Rose's Pledge Read Online Free Page B

moment onstage. All the more incentive for Rose to take further action. She stepped directly in front of the captain and raised her voice. “Mister Durning! I shall be forced to call the authorities if you do not honor the agreement you made with our father.”
    The man’s florid complexion darkened. His eyes narrowed menacingly as he leaned toward her and thrust a clenched fist beneath her nose. “We have no written contract, wench. I’ll thank ye to keep yer mouth shut.”
    Rose felt Lily edge closer, and the girl’s small hands clutched Rose’s arm. She could not let the child or her other sister down. Her own hands curled into fists. “And I’ll thank you to honor your word as a gentleman, sir.”
    His mouth twisted into a smirk, and he jutted out his fleshy neck. “What we have, shrew, is yer name on a legal document that says I have the right to sell the three of ye to whomever I please. And if ye don’t keep quiet, I’ll have ye locked in the hold of me ship until I’ve completed the rest of me business.”
    “Not before I summon the port authorities.” Rose whirled around. The blackguard would see she was no ignorant street urchin.
    “Good sirs,” the captain cried, “lay hold of this baggage and hold her whilst I fetch my men.”
    No sooner had the request been voiced than two men clamped hands on to her, pinning her in place.
    She tried to wrench free, but to no avail. Far worse, the ruffians seemed to enjoy their task most thoroughly. “Don’t fret, Cap’n,” one of the audacious pair called brightly. “We’ll see the lass stays put.”
    “And I’ll see you and your manhandling cohorts brought up before the magistrate,” Rose countered with equal force. She then felt a tugging on her ruffled half sleeve.
    “Please, Rose,” Lily urged. “Don’t say anything more. They’ll take you away.”
    Rose’s heart went out to her baby sister. Only the men restraining her prevented her from pulling the girl into her arms. Looking beyond Lily to Mariah, she saw that her other sister’s attention was occupied elsewhere. Up on the platform, Mariah’s bold stare was fixed on a young, raven-haired gentleman on the outskirts of the crowd. He sat astride a long-legged bay.
    Wearing naught but a loose shirt and tight breeches tucked into tall boots, the smoothly tanned man was as handsome as Mariah was beautiful. And he beheld her with the same blatant interest.
    Flirting! Rose acknowledged. The pair of them! How disgraceful!
    The young man did not take his eyes off Mariah. “I’ll bid thirty pounds on the beauty in the blue frock.”
    The gathering grew quiet. The gentleman had bid quite a tidy sum for a mere four years of household servitude …if that was all he thought he was purchasing.
    “Thirty-one,” came from another quarter.
    Grinning lazily, the horseman hooked his leg over his saddle’s pommel, as if prepared to stay for the duration. “Forty.”
    At the enormous bid, murmurings of amazement spread through the crowd. Then expectant silence. All eyes turned toward the challenger—another young jack-a-dandy. At his shrug of defeat, attention shifted to the man who’d opened the bidding.
    He rubbed a hand over his paunch and looked from Mariah to the young mounted gentleman. His expression soured and his bushy brows formed a V over his slitted eyes. He did not take kindly to losing.
    Observing his stubborn glare, Rose suspected him to be the sort who would be an abuser of servants. She held her breath and sent a fleeting prayer heavenward that the older man would concede.
    Abruptly, he grunted and stomped off, shoving past anyone in his path.
    “Sold!” The captain’s triumphant shout grated on Rose’s frayed nerves. He sounded more than pleased with himself and his good fortune. “To the gentleman on the fine stallion.”
    The man laughed and spurred his mount forward. Edging the animal alongside the makeshift platform, he scooped up a very willing Mariah, whose arms were already