by Lisa Olech
“No.” She pointed before dragging him into an alcove. “Shh.”
Ric heard them, the guards, coming down the corridor. Their boot heels rapped on the stones. Jocelyn was holding her breath. Pressed close, he could feel her heart fluttering in her chest. He wished along with the wineskin, and food, Jocelyn had remembered to bring him a blasted weapon. If felt like he was standing naked on the deck of the Night waiting to have his arse shot off.
As the men passed, Jocelyn closed her eyes as if by not seeing them, they’d not see her. She waited only long enough for the sounds of boot heels to fade around the next corner before she pulled at him again. “This way, I’m certain.”
Looking back over his shoulder, Ric followed close at her heels. “Bloody hell, woman. Where the hell are you taking us?”
“Not far now.” Jocelyn rushed a few more yards down the shadowed hallway before stopping at a door. She pointed to a scratch by the floor. “This is it. See there? I marked it. The way out is through here.”
They pushed into the darkened room and closed the door. “We made it…” Jocelyn panted. “I found these quarters after discovering the breach in the wall. I haven’t seen anyone use these rooms. Perhaps they’re waiting until they fix the wall.” She raised the wick on the lantern hung next to the door.
“Bonjour, Jocelyn…”
Chapter 30
A wave of ice-cold panic crashed over her as she gasped, “Père…”
Her father stood on the far side of the room with a pistol in his hand. “A bit early for you to be scurrying about, don’t you think?
“H-how could you have guessed?” She took two strides toward him. Her legs turned to liquid. Ric reached for her arm and pulled her back.
“You’re a bright girl. I knew you’d end up here eventually.” He used the pistol to indicate Ric. “With him.”
Ric still held tight to her arm, but she managed to place her body between him and her father’s gun. “You can’t stop us. W-we’ll fight you if we have to.”
One corner of her father’s mouth tipped in a smirk. He angled his head as if to see around her. “Did she bother to bring you a weapon when she delivered you from hell?” He directed his question to Ric.
With little effort, Ric moved her behind him as if he was the one to be the shield for them both. “No, sir, she did not.”
Her father tsked. “Your second mistake, Jocelyn. The first was imagining I wouldn’t notice all those long walks you’ve taken over the last two days and nights. You’ve hardly slept since your meeting with Lesauvage.”
He laid his pistol on the table next to him. “I thought at first you were trying to escape, but then when you discovered this small chink in the armor of this fort and didn’t leave, I guessed at the rest. I issued the order to have Captain Robbins hung to play your hand. Although, you had me worried, Jocelyn, I assumed you knew about my ‘Little Hell.’”
“I only found out about it tonight after dinner.”
He nodded. “Just in time. Speaking of which, I’ll need you to stand against the wall there and be silent for a few moments. We’re about to have company. I’d rather they didn’t see you.”
No sooner had he said it, there came a knock at the door. He waited until she and Ric were in place before he opened it.
“Good evening, sergeant. Is all well?”
Jocelyn could only see her father’s back from where she stood. What the hell was he up to? She shot Ric a nervous glance. She didn’t understand. If he was going to seize them, why didn’t he do it?
“Admiral Beauchamp, I’m sorry to disturb you, sir. I believed this area to be clear. Thought I heard voices.”
“No one here save me. Insomnia. I’ve gotten in the habit of coming here to catch up on my reading. Perhaps you heard an echo.”
“Perhaps. Is there anything I can get for you, sir, before I continue my rounds? A brandy? Warm milk?”
“Nothing. Thank you.”
“If you think of anything, I’ll be making one more pass before my watch ends.”
“Thank you, sergeant.”
He closed the door. Looking at them, her father held a finger over his lips as he continued to listen at the door. “He’s gone.”
“What are you playing at?” Jocelyn hissed. “You could have turned us over to the guard. Sounded the alarm. Why didn’t you? Is this yet another form of torture for you?”
