Velvet Chains (Historical Romance) (23 page)

Season felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled brightly. "I cannot believe I am saying this, but I liked Maude. I am glad she is alive so she can sail aboard her pirate ship and command her raids on unsuspecting merchant ships."

The Raven laughed deeply. "That she will. Maude will never allow anyone or anything to get her down." He turned abruptly and left without another word.

Season stared down at the tray of food in her lap, feeling dejected. The Raven didn't want her any longer. He was sending her away. She bit her trembling lip as her eyes filled with tears. What kind of life would she be going back to? How would she get through the years to come?

As the days swiftly passed, Season began to wish time would stand still. She knew once they reached France it would be only a matter of time until The Raven kept his word and allowed her to go free. She was in agony at the thought of never seeing him again. He never came near her anymore, and she missed him desperately. Sometimes she would see him when Briggs took her out for a stroll, but he never paid the slightest attention to her. Season began to wonder if somewhere there was a woman to whom he always returned. She couldn't help but wish she were that woman.

One day Briggs brought Captain Robert Wolf to the cabin and introduced him to Season who liked him immediately. He had sun-bleached blond hair and soft gray eyes. Although he walked with a slight limp, he assured Season that when the wound was healed he would be as good as new. The two of them soon became fast friends. Season found it easy to talk to Robert, and she liked his boyish charm. She learned that he was five years her senior and a privateer like The Raven. From a slip Robert made Season also learned that they were on the way to France to meet with an American naval officer called John Paul Jones.

Each day now, Season and Robert walked on deck in the bright sunlight, and she found that Robert often made her laugh. He was not only witty, he was charming, gentlemanly, and polite. Though he was loyal to the Colonies while her loyalties lay with England, they never spoke of their differences.

One evening as they walked on deck just at sunset, Season paused at the railing to watch the waves lapping at the side of the ship.

"Robert, what do you know about The Raven?"

He cocked his curly head and smiled at her. "More than most people and less than some."

"Which is no answer at all, except a polite way of telling me to mind my own affairs," she said, smiling.

"Call it the creed of the sea, loyalty among friends, or if you like ... I owe him my life."

"I know next to nothing about The Raven," she said, sighing. "Where does he come from? Does he have a family? What does he call home when he isn't at sea?"

"The only family I can tell you about is his uncle, a man named Silas Dunsberry. I can only tell you this because Silas is dead; therefore, no one would be able to trace The Raven through him. Few people knew that The Raven and Silas were related, and those who did, never discussed it."

Season searched Robert's face. She tried to speak, but her throat was dry. Her tear-filled eyes turned out to sea as she remembered why The Raven had come to her in anger on the night he had learned of Silas Dunsberry's death. The man who was to be exchanged for her but who had been executed instead had been The Raven's uncle!

"Was he very close to his uncle?" she managed to ask at last.

"Yes. They were very fond of one another, Season. It was a great blow to The Raven when he learned of his Uncle Silas' death."

Silence hung heavily between them until Robert spoke. "Have you ever been to France?" he asked in a lighter tone.

"No. I had done very little traveling until I sailed for the Colonies. I can speak French, however." Then Season, too, changed the subject. "Tell me, Robert, what will you do when you get back to America?"

He gazed out to sea. "The first thing I must do is report to Congress. The Raven and I agree that the pirate stronghold in the Barbary States must be wiped out. It has become a hazard to every seagoing vessel. The Raven doubts that Congress will have the time or the inclination to deal with the pirates at this time, but it's worth a try."

Season smiled. "How would you define the difference between a privateer and a pirate?"

"One of them fights for a cause and the other doesn't. Since you have met both kinds in The Raven and De Fores, I will leave you to judge which is which."

"I see what you mean," she said thoughtfully. "What will you do after you have made a report to your Congress, Robert?"

"Well, to be honest, I will pay a call on a young lady whom I haven't seen in a very long time. When I thought I was going to die, the thought of her black hair and soft brown eyes gave me the will to live. I didn't want to die until I told her how I felt about her. When I left home, she was much too young for me to declare my feelings to her. I pray she has not looked elsewhere for a husband while I have been at sea."

