Page 21 of A Countess Captured for the Captain
“I… but it is all too incredible to think, I am not a gentleman, no son of an Earl. But… yes, the inscription, I have always wondered,” he said, faltering now, as though he could no longer protest what now seemed so evident, and he slumped down in a chair, his head in his hands, as though trying to take in this extraordinary revelation.
Nicholas brought a brandy, and Samantha sat down next to Nox, reaching out and putting her hand gently upon his arm.
“We could discover the truth for ourselves,” she said, and he looked up at her in surprise.
“This is all something of a shock, I do not want to believe it, or… well, I can hardly bring myself to,” he began, but Duchess Sinclair interrupted.
“Nonsense, it is the truth, and it will mean that you do not have to hide here like some sort of fugitive from the law. They were going to hang you, were they not?” she said, and Nox nodded.
“Yes, but I do not belong here, whoever I am supposed to be,” he said, staring around him angrily
He sounded lost, as though unable to comprehend what it was that was being told about him. Samantha’s heart went out to him. She slipped her hand reassuringly into his. He was confused, astonished, like an animal backed into a corner, his defenses raised.
“Duchess Sinclair is right. They will be looking for you. We would have to flee the country, but this way… well. You have every right to claim what is yours. You are no pirate, you are a nobleman, with rank and title. That changes everything,” she said.
“But I am a pirate, at least that is what so many others say – your father included. I have no knowledge of nobility, no memory of it,” he exclaimed, but she shook her head.
“But you do not have to be, not anymore. If Duchess Sinclair is right–” Samantha began.
“Which I am,” the Duchess interjected.
“Then you have nothing to fear,” Samantha concluded.
A flicker of a smile came over his face, and he shook his head in astonishment.
“It is quite remarkable, but I can hardly believe it to be true. You are right, it would change everything, but–” he began, and again Duchess Sinclair interrupted him again.
“We shall soon settle the matter. Your Uncle Albert has a townhouse in Knightsbridge. We shall call upon him and you shall soon see,” she said, a look of the utmost satisfaction upon her face.
“I think I need another drink,” Nox said, glancing up at his host.
“I think we all need another drink,” Nicholas replied, and the party sat down as Duchess Sinclair revealed more about this extraordinary occurrence and the good fortune which was Nox’s right to inherit.
Chapter Ten
“And what if he wants nothing to do with me?” Nox asked, as they rode in Duchess Sinclair’s carriage the next morning.
Samantha was at his side, and they were accompanied by Nicholas and Duchess Sinclair, making their way through the streets of London toward Knightsbridge. They sat up late into the night, as Duchess Sinclair had regaled them with stories of Philip and Nancy Osmond, the parents whom she claimed had taken Nox off to sea, only for disaster to strike.
The Duchess now referred to Nox as Norman, though the name sounded somewhat awkward and contrived. Samantha could see only the dashing pirate captain, the man with whom she had shared the adventurous voyage and who had led a life of romance and danger upon the high seas. To think of him as an Earl, the rightful inheritor of what she now knew to be one of the grandest estates in England seemed too astonishing to be true.
“But your uncle returned to London a broken man, he was devastated at the loss of your parents and of you. Often I heard his sad lament for the tragedy,” Duchess Sinclair said, tutting and shaking her head.
“But I could still be handed over to the law, returned to the prison,” Nox protested, but Duchess Sinclair only waved her hand dismissively.
“Nonsense. This is England. We do not put those of such blood on trial. When the Regent learns of your terrible life at the hands of pirates, he will immediately show mercy. You have been the victim of kidnap, extortion, imprisonment, and goodness knows what else. I should not be surprised if you are gifted plantations in the Islands for your suffering,” Duchess Sinclair replied, as the carriage trundled on.
Samantha had lain awake the night before, mulling over these extraordinary revelations. She had been ready to flee the country with Nox, for she had already decided as to the folly of remaining. Her father would have no qualms in marrying her off to Reginald Spencer, and she would be forced to spend the rest of her life stuck amid the auspices of a society she detested, all the while with Regina bossing her from afar. But this changed everything, and she wondered what future lay in store for her and Nox.
They had had no opportunity for a moment alone since Catherine had come across them in the shrubbery. The memory of the kiss they had shared lingered on, pleasant to think of, and Samantha kept glancing at Nox, wondering if he thought of it, too. No doubt his mind was preoccupied with Duchess Sinclair’s extraordinary claims.
But if he were an Earl, the inheritor of riches and wealth far beyond anything her father possessed, then what? The two of them could hardly be denied one another. She was pondering all this as they pulled up outside a handsome townhouse with a large black front door and shuttered windows.
“It looks all shut up,” Nox said, and Duchess Sinclair shook her head.
“Your uncle lives in some seclusion, ever since those sad days at sea,” she said, as the footman leaped down to open the door.
“And we are simply going to announce ourselves?” Nox asked, as Duchess Sinclair swept up the steps.
