by Meg Hennessy
“I think they know exactly who we are.” Donato lowered his binoculars and called out to the deck. “Clear for action!”
Men scampered about the deck. Casks of powder were opened and ladled into flannel cartridges, then loaded into leather cylinders. The ship’s surgeon assembled his tools in the wardroom, covering the tables with sailcloth. Sand was strewn about the deck for traction. Men climbed to the fighting tops of the masts with long arms in hand. Within minutes, all the guns were loaded and run out to firing position.
Then it was quiet.
All waited for orders; they floated atop the rolling waves as the pirate ship sailed toward them. Anticipating battle at sea took a toll on a man’s nerves. There were dangers of being swept out to sea through a porthole. The cannons were huge, heavy, and lethal, and when fired they recoiled, often injuring or burning the men who fired them off. The biggest fear for all men on a fighting ship was the incoming cannons. When a solid iron ball weighing thirty-two pounds plowed into a ship, it could shatter the planking and framing, sending off slivers the size of a man’s finger to the size of a long gun, and then there was the danger of fire.
From what Donato could see, the Lady Tempest had at least fourteen eighteen-pound cannons, a lesser broadside weight, but she had more than ten long guns.
Colette had her hand wrapped around Donato’s lower arm, her grip tight. But as the Lady Tempest came closer and into view, the grip on his arm grew less and less. Donato glanced at her, knowing recognition of that ship was working through her memory until suddenly she gasped, “That is the ship. The ship…”
Her words fell silent as she slowly looked up at him. Her skin had paled to nearly white and her eyes were wide with disbelief. In that instant, Donato knew she remembered it all. “Colette—”
“No!” She turned away from him. “Enio!”
She raced off the helm, scooped the little boy up in her arms, then disappeared below deck.
He had to let her go, for the situation was urgent. He shouted for another sailor. “Get my sister out of the hull and take her to the wardroom.”
“She’s coming at six knots!”
That was a hell of a speed. Lady Tempest had chosen her sight well, for she had the weather gauge to her advantage, cutting through the water at a deadly speed.
She fired.
The ball just missed the stern bulwarks.
With those long guns, he’d be at a disadvantage no matter his approach, so he chose speed. He could take that ship, but not with the precious cargo he carried. He ordered the helm to get her up quickly within range of his cannons.
Ramón showed up at the helm. “Our plan?”
“We can’t engage. We have two women and a child on board. I think to wear her, see if we can’t force her to throw away powder and shot on us. Wait until in range. After the first shot, we start tacking, an unpredictable chase. In the meantime, be ready with the cannons. We will take one broadside shot before we turn out. That will be our only opportunity.”
Rayna had been right. He so regretted not ordering the ship destroyed the moment they had sailed into Cádiz. It had been a risk he wasn’t willing to take with the king in close proximity, for it would have raised suspicion. But now he paid the price. Out on the open sea, there was no one but him and that damned ship that had now begun to haunt him more than the cannon shot from her gunwales.
“Helm up! Hard to starboard!”
The helmsman did as ordered and the schooner pulled to the right, picking up the wind with cracked sails. The wind sent them barreling through the waves, just missing the collision.
The Lady Tempest had rounded again when suddenly a cannon shot came from another direction, just missing her.
Donato picked up his binoculars and focused on the new ship that had entered the fray.
It was a small sloop, but well-armed. It masts flew no identifying flags.
The Lady Tempest broke form and cracked her sails, her speed taking her out of range of either ship. He swung his binoculars back to the mysterious ship that had just helped him out of a tight bind. He couldn’t believe his eyes. On the forecastle, returning a victory wave, stood Colette’s brothers.
Jordan and Loul.
Donato lowered the binoculars. “Never thought I’d be glad to see them. Send out a message, we wish them to board.”
