by Amelia Grey
He nodded and scrambled off his chair. Chelly and Bo climbed the steps to the deck. She expected to see a coastline dotted with signs of a city in the distance. All she saw was the dark-blue water and bright-blue skies she'd seen the past three-and-a-half weeks.
"Where is it?" Bo asked. "I don't see land."
Chelly looked all around them, but there was no land in sight. "I'm not sure. Maybe I misunderstood the call." At that thought, a wave of relief washed through her; she had a reprieve. "I thought I heard someone shout 'land.' "
But if she did, where was it? Austin, the captain, Jubal, and several others stood near the helm pointing east, but she couldn't see a thing. Robert turned and noticed them standing over to the far side, and ran toward them, his sandy-colored hair flying out behind him.
"Is it all right if I take Bo up to the railing and let him watch for awhile, Miss Worthington? I won't let go of his hand with him standing that close to the edge."
"I think that would be all right. As long as you hold tight," she answered.
She didn't see the land, but she had to assume whoever spotted it knew what they were talking about. Whatever had happened had caused a flurry of activity. When Robert walked up to the edge with Bo, Austin turned around and looked at Chelly standing near the deck house. He started toward her, and her breathing increased rapidly. He was so handsome striding toward her that her whole body cried out to be wrapped in his arms, but she also felt a pang of guilt. She was going to betray the trust he had in her.
He stopped in front of her and his eyes peered down into hers. "You heard?"
She nodded, her gaze searching his face. She wanted to see some sign from him that he might be thinking about calling off this madness before it was too late to turn back. "I can't see anything that looks like land. Where is it?"
"You can't see it from here. Look up there." He pointed up to the crow's nest, where a man sat, looking through a spyglass. "He can see it."
Her throat felt suddenly dry and tight. Yes, the time had come. "Oh," she said, her heart hammering in her chest. "How long will it be before we actually dock?"
"We're not going to dock, but we will drop anchor about a mile off shore. It will be late this afternoon before we reach our destination."
"I see."
A young man came running up to Austin and handed him a blue flag with a yellow crest on it. "Is this it?" the young man asked.
"Yes. Take it up to him and let it fly."
"What is it?" she asked.
"The flag that will keep Napoleon's warships from firing on us. Now that we can see land, they can see us and no doubt are already on their way to see who we are and what we want."
"We're not in any danger, are we?" she asked as a tense knot of fear settled in her stomach. Now that they were so close, she couldn't avoid feeling the effects of the magnitude of the mission.
"Without that flag on our mast we'd not be welcome anywhere near France's shore. That tells Napoleon's men that someone whom Napoleon respects and wishes to enter France is on board. We'll have no trouble once they know we're carrying Jerome's child."
Chelly stiffened. "Yes, Napoleon would want to see that his nephew is kept safe from harm."
"Napoleon couldn't care less about Bo. He annulled Jerome's and Betsy's marriage knowing Bo existed, remember? He's only humoring Jerome because he married the princess Napoleon wanted him to marry for political reasons."
"It's hard to understand how Jerome could have allowed Napoleon to take his wife and son away from him."
Austin looked out over the water. "No, it's easy, really. Jerome chose power, fame, and fortune over love. He wanted to wear a crown and rule a country."
In a desperate need to understand Austin, she took an imploring step toward him and asked, "Why? Austin, can't you tell me why you agreed to do this for Jerome? What hold has he over you? What has he promised you?"
His somber gaze swept across her face. "It's a matter of honor."
"Honor? I think not. What honor is there in stealing a child from his mother's arms?"
Austin looked away and for a moment she thought he was going to reveal his inner thoughts, but instead he asked, "If you knew why I was doing this, would it make any difference in your feelings?"
Chelly thought she heard anguish in his voice. Words she wanted to say choked in her throat.
Unable to get the affirmative answer that he asked for past her lips, she reluctantly remained quiet.