“I am playing at nothing, Jocelyn. How do I explain this to you? I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since you dropped back into my life. You’re not the only one having sleepless nights.” He indicated the chairs along one wall. “Please sit.” When they refused, he gave a small shrug and continued. “When I sent for you, I had this grand illusion of what life might be for us. We could be a family again, at least until the wedding. Because regardless of what you believe, Jocelyn, you are my child. My only daughter. In my heart, I truly do love you.”
Jocelyn crossed her arms over her chest. He was saying the words she longed to hear her entire life and yet they didn’t have the effect she’d always imagined? Perhaps because she didn’t believe them. Was he toying with them like a cat tortures a mouse before it pounces?
Father continued. “You were right, however. I did abandon you, and not only because you were a child, and there was no way to care for you and be a soldier at the same time. It was too difficult seeing you. Even as young as you were, you reminded me of her. Lynnette. To look upon you and see your mother in your eyes was too painful.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes. If he were lying, he was a master at it. God help her, Jocelyn started to believe him.
“I thought I was doing the best thing by keeping you at the abbey all those years, but in truth, it was cowardly. After your mother’s death, I didn’t want to remember. I did everything I could to block her from my mind. I poured myself into my work, my career. I stayed away from you thinking it would help me heal. I believed I was over the pain of her loss.
“When I got word that you’d been lost to me, I’m ashamed to admit I felt free. Free from the guilt of not being a proper father I’ve carried all these years.”
Ric said nothing, but reached for her hand.
Her father threw his arms wide. “Then you appeared. A great blessing, and a great curse. Seeing you nearly split me in two. You are the very image of her. Exactly the way I remember her. Young and beautiful. Vibrant.” He closed his eyes and held up a hand as if to wipe away her image from this mind. He hung his head. “I can’t have you here. You can’t possibly imagine how difficult it is. Death by a thousand cuts. I die a little each time I see you.
He turned away from her. “I thought Lesauvage was the perfect answer. He saved my life when we were both midshipmen. I owed him. He comes from wealth, power. I thought I could send you off again. It would be a good life for you. But the man is a vomitous toad. He confirmed that the other night. I can’t force you into a lifetime with him.” He shook his head.
“I loved your mother as she loved me--with all of her heart.” He turned back to her. “We didn’t have the perfect life, but I believe we had the perfect love. It created you after all.”
Her father swept a hand toward Ric. “You love this man. I saw it the first day when you fought for him. Begged me for his life. I saw you look at him the exact same way I remember Lynnette looking at me. As if there were no other person in the room. As if you carried your heart in your eyes.
“It made me crazy. And to make it worse,” he jabbed a finger at Ric, “he is my sworn enemy. I have battled with him and the bastards of the Scarlet Night from the first day I landed here.” Anger raised his voice as he appraised Ric. The muscle in his jaw tightened as he seemed to struggle against it. He met her gaze and took a long breath. “But you love him. I know if I kill him, I kill any feelings you could ever have for me. I might as well hang you both.”
Was that his plan? Jocelyn held tight to Ric’s hand. “S-so where does that leave us?”
“
You claim I’ve never gaven you a gift. You’re right. So I’m giving you one now. I’ve decided to bestow upon you something I’ve never given you before. A choice.” He pointed to a small bundle on the table. “Those are the clothes you were wearing when you arrived. You’ve discovered the weakness in this outer wall. The Devil’s Pearl sits on the east side of the harbor. You have thirty minutes before the guard returns, and I sound the alarm.”
Ric shook his head. “How do we know this isn’t some trick to get us out into the harbor and have your guns blow us out of the water?”
“Why would I go to so much trouble? If I wanted to, I could shoot you right here.”
Jocelyn was still trying to process what she was hearing. She crossed to the table. True to his word there were her breeches folded neatly atop her shirt and belt. She fingered the fabric before turning back to her father. “If I leave, you will be disgraced.”
