[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
watching, hovering, and fidgeting in his nervous way that
Titus usually found amusing.
"Do you blame her for being afraid?" Titus asked. If she
had been the only woman on a slave ship for weeks, he
wondered if she even wished to live. She was so tiny, barely
reaching his shoulder. He didn't wish to think on what horrors
she'd survived.
80
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
Teeth still clamped on his arm, she turned slightly and
looked up at him through her stringy, greasy hair. He was
met by the most startling set of blue eyes he'd ever seen.
Dark blue, like the sky at sunset. In their depths he saw her
fear, her pain, and it hurt his soul.
"You are safe," he whispered. He let go of her waist and
slowly brought his hand up to her cheek, pushing her hair
away then cupping her bruised, battered face. "Safe, little
one."
Her brow furrowed, and he felt the loosening of her teeth
around his flesh. He stifled a groan against the painful rush of
blood where he'd been going numb.
She wasn't young, as he'd first thought. Perhaps twenty
and five, or closer to his thirty years. Behind the bruises, she
had a fine bone structure, high cheekbones, milky-white skin.
Pulling back from his arm, she glanced at the teeth marks
she'd made, then back at his face. She spoke rapidly in her
native language, her voice spiked with panic but husky and
lyrical. His own blood marked the corner of her lip where
she'd punctured his skin.
Her bottom lip was bloodied and swollen, the top one
cracked and chapped.
"Safe," he said again in no more than a whisper. He knew
she couldn't understand him, but he hoped he could convey
to her that she had nothing to fear from him.
Her gaze never wavered; she kept him snared with her
startling eyes as she raised her bound hands between them.
Nodding, he found the knot then forced himself to look
down at her hands in order to remove her binding. He
81
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
unwound the rope and cringed at her raw, torn skin. "Poor
woman," he whispered as he turned her hands to look her
over. Her nails were broken, and blood encrusted her fingers,
but he didn't know how much was hers and how much was
from fighting. Her forearms were badly bruised.
She moaned, a soft kitten-like mewling, when he ran his
finger over a particularly bad one that looked like the marks
from a large man's grip. Titus' heart clenched at the pitiful
little sound.
"I will take her to the bath," he said to his father. "See if
you can find Domitilla and send her with her medicines and
some fresh clothes."
Quintus nodded. "Farberous was bidding on her. I could
not let her go to that beast. But he bid high, and I spent all
our coin on her. She has the spirit of a she-tiger and was so
terrified. She fought so hard against the bastard slave
trader." He shook his head. "I refuse to contemplate what she
has endured. She was the only woman among dozens of
men."
Titus' stomach soured, and it had nothing to do with the
stench surrounding the woman. "We will take care of her and
get her on the first ship we have going north. From her looks
and the sound of her words, she's from the Isles." He touched
her cheek again, realizing she hadn't taken her attention off
of him.
Her eyelids fluttered, and he barely caught her before she
collapsed against his chest.
"Oh, no," Quintus murmured. "She is not going to survive,
is she?"
82
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
Titus hefted her negligent weight into his arms. "She will
be perfectly well once she's cleaned, fed, and had plenty of
time to rest and heal."
* * * *
"I should not have spent so much on that poor woman."
Quintus shook his head and paced in front of Titus' desk. He
swiped his hand over his mostly bald head. "But Farberous..."
"Father, please sit down. You are giving me a headache
with the pacing and worrying." Titus waited until his father
took the seat at the side of the table. "We have enough to
hold us over until the ship docks in two days. You know that
the coffers will be filled within hours of its return."
"I could have freed a half dozen men with what I paid for
her."
Titus leaned over and gave his father's shoulder a quick
squeeze. "You saved her life. That is our goal, is it not?
Besides, Father, with the people already slated to board the
Sherintine before it departs again, every berth is filled. We've
got fourteen fifteen if you include this woman. They'll be
doubled and tripled per berth as it is."
Quintus made a face and shrugged. "Does it do any good,
Titus? What we do?" He scrubbed his hands over his face, and
Titus could see his exhaustion. Ever since Titus' mother was
killed while trying to help three slaves escape their abusive
master, Quintus' only goal in life had been to take over her
cause. But Titus could see how the years of secrecy and
treachery had eaten away at his father.
