Scandalous Desires (Maiden Lane #3)(105)

He kissed her, hard and fast and for a moment all she did was revel in the feel of his still-smiling lips on hers.

Then he led her away from the body. “God, how I admire ye. Yer so calm and sweet and such a ferocious little thing all at the same time. But why were ye weepin’?”

“Dear Michael.” She laid the palm of her hand on his cheek. “I was weeping for you. I thought you hanged and dead. How did you escape from the gallows?”

“The Ghost o’ St. Giles.” He gave her a thoughtful look. “He came and cut the rope as I was swingin’.”

“Oh, God.” She shut her eyes, suddenly feeling ill at how close a thing it must’ve been.

“And ye, me darlin’? What happened here all this time since he took ye from me?”

“He brought me here and talked and talked for hours, it seemed. And then.” She gulped. “He came for me. But the Vicar never got very far with what he intended. I was not raped.” A sudden, rather awful thought assailed her. “You do believe me, don’t you?”

A wide grin spread across his handsome face. “Darlin’, I don’t believe in God, but I believe in ye.”

“Michael, that’s blasphemy,” she chided, even as she couldn’t keep the corners of her own mouth from turning up.

“No,” he said, very serious now, “that’s love. I hear ye, I believe ye, and I love ye, me darlin’.”

She looked at him mutely, too afraid to ask.

But he nodded as he drew her into his arms. “I love ye, Silence O’Connor, with all me black heart.”

“I don’t think your heart is all that black.” She smiled though tears sparkled in her eyes again. “I love you, too.”

She stood on tiptoe and pressed her mouth to his, simply glad to feel his warmth, his breath. But then a thought occurred to her. She pulled back to look him in the face urgently. “But the soldiers will be looking for you.”

“Aye.” He took off the ragged coat he wore and wrapped it about her, concealing her ripped bodice, then he took her hand and pulled her toward the door. Outside in the anteroom they found Bert just coming up the stairs.

“The Vicar’s men ’ave all been thrashed,” Bert panted, “but one o’ our crew says there’s soldiers comin’ this way.”

Mick nodded. “The Vicar’s corpse is in the bedroom. Have a couple o’ me men get it. And if you don’t mind, I’ll borrow this.” He took Bert’s gray wig, leaving Bert’s bald head naked.

“But you’ve been condemned to death,” Silence cried. “Won’t we have to flee the country?”

“Aye, we might,” he said with a sly smile. He plopped Bert’s wig on his head. “Were it not for Mr. Rivers.”

“I don’t understand,” she said as he led her out the door and down the stairs.

“Charming Mickey O’Connor is goin’ to meet a tragic death. It’ll have to be at the palace, I fear, more’s the shame, but it won’t be believed otherwise. I’ll have Harry and Bert take the Vicar’s body there and set it alight. Set the whole palace alight.”

“So they’ll find a burned body afterward and think it’s yours?” Silence shivered at the gruesome thought. “But where will we go?”

He stopped just inside the door and caught both her hands. “I’m to be a respectable, Englishman shipbuilder now, Mr. Michael Rivers. And you, my love will be Mrs. Rivers. We’ll send for Mary Darling and live in Windward House in Greenwich.”

His accent changed as he told her the news, becoming once again the thoroughly English Mr. Rivers.

Silence gazed up at him, and whispered. “So you’ll give up your pirating? Just like that?”

He cleared his throat. “Someone I love—and respect—told me that I could be a better man than a pirate.”

“Oh, Michael.” He was giving her everything she’d asked for.

He was giving her a family.

They were out on the street now and Silence saw with relief that Harry was among Michael’s men. He had a great bandage about his head, but he seemed well enough. He’d be able to wheedle any number of sweets out of female servants looking like a wounded hero.

Silence hurriedly put her hair back up as best she could with her remaining pins, while Michael shrugged on one of his men’s coat.

Bert led over a horse. Michael mounted first and Bert handed her up to sit before him. Then Bert stepped back and saluted.

Michael nodded to him and nudged the horse into a trot.

Silence looked around nervously. She could hear shouts and hoof beats in the distance. She felt at her hair. It was up off her neck, but Lord only knew what it looked like.

“Steady on,” Michael whispered into her hair. “Remember, we’re simply Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, returning home after a jaunt into London. I’m just a shipbuilder.”

“Won’t you miss your palace?” she murmured anxiously. “Your gold walls and marble floors?”

“I’ll not miss a whit of it. Gold nor silks nor fancy books and statues. I can live without them all. What I cannot live without is one Silence Rivers. I love you, my wife.”

“And I love you, my husband. I look forward to being just plain Mrs. Rivers, I do.” She leaned back and whispered in his ear, “But perhaps you can still be Charming Mickey O’Connor the notorious pirate—in our bedroom.”