A Discarded Pearl (A Marsden Romance Book 5) Read online

  A Discarded Pearl

  A Marsden Romance

  Book Five

  Dawn Brower

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A Discarded Pearl Copyright © 2016 Dawn Brower

  Cover art and edits by Victoria Miller

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  DEDICATION

  For everyone waiting to finally find out what happened to Damian and Pearla. It wasn’t too long of a wait, just a little longer than I planned. I hope their story lives up to your expectations.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thanks to all my readers for reading everything I write, and those that have been patiently waiting for me to finish writing the Marsden books. This is the final one, and I hope you love it.

  Thank you to Victoria who has put up with me on the edits of these last two books. You have some amazing skills, and patience. These books are better because of your due diligence.

  Finally thanks to Elizabeth, my original beta reader and amazing proofreader. You’re awesome.

  Chapter One

  Heat filled her cheeks as she rushed across the dock toward the ship she’d secured passage on. Pearla Montgomery wanted as much distance between her and England as she could possibly get. Had anyone ever experienced such monumental embarrassment?

  “No. That honor only goes to me,” she muttered under her breath.

  She had been so close to marrying Noah St. John, the Duke of Huntly. She’d fallen in love with him the moment she saw him. The hurt spilling out of his chocolate brown eyes...all she wanted to do was wrap him up in her arms and ease the pain away. Noah didn’t or, to be more accurate, couldn’t love her. She knew that, but she hoped in time he would at least come to care for her.

  Unfortunately, his not-so-dead wife had crashed their wedding. Had it only been that morning? Rubina had waltzed into the church without a by-your-leave. Not that the woman needed permission. Her husband had been about to marry another woman. In her position, Pearla would have done the same. If only she’d come home sooner and prevented the resulting embarrassment. For that alone, Pearla resented her intrusion.

  No one had known Rubina lived. Noah believed he lost her to a watery gave when a ship she’d been sailing on capsized in a storm. Pearla believed if he’d been aware Rubina was alive he’d have searched for her. The duke hadn’t said much about his wife, but it was clear he loved her. The tone in his voice changed whenever he said her name. When she’d appeared at the church, it had become clear the duchess’s resurrection was the end of Pearla’s relationship with Noah. It was a combination of sadness and happiness that filled her heart at the sight of Rubina. She was ecstatic for him, and morose that she had to relinquish the connection they’d shared. Rubina was the woman he loved; Pearla was the usurper in their relationship.

  “Just my luck.” Pearla sighed and marched toward the ship.

  She’d rushed home, demanded her maid to remove her wedding attire, and ordered her trunks packed for a different trip. If she never laid eyes on the bloody dress ever again, it’d be too soon. At the day’s start, she’d thought she would be moving into Noah’s townhouse. The staff had been given instructions to send the trunks to his home later in the day. Pearla was no longer going to be his duchess, and never would be. Not that she wanted the title; it’d been the man she craved. Sadly, she had to let go of that desire. Now, here she was, hours later, preparing to embark on an alternate excursion. The sun would be setting on all her hopes and dreams in a few hours. This was a day she’d not soon forget, but not for the reasons she originally thought.

  “Can I help you, missy?”

  Pearla turned and held in a breath. She cringed at the sight of the burly man before her. His demeanor was menacing, and he was covered in dirt and grime. By the smell of him he’d not deigned to bathe in several days—perhaps weeks. He stood near the gangway to board the ship, blocking her path. She lifted her chin and glared at him as haughtily as she could manage.

  “I am Miss Pearla Montgomery. I have passage on this ship.”

  “Do you now?” His eyes leered across her bosom. “Why don’t you wait here while I go and find the Captain.”

  It took everything she had to not visibly shake under his lewd gaze. This was just a means to an end. It wouldn’t do to stay in England and watch Noah being blissfully happy with his wife. No one expected Pearla to stay and witness their reunion. Her best friend, Gemma Marsden supported her decision. She was happy for Noah. Truly, she was.

  However, she wasn’t in the least joyful at her own circumstances. Running away from the problems life had thrown at her wasn’t an ideal situation. Everything she’d done since her wedding had ended in failure screamed of desperation. It was a sad fact. She’d loved a man who wasn’t available. If only she’d known before she’d suffered the shame of loving him. Losing him and what they could have had… She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. Noah wasn’t hers. That unfortunate outcome was for the best. Marriage hadn’t been in her plans until he waltzed into her life. It was time to do what she’d originally intended. Travel the world and see what it had to offer. The morning’s disaster prompted what should have been her path all along.

  “Miss Montgomery?”

  Pearla’s gaze shot upward and landed on a tall man with a scruffy beard. “Yes.”

  “My bosun tells me you’ve secured passage aboard my ship.”

  She played with her lip between her teeth. There better not be some mistake. It would be awful if she’d been played a fool and some thief, under the guise of booking her passage, stole her funds. She had to be on this ship. “I spoke to someone named Paolo about an hour ago.”

