The Captain’s Girl: Love the Captain : Book 1

By Amanda Sandton

Meredith’s on the run.

What's to become of her? She's put over 3,000 miles between herself and Kempton, her one-time abuser, but he's so obsessed with her, he's followed her from Vermont to Oxford in England. Escaping his clutches again, she seeks refuge on a long sea cruise to give her wealthy Aunt Clara the chance to have him dealt with. Once on board the "MV Albion", eighteen-year-old Merry meets a danger of a different kind, an attack on the protective cocoon she has built around herself against her horror of sexual intimacy. She meets the charismatic Captain Maynard, a man well-seasoned in the art of love-making. He intrigues her, and she finds herself falling for him. He's a good teacher, and she wants to learn, but her past trauma threatens her chance to enjoy consensual sex.

Will the Captain persevere and bring them both happiness, or will he decide Merry's fear is too great a challenge even for him? Join Merry on her voyage of self-discovery. Meet the Captain and see what you think of him. Will you love him or hate him? And as for Kempton, will he manage to track Merry down again?

(The love scenes in this book make it suitable for 18+. This is the story of a young woman coming to terms with her past and seeking the happiness all women deserve.)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karibu Publishers SAS
• Release date: Jan 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9782901556480

Book preview

1

Oxford, England

The man waiting in ambush pulls back behind the holly bush at the side of the nursery school parking lot. He scratches his cheek on the prickles as he goes and curses under his breath, his words vaporizing in the wintry air. Letting go of the bottle of chloroform in his pocket, he wipes a gloved hand across the wound, and it comes away bloody. He curses again and shifts from foot to foot to keep the circulation going in his freezing feet. He has been here in the cold for a while.

The mothers have come, collected their children and gone. But there is one woman still to arrive. Not a mother this time. This one will be here any minute to collect her little cousin. He has been following this young woman for months now, from when she finished university in July. Has all her routines down pat. Knows that since the beginning of January her little cousin stays behind on Tuesdays for half an hour after school lets out at half past three.

This is his chance to take back what belongs to him. He has spent years searching for her, and he is not going to let her get away from him this time.

Headlights appear at the bottom of the lane, shining through the murk. This has to be her. The timing is right. He can barely contain his excitement. Only a few more minutes and she will be his—forever.

The vehicle reaches the lot. A dark green Range Rover—right car. He cranes his head around the branches as it turns in, wanting to check that it’s his quarry driving, and not her aunt. The driver parks the car, switches off the ignition and steps out clicking on the interior light. A surge of adrenalin pumps through the watcher’s veins, and his hand tightens on the bottle in his pocket. It’s her. It’s his Meredith, her jet black hair shining in the light pooling from the car. Soon he’ll be able to stroke those locks again, but steady now! Let her fetch the child. Don’t want the school notifying the police because she hasn’t arrived to collect the brat. Calm down now. He takes off his warm gloves and tucks them in his jacket, leaving on the surgicals. He’ll need all his dexterity to unscrew the bottle top and soak the pad which he takes out of his other pocket. He’ll do it when she’s almost upon him.

The girl walks off towards the school, beeping the car lock on as she leaves. She opens the school doors illuminating the path for a minute or two. The man takes a deep breath and waits for them to close. Now is his chance to make a move—while she’s inside. He hurries over to the car, ducks down below roof level and waits. And waits. What could be taking them so long? His hands are even colder now. He flexes his fingers. The last thing he needs after so much careful planning is to fumble at the crucial moment. Ah, at last, the doors open again and out she comes with the brat in tow.

He pours the liquid onto the pad and rests the pad on the fender to put the bottle back in his pocket. Only ten yards now. She beeps the car open. He picks up the pad and holds it ready.

The girl lets go of the child to open the door. It’s open. Now! He lurches round the car, grabs hold of her left arm and wrenches it up behind her back in a half nelson as he slams her body against the car.

She screams out, Run Sukey, run! Back to school! and rams her right elbow into his belly causing him to double up and drop his right arm, but he maintains his hold on her left.

Now that she’s released the pressure of his body on hers, she swings round inside his grip and tries to gouge him in the face with the car keys, but he recovers and wallops her back against the car with his greater weight. He brings up his right arm again thinking the fight has left her, but she stamps down hard on his right foot.

He wrenches her arm up even higher in retaliation and she whimpers with pain. Almost there. Quick. All it needs is a slap of the pad against her face. He casts a hasty glance around for the brat but she’s no threat. She’s long gone.

A distant flashlight picks them up, and a thin but authoritative voice calls out, Stop! What’s going on here?

He halts, the pad inches away from the girl’s face. If she hadn’t been snatching her head from side to side, he would have made it by now.

The intruder is nearer and, holding the beam full in the attacker’s face, shouts, Let her go! I have my finger on fast dial for the police.

He breaks away, pushing the girl off balance as he releases his grasp on her arm, and runs off across the lot in the dark. The girl totters and falls against the car, her breath coming in great heaves.

