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.
Season was painfully aware of the passing days. Deep in her heart she feared that when The Raven returned her to America, she would never see him again. With each passing hour her heart seemed to grow heavier. She hadn't even seen The Raven since they had reached the French shore.
Her only companions had been James and Briggs. For some reason that Season couldn't understand, Robert Wolf was avoiding her, and she missed his company. He had always made her laugh, and right now she could find nothing to be happy about.
Each day in the cool of the evening, Season and James walked the deck. At those times, her eyes searched the ship for The Raven, but he was never there. She felt as if she were living in a void with no past and no future, but sometimes she found herself wishing she could sail throughout eternity aboard the Andromeda.
Season was lying on the bed, looking over a map. She had studied the maps so often they had begun to make more sense to her. When she heard the key in the lock, she sat up. Her heart leaped into her throat when The Raven entered the cabin.
"I have something I want to show you, my lady," he said in his raspy voice.
Feeling neglected by him, Season was in no mood to be forgiving. "I don't want to see anything you would show me," she answered, a pout on her lips.
The Raven laughed, thinking how lovely she looked with her golden hair streaming down her back. "I think you will want to see this. Few human beings have ever been fortunate enough to witness what I want to show you."
S
eason slid off the bed. "What is it?" she asked, her interest piqued.
"Come and I will show you," he said, holding his hand out to her.
Season placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her out of the cabin and up the companionway.
When they reached the deck The Raven led her to the railing and pointed out to sea. Season watched as several large fish weaved their way through the water.
"I wanted you to see this. As I told you, few men have been privileged to watch this phenomenon of nature."
"Those are whales are they not, Raven?" Season asked with interest.
"Yes, and if you will look closely you will see that there are five of them swimming together. The one in the middle is very old and the two on either side of him are what we call pilot whales."
"Why do they swim so near the ship?" Season wanted to know.
"No one knows for sure. The one in the middle has come to die, and the others are keeping him company. They will stay with him until he is dead; then they will disappear and swim out to sea."
"I never realized a fish could have feelings. It is as if the one who is ill is their grandfather, and the others want to bring him comfort in his last hours. How very sad it all is."
"Whales do have feelings, Season. For some strange reason, they seem to like and trust man, which is a pity. The whale has no natural enemies other than man, my lady. They have never been known to attack one another, and regardless of what you have heard, they will not attack a ship unless they have been wounded by man and are fighting to survive."
Season watched as the old whale came to the surface very near the ship. It seemed to be having trouble staying afloat and she realized it was suffering. "It's almost as if the pilot whales were asking us to help the old whale, is it not?"
"That's what it seems like, Season."
"Can you not do something to put the poor creature out of its misery?" she asked, tears in her eyes.
"No, it is best not to intervene in any way. The pilot whales will take care of their…grandfather as you put it. I do not believe we should interfere."
Velvet Chains (Historical Romance) Page 22
