DEVIL’S EMBRACE by Catherine Coulter

“Si, madonna,” Joseph continued, waving proudly toward the small vessel, “the men have worked day and night to complete her for you.”

His voice contained a hopeful question, and Cassie, reeling in surprise, turned to Joseph, not the earl, and gasped, “Oh, Joseph, she is beautiful. You have worked wonders. How very kind of you.”

Cassie picked up her skirts and sped down the dock to her new sloop.

Joseph called after her in an embarrassed voice, “No, madonna, ’twas not I. The captain drew her plans, I but supervised the building.”

“It matters not, Joseph,” the earl said quietly, taking pleasure at the joy in her eyes. The two men stood watching her as she explored every inch of the sailboat, from the curved hull to the thick wooden mast.

“She will breathe life into it,” Joseph said.

“Yes,” the earl said with a thoughtful smile. “And it is also likely that I will have to restock the lake every year. She loves to fish, you know.”

Joseph was silent a moment, his eyes still on Cassie. “Have you met other English ladies like the madonna?”

“No, my friend, I have not.”

Joseph chewed thoughtfully on his lower lip. He had known the answer to his question before the earl had replied. He studied his master’s profile, remembering how he and the other men had believed that he had gone mad, kidnapping a young girl off the coast of mighty England and forcibly bringing her to Genoa. As a Barbary pirate, he had seen women captured on raids and ravished until their captors’ appetites were sated, and it had not surprised him, for as a young man, his sexual lust had equaled his blood lust. But that the captain, an English nobleman despite his Ligurian blood, would capture his own wife made him shake his grizzled head. So young she was, spirited, like an untamed colt. He thought of his own young wife, Maria, dead before her twentieth year at the hands of mountain bandits. He felt no pain now, for too many years had passed. Cassie’s crow of delighted laughter rang in his ears.

“Watch your footing, Cassandra.” The earl suddenly ran forward.

Cassie, who had been perched precariously, examining the clew on the canvas sail, straightened suddenly at the sound of his voice and lost her footing. She clutched frantically at empty air and fell backward into the water with a resounding splash.

The earl was on the point of diving in after her when her head cleared the blue surface and he saw that she was laughing.

He frowned down at her, hands on his hips.

“Dammit, woman, you must be more careful. That you could be so graceless leads me to believe that it is a nursemaid you need.”

The earl did not see the twinkle in her eyes when she asked him in a subdued voice, “Will you not help me, my lord?” She swam close to the dock and held out her hand to him. He closed his fingers about her wrist, unaware that she had positioned her feet against the pilings.

Little minx, Joseph thought, knowing full well what she intended. He could not prevent his shout of laughter when Cassie’s limp muscles suddenly tensed and she pulled the earl, face forward, into the water.

Joseph saw a tangle of arms and legs and heard her crow of triumph. When the earl’s dark head rose to the surface, she pressed her hands down on his shoulders, using all her weight, and pushed him under again.

Cassie was still laughing when the earl grasped her legs and dragged her down. When he finally released her, she broke to the surface, gasping for breath. Her golden hair streamed about her and a slimy water reed hung limply over her forehead.

“And you accuse me of being clumsy, my lord.”

He swam to her and pulled the water reed off her face. “No, my girl, I am only guilty of trusting you.” Her eyes were alight with mischief, and he grinned. “Are you ready to return to land?”

“Ah yes, my lord, now that I have given you your comeuppance.”

Joseph hauled both of them, dripping wet, onto the dock. Cassie was still smiling as she pulled her thick mantle of wet hair over her shoulder and wrung it out. Joseph eyed her curiously. She certainly did not appear to hold his master in dislike now, indeed, she appeared carefree.

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