He held her gaze. “Not so. If you choose to don those clothes and leave with him, I will claim you were an impostor sent to infiltrate and destroy our hold here. My beloved daughter, Jocelyn Angelique Beauchamp died on June seventh in the earthquake that destroyed Port Royal, Jamaica.”
“And if I decide to stay?”
Her father lifted one shoulder. “He’ll hang, and you’ll marry a toad.”
He then turned toward Ric, picked his pistol off the table, and handed it to him. “The next time we cross paths, Captain Robbins, you will have a weapon, and be my enemy once more. There will be no leniency for you or the Scarlet Night after this moment.”
Ric took the pistol and studied it before slipping it into the waistband of his breeches. “I understand.”
“We live in dangerous worlds, you and I. Watch out for her the best you can.”
“Aye, aye, Admiral.”
Jocelyn’s thoughts raced at what lay at her fingertips. A chance. Standing before her father, she realized he’d given her a choice, which truly was no choice at all.
“Time is fleeting, Jocelyn. What are you waiting for?”
She shook her head. “I’m trying to decide if I trust you.”
“I’ve given you all my reasons. Neither one of us walks out of this room without risk, but there are no guards waiting to ambush you on the other side of the passage. I promise you.”
“Why?”
Her father closed the distance between them and grasped her arms. “Foolish girl, I’m doing what you asked. I’m loving my daughter.” He pulled her into his arms and embraced her. “I’m a bitter, hardened old fool who’s only sorry it took me so long.”
Jocelyn gasped as the truth of those words finally hit her. “I-I love you, too.”
He stepped back and held her cheek. “Now go.”
Without another word, her father left them. Jocelyn was quick to change.
Ric waited at the exit. “It’ll be a squeeze. If I can move this stone, we should be able to get through. I’ll leave first. Count to thirty. If you don’t hear gunfire, follow me.” He pushed at the rock with his foot.
Jocelyn grabbed his sleeve. “You believe he’s lying?”
“No.” He gave a grunt as he dropped to the floor and used both feet to push at the stubborn stone. “He’s told the truth.”
“How can you be sure?”
One final shove with his legs and the rock shifted. “The pistol was loaded.”
* * * *
Light rain soaked through his shirt as he pressed back against the wall of the fort. Ric was under no illusions. Beauchamp hadn’t opened the front gates and bid them au revoir. There was no guarantee they would ever make it to the harbor alive, let alone find the Devil’s Pearl, sail through the narrow neck of the harbor, and flee unscathed.
One pistol. One shot. That’s all he had. He’d faced those odds before.
Jocelyn’s hand was warm in his. The rain was turning her hair into dark spirals that dipped over wide eyes. How was it whenever he looked into those eyes, he became invincible. He kissed the backs of her fingers, checked to make sure the path was clear, and slipped along the wall to their next hiding spot.
The timing of their moves between passes of the guards worked until they made their way to the furthest concealed point. Somehow, they had to make it to the road leading away from the fort and blend into the early morning foot traffic.
“We have to split up,” he whispered. “We’ll be less noticeable.” Reaching down, he scooped a handful of mud and placed it in her hand. “Put some of this on your face and shirt.”
“Where should I wait for you?”
“Do you think you can find the Devil’s Pearl?”
She nodded. “It’s moored. We’ll have to swim.”
“Don’t take any chances, understand? I’m right behind you. Head down, don’t look back.” He kissed her. Mud and all she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Now he had to get her off this damn island.
Chapter 31
Ric flopped over the rail and hit the deck of the Devil’s Pearl like a hooked tuna. Reaching over he grabbed for Jocelyn and pulled her aboard. He pressed his back against the side of the ship while he examined the pistol. Between the rain and the swim, even with it held on top of his head, he’d bet his last gold piece the powder wasn’t dry anymore.
“Are you okay?”
Jocelyn sat panting next to him. “You swim too fast.”
“I thought we were in a hurry.”
“Right. At least the rain has stopped. The sun will be rising soon.” She pushed the dripping hair out of her face and pulled the clinging fabric of her top away from her breasts. “Well, Captain, we’ve made it this far, now what?”
