The Captain's Lady Page 4

  Around the rocks the current became swifter and Alexis had to use all of her strength to avoid being tossed against them. As always, with strong deliberate strokes, she avoided the rocks and reef and returned to her starting position.

  Laughing and breathless from the exertion of her swim, Alexis paused a moment before she ran from the water. She reached for her towel, and after she dried herself she put on her shift and began to unbraid her hair.

  From his hiding place among the rocks Tanner Frederick Cloud’s breath caught in his throat. He had seen the young woman swimming and was amazed at her daring when she ventured dangerously close to the breakers. It was as if she were taunting the strength of the water with her own. She seemed to make each stroke so effortlessly Cloud was surprised to see long, finely curving legs carry her from the sea instead of a glistening, emerald tail. He studied her graceful movements as she dried, dressed, and unbraided her golden hair. She ran her fingers through the silky tresses until they were free of tangles, then she held her hair at her head while she lay back in the sand, freeing it at the last moment so it formed a silky backdrop for her face. Cloud wished he could see her more closely, but he was almost sixty yards away and he could only guess that her face would complement her lithe form.

  “Have you seen them yet, Tanner?” came a voice behind him.

  Cloud shook his head, the voice of his second in command shaking him back to the reality of his purpose on the hillside. He did not add he had been too intrigued with the girl to pay attention to the house. He was guilty of violating his own orders.

  “No, not yet. But it’s just a matter of time before they come for Quinton. Go back and wait. And make sure Allen and Briggs stay put until I give the signal.” When Cloud was satisfied Landis had hidden himself completely out of view of the girl, he turned his attention to the house.

  He wondered if it had been unwise to bring so few men. They had all volunteered, but he could not risk leaving the ship unprotected while he pursued what could turn out to be a fool’s errand. There were only four of them stationed at various points along the hillside. It would have to be enough.

  Cloud had been assigned to take his ship, the USS Hamilton, to Tortola to discuss commissioning ships from George Quinton. He smiled ruefully, looking back on his reaction to the order. What had seemed so easy, even boring, to his adventurous spirit, was quickly becoming more of a danger than he was willing to subject himself or his men to. A simple business transaction between Quinton Shipping and the Amerian Navy had a distinctly unpleasant edge to it once the Hamilton noticed the British Naval frigate patrolling the waters near the harbor. The presence of the British vessel made his crew feel ill at ease. They knew it was likely the British were looking for men to replenish a skeleton crew. Being on a naval ship did not necessarily protect one from the possibility of being boarded. Cloud had learned that lesson well enough.

  The British made a pretense of legality; however, once they boarded a ship they looked for the heartiest crew members and then announced these men were actually deserters from the Royal Fleet. It didn’t matter that the men had never set foot in England. The British officers had false records, and there were always those who would identify the victim as a deserter. That was how it had happened to Cloud. He winced at the memory and shifted his position behind the rocks. Just recalling the incident was enough for him to feel the scars lacing his back as if they were being put there for the first time. He shrugged the memory off and watched the house more closely.

  Last night, after the British had sailed into the harbor, Cloud had hidden the Hamilton in one of the small coves at the end of the island. This morning he took a few men into Roadtown, leaving a disgruntled crew to guard the ship. Cloud went straight to the offices of Quinton Shipping while his men acted as lookouts. There was already something of a panic in the port town as the press gang moved among the residents, selecting men from every walk of life. Cloud narrowly missed being apprehended as he waited in the outer office to see Quinton. The secretary had already informed him that George was gone for the day, something about an anniversary party for his daughter, but Cloud had remained a few moments longer to write a message for Quinton, hoping he would agree to meet later. He never finished the letter because his men broke into the office and dragged him bodily out the rear exit. It was not until they were safely hidden that Landis told him the reason for the action, though Cloud suspected immediately. It seemed George Quinton and his business were the main attraction of the island for the frigate’s crew. They were searching everywhere for him.

  Cloud determined to get to him first. He needed those ships as much as the British, and his government was willing to pay.

  He and his men found Quinton’s home, but Quinton himself had not returned. They positioned themselves along the cliffs where they could watch the activities of the hill. Landis was stationed so he could see Quinton approach on the main path leading to the house, since he was the only one who knew George by sight. Cloud glanced in Landis’s direction. The officer was gesturing toward the beach, but motioning that the newcomer was not George Quinton. The captain turned quickly on his heels to see what Landis was pointing out.

  He watched with interest as a big, rugged man approached the girl on the beach. Cloud had a hand placed lightly over his pistol should the stranger not be welcomed by the girl. In the moments that followed he saw his fears were ungrounded.

  Alexis sat upright when she heard soft footsteps coming toward her. She glanced over her shoulder and, seeing the man approaching her, scrambled to her feet, and began running toward him.

  “Pauley! It is you! It really is you!” she cried. She stopped a few feet in front of him when he held out his hand, motioning her to halt.

  Alexis enjoyed Pauley’s scrutiny. It was evident he was just as pleased as she at how she had matured. She turned slowly so he could see the waist length hair she had grown for him, and when she faced him again she knew he remembered because she was looking into the broadest smile she had ever seen him wear.

