s cabin was soaking wet, men and provisions included. They’d had a difficult time keeping the gunpowder dry for the cannons, and he’d eventually had most of it taken into his cabin to be stored away from the elements. The entire time they’d loaded the sacks of powder in to the cabin, he’d kept an eye on Gregoria over on the bed, but she never moved a muscle.
Now, the day was edging on towards the nooning and, luckily, the storm was starting to ease. The wind was still fierce at times, as was the rain, but there were also pockets of sunshine as the clouds were scattered about overhead.
The Gaia, beaten and weary from enduring the elements, closed in on Eynon Bay and when the sun appeared between the clouds again, Constantine could see the details of bright green strip of land as they began to draw nearer. If the weather continued to clear, then it would make their travel much easier. By the time they finally neared the golden, sandy shore of Eynon Bay, the rain had stopped for the most part and the sun was shining brightly in between a scattering of dark clouds.
Entering the bay was tricky because Eynon had a series of sharp rocks off to the east and west, while the sandy shore was right in the middle of them. There was a narrow sea opening for the ships to get through, one that had underwater rocks on either side, but once the Gaia was through the strait, they entered the large, calm bay with almost no movement to the water. They were, perhaps, an eighth of a mile or less from shore, on a soft and sandy bottom, when Constantine ordered his men to drop anchor. Happily, they did.
The tempest was finally over.
Once the anchor hit the soft-sand bottom through the murky water, stirred up by the storm, Constantine breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned against the poop deck railing and inhaled long and deep. Now, the ship was stable for the moment and his mind began to move ahead to what they needed to accomplish for the day, but he wasn’t so sure Gregoria would be up to it. Given how seasick she’d been, it was possible they’d have to wait a day or two before heading off to Three Crosses.
All the more time he could spend with her.
“The ship is secured,” Lucifer said, catching Constantine’s attention as he came up the ladder to the poop deck. “There’s a crack in the foremast but, other than that, it looks like it survived relatively unscathed, although the ship’s carpenter is sounding down below for leaks.”
Constantine’s attention moved to the masts above, the sails tattered and some of the ropes hanging loose. “The Gaia is a tough old girl,” he said, patting the railing affectionately. “She has weathered worse than this.”
Lucifer, too, was looking up to the tattered sails. “That is true,” he said, “but if this tempest had raged much longer than it had, we may have had some issues.”
Constantine shrugged. “Mayhap,” he said. “Just wait until you get the Leucosia out to sea. Now, that’s a sturdy vessel. Remember what we had to go through to get her?”
Lucifer grinned as he recalled that particular battle and started to reply, but he was cut off when Remy and Augustin mounted the stairs to the poop deck.
“The bilge is at two feet and holding,” Augustin said. “There are leaks, but the carpenter is sure he can shore them up. There are men manning the pumps all day and all night, so the Gaia will be fit in no time.”
It was good news all around and Constantine sighed with satisfaction. “Thank the Sea Gods,” he muttered. “It could have been much worse. How did the horses fare below?”
“Well enough, but they’re jittery, so ’tis time to get them off this boat.”
That was true, for all of them. There was nothing like stable land after a storm. Overhead, the clouds were scattering even further as a brisk breeze picked up from the east. Gulls cried overhead, looking for a meal in the wreckage of the beaten land below. Constantine watched them for a moment before his thoughts shifted to the task to come.
“And we shall,” he said, leaning back against the railing. “In fact, break out the ramp and start moving the horses onto the shore. We have a trip into Wales to discuss.”
His men were listening. “You never made any mention about who would go and who would remain on the ship,” Lucifer said. “What are your plans?”
Constantine lifted his eyebrows thoughtfully. “The four of us will go,” he said. “How many horses did we bring?”
“Ten.”
“Then it will be the four of us, five of our men, and the lady,” he said. “The rest of the men will remain here on board and, once we depart the ship, they will move it out into the channel and away from the shore. It will be safer that way.”
