The Promise

Alexi’s slim body stiffened. Elysse whispered nervously, “There are never wolves this close to Adare.”

“It isn’t close.” They halted their horses by the gaping entrance in the stone walls of the castle, which had once been the front door. Through the shadows of the maze of stone walls inside, she could see the lone standing tower at the other end of the ruins. She swallowed dryly. Her heart thundered.

Alexi whispered, “They say he carries a torch—the same torch he carried for his lost love.” He gave her his hand, twisting a bit to do so. “Slide down.”

Elysse did so, keeping her balance by holding his hand. Everyone dismounted. Ariella whispered, “We didn’t bring candles.”

“Yes, we did,” Alexi said proudly. He produced a candle from a breeches pocket, and lit it with flint. “C’mon.” He swiftly started inside, clearly intent on leading the way.

Everyone followed. Her stomach churning with dread, Elysse balked. She did not want to go inside.

The group of children vanished into the darkness inside the ruined castle. Elysse bit her lip, breathing hard. She became aware of being absolutely alone in the dark night, outside of the ruins. And perhaps that was even worse.

Something moved behind her. She cried out, leaping in fright, only to realize that one of the grazing horses had bumped into her. An owl hooted, the sound ominous. She hated adventure! She liked parties and pretty things! But being outside alone was worse than going inside with everyone else. Elysse rushed after the other children.

It was almost pitch-black inside and she could not see. She could hear their whispers, somewhere ahead, and she ran, trying to follow them. But the interior of the ruins was a stone maze. She hit a wall, panicked and turned, found a corner, and turned that, too. Her foot caught, and she tripped and fell.

She started to call out to Alexi, to tell him to wait, when she saw a flash of bright light in the darkness on the other side of the castle where the tower was. She froze, crouching by the wall, afraid to cry out. Had she just seen the light of the ghost’s torch?

Afraid to move or make a sound, afraid the ghost would find her, she became utterly still. She realized she couldn’t hear her friends anymore. Where were they?

Panic overcame her. She saw the light again! Elysse rushed from the corner where she had been crouching, intent on fleeing the castle and the ghost. Instead, she found herself turning corner after corner, tripping and falling as she ran. She bumped her knees, skinned her hands. Why hadn’t she left the ruins already? Where was the entrance? She realized she had reached a dead end. What might have been the huge wall of a fireplace blocked her. She fell against the rough stone, panting harshly, and that was when she heard the galloping horses.

They were leaving her?

She choked on a sob of fearful disbelief. She turned her back to the wall, and saw the ghost with his torch coming toward her. Fear paralyzed her.

“Elysse!” Alexi cried, hurrying forward.

She felt her knees buckle in absolute relief. It was Alexi, carrying the candle, not the ghost with his torch. She cried out, weeping. “Alexi! I thought you left me. I thought I’d be lost forever!”

He put the candle down and swept her into his arms. “It’s all right. You’re not lost. I’d never leave you. Didn’t I say I would always protect you?”

She held on to him, hard. “I didn’t think you’d find me—I heard the horses leaving!”

“Don’t cry. I’m here now. You heard my father, the earl and your father pursuing us. They are outside—and they are furious.” His gaze was searching. “How could you think that I wouldn’t find you?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, trembling, her face wet with tears. But she had stopped crying.

“If you are lost, I will find you. If you are in danger, I will protect you,” he said seriously. “It’s what a gentleman does, Elysse.”

She inhaled. “Promise?”

He slowly smiled and brushed a tear from her face. “I promise.”

She finally smiled back at him. “I’m sorry I am not brave.”

“You are very brave, Elysse. You just don’t know it.” Clearly, he believed his every word.

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

Askeaton, Ireland

March 23, 1833

ALEXI HADN’T BEEN HOME in more than two years, but it felt like an eternity. Elysse O’Neill smiled at herself in the gilded mirror hanging over the handsome rosewood bureau in her pink, mauve and white bedroom. She had just finished dressing for the occasion. She knew that her excitement was obvious—she was flushed, her eyes bright. She was thrilled that Alexi de Warenne had come home, at last. She couldn’t wait to hear all about his adventures!