83
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
As merchants with four ships and some of the best trade
routes imaginable, they made a fortune, and most of that
money went to buying slaves their freedom, in one way or
another. Purchasing from the slave ships then freeing them
was perfectly legal. The other things they did in the dark of
the night to help those whose freedom they could not legally
purchase... It took its emotional toll on both of them, but his
father was not so young any longer.
"Mother would be very proud of you, Father. I am proud of
you."
Quintus gave him a sad smile. "I miss her."
Titus nodded. Never in his life had he met another couple
as in love as his parents. His mother had been gone ten
years, and still his father mourned her. "I do, too."
Quintus sighed. "Sometimes it is difficult to make the
decisions. This woman..." He shook his head as his gaze slid
away. "One woman opposed to a half dozen men. Whose life
is more important? One life chosen while others are sent to
their fate wherever they may go."
"But you said Farberous was bidding on the woman. I
would have done the same. He is harsh with his male slaves,
but we've both seen what he can do to a woman." Titus
leaned his elbow on the desk, propped his chin against his
fist, and sighed. "You know that not all the buyers harm their
slaves. Out of the six you passed up, some of them we will
help later, others will choose to stay."
Quintus nodded. "It is as you say."
Titus wrinkled his brow. His father seemed more
despondent this evening than normal. "Are you feeling well?"
84
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
"Hmm?" Quintus raised his head and looked at Titus. "Yes,
of course. I am well. Simply tired. I believe I will make my
way to bed."
"All right, Father," Titus said. "Sleep well."
With only a slight nod, Quintus rose and walked out of the
office. Titus leaned back in his chair and sighed. There was
nothing more he could do for his father. In the past eight
years since finishing his studies, he'd taken over the business
so Quintus did not have to worry over the finances, but that
did not stop him.
Out of their business coffers, they set aside a certain
amount to put toward their philanthropic endeavors, a much
smaller amount for putting food on the table and paying
Domitilla for her services, and most of the rest went back into
the business. They had very little left over, but they didn't
need much. Nothing coins could purchase, anyway.
Titus scrubbed his hands over his face, pushed to his feet,
and blew out the lamps lighting his desk. He'd give anything
he had to bring some real happiness into their lives. To make
his father's eyes shine as they once had when his mother still [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
watching, hovering, and fidgeting in his nervous way that
Titus usually found amusing.
"Do you blame her for being afraid?" Titus asked. If she
had been the only woman on a slave ship for weeks, he
wondered if she even wished to live. She was so tiny, barely
reaching his shoulder. He didn't wish to think on what horrors
she'd survived.
80
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
Teeth still clamped on his arm, she turned slightly and
looked up at him through her stringy, greasy hair. He was
met by the most startling set of blue eyes he'd ever seen.
Dark blue, like the sky at sunset. In their depths he saw her
fear, her pain, and it hurt his soul.
"You are safe," he whispered. He let go of her waist and
slowly brought his hand up to her cheek, pushing her hair
away then cupping her bruised, battered face. "Safe, little
one."
Her brow furrowed, and he felt the loosening of her teeth
around his flesh. He stifled a groan against the painful rush of
blood where he'd been going numb.
She wasn't young, as he'd first thought. Perhaps twenty
and five, or closer to his thirty years. Behind the bruises, she
had a fine bone structure, high cheekbones, milky-white skin.
Pulling back from his arm, she glanced at the teeth marks
she'd made, then back at his face. She spoke rapidly in her
native language, her voice spiked with panic but husky and
lyrical. His own blood marked the corner of her lip where
she'd punctured his skin.
Her bottom lip was bloodied and swollen, the top one
cracked and chapped.
"Safe," he said again in no more than a whisper. He knew
she couldn't understand him, but he hoped he could convey
to her that she had nothing to fear from him.
Her gaze never wavered; she kept him snared with her
startling eyes as she raised her bound hands between them.
Nodding, he found the knot then forced himself to look
down at her hands in order to remove her binding. He
81
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
unwound the rope and cringed at her raw, torn skin. "Poor
woman," he whispered as he turned her hands to look her
over. Her nails were broken, and blood encrusted her fingers,
but he didn't know how much was hers and how much was
from fighting. Her forearms were badly bruised.
She moaned, a soft kitten-like mewling, when he ran his
finger over a particularly bad one that looked like the marks
from a large man's grip. Titus' heart clenched at the pitiful
little sound.
