Chapter Seven
It was just before dawn at Perran Castle as Curtiz made his way to the chambers that held the female captives. He knew the women would be asleep, but he would use that sleepy confusion to his advantage. The preparations had been made and he had a schedule to keep.
Today would be the day.
The castle was quiet at this time in the morning, with men who had been up all night preparing to sleep for the day, and those awakening to the new day preparing for their duties. Men were shifting around, in and out of chambers, and there were very few of them in the keep. Most of the men were over by the barracks that Constantine had built to house his pirates, which was why Curtiz was making his move now. He had to do it before more men were awake, and available, to stop him.
Especially Lucifer.
Upon returning from the Three Sails Inn in Portreath yesterday, he’d gone on duty to secure the keep, as this was his usual task, and had been aware when Lucifer had taken one of the female captives on a walk in the bailey. It had been the older of the sisters, the beauty Curtiz intended to turn over to the Spanish. He’d watched from an inconspicuous place as Lucifer and the lady walked the grounds, including the kitchen yard.
They’d been deep in conversation the entire time. What had started off as simple observation for Curtiz turned into something deeper, something of concern. When Lucifer had mentioned the women on shipboard three days ago, after they’d been fired upon by the Spanish, he hadn’t given any indication that he had any concern for them. They were a commodity, like everything else confiscated in the course of their pirate raids.
Curtiz hadn’t given any thought to turning the eldest daughter over to the Spanish until he spent a significant amount of time watching Lucifer with the eldest sister. Then, he began to suspect Lucifer might have some interest in her just as Curtiz did, which meant Curtiz needed to get the woman away from Lucifer sooner rather than later.
He didn’t want any complications.
Thank God the Spanish had shown up yesterday when they had. Curtiz would spirit the eldest sister away to the Spanish this morning and that would be the end of it. Curtiz would have his money, the Spanish would have their prize, and that was all that mattered in Curtiz’s world.
But he had to get to the woman first.
Before daybreak was the safest time. So while men were awakening and breaking their fast, as Lucifer was undoubtedly doing, Curtiz moved swiftly. There was only one guard on the door to the chamber that housed the women, and he easily got past the man. Once the door was opened, he could see that both ladies were already awake, preparing for the day. But they gasped when they saw him enter.
The women were in various stages of dress, but that didn’t concern Curtiz. He was fixed on the eldest sister, who was fully clothed but brushing her hair. He came right up to her, standing over her as she sat on a stool before a mirror.
“What do you want?” the woman demanded. “By what right do you barge in here without knocking?”
Curtiz lifted an eyebrow. He didn’t want a fight with the woman before there was really a need, so he maintained an even attitude with her. But she was a bold wench and he didn’t like bold wenches.
“You are a prisoner and prisoners have no rights,” he said. “You have been summoned, lady. You will come with me.”
The women eyed him warily. “Summoned? By whom?”
“I have been summoned to bring you.”
It wasn’t exactly an answer to her question, more to throw her off the track, but it seemed to change the woman’s attitude. The suspicion went from her features, replaced by something that looked like excitement.
“Lucifer has sent you?” she asked eagerly.
Curtiz was smart enough to pick up on her happy tone, ever the great opportunist. “Aye,” he said. “You will come with me.”
The woman nodded eagerly, grabbing a silken ribbon to tie off the braid she’d been plaiting when he’d walked in. “Of course,” she said. “Do I need my cloak?”
“You should get it.”
Swiftly, she rushed to the giant wardrobe that contained all of her beautiful gowns and snatched the brown cloak from a peg, the one with the cozy rabbit fur lining. It matched the brown brocade she was wearing, a truly lovely dress and she looked beautiful in it. Curtiz knew the Spanish would be very pleased with their prize.
But he had to get her there first.
Leaving Vivienne behind, scolding her dogs because they had peed on a fine rug during the night, Genevieve fled her chamber after the big, blond pirate. She knew his name was Curtiz but, beyond that, she only knew he was someone who served closely to Lucifer. As she followed him quickly down the darkened corridor, fastening her cloak as she went, she called after him.
“Your name is Curtiz?” she asked.
The man turned to glance at her. “Aye,” he said. “And keep your voice down.”
“Why?”
“Because it is still very early. You do not want to wake the rest of the castle, do you?”
Genevieve shrugged, thinking it odd that men who lived and breathed by battle should sleep past sunrise. Surely they were up with the birds, going about their day. But she didn’t speak again, rushing after Curtiz as the man took her down into the misty bailey and headed into the kitchen yard.
It was wet and smelly in the yard, with servants going about their business as Curtiz and Genevieve rushed past them. Increasingly curious as to their destination, Genevieve wondered where the man was taking her, wondering even more strongly when he took her all the way to the postern gate and threw the big bolt, yanking the old iron gate open. It was sticky, rusty from the moisture in the air, and Curtiz silently indicated for her to pass through. She moved to do his bidding but stopped just short of the gate.
“Lucifer has asked you to take me from the castle?” she asked, simply to satisfy her curiosity. “That seems odd.”
Curtiz nodded, although it was a lie. He needed the woman’s cooperation for as long as he could get it. “Lucifer is on the beach below. He has asked me to bring you.”
Because he invoked Lucifer’s name again, Genevieve didn’t question him. Wrapped up in the cloak against the heavy fog, she proceeded from the gate and Curtiz followed, closing the gate behind them.
The path down to the beach was rocky and slippery with mist from the fog that had settled heavily overnight. Everything smelled salty and wet, the smell of the sea heavy upon the air. Curtiz was in front of Genevieve on the path, but she was taking it very carefully in pretty slippers that weren’t meant for this kind of walking. They were mostly made of fabric and had no traction on the slick earth of the path. She slipped more than once until Curtiz finally reached out a hand to steady her.
Down they went, through the sea grass, until they ended up on the white, sandy beach of the cove. They could see the water from where they stood, and they could also see the shadows of four large vessels looming through the mist, surrounded by a host of smaller ships, all of them rolling gently with the incoming tide.
But it was an area devoid of men for the most part. At least, Genevieve couldn’t see Lucifer, but she did see one lone man on the beach near the bigger ships, doing something with the moorings. Other than that, all she could see were the ships as they bobbed in the waves.
As she stood there, looking, she didn’t realize that Curtiz had somehow fallen in behind her. She was singularly focused on finding Lucifer; surely the man was waiting for her, somewhere. Perhaps he wanted to apologize for the way things ended between them yesterday, when she’d let him have his way with her and he’d been so callous about it afterwards.
Genevieve had spent the rest of yesterday and all last night mulling over her time with Lucifer, what had been said between them and, ultimately, the passion they’d shared. She’d come to the conclusion that there had been warmth between them and she simply couldn’t believe that Lucifer hadn’t felt anything. She knew he had, just as she had, but it seemed as if neither one of them had been able to admit it. Certainly, she hadn’t been able to, and Lucifer… perhaps he didn’t even know how.
But she was willing to give him a chance. She was very much hoping for a chance.
Those were her last thoughts before something heavy struck her across the back of the head and everything turned to black.