Surrender the Heart (35 page)

Marianne struggled. She tried to pound her fists against his chest. She tried to kick him. But the weight of his body pinned her to the quarterdeck. His mouth clawed hers. Spit and salt stung her lips. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to wake up.
Just a nightmare. Only a nightmare
. She tried to scream, but only a pathetic squeal groaned from her throat.

Then a deep growl of fury filled the air.

Marianne felt the weight of Lieutenant Garrick’s body lift from hers. She struggled for a breath.
Thump!
The sound of something heavy hitting the wooden planks caused her to open her eyes. The lieutenant lay on the deck, one arm hung over the railing, his chest heaving. His sordid features twisted in a mixture of shock and rage.

Before him stood Noah, muscles flexing, fists clenched. His hair hanging around his firm jaw. He turned to her. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, stunned as much by his concern, the fear for her that she saw in those blue eyes as by what he had just done.

“Do you know who I am?” the lieutenant roared. “I’ll have you
court-martialed and hung for that, Yankee!” He struggled to his feet and straightened his jacket.

The men on watch approached from all sides. Lieutenant Reed’s tall, dark form lurked at a distance. Blackthorn headed toward them from across the deck.

Garrick turned and addressed his audience. “You saw it. He struck me!”

“I only pushed you aside to keep you from accosting this woman.” Noah ran a hand through his hair. “Or is ravishing women an acceptable pastime allowed officers according to your precious Articles of War?”

Garrick laughed and stormed toward him. “You will die for this, Yankee dog. I hope the trollop is worth your life.”

Noah lifted his fist to strike the man.

“No, Noah!” Marianne screamed and grabbed his arm, but he tore it from her grasp.

Blackthorn darted to Noah’s side and shoved him back, staying his hand.

Noah struggled against the massive man, but Blackthorn held him in place. “Garrick will have you hanged.”

Garrick chuckled. “How noble, Mr. Blackthorn. But I fear your efforts are in vain.” He grabbed his hat from the deck and plopped it atop his head. “The man already hit me, and he will pay the penalty. And in case you aren’t familiar with our
precious
Articles of War, the penalty for striking an officer is death.”

CHAPTER 18

N
oah raised his hands to scratch his face. The iron manacles clanked in protest as they bit into his wrists. Whips of sun lashed the back of his neck as streams of perspiration slid beneath his shirt. Though exhaustion attempted to drag his chin down, he refused to lower his head in defeat. The shrill of the boson’s pipe pierced the air. His stomach soured.

Footsteps thundered over the deck as the crew mustered amidships for the trial.

His trial.

The captain glared down at him from the quarterdeck. The supercilious smirk on his face suggested a perverted glee at the punishment of others. To Noah’s left, Luke, Weller, and Blackthorn huddled together, lines of fear etched their faces. He hoped the young lad Daniel had gone below out of sight of such horror. He hoped the same for Marianne.

But a flash of maroon linen caught the corner of his eye, dashing his hopes. She stood at the top of the quarterdeck ladder, anguish burning on her features. Confound the woman! He didn’t want her to witness his shame, to see him like this, beaten and chained. Nor did he
wish to witness the pity, the sympathy now spilling from her lustrous brown eyes.

When he’d seen Garrick’s body crushed against hers—heard his lecherous grunts and lewd comments—all reason, all fear had abandoned Noah. The only thing that mattered was protecting her. He was not sorry. He would do it again. He would take whatever punishment their twisted sense of justice meted out to him.

Even death.

Except that would leave Marianne alone with no one to rescue her the next time. Noah grimaced until the muscles in his jaw ached. The hot wind pounded on him, yanking his tangled hair. Above him, the masts creaked under the strain of canvas glutted with the breath of the sea.

Noah barely heard the captain call the inquiry to order or the master at arms read the charge.
Assaulting an officer
. Hushed murmurs of fear rose from the crew. They no doubt knew the fate that awaited him.

“Silence!” the captain shouted. “This is but an inquiry into the charges, Mr. Brenin. If I deem you guilty, you will await a court-martial when we reach port. Now, what do you have to say in your behalf?”

Noah squinted up at him, the captain’s silhouette a dark shifting blotch against the brightness of the noon sun. “I did not strike Lieutenant Garrick, Captain. I merely protected the honor of a lady.”