"I thought not. You told me nothing would make this act I'm committed to acceptable to you. And I agree. I can only tell you that right or wrong, I did what I had to do. No apologies."
As if the dawn had just broken, she understood for the first time. He had to bring Bo to France, just as she had to try to find a way to get him back to Baltimore.
She felt as if a fist had closed around her heart, forever sealing her away from Austin. "And now, even as close as we are to France, you can't be persuaded to change your mind, can you?"
"No. Nothing's changed."
She'd understood that almost from the beginning, but it didn't make it any easier to bear. She felt as if she'd just lost a part of herself and would never get it back.
"I wish this could be different," he continued. "As soon as the anchor goes down, Jubal and I will row to shore and find the man we're supposed to meet. If everything goes according to plan, we'll bring him back with us and he'll take Bo away."
"You and Jubal are going ashore without Bo?"
"Yes. You'll remain here with Bo. I'm not going to let Bo off this ship until I'm satisfied that I'm handing him over to the proper people and that he will be all right."
"Thank you for that." She could hardly speak. The idea of leaving Bo in this foreign land with strangers was almost too much to bear.
She looked into Austin's eyes. No, she didn't like what she was going to have to do. She didn't want to do it because looking at Austin now she realized, God help her, she'd fallen in love with him. And now she had to betray him. A physical pain struck her and she winced.
Austin touched her arms. "Chelly? Are you all right?"
She took a deep breath and faked a smile as she pulled her arm away him. "Yes. I'm fine. I—I'm going to miss Bo." And you.
"I know. I've seen how fond you are of him."
"Yes." Her voice had turned husky.
That he was being so cautious pleased her. He might be doing wrong, but he worried for Bo's safety. "Looking out for him is the least you can do."
"Right."
"What if you don't think they are right and that you decide at the last minute you can't leave Bo with them?" she found herself asking.
He smiled indulgently. "Then we'll row back to Aloof and get the hell out of here. But, Chelly, don't expect that to happen. Le Camus was very specific with his plans. Jerome wants his son."
"What would we do if they came after us?" she asked as the beginning of a new plan started forming in her mind.
"Aloof was built for speed. We can outrun any of their warships. And there is no way they will fire upon us with Bo on board or as long as that flag flies. You don't have to worry."
She nodded. "Is Bradley going with you?" she asked, her plan continuing to form as she gathered this information that would be crucial to her.
"No. There'll be no need. If Le Camus's brother can take Bo immediately, we'll remain only long enough to resupply the ship for the return; then we'll be on our way. I can get Bradley back faster than any of the passenger ships. If, however, there's been a change of plans and we have to wait until someone can come from Westphalia to take Bo, I'll try to secure Bradley passage on another ship."
"If we have to outrun the French ships, where would we resupply for the journey home if not here?"
"Don't worry, England is less than a day away. And an American ship shouldn't have any problems entering at Dover."
Chelly stored all this information.
"I know you and Bradley don't get along, but you're not afraid
to be alone with him, are you?"
"Certainly not. I just know how anxious he is to return to his wife."
"I think we all want the journey to be over and begin the return."
She nodded, feeling guilty for what she had to do, yet knowing it must be done. It would have been so much easier if she'd hated Austin. Loving him made this deceit doubly hard.
"I want you to know I'm pleased with the way you've taken care of Bo. Knowing he was in your care, I haven't worried about him."
"Thank you." Her words were almost a whisper. She didn't want his praise. They had to be enemies.
"I know." He looked away for a moment, then said, "I'll settle payment on you when we return."
He smiled at her, but she couldn't repay him with one of her own. Too many things had happened and too many things were about to happen.
"When we return, you can live at my town house with Thollie until you find other employment. I'll be going immediately out to my mother's estate in the country. Feel free to live there as long as you like. We could consider it part of your payment for this job."
"Thank you, but I don't think it will take me long to find a place to live," she lied. In truth, she couldn't think past returning Bo to his mother. "I really don't want to think about all that until we're on our way home. Do you mind?"
