Chapter 10

He lifted his own valise as well as the small one she had packed in but a few minutes as they ran out into the night. Edward asked Mariana for the fourth time if she was sure of her decision.

“Yes,” she said, setting her jaw as they climbed on the prepared horses, a servant following behind. Little did he know he would be returning with all three animals.

“We can return at some point in time, I’m sure, but if you come with me now, you will be leaving all that you knew behind.”

“I know,” she repeated again, turning to him, her dark brown eyes intent upon him. “I thought my home was here, Edward, but the moment you began to prepare to walk out that door, I realized something.”

“What’s that?”

“That, as ludicrous as it sounds, you are my home now. When you left for the caves earlier, I couldn’t sit down, I was so concerned about you, wondering if I would ever see you again. But the truth is, if I let you leave for England without me, that will be the case regardless of what actually happens to you. Which leaves me only one choice. To accompany you.”

He looked over at her while still pushing his horse ever faster. “Will you marry me?”

“You’re asking me this now?” she said incredulously.

“Yes,” he said, his words nearly breathless as they pushed the horses, his words just in hearing before they were lost to the night air. “If you are intent on accompanying me, then I am intent on having you as my wife.”

“I…”

He waited breathlessly. He had always been a man set on the next treasure, the next chase, but he knew that all he needed now was Mariana. He just needed her to agree.

“Yes.”

He let out a whoop of joy, even though he knew now was not the time to be celebrating, for they had far greater concerns – such as being chased by pirates.

But right now, pirates, the British nobles, none of that mattered – Mariana was his.

And his first order of business was keeping her safe. They arrived at the docks to find the captain pacing as he waited for them. As they approached, one of his large eyebrows lifted in question, but he did not seem altogether too surprised by the two of them showing up, breathless on horseback for a last-minute sailing. It was likely the man had seen much untoward activity in his lifetime. He accepted them onboard, and as Mariana turned to speak with her servant, the captain stopped Edward.

“Best keep an eye on your woman,” he said. “I can trust most of my men, but one never knows for certain when temptation is possible.”

“Of course,” Edward said fervently. “She won’t leave my sight. How soon can we set sail?”

“Any minute. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Good,” Edward said, his voice low. “If you sail as fast as you can, there will be extra for you, understood?”

“Absolutely,” the captain said, and Edward had to appreciate working with a man who understood the communication of coin, for he was easy to motivate.

Rodrigo was waiting for him, his arms crossed as he leaned back against the rail of the ship.

“She’s coming with us?” he asked, tipping his head toward Mariana.

“She is,” Edward nodded, and while he could tell his friend had additional opinions, he knew their time was short. The few sailors on the small ship rushed around to finish their preparations, and when Edward turned to Mariana, he found that she didn’t seem worried, but rather interested in all that was happening around her.

“Mariana?”

Edward watched as Mariana turned to the woman who had called her name. She was of similar age, standing on the docks with three children surrounding her. Mariana rushed toward her, and Edward followed, although kept enough distance between them to give her time without him.

“Where are you going?” the woman asked.

“It’s a long story,” Mariana responded, reaching out and taking her hands in hers. “I wish I had more time to explain, although I am so glad that I am able to say goodbye.”

“Goodbye?”

“I am leaving. I will write you, I promise, and explain all, but for this moment, please know, Raquel, that I value your friendship more than any other I have ever had. You are the only thing here that I know I will truly miss.”

She bent now, kissing the children, before wrapping her arms around her astonished friend. “I love you. And I will write to you soon.”

She turned, wiping tears from her cheeks, and Edward nodded to the aghast woman who obviously meant so much to Mariana.

Edward held out his hand to help Mariana aboard, her large skirts seeming out of place among the men who surrounded them. She leaned sightly into him while the boat lurched as it left the dock, and he held on tightly around her waist to steady her.

“Are you ready?” he asked, leaning down so that his mouth was next to her ear, and she nodded.

“If you’re here with me,” she said, “then of course.”

Edward breatheda large sigh of relief as they rounded the harbour and the town of San Sebastian was but a shadow on the shoreline when he looked over his shoulder.

They had done it. They had escaped, with the treasure intact in the hold, and the most vibrant woman he had ever met at his side. It was hard to believe that it had all come to be.

And yet, here they were.

The smile began to curl on his lips as he considered all that he had just pulled off. Arthur had always said that luck – or perhaps a guardian angel – followed him around, keeping him safe. Edward liked to think that it was a combination of intelligent risk taking and wit.

But perhaps he could attribute some of it to a little luck as well.

“Come here,” he said, reaching out and stretching his arm around Mariana, pulling her close into his side as he placed a kiss on her head, overwhelmed with gratitude.

He laughed out loud as the emotion bubbled out of him, and she looked up at him with a confused yet happy giggle of her own.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I’m just happy.”

“Well, I am glad to hear it,” she said. “I’m a little stunned, if I am being honest. I woke up this morning thinking that it would be the last I would ever see you and that you would be gone from my life forever. Now here we are, sailing away together, my entire life and country behind me.”

That sobered Edward as he leaned back for a better look at her. “Do you regret it? There’s still time to turn around.”

