Island Flame (5 page)

“Get a move on it, Harley, Thomeon!” he roared, annoyed at the slowness of their efforts. The two men, who were carrying a load of silver across a makeshift bridge between the
Margarita
and her prey, almost fell overboard in their haste to obey his command. Jon watched the loading crew at work for a while, then turned to survey the passengers who had been segregated from the crew and were being loosely guarded by two of his men.

Except for the girl, they were an unattractive lot. There was a middle-aged man and his fat, sobbing wife,
who were obviously members of the wealthy merchant class; a foppish English lord and his poker-faced valet; the girl’s stout nursemaid, who had come around and was peering anxiously at her charge; and an elderly woman in an ugly lavender gown that had been in fashion twenty years before.

“Not much to look at, certainly,” thought Jon, making a mental exception of the girl. But each and every one of them had to have money, or be in some way connected with it.

“They’d bring a fat ransom,” he thought, regretting as he sometimes did his iron-clad rule concerning prisoners. He shook his head thoughtfully. They were just too much trouble, especially if they were female. Liable to cause trouble among the crew. It was a pity, though. He would have liked to have had a little time with the girl.

“God, Cap’n, look to starboard!” a seaman gasped. “It’s a bleedin’ navy!”

Jon whirled, staring out to sea. Ship after ship appeared on the horizon, heading grimly for the
Anna Greer.
Jon mentally cursed himself for being every kind of a fool. He had ignored the tiny inner voice that had tried to warn him, and so walked right into a trap. It was painfully obvious that the
Anna Greer
had been a carefully thought-out lure.

“To catch some damn fool who couldn’t resist the honeypot!” Jon thought angrily, then turned to issue sharp orders to his crew.

“Finish loading that silver! Fast! For your lives!” His voice was grim with determination, and the men rushed to do his bidding. Jon turned to Harry, who had come up beside him and was looking at him anxiously.

“Find the
Anna Greer
’s captain and bring him to me!”

Jon’s mind worked furiously as he waited for the captain of the captured ship to be brought before him. The
Margarita
could undoubtedly outrun the frigates if she could only get enough of a start. But they were less than an hour away, and closing rapidly. And it would only take one of the mighty ships to blow the pirate vessel clean out of the water. Guile was what was needed to bring them all through safely. Jon came to a decision abruptly, just as Harry approached with the captain of the
Anna Greer.

“Harry, get that fat couple over there, the old lady, and the girl. Put them on board the
Margarita.
They’ll be hostages for the good behavior of the frigates!”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Harry saluted smartly, then grinned. Jon would bring them through. He had never failed them yet!

“Sir,” Jon said politely to the spluttering captain. “I very much regret the necessity of taking any of your passengers as hostages. However, they will not be harmed as long as the frigates keep their distance and their guns remain covered. If not—well, you have my word that the hostages will be executed immediately if one shot is fired. One shot. I depend on you to carry this message to the captain of the frigates.”

The captain of the
Anna Greer
looked appalled.

“Sir, you cannot hope to escape with such hostages! The elderly lady is the Duchess of Kent, and the young lady is the daughter of the ambassador to Portugal! I implore you not to take them! Take myself, and my crew, instead!”

Jon laughed, turning away.

“Carry my message, Captain!”

He gave low-voiced orders to another crew member and within minutes the
Anna Greer
’s outraged captain was being lowered in a gig with a crew of six to row.

“Pull! Pull for the frigates!” Jon bellowed over the side at them. “Pull, damn your eyes, or I’ll blow you out of the water!”

Thus admonished, the oarsmen fell to with a will. The little boat fairly skimmed through the water toward the frigates.

Jon leaped on board the
Margarita
just as the last of the hostages was escorted over the makeshift bridge.

“Cast off!”

The ropes that tethered the two ships together were axed, and they began to drift slowly apart.

“Square the yards!”

The huge main sail was hoisted up the mast and flapped wildly for a moment before filling with wind.

“Lie to windward!”

The
Margarita
seemed to take on wings as the wind sent her clipping through the waves.

