Page 30 of The Duke's Treasure
“’Tis a frigate,” the man called down. “Two masts, armed to the teeth. Dark hull. Can’t make out the figurehead.”
“It’s them,” Edward muttered. “I know it’s them.”
“What are you going to do?” Mariana asked, looking from Edward to the captain and back to Edward.
“I usually prefer to face challenges head on,” Edward began, but the captain was already shaking his head.
“Our weapons are minimal. We are not prepared for a fight. That ship is lined with cannons.”
“Very well,” Edward said, “We outrun them then. This ship must be fast.”
The captain’s weathered face broke into a grim smile. “That, we most certainly are,” he said.
The pirate ship on the horizon grew closer, cutting through the waves far faster than Edward would prefer. As the captain barked orders, the crew scrambled to adjust the sails and catch the wind's full force. Mariana’s fingers were white where she gripped the railing, although she showed no other outward signof fear as the pirate ship drew nearer, its black flag whipping in the wind.
The first boom of a cannon had them all flinching, and Edward lunged forward, wrapping Mariana in his arms as though he could protect her from the careening ball of lead with his body alone.
A plume of water erupted beside them and the ship rocked with the impact, but Edward held fast with one hand on the railing and the other arm wrapped around Mariana. He looked up at the approaching pirate ship with determination in his gaze before glancing back at Marian with a reassuring smile on his lips before turning back to the churning sea ahead.
Their ship surged forward, its sleek hull slicing through the water as they raced away from their pursuers. The wind howled in their ears, the salt spray stung their faces, but still, they pressed on. The pirate ship continued to fire its cannons, each shot coming perilously close to hitting its mark.
The ship swayed dangerously with each blast, the crew frantically working to keep their vessel afloat and outrun their attackers. Mariana clung to Edward, saying nothing but her fear apparent as the chaos unfolded around them. The cannonballs whizzed past, missing them by mere inches. Edward held her close, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of hope as he contemplated what he would do if the pirates reached them. His need to fight was matched only by his need to protect Mariana.
“Mariana,” Edward whispered in her ear. “I need you to know something. I?—”
Just before he could finish his sentence, when it seemed like all was lost, a sudden gust of wind filled their sails, propelling them forward with a thrust and newfound speed. Their ship surged ahead, leaving a trail of foaming water in its wake.
Edward's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked behind him and realized they were slowly gaining distance from the pirate ship.
The captain shouted orders, his voice barely audible over the deafening roar of the sea. The crew worked tirelessly, their muscles straining as they fought to keep the ship steady.
With the wind at their backs, the hired ship sailed faster, the gap between them and the pirate frigate growing wider. Edward felt a surge of hope as he glanced back at their pursuers.
The pirates continued to fire their cannons, but their shots fell short, unable to reach the swift merchant vessel that was now outpacing them.
As they sailed further away from danger, Edward turned to Mariana and saw the mix of relief and gratitude on her face. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and she clung tightly to his hand as if afraid this moment of reprieve would vanish like a wisp of smoke in the wind.
“I think the danger has passed,” he said, running his hand over her hair, clutching her tight. “Are you all right?”
“A little queasy, but I’m not sure if it’s the motion or the worry,” she said. “It will pass once we are in calmer waters.”
“The boat was going back and forth quickly to outrun the cannons,” he answered. “Once we’re far enough away, we should return to smoother sailing.”
One of the crew members scrambled up the rigging once more, lifting the spyglass to his shoulder as he looked behind them to watch for any further signs of the pirate ship.
It was just as the sun began its descent on the horizon, casting a golden hue over the churning waters around them that he announced the pirate ship completely out of eyesight.
“We did it,” Edward said with a relieved sigh. “We outran them.”
The merchant crew let out a collective cheer, their voices carried away by the wind as they celebrated their narrow escape from certain doom.
CHAPTER 11
After they outran the pirate ship, Mariana had continued to worry at first, wondering if it was hiding just out of sight, waiting for them to let down their guard, but both Edward and the captain assured her that their boat was smaller and nimbler than the larger ship that had given chase.
All in all, it took just under a week to reach England, a time that the captain was particularly proud of.
Mariana had asked why they didn’t make for the shore when England came into sight, and Edward had explained that they would continue sailing until they reached Harwich, which he said was another day or two of sailing around the coast of England.