"No, I understand."
She looked wistfully at the horizon where the coastline had yet to appear. "Yes, it will be." And I'm going to miss you terribly.
* * *
Chelly had asked Robert to take Bo to their schoolroom cabin and keep him there when the French naval ships flanked Aloof as the coastline came into view. Chelly hadn't expected to see jagged cliffs and trees as they floated in the water off the coastline of France. She'd expected the landscape to look more like Baltimore, with buildings and lights.
Austin hadn't revealed their exact destination, but knowing they could reach England in less than a day gave her a good idea of where they were off the coast of France.
She stood on deck watching Austin and Jubal rowing to shore, her plan now firmly in her mind. Austin and Jubal had left with swords hanging by their sides. If Austin carried the pistol she had found hidden in the book, it must have been safely tucked away in his jacket because she hadn't seen it when he boarded the small boat.
Her plan was risky, she knew, but after much thought she decided that getting a gun and forcing the captain to sail to England where she and Bo could escape was a much better plan than trying to talk a stranger into letting her go with Bo to his father. Her plan meant leaving Austin in France, a hostile country, without the very person he came to deliver. That thought had caused her much duress, but in the end Bo's best interest won out. She hated doing this, but knew he was a strong man and could take care of himself. Bo couldn't.
As she stood and watched Jubal and Austin rowing in the choppy waters, she wondered what the French would do to Austin if her plan succeeded.
Would they punish him for her deed? She didn't want Austin in trouble with that madman Napoleon, but Bo had to come first.
In order for her plan to work, she had to have a pistol. She prayed Austin had left one somewhere in his cabin.
It was now or never, she told herself when Austin and Jubal's small boat neared the shoreline. She looked around. Bradley and Captain Hammersfield were on deck. Before she could dissuade herself, she spun around and hurried down the companionway and into her room, where she grabbed a kitchen knife from under her nightclothes and slid it into the pocket of her dress. She needed it to get into the locked drawer of Austin's desk. She prayed she'd find Austin's money in there. With hurried steps and short breaths, she strode into Austin's cabin.
The room smelled of wax, of wood, of Austin. No, she wouldn't let herself think of him. She couldn't. If she did, she wouldn't go through with this and leave him behind. Quickly throwing those softening thoughts of him aside, she went straight to the bookshelf.
A moan of despair flew past her lips as soon as she lifted the book. It was lighter than she remembered. Her fingers felt cold and trembly as she opened the cover.
The pistol was gone.
Anguish filled her and she moaned again. What was she to do? She put the book on the desk and ran her hands down her side, stopping abruptly when she came to the knife in her pocket. Her heartbeat increased. Was the knife dangerous enough to use as a weapon against eight men? She looked over the thin blade. No, but it would get her into the captain's cabin. Surely he'd have a pistol.
Chelly took the knife and worked on the locked drawer. It wasn't easy with her hands trembling, but she continued to work until she heard the lock snap. The sound was so loud she dropped the knife and it clattered to the floor. Chelly froze with her eyes on the door, fearing that at any moment someone would come and investigate the noise. When there was no sign of anyone, she left the knife where it lay and pulled open the drawer.
An audible sigh of surprise skimmed past her lips. Yes! A pistol with a silver handle lay beside a leather money pouch. She went weak with relief. Thank God, Austin had more than one weapon. First, she picked up the pouch and opened it. A quick glance told her there were more than enough coins to secure their passage back to Baltimore. She closed it and stuffed it into the pocket of her skirt.
Carefully, she picked up the pistol. It was heavy. Cold. The barrel was long and shiny, like new metal. With trembling fingers, she looked at the weapon, realizing she knew nothing about weapons. She had to assume it was loaded with powder and a ball. Austin didn't appear the kind of man who kept an unloaded gun under lock and key. The only thing she knew to do was point the barrel and press the trigger. God help her, she hoped she never had to do that! She had to be careful with it so she didn't end up shooting herself.
