Pleasures of a Tempted Lady by Jennifer Haymore

Author:Jennifer Haymore
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction / Romance - Historical
ISBN: 9781455511136
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2012-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

When Jessica and her driver—she’d learned his name was Mr. Twining—reached St. Katharine’s Docks, twilight had settled over the Thames. As soon as she saw the long buildings at the edge of the docks, Jessica knew her way.

“Here!” she cried as they neared the narrow opening between two of the buildings. Mr. Twining stopped the horse, and Jessica leaped out from the cab. Lifting her skirts, not caring who saw her, she hurried toward the wharf where the Freedom was moored.

She released a breath when she saw the ship rocking gently in the light breeze, one rear porthole glowing gold from lantern light within. She hurried up and mounted the stairs two at a time, only slightly tangling her skirts in the ropes as she fumbled onto the deck.

All was quiet on deck.

“Hullo?” she shouted. When there was no immediate answer, she hurried toward the aft cabin, where the captain’s and mate’s quarters were located. She went to Briggs’s door and burst inside without knocking, praying that he’d be inside.

He was. And he was naked.

Well, she amended… partially naked. His wide, well-muscled torso was bare, but the tops of his drawers covered everything below his flat, tight stomach.

“Christ!” he exclaimed when he saw her. He jerked up the trousers he’d been pulling on and quickly did up the falls. Turning away, he grabbed a linen shirt and yanked it over his head, pushing his arms through in what must be record time.

And then he turned back to her, glowering. “What the hell are you doing on my ship?”

In the half second before she came to her senses, Jessica thought that it was a shame he’d reacted so quickly. She would have appreciated a far more extended view of his body. Truly, he was a spectacular specimen of a man.

She’d think about that later. Now… her sister.

“Serena’s been captured,” she said, all business. “I think Jacob Caversham has her. And,” she added, “I believe this is Captain Langley’s ship, not yours.”

He ignored her last comment, because his thunderous look was changing into one of disbelief as he digested the first bit of news.

“Are you sure?”

She stomped her foot. “Good Lord, Mr. Briggs. Why would I be here if I wasn’t certain? We were shopping in Regent Street when she was kidnapped before my very eyes. They forced her into a carriage, and I followed them to a wharf on the river where three men dragged my very unwilling sister onto a quite sinister-looking ship, one much larger than this.”

She gestured to Mr. Twining, who’d finally caught up to her, as if his presence verified everything.

Instead, Briggs narrowed his eyes at him. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice brittle.

“How impolite,” Jessica said sharply. “This is the driver of the cab I used to follow them. I would never have known where they went if Mr. Twining had not been so helpful.”

Briggs’s focus turned completely to Mr. Twining. “And you brought the lady here after you saw the other lady kidnapped and carried onto that ship?”

“Aye, sir.

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