…
Donato knocked on the door of the cabin and turned the knob, knowing Colette would most likely deny him entrance. To his relief, the door opened. She was sitting in the chair facing the large stern window. The daylight played into the room, creating a halo around her body. She didn’t turn around when he came into the room, nor acknowledge his presence.
He swallowed hard, hating to have this discussion, but knew it was the only way for their marriage to truly heal. “I had asked if you could love me in spite of my past, and you said you could.”
“You didn’t tell me the past was me.”
“No, I did not.” He worked his way around to see her face, stained with tears. “I tried many times, but it…it just didn’t come out.”
She covered her face, with each sob. “You are a man of complete mystery, Donato, or should I say falsehoods and fraud.”
“No, I am not at all complex.”
Enio was on the bed and sat there quietly as if he knew something was terribly wrong. He reminded Donato of when he was young and had heard the harsh words between his parents. He would not do that to his son.
“I explain.”
“No.” She wiped her nose on her sleeve, her tears hardly in check, and her shoulders shook every few seconds. Enio pushed off the bed and ran to his mother.
“Maman, no cry.” He patted her knee as he stood next to her.
“Enio, wait on the bed, por favor.” Donato lifted him and returned him to his perch.
Colette straightened her shoulders as if to do battle, a battle he could not fight, nor had a prayer of winning. He sat on the ledge of the stern window. “Colette, you must allow me to explain. Even a condemned man has his say in court.”
She bent over and buried her face in her hands. “I cannot forgive you.”
Donato glanced over at Enio, who had little tears rolling down his face. Donato went over and picked up his son. Hugging him close to his chest, Donato whispered, “Do not cry, mi hombrecito, all is well.”
Enio put his arms around Donato’s neck and held so tight, he had to pull away a little to breathe. Unable to leave him there, Donato returned to the stern window with Enio in his arms, stealing a glance to see how close Colette’s brothers were to boarding. Once Jordan boarded, Colette would again choose to leave and return to be the dutiful sister. Though he had no choice but to turn her over to him while he went after the Lady Tempest, he didn’t want that shift to be permanent.
“I will explain. If you listen or not is a choice only you can make.”
She didn’t respond, so he moved forward, for time was short. He had to give her to her brothers so he could fight this battle. That meant once again handing over all he loved and cherished to Jordan Kincaid.
“I left Spain when my mother died, hating my father for how he had treated her. I had a belly full of death and fighting in the war with France. I wanted something more for myself. I came to America and opened a shipping line. But the French pirates took everything I had. I could not protect all my ships and lost much of my net worth. The men who came with me were common soldiers turned sailors. We talked often of the monarch and the future of Spain. When we started to trade from the island, we were told we could trade with no other country but Spain. The United States was demanding hemp for naval cordage. Though illegal to trade with the United States, I was making a fortune, but without the Crown, the island would not be what it is.”
She looked away from him. “That I know.”
He was encouraged. “What you don’t know is that living close to Cuba fed into our desire to create change in Spain. Ferdinand had promised to uphold the constitution, but i
nstead he abolished it. He wanted absolute rule over Spain and New Spain. My father backed him. I did not. We needed money, so we decided to take back what had been stolen. I created the pirate facade and we stole from the French corsairs.”
She wiped her eyes, refusing to look at him. “And how does that justify taking a civilian ship from France?”
“Because it wasn’t just a civilian ship. The king is a puppet for Napoleon. When worried about the revolt among the Spanish colonies, the king sent a man, a spy, with more than a hundred thousand in gold, to buy information. His mission was to purge the islands of the insurgents, as he called us, and mark us for death. That meant a bloodbath. They thought hiding him on a French ship to America would ensure his arrival and secrecy. You and your brother were on a ship that was on a military mission for the king of Spain.”
“And?” She turned and faced him. He tried not to show how relieved he was that she at least acknowledged him.
“I had concerns that if I took the ship, there would be panic in America about Spain. You know how frightened Americans are of the Spanish.”
She nodded.