"Tell me about her."

Robert smiled. "Her hair is as black as a midnight sky, and her eyes defy description. I always called her funny face when she was small, but her face is anything but funny. I have known her since she took her first step, and I placed her on her first horse. I believe I have always loved her and have merely been waiting for her to grow up so I could declare myself to her."

Season touched Robert's hand. "You are so fortunate to know love, and the woman you love is fortunate also. Tell her about your feelings soon, Robert. I believe love is too precious to waste."

He clasped her hand and looked deeply into the depths of her green eyes. "Lady Season Chatsworth, you are the fairest of the fair. I believe I shall always envy the man you will one day marry."

She smiled brightly. "You don't mean that, and you know it. Your heart is already spoken for, by a young girl who has hair as dark as midnight. I will always hope that you find happiness, Robert."

"And I will hope that you, too, one day find your heart's desire, Season.

Season looked away from him and her eyes fell on the dark lord of the
Andromeda.
"I fear happiness and I are strangers, Robert. I fear it will always be so with me.

"Such a touching scene," The Raven rasped in his deep voice. "Have I interrupted a little tête-à-tête?"

Robert released Season's hand and stepped back a pace. "No. You saw nothing more than two good friends wishing each other well."

"How touching," The Raven said in a biting tone. "Don't you have somewhere else to be, Robert?"

Robert smiled at Season. "You may not be as much a stranger to what we were discussing as you think, my lady." He laughed and bowed slightly before moving away.

"I will not tolerate you flaunting yourself before other men, Season. I would have thought you had learned a lesson with De Fores. Dammit, don't you know all the men aboard this ship are half in love with you."

Season turned to him and tossed her hair as she always did when she was angry. He knew all her endearing habits by now. Her green eyes sparkled when she was angry. She clutched her hands when she was nervous. When she was frightened her green eyes opened wide, and when she was deeply moved by something, those same eyes flamed like green fire.

"I was not flaunting myself as you suggested. I like Robert; we are good friends."

His hand shot out and captured her chin. "Just how good a friend is Robert to you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Don't you?"

She moved his hand away. "Don't judge Robert by your standards, Raven. He has always been kind and respectful, which is more than I can say for you."

He was silent for a moment, and when he spoke his voice was no more than a whisper. "You do wound me sorely, my lady."

"If I had been handed the chance De Fores was offered, I would have run you through," she said, stomping her foot in anger.

He laughed, and Season knew his good humor had returned. Taking her by the arm, he guided her down the companion way. "I have no doubt that had you been in De Fores' boots, you would have done just that," he said, obviously amused.

Season pulled her arm away and rushed ahead of him. When she reached the cabin door, she knew he was close behind her. As she entered the cabin, she expected him to follow her, but instead she heard the key grate in the lock. She was locked in, alone.

Season's anger abated after she stood in the middle of the cabin and allowed tears of helpless fury to wash down her cheeks. How much more of this torture could she take? she wondered. When would all this end?

When The Raven returned to the deck, he found Robert waiting for him. Removing his leather helm and tossing it aside, he glared at his friend.

"Weren't you a little rough on Lady Season, Raven?" Robert asked daringly.

"What I do with Season is no concern of yours. I will not have you making calf eyes at a woman who is under my protection. That goes for you or any other member of this ship," The Raven said, raising his voice so everyone within earshot could hear.

Robert raised his eyebrows. "You always were a hothead, but I have never before seen you make such a fool of yourself over a woman."

"And you were always a romantic and a fool, Robert. You are talking nonsense as always."

"I may be a fool, but I would guess you are in love with the lady and you are jealous of anyone who comes near her. Dammit, you are going to be hard to get along with for the rest of this voyage."

"You are crazed, Robert," The Raven said sourly.

"Am I? I don't think so. You had best put her from your mind, Raven. You must take her back to her people, you know."

"I will take her back when I decide to do so, Robert! You are getting to be as bad as Briggs, always hounding me about her. Dammit, I am the captain of this ship, and I'll give the orders around here."

Robert smiled patiently. "Lord, you must be in love. You are bellowing like a denied bull."