Lucifer nodded. “Who will you leave in command?”
“The ship’s carpenter. Aeolis has been with me a very long time and he understands what it means to command a vessel. I am sure you all agree.”
They did. “It is midday now,” Augustin said, looking up at the sky and the position of the sun. “Do we depart now or wait until morning?”
Constantine grinned at the man. “I have a feeling you would like to disembark now onto something that is not moving about,” he said, watching Augustin sheepishly shrug. “The lady surely shares your desire, Gus. We will depart as soon as we can get the horses off the ship and gather our supplies. See to it; the faster you move, the faster we depart.”
Augustin flew into action with Remy in tow. As the two of them moved off, Constantine turned to Lucifer. “You will select the land party,” he said. “Make sure they are heavily armed. Then you will find Aeolis and tell him what I told you. I cannot imagine we will be more than a few days, but tell him to move further out to sea and stay vigilant for our return.”
Lucifer nodded. “Aye,” he replied. Then, he hesitated a moment. “And the lady? Shall I tell her to prepare?”
Constantine shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “I will tell her. She has had a rough time of it. But given that she has never been to sea, I am not surprised. The rolling sea is something that takes time to grow accustomed to.”
Lucifer could hear something in Constantine’s voice that caught his attention; there was softness there when he spoke of the lady. Warmth. That wasn’t like Constantine to speak of a woman in such a way and he couldn’t help the doubt, confusion even, that he began to feel.
“Once we reach the abbey and the lady has completed her task, has she made arrangements for someone to escort her back to wherever she came from?” he asked.
Constantine wouldn’t look at him. In fact, he didn’t even respond for a moment or two. “She is not going back to wherever she came from,” he finally said. “She will be remaining with me.”
Lucifer wasn’t surprised to hear that, not in the least. Ever since the lady had come into their midst, Constantine had been behaving oddly. It was clear that he’d lusted after the woman and no matter what he said, he hadn’t escorted her to Wales purely for the sake of Miles Tenby. Lucifer was fairly certain Miles had nothing to do with it at this point; it had been an excuse on Constantine’s part. He may have believed it in the beginning but, now, Miles Tenby was far from his thoughts.
It had been as Lucifer had feared from the beginning, that the woman claiming to be Miles Tenby’s daughter was luring Constantine to his doom. Lucifer was waiting for Dureau’s warship to come swinging around the point at any moment, cannons blazing, but Constantine wasn’t showing the same concern. Either the man knew something they did not, or he was genuinely unconcerned that all of this might be a trap. For Constantine’s sake, and for the sake of everyone risking their lives for the venture, Lucifer thought he should speak up.
“What does that mean, exactly?” he asked politely. “Are you to keep her as a concubine? That’s not like you, Con. As long as I’ve known you, you’ve never kept a woman. What’s going on?”
Constantine knew this question would come. He also knew his men were silently questioning his decision to take Gregoria to Wales. He’d known all along. But they weren’t a crew to keep secrets from each other because, in their profession, it was all about trust. If Lucifer couldn’t trust him, and trust that he knew what the man was thinking, then it would make their lives very difficult from that point on. Therefore, he faced Lucifer as he spoke.
“I know I have never kept a woman,” he said. “But men grow up. They change. Lucifer, I am attracted to Gregg. In fact, I cannot remember when I have been so attracted to a woman. There is something about her that grips me and I cannot shake it, no matter what. In fact, I am not sure that I want to shake her. She intrigues me. I know that you and Gus and Remy believe me foolish for agreeing to take her to Wales, as if the woman is somehow leading me to my death, but I am not convinced that is the case. Even if it is… I cannot help my attraction to her. Mayhap, that is why you are here – to save me from myself. It would not be the first time you have had to do that.”
He was grinning as he finished. Lucifer respected him a great deal to confront the issue and try to explain himself even though he didn’t have to. The captain never had to explain himself to his crew but, in this case, Lucifer was glad he had. So very glad. It made the situation easier to deal with.