She couldn’t help wondering if he would notice that she was a grown woman now; she’d had a dozen suitors in the past two years, not to mention five offers of marriage.

She smiled again, deciding that her pastel-green gown made her nearly violet eyes even more intriguing. She was accustomed to male admiration; boys had begun to look at her when she was barely more than a child. Alexi had, too. She wondered what he would think of her now. She wasn’t certain why she wanted him to notice her this evening—they were only friends, after all. Impulsively, she tugged her neckline down, adjusting it to show off just a bit more of her cleavage.

He had never been gone for so long before. She wondered if he had changed. When he’d left on a run to Canada for fur, she hadn’t known that it would be years before he would return, but she recalled their parting as if it had been yesterday.

He looked at her with that cocky grin he had. “And will you be wearing a ring when I get back?”

She’d known immediately what he meant. Startled, she had quickly recovered and her answer had been coy. “I always wear rings.” But she had wondered if some dashing Englishman would sweep her off her feet before he returned. She certainly hoped so!

“Not diamonds.” His thick black lashes lowered, shielding his brilliant blue eyes from her.

She shrugged. “I can’t help it if I have so many suitors, Alexi. There will probably be many suits. Father will surely know which one to accept for me.”

He shrugged in return. “Yes, I imagine Devlin will make certain you are properly married off.”

Their eyes met and held. One day, her father would find her a great match. She had overheard her parents speaking about it and knew they wanted it to be a love match, as well. How perfect would that be?

“If I am not offered for, I will be vastly insulted,” she said, meaning it.

“Isn’t it enough that you are always surrounded by admirers?”

“I hope to be wed by the time I am eighteen!” she exclaimed. Her eighteenth birthday would be in the fall—only six months away—while Alexi was still in Canada. Hear heart lurched oddly. With confusion, she shook off the strange feeling of dread, smiling brightly at him. She took his hands. “What will you bring me this time?” He always brought her a gift when he returned from the sea.

After a pause, he spoke softly. “I will bring you back a Russian sable, Elysse.”

She was surprised. “You are sailing for Lower Canada.”

“I know where I am going,” he replied, his gaze direct. “And I will bring you back a Russian sable.”

She scoffed at him, certain he was teasing her. He had simply grinned. Then he had said goodbye to the rest of her family and swaggered out of the salon, while she rushed off to a tea, where her most recent suitors were eagerly awaiting her….

He had remained in Canada for several months, apparently having some problems acquiring a cargo for the run home. When he had finally raced back to Liverpool, he hadn’t stayed. Instead, he had turned around directly for the islands for sugarcane. She had been surprised, even disappointed.

Of course, she had never doubted that he would follow in his father’s footsteps. Cliff de Warenne had one of the world’s most successful maritime transport companies, and Alexi had been at sea with his father for most of his life. It was a foregone conclusion that, when he came of age, Alexi would take on the most lucrative trade routes, carrying the most profitable cargoes, as his father had once done. At the age of seventeen he’d commanded his first ship. Elysse was the daughter of a retired naval captain, and she truly understood how much Alexi loved the sea—it was in his blood. Men like Cliff de Warenne and her father, Devlin O’Neill—men like Alexi—could never remain on land for very long.

Still, she had expected him to come home after his run to the West Indies. He always came home, sooner or later. But instead he had refitted his ship in Liverpool and set a course to China!

When Elysse had learned that he had leased his ship, the Ariel, to the East India Company, which had a monopoly on the China trade, she had grown worried. Although retired, Devlin O’Neill frequently advised both the Admiralty and the Foreign Offices on matters of imperial and maritime policy, and Elysse was well versed in the subjects of trade, economics and foreign policy. She had heard all kinds of talk about the China trade in past few years. The China Sea was perilous—it remained mostly uncharted territory, with hidden reefs, submerged rocks and unknown shoals, not to mention monsoons and, far worse, typhoons. Beating up the China Sea was easy enough, if one didn’t encounter one of those half-hidden rocks or reefs, with the south-westerly monsoons to aid you. But beating through the sea when homeward bound was difficult and dangerous. However, Alexi would think the danger the very best part of his voyage! Alexi de Warenne was fearless and loved a challenge—Elysse knew that very well.