Page 30 of Miss Whittier Makes a List
Adam refused to look at her. She wriggled her fingers out of the captain’s grasp and folded her hands in her lap.“Say on,Captain,”she said.
“If we are soon prisoners of the French, you two Americans will likely befreedbecause you are not belligerents. I want you to get this dispatch toLondon.”
Adam was silent for a long moment.“Let me think now. Thee raided theMolly Claridge,and took me off. Thee has probably been impressing others like me for years. We ought to be at war withEngland.”
“Yes, you are quite right.”Spark agreed.
“Thee has ruined my family’s peace and frightened Hannah.”
“She’s equal to it,”the captain said.
“By God, thee is a cheeky bastard, for someone seeking a favor,”Adam burst out, his face red.
“I certainly am,”Spark agreed, his equanimity unruffled by Adam’s charge.“I am also in serious like with Hannah Whittier, and would never do her any harm.”He bowed to Hannah, who sat dumbfounded.“I don’t know you well enough to be in love yet, Lady Amber, but I fear I am dreadfully close. Is that cheeky enough, Adam?”
Chapter Nine
Adam regarded the captain in profound silence. Numb, Hannah stared at her hands in her lap, unable to look at anyone in the cabin. The captain stood behind her, resting his hands on the chair back. The very air seemed to crackle with tension.
Finally, Adam sighed.“Lord, what a muddle,”he muttered.“Hannah, what should we do?”
She considered the matter. If, by some miracle, they managed to raise theAzores, the French would see to their release. At the least, they could request passage on a vessel to returnthem to theCaribbean. She could be inCharlestonin a month or less. With any luck, this whole adventure would soon wear into a bad dream, and after all, what did they owe the British?
She looked at the dispatch resting in her lap, wishing it would go away. She thought of the men of theDissuade,many dead, others wounded, and multiplied that number by the twenty British ships named in the dispatch. If Napoleon continued to be fed traitorous information about the Royal Navy inCaribbeanwaters, he would know how to harry the British there. Heating up the war in the Caribbean would meanBritainwould be stretched even thinner in its blockade of the French and Spanishcoasts. She could see only more death, more war. It is against everything I believe, she thought as she leaned back in the chair and felt Spark’s fingers against her back.>
Hannah scooted forward quickly and slapped the dispatch on the table.“Adam, we cannot be party to more death, and thee knows that would happen if this dispatch fell into French hands. I say we get the document toLondon.”
Adam looked up at Captain Spark, who had not moved from his position behind Hannah’s chair, and then back at her.“Hannah, we could be home in a month if we do not,”he reminded her, his thoughts obviously traveling the same lane as hers.“And you think we should risk our lives getting this dispatch toLondon?”
“I do,”she replied, her voice firm. She noted the skeptical look on his face.“And do not think for one minute it is because I am persuaded by this rascal standing behind my chair.”She paused as Mr. Futtrell turned away again to hide a smile.“I do not feel anything for Captain Spark beyond admiration of his courage. Even you must acknowledgehis courage. But I also do not love the idea of more death in theCaribbean. And I do not relish the idea of traitors. What American would?”
Adam was silent a moment more, then he looked at the captain.“Very well, sir, we will do as thee asks. I do not know how, but we can try.”
Captain Spark reached around Hannah and shook Adam’s hand.“We can work out the details as we run for theAzores,”he said. He stuffed the dispatch back in its bag and handed it to Adam.“I think you and MissWhittiershould memorize this document. It may be destroyed, but one of you ought to get through with the message.”
He took it.“Very well, sir. Hannah? Shall I have a go at it first?”
She nodded.Adam looked at Captain Spark.“With thy permission, I will returnto the gun deck.”
“Granted, lad. And thank you.”
He left the cabin. Mr. Futtrell cleared his throat.“As mine is the first watch, I believe I will go to the quarterdeck.”
“Call me in four hours,”the captain said. He sat down as soon as the door closed.“Well, Hannah?”He shook his head at her expression.“Thatmulish look on your face tells me that I may have run out my guns prematurely.”
She wished he would sit onthe other side of the table, and notpractically knee to knee.Shesquirmed in her chair. Did he have to regard her withthoseunnerving eyes of his? Why were they so light andmemorable? As she returnedhis unflinching pale stare, she knew that she could go to her grave and years from now andstillremember the color of his eyes, and the graceful way he sat watching her. It was enough to try a statue.Thankgoodness she did not love him.
“You can’t possibly be in love with me,”she said at last, when he seemed content merely to memorize her face and remain silent.
He wagged a finger at her.“I did not say I was in love, but only in serious like.”
“You are absurd,”she said, smiling in spite of her discomfort.“You just like the way I make coffee”
There, if she made a joke of his aspirations that should stop him. Instead, he leaned closer until she could have reached out and caressed his face, had she been of such inclination, which she was not.“I like the way your hips wiggle when you climb the rigging, and your cheerful way of doing things, even when your whole world is arse over teakettle.”
“There you go!”she said triumphantly.“Your language is vile and you are a notable blasphemer.”
“By God’s wounds, I certainly am. Some things you’lljust have to take. And I will have to getused to constant good cheer, which can be a trial at times.Are you even cheerful when you wake up? I can’t wait to find out, Lady Amber.”
