Jean returned Lee’s salute.“Our meeting has been much too long in coming,” Jean said with a smile and then put his rapier to action.“I do not appreciate you wounding my niece.Or trying to steal my treasure.”
Jean fought with a lighter sword, and he was much faster.He had cut three stripes in Lee’s shirt, drawing more blood.“Never said I was grand.Just merely good.And you, my friend, have caused many that I love to suffer.So shall you suffer before I end your miserable life,” Jean declared just as he inflicted another wound.
Lee roared, his breathing heavy as he swung his sword with all his might.
All eyes were on Lee and Jean.The Englishmen had either surrendered or were dead, and Lee was the only one remaining.Jean’s men stood watching the final stage of the battle.
Jean was so quick on his feet that soon Lee’s shirt was soaked with blood from the many slashes that Jean had inflicted.
With a final effort Lee swung his sword and caught the railing of the ship; the sword bounced from his hand, clattering across the deck.Grabbing a pistol, Lee turned to fire, but not on Jean....
Lee aimed at Elizabeth and pulled the trigger.
Jean plunged his dagger into the miserable excuse of a man, then turned to find Elizabeth lying on the deck.
Chapter 23
Jonathan couldn’t believe his eyes.
One minute he was watching Jean finish Lee, and the next minute, Lee had pulled a gun.Instead of aiming at Jean, Lee aimed and fired at Elizabeth.
“No!”Jonathan shouted.He jumped forward, trying to get between Elizabeth and the gun.But it was too late.
Elizabeth was covered with red, sticky blood.
He knelt down, cradled her in his arms, and glanced at the wound.It was in her shoulder and, hopefully, high enough to have missed her heart.He caressed her cheek.“Say something,” he whispered, his heart in his throat.
“Mon Dieu, ” Jean muttered as he knelt down beside Jonathan.“I thought Lee was aiming at me,” Jean said, an edge to his voice.Then Jean withdrew his knife and cut open Elizabeth’s dress over the wound.“It’s nasty, but not fatal.The bullet needs to come out, though.”Jean let out a long, audible breath.“My ship’s doctor could look at her wound.”
Jonathan remembered Henry, the ship’s doctor, all too well.His intentions were good, though his methods were not.“How long will it take to get her to Four Oaks?”
“A day and a half at most.”
“Then let’s take her home, where she can get proper care.I don’t want to take any chances,” Jonathan said.He rose with Elizabeth in his arms.“Dominic and Dawson?”
Jean got up, too, and wiped the blood from his knife with a rag he found on the deck.“Dominic will have taken everyone to theCiel Bleuto await us there, my friend.”
Jonathan found himself inexplicably dissatisfied.He glanced over at Lee.“It’s a shame that Lee can only die once.”
“Aye,” Jean agreed, his tongue heavy with sarcasm.“But rest assured, this time he is dead.”Jean turned to a few of his men.“Dump the bodies and take a skeleton crew to sail this ship home to Barataria Bay.I’ll send Dominic over.”
Once on boardtheCiel