Page 20 of Stolen by My Knave
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.” Should she tell her mother the whole story? She’d never mentioned seeing him in the mirror all those years ago. “I had a vision of him once. When I was twelve. I saw grandmother and grandfather in it too. There was a man trying to kill them. Captain Jack was swept away as the story tells.”
Her mother jolted at Elizabeth’s confession. She recovered quickly and dismissed her revelation with a wave of her hand. “That was probably your imagination. You’ve heard the tale often enough.”
Elizabeth frowned. How could she make her mother understand? “But that wouldn’t explain how the duke looksexactlylike the pirate I saw in the mirror. Besides, I called him out on it. He eventually admitted it to me.”
“That’s...amazing,” her mother said. “Are you certain?”
“He traveled through time like you did.” Elizabeth glanced at her mother. “I think he needs someone who understands his situation. Do you think you could speak with him? I am afraid I may have scared him off. He’s been avoiding me since we discussed it.”
If not for her own experiences, her mother probably wouldn’t even entertain the notion of Jack being the pirate from her mother’s story. But considering her journey from the twenty-first century to the nineteenth, she tended to have a more open mind. Elizabeth was banking on her mother’s ability to see a situation from all sides. Otherwise, Jack might very well be lost to her.
She patted Elizabeth’s hand. “The first chance I have, I’ll pull him aside and have a private conversation with him. Don’t worry about any of it. Leave it to me. After I talk to him, he won’t hide from you for knowing his secret. I don’t want my baby girl to miss out on true love.”
Elizabeth hadn’t said a word about her feelings for Jack. Her mother was too intuitive at times—at least that was taken care of. Jack wouldn’t be able to withstand the duchess. She was a force of nature when she had a task to complete.
“I never said...”
Her mother interrupted her, “You don’t have to. I can tell from the expression on your face when you say his name. It’s all dreamy and whimsical looking. Besides you’ve never taken an interest in a gentleman before.” She grinned. “The way you talk about them, you’d think you were swatting at gnats—annoying little pests.”
Elizabeth scrunched her eyebrows together. “I don’t mean to.” She frowned. “They bore me. Jack...” She slapped her hand over her mouth. A lady shouldn’t use a man’s first name. It implied a level of intimacy—if someone overheard her using it they’d believe an engagement was imminent.
“Like I said.” Her mother beamed. “You light up when you say his name. But, dear, please refrain from giving away how close you’ve become. Using his given name will give society the wrong impression. As much as I loathe to admit it.” She visibly shuddered. “There are rules that must be followed.”
“I know,” she agreed. “It slipped out. I’ll be more careful.”
Elizabeth hoped she was able to keep her word. She was growing rather proprietary where Jack was concerned. That way of thinking would lead her down a path of trouble. Somehow that almost seemed appropriate considering Jack used to be a pirate.
“See that you do,” her mother said. “Now let’s go inside. I’ve had enough of the outdoors.”
With that pronouncement, they headed back inside. They stayed silent as they strolled. It left Elizabeth with her own thoughts, and they weren’t heading in an innocent direction. She had to do something to gain Jack’s attention. It wasn’t in her to stand idly by and let things happen. There was a ball later that evening, and it was the perfect place to take action.