Suddenly all the fire seemed to go out of The Raven. He leaned against the ship's railing and stared out to sea. "I have wronged her, Robert. God, I must be out of my mind; I don't want to take her back. She can hardly stand the sight of me, flinches every time I come near her. I know I will have to do the right thing and return her to her father, but it is ripping my heart apart."

"I wouldn't worry overmuch about that. Perhaps you will be able to win her over as your other self. She doesn't know who you are."

"That can never be now. If she ever found out who I really am, she would hate me all the more."

"Where will you take her? You cannot set her down on English soil, and you can't very well go sailing into New York harbor either, Raven."

"I don't know. I had thought perhaps I would take her to Lucas Carrington's plantation in Virginia. As you know, he's a friend of the English and he will see her safely returned to New York."

Robert's mouth gaped open. "Good Lord, you cannot be serious. How will you arrange it?"

"It won't be as hard as you might suppose, Robert."

"I don't want to be a party to this. That will be like handing Season from one captor to another."

The Raven turned his gaze on his friend. "I have no choice, Robert. Lucas Carrington will see that she is safely returned to New York."

Robert smiled. "Can you trust him to do the right thing?"

"You know him better than I do, Robert. What do you think?"

Robert looked out to sea and frowned. "I think only time will tell, my friend. I wouldn't want to be in your boots for all the gold in the world."

"Why?"

"For the obvious reason—Lady Season Chatsworth!"

17

The wind dropped and a flat calm prevailed soon after the
Andromeda
reached the port of Lorient and anchored in thirty fathoms of water. The French coast gleamed brightly in the noonday sun, but The Raven's crew lowered the canvas and immediately set to work on repairs under Briggs's direction.

Off to the right of the
Andromeda
's bow, John Paul Jones's ship the
Bonhomme Richard
was anchored. Captain Jones had named her for Benjamin Franklin's
Poor Richard's Almanac
. She was a sleek vessel, and the Stars and Stripes waved proudly from one of her masts. John Paul Jones walked her deck, hands clasped behind his back and eyes trained on The Raven's ship, taking in the damage.

"So The Raven did answer my summons," he said to his first mate. "I half feared we would sail before he arrived."

"Will he come directly to us, sir?" his mate wanted to know.

"John Paul looked at the position of the sun to gauge the hour. "No, he will wait for the cloak of darkness. I calculate he will not come to me for at least another seven hours."

"Could you not go to him, sir?"

"No. He has come this far to see me; another few hours cannot make that much difference. I wish some of our naval officers were as dependable as The Raven. Perhaps if they were, we would have won this war long ago," John Paul speculated.

"The Andromeda is a sleek vessel, Captain. I have heard she is one of the fastest afloat."

"You heard right. There is no ship faster than The Andromeda." John Paul's hazel eyes scanned the French coast, and he sighed in exasperation. He had cooled his heels in France for months, waiting to put out to sea once more. He blamed mismanagement and slow correspondence from Congress for the delay.

The bright sunlight reflected off the metal buttons on Captain Jones's blue officer's jacket. His white waistcoat and breeches were spotlessly clean. He presented an imposing figure as he stared at the cloudless sky and reflected that he had always thought of himself as a patient man, but lately he had been tested to the limit. He felt that he was surrounded by incompetence. His hands had been tied by his superiors. John Paul thought that perhaps, with the help of The Raven and other privateers like him, he could achieve naval superiority over the British.

The deck of the
Bonhomme Richard
was deserted but for one lone sentry as The Raven climbed over the rope ladder behind the sailor Captain Jones had sent to fetch him. The man on guard did not seem surprised to see the dark, hooded figure crossing the deck, nor was The Raven challenged when he descended the companionway to meet with the ship's captain.

Silently The Raven was led to a cabin, and then his guide departed. He rapped on the door and it was immediately opened by the man who was already a legend of the sea—Captain John Paul Jones.

The captain motioned for The Raven to enter, and then he shut the door and shot the bolt home. The two captains were alone, so The Raven slowly removed his leather hood and tossed it aside.

