“Where have you been? I haven’t heard from you in a fortnight.”
Samantha smiled. “My uncle let me sail with his crew on a cargo run to the Bahamas.” The lie flowed easily; after all, it was mostly true. Still, a heavy pit formed at the center of her gut.
Abigail shared everything with Samantha. Keeping secrets from her friend hurt. No matter how small the lie, it ate away at her. But who could she tell? Abigail hated the water, so she would never understand Samantha’s passion. And if anyone found out her uncle’s identity, they could lose everything.
Abigail shuddered. “How can you stand being on a boat that long? I get green just thinking of it. And think of the danger. What if you came across pirates?”
Samantha choked back a laugh. “Nonsense. You read too many stories.”
Land folk always thought the worst of pirates. Never mind only a quarter century before, thousands of privateers had been lauded as they took out British supply ships and hurt the enemy’s bottom line. Revolutionary War heroes, they were. These days, no one would care that her uncle only preyed on Spanish and French merchant ships or occasionally, rival pirates.
They would only care about one thing: the label “pirate.”
Her friend took her arm and steered her to the wall. “It’s not nonsense. Just yesterday, Lieutenant Thompson captured a pirate ship right outside the mouth of the river. There’s to be a hanging in a few days.”
Samantha’s stomach clenched. Damn the man. Should have slit his throat after all. She shuddered. No.
Most pirates weren’t so bad. At least not bad enough to deserve facing the noose. Most were too inept to do any real damage and stuck to smuggling goods up the river. Their little sloops and schooners were no match for massive merchantmen and brigantines loaded with valuable goods. Even with her uncle’s well-armed fleet, blood was rarely spilled.
At the reminder of lives lost, she curled her fingers into a fist and forced a smile across her lips. “Well then, I have nothing to worry about with such a brave man patrolling the seas.”
Abigail missed her sarcasm and let out a girlish sigh. “Braveandhandsome. He’s a perfect man. All that wealth he inherited, and yet he still chooses to serve his country.” She pushed up on her tiptoes to look across the sea of people. “I do hope he comes tonight.”
Samantha stiffened. He had better not. “I’m sure he has more important things to do.”
A sad smile flitted across Abigail’s face. “You’re probably right. Saving the world is a busy job.”
Samantha turned so her friend wouldn’t see her scrunched nose. He’d served in the Quasi-War with France as an officer, and after returning, had been promoted to lieutenant. Governor Milledge had commissioned theFalconand convinced Thompson to leave his estate in New York.He shouldn’t have come. But he had, and no wonder. The chance to command a frigate at his age and rank would be a powerful draw for any man. If he succeeded, it could set him on a swift course to captaincy.
They stood in the shadows while the lovely notes of a violin drifted across the ballroom. Abigail used the time to point out which eligible gentlemen were in attendance and speculate if they would ask her to dance. Samantha let her gaze wander over the crowd, but none of the dandily dressed men caught her eye. They never did.
She let out a sigh and her friend leaned in. “Looking for someone in particular?”
“Very funny. You know how I feel about—”
“Yes, yes. I know. You can’t picture yourself with any of them. Same as always. Come now, when you close your eyes and think of the perfect man, what do you see?”
Samantha groaned. “Why do you keep asking me that? The answer’s never going to change.”
Abigail grinned. “But you’re wrong. One day, you’ll see someone. And I’m going to keep asking until you do. Close your eyes and try.”
Samantha turned. How could she tell her friend how hurtful her words were? Because every time she went along with the little game and closed her eyes, there was nothing. Just an endless stretch of black emptiness. But she wanted there to be something. Some indication her heart wasn’t doomed to remain lifeless. That she wasn’t meant to be alone.
Was something wrong with her? Growing up with Abigail, she’d gotten to listen to every far-fetched romantic fantasy her friend cooked up. Gotten to see the longing glances across ballroom floors. The yearning in Abigail’s voice.
Samantha had never yearned. Not even a little.
Another sigh. Abigail would never understand. Better to just close her eyes and go along with it. She braced herself for the blank nothingness about to greet her.Please, just for once let there be somebody. Anybody.And like an answer to her desperate plea, an image appeared.
Lieutenant Thompson, standing at the forecastle in his blue uniform.
Her heart clenched and she recoiled as if someone had slapped her. No. Anybody but him.
Abigail blinked. “Well, that’s certainly not the reaction I expected. Who in the world was it?”
Traitorous mind. Samantha breathed out. They had just spoken of him. Plus, she’d been in close contact with him last week. A perfect explanation for why he, of all people, would show up. Definitely notbecause of his piercing green eyes, or the well-muscled thighs hidden beneath his breeches.
She choked. “No one.”