Her savior puts the flashlight and the cell phone on the roof, and takes hold of her, wrapping her up in her arms as she struggles to get her breath back. Are you all right, Meredith? she asks.

Meredith nods. Where’s Sukey? He hasn’t got Sukey, has he?

She’s safe, crouching down over there by the gate. When I saw her there like that as I came into the lot, it warned me something was going on. I told her to stay there.

Meredith detaches herself from the teacher. I must get her. She’ll be scared out of her wits. She gives herself a shake and strides off towards the gate.

The teacher picks up the flashlight and the cell phone and follows to light the way. I should call the police now. I know he’s got away, but you should report the attempt, anyway.

Meredith stops and places her hand on the teacher’s arm. Please don’t call the police. The man is long gone now, and I’m so shaken up I want to get Sukey and go home. I can’t cope with hours at the station while they take statements.

All right. If you’re sure—

I’m sure.

When Sukey sees the light approaching, she races towards them as fast as her three-year-old legs can carry her.

Meredith bends down to catch the sobbing child up into her arms. She hugs her as hard as she can. There, there, darling. I’m safe and the nasty man has gone.

Merry, I was so frightened.

I know, darling, but we can go home now.

Meredith turns to the teacher. Light me back to my car and we’ll get in and lock the doors. We’ll wait for you to close up the school and come back for your car before we leave, in case he’s still hanging around. It’s lucky you came and disturbed him. What did you want me for, by the way?

Oh, nothing much. Sukey left her hair slides behind. Here, she said, taking them out of her pocket and giving them to Sukey. I thought they might be special.

Sukey accepts them with a shy smile and hides her face against Meredith’s chest.

They go their separate ways. The teacher is back within five minutes and as soon as she’s locked in her car, Meredith drives home, anxious to put the incident behind her, but she can’t. She will have to tell her Aunt Clara all about it when she gets home.

Clara has phoned to say she’s working late. Meredith gives Sukey her supper and puts her to bed with a bedtime story. Tonight a story is not enough. Sukey is still in shock and won’t let Meredith leave. Meredith lies alongside Sukey, waiting for her to fall asleep. She replays the afternoon’s events over and over again. How frighteningly easy it was for Kempton to waylay her. Here in Oxford, England, on the other side of the Atlantic from Vermont. How has he tracked her down? Will she ever be free of him? Will her nightmares start up again? Round and round go her thoughts while she waits for Clara to come home. Clara, who has been her rock.

At last she hears the key in the lock. She glances down at Sukey. The child is fast asleep, her fingers in her mouth and her arm cuddled round Bunnylugs.

Meredith runs down the stairs and throws herself at her aunt even before she’s taken off her coat.

Whoa, Merry! Give me a moment here.

Meredith steps back, her chest heaving, and clasps her hands under her armpits, holding herself tightly. At last she can show her fear and anxiety. She can’t wait to share it with her aunt. Clara, Kempton was here. He’s found us.

What? gasps Clara. Are you sure?

Positive.

Clara puts her arm round Meredith and shepherds her into the kitchen. Sit. I’ll make you some tea while you tell me all about it.

Meredith takes a chair and watches her aunt go about the reassuring domestic task of making a pot of tea.

Where do you think you saw him?

Meredith draws in her breath and lets it out with a sigh. Clara, there’s no think about it. He was there, waiting for me at the nursery school. She taps her fingers on the table. Clara, he tried to abduct me.

Clara spins round from the kitchen counter, clutching her hand to her throat and dropping the sugar bowl on the floor, but neither of them notices the mess.

And Sukey? What about Sukey? asks Clara, her voice tight and high.

He wasn’t interested in her, only me.

Well, he doesn’t know everything, does he? That’s something to be grateful for. How did you get away?

Meredith tells her aunt all that happened.

Clara brings the tea things over to the table, together with a bag of sugar from the cupboard, and sits down opposite Meredith. She pours the tea while she considers what she’s been told.

She drinks her tea and puts her cup down. She looks across at her niece. We aren’t safe here any more. Next time he might succeed, and we can’t risk telling the police about him. It might backfire on us. We have to get away at once, so I can try to have something done about him while we’re safe.

But where can we go? And what about your job? And Sukey’s school?

One question at a time, Merry. It won’t hurt Sukey to miss a few months of nursery school; she’s only three. I can apply for leave. I have several months accumulated. This winter’s been dragging on, and you haven’t had a treat for doing so well in your exams. So, all combined—I’m going to book us on a long sea cruise. I’ll do it in such a way that Kempton will not be able to find out. Even if he does, he won’t be able to reach us if we’re at sea. That will give us a breathing space while I work out what to do about him.

We really could? I have to admit I’m terrified of staying here like a sitting duck waiting for his next move. I got away with it this time because he didn’t expect me to fight back. He was expecting me to be his little victim, and I wasn’t. Next time he will be prepared for that, and I might not be so lucky.

That’s settled. Tomorrow I’ll make reservations on the first available long cruise.

"Can we possibly afford to take Kate? I’d like to have someone of my own age