A Gentleman's Luck Read online

  A Gentleman’s Luck

  Nicole Hill

  Chapter One

  October 15th 1867

  William could not believe his luck. Not only to have survived the ship wreck but to have somehow washed up on the shore of what looked to be a prominent fishing village on this god forsaken island in the middle of nowhere. He approached the village with caution. He had no way of knowing if these people were friendly. He had no idea of where he actually was. The last he knew of, the ship was sailing off the coast of Egypt. That was a day or so before the storm hit. He had spent the last two days floating aimlessly on a large piece of the ship’s hull that was still some how able to stay afloat.

  William was hesitant to enter the village. He felt as if he were being watched. Scanning the area he saw no one but he knew from his days on a battle field that seeing no one there didn't really amount to a hill of beans. William shook his head, lost in his thoughts. To think, he survived a civil war and a ship wreck only to most more than likely die on some strange island in the middle of nowhere. Just another point for his family's curse of rotten luck. Yep, he knew he wasn't going to like what came next.

  October 16th

  Na-Lisa rounded on her mother as the older woman sat on her bed all prim and proper. “I can’t believe you would force me mother!!!!!!!” Na-Lisa raved. “Daddy would have never stood......” Na-Lisa was interrupted buy the immediate pain from the slap of her mother’s hand across her cheek. Na-Lisa's mouth fell open as her hand came up to cradle her cheek. Her mother had never struck her......Ever in all her life.

  “You will do as your uncle decrees.” Her mother stated. “Your father is dead and now your father's brother is king. You will do as you are told or you will be put to death for treason! Do you think that I would want to see that happen?” Her mother finished pleading with her daughter.

  Na-Lisa looked at her mother stunned for a moment. “I can’t believe that you would allow him to do this to us!” Na-Lisa all but screamed. “This is ludicrous. It's not right. God would be angry. I would rather be killed than to bed with a harem of Guards just so that Uncle can have more Guards to raise. I won’t do it!” She stated. “God would never forgive. Uncle Martin is crazy. He is mad can’t you see?” She pleaded to her mother. Her mother stood and left the room, shaking her head. “I won’t do it!” She screamed to her retreating form. “Please. God help me.” She said desperately to the empty room.

  February 22nd

  William stood in the wash room of the Guard’s quarters. He rolled his shoulders in an attempt to iron out the kinks in his neck. He’d had a hard day today and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. Unfortunately he had been summoned to the office of the head of Guard. God knows what he had done now. Must be his rotten luck just following him around. It was days like this that made him miss home something awful.

  William was born in South Carolina on August 11th 1835. He had celebrated his Thirty Second birthday a few months before he washed up on this god forsaken island. He was the son of a wealthy cotton farmer and for a great many years of his life he wasted all his days playing and all of his nights at parties and social gatherings. When the civil war broke out, he joined and served his county as any true American gentleman did.

  His father wasn't your typical cotton farmer in the sense that he was very kind to all slaves owned by him. He in fact rescued some and bought them from some of his less than kind country men. William joined to fight because he felt that what he bought and paid for belonged to him. He was also engaged. Sara was a lovely girl that grew up next door to him. It was known since their births that they would marry. He supposed he liked her enough. She was nice to look at after all.

  Sara was killed when the town was attacked by union soldiers. He was two states over fighting his own battle and did not find out until months later. When the war was over he returned to his family plantation in South Carolina. In fact, he only still had his house because the Union soldiers had liked it enough to use it for a headquarters instead of burning it to the ground.

  He spent months at his family home wandering in a state of constant drunkenness. Not being able to deal with the fact that after everything he'd done and been through, he was now totally and completely alone. He tried to get back into his old life of balls and parties but realized that he no longer had anything in common with the spoiled rich gents of the ton.

  As wonderful as his family estate was, he was different now and no longer wanted the same things that he wanted before the war. One day, He sold the estate and all of it's contents and put most of the funds in the bank. He left that very night and hadn't been back since. He had been traveling for the better part of the last two years. Traveling here and there. Really wherever he felt like. How he ended up on this island just off the shores of east India was just bad luck.

  William had been walking on a pier in New York when he spotted a ship at port. He wandered over curious. The captain said that they were carrying cargo to France and then Greece. Greece he had thought. That sounded nice. Maybe he would ride along.

  William snapped back to the present. “Ha!” He said out loud to himself as he was dressing. “Look where that got you. Forced to serve in an army that's not your own, in a place that you are unfamiliar with.” He had stepped not two feet into the main village when he was taken into custody. He'd been taken straight to the king.

  The King “Martin“ would have killed him but decided he would give him a chance to prove himself. He was to serve on the kingdoms army. This king was rather new from what he had seen and heard. His brother died and he was forced to take over for him.

  At first William was kept in a cage at night and watched carefully during the day. But now four months later he must have proven himself worthy of some trust because he is now allowed free reign if only of the Guard's quarters below the castle. But he was no longer caged in at night and he was able to even stroll in the garden at will during his free time. Which between training and everything was not that much but who was he to complain. He was alive after all. Right?