She pressed her lips together but couldn’t hide her smile as she swatted him. “Absolutely not.”

He wrapped his arms around her and, uncaring who on the crew might see them, hauled her in toward him and kissed her soundly on the lips. He was considering taking her to the cabin they were calling home for the next couple of weeks when a sudden shout broke them apart.

“Captain! There’s a ship on the horizon!”

Edward’s head snapped up at the news, although he tried to stay calm for Mariana’s sake.

“It’s probably nothing,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Just another ship leaving the harbour.”

She stilled him with her stare.

“Edward, do you truly think me so gullible? There is no need to try to protect me. I know just as well as you do who is likely following us.”

The fact that she knew it all and still stood there without a flicker of fear on her face made his respect for her grow all the more.

“If anything threatens, you will go down below deck, do you hear me?”

She leaned in. “Edward, I promise you that I will make the best choice.”

He sighed, running his hand over his face.

“I only want to keep you safe.”

“I know. And I appreciate it. But I am still making my own decisions.”

“So be it,” he agreed. “But know that all I do is with the intention of protecting you.”

She leaned up on her toes and placed a quick kiss on his lips. “And I you.”

He chuckled to himself as he craned his head back to peer up at the man sitting in the mast with the spyglass to his eye.

“What do you see?” he called as the captain emerged and stood beside him.

“’Tis a frigate,” the man called down. “Two masts, armed to the teeth. Dark hull. Can’t make out the figurehead.”

“It’s them,” Edward muttered. “I know it’s them.”

“What are you going to do?” Mariana asked, looking from Edward to the captain and back to Edward.

“I usually prefer to face challenges head on,” Edward began, but the captain was already shaking his head.

“Our weapons are minimal. We are not prepared for a fight. That ship is lined with cannons.”

“Very well,” Edward said, “We outrun them then. This ship must be fast.”

The captain’s weathered face broke into a grim smile. “That, we most certainly are,” he said.

The pirate ship on the horizon grew closer, cutting through the waves far faster than Edward would prefer. As the captain barked orders, the crew scrambled to adjust the sails and catch the winds full force. Mariana’s fingers were white where she gripped the railing, although she showed no other outward sign of fear as the pirate ship drew nearer, its black flag whipping in the wind.

The first boom of a cannon had them all flinching, and Edward lunged forward, wrapping Mariana in his arms as though he could protect her from the careening ball of lead with his body alone.

A plume of water erupted beside them and the ship rocked with the impact, but Edward held fast with one hand on the railing and the other arm wrapped around Mariana. He looked up at the approaching pirate ship with determination in his gaze before glancing back at Marian with a reassuring smile on his lips before turning back to the churning sea ahead.

Their ship surged forward, its sleek hull slicing through the water as they raced away from their pursuers. The wind howled in their ears, the salt spray stung their faces, but still, they pressed on. The pirate ship continued to fire its cannons, each shot coming perilously close to hitting its mark.

The ship swayed dangerously with each blast, the crew frantically working to keep their vessel afloat and outrun their attackers. Mariana clung to Edward, saying nothing but her fear apparent as the chaos unfolded around them. The cannonballs whizzed past, missing them by mere inches. Edward held her close, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of hope as he contemplated what he would do if the pirates reached them. His need to fight was matched only by his need to protect Mariana.

“Mariana,” Edward whispered in her ear. “I need you to know something. I?—”

Just before he could finish his sentence, when it seemed like all was lost, a sudden gust of wind filled their sails, propelling them forward with a thrust and newfound speed. Their ship surged ahead, leaving a trail of foaming water in its wake.

Edwards eyes widened in disbelief as he looked behind him and realized they were slowly gaining distance from the pirate ship.

The captain shouted orders, his voice barely audible over the deafening roar of the sea. The crew worked tirelessly, their muscles straining as they fought to keep the ship steady.

With the wind at their backs, the hired ship sailed faster, the gap between them and the pirate frigate growing wider. Edward felt a surge of hope as he glanced back at their pursuers.

The pirates continued to fire their cannons, but their shots fell short, unable to reach the swift merchant vessel that was now outpacing them.

As they sailed further away from danger, Edward turned to Mariana and saw the mix of relief and gratitude on her face. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and she clung tightly to his hand as if afraid this moment of reprieve would vanish like a wisp of smoke in the wind.

“I think the danger has passed,” he said, running his hand over her hair, clutching her tight. “Are you all right?”

“A little queasy, but I’m not sure if it’s the motion or the worry,” she said. “It will pass once we are in calmer waters.”

“The boat was going back and forth quickly to outrun the cannons,” he answered. “Once we’re far enough away, we should return to smoother sailing.”

One of the crew members scrambled up the rigging once more, lifting the spyglass to his shoulder as he looked behind them to watch for any further signs of the pirate ship.

It was just as the sun began its descent on the horizon, casting a golden hue over the churning waters around them that he announced the pirate ship completely out of eyesight.

“We did it,” Edward said with a relieved sigh. “We outran them.”

The merchant crew let out a collective cheer, their voices carried away by the wind as they celebrated their narrow escape from certain doom.