“Aye, we were all concerned,” he finally said. “But we did not question you. We simply followed. You wanted to come to Wales, so we came with you.”
Constantine put a hand on his shoulder. “I saw the Ligeia leave Perranporth,” he said quietly. “I assume you sent her away?”
Lucifer was coming to feel foolish, thinking Constantine hadn’t seen the ship depart. He thought he’d been fairly slick about it. But Constantine was a man who knew everything that was going on with his empire.
Lucifer should have known better.
“I sent Felix to find Shaw,” he admitted. “If the man is not occupied, mayhap he could come to Eynon Bay, too. Just in case Dureau decides to show up.”
Constantine gave him a crooked smile. “I know you too well, old friend,” he said, slapping him on the shoulder before lowering his hand. “You worry like an old woman, but it does not bother me. I know that your intentions are true. When I saw the Ligeia sail away, I assumed that was what you had done.”
“And you did not confront me?”
“Why should I?”
Lucifer shrugged. “Because it could have been viewed as undermining your command.”
Constantine shook his head. “I know you better than that. You would never do such a thing.”
Lucifer fell silent, thinking on the man who was his commander, his friend. A man he’d known for many years but a man he’d never let get particularly close to him. Constantine didn’t know things about Lucifer that perhaps he should have known, or should have been trusted with. At this moment, Lucifer thought it was perhaps the right time to show Constantine that he trusted the man much as Constantine trusted him. Constantine had shown faith; he’d not become angry even when Lucifer had done something that could have been considered a form of betrayal.
I know you better than that…
Perhaps Constantine did know him well, but he didn’t know everything. Lucifer thought that, perhaps, now was the time for total trust, and truth, between them, so that Constantine would see that there truly was a bond between them. Something unbreakable and enduring. But it was difficult to speak on things he’d kept buried all these years.
“We have known each other for many years,” Lucifer said after a moment. “We do know each other well.”
Constantine nodded. “As well as we can know anyone, I suppose.”
“But you do not know everything about me.”
“I know what I need to know.”
Lucifer remained silent. When he did speak, his tone was very quiet. “You asked me if Lucifer was my real name,” he said. “My given name is Rhoan de Wolfe. I was born of the great house of de Wolfe and my father is the Earl of Wolverhampton. I am his eldest.”
Constantine looked at Lucifer as if he could hardly believe what he was hearing. In fact, an expression of great concern washed over his features.
“Why do you tell me this now?” he asked. “Bloody Beard, man, are you truly afraid we will not make it out of Wales alive that you feel the need to confess this to me?”
Lucifer smiled thinly. “Nay,” he said, turning to look at him. “I just thought it was time for you to know.”
Constantine was puzzled by the confession, something that had never been spoken between them in all of the years they had known one another. Faintly, he shook his head.
“But why?” he asked. “Keeping your name to yourself has always been your choice. I have never pressed you on it.”
Lucifer nodded. “I realize that,” he said. “But when you say that I worry like an old woman, you must understand that I have reason to.”
“Go on.”
Lucifer took a deep breath before continuing, summoning his courage. “The reason why I no longer speak to my father is because I, too, did something foolish once that drove me away from him,” he said softly. “When I was very young, my first post as a knight was serving the Duke of Richmond. His wife took a liking to me and, before I realized it, I was bedding her regularly and she rewarded me richly. It went on for quite some time and she became pregnant with my child. When the lad was born, unfortunately, he looked just like me even though the duke claimed him as his own. After that, my father came to Richmond and took me away, explaining to me that the duke had requested I be removed. My father was so ashamed of me, Con… you cannot imagine how ashamed. But I think he was more angry that my firstborn son, his firstborn grandson, would inherit the dukedom of Richmond and not the earldom of Wolverhampton. In any case, my father made his disappointment known and stripped me of everything – money, possessions – everything. He sent me to the priory at Caernarvon as punishment and we have not spoken since.”
