The Sea Hawk (6 page)

"Does he own a mirror?" Julia chuckled. "I may lack companionship at the moment, but I'm not quite that desperate. He and Lady Kent seem to be well-suited for one another."

Kitty laughed and covered her mouth as she coughed to hide her laughter.

"How many days before we make port, Captain Bentham?" Obedience Kent asked through a mouth stuffed with meat and potatoes. He grabbed his wine glass and filled his mouth to wash down his food.

"If we stay on the course I have set I estimate six, perhaps seven days. Certainly no longer. We have, however, made excellent progress with the assistance of favorable winds," Bentham answered.

"I am hoping we will not encounter any delays," Lady Kent said. Her voice had a falsetto quality to it that set Julia's teeth on edge.

"The
Viper
is more than capable of handling anything that may arise, Lady Kent. As soon as you and Lord Kent are safely in port we shall sail immediately northward to the bay at Mobile to rendezvous with other ships of the British fleet," Bentham said, sounding somewhat bored. As Julia looked up she saw Bentham's eyes boring into her. She was certain he hadn't believed her story about falling overboard for a Bristol minute, but there was nothing more she could do except wait to see whether he turned her over to the authorities when they reached port.

"This will be the captain's first actual military encounter," Kitty whispered. "I imagine he will be glad to be rid of us."

"He's sailing to Mobile?" Julia asked.

"Some of the junior officers have told me there are rumors the Americans have been diverted by an uprising of savages in Alabama. If true it should allow our troops to converge and strike along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico," Kitty said seriously. "We've been at sea a month and I, personally, will be glad to have solid ground beneath my feet again."

OTHER THAN SHARING meals each evening with the captain, the ship's doctor, Kitty, and the pretentious Kents, Julia tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. She had a lot to think about. It took her days to feel less disoriented. She no longer believed she was trapped in a dream or any type of extravagant re-enactment. She was stuck somewhere in the past with no idea how she arrived there or exactly when. She felt out of place and was constantly on guard when she spoke to anyone else on board the ship.

Julia found she enjoyed the smooth rolling of the tall ship. In a good breeze, the sound of the sails flapping and the laughter and conversation of the crew as they worked were fascinating. Most of all she noticed how wonderful the salt air smelled. For the first time she could remember it wasn't mingled with the scent of diesel fuel or exhaust fumes. The low roaring of the two-hundred-and-fifty horsepower engines on the
Discovery
, while powerful sounding, would never compare to the sound of water splashing against the wooden hull of the
Viper
as it sliced quietly through the calm waters of the Caribbean.

As the sun dropped in the western skies on her sixth day aboard the
Viper
, Julia strolled along the main deck wondering what fate awaited her the next day when the
Viper
sailed into port at Jamaica.

"Ship ahoy!" the crewman in the crow's nest called out. Julia looked up and saw him pointing toward the east. Around her the deck crew scurried to ready for the approach of a potentially unfriendly vessel.

Captain Bentham appeared from his quarters beneath the wheel deck and set his bicorn firmly on his head as he strode onto the bridge of the
Viper
and took a telescope from his first mate. Julia squinted and scanned the eastern horizon, barely able to see the billowing white sails of a second ship. Leaning over the bridge railing, Captain Bentham called down to crew members on the spar deck, "Ready the carronades!" Noticing Julia, a civilian, standing on the main deck, he raised his voice. "Madam! Miss Blanchard! Please return to your quarters immediately!"

Julia made her way cautiously across the deck, trying to avoid interfering with the crewmen. As she reached the stairs leading below deck she heard Bentham continuing to issue crisp orders. "Open the starboard cannon ports!"

JULIA STEPPED INTO her cabin and slammed the door closed. She moved quickly across the small room and looked out the porthole. Regrettably her cabin was on the port side of the vessel. She was certain she had heard Bentham order the
Viper
to keep the approaching vessel to his starboard. From her porthole she saw a ship approaching them from the port side. She saw the British flag flying from the new ship's stern and smiled, marveling at how elegantly it ploughed through the blue Caribbean water.