The men looked at each other for a moment without speaking, for each greatly admired the other. John Paul had a keen eye, high cheekbones, and a sharp nose. His chin was strong and stubborn, and his neatly dressed hair was tied back in a queue. His was a passionate face that had the look of a man who was not at peace with himself. Suddenly Jones's spare, taut body seemed to relax, and his mouth, which could easily curl up in scorn, eased into a warm smile as he extended his hand to The Raven.

"You are about a week late, Raven. It is only due to providence that I am still here to greet you at all," he said, shaking The Raven's hand vigorously.

"I regret the delay, but it was also due to providence," he answered, smiling.

"Oh?" John Paul said, raising his brow quizzically. "I saw that your crew were making repairs. Did you perhaps have a run-in with another ship?"

"Yes. I had a little run-in with De Fores."

"And?"

"The
Blue Dolphin
was sunk and her captain went to the bottom of the sea with her."

John Paul's hazel eyes lit up. "In that case, I will forgive your tardiness. You have done the world a great service by relieving us of that scourge. Come, take a seat—we have much to discuss and so little time to do it."

The Raven sat down and leaned his head back. "What's the news from home, John Paul?"

Captain Jones smiled slightly and looked sharply at his guest. "It is said that a pirate by the name of The Raven has sailed boldly into New York harbor and kidnapped the Duke of Chatsworth's daughter. It is also said that her father and King George are most anxious to have her safely returned to England."

"Actually," The Raven drawled, "I sailed into New Jersey. I am not a complete fool."

"When I inferred you might consider taking a hostage of some importance, I didn't mean that important. Nor did I intend that you should take a woman. There is a great outcry over the incident, even from our own Congress."

"Circumstances dictated that I act with all possible haste. I didn't have time to search for a hostage. I took the first one at hand, which just happened to be Lady Season Chatsworth."

"Yes, I know. I heard about your Uncle Silas. He was a gentleman and a patriot; we shall all miss him."

"We are agreed on that."

John Paul stood up and avoided The Raven's eyes.

"Since you already have Lady Season Chatsworth, there is no reason we can't use her to our best advantage. Hell, with her to bargain with, we could gain the release of all our men rotting on English prison ships."

The Raven crossed his long legs and looked at his friend through lowered lashes. "No, I will not allow you to use the lady in that capacity. As soon as our business is concluded, I am taking her back to America."

John Paul's face clouded over and his eyes blazed. "You are not very wise, Raven. I could take her from you now, and no one would fault me for it. In fact, there are those on both sides who would be most anxious to see her returned to her father."

The Raven laughed. "You are much too wise to attempt anything so foolhardy. I would never give her up to you without a fight, and you and I are friends. Have you forgotten we fight for the same side? I have no desire to train the
Andromeda
's guns on you, John Paul, but I will not allow you to take Season from me."

Slowly John Paul's mouth eased into a smile. "You are right. We have more important battles to wage. I would never raise a sword or aim cannon at you anyway. You are much too valuable to the cause."

The Raven nodded. "I assume you had something important on your mind or you wouldn't have sent for me.

John Paul sat down and looked long and hard into the unmasked face of The Raven. "First of all, I would like to commend you on a job well done. Without your intelligence gathering, we could not always strike when the enemy is most vulnerable. I envy you your freedom to come and go as you wish. I often feel that my hands are tied. It is a stone around my neck that I must wait for the approval of Congress before I can put out to sea. If I had chosen the path of a privateer as you did, I would have no one to answer to but myself."

The Raven nodded his head. "I could never last through the petty quarrels that come out of Philadelphia. I suppose I am too stubborn to take orders from a body of men who wouldn't know the first thing about sailing a ship."

'I’ll drink to that," John Paul said, uncorking a bottle of wine, pouring some of the contents into two glasses, and handing one to The Raven.

"I heard about your victory against the British ship
Serapis
. You are to be congratulated, John Paul."

"Did you also hear that King George knighted the captain whom I defeated in that battle. Hell, if they will send him to me again, I will defeat him, and the king can make a damned duke out of him!"

The Raven laughed deeply. "Who knows, perhaps the English find it an honor to be defeated by the renowned Captain John Paul Jones."

