Bobbi Smith - Captive Pride

Matt’s smile was easy as he replied, “Noah set those terms himself.”

At his answer, CC’s brows arched in surprise. “He did?”

Matt nodded, his pleasure evident in his calm expression. “Yes.”

“I don’t know what you said to him to make him change his mind, but I’m glad it worked. We needed those arms desperately. I know I tried everything I could think of…” Her tone was resigned and more than a little sad.

Matt was baffled by her statement and wondered exactly what had gone on between his brother and CC. He knew for a fact that Noah cared deeply for her, and yet Noah had declared that there was no future for the two of them. Now he found that CC seemed as miserable in her own way as Noah was, and he wondered if talking to CC honestly would help.

“Noah’s had a lot of things to work through lately, but I think he’s finally getting everything back into the proper perspective,” he offered, hoping to initiate a deeper conversation between them.

“It doesn’t matter,” she hastened to reply, not wanting to reveal too much of her own feelings. It didn’t matter that she loved Noah. She knew that he did not love her and that he never would. “All that’s important is that Ryan gets the materials he needs.”

“The cause is all you care about?” he questioned probingly.

“Yes,” she answered firmly, but her gaze shifted away from his.

“I’m sorry, CC, but I don’t believe you. I’ve seen you and Noah together,” Matt prodded, wanting to get to the bottom of the trouble between Noah and CC so he could help them, “and since I doubt seriously that you’re the type who would try to influence Noah’s decisions through less than honorable means…”-Matt was referring to the night she’d delivered the payment to Noah at the inn, and he’d walked into the room to find them heatedly embracing-“I think there might be more to your relationship with Noah than just business.”

CC, however, had immediately thought of her most recent visit to his room, and she flushed guiltily. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she told him coolly.

“I’m talking about the embrace I witnessed between the two of you at the inn the night you brought him the first payment from Graves,” he charged. “I’m talking about the fact that you two care for each other.”

Glaring up at him defensively, she said, “You’re wrong. I don’t care about him. Not at all. He has no soul, no feelings. He’s cold and hard. All he really cares about is money.”

Matthew was sure that she’d answered far too quickly and far too angrily. “CC, this change in Noah is real.”

She snorted her disbelief.

“CC, there is a lot that you don’t know about Noah…about the both of us.”

“I know everything I need to know about him,” she bit out.

“Do you know the reason for our coming to Boston in the first place?” Matt’s gaze met hers, and she could read there pure honesty and openness.

“No, Matthew, and I don’t want to. I’ve had enough dealings with Noah, and I think I understand him quite well. He is selfish, greedy, and amoral. He has no interest in our bid for independence. He just wants to make a fast profit off our grief and misery and then go back to England.”

“I don’t argue with your assessment of Noah. I’m sure from your point of view, that’s the way he appears, but there’s a reason for it.”

“Please, spare me…” she began frostily, but Matt refused to let it drop.

“Noah and I came to Boston because we had lost everything we owned in England,” he started, and CC glanced up at him questioningly.

“You’re rich… Everyone knows that,” she scoffed. “You own Kincade Shipping and-”

“We were rich,” Matt emphasized. “You see, we discovered when our father died that he had been a gambler. His debts were so extensive that by the time the estate was straightened out, all Noah and I had left were the two ships, the Lorelei and the Sea Pride. Everything else was gone. Our money was gone. Our country estate and our London town house had to be sold to pay Father’s outstanding debts. Our social position was forfeited. Noah was made a social pariah. Where once he’d been celebrated as a glorious member of the bon ton, he was suddenly an outcast. His pride suffered immeasurably, and he vowed that somehow, someway, he was going to reclaim it all. He became hardened to everything except his need to recoup our losses. He became a man possessed.” Matt shrugged. “I didn’t realize how much he had changed until the duel…”

“Duel? What duel?”

Matt continued, “An insult was publicly issued by James Radcliffe, Geoffrey’s older brother, and Noah challenged him to a duel. The whole ordeal was so painful that it’s something we will never speak of again.”

“What happened?” CC was caught up in his story.

“Noah killed Radcliffe.”

CC gasped. Was this the reason why Noah had refused Geoffrey’s challenge at the Winthrops’? And did Geoffrey know of the fateful duel?

Matthew went on, “It was a fair fight; there were witnesses to attest to it. But, CC, I’d never seen anything so brutal in my life, and I hope I never do again. It was then that I realized how deeply Noah had been affected by all that had happened. He was a changed man.”

“I had no idea…”

“I know. We’ve spoken of it to no one, yet I’m sure the news will be out soon. I’m positive that Radcliffe has now found out about Noah’s connection to his brother’s death.”

“How do you know?”

“There was an attempt to murder Noah tonight.” Matt’s purpose in telling her was to gauge the depth of her feelings for Noah.

“What?” CC paled and went still at the news.

“And Radcliffe was the one who hired the two men. They were given explicit instructions to see Noah dead.”

CC’s eyes widened in fear for the man she loved, and her hand was trembling as she reached out to clutch at Matt’s sleeve. “Is Noah all right?”

Inwardly, Matt was pleased to see the truth of her emotions reflected so openly in her expression. “He’s fine. We managed to fight them off together.”

“How do you know it was Geoffrey?”

“With a little applied persuasion, the men confessed as to who’d hired them,” he explained.

“Where’s Noah now? Is he safe?”

“After we turned the thugs over to the authorities, he told me to take care of working out the rest of the arms deal while he went on to Radcliffe’s.”

“He went to see Geoffrey? But why? Why didn’t you just tell the authorities everything you knew and let them take care of it?”

“Noah wanted to handle it himself. He was going to face Geoffrey down with his knowledge of the planned attack, and then tell him that, rather than turn him in, he was going to accept the challenge he’d issued at the Winthrops’.” Matt’s tone was icy with hatred for the cowardly aristocrat.

CC had heard of Radcliffe’s reputation with a sword. “Radcliffe is known for his expertise with a sword…” Her emerald eyes darkened as she worried about Noah fighting him.

“Do I detect a note of concern in your voice, CC?” he asked, feeling most pleased with himself for having evoked such a response from her.

“Matthew! Don’t toy with me!”

“You love Noah, don’t you, CC? Why don’t you tell him how you feel?”

“I have told him, and that’s precisely why I know there’s no future for us. Now tell me,” she went on anxiously, “is Noah good enough with a sword to best Radcliffe?”

“Noah won’t have any trouble handling Geoffrey,” Matthew told her confidently, wanting to reassure her.

CC felt little relief at Matt’s trust in Noah’s ability. Instead she could only worry that something terrible might happen to Noah. All it took was just one mistake…one error in judgment…and he could be killed.