  He narrowed his eyes and studied her. He nodded. “I am Captain Blythe. I do recall Paolo saying we would have a couple passengers. Please, follow me.”

  A couple of passengers? She didn’t bring a lady’s maid. The idea of having anyone with her…made her uneasy. It was not something she wanted to deal with. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t have a reputation to salvage. Why put up with someone that would only get in her way. Still, she couldn’t help wondering who else was supposed to board the ship. She hoped the captain didn’t expect them to share a cabin. Pearla wanted to be alone, and having a cabin mate would be too annoying.

  The captain led her below deck to a small room with one narrow bunk. She breathed a sigh of relief. With only one bunk, surely that meant she would be alone as she wished.

  “Do you have trunks that needed to be brought aboard the ship?”

  The captain’s words snapped her out of her own mind. “Yes. They are in my carriage. Do you have someone that can retrieve them? If not, I can have the footmen bring them aboard.”

  He nodded. “I will have my men secure them below deck.”

  Pearla set her valise and reticule on the bunk. The only things she expected to have on the long journey were inside her traveling bags. The rest she’d worry over later. She didn’t even have any idea where this particular ship was heading. It had the only thing she required when looking for passage: it left immediately.

  “Captain,” the burly man from earlier interrupted. “Our other passenger has arrived.”

  The captain turned toward him and said, “Perfect. Then we can set sail as soon as the anchor is hoisted.”

&nb
sp; The man stared lewdly at Pearla. She gulped back unease that pooled at the bottom of her stomach. She would lock her door after they left. The way the man looked at her made her skin crawl.

  “Are you wishing me to keep you company?” The disgusting man licked his lips suggestively. Pearla lifted her hand and held a finger under her nose. The captain needed to control his men better. This one in particular needed to understand his place better.

  Pearla shook her head and stumbled back into the room. “No. I’m fine. Honestly. Perhaps you should help with the new passenger.” She gestured toward the captain.

  “Leave the young lady alone, Perry,” the captain ordered. “She’s right. I do need your help with our new guest. Besides, the boss gave express instructions to make sure we keep Miss Montgomery safe on her journey.”

  Perry? She wrinkled her nose. Even his name was distasteful. The captain’s smile made her feel even more uneasy. Paolo must be his boss. He did seem overly concerned for her welfare. Maybe she had lucked out in that regard. She certainly hoped so because she didn’t like how Perry was ogling her. He smacked his lips as if anticipating his favorite sweet treat would touch his tongue. It wasn’t something she particularly liked seeing. He was a combination of scary and disgusting. Did he believe in bathing at all? She wanted to cover her nose and mouth again. It took every ounce of etiquette instilled in her to refrain from doing so. He could leave the cabin and his offending odor would still linger.

  “Too bad. We could have had some fun, you and I.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Let me know if you be changing your mind.”

  “While I appreciate your, um…” She paused, considered her words, “offer, I must decline.”

  “We will leave you to make yourself comfortable.” The captain turned to leave. “Please stay in your cabin for now. You will be in the way as we set sail. I will let you know when it’s safe to come on deck.”

  Pearla nodded. She didn’t have a problem with the request. She was more than happy to wallow in self pity in her cabin. It would give her time to properly grieve what she lost. The man of her dreams… How does a woman get over that?

  The captain closed the door with a click. A key turned in the lock. What the hell? She said she would stay in the cabin. Why would the captain lock her inside? She walked over to the door and yanked at the door knob, hoping she’d been wrong. Unfortunately, she wasn’t. The damned man had made it impossible for her to leave.

  That uneasy feeling turned into angry knots pounding through her whole body. Her breathing became frantic. There was very little light in the cabin. The small porthole only allowed a tiny stream of sunlight into the room. Was she to suffer in the dark? She scanned the room to see if perhaps there was a lantern she could light. Nothing.

  She stormed back to the door and pounded on it with her fists. “Let me out. Let me out now. I can’t breathe.”

  No one came to her rescue. She was truly stuck. What had she gotten herself into?

  Pearla crumpled against the wall underneath the porthole. Letting the sun bathe her in what little light the hole allowed. She let her face drop into her palms as tears fell from her eyes. In everything that happened, she hadn’t allowed herself the time to cry. She’d lost so much, and apparently she was about to lose much more before the day was done. It served her right for acting so foolhardy.

  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

  Pearla wasn’t sure how much time passed as she gave into her misery, but it seemed like ages. She glanced at the porthole. There was still some sunlight, so night hadn’t fallen yet. When she arrived on the dock it had been early evening. The setting sun gave her something to work with time-wise. With the onset of warm weather, they gained more daylight hours, which meant she’d been locked in the cabin at least a couple hours. The door creaked open, and Pearla shot to her feet. Finally, someone was coming to let her out. They had heard her. Thank God.

  A body was shoved inside. Whoever it was tumbled to the ground with a loud thud. Just as fast as the door opened, it was closed again. She hopped over the unconscious figure and pounded on the door.