She sat down on her cot and waited for Bentham to send word she could return to the deck. It was overly warm in her room and she unbuttoned the top two buttons of her dress to cool off even a little. Unexpectedly she heard shouting and the sounds of gunfire. She ran to the porthole and stopped, stunned to see a second ship tightly against the side of the
Viper
.

She started toward her cabin door. Maybe Kitty would know what was happening. As she reached the door, she heard the sound of a woman crying and flung it open. To her amazement a dirty looking man, shorter than she, turned and grinned when he saw her. He was in obvious need of serious dental care. If it hadn't been for the pistol aimed in her direction, she might have thought nothing of it. Without thinking, she took a step back into her cabin and attempted to slam the heavy wooden door closed. His body prevented her from accomplishing the feat and she jumped back from the door, glancing around for something she could use as a weapon, eliciting a chuckle from the man. From his appearance it was hard to determine his age, but Julia guessed him to be in his thirties.

Waving his pistol from her to the door, the man said, "
Madamoiselle. S'il vous plaît.
"

"
Qu'ect-ce que vous voulez?
" Julia asked, demanding to know what was happening and hoping her college French was sufficient.

The man seemed surprised to hear her speak to him in French, but reached out and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her toward the door. Forced into the narrow passageway, she saw Lady Kent crying uncontrollably and looking as if she might swoon. Joining Kitty, Julia whispered, "What's happening?"

"Pirates," Kitty whispered in return.

"What?" Julia said loudly, no longer concerned with whispering. "You've got to be shi... I mean, you must be kidding me!" A moment later a hand shoved her forward and she ran into Lord Kent's corpulent back.

The four passengers were herded toward the steps leading up to the main deck. Light in the passageway was dim and when a hand pulled Julia onto the deck, she squinted against the sun on the horizon. To her right she saw Captain Bentham involved in a heated discussion with a bored looking man in tan pants and black shirt. The man cast a disinterested glance in the passengers' direction. To Julia's left stood a group of about a dozen men, all shabbily dressed and unshaven. She hadn't seen them aboard the
Viper
before, but it was obvious they were not members of the party now standing on the vessel.

In the midst of Bentham's argument, Julia saw movement from the corner of her eye and felt her mouth drop open when she looked toward the railing along the port side of the deck. A woman with short black hair combed forward onto her face from the crown, looking rather like portraits Julia had seen of Napoleon Bonaparte, stepped over the railing onto the deck of the
Viper
. She was tall, dressed in a dazzling white shirt with flowing sleeves over formfitting black pants. Calf-high black boots completed her attire and the effect was one of elegant panther-like sleekness. A sheathed cutlass hung from her wide belt and a pistol was anchored in the waist of her pants. The woman glanced around at the people assembled on the deck and leaned back against the railing, crossing her arms over her chest to watch the proceedings.

As the man in black and tan continued his conversation with Captain Bentham, the woman looked bored and smiled crookedly as she scanned the people around her. When her eyes came to Julia, they paused for the briefest of moments before continuing their movement. The lightness of the amber eyes meeting hers stunned Julia and caused her to look away. The woman appeared to be almost a head taller than Julia's own five-six and, although she couldn't tell much about her otherwise, Julia was willing to bet good money there was a perfect body beneath the clothing. Blushing at her thoughts, she cleared her throat quietly.

"You have attacked a ship of the Royal Navy on the high seas without provocation while you flew the British standard," Julia heard Bentham say loudly.

"Please forgive us,
mon Capitaine
," the man in tan said with a shrug, accompanied by a smile. "We cheated."

Julia tried to suppress a laugh at the absurdity of the Captain's attitude. She covered her mouth and looked around, finding light amber eyes on her again.

SIMONE MOREAU WAITED for Henri Archambault, her second in command, to finish his discussion with the ignorant and pompous British captain. It gave her time to assess the situation. She couldn't believe how easily the Captain had fallen for her ruse. Despite a few cuts and bruises, the crews of both ships had come away virtually unscathed. Now she found herself with another vessel, a group of men who were apparently prisoners, and four passengers, one of whom was incredibly attractive. Despite her beauty, if this one was like other British women of her acquaintance, she was certain to be cold and totally devoid of passion.