On deck, Cathy held back frightened sobs as the
Margarita
picked up speed. A hard knot of unshed tears formed in her throat. She had never felt so helpless, or so alone.

The hostages had been herded into a compact group directly under the main sail, and a rope had been twined loosely about their waists and legs to keep them in place.

“So we can get to ye quick,” the man who tied the ropes told them, and his sly grin left them with little doubt as to his meaning. If the frigates misbehaved their lives would serve as forfeit.

“We won’t be harmed. The frigates will never open fire
as long as we are on board,” said the Duchess in a clear, strong voice. She took pity on Cathy’s obvious fright and patted her hand reassuringly. The merchant was too busy coping with his fat wife’s hysterics to argue with this statement, as he seemed to want to do.

The deck of the pirate ship was a swarm of activity. Men darted about, obviously in their element. The mongrel band of pirates turned before their eyes into experienced, disciplined seamen. Cathy caught an occasional glimpse of the captain, who seemed to be everywhere at once, shouting orders and lending a hand where needed. His men appeared to hold him in considerable respect. From all sides Cathy heard mutters of: “Cap’n will get us out of this. He ain’t never let us down yet!”

The
Margarita
was built for speed, and fairly flew through the water. The frigates lost ground behind her, but they were always there, just a little farther in the distance. The sun went down and a stiff wind began to blow. Cathy was shivering with cold in her place underneath the mast, and the old Duchess was turning blue around the lips. The merchant couple apparently had enough layers of fat to keep them warm.

The moon was a pale ghost floating high overhead when the captain came to stand before them. He looked them over in silence, a grim expression on his face. Cathy’s heart began to pound uncomfortably.

“You can all thank whatever God you believe in that the frigates didn’t open fire. It looks like they value your lives more than silver. If I were you, I’d pray that they don’t change their minds.”

He called sharply across the deck to Harry, who hastened to his side.

“Have a couple of the men take them below and lock them up. In the hold, I think. Tell them to make sure the man is chained—we have enough problems without him taking it into his head to be a hero.”

The hard, gray eyes rested for a moment on Cathy, who hastily looked away. She blushed hotly under his regard. He hesitated, staring at her as though he had something on his mind. Finally he spoke in a low voice to Harry.

“Take the girl to my cabin.”

“Sir?” Harry squeaked in surprise, unable to suppress his astonishment. Jon’s voice was rough when he answered.

“You heard me. Take her to my cabin. And see that she’s locked in.”

“Yes, sir!” Harry said woodenly, flustered by his own loss of control. The captain scowled blackly at him before striding away.

Harry carried out his orders quickly, unable to keep from wondering what was going on in Jon’s head. Jon liked women, but it wasn’t like him to resort to rape. And rape it would have to be with a girl as obviously innocent as this one was. In spite of her lovely face and seductive figure, she was little more than a child, and a frightened one at that. Besides, she was a lady! She wasn’t the type Jon could tumble casually, then just as casually dismiss when he tired of her. Her family would be out for blood!

Harry shuddered to think of what would happen to Jon if the
Margarita
were captured, the hostages rescued, and the girl were found to have been ravished! He doubted they would even wait to hang Jon properly. More likely shoot him down on the spot. Harry shook his head in disbelief. The girl was a beauty, no doubt about it, but,
hell—no woman was worth
dying
for! As Jon would have been the first to agree less than twenty-four hours ago! But as Harry knew from experience, there was no stopping Jon once he had made up his mind to do something. And it certainly wasn’t for a member of the crew like himself to attempt to tell the captain what to do!

Still vaguely troubled, he saw to the safe movement of the other prisoners before returning to untie the girl. She was as cold and still as a piece of white marble, and his conscience smote him as he had to practically drag her to where the captain’s cabin nestled under the quarterdeck. She stopped stock still in the doorway, and Harry could feel her arm shaking under his hand.

“Don’t do this,” she breathed, her eyes wide as she looked at him.

“Captain’s orders, ma’am,” Harry replied uncomfortably, wishing the deck would miraculously open up and swallow him. He started as she placed one small hand on his arm entreatingly.