A great deal came to light in that quiet confession and Constantine didn’t take it lightly. It was rare for men in his profession to bare their souls like that and rarer still for Lucifer to speak of anything personal. Constantine felt as if he’d been entrusted with a great secret, a great story.
“Are you really a priest, then?” he asked. “I have always assumed so because I found you in the priory.”
“The priesthood was simply a cover story. I am not a priest; I am a sinner of the greatest magnitude with a father who is deeply ashamed of him.”
Constantine was looking the man in the face, seeing the sorrow in his eyes. “Then we have that in common,” he said. “Fathers who want nothing to do with us.”
Lucifer smiled wryly. “Why do you think I became attached to you?” he asked. “We have much in common, you and I. Great men, who should hold great stations in life but, because of circumstances, we find ourselves robbed of what is rightfully ours.”
Constantine thought the correlation between them was rather ironic. “That is very true,” he said. “You should inherit Wolverhampton, while I…”
He trailed off, unable to voice that which rightfully belonged to him. It was of no use, speaking of something that would never be, but Lucifer spoke for him.
“You should be the King of England instead of that idiot who now sits upon the throne,” he said, watching the ironic flicker of Constantine’s lips. “But I did not tell you my story to seek your pity or your understanding. I told you the story to make it clear that I was a fool for a woman once myself and it cost me everything. Therefore, if I worry about you in a situation like this… it is for good reason. I wish someone had worried so about me, too, long ago. Mayhap I would not have made such a mistake.”
Constantine scratched his blond head, a smile on his lips. “Do you really think so? Given how you felt about the duchess, would you have listened to anyone else?”
Lucifer could only shrug. “Mayhap,” he said. “Mayhap not. I was young and strong, and she was older and far more cunning. I was in her spell. Women weave spells, Con. They are bewitching creatures. I simply do not want to see you make a mistake.”
Constantine knew that. He reached out, patting the man on the cheek. “I will not, I swear it,” he said. “But with you around, you will not let me, will you?”
Lucifer chuckled softly. “I will do all I can to ensure you do not make a fool out of yourself.”
“I appreciate that.”
“And that you remain alive.”
“You are a true and good friend, Lucifer.”
Before the conversation could continue, they both heard a bang on the deck below, a door slamming. Turning their attention to the deck, they saw Henry and Edward bounding out into the sunshine followed by three hairy, gray puppies.
Soon enough, Gregoria’s dark head appeared as she made her way out to the railing, inhaling deeply of the fresh sea air, as the dogs ran about her. Constantine and Lucifer were watching her, with Constantine’s expression rather soft while Lucifer’s was rather curious, until she turned and saw the men on the deck above her.
“When can I get off this bloody ship?” Gregoria demanded. “I swear that I am going to jump into the water at this very moment and swim to shore.”
Constantine laughed softly as he came away from the rail and made his way towards her. “Not to worry,” he said. “Then men will be offloading the horses right away and you can follow them onto dry land.”
He was chuckling as he came down the ladder from the poop deck, but Gregoria didn’t think it was so funny. She was still nauseous and miserable.
“Excellent,” she said, hand to her stomach. “Then I will go and change my clothing into something more suitable for travel. And these dogs – they need to run around. I believe they need to eat.”
“I will have them tended to, my lady.”
He was coming nearer and Gregoria forgot her misery a moment, feeling relief and joy simply to look upon his handsome face. There was a light in his eyes when he looked at her that hadn’t been there before, and her unhappy stance softened, just a bit.
“Do you intend to bring them with us into Wales?” she asked.
Constantine came to a halt in front of her, although he was still standing very close. She could almost feel the heat from his body and her heart began to flutter, just a bit. He had that effect on her.
“Nay,” he said. “They will remain here. We do not need the added bother of taking the dogs.”
“You seem to have inherited three more since leaving Perranporth.”