"I will take her to the bath," he said to his father. "See if
you can find Domitilla and send her with her medicines and
some fresh clothes."
Quintus nodded. "Farberous was bidding on her. I could
not let her go to that beast. But he bid high, and I spent all
our coin on her. She has the spirit of a she-tiger and was so
terrified. She fought so hard against the bastard slave
trader." He shook his head. "I refuse to contemplate what she
has endured. She was the only woman among dozens of
men."
Titus' stomach soured, and it had nothing to do with the
stench surrounding the woman. "We will take care of her and
get her on the first ship we have going north. From her looks
and the sound of her words, she's from the Isles." He touched
her cheek again, realizing she hadn't taken her attention off
of him.
Her eyelids fluttered, and he barely caught her before she
collapsed against his chest.
"Oh, no," Quintus murmured. "She is not going to survive,
is she?"
82
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
Titus hefted her negligent weight into his arms. "She will
be perfectly well once she's cleaned, fed, and had plenty of
time to rest and heal."
* * * *
"I should not have spent so much on that poor woman."
Quintus shook his head and paced in front of Titus' desk. He
swiped his hand over his mostly bald head. "But Farberous..."
"Father, please sit down. You are giving me a headache
with the pacing and worrying." Titus waited until his father
took the seat at the side of the table. "We have enough to
hold us over until the ship docks in two days. You know that
the coffers will be filled within hours of its return."
"I could have freed a half dozen men with what I paid for
her."
Titus leaned over and gave his father's shoulder a quick
squeeze. "You saved her life. That is our goal, is it not?
Besides, Father, with the people already slated to board the
Sherintine before it departs again, every berth is filled. We've
got fourteen fifteen if you include this woman. They'll be
doubled and tripled per berth as it is."
Quintus made a face and shrugged. "Does it do any good,
Titus? What we do?" He scrubbed his hands over his face, and
Titus could see his exhaustion. Ever since Titus' mother was
killed while trying to help three slaves escape their abusive
master, Quintus' only goal in life had been to take over her
cause. But Titus could see how the years of secrecy and
treachery had eaten away at his father.
83
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
As merchants with four ships and some of the best trade
routes imaginable, they made a fortune, and most of that
money went to buying slaves their freedom, in one way or
another. Purchasing from the slave ships then freeing them
was perfectly legal. The other things they did in the dark of
the night to help those whose freedom they could not legally
purchase... It took its emotional toll on both of them, but his
father was not so young any longer.
"Mother would be very proud of you, Father. I am proud of
you."
Quintus gave him a sad smile. "I miss her."
Titus nodded. Never in his life had he met another couple
as in love as his parents. His mother had been gone ten
years, and still his father mourned her. "I do, too."
Quintus sighed. "Sometimes it is difficult to make the
decisions. This woman..." He shook his head as his gaze slid
away. "One woman opposed to a half dozen men. Whose life
is more important? One life chosen while others are sent to
their fate wherever they may go."
"But you said Farberous was bidding on the woman. I
would have done the same. He is harsh with his male slaves,
but we've both seen what he can do to a woman." Titus
leaned his elbow on the desk, propped his chin against his
fist, and sighed. "You know that not all the buyers harm their
slaves. Out of the six you passed up, some of them we will
help later, others will choose to stay."
Quintus nodded. "It is as you say."
Titus wrinkled his brow. His father seemed more
despondent this evening than normal. "Are you feeling well?"
84
Time and Again
by Anna Leigh Keaton
"Hmm?" Quintus raised his head and looked at Titus. "Yes,
of course. I am well. Simply tired. I believe I will make my
way to bed."
"All right, Father," Titus said. "Sleep well."
With only a slight nod, Quintus rose and walked out of the
office. Titus leaned back in his chair and sighed. There was
nothing more he could do for his father. In the past eight
years since finishing his studies, he'd taken over the business
so Quintus did not have to worry over the finances, but that
did not stop him.
Out of their business coffers, they set aside a certain
amount to put toward their philanthropic endeavors, a much
smaller amount for putting food on the table and paying
Domitilla for her services, and most of the rest went back into
the business. They had very little left over, but they didn't
need much. Nothing coins could purchase, anyway.
Titus scrubbed his hands over his face, pushed to his feet,
and blew out the lamps lighting his desk. He'd give anything
he had to bring some real happiness into their lives. To make
his father's eyes shine as they once had when his mother still [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]