She was going to try not to worry about stealing the money or the pistol. It wasn't that she wanted to do any of this. She had to. Austin's previous actions had predestined it.
Taking a deep breath, she hid the pistol in the folds of her skirt and calmly walked up the stairs to the deck. Three crewmen were busy working, well out of her way on the other end of the ship. Captain Hammersfield and Bradley stood at the helm, watching Austin and Jubal make their way to shore.
The captain turned to her and smiled. "Oh, Miss Worthington, come join us."
Bradley turned and looked at her but didn't speak.
She felt as if her heart would stop, it beat so fast. For a moment she wanted to back out, fearing she wasn't up to the job, but the memory of her sister flashed across her mind, removing the doubt. She spread her legs to give her body more support. Without batting an eyelash, she pulled the gun from the folds of her skirt and raised it with both hands, pointing it directly at the captain's chest. Both men gasped, wide-eyed, open-mouthed.
"Miss Worthington, what are you doing?" the captain asked in a cautious tone.
Chelly remained calm. She had to. "I'm holding Austin's pistol toward you."
"Ah—where did you get it?" he asked, still surprised by her actions.
"From the locked drawer in his desk. Don't make any sudden moves. It's loaded," she assured him, although she wasn't sure it was. Without thinking about the truth of it, she added, "I worked in a tavern for a time so you can rest assured I know how to use this..
"Yes, I'm sure you do."
The captain blinked slowly, steadily. "Miss Worthington, why are you holding it on me?"
That the pistol aimed at the captain's chest didn't go unnoticed by either man. "I intend for you to give the order to hoist the sails and head to Dover."
"You must be mad!" Bradley spoke up sharply for the first time, taking a step toward her.
Chelly swung around and pointed the pistol at Austin's brother-in-law. "I realize this weapon has only one shot and it doesn't matter to me which one of you gets it if my orders are not followed." She willed her voice and hands not to tremble. If either man saw her weaken, they'd take the advantage and test her.
"I can't do that, Miss. Austi
n's about to reach shore. We can't get word to him."
"She knows that, Hammersfield," Bradley said. "That's what she wants."
The captain turned to Bradley. "I don't care what she wants." His gaze shifted quickly to Chelly. "Now put that gun down before you hurt someone."
Chelly kept her eyes and hands steady. "Do you really want to take the chance when I have two fingers on the trigger? I'm prepared to squeeze it."
Bradley scoffed indignantly, then sniffed. "She's bluffing, Hammersfield. Go ahead and rush her. She won't shoot you."
The captain's eyes widened and he glanced at Bradley. "I don't trust her. If you don't think she'll shoot, you take the pistol away from her."
"It's not my ship," Bradley argued. "And she's not my problem. You do something. You're the captain."
Chelly's gaze darted from one man to the other. She strove to remain calm. She couldn't let their nit-picking fluster her. And she couldn't give any indication that she would hesitate to pull that trigger. No matter what they did or said, she had to keep the pistol pointed at one of them.
"I don't have time for your bickering. Give the order to pull anchor and hoist the sails."
"The captain's right," Bradley said in a more cajoling tone. "We can't leave Austin in France. It's a hostile country. We don't know what they might do to him."
"That's not your problem. I am. Hoist the sails." She couldn't let them see what it was doing to her inside, betraying Austin like this.
"I don't think you've thought this through," said the captain. "Austin could be in real danger. I don't think you want his death on your conscience."
"No more than I want a little boy's kidnapping on my conscience. I don't think the French will harm a man who was trying to deliver Napoleon's nephew to his father."
"What!" Bradley's mouth gaped again.
Too late, Chelly realized her mistake. Bradley didn't know who Bo was, but she couldn't let that distract her. "I assumed you knew. Bo is the son of Jerome Bonaparte and Betsy Patterson."
"Damnation! The fool's in worse trouble than I thought. The Pattersons are the wealthiest family in Baltimore. Hellfire! I'll never get him out of this."
