Page 12 of The Scandal of the Deceived Duchess
Swallowing deeply, she mounted the steps and exited the stern of the ship where the cabins were situated. At first, the sunlight blurred her vision, making her sneeze. Raucous laughter followed this action. It took her a few moments for her vision to adjust.
While this was happening, she couldn’t come to grips with all of the noises around her. Nothing sounded like there had been a fight. The banter was jovial. The only thing betraying this assumed peacefulness was the odd groan from the wounded men.
As her vision slowly came into focus, she could make out the silhouette of a man. From her first impression, he was tall and had broad shoulders. More focus - his face came into perspective. The man standing before her was not just tall; he towered above her. What struck Amelia the most was the tuft of fiery red hair on his head. It distracted from his handsome, chiseled features that boasted both masculinity and limitless virility – Amelia felt her mouth slide open a notch.
“Captain, this is…” Jake set Anna down. After making sure she was stable on her feet, he scratched his head.
“You forgot to ask their names, didn’t you? Trust you, Jake, to lose all brain function when in the presence of women.”
The handsome man, who was also the captain, chuckled and along with him, many of the men. Amelia could not believe that the man standing before her held any kind of command. His frowzy blue coat showed distinct signs of wear and tear on the shoulders and around the wrists. His face was covered in black smudges as if he had been the one firing the cannons. A cursory glance at the prisoners huddled on the other side of the deck proved her point. Captain Wimple was still meticulously turned out.
“Your names, please?” he asked in a throaty baritone that was as sticky as molasses and captivating. It was so rich that it distracted from the curtness of his request.
“Anna Titbits, Your Honor.”
The men burst out laughing, forcing Anna to blush. “And you?” The captain’s unyielding gaze swerved to Amelia. The color of his eyes was blue like the sea and the sky.
“The Honorable Amelia Carlyle. My lady’s maid and I sought passage on the HMSCapricornto British America…we are to be received by my betrothed, Lord Templeton French, son of the Duke of Brandon.” Amelia could’ve bit on her tongue for mentioning Airey.Why did I just do that? I loathe my betrothed.
“The both ofya? Lucky man, this Temple Frenchie fellow,” said the captain, grinning.
His men broke out into raucous laughter once again. They shouted lewd suggestions that the British had more than one wife to play with and that it was probably the reason why they were so stiff all the time. Even the captain, who habitually displayed a taciturn demeanor, couldn’t help chuckling.
For the first time, Amelia blushed because of a man. It was strange because she did not feel embarrassed – the feeling was something else – something unknown to her. She tried to stare the captain down, but she had no power over this man. He was a tower of self-confidence. It angered her that he had caught her out so.
“Well, now that you have had your fun, might you do me the honor of introducing yourself?” It was all that came to Amelia’s mind.
“SILENCE!” he shouted.
The women shuddered at the power of the captain’s voice. In a heartbeat, the ship’s deck fell deathly silent. Amelia and Anna found themselves looking at the sailors all around them. They had turned from a rowdy mob into a collective displaying perfect discipline in less than a heartbeat.
“Captain Jonathan Mitchell, at your service, ma’am.” He even managed a small bow.
Amelia gulped. This man had such power over her. She had never felt such sensations before. They alternated between fluttering brush strokes against her insides and heady rushes of heat skirting the underside of her skin.
It took all of her willpower to control herself.There is no need to be afraid of this man,she thought,completely misinterpreting her feelings.He is a despicable Yank and a traitor.She scanned the ship.Probably half the men here are British subjects that betrayed their country. Amelia referred to the many desertions in the Royal Navy that had taken place since the beginning of the war in 1812.
“What do you have in mind…with us…the crew?” asked Amelia, fearing her fate more and more as the minutes ticked by.
“The crew has the choice to join the American Navy. Those that do not wish to do so shall be imprisoned for the duration of the war. And the officers will be treated as their rank suggests. Anything else?” Captain Mitchell’s eyes darkened.
“I see…and what is to become of us?” Amelia indicated with her hand to Anna.
“I don’t know yet.” With those words, Captain Mitchell turned on his heels and started to issue orders.
The ship’s crew jutted into motion, running this way and that. Armed American crewmen began to shepherd the captives into groups, dividing those men that wished to join the American cause and those that preferred to remain loyal to the crown. Jake took Anna by the hand and walked over to Amelia. “You best come with me.”
“Where to?” asked Amelia.
“To theTriton…” Seeing her questioning gaze, Jake elaborated. “Our ship – now, come along.”
“What about our things?”
“They will be transported aboard forye. Let’s be quick. The captain wants to get underway.”
A cacophonous shout came from the direction of theTriton. It was Captain Mitchell again, bellowing orders. Amelia wondered how he had gotten aboard his ship so quickly.
“He’s an impatient bastard, he is. But the finest man there is,” said Jake, hurrying them forward toward a gangplank that had been set up for the transportation of the booty.