“I noticed.”
They were talking about the three gray puppies, who seemed to be very happy to be out of the cabin. Gregoria reaching out to pet Edward when the big dog came up to her and leaned against her.
“They have made for good companions during the journey,” she said. “But I believe they belong to Genevieve and Vivienne. Will you return them to the women?”
Constantine watched the puppies as they leapt around the deck, sniffing and playing. “Mayhap,” he said vaguely. “I have not thought on it.”
Gregoria didn’t push. She hadn’t talked to the man since yesterday and she didn’t want the first words between them to be those of her nagging at him one way or the other. She, too, watched the dogs as they frolicked about.
“They are fine animals,” she said.
He smiled. “They are spoiled,” he said. “They nearly crowded you right off the bed. I saw.”
It was her turn to chuckle. “They are a bit pushy, that is true,” she said. “But they are sweet. I am glad to have had them with me.”
He lowered his head so that he was closer to her, his voice barely above a whisper. “Just so you know, I will not share our bed with them,” he muttered. “I shall be the only one curled against your body.”
Gregoria flushed deeply. For a woman who had so vehemently swore that she would not be the man’s concubine, she seemed to have drastically changed that opinion. Having developed feelings for the man had seen to that, clouding her sense of judgment in all things pertaining to him. She’d spent the entire storm confined to bed, feeling sicker than she’d ever felt in her life, and pondering the conversation she and Constantine had where he’d asked her never to leave him. No one had ever asked her that before and it made her feel wanted and needed.
Now, it was a dilemma that had overtaken her entire being.
Hanging over her like a great, dark cloud was her entire purpose for being on the ship – betrayal. She’d come to the conclusion that she must tell Constantine the real reason for her presence. She had to untangle the lies she’d told him and pray he could forgive her. But she was terrified the man would never trust her again, and it was that fear that kept her from confessing.
Even now, as he warmed to her, speaking of the bed they would share, she was loathed to tell him the truth. She didn’t want to lose this warmth, this affection, because it was something she’d never known. She’d spent her entire life being treated with cold indifference and to finally find someone who thought she was special, who treated her with kindness and sweetness, made her realize what, exactly, she’d been missing.
It didn’t matter if she became Constantine’s concubine. The man had shown her more joy and warmth than anyone ever had.
She never wanted to lose it.
… God, she was a coward…
“It is something we can discuss at a later time,” she said, unused to flirtatious games. “But I did like the dogs in the bed. They kept me warm.”
Constantine flashed her that brilliant smile. “I shall keep you warm, I promise,” he said. “This big body is exceedingly warm, so you needn’t worry. Now, if you are going to change into traveling clothes, make haste. As soon as the horses and provisions are moved onto the beach, we will make our way to Three Crosses.”
Three Crosses, where the Earl of March’s army awaited him. That fact stuck in Gregoria’s belly, bringing on a fresh wave of nausea. Unable to look at him, knowing her horrible lies were about to come to fruition, she turned away, looking over the sea.
“I… I will change in a moment,” she said. “I have spent all of my time shipboard cramped in that cabin, so I just need a moment or two to breathe fresh air.”
Constantine put a hand on her back, a soothing gesture. “Not too long,” he said. “Breathe your fill and then gather your things. I should like to make it to Three Crosses by the morning.”
She looked at him, then. “Is it that close?”
He looked out over the land, the green line that went as far as the eye could see. “I believe so,” he said. “I will confer with the locals when we go ashore to confirm it.”
Patting her back once more, he headed off, moving to complete his duties before he left the ship. Gregoria watched him go for a moment, his prideful swagger causing her heart to swell with adoration, before returning her focus to the water.
More and more, the realization of where this journey would take them was eating at her, so much so that she was beginning to think of ways to avoid it. If she was so fearful to tell him the truth, then why not lie about it? Could she lie to him and tell him that the cup was lost in the storm? It would be believable, of course. The storm was terrible and everything in the cabin had been tossed around. A bag thrown through one of the open windows would be lost forever.