  “You can’t leave him in here with me. Come back,” she shouted. “There isn’t room enough for one person, let alone two.”

  They ignored her. Bloody rotten bastards, the lot of them. She would get even with them for being so inconsiderate. Her fists clenched tight against her side as her cheeks flushed with heat. It might take time, but they would regret treating her like common baggage.

  A small groan filled the silence. Perhaps she should check on her cabin mate. Who knows what they did to the poor soul. Pearla kneeled down beside him and rolled him over onto his back. Sunlight spilled across his face, and she sucked in a breath. He had an angry knot swelling across his forehead, but everything else about him was perfect. Inky black hair curled around his shoulder, and his face was almost too pretty to be considered handsome. She brushed back his hair to get a better look at his injuries. He moaned with her ministrations. His eyes flew open and she once again had the breath knocked out of her. His eyes were so beautiful. They were a silver gray that sparkled in the tiny sliver of sunlight sliding through the porthole.

  “Who are you?” His voice reminded her of warmed brandy. She’d only consumed the amber liquor once; it’d been enough to know she’d been playing with fire. When this man spoke, his rich timber was similar to that blaze engulfing her from the inside out.

  “I should be asking you the same. Why would Captain Blythe toss you in a cabin with me and lock the door?” Pearla shook her head. “What did you do to anger him?”

  More importantly what had she done to deserve such ill treatment? At least they didn’t shove a malodorous beast into the cabin with her. She’d not have been able to suffer through such torture. Perry’s stench had been rotten. This man almost smelled—nice. If she was forced to share her space with a disreputable man, she could be thankful he wasn’t disgusting to gaze upon either. There could be worse fates...

  “I had the audacity to disagree with his boss’s treatment of my sister.” His eyes narrowed. “What did you do to anger him?”

  She chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t have any idea.”

  “What is your name?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “You first.”

  He chuckled and then winced with pain. His hand flew to his forehead. “Fair enough. But have pity on me. I have one bloody hell of a headache.”

  A smile twitched on her face. “I reserve the right to make life as difficult as possible, sir. I do not know you.”

  “I think I like you.” A cocky grin filled his face. “I am Damian Leone or Conte Leone if you prefer formality.” He lifted his hand and traced his fingers across her cheek. “If I get a choice, I’d have you call me Damian.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Just Damian?”

  “Yes. I have a feeling you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together.”

  Pearla frowned. “I hope not.”

  “Does my company displease you that much?”

  How was she to explain it had nothing to do with him. This whole mess was not his fault at all. He was quite charming and beautiful to behold. She would have been entranced with him under other circumstances.

  “You don’t figure into my consideration. I am not familiar with you enough to ascertain if you’re likeable or not.” She shrugged. “However, I do have to find a way out of this cabin.”

  “I hate to tell you,” he paused and sat up. “But we are not obtaining our freedom for some time. The ship is already sailing out of the harbor.”

  Pearla cursed and stood. She headed to the porthole and looked outside. The blasted man was right. They were already well on their way. How long had she been in the cabin before they tossed him inside with her? It didn’t matter. They were stuck together. She’d have to make the best of it.

  “Come, cara, and tell me how you found yourself in the company of such disreputable ruffians as those in the employ of Paolo, the Duca d’Sordillo.”<
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  “Who?” Pearla sat down on the bunk and huffed out a breath. “I’m not familiar with that name.”

  “No?” Damian frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would they stick you with me? Tell me your story; maybe I can figure it out once I have all the information. Why are you on this ship?”

  “It’s kind of a long story.” How to explain her failed wedding to a stranger? It wasn’t something Pearla looked forward to. She didn’t even want to think about it let alone put voice to it.

  “I have nothing but time, cara.” He waved his hand toward the porthole. “I think it’s accurate to assume we will be confined to each other’s company for the foreseeable future.”

  “Quit saying that,” she demanded.

  “What?” he asked, confused.

  “I am not your darling.”

  “Ah.” His lips tilted into one of his half-cocky smiles. “You have yet to tell me your name. What else am I to call you?”

  Why did he have to have a valid point? More importantly, why did she still refuse to tell him her name? Maybe it was the fantasy of it. There was a certain romanticism to it all. Instead of telling him her name, she told him her story. This was exactly what she needed upon further reflection. A stranger was much easier to talk to then friends. Gemma had meant well, but she could see the pity mixed with concern in her friend’s eyes.

  “Today was supposed to be my wedding day,” she began. When she finished, a loud whistle filled the room, and then he cursed more colorfully than she had.

  “Bloody hell, you’re Miss Pearla Montgomery.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “It all makes sense now.”

  “Well, I’m glad you understand what is going on.” She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him. “I sure don’t. I’m as confused as ever.” Like how the hell did he know who she was? She hadn’t mentioned names. All she told him was her fiancé’s presumed dead wife interrupted her wedding. The desire to leave England had made her jump on the first ship available. Had rumors spread that fast already?