“I’d hoped you’d go for the ale. It always helps to make things friendlier.”
Raven had located Molly and had just begun to explain his wife wanted a word with her when he saw the three young sailors whisk Eden through the door. Not understanding why she had not been able to stay out of trouble for the short while they had been apart, he quickly excused himself.
Rob paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the tavern’s dim lighting before showing Eden to a table, but the first thing he saw was Raven striding toward him wearing so murderous an expression he quickly looked behind him hoping it was being directed at Paul or Jack rather than him. When his friends squared their shoulders and stepped closer rather than turning tail and running away, he knew they would back him up if there was going to be a fight over the pretty blonde. He braced himself and prepared to stand his ground.
Raven did not bother to introduce himself. He simply reached for Eden’s hand, plucked her from Rob’s arms, and swung her out of his way. He then belted Rob in the chin with a crushing blow that lifted the astonished sailor clear off his feet. Rob came down on legs that wobbled so badly he staggered back into his friends and would have slid to the floor had they not caught him. Raven took another step forward, clearly prepared to deal with Paul and Jack just as harshly, but they had seen enough, and keeping a firm grip on Rob’s arms, they dragged him out the door.
Grateful to have settled the matter with one punch, Raven straightened his jacket, and then turned around in time to see Eden and Molly McCay hurrying through a door at the back of the room. While he was pleased his wife had had sense enough to get out of his way, he was still mad she had not stayed outside where he had left her. His expression grim, he ignored the whistles and cheers of those he passed as he hurried to catch up with her.
When Molly had rushed up and taken her hand, Eden had been glad to flee what she feared would surely become a brutal brawl. Once they had reached the safety of the storeroom, she sat down on a barrel of ale and struggled to catch her breath. Molly was used to scuffles between the tavern’s patrons, however, and hoped the fight would be a fierce one so she would have an excuse for a long break. When Raven entered the storeroom almost on their heels, she was badly disappointed.
“You ought to have known better than to bring your sweet little wife down here, Captain.” Molly laughed as she viewed Eden’s ashen face and trembling hands. “I always consider it a compliment when men fight over me, and you should too, darlin’.”
“I didn’t ask them to bring me inside,” Eden hastened to assure Raven. “I was just minding my own business and—”
“Well, clearly they mistook what business you’re in,” Molly interrupted with another throaty laugh.
That Eden appeared to be terrified that he would blame her for causing the fight stopped Raven cold. He had been annoyed with her, that was certainly true, but he did not want his wife to be frightened of him. He bent down on one knee by her side and took her hands in his. “I should never have left you alone, not even for the minute I intended to. I thought the fact you’re a lady would be obvious to anyone, but apparently those three wouldn’t recognize a lady even if they saw Queen Victoria wearing her crown. The mistake was mine, Eden, not yours. Now smile for me.”
That Raven had not accused her of inviting Rob and his pals into the Fife and Drum simply amazed Eden. She studied his smile for a long moment, and then delighted to find it sincere, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “No, I’m sure I should have been able to send those men on their way so you wouldn’t have had to deal with them.”
“Oh please,” Molly sighed. “You two lovebirds can apologize to each other later. I’m supposed to be serving ale, not just wasting my time chatting.”
That Molly would describe them as lovebirds embarrassed both Raven and Eden, and they quickly drew apart. Raven rose to his feet, and dusted off his pants. Certain the two women had not introduced themselves, he attended to that chore but gave only Eden’s first name, without referring to her as Lady Clairbourne. He then asked if Molly remembered John Rawlings.
“Is that why you’ve come looking for me, to ask if I remember one sailor from another?”
Clearly Molly thought that feat impossible, but Eden did not. Molly had the curly red hair many Irish women possess, blue eyes, and a flawless complexion. Her figure was lovely too, but the girl had so brash a manner Eden found it difficult to believe John Rawlings had wanted to marry her. “Perhaps you would recall him if we’d brought some of his friends from the Jamaican Wind with us.”
“The Jamaican Wind?” Molly frowned slightly. “That has a familiar ring to it. Is that your ship, Captain?”
Raven nodded. “John was in his early twenties, good looking fellow with curly brown hair and gray eyes. I imagine he would have tipped you generously.”
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Molly favored him with a seductive smile. “They all do, Captain, every last one.” Convinced their errand had been stupid in the first place, Raven helped Eden to her feet. “I’m sorry we’ve wasted your time.”
“Wait a minute,” Molly demanded crossly. “Is that all there is to this?”
When Raven looked down at her, Eden answered. “John was injured on the voyage from England. He talked about you just before he died. We thought if you two had been close, you would want to know.”
Molly flung open the door. “Sorry, the name John Rawlings means nothing to me. I hope he asked you to give me his pay, though.”
While Eden gasped at the coldness of that comment, Raven had expected it. “No, as a matter of fact he didn’t and I’ll send it to his mother.” He tipped Molly for her time, but did not return her delighted smile. With a tight grip on Eden’s elbow, he escorted her out of the tavern. Once outside, he looked up and down the walk to make certain Rob and his buddies were not waiting to jump him from behind. Pleased to find them nowhere in sight, he started back toward the Jamaican Wind.
The couple had gone only a few yards when a petite barmaid came running out of the Fife and Drum and called out to them. Raven and Eden turned and waited for the girl to catch up with them. She wore the same white blouse and blue skirt Molly had, but there was no other similarity between the two. This girl had straight brown hair, hazel eyes, and more freckles than most red-haired children. Plain rather than pretty like Molly, she needed a moment to catch her breath.
“I knew John Rawlings,” she assured them. “I knew him real well. Molly just told me he’s dead. Is that true?”
Eden noted the girl’s tear-filled gaze and reached out to take her hand. “I’m afraid it is.”
The girl began to cry then, her pitiful sobs in stark contrast to Molly’s flippant dismissal of the news of John’s death. Raven pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. “What’s your name?” he asked considerately.
“Mary, sir,” she managed to mumble through her tears.
“Mary,” Raven repeated the name slowly as an idea began to take shape in his mind. “I think my wife and I may have made a terrible mistake, Mary. John was in a lot of pain, and we thought he was asking for Molly. But now that we’ve met her, I’m certain we must have misunderstood. I think he was calling for you.”
Eden listened incredulously as Raven told what she knew to be an outright lie. She had heard John say Molly just as clearly as she could hear Raven’s words now, but when Mary responded with a radiant smile, Eden was not even tempted to tell her the truth. It was as obvious to her as it was to Raven that John Rawlings had fallen in love with the wrong woman, and if they could set the matter straight now, she was all for it.