Epilogue

EPILOGUE

LONDON APRIL 1816

“Took me some time to track ye down.”

Garmon Lovell looked up with a jerk from the tap he was installing at a familiar voice. One he had given up hope of ever hearing again.

“Connor!” He dropped the hose and beer sprayed all over the floor, but Garmon didn’t care. He came round the counter and enveloped the Irishman in a hug. “Where the bloody hell have you been? I’ve been so worried!”

Connor grinned at him. His skin was heavily tanned, making his eyes appear an even deeper blue than normal. His hair was considerably longer, and he wore a grin from ear to ear.

“I’ve been to Africa and back, but it’s a long story. What are you doing in Genevra Tate’s tavern.?”

Garmon grinned slapping him on the back. “I married her of course.”

“Ye what?”

Garmon’s smile widened, “Aye, and I’m a father to boot. Come through and I’ll find Genevra.”

“Ye have been busy,” said Connor. “But wait, I need to introduce ye to me wife. Callista, this is Garmon, the man ye stole me from.” He swept a tall blonde woman forward with his arm about her waist. She was dressed like Connor in shirt, jacket and breeches and held a battered tricorn hat in one hand. She held the other out to him, not as a woman might, expecting it to be kissed, but as man would, expecting it to be shaken. He took it and shook. The lady had a firm grip.

“I’m pleased to meet you Garmon, Connor speaks of you often.”

“Delighted to meet you Callista.” Her eyes were an unusual turquoise blue. “So, this is what kept you away so long Connor? I can’t wait to hear the tale.”

He moved them towards an internal door and through a corridor to the sitting room. “Take a seat, I’ll go find Genevra.”

He found her in the brewery with their daughter on her hip. He kissed her and took Lizzie from her saying, “Connor’s back, come and see him.”

“He’s here?” Genevra followed him back into the Tavern proper and to their private sitting room.

“Yes, with a wife! Don’t be too taken aback, she’s wearing breeches.” Like Diana used to sometimes. Did Connor have an attraction to women who dressed like men? He’d never have thought it.

Garmon ushered his wife into the room, patting his daughter absently as she cooed and blew bubbles, chewing her fingers. She had begun teething a couple of weeks ago.

With the introductions done, Genevra fetched refreshments and the two couples settled into hear each other’s stories, the baby was passed around for cuddles and Garmin didn’t miss the fact that Callista handed the infant hurriedly to her husband. He’d be offended on his daughter’s behalf if he hadn’t already realised the pirate captain was not the motherly type. Well Connor seemed happy, so that was all that mattered.

An ache he’d had in his chest since Connor vanished was eased, and he was delighted to see him looking so hale and hearty.

“Callista has promised me a trip to Jamaica for our honeymoon,” said Connor with a fond smile at his wife. “And then I believe we are going after more slaver ships. We have a taste for it now.”

“So, you won’t be returning to London?” asked Garmon, conscious of a stab of disappointment.

Connor shook his head. “Not to live, but we might visit occasionally.” He kissed his wife’s hand.

“I’d never have thought you would take to a life at sea Connor, raised in London as you’ve been.”

“Aye neither would I, but I love it. The fresh air, the freedom. There’s nothing like it, is there, Callista?”

She smiled. “No there isn’t.”

“My sister and her husband are coming for dinner, will you stay?” asked Genevra.

“We’d love to, but I’d like to visit Diana before we leave, is she in London?”

“Aye the Mowbray’s are in residence in Cavendish Square.” Garmon said.

“We’ll go pay them a visit and come back for dinner?”

They caughta cab to Cavendish Square. As the vehicle drew up before the four-story mansion, Connor glanced over at Callista and squeezed her hand. “Alright love?”

She nodded and swallowed, her heart was thudding hard, and she felt sweaty with panic. “Perhaps it will be better if I wait here for you?”

“Nay love, I want ye to meet Diana, she’s sort of a sister to me.”

“But she’s a duchess!” Alarm at full spate now.

“Aye but she was born a bastard and worked for eight years in a gaming hell. She’s not stuck up in the least I promise you.” Connor smiled at her coaxingly.

“I’m wearing breeches, Connor, I can’t go in there dressed like this!”

His smile broadened into a lascivious grin. “You look perfectly splendid in breeches my love. And in any case, Diana was quite fond of wearing breeches herself so I wouldn’t worry. Trust me, the Duke and Duchess of Mowbray are unlike any peers of the realm you’ve ever met.”

“I’ve not met any, that’s part of the problem. What do I do, curtsy, bow, what?”

