Stolen by My Knave: Linked Across Time, #6

Dedication

THIS BOOK IS FOR EVERYONE who saw something in Captain Jack in book one. I promised you he would have his own book. It just took a little longer than I’d thought it would. Jack and Elizabeth were fun to write and I hope you enjoy them.

PROLOGUE

LADY ELIZABETH KENDALL sat in the library of her family home and stared out the window. Her two younger brothers, Christian and Nicholas ran across the lawn chasing one of their kittens. The boys were identical down to their dark brown hair, green eyes, striped shirts and matching breeches. They were both rather plump and didn’t seem to show any signs of losing their baby fat. Christian finally caught the black fluff ball and squeezed him tight. It squirmed out of his arms and took off once again. It was a game they played often—one Elizabeth dubbed chase the kitty.

Poor thing had to suffer at the hands of the twins. She looked down at their other kitten, safely asleep in her lap. It was the opposite of the one outside, as white as the other was black, and had a better nature. The black one was more suited to the ten-year-old twins’s unruly nature.

What do you think, Snowball? Elizabeth petted the kitten. It purred louder with each stroke of her fingers over its soft fur. Do you think Shadow likes the twins chasing him?

Snowball purred louder in response. Elizabeth decided it was an affirmation. Thunder rumbled in the distance and she glanced back outside. Dark clouds moved over head, declaring rain to be imminent. Someone should make the boys come back inside. Where was the governess? Nicholas ran past the window and scooped up a black fluff ball and headed toward a nearby door. Good, at least Nicholas and Shadow were smart enough to seek shelter. Where was Christian?

What are you looking at, Ellie?

Elizabeth turned to the sound of Christian’s voice. Besides her mother, she was the only other person who could tell the twins apart. They were identical, but in opposite ways—a mirror reflection of each other. For example, they each had a dimple, but Christian’s was on his left cheek and Nicholas’s was on the right. If they didn’t smile they could pretend to be the other and fool almost any one on the estate. It was their most noticeable difference. They liked dressing alike so they could play tricks on the servants. Elizabeth hoped they’d grow out of it at some point.

Nicholas picked up Shadow and ran to the nearest door, she replied. Did you grow bored chasing him through the field?

He shook his head. I could feel a storm coming. I told Nick to grab Shadow and follow me inside. It’s not my fault he’s so slow.

Am not, Nicholas said. Shadow jumped out of his arms and ran across the room. He launched himself onto Elizabeth’s lap and dug his claws into Snowball’s fur. A loud screech filled the room as the two kittens rolled off her lap and hit the floor. Shadow is too fast.

No, he isn’t, Christian countered. I can catch him just fine. He stuck his lip out in defiance.

Ellie, tell him he’s being ridiculous. He can’t catch Shadow any better than I can, Nicholas demanded.

They both turned toward her and folded their arms across their chests. Christian tapped his left foot impatiently, and Nicholas, his right. Would they always do the exact opposite of each other? Elizabeth shook her head. What was she going to do with them? Why ever had she thought she’d like having a brother? Well that was the problem. She’d wanted one, not two. Neither one could say her name when they first learned to speak, and she’d become Ellie to them. It was easier to respond to them than correct them. Besides, she rather liked the nickname.

Both Shadow and Snowball are fast when they want to be. If they don’t want to be caught, you’re not going to get them. It has nothing to do with how quick either one of you are. Thunder clapped in the distance and rain beat against the window pane. Why don’t we play a game?

I don’t want to, Christian said rebelliously. You want to play boring games.

Nicolas looked eager, but after a quick glance he decided to follow his older brother’s lead. Chris is right. You never want to do anything fun.

Elizabeth wasn’t sure what to do with them. If they didn’t have some sort of distraction they’d eventually end up in fisticuffs. They’d fight, break something, and conveniently forget about it. They were the masters of denial. They never did anything wrong.

She stood and roamed over to the mirror on the wall. An idea already forming in her mind. How about I tell you a story? Her eyes went unfocused and she could almost make out images forming in the glass.

Oh, yes, Christian agreed. You and Mama always tell the best stories.

Tell us about Captain Jack again, Nick demanded.

Her brothers were rather bloodthirsty and loved the story about the infamous pirate. Their mother said it was a tale their grandmother used to tell her as a child. Pirates couldn’t be trusted, but Captain Jack seemed honorable enough. Of course, he was make-believe, so that was probably why. She stared into the mirror and shook her head.

Was that? No, it couldn’t be.

Very well, she began. A long time ago, a lady embarked on a voyage to England to marry the Duke of Southington.

No, Christian said. Skip to the good part.

I can’t do that. Every story has a beginning, middle, and an end. If you want to hear it, we start here. She turned to face him. Do you wish me to continue?

