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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you, jt, Devin, SarahandJamesFanatic, Vette, Amelia-Jane, Kimber, Klai and Nika for reviewing. You wouldn’t believe how happy it makes me to read all your comments about the story. :D And of course, thank you, Jen, for betaing this chapter for me. :D
Chapter 11

Galveston, the next day

Aimée hadn’t been able to take him—the man she'd seen yesterday at the cottage—out of her thoughts. Every time she closed her eyes she would recall the mesmerizing azure gaze, the near perfect body, and face of that handsome face. She had to find out who he was. He seemed to be the perfect candidate to be the man that could sweep her off her feet. After all, if she was going to be tied to one man for the rest of her life, she wanted to be able to experience what passion was before she died. And if there was something she was sure of, it was that what she wanted, she got. There was no doubt in her mind that she could make any man fell head over heels for her.

Of course, it was painfully obvious that he was not of her same social status or he wouldn’t be living on a simple cottage by the sea, but she didn’t want to marry the man, just experience all those things that she knew a lady shouldn’t want, but that she did all the same.

She was a passionate woman, and this man had made her feel things she’d only imagined before just by looking at him. How could he make her feel if he actually touched or kissed her?

She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on her bedroom’s door.

“Come in,” she said, followed by an aggravated sigh. Why couldn’t they just let her be alone?

“Excuse me, niña Aimée,” Teresa, one of the maids, said as she entered the room. “I just brought back the dresses you wanted me to iron.”

Aimée looked at the maid with veiled interest as Teresa caressed the dresses while she hung them in the dresser. She recalled that Elizabeth had told her that Teresa knew almost everybody in Galveston, maybe she’d know who the man she’d seen in the beach was?

“Oh, niña, you have such beautiful dresses,” she said.

“You think so, Teresa?”

“Yes, they’re much more beautiful than the ones that niña Elizabeth has.”

“Well,” Aimée said, getting up from her bed and walking over to where the maid stood, she took her least favorite dress out of its perch, smiling inwardly when she saw how Teresa’s eyes widened with barely concealed envy. This was going to be a piece of cake. “What do you think of this one?”

“Oh, it’s gorgeous!” she exclaimed, tentatively moving her hand closer to caress the fabric, before glancing nervously toward Aimée, as if she was asking silent permission to touch it.

Aimée smiled sweetly and handed her the dress. “It’s yours then.”

“Oh, no, niña, this is too much. Your mother would have a fit if she found out.”

“Then we will just have to make sure she does not find out, won’t we?” Aimée said conspiratorially.

“Really?”

“Of course, silly.”

“Oh, niña, gracias. You’ve made me so happy. Anything you need, anything you want, you just ask Teresa, all right?” Teresa said, while she clutched the dress to her chest.

“Well, there is something you could do for me.”

“Anything, niña.”

“I need to find out who the man living in the cottage near the beach is.”

“Man? How does he look like?”

“Well, he has white blond hair and blue eyes, slim, not too tall.”

Teresa blanched when she realized who the man la niña Aimée was talking about was. She toyed with the idea of inventing something, but as she lowered her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the beautiful dress that she’d been gifted and decided to tell her all she knew of the man. Who knew if she would take it away if she refused to talk?

“Niña, why do you want to know of him? People say he’s the devil incarnated, he’s a pirate, a smuggler…”

“What is his name?” Aimée asked, even more interested now in the mysterious man.

“William the Bloody.”

Aimée raised an eyebrow. “William the Bloody? That can’t be his name, are you certain?”

“I swear I’m telling you the truth, niña, just ask anyone in town. He has no last name, not one that anyone knows of anyway.”

“Hmm, alright, I believe you.”

“Is there anything else you might need assistance with, niña?”

“No, thank you, Teresa. You may leave.”

William the Bloody wouldn’t know what hit him after she put her plan in motion.

*~ *~ *

Boston

“B-but…you can not do that, Angel. I have already given my word to your Aunt Joyce that you would marry Elizabeth as soon as you returned to Campo Real.”

“Well, that is your problem, mother, not mine. I will marry Aimée and I don’t care if you approve or not.”

“Angel, please, I beg you to reconsider. At least, wait until you get to Campo Real to make a final decision,” Darla pleaded.

“My final decision is taken, mother, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to make me change my mind.”

“But think of the scandal, think of poor Elizabeth, she could be ruined by this. You know that if people begin talking she might never be able to marry.”

“I think you should have thought of that before making promises for me, don’t you?” Angel said. “But you are right; Elizabeth is just an innocent pawn in your little game, so I won’t announce my betrothal to Aimée until you tell her. You could even say that she was the one that did not want to marry me, or something along that line. I really don’t care what people say of me. And since she will be my sister-in-law, I will provide her with a generous dowry. If she is as beautiful and virtuous as you claim, I am sure a lot of men will be interested in marrying her.”

Defeated, Darla sighed heavily and nodded, accepting Angel’s decision. There wasn’t anything she could do about this, maybe there never was. Her son was a man now and he couldn’t be swayed as he’d been when he was a little boy. At least he wouldn’t be marrying some trollop he’d met in Europe, Aimée wasn’t her first choice for his wife, and she’d never liked the girl that much, but at least she came from a good family. It really could be worse.

*~ *~ *

Galveston

Elizabeth took out the picture of Angel that she kept hidden in her boudoir, caressing the image reflected in it as she thought that finally all her dreams would come true. She was getting married to the man of her dreams.

Even if no one was seeing her, she blushed as she recalled that on one of those dreams, Angel had kissed her on the lips as he embraced her tightly. She could hardly wait until that turned into a sweet reality. She was sure that her feelings for Angel would only grow as they began knowing each other. How could it be any different?

On a whim she walked to the small desk that was settled near the window, she sat and dipping her quill in the ink, she wrote: ‘My one and only love’ on the back of the picture.

Elizabeth smiled dreamily as she waited for the ink to dry. She had never felt so happy in her life; and as long as she was being honest with herself, it almost scared her that everything she’d wished for was just out of reach. And to make things even better, her sister was back in Galveston, right where she belonged.

Aimée had been acting a bit cold with her, but she imagined that was to be expected. After all, they’d been apart for five years and they’d hardly seen each other in that time; she’d just have to double her efforts to close the distance that had grown between them.

tbc





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