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Sea of Ruin

Pam Godwin
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Copyright
  3. Author's Note
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. Other Books by Pam Godwin
  63. About Pam Godwin
  64. Don't miss out!

Cover

Cover

Copyright

Copyright © 2020 by Pam Godwin

Cover Designer: Hang Le

Interior Designer: Pam Godwin

Editor: Rebecca, Fairest Reviews Editing

Proofreader: Lesa Godwin

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review or article, without written permission from the author.

Visit my website at pamgodwin.com

Author's Note

If you have read the short story, KING OF LIBERTINES:

It chronologically falls between Chapters 5 and 6 in this book (set in 1719).

If you haven’t read KING OF LIBERTINES:

No worries! Read it after you finish this book.

It’s available in the AUSTRALIA anthology.

AUSTRALIA

A romance anthology with over THIRTY original, never-before-seen stories from bestselling and award-winning authors.

Each piece was written for this anthology to benefit firefighters and wildlife in Australia.

Only available until May 4, 2020

CLICK HERE

100% of the royalties will be donated to relief funds in Australia.

Dedication

For Shea

Your beautiful soul

can be seen from space.

Epigraph

“Where there is ruin,

there is hope for a treasure.”

Rumi

1

September 1714

Province of Carolina

Charleston. To anyone settling here, it was a dazzling frontier of beauty and opportunity. Its denizens comprised of wealthy planters sailing from the English colony of Barbados and the Yamasee natives fighting to destroy the white invaders.

Then there was me, the bastard daughter of noble blood, willing to do anything to escape this life.

Though I was born here fourteen years ago, I had no interest in the land or its wars. I longed for the sea, to feel the deck rocking beneath my feet, to hear the wind drumming against sailcloth, and to wear salt and spume upon my tattered sleeves.

My mother, however, didn’t care a whit about what I wanted.

“Stop fidgeting.” She pried my clenched fingers from the rib-crushing bodice of my gown.

Her scowl distorted the stately lines of a face that had once been the envy of high society. Her eyes, cerulean blue like mine, simmered with resentment as she scrutinized the chintz monstrosity she forced me to wear.

“Can I remove the pannier? Please, Mother?” I yanked at the cumbersome undergarment, my voice pitching to a whine. “God rot it, I can’t move!”

The hidden wire hoops sat on my hips like bread baskets on a pack animal. I pivoted left to right, taking up three times as much space as a grown man. It would be impossible to mount my horse in this stultifying contraption. Not that the countess would allow me near the barn on this day.