“Please put me in with the others. Please. My father is a rich man, he will pay well to have me back … unharmed. Or if I could just be lowered in one of those little boats.…” Her voice trailed off. Harry swallowed, unable to meet that beseeching gaze.

“There’s nothing I can do, ma’am. I’m sorry. Cap’n would have me clapped in the brig, or worse, if I was to disobey an order.”

He put a hand to the small of her back, urging her gently inside. She took a few reluctant steps into the room, then turned to face him. Harry was touched by the fright in those huge eyes.

“Look, ma’am,” he said almost desperately. “Captain
Hale is no saint, but he’s not a fiend either. I’ve been with him for eight years, and I’ve never known him to hurt a woman. You’ll be all right.”

“No thanks to you,” she said, suddenly bitter, and turned her back, obviously waiting for him to go. Harry looked at her helplessly, then stepped back, closing the door and bolting it from the outside.

Cathy listened numbly as the bolt slid into place. She could not believe that this nightmare was really happening. She sobbed, a hoarse dry sound deep in her throat. But tears would not help her where there was no one to hear or care, she reminded herself grimly. Squaring her shoulders, she turned to examine the room for a possible means of escape. It was very dark and she could barely make out the outline of a box of matches on the table. Striking one with shaking hands, she lit a candle.

The cabin was small, so as to take up less of the precious cargo space. The walls were panelled in dark pine and had bookshelves built right into them. The shelves were fronted with glass, to keep, Cathy supposed, the books from flying about in case of rough seas. A bunk bed was neatly made up against one wall. Besides the bed, there was the round table and two chairs, a wardrobe, a coal stove, and a couple of sea chests pushed against the wall.

The only possible exit was a small, glass-paned window. Cathy rushed over to it, fumbling with the latch and then flinging it wide. Cold salt spray struck her in the face, and she saw to her disappointment that she was leaning out directly over the dark sea. The wind had whipped the water into tall, angry waves that pounded viciously against the hull. Cathy shuddered, drawing back a little. She was not that desperate yet.

In the distance she could see a dozen or so small lights bobbing up and down. The frigates! They were still out there, not daring to come too close. Cathy drew a relieved breath. If she could only hold on for a little while she would surely be rescued. The pirate ship could not outrun her pursuers forever!

The spray dampened her dress, and she drew back from the window, thoroughly chilled by the cold, moist air. She longed to undress and sooth her abused body in a hot bath, then put on a dry nightdress and crawl into bed. But there was no bath in sight, and no nightdress either. And even if both had been set before her she would have been hesitant about using them. She had no doubt of the captain’s purpose in having her locked in his cabin, and she hoped to keep him at arm’s length until the frigates came to her rescue. But if he were to come in and find her freshly bathed and tucked up cozily in his bed, she had no doubt about her fate. Innocent as she was, she knew that.

Cathy compromised, slipping off her wet gown and hanging it over a chair to dry. She would leave it there overnight and put it on again first thing in the morning, doing up the torn bodice with some straight pins she had found in a shallow dish beside the box of matches. She shivered in the torn chemise, and crossed hastily to the bed, dragging the heavy quilt from it and wrapping it around herself for warmth. Her eyes searched the room for a likely place to sleep, coming to rest on the cushioned alcove beneath the window. She took a pillow from the bed and settled herself as comfortably as possible in that small space. It was cramped, but that was all to the good. She had no intention of being fast asleep when the captain returned to his cabin.

Cathy twisted and turned in her nest, trying desperately to stay awake. Her mind went over the events of the day, and turned at last to the frightening man who held her prisoner. Unwillingly, she remembered his handsome face and broad shoulders and the way he had held and kissed her. Of course, the man was a pirate and a criminal and not fit to associate with a lady like herself. But still … His kiss had roused something deep inside her, something that made her wonder, with a kind of shivery fear, what would happen if he took her in his arms again, and kissed her, or did even more. Cathy was not certain exactly what “more” was, but she knew that it had something to do with the way the captain had stroked her breasts. The memory of that intimate caress both excited and shamed her. She could not understand herself or this partly suppressed longing for what she did not know.