  “You’re a beauty, Alexis,” he said finally, stressing her name slightly.

  “Oi know, Pauley,” she said simply, and they both laughed.

  He crossed the distance between them in two easy strides. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her into the air while she rested her palms gently on his shoulders. After a few turns they fell to the sand, breathless and dizzy.

  “How has it been for you, Alexis?” he asked once he had caught his breath.

  “Do you even have to ask? I have never been happier. George and Francine are wonderful—but you knew they would be.”

  “I knew. I’ve already seen Francine. She told me where to find you.”

  “Did she tell you what today is?”

  “Of course. But I already knew that too. Your anniversary, isn’t it?”

  Alexis nodded, smiling at her friend. Her delight was as readily seen in her amber eyes as it was on her lips. “Did Francine tell you I never doubted you would come back?”

  “She told me that and a lot more. It seems you’ve been accomplishing all sorts of things. Francine couldn’t stop talking.”

  “Oh! I wanted to surprise you!”

  “You should know Francine can’t keep a secret long. Besides, she’s very proud of you and what you’ve been able to do.”

  “She would be more pleased if I were married, Pauley.” Alexis sighed.

  “Only if it were what you wanted. She trusts you to know when the time will be right.”

  “Let’s not talk about this anymore. I want to hear about you and your family. Are they all right? Do you have any more children? What about—”

  “Whoa! One at a time.” Pauley got to his feet and held out a hand for Alexis which she took eagerly. He led her along the beach toward the base of the cliff. “I don’t want to repeat myself a hundred times so I’ll answer all your questions when I see George and Francine.”

  Alexis laughed. “I know Francine told you to get me up to t
he house so she can surprise me.”

  Pauley gripped her hand tightly. “She said you would say that. But you’re in for the surprise; she was so busy entertaining me there will be no trifle when we get back.”

  “That is a surprise. I think my first real one.”

  “Francine said you are not the easiest person to fool.”

  “I’ve been a disappointment to her there. She wanted a little girl and by the time I met her I was already too old.”

  “And she wouldn’t trade you for all the babies in the world.”

  “I know. I love her so much. And George too.” Alexis stopped suddenly and looked up at Pauley’s weather-worn face, a face that had changed little since she had seen him last. She met his warm blue eyes and whispered softly, “Thank you.”

  Pauley was saved from blushing at her simple words because he saw Francine waving frantically to them from above. “Look. It’s Francine. George is probably back and she’s in a fine French snit because I’ve kept you so long.”

  Alexis waved back to Francine then she began pulling Pauley along the cliff. “I’ll show you the fastest way up. No need to keep her waiting any longer.”

  Neither Alexis nor Pauley realized until it was too late that Francine was trying to keep them away from the house.

  When she reached the top Alexis stood still, shocked. Pauley, a few paces behind her, did the same. George was on the portico, pistols in hand, ready to fire on any of the six men approaching the house from Alexis’s right. Francine, directly behind her husband now and also with a weapon, called to Alexis to stay back.

  Heedless of the warning, she broke Pauley’s grip on her wrist and ran across the yard to join her parents. “What’s happening? Who are those men?”

  “Take her into the house, Francine,” George ordered sharply. “And you stay there too. Pauley and I will handle this.”

  Francine nodded obediently and did as she was told. She gave her pistol to Pauley then she hustled a protesting Alexis into the house, shutting the door firmly behind her.

  Alexis had never seen fear on Francine’s face before and the sight of it made her own stomach churn disquietingly. “Francine! For God’s sake! Tell me what is going on!”

  Francine answered in rapid French until she realized Alexis could not make out what she was saying. Slowly, as if she were talking to a child, she started over in English. “Those men are from the Royal Navy. They’ve come from English Harbour on Antigua to see George about some of his ships.”

  “They want to commission George to build some?” she asked hopefully.

  Francine shook her head sadly. “They don’t want to commission. They want only to take what is available in the harbor now.”

  “They can’t do that. Why even if they took them, they wouldn’t have enough men to sail them. It’s preposterous.”

  “It’s a press gang, Alexis. Do you understand what that means? They’ve already been through the settlement, taking men who were unfortunate enough to be on the streets this morning.”

  Alexis remembered back to the time she had boarded the Constellation. The Thorton Shipping Line required its men to sign a paper saying they had not been forced to take the job. Now she understood exactly what that document meant, and at the same time, the stories she’d heard from her seafaring friends about press gangs came back to her. “But they won’t take George surely? How would they get ships later?”

  “They don’t seem to have much thought for the future. They need the ships now and they’ll take George and any other able-bodied man they can to replenish their own sickly crews.”

  Alexis gasped. “Pauley too?”

  “Pauley,” Francine confirmed. “He knew about it before he came here. He warned me to be prepared.”

  “But he didn’t say anything to me. He let me believe everything was fine.” Alexis didn’t know with whom she was angrier, Pauley or the limeys.

  “I asked him not to. We both thought we were worrying needlessly. In any event, we didn’t expect them to come so soon. I tried to warn you to stay away, but you didn’t listen.” Francine collapsed into tears.

