Chapter Thirty-Nine
Nettie finished preparing Judith for the ball, then hurried off to help Jacqueline with her hair, too. Judith remained sitting at the vanity in her room, staring in the mirror at the necklace around her neck. Nettie had helped her put it on, but had left the matching bracelet and rings for Judith to don herself. She had borrowed the jewelry from Amy, but it didn’t matter who owned it. She had a feeling that anytime she ever put on jewelry again, she would be reminded of Nathan.
She gasped when she suddenly saw his reflection in her mirror standing right behind her as if the thought had conjured him. She touched the glass, but it wasn’t her imagination. He was there. She knocked over her velvet-padded stool, she stood up so fast, in time to see him angrily toss a handful of gold coins behind him on her bed.
She had no idea if he’d used the door or one of the open windows to get in here, but if he was discovered . . . “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I couldn’t leave the country without setting the record straight. I didn’t steal your jewelry. I don’t need anything from you Malorys.”
He’d risked getting caught to tell her that? She could have pointed out that his having money could merely mean he’d already sold some of the jewelry. It proved nothing, and yet she didn’t need proof. She’d known, deep down, that he couldn’t be guilty, at least not of stealing from her.
Still incredulous that he was even there and looking so angry, she asked hesitantly, “Have you been hiding in Bridgeport all this time?”
“No, I’ve been busy getting my ship back.”
“So you really own one?”
She shouldn’t have said that! He sounded even angrier when he replied, “The Pearl is real and I’ve almost finished putting a crew together for her. She’s anchored just a few miles east of here.”
“And after you have a full crew?”
“I’ll be heading home to Hampshire.”
“So you really own that house?”
“Did you only pretend to believe me?”
She winced at his tone, as sharp as it was. Everything she said seemed to make him angrier, but she couldn’t help it, she was so nervous—for him. Her father was just down the hall, could stop by at any moment to collect her to go downstairs. She should warn Nathan to leave, but she didn’t want him to leave! How could she have a single clear thought with him standing so close to her?
She searched desperately for a subject that wouldn’t strike a nerve with him. “Are you looking forward to seeing your nieces again?”
His expression softened slightly. “Of course.”
She tried to further lighten his mood. “Did you remember to get them some ribbons?”
It didn’t work. He was suddenly glowering at her, what was on his mind finding voice. “How could you believe I stole from you?”
“I was shocked by the robberies, and you never did directly deny that you’re a smuggler. You were always so cryptic or evasive whenever I asked. So I didn’t know what to think, but when I calmed down, I realized you couldn’t have done something that awful. But you must admit how bad it looked. It had even occurred to me briefly, as it did to members of my family, that you’d been paying attention to me because you wanted to keep me quiet about my suspicions that you were a smuggler, and so you could gain access to my cabin and help yourself to my jewels.”
“Underestimating your own attractiveness, aren’t you? Let me give you a little advice as you begin your come-out season, darlin’. You are one woman who doesn’t need to worry about ulterior motives in the men you meet. You’re as fickle and pretentious as all those other aristocratic women, but never doubt that you’re beautiful.”
His tone was so scathing she was completely surprised when he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up against him. His mouth claimed hers in a deep, angry kiss that conveyed even more depth of feeling than his words had expressed. But Judith didn’t care why Nathan was kissing her so passionately, only that he was. Her heart soared as everything she felt for him was drawn to the surface. But he gave her no chance to reciprocate, no time to even put her arms around him! He simply let go of her and walked away.
“Happy husband-hunting, darlin’,” he tossed over his shoulder before he climbed onto the ledge of one of the windows and actually leapt toward a nearby tree.
Judith ran to the window to make sure he didn’t get injured in that jump. She saw him just before he dropped the last few feet from the tree to the ground and disappeared into the darkness.
Judith moved back into her room and picked up the vanity stool she’d knocked over. She caught her reflection in the mirror and laughed at the silly grin she was wearing. He’d come to find her before he left the country, even climbed a tree for her! He was angry, yes, still hated her family, true, but she didn’t care. At least she still had a chance with him, and if he didn’t find her in England, she’d find him. Finally she had something to look forward to.