  Oh hell. Who is he kidding? He dreamed everyday of a way to get the hell out of here. Good god the training is hell. Although he had to admit that he looked pretty good all buffed up and with a tan on all but where his loin cloth (or whatever this thing the guards trained in was called) covered. He was at least six shades darker. But he missed home and upon having the last four months of slavery to think about it, boring old South Carolina sounded better and better every day. He stopped before the large wooden double doors of the Head of Guard’s office. He took a deep breath in and exhaled as the doors were opened from the inside.

  “Will.” Ne-Alex the Head of Guard's greeted him? (Alex as he kept telling William he liked to be called.) “I have been hearing good things about you.” He finished. William doubted that. He was a good warrior sure, but he had never been that good at taking orders. He butted heads with the trainers regularly and often ended up in confinement. But they kept him around because he was good. Nobody could beat him. A trait of his southern up bringing he supposed. He guessed his time fighting the war helped also. He was good at strategy and they recognized it pretty fast. “Sit” Alex told him gesturing toward a chair in front of his desk.

  “Oh Boy” William said. “I can tell I may not like this.” He stated as he sat attempting to lighten the mood but Alex was serious.

  “We have new orders for you.” He stated. William sat up straight in his chair. Interested.

  “What orders?” He asked.

  “The king has sent these orders down straight to me.” Alex said. “You are to continue to train during the day as usual but instead of your regular chores and eating with the rest of the Guards you will report to dinner with Princess Na-Lisa
and stay the remainder of the night with her there and report here each morning for training.” He finished. Williams thoughts raced. He was confused. Why would his duties include having dinner with one of the princesses? “I don’t quite think that I am getting the picture here Alex.” He said to the head of Guards. Alex shook his head.

  “Our new king has big plans for our army. Starting with what Guards we choose and where they come from.” William was confused and he was sure it showed on his face because Alex continued to explain.

  “He wants to raise them to be Guards not train. He wants these Guards to be born of Guards and royal blood.” Alex continued. “Princess Na-Lisa has just celebrated her seventeenth year and is now of an age to reproduce safely.” He finished.

  William shot to his feet. “I am to be used for any children that I may give the princess?” He nearly yelled.

  “Yes.” Alex answered.

  “This is insane!” William sputtered. “How can you expect me to just go in there have dinner every night and what; bed her until she is with child?” He asked at a complete and total loss. He'd never heard of such an outrageous practice!

  “Precisely.” Alex said. “That is if she likes you.” He put in.

  “What?” William asked offended.

  “If she does not like you, she won’t call you back again.” Alex stated. “At least that’s how the others do it.” He finished.

  “Why would it be different?” William asked not sure if he wanted an answer.

  “I have heard that Na-Lisa can be tough to deal with.” Alex said reluctantly.

  “Great!” William exclaimed slapping the heel of his hand against his forehead. “That’s all I need to deal with a spoiled little princess.” His previously mentioned southern upbringing rearing its little head. “What kind of a woman would just sleep with Guards until she had children?” He asked himself not really wanting an answer. “Tell me again why I have to do this?” He asked to no one in particular knowing he would not get an answer. He blew out a defeated breath. He should have stayed in South Carolina. “When do I start?” He asked Alex.

  “Tomorrow night. Report to the palace at six sharp.” He answered.

  February 23rd

  Na-Lisa was furious and scared to death at the same time. She sat in her bedroom window seat with the English bible opened on her lap. She had found it in the slave quarters last year. She kept it hidden from everyone because she knew her Uncle would have her punished if he knew. They after all being Indian did not follow American religion, but the more Na-Lisa read of this book the more she thought that it made a lot more since. She was angry because of what her uncle was forcing her to do. She was frightened because she had never even seen a man naked or even had a kiss from a man and now, suddenly she was supposed to just start bedding the Guards until she was with child.

  The American bible said that one man should pledge to one woman his whole self for as long as they both shall live. Na-Lisa wanted that terribly. The American bible also said that to not pledge yourself to only one person was a sin and that sins were bad and could keep you from getting into heaven. Na-Lisa wanted to be good, not bad. But which was right the religion of the white man or her own. She knew what she felt was right. And she wanted nothing to do with this Guard. She would not risk her immortal souls for anything. Not even her life.

  ***

  William held his breath as Princess Na-Lisa was escorted to the elaborately set table in the sitting room of what was the largest suite of rooms he had ever seen. She was wearing the usual female garb for a woman in India. Which meant that all he could see were two of the most perfectly captivating green eyes he'd ever had the pleasure to look into. He brushed that thought aside. Eyes where the least of his worries. He was going to have to sleep with this woman and wanted to be able to see what was hidden under all of that fabric. “Please at least let her be decent looking.” He sent up into the cosmos.

