Silver Tears Read Free Page A

furious that Captain Hargrave dared to utter such foul lies about the man she meant to marry. She longed to strike back.
    “Is that all?” she asked. “Well, it seems I’ll be getting the better end of the bargain. Apparently, although you know all about my intended, you’ve heard nothing of my own sordid past.”
    He only stared at her, silenced by this unexpected outburst.
    “Lord Balfour was not only my husband, but my savior as well. I’d be long since hanged had it not been for his kindness. You see, I’m a witch! The ‘bitch witch,’ they called me. A little child whose mother passed the evil black arts on to her, so the story goes. But for Lord Balfour’s intervention, I’d have died on the gallows alongside my mother years ago.” She smiled when she saw the strong man’s face pale at her words. Although she knew she should keep her past to herself, she believed she’d be safe in Maine. Besides, the smug captain needed a good shock to shut him up. “Take care, Captain. Christopher Gunn knows the risks involved. However, should you speak ill of him again, my powerful magic might strike you dead on the spot.”
    Hargrave remained silent for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t believe in witches. Even if there were such, there’s no way in heaven or hell you could be one of the coven. You are far too gentle, too beautiful, milady.”
    Alice was taken aback by his words and by the softness of his voice. He spoke in a kinder tone than she’d ever heard from him. When he reached out to touch her arm, their eyes met for an instant. She felt an unexpected warmth flowing from him.
    “I’ve made you angry and for that I’m sorry, but I felt it my duty to say what I did. You need a good man, a settled man,” he added in a gruff whisper. “Should you change your mind, I offer myself. It’s time I gave up the sea. We could have a fine life together. I’ve put by enough to support you in high style. You’d want for nothing. What say you, Lady Alice?” he pleaded gently.
    Alice was dumbstruck. She could find no response for the unexpected proposal. Of course, she couldn’t marry the man; her plans were made, plans that would keep an ocean between her and the witch hunters who still longed to see her dance at the end of a rope. Still, she was warmed by the rough captain’s words. She’d thought him a man without a heart. Now she realized he was instead a steady fellow of deep emotions that he kept to himself. He was a good man, a kind man, but not the man for her.
    “I’m touched, Captain,” she answered modestly, sincerely. Then she looked up at him, smiling into his dark, sad eyes. “You really don’t want a witch for a wife, do you?”
    “Lady Alice, were you the sister of Lucifer himself, I would still beg for your hand. Witch or no, I want you for my wife.”
    The two of them stood, frozen in the unexpected emotion of that instant. The fog had moved in once more so that even the far corners of the deck were obscured. The sailors moving about were only dull shapes in the dense blanket of mist. From somewhere in the distance came a popping, hissing noise that Alice could not identify. The eerie sound sent a chill through her.
    “Captain Hargrave, I’m honored, but—”
    Suddenly the man’s whole body jolted. His face before hers contorted in an expression of shock. Alice stared up, confused, as she saw his sharp eyes dull. His mouth sagged open and he slumped forward into her arms. As her trembling hands clutched his back, the warm stickiness of his blood soaked through her thin gloves. Her scream was lost in the roar of cannon fire.
    “Heave to!” came a frantic cry from above. “We’re under attack! Pirates, damn their eyes!”
    Confusion reigned on the deck of the tiny ship. Alice crouched low on the boards, cradling the captain’s head in her lap. She was too horrified by what had happened to take note of the battle raging around her, the Flemish seadogs heaving themselves