that her heart had been broken or wish that she could go back to the night she’d found Rupert Melford on the beach. She had a few days in which to make up her mind, though as far as she could see there was nothing to save her. She could not marry Captain Bird and so she must make up her mind to leave this house, though she was not sure where she would go.
‘Walk to the village and fetch me some flour,’ Bess said as Morwenna entered the kitchen two days later. ‘I need to bake and—’ She broke off as they heard someone at the door, looking at each other in dismay. ‘Are they here again?’
Morwenna took a deep breath and then went to the door. Opening it, she discovered that Captain Bird had come visiting. He was dressed in a smart scarlet coat and his boots were polished to a high gloss. Realising that he’d comefor personal reasons, she hesitated, then stepped back, allowing him to enter the kitchen.
‘To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, sir?’
‘I would speak with you alone, Mistress Morgan.’
‘I think you may say anything you have to say in front of Bess, Captain.’
‘I would prefer to be alone with you.’
‘I do not wish it.’ Morwenna raised her head. ‘Please speak plainly, for I have work to do.’
‘Very well, since you will have it—I have come to ask you to be my wife. You know that I care for you. I have long wanted to ask you, but your brother refused me—now he has given his permission.’
‘My brother does not own me, sir. I am my own mistress and I have no wish to marry.’
Captain Bird’s mouth thinned. ‘Yet I think you will change your mind, Morwenna, unless you wish to see your brother hang for treason.’
Morwenna gasped, staring at him in horror. ‘What do you mean? What are you accusing Michael of?’
‘I know that he is involved with traitors. Michael is too clever to be taken for a smuggler—but I know about the men he smuggledaway to France and what they plan,’ Captain Bird said. ‘Michael is a fool, but his recklessness has given me the power I need. You will be mine, Morwenna—or Michael hangs.’
‘You wouldn’t!’
‘Only if you force me to it.’
‘I do not believe you. How do I know that what you say is true? You have no proof.’
‘I need no proof. Your brother is suspected of treason and if I tell what I know the traitors will all be taken.’ He smiled at her. ‘Come, give me your promise and we shall forget this conversation.’
‘I do not know.’ Morwenna’s thoughts whirled in confusion. ‘Give me a little time to think.’
‘I shall give you until Michael returns from France, where I know him to be consorting with other plotters—and then I shall have your answer.’
Unable to speak, Morwenna nodded numbly.
‘Remember that you belong to me. I want you and I intend to have you, Morwenna.’
Morwenna felt the gorge rise in her throat as he turned and went out, closing the solid oak door with a resounding bang. Then she dashed to the side door and went out, vomiting in the yard. For a moment she breathed in the cold airand then returned to the kitchen. Bess looked at her, her eyebrows raised.
‘He disgusts me,’ she said and wiped her mouth with a cloth. ‘I can never wed him.’
‘Then you must run away.’
‘What of Michael? You heard what he threatened.’
‘Your brothers are men and can look after themselves. You should go to your aunt while you can, girl.’
‘Yes, I fear that is my only choice.’ Morwenna turned away to hide the tears that stung her eyes. She had hoped to leave with the man she loved, but that dream was ended. His expression that last night had shown his disgust for the woman that he believed her to be.
No, she would not weep for him, but neither would she marry a man she disliked.
‘I will fetch the flour you need,’ she said and reached for her shawl from its peg behind the door.
A week later Morwenna was still undecided. What was she going to do? Michael would show no
‘Walk to the village and fetch me some flour,’ Bess said as Morwenna entered the kitchen two days later. ‘I need to bake and—’ She broke off as they heard someone at the door, looking at each other in dismay. ‘Are they here again?’
Morwenna took a deep breath and then went to the door. Opening it, she discovered that Captain Bird had come visiting. He was dressed in a smart scarlet coat and his boots were polished to a high gloss. Realising that he’d comefor personal reasons, she hesitated, then stepped back, allowing him to enter the kitchen.
‘To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, sir?’
‘I would speak with you alone, Mistress Morgan.’
‘I think you may say anything you have to say in front of Bess, Captain.’
‘I would prefer to be alone with you.’
‘I do not wish it.’ Morwenna raised her head. ‘Please speak plainly, for I have work to do.’
‘Very well, since you will have it—I have come to ask you to be my wife. You know that I care for you. I have long wanted to ask you, but your brother refused me—now he has given his permission.’
‘My brother does not own me, sir. I am my own mistress and I have no wish to marry.’
Captain Bird’s mouth thinned. ‘Yet I think you will change your mind, Morwenna, unless you wish to see your brother hang for treason.’
Morwenna gasped, staring at him in horror. ‘What do you mean? What are you accusing Michael of?’
‘I know that he is involved with traitors. Michael is too clever to be taken for a smuggler—but I know about the men he smuggledaway to France and what they plan,’ Captain Bird said. ‘Michael is a fool, but his recklessness has given me the power I need. You will be mine, Morwenna—or Michael hangs.’
‘You wouldn’t!’
‘Only if you force me to it.’
‘I do not believe you. How do I know that what you say is true? You have no proof.’
‘I need no proof. Your brother is suspected of treason and if I tell what I know the traitors will all be taken.’ He smiled at her. ‘Come, give me your promise and we shall forget this conversation.’
‘I do not know.’ Morwenna’s thoughts whirled in confusion. ‘Give me a little time to think.’
‘I shall give you until Michael returns from France, where I know him to be consorting with other plotters—and then I shall have your answer.’
Unable to speak, Morwenna nodded numbly.
‘Remember that you belong to me. I want you and I intend to have you, Morwenna.’
Morwenna felt the gorge rise in her throat as he turned and went out, closing the solid oak door with a resounding bang. Then she dashed to the side door and went out, vomiting in the yard. For a moment she breathed in the cold airand then returned to the kitchen. Bess looked at her, her eyebrows raised.
‘He disgusts me,’ she said and wiped her mouth with a cloth. ‘I can never wed him.’
‘Then you must run away.’
‘What of Michael? You heard what he threatened.’
‘Your brothers are men and can look after themselves. You should go to your aunt while you can, girl.’
‘Yes, I fear that is my only choice.’ Morwenna turned away to hide the tears that stung her eyes. She had hoped to leave with the man she loved, but that dream was ended. His expression that last night had shown his disgust for the woman that he believed her to be.
No, she would not weep for him, but neither would she marry a man she disliked.
‘I will fetch the flour you need,’ she said and reached for her shawl from its peg behind the door.
A week later Morwenna was still undecided. What was she going to do? Michael would show no
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