“Now we get to sneak an entire ship out of a bottleneck harbor under the nose of your father’s men.”
“You make it sound as if it’s a difficult thing to do.”
He laughed. “Near impossible.”
“We’ve beaten ‘impossible’ this far.”
“We’ve been lucky.” He peeked over the gunwales. “This is going to take some skill.”
“We’ve already stolen this ship once, we’re experts.”
“Our best chance is to get lost in the crush of ships coming and going. If we can thread the Pearl between two, we might make it. I want you to raise the anchor while I set the sail. The winds in this bowl are tough to read, but the tide’s heading out. At least that will work in our favor. The last thing we want to do is try to sail through here at full speed.”
Jocelyn nodded. “Tell me what to do.”
“Pray your father hasn’t set the alarm in motion and when I tell you, I want you tucked down out of sight.”
Ric raised the sail and eased it into the wind. He’d keep the Pearl quiet and close to the rim of the cove and wait for an opportunity to draft one of the larger ships moving out of the harbor. If he came in close enough, the guns mounted on shore wouldn’t fire for fear of hitting one of their own, but there was always the risk of being fired upon by one of the French warships.
A huge forty-gun galleon lumbered at half sail into the sheltered cove. This was their chance. He’d wait until she was midway through the pass, and cut in close to slip by her.
He met Jocelyn’s worried gaze before nodding and mouthing, “Now.”
Manning the tiller, he lowered the sail and slowed the Pearl to a crawl.
Cannon fire erupted overhead. The galleon was close to their starboard and took a direct hit. Splintered wood and rigging rained into the harbor. More blasts sounded, this time from the high banks gating the harbor. The galleons rear guns returned fire.
In the chaos and smoke, Ric strained to see who was attacking. He looked toward the fort, but their huge cannons had yet to fire.
The galleon took another hit close to the water line, then another. Men shouted and scrambled over the decks. Their cannons returned a vicious blast.
Ric was too close. If the galleon went down it would take them down with it. Who the hell was firi
ng? An answering shot clipped the top of the Pearl’s mast. Rigging snapped and the yardarm pitched to one side.
Ahead the huge warship began to list to port. Whoever was firing had taken out their main mast and crippled the massive beast. Ric needed to get past them before the ship sank and blocked the entrance to the harbor completely.
The air split as the guns from the fort erupted on the hill. Alarm or not, they weren’t firing at him. He cut the sloop hard to port. Its sail catching the smallest amount of wind, it scrapped through.
Rounding the high banks, he saw the ship that was attacking the harbor as another full round of cannon fire burst from her deck. Her red sails burned bright in the glare of the rising sun.
“Holy shit, it’s the Scarlet Night.”
“What? They were supposed to be days away.” Jocelyn poked her head up to look as another blast rocketed over their heads. She covered her ears and screamed. “Are they trying to kill us?”
Ric shouted over the din. “I bloody well think they’re trying to save us.”
“They’re not doing a very good job of it.”
“They can’t see us. They’re too busy blocking the harbor so no one can give chase.” Ric scrambled to bring the small sloop out of range. He searched the deck for an idea. He had to find a way to signal Tupper.
“Jocelyn, come back here and man the tiller,” he called.
She rushed to the back of the ship and took hold. “What are you going to do?”
Before answering her, Ric had to make sure the French had only found the hidden wine aboard the Devil’s Pearl. He reached his hand deep into the forward coil of rope. “You’re not going to like it, but I can think of no better way.”
Minutes later, Ric joined Jocelyn in the stern of the ship. “You’re right, I don’t like this at all,” she grumbled.
He tossed her a sack of gold coins. “You can buy a thousand red dresses with that.”
“But I wanted that one.” Her eyes rose to the top of the broken mast where Ric had shoved the splintered wood through the bodice of her beautiful claret gown. Its skirts billowed out in the breeze like a great red flag. If Tupper didn’t see the billowing skirts, she was blind.
