“Bah! It was deliberate!” Cuthie huffed. “Ye came aboard my ship under dubious circumstances. O’course, ye were capable of killing innocent men—”
“What rubbish! Lying about one’s gender is not the same as murder,” Kieran growled from behind Eilidh.
Massey lurched to his feet. “She’s a deceitful witch—”
“Enough!” the Judge Admiral thundered, his voice thunderous. “Sit down, Massey. This is precisely why I read Captain Cuthie’s account rather than have you all tell it. No more outbursts or I shall order you to gaol for insubordination.”
Massey glowered at Kieran but retook his seat.
Mr. Patterson nudged the paper before the Judge Admiral. “So, what are we to make about this accusation then, my lord? Do we have enough information to make a decision about bringing formal charges against Mrs. MacTavish? Simply having no memory of wishing someone harm does not exonerate her from having aimed a rocket at the ship’s deck.”
The Judge Admiral stared down at the foolscap.
Eilidh feared for her veins, her pulse pounded so hard.
Massey continued to send Kieran looks that promised reprisal.
Cuthie simply appeared smug, as if he were certain his testimony would condemn her.
The Judge looked over Cuthie’s testimony one more time. And then he raised his head, meeting the gaze of Andrew and Alex beyond Eilidh’s shoulder.
Eilidh kept her eyes resolutely forward. She would meet her fate head-on.
The Judge Admiral sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the desktop.
“Have you ever spent much time aboard a ship, Mr. Patterson?” The Judge Admiral asked, rather conversationally.
“No.” Mr. Patterson shook his head.
“For myself, I fought many a battle aboard ship before Trafalgar. I was merely a ship’s captain then—not an admiral—but some memories never leave a man.” The Judge Admiral shook his head. “I’ve watched cannon fire rake the side of a ship at close range, and even then, a cannonball will not always penetrate the thick oak boards of a ship’s hull. A cannonball will certainly not crash through three levels of decking to reach the ship’s steerage where the black powder is kept. That is precisely why it is kept in the bowels of a ship. It’s the safest place to be when bullets and cannons fly.”
No one said a word.
The faintest glimmer of hope flared to light in Eilidh’s chest.
“My point,” the Judge Admiral continued, “is that I cannot understand how a firework rocket, shot from thirty feet above deck, would have sufficient power to penetrate that deeply into the ship. Yes, it’s a rocket, but it lacks substance. It propels only air. There is no bullet or cannon within it to punch a hole through something. However, a reef strike at precisely the correct angle could easily slice through a ship’s hull, ignite black powder, and cause a ship to explode. Based on this, I see no logical reason why the assertion that a firework blew up the ship would be accurate.”
Hope exploded through Eilidh’s blood, fizzing through her heart and setting her eyes to stinging.
Would she truly be exonerated? Even with Cuthie pointing a gnarled finger at her?
“Now, see here!” Cuthie erupted, jumping from his seat. “Are ye calling me a liar?!” He took a step toward the Judge Admiral.
Instantly, the burly constable was at Cuthie’s side, glaring down at the captain.
“I suggest ye sit back down,” the man said.
Cuthie, of course, did not sit.
Nor did he back down.
“I know what I saw,” he spat, face bright red. “I willnae be gainsaid by some lordling sitting behind a desk—”
“I am an admiral of His Majesty’s Navy, Captain,” the Judge Admiral’s voice cracked through the room. “I have seen more of war and combat on the open seas than one such as yourself could ever imagine—”
“Ye impugn my honor as a seaman!”
“—and I know what brings down a ship. That’s why I’m here, listening to these arguments. Regardless of what youthoughtyou saw, a firework shot down from the top of the foremast would not have the power to penetrate through three levels of thick, oak decking to ignite gunpowder in the hold. The very idea is absurd.”