Yes, they both said in unison.

Elizabeth smiled and started again, Lady Evelyn’s father was very strict, so she looked forward to having a life away from his harsh demands. What she hadn’t been prepared for was pirates attacking her ship.

Elizabeth turned to glance in the mirror. It fogged over and a mist appeared to swirl from inside of it. She continued speaking, knowing the story by heart. The twins didn’t seem to notice her attention was divided between them, the story, and the mysterious fog in the mirror.

She shook her head to clear it and then returned her attention to the mirror. The fog lifted slightly and a beautiful man appeared in the distance. He was walking through some foliage she didn’t recognize. What kind of trees were those? They had weird, pointed leaves with little brown balls underneath them. The trunks were long and thin and seemed to touch the sky.

A man with long, golden-blond hair stood on the other side of the mirror. Was she imagining the story itself? Was this a figment of her imagination? She’d heard the story and told it so many times she was now beginning to create it in her mind. He wasn’t really in the mirror. That was ridiculous. Another man joined him—and he looked mad. Was that the crew member who’d pushed Lady Evelyn over the side of the ship?

You pushed her overboard? The captain’s voice was cold and filled with menace as he turned on his crew member. How could you do that Percy? You knew what she meant to me and that she was not to be harmed, but you took it upon yourself to dispose of her because you got some nonsense inside your head. You must have a death wish.

Had she heard voices? That couldn’t have actually been said aloud. She was losing her mind, and Elizabeth didn’t want to think about what it meant.

The blond man rested his hand on a cutlass at his side. A dark-haired man moved into the picture. He appeared to be waiting for something. Elizabeth wasn’t exactly sure what, but he was bouncing on the heels of his feet. The man must be preparing to act.

I had to. You must see that. The crew member waved his hands at the sky. She’s working her magic again. Another storm is going to hit. We must kill her if we want to save ourselves.

The man is insane. Evelyn is not a witch, the dark-haired man yelled. No one has the power to control the weather.

I don’t blame Evelyn. Captain Jack—and Elizabeth was certain of that now—paused and looked up at the other man. I know what must be done.

Before the captain could react, Percy pushed past him. He ran toward a blonde woman Elizabeth hadn’t noticed before. Evelyn! the dark-haired man shouted.

Lady Evelyn stepped out of Percy’s reach and spun around, heading back toward the dark-haired man. Help, Paul! She tripped and fell as Percy lunged for her. Paul reacted and yanked Percy away from her before he could do her any permanent harm. The pirate fell back toward Captain Jack. Percy shook in fear as he glanced between Paul and Jack.

She must die. You both know it. You’re afraid. Look past her charms and you’ll see the truth, Percy pleaded with them.

Paul looked Jack in the eyes and said, Kill him or I will with my bare hands.

Elizabeth didn’t remember her mother mentioning anything about killing when she told the story. Was this how it had happened? No, it couldn’t be. Her mother wouldn’t tell her a tale that had actually been true. It was a piece of fiction her mother had made up.

It will be my pleasure. Captain Jack’s smile looked menacing as he stalked toward Percy.

Evelyn stood and ran toward Paul. He opened his arms and held her close. The wind picked up speed as Captain Jack held up his cutlass. As he was about to strike Percy, his crew member reached out and tripped him. His cutlass tumbled to the ground landing near Percy. The wind spun around him and lifted Jack. The captain disappeared as if he’d never been there to begin with.

The mist in the mirror swirled around and the images disappeared once again. Elizabeth’s heart had stopped at the familiar sight. This was the story, and somehow it manifested in the mirror of their library. Percy had attacked Lady Evelyn and planned on murdering her. Captain Jack tried his best to save her, but he’d disappeared before he could. What had happened to the pirate?

Ellie, why’d you stop? Christian asked. Finish the story.

She had somehow managed to keep telling them the tale as she watched it unfold in the mirror. What was going on? Whatever it was—she didn’t like it.

Yeah, you added something in. Did Captain Jack kill his crew member?

Drat. Trust the boys to pick up on that part. He didn’t. Because murder is wrong.

But it makes for a fine story, Nicholas said. Please finish it.

Elizabeth sighed and wrapped up the story. And no one knows what happened to Captain Jack to this day. He’s been missing for years. Some think he was taken to the sea gods for his crimes. Others believe he is one of the gods and he watches over sailors as they embark on their voyages. Either way, his fate remains a mystery.

I think we’ll meet him someday, Nicholas said quietly. There has to be a reason his story is passed around in our family.

Elizabeth hadn’t thought about it in that way before. "Maybe to keep his memory alive. I think Lady Evelyn is our