“I also needed to keep my involvement secret. So I drafted the Lady Tempest, an American ship, rather than a French corsair. The captain walked a thin line between legitimate work and not so, and I told the crew there would be a reward if they were to take the Loirie. I wanted the Spaniard on board taken alive. We had plans for him, to be sent back to Spain, to his king, with a message that even the Crown is not loyal.”
He hesitated, wanting to ensure she was listening. Sitting in silence for what seemed an eternity, she turned to him. “The man you speak of was killed.”
“I know, but that was not the plan. The crew and captain of the Lady Tempest were greedy. Having sailed with men of integrity, I was not prepared for men who were not. Chaos broke out on the ship. The king’s spy was killed, your brother was thrown overboard, and you were injured. I was pistol-wounded in the process.” He pointed to the wound she had asked about so long ago. “It was an act of war, not meant to hurt innocents but to save many lives.”
Donato stroked his son’s head, for the boy would never see his father mistreat his mother in any way. He walked the child back to the bed and laid him down. “Let your madre and me speak.”
“Why was I sold in Port-au-Prince?”
“You were injured, your leg broken. We set your leg and the plan was to get you home. I was under the impression that had happened until I learned of the auction.”
“And that was why you, a Spaniard, were in Port-au-Prince?”
“Si, I went to get you. They told me you had no memory of who you were, so they decided to sell you, rather than try to find your family. That’s what I deserved for dealing with thieves. I bought you and took you to the island. I had no other option.”
“But you refused to sell me to my father.”
“I didn’t know he was your father. He told no one.”
“I thought you had rescued me from those horrible men, and you were one of them.”
“No, I was not. I had hired them to do a job and they did it poorly.”
Donato could hear the activity off the main deck. Jordan would board in minutes. Time was running out. If Colette didn’t forgive him by the time her brother arrived, Donato knew he’d lose her forever.
“Why did you try to kill my brother in that ambush arranged in the bayous?”
“I did not try to kill him. I tried to prevent it. I warned Jordan about the meeting, but he came anyway. I knew Bennett was dangerous. Turned out your brother was equally dangerous and killed him. I took the contraband and gave you the crystal. I knew it was a message from your brother. I knew he’d find you, and I wanted to begin to prepare you for seeing your family. I didn’t know he’d do it in the way he did.”
Donato glanced over to Enio and gave him a reassuring smile. Enio flashed a quick smile back. Donato loved that boy with all his heart, but his hope of keeping him diminished with each moment of silence.
He leaned down and cupped Colette’s face in his hands. She didn’t retract from his touch, but she continued to look down. “Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”
“I do not know.”
There were voices and footfalls on the stairs, and within seconds Jordan entered the captain’s room. “Colette!”
She whirled around to see him and nearly shrieked from shock. She raced up to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Where did you come from?”
“A ship.” He laughed.
“Oh, and Loul.” Colette pulled him into the hug. “I cannot say how happy I am to see you.”
Loul nodded to Donato, but Jordan refused even a glance until after the reunion with Colette. “Wasn’t that the Lady Tempest we chased off for you?”
“I was handling her.” Donato didn’t miss the sharp side of his remark.
“That’s the same ship that took the one Colette and I were on, the Loirie. I’d like to sink her. Do we give pursuit?” Jordan offered.
Colette glanced over at Donato, and he knew what she was thinking. Jordan didn’t know the connection. In the background Rayna was standing, with an interest in the proceedings.
“No, I’ll give pursuit. This is personal. You will take Colette, Enio, and my sister to safety.”
“And who will take you to safety?” Jordan laughed. “Never mind, I don’t care. I will take my sister and yours, my nephew, and we will depart.”
“I will stay, Donato, and fight with you.” Loul stepped forward.
“No, Loul, I’d prefer you get them to safety.”
Though Jordan looked a little confused at Loul’s offer, he took Colette by the arm and started to escort her out of the bedchamber. Enio screamed and pushed off the bed. But instead of running to Colette, he ran to his father. Donato swept the boy up in his arms and kissed his head. “You go with your madre so that you are safe.”