“Well proper protocol says ye ought to curtsy and address them as your Grace. But I doubt they’ll care for proper protocol. Really,” he opened the carriage door, stepped into the road had held out his hand to her. “Come on, I promise they won’t bite. Don’t tell me the woman who faced down Perez and a whole crew of mutinous men is afraid of a little bit of social protocol?”

She sighed and put her hand in his, letting him lead her up the steps of the imposing building.

They ran the gauntlet of their Graces haughty butler and were shown into a splendid parlour furnished in fine oak and blue velvet. Before Callista had time to give into a full-blown panic attack and run screaming from the house, the door reopened and a tall, slender, young woman with brown curls, dressed in a lovely green cambric gown erupted into the room.

“Connor! It is you!” She launched herself into Connor’s arms, and he caught her, swinging her off her feet in a full body hug.

“Diana!”

“I thought I’d never see you again!” He set her on her feet, and she cupped his face smiling up at him with misty eyes. “Where have you been you wretched man!”

Callista stiffened at the familiarity and obvious warmth between these two, a stab of jealousy rendering her breathless. Connor had been right the Duchess of Mowbray was nothing like she’d expected.

Connor chuckled at Diana’s exuberance, it was easy to see he liked it and Callista’s hands curled into claws. “Well among other things, getting married love. Let me introduce me wife.” He turned to Callista and swept an arm round her waist to bring her forward.

“Wife!” Diana’s eyes widened, and she took in Callista for the first time. “Oh, how famous, you wear breeches too!” she held out her hands to Callista with a welcoming smile.

The door pushed open further as a big man with shocking red hair strode into the room, “Diana what the devil-” He stopped, his sky-blue eyes widening in shock as he took in the tableaux before him. This must be the duke?

“Mor! What in damnation are you doing here?”

“He’s brought his wife to meet us!” said Diana. “So, you’ll behave yourself Anthony, I’ll not have you throwing Connor out of the house again!”

“Yes, my love,” said the duke with surprising meekness for a man of such size and fierce demeanour.

Diana turned back to Callista, whose hands she still held. “What is your name?”

“Callista,” she cleared her throat, and added. “Captain of the Sea Devil.”

Diana’s eyes widened further. She turned to Connor, “don’t tell me you married a pirate?”

Connor grinned and squeezed Callista’s waist. “I did! There wasn’t much else I could do after she pressed me! That’s why I vanished. Her bloody crew kidnapped me. The wildest bunch of women you’re ever likely to meet, Diana. You’d love them.”

“I’m sure I would! Oh, do come in and sit down, I want to hear every last detail! Anthony ring the bell for tea!”

“I’m a privateer, actually,” said Callista recovering some of her sangfroid.

“Of course you are!” said Diana with delight. “Come and tell me all about it.”

Two hours later they returned to the tavern for dinner and met Genevra’s younger sister Bethany and her giant of a husband, Sebastian Rooke, who despite his fearsome appearance–his hair and eyes were black as soot- proved to be the most gentle soul Callista had ever met. He reminded her a little of Neil McTavish, big, sweet men, both of them.

Leavingthe tavern several hours later, Connor put his arm round his wife, “Well ye’ve met my family now, and I think it’s safe to say they approve of me choice of bride.”

She grinned up at him. “And if they hadn’t approved?”

“They know me, and they can tell I’m crazy in love with ye. Just as Garmon’s in love with Genevra and Diana loves the duke.” He paused, looking down at his boots and then up again. “You know, I always believed in the possibility of love, but I never knew it would be this powerful. Ye’re the wind in me sails me love. Me reason to get out of bed in the morning. I don’t know how I existed without ye for so long.”

Callista’s heart swelled until she thought it would burst, and she gulped on a sob, tears spilling over and running down her cheeks. “Oh Connor! I was so desperate for love, but I didn’t believe it existed. Yet some part of me kept hoping. It’s why I kept reaching for it, in spite of myself.” She stopped and turned into his arms, wrapping hers round his middle and hugging him close, her face buried in his chest. “I love you so much it hurts!”

“Ah Callista!” he held her tight, almost lifting her off her feet. “I’ll not leave you sweetheart. Yer stuck with me for life.”

She nodded, nuzzling into his shirt. Finally, she pulled back and looked up at him, “Ye’d better not, or I’ll-”

“Cut me balls off–yeah I know.” He smiled. “Yer welcome to try love, but I think ye might regret it if ye succeeded.”

She laughed and sniffed. “You’re right I would, how could you father my children if I took your seed away?”

“That mean yer coming round to the idea of children?”

“I might.”

He kissed her softly. “When yer ready love. When yer ready.”

And they strolled slowly back to the Sea Devil where their new crew, and more adventures waited.