John Paul's laughter joined his. "Who knows, if the English captain were to meet and be bested by The Raven, King George might very well step down and make him king in his stead." Both men laughed, light-heartedly enjoying a joke at the expense of the English.

"Raven, I heard you took a fine prize off America's coast. I'll be damned if you aren't the bold one."

"She was a good prize. I sent her to Philadelphia, hoping our navy could use her."

"I half wish you had sent her to me. I am sick of the delays I have encountered lately. I have had problems finding a crew, and I have Congress and Richard Henry Lee to deal with."

"What has Lee done now?"

A contemptuous look came over John Paul's face. "It would seem the honorable Mr. Lee had a carriage built here in France and he wants it transported to America. You are aware of how badly General Washington needs supplies, uniforms, guns, and ammunition?"

The Raven nodded.

"Henry Lee wanted to have the cargo destined for Washington's troops unloaded to accommodate his damned carriage!" John Paul said in a strangled voice.

"Did he succeed?"

"I don't know yet," John Paul said, shrugging his shoulders. "Most probably he will."

The Raven took a sip of wine and looked at his friend. "The hour grows late, so you had better tell me why you sent for me, although I already suspect what you want."

Captain Jones took in a deep breath. "I have repeatedly asked Congress to send a naval expedition to the west coast of Africa to destroy the English-African trade. I wanted to occupy St. Helena to intercept the British East Indiamen which put in there on their passage home, but Congress refused me permission. What I want to know from you is, do you think you can do anything to bring this about?"

"As you must know, I don't have Congress' ear. I can never approach them as you could. I don't see how I can be of help to you in this."

"Raven, you should be decorated for all you have done to help our cause. Yet your exploits go unheralded. I would wager that you have taken or sunk more English vessels than the rest of us combined."

"I thank you for your praise, but I have no wish for glory. I want nothing more than to serve my country to the best of my ability."

"I knew you would feel that way; that's why I asked you here. I also know how the other privateers respect you. Do you think you could pull all the others together and take St. Helena?"

The Raven shook his head. "You must understand, John Paul, unlike our navy, the privateers are not banded together, but act as individuals. There is no way I can bring them together. All I can promise you is that I will continue to strike at the enemy in the way I have in the past."

"I was afraid that would be your answer, but I had to try all the same."

"I have heard rumors that France has declared war on the English, and that Spain is considering doing the same. Is there any truth to the rumors?"

"I pray that will come about. The British are a terrible foe, and masters of the sea. I admit to having a goodly amount of respect for their ability, but even they cannot hold out if the whole world declares war on them."

John Paul stood up and extended his hand to The Raven. "It is almost daylight, and you must return to your ship. While the French are our allies, it would still be wise for you to leave on the morning tide."

The Raven gripped his friend's hand. "I am sorry that I couldn't help you carry through with your plan."

"It is but another setback for me. I grow used to them by now. You realize that this meeting between us never took place. If you are ever asked if you spoke to me, I will expect you to deny it."

The Raven laughed deeply. "What meeting?"

He replaced his leather helm and then walked to the door. As he shot the bolt, John Paul's voice stopped him.

"Is she as beautiful as they say, Raven?"

"Who?"

"Lady Season Chatsworth."

"Yes, extremely beautiful."

John Paul smiled and nodded his head. "God's speed, Raven. I know not when or if we will ever meet again. Keep a fair wind to your back."

The Raven departed as silently as he had come. John Paul seated himself again and reflected on his visit with the captain of the
Andromeda
. He envied The Raven his freedom. Unlike the privateer, Captain Jones had too many people—all with different points of view— telling him what he was to do.

Just before sunrise, the
Andromeda
spread her sails and moved away from the French coast, heading west toward the Americas. The weather was fair, and the breeze strong, as The Raven's ship began her homeward journey. Many of her crewmembers had not seen their families in over two years; so their hearts were light as they anticipated seeing their loved ones. There was one man on board, however, who did not share the others' joy. The Raven was in no hurry to reach the American coast, for then he would have to take Lady Season Chatsworth ashore and turn her over to Lucas Carrington. He didn't yet know how that would be accomplished.