But it would be one lie atop another, a house of lies that could collapse at some point and ruin everything she was hoping to preserve. As she wrestled with her conscience, her feelings, a shadow fell over the railing and she looked up to see the pirate known as Lucifer standing there.
He was a very big man, very tall and dark. He had eyes that were a murky hazel color and a big scar across his chin. He wasn’t unhandsome, but the fact that the man had a terrifyingly ominous presence made him seem larger than life. Gregoria resisted the urge to recoil from him as he stood a few feet away from her.
“I heard that you did not fare well during the storm, my lady,” Lucifer said politely.
Gregoria smiled weakly. “This is my first time at sea,” she said. “I suppose I failed at becoming a good seaman.”
Lucifer lifted his dark eyebrows, in agreement or in sympathy, it was difficult to know. “A man’s love for the sea is not won all in a night,” he said. “Or a woman’s love for the sea, as it were. It takes time and practice, both of which I understand you shall have.”
She cocked her head curiously. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that Constantine told me you were to be his… companion.”
Gregoria was surprised Constantine had spoken of it and her cheeks mottled a shade of red, embarrassed. She averted her gaze, turning back to the sea. It was clear that she was struggling for an answer in the face of this stranger’s question.
“He… he has been very kind to me,” she said.
Lucifer was studying her with those intense eyes. “Kind?” he repeated. “Is that why you have agreed to stay with him? Simply for kindness?”
Gregoria shrugged. “I think that you have asked a very personal question, my lord,” she said politely. “This is something that is between Constantine and me. I am sure if he had wanted you to know more, he would have told you.”
She was right, but Lucifer thought he saw defensiveness in her manner. Guilt. So she didn’t want to be questioned? He didn’t like it because it suggested to him that the woman had something to hide.
“Mayhap he will,” he said coolly. “Or mayhap it is none of my affair. In any case, there is something you should know.”
She looked at him. “What is it?”
He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Know that I shall be watching you,” he said, his tone a throaty growl. “If, at any time, you hurt the man or lead him to harm, I shall slit your throat and they will never find your body. Therefore, if I were you, I would watch my step. I would make sure everything you do for Con, you do with his happiness and health in mind. If you have any other motive, the last thing you see will be my blade carving into your flesh. Is this in any way unclear?”
Gregoria went pale; she could see simply by looking at the man that he meant every word. He meant to kill her if he had a mind to. But she couldn’t decide if it was a purely selfish motive or because he cared for Constantine, as his commander. All Gregoria knew was that she’d just had her life threatened by a pirate and she believed him, implicitly.
“It is clear,” she said, trying not to sound as if the man had frightened her to death, which he had. “You… you needn’t worry.”
Lucifer lifted one of those dark eyebrows, like the arch of a raven’s wing. He didn’t believe her but he stopped short of refuting her. He’d made his position on the matter clear enough.
“I hope not,” he said. “Do not give me a reason to doubt you and we shall get along fine.”
Was he toying with her? Now, Gregoria’s fear was turning into anger. “Because you have threatened me?” she asked. “You have just established the relationship between us, and I will respect it. There will be no ‘getting along’. Do not expect a great friend simply because you have threatened my life and I am afraid of you. I am not, you know. Not in the least.”
Lucifer rather liked her reply; it was bold. The woman wasn’t afraid to stand up to him or, at least, she wasn’t willing to let him bully her. “Then we understand one another.”
“We do.”
“Then there will be no mistaking where we stand.”
“None at all, my lord.”
That was all he wanted to know. Turning away, he headed down to the hold of the ship where the men were starting to bring out the ramp to offload the horses. He had duties to attend to, but he’d also felt the need to make sure the lady understood his position in all of this. He didn’t like the situation in the least, or the spell she seemed to have cast over Constantine, and he wanted to make sure she was aware.
He had his eye on her.