Page 18 of By No Means a Gentleman
“You have a plan then?”
No. He didn’t have a plan. He only had an option—one—left.
If the captain ofThe Royal Oakwouldn’t accept their titles or their blunt, he had no choice but to force the captain to take them.
Very well.
Let the ship leave but, by Christ, it was not leaving without him.
Will shrugged out of his coat and tossed it to Calstone before removing his boots.
“What the devil are you doing?” Calstone exclaimed, which he followed with an oath. “You cannot mean to do what I think you mean to do.”
“I do.”
Will didn’t take the time to explain any further and dove off the pier and into the black water, Calstone’s curses fading as the Thames engulfed him. Needle pricks stung his skin, the chill seeping into his bones. He steeled his focus against the cold, inhaling a deep breath when he resurfaced.
Shouts came from the docks.
Will paid them no mind. He started to swim in pursuit of the ship. He didn’t stop. Didn’t look back.
He’d always been a strong swimmer, but at this moment he couldn’t tell whether this madness would work. One thing he knew with certainty: he would get on that ship, or he would perish in his attempt. Fortunately, the vessel had pulled from the dock only moments before, and the distance wasn’t yet very great.
He could reach her.
Wouldreach her.
Each stroke brought him closer.
Will had never swum with so much might, and he didn’t pause or hesitate, not even when another call reached his ears.
“Captain! That fellow jumped off the docks! Look! Bleeding ’ell, has he lost his mind?”
Will didn’t hear anything else. He just swam. Stroke after stroke.Harriet.He pushed everything else from his mind, the swell of the water, the taste of salt in his mouth, the bite of iciness nipping at him. Everything except her.
He had one purpose.
One goal.
Harriet.
And the Heavens answered. For once, every element fell into alignment.
“Toss a rope!” The captain roared. “Toss a rope!”
It seemed his title did mean something after all.
Will caught a glimpse of the thick rope that flew over the side of the deck and directed his strokes straight toward it. He snatched onto the line and gripped it tight.
“There’s another one!”
Will glanced over his shoulder. Calstone, that devil. Why the hell had he jumped in after him?
They were both hauled out of the water, not allowed to catch a breath before being confronted by a furious captain.
“What the bloody ’ell are you thinking?” the captain roared.
Christ above. He plugged a finger in his ear to dampen the force of the captain’s voice—it could have sunk the damn ship had the man’s bellow been an octave deeper.
