Maddie James Book Club

From the Prologue: Jack has just rescued his young wife Hannah from Blackbeard’s ship.
*****
Tired, aching fingers smoothed back the fine golden hairs from Hannah’s face. Jack sat at her bedside as he had done for the past week, but the fear was creeping in. Fear that his ministrations were in vain, that she would never wake. He knew she was dying. And he wanted desperately to gaze one last time into her sea-green eyes. Just one last time.

But it wasn’t to be.

He had spent each day with her, forgetting his own needs, seeing only to hers. He unbolted the cabin’s wooden window shutters wide, letting in the bright sunshine each morning. Hannah loved the shore and ocean breezes and he thought that perhaps the sharp smell of salt would permeate her senses and bring her back to consciousness.

It didn’t.

And now, she laid there, her body curled onto her side, her knees drawn to her chest, preparing to die.
There were days he wanted to go after Blackbeard again. There were days he wished he had killed him while he’d had the chance, that he’d been a strong enough man to kill the vile bastard. That part ate at him. He’d never thought himself a weak man, but it just wasn’t in him to take a life, even after all Teach had done to Hannah.

But what kind of a man did that make Jack Porter? A man not cut out to exact revenge for his beloved?

He wondered about this, and the guilt he shouldered grew heavier each day.

He prayed though, that he had severed enough of the pirate’s manhood to prevent him from raping and mutilating another woman for as long as he lived.
He hoped that with all the rage he felt in his heart.
He had wept for days after bringing Hannah home. Tears came like rain as he held her, realized that she would never wake. He caressed and soothed her. He cleansed her wounds, retching as he realized their extent what torture she had endured. He only hoped that Teach had not turned her over to his crew.

He cringed at the thought. He would never know if she had been passed to the men like a common whore. He prayed that she had not. But she would never be able to tell him. And that was probably all the better for the both of them.

There was nothing he could do. There was no one who could help them. She would not survive a boat ride across the sound for medical attention. He could not feed her; she’d taken only a dribble of fluids in days. He’d tried broth, water, milk, but nothing worked.
So he was helpless. His lovely Hannah, his beautiful wife, whom he loved with a passion deeper than the ocean, was going to starve to death. She was going to die and all he could offer her was the comfort and security of his arms around her when she did.
Resigned, Jack slipped into the bedstead beside her. He drew her head onto his chest and cradled her against him. Encircling her with his arms, his fingers gently caressed her cheek. Short, shallow breaths fanned against his chest and he relished the feel of it, for he knew it would not be much longer before he felt her breath no more. He clasped her left hand in his and ran the rough pads of his fingertips over the smooth circle of gold on her third finger, remembering the day he’d placed it there.

He kissed her then, on her forehead, and for an instant, he felt she nuzzled him a little closer, that her hand laid a subtle pressure on his stomach, and that a contented sigh escaped her lips. He held her, and as he listened for more, but heard nothing. Not the ocean’s roar, not a heartbeat.

Nothing.

Softly, slowly, Hannah’s body relaxed against him. The warmth of her breathing halted. The beating of her heart stopped. And Jack Porter felt the sting of tears against the backs of his eyelids.


THE CURSE
The Legend of Blackbeard’s Chalice
www.resplendencepublishing.com

This sounds like a great book. Love anything to do pirates.

glenna
glennaday@comcast.net

I love Time Travel books and this one sounds like my kind of book.

Karen H in NC
byrd_luvr (at) hotmail.com

This sounds like a wonderfully romantic and adventurous story.

Rhonda :)

THE CURSE, book one in The Legend of Blackbeard's Chalice series, is now available in print on Amazon.com. Just search under books for Maddie James.

Hope you enjoy!

maddie