  He sat on his side of the table as she was sitting on her side. They were left alone and the double doors to the massive room closed them in. The princess looked around for a moment as if making sure they were alone and then reached up to grab the edge of the large cloth covering her head and face. She ripped it off , William sucked in and held his breath. As she tore the covering off of her head, a mass of long glowing straight black hair fell around her shoulders and hung to her waist. Her skin was the color of light honey and suddenly his mouth was dry. Very Dry. He felt like a man in a desert with no water.

  She was breathtaking. There was something about her that made him want to reach out and make sure she was real. She picked up her fork and began to eat as if she had no idea that she had just turned him into a complete mumbling fool. William gave himself a mental shake. He was here to do a job. Get in, get it over with and then get out. Besides if it were possible to learn more ways out through the castle, he was going to take the chance. Maybe the princess had a body to go with that face and he could mix business with pleasure. It's not like that’s not what’s expected of him anyway. He thought to himself grinning.

  ***

  Na-Lisa was terrified. As soon as the guards left she tore the covering from her head and face. Realizing at the last minute that she may have gotten herself in trouble. She risked a glance at the guard. It didn’t seem like he was going to jump up and report her for uncovering her head. She grabbed her fork and began to eat not even tasting the food. The Guard, she could tell was America although the sun had colored his skin very appealingly.

  He had dark black hair, strong chiseled cheek bones and the first pair of blue eyes she had ever seen outside of a book. They were breathtaking. It was like looking into the sky in the middle of summer. She snapped her attention back to the food. What did it matter if he was appealing? She would not do this! She did not care that in the morning when her uncle found out that she would likely be killed for treason. She ate as slow as she could but she knew that time was running out. How was she going to keep this large frightening man off of her? He was huge. His arms were as big around as her waist. He would crush her and take what he wanted.

  She had never been this scared in all her life. Her thoughts were interrupted when he cleared his throat and said. “Well I’m done eating if you are darlin. Let’s say we get this over with.”

  ****

  William figured the best way to approach it was straight on. He may have miscalculated a bit he thought as Na-Lisa shot out of her chair. With a look of pure hatred. “I apologize if you have been misinformed, Mr. Guard.” She started with a prissy undertone to her voice. “But I have no intention of being with you tonight or ever.” She finished.

  William was stunned and a bit ticked. How dare this small snobby princess pass judgment on him on sight alone! Who did this harlot think she was? She may have been a princess but where he came from she was still a low brow soiled woman. He was disgusted by the thought of even being with her at this point anyway. “Do not think to come near me. American.” She said with hatred. He was not going to stand for this. He stalked toward her to get to the door. He was getting out of here.

  ****

  Na-Lisa could not believe what he said to her. Get this over with! What a way to speak to her! He could be a little more understanding! This is crazy. Na-Lisa could not believe that her sisters had been doing this for months now. She decided that maybe the best thing to do was to set him straight. She told him point blank that she was not going to be with him now or ever. He looked angry but did not move or say anything. She needed to push harder. She told him never to touch her and then called him an American. That got his attention and then he was stalking toward her with a very scary expression on his face. Her first thought was that he was going to beat her. That’s what husbands did when wives did not follow orders. She was not his wife but the way he was stalking towards her, she doubted he cared. She was in big trouble. Only one word came to mind. “Run!”

  Chapter Two

  William took two steps and the princess screamed. Go
ne was the tough snotty princess from moments ago. Her face was a reflection a pure terror. She turned and ran into the sleeping portion of her rooms. He stopped his advance to the door and glanced into the other room. He could not see her but he could hear her muffled sobs. William had no idea what to do. She had seemed so frightened for a moment and he was the cause of it. He knew his face must have showed his anger well. No wonder she was frightened. Did she really think he would beat her? He had heard that in old counties men beat their women like they would beat a child for misbehaving. He couldn’t just leave her there like that. He huffed out a frustrated breath and entered the other room.

  It was a large room and was taken up mostly by what he could only describe as the largest bed he had ever seen. It was made of wood and had pillars that reached the at least eight foot high ceiling. The comforter was purple silk and he could see that it was twice the width of a normal bed. He eased around the edge of the bed and found her there on the floor in the corner in a fetal position sobbing silently. His heart suddenly ached for this small girl. He could tell that she would come to his chest at most. She was so small and fragile. He reached down to touch her arm. She jerked away from his touch.

  “I’m sorry.” She said. “Please don’t hurt me.” Her voice sounded so small and defeated that he nearly sobbed himself. He reached down without saying a word and easily pulled her slight weight into his grasp. She stiffened in his arms but made no sound. He turned toward the bed and took one step to it when he felt her stiffen even more. Deciding that wasn’t a good idea he walked past the bed out into the sitting room and sat down upon the sofa with her fit perfectly in his lap.

  He cupped one hand on the back of her head like you would a child and ran the other up and down her back reassuringly.

  “There, there darlin.” He said his deep southern drawl coming out full force. “I’m not going to hurt ya.” He continued to rub his fingers through her hair for a few more minutes until he felt her relax in his arms. She lifted her head and peaked up into his face. She was so small and beautiful. He had no idea what to say to her. Thank god she spoke first.