  Alexis led her over to a chair and pushed her into it gently. “Francine. Quiet. We’ve got to do something and I can’t think while you’re crying.”

  Francine buried her face in her hands, and although she did not stop crying, the sound was at least muffled so that Alexis could hear what was being said through the closed door.

  “Listen Quinton. We didn’t come here for trouble. The pistols aren’t necessary. If you had been in your office we could have talked this over reasonably.”

  George laughed. “Captain Travers, I have never heard you discuss anything reasonably. Tell your gang to put their guns away and leave quietly. We have nothing to say to one another.”

  “You’re a British subject, Quinton. You have a duty to your king. I’m claiming those ships by right of the British Crown.”

  “How typical,” George answered smoothly. “The King pays us no attention until he finds himself in need of a few ships and some men to sail them. Then he suddenly remembers we are British subjects.”

  “We can take them with or without your consent,” Travers replied testily. “I prefer your approval. We already have most of the crew we’ll need. We want you to join us. Your friend there, with the gun, as well. He looks as if he knows his way around a ship.”

  “Indeed I do, Captain,” Pauley answered, raising his pistol a hair. “But I’m already employed aboard the Constellation. That’s a Thorton merchant and my captain won’t take kindly to me jumping ship.”

  “I know Whitehead well enough. He won’t be protesting too loudly, seeing that we found some deserters on board his ship.” Travers looked at the five men surrounding him, daring them to contradict his statement. None did.

  Alexis left her position at the door. “Francine! Is there another pistol anywhere?”

  “In George’s desk,” she replied before she realized what Alexis intended. In horror she watched as Alexis ran to the study and returned to the foyer in a few moments with the weapon. “You can’t go out there! George and Pauley will be furious. You’ll be killed!”

  Alexis stared at Francine uncomprehendingly. There was the faintest glimmer of a smile on her lips as she spoke. “If I can’t die for the only people who have cared for me, then what am I supposed to die for?”

  Francine saw the smile fade, to be replaced by an expression of intense determination. “Alexis, the gun isn’t even loaded.” It was too late. Alexis had turned and was heading toward the kitchen entrance at the rear of the house.

  “Those limeys won’t know that!” she called back.

  Moving stealthily along the side of the house she was unaware her progress was being watched by four Americans. Even while admiring her bravery they were cursing her interference because fear of exposing her prevented them from making a move to assist her family.

  “What is it going to be, Quinton?” Travers’s voice was impatient. He kept his narrowed eyes trained on George. The stare was as hard and cruel as the face it belonged to. The narrow pointed chin and the high prominent cheekbones were set so tightly that neither George nor Pauley doubted this was a responsibility to which Travers was accustomed. “I’ll not ask again. What are you going to do? Will you have to be persuaded to do your duty by your country?”

  “I’d like to persuade all of you to drop your weapons.” Travers turned quickly in the direction of the voice and saw Alexis approaching his men slowly, her weapon held steadily.

  “You’d better do as she asks, Captain. I assure you she can handle that pistol,” Pauley said. He did not notice George wince at the sight of Alexis holding what he knew to be an unloaded weapon.

  The men looked to Travers for guidance.

  “Keep your pistols,” he ordered them. “She can only fire once with that thing and I doubt she’s as handy with it as he says.”

  “Would you like to discover that for yourself, Captain?” Alexis responded eve
nly. “After all, I have it trained at your head. Now, tell your men to drop their weapons and leave. We have no use for your kind on this island.”

  Alexis was so intent on Travers that she failed to notice one of his men sideling closer to her. George did and he fired. The shot caught the seaman in his leg, causing him to fall toward Alexis. She tried to move out of his way but he grabbed the hem of her shift and she lost her balance, falling to the ground and dropping her pistol. The others were on her in a moment and Pauley and George had to stand by, afraid to fire for fear of hitting her.

  Alexis struggled in vain to be free of them. When she was standing before Travers he grabbed her by the hair at the nape of her neck and twisted it hard. His eyes revealed surprise when she did not show any signs of pain. She stared at him coldly, contemptuously, and when he turned away from her gaze he did not know he was not the first to do so.

  “Well, Quinton? I seem to have caught a lovely prize here. Your daughter?” He hid his confusion as both Pauley and George acknowledged the girl as his own. He did not care to whom the hoyden belonged, as long as she could get him what he wanted. “Drop your pistols and we won’t hurt her. All I want is your agreement to serve.”

  “Don’t you dare do it!” Alexis called to them. “He has no right! I’ll hate you if you do it.”

  Both men understood what Alexis meant and they gripped their weapons more tightly.

  Travers could not comprehend the situation. The girl should be begging for mercy, yet instead she seemed more than willing to be punished for her insolence. And even more confounding, the two men seemed willing to let that happen.

  “Tie her up,” the captain ordered. He barked the command again when his men were slow to respond. As Alexis’s hands were pulled roughly behind her and bound, he asked George once more, “Have you reached a decision? Are you coming with us or do I have to punish the girl for your reluctance?”