Growing bored with the pointless discussion with the ship's captain, Simone pushed away from the railing and strode toward the prisoners. She suspected who they might be, but wanted to confirm her suspicions.

"Who is your leader?" she asked in careful French-accented English.

A middle-aged man dressed in filthy torn clothing and sporting at least two weeks of beard growth pushed his way through the small group and stopped in front of Simone. "I believe that would be me, madam, although I have no rank."

"You are captured American sailors, are you not?"

"That's correct. I believe we are being taken to Jamaica for detainment."

"No longer,
mon ami
," Simone said as she patted him on the shoulder.

Turning away from the sailors, Simone walked toward Bentham and Archambault. As she passed the blonde with short hair she stopped and turned to look at her, taking her in from head to toe, her eyes pausing briefly at the revealing cleavage. She noticed the woman's hands clench while her body stiffened under the close scrutiny. When their eyes met, Simone saw quiet defiance in them. Without speaking, she raised her hand and trailed it down the woman's face.

"Take your filthy hands off her," Bentham demanded as he stepped toward them. A brief smile crossed Simone's lips as she swung her arm, backhanding the British officer hard enough to knock him down. As he fell to the deck, the man in black and tan drew his cutlass and pressed it to Bentham's throat.

"No, don't!" Julia shouted.

Simone glanced over her shoulder at the blonde, looking at her darkly as she held up a hand to stay the other man's actions. "He is someone special to you?" she asked casually.

"He is a human being."

Simone laughed as two crewmen picked the captain up from the deck.

Henri Archambault stood next to Simone. "What are you going to do with the Americans?"

"Give them the ship. Lower the long boats, put the British crew and passengers on them and let them go. Collect anything of value and have it taken to
Le Faucon
."

"All the passengers?" he asked. Simone looked at Julia again without answering. "She is a beautiful woman,
Faucon
," Archambault said in French.

"Beauty on the outside means nothing without knowing what lies beneath, Henri," Simone responded in kind.

Julia quickly became annoyed. "I speak French. Please do not talk about me as if I am not here," she said.

"
Pardonnez moi
," Simone said with a slight bow. "Take this one to my ship. Put the others in the boats with provisions for one day."

"You can't do that," Julia protested, recalling her own fight for survival a few days earlier. "It will take more than one day to reach a safe port. Lord and Lady Kent are older and ill-equipped to survive long at sea."

"One day's provisions," Simone reiterated.

"I will do whatever you want if you give them two day's provisions."

Stepping closer, Simone said, "You are in no position to bargain,
Mademoiselle
." Her eyes bore into Julia's. Pulling the blonde roughly to her, she said huskily, "You have no idea what I might want from you." Simone quickly took Julia's lips as if they were her possessions and just as quickly released her, laughing as she turned to walk away. "Take them to the boats," she ordered amid the laughter of her men.

"I insist on accompanying Miss Blanchard," the flaming haired woman next to Julia demanded.

"No, Kitty. Go with the others," Julia said defiantly, still recovering from the unexpected, but breathtaking kiss.

"No, my lady," Kitty said, placing her hands on her hips. "I will not leave you alone in the hands of this...this riff-raff."

Simone motioned with her head and a rough-looking crewman grabbed Kitty by the arm and began to drag her away. She struggled against him and eventually managed to slap his face with enough force to split his lip. Angry, he released her and struck her, knocking her to the deck. He wiped the blood from his mouth and stepped toward her to strike her again. Simone drew her pistol and pointed it at him. "Marcel!"

Stopping, his hand raised, he glared at Simone.

Ignoring the threat aimed at him, he spun around to seek revenge against the impudent redhead. He brought his hand up to deliver the second blow, but was stopped when Simone shoved him away from Kitty with her boot.

Seeing the look on Simone's face, Marcel smiled weakly, "But
Faucon--
"