Garrick laughed. “I see no lady aboard.”

The crew chuckled, drawing a fierce “Order!” from the captain who pounded his fist upon the railing.

“Lieutenant Garrick, what is your side of it?”

The slimy toad, who stood beside Milford, turned to his captain. “I was conversing with Miss Denton, your steward.”

“I know she’s my steward, blast you!” The captain fumed, sending the lieutenant back a step.

Garrick adjusted his coat and continued, “As I said, I was conversing with Miss Denton when Mr. Brenin charged me and knocked me to the deck. There was no cause for it that I could see other than his vicious Yankee temper.”

The captain eyed Garrick with suspicion. No doubt, the man’s
arrogant belligerence had not missed the captain’s notice. “No other cause, you say?”

Garrick shifted his boots over the deck and took a pompous stance. “Isn’t it obvious, Captain? He’s jealous.”

Lieutenant Reed, standing to the captain’s left, snorted.

Noah snapped the hair from his face. “Not jealous, sir, but concerned for the lady.”

Murmurs sped through the crowd, silenced by one look from Captain Milford.

“Hmm.” The captain eyed Noah. “Regardless of the cause, you know, sir, I could have you court-martialed and hanged for striking an officer.”

“Lieutenant Garrick is lying.” Marianne’s bold declaration drew all eyes to her.

Yet she could not allow such atrocious lies to go unchallenged. Nor could she allow Noah to die for her without at least trying to save him.

His blue eyes met hers. The fear and admiration within them gave her the courage to continue.

The captain’s jaw stiffened, and his dark brows drew together as if he couldn’t believe she had the audacity to speak in front of the entire crew. She knew that look. He was about to unleash his mad fury on her and order her below. She took a step toward him. “I beg you, Captain, hear me out. Lieutenant Garrick assaulted me, and this man came to my rescue. He did not strike the lieutenant but merely pulled him from me.” She gazed at Noah and smiled. “To save me, Captain.”

Noah’s brow furrowed.

“That is pure rubbish, Captain. I—” Garrick began, but with a lift of the captain’s hand, he was silenced.

Marianne prayed that reason reigned in the captain’s mind this day instead of laudanum-induced hysteria.

Captain Milford scanned the assembled crew. “Were there any other witnesses?”

Midshipman Jones took an unsteady step forward. He dragged his hat from his head, revealing the smooth face of a young man no older than eighteen. “When I came upon them, Captain.” His voice quavered. “I saw Lieutenant Garrick on the deck and this man”—he pointed toward Noah—“hovering over the lieutenant, his fists clenched as if he’d struck him.”

Garrick smiled.

“Thank you, Mr. Jones.” The captain nodded his approval. “Anyone else?”

One crewman separated from the crowd. “That’s what I saw, Cap’n, except this one, Blackthorn, was holding Mr. Brenin back from striking the lieutenant again.”

The ship pitched over a wave, and Marianne gripped the railing at the head of the ladder. Her chest tightened, but not due to fear of the sea this time. This time, all her fears focused on the future of one man.

One very special man.

The wind whipped the flaps of Captain Milford’s coat. “Very well. That will suffice.” He faced Marianne with a true look of regret. “The word of three men against yours, Miss Denton. It is admirable that you speak up for your fiancé, but I’m afraid your testimony is of no account.”

Marianne’s head grew light. She pressed a hand over her chest to steady her heart. What could she say? What could she do to stop this madness? It was bad enough she’d gotten Noah impressed, but she could never live with herself if she got him killed. “They are lying, Captain, I beg you!” Her voice trembled.

Her gaze locked upon Lieutenant Reed, his eyes downcast, red hands clasped tight behind his back. The muscles in his jaw bunched and relaxed as though engaged in battle. He had been there last night.
Why didn’t he say something?

“Lieutenant Reed?” she shouted. He turned guilt-ridden eyes to hers.

“That is enough, Miss Denton!” The captain faced the crew. “Mr. Brenin, you will be confined below until we make port where a proper court-martial can be held.” He gave Noah a shrug that fell short of a
sympathetic gesture. “Based, however, on this evidence, it’s a surety they will condemn you to death.”