Donato nodded his head for all to take the stairs to the main deck. After the entourage assembled above deck, Donato handed the boy to Colette. Another man brought up her valise and Rayna’s large trunk.
Loul was the first to board the tender. Rayna hesitated and gave her brother a hug.
“Be careful, brother. I will miss a sparring partner, should you perish.”
“You have touched my heart, Rayna.” He couldn’t erase the sarcasm in his voice.
“I’m sure I did.” Though the words were meant in jest, her sudden hug around his shoulders was not. Her display of affection surprised him, but then again, it was Rayna.
As Jordan guided her chair over the side and to the tender, Colette stood next to Donato. She turned to face him, her face ashen. For the time their eyes met, nothing else existed, only the two of them and the love they couldn’t deny. Would she reject him or forgive him?
She said nothing, but turned and met Jordan to position her in the chair. As she was lifted over the side holding Enio, the small boy cried out. “¡Padre! ¡Padre!”
Donato turned away and stepped to the helm, unable to bear the separation again. He waited until Jordan’s ship cracked its sails and rounded about, heading toward America.
“Bring her about!”
He raised his binoculars and caught sight of a sail, putting all else in his mind aside.
He had a damned ship to sink.
Chapter Twenty-One
The waves made her sick to her stomach, or perhaps it was leaving Donato behind that twisted her insides. Enio had slept most of the first day on Jordan’s ship. He cried himself to sleep the night they left his father, waking up often and asking for his padre. Colette’s heart broke with every whimper.
On deck, Colette heard her brothers speculating as to whether Donato would sink the Lady Tempest. She had no doubt that he would. Donato was a master at sailing and had an even greater reason to sink the pirates than either of them. Jordan commented about how good it would be to be back home, knowing that she was safe once again.
Colette heard the
words, meaning that she’d be back where she belonged. But where was that? Jordan had rescued her once before, but had she been happy? If she looked back on the year spent with her family, had it offered the fulfillment she had so craved? Though she loved them dearly, in reality, it had not. Something was missing from the lives of her and her son.
She looked down at her plain dress and felt the knot of her hair tied back. She wore the beautiful necklace given to her by the marquis beneath her dress, and on her fingers she wore rings for the first time in her life, with the Tourmaline earrings.
When Rayna had opened her trunk this morning, Colette had been in awe of the beautiful gowns. Rayna pulled one out for Colette to try on, and it was gorgeous, but already feeling the wayward servant being returned to duty, she couldn’t wear dresses like that.
Yet watching Rayna repack the dress, Colette’s spirit didn’t capitulate so quickly. After a moment’s debate, she took the blue gown and tried it on. The jewelry from her husband made it dazzling. Jordan might wish to return her home, to where he thought she belonged, but that life no longer fit. Colette was far from the same woman who had left on a journey to Spain months ago. Would she make the same decision she had when she’d been rescued the first time?
But her sense of defiance, rebirth, and salvation sank as quickly as it had risen in her heart. Donato had lied to her. Her abduction had shattered her family; her brothers had sacrificed so much to find her and her father…her father had been killed in Port-au-Prince trying to buy her back, trying to reunite his family.
Her family had been torn apart because she and Jordan had been on the wrong ship at the wrong time. It mattered not how she thought to have changed, for that night would never end for her. To learn it was Donato who had instigated the attack nearly robbed her of her sanity.
She peeled off the dress, any memory of Donato, and tossed it aside and pulled off every ring and tossed it into Rayna’s trunk. The Tourmaline necklace fell to the floor. She kicked it away from her.
Atop the ship, she could hear her brothers talking, laughing, as if all was well, for they felt victory was finally theirs. They were together again as a family. How could she ever tell them the man she loved, the man she had married, had a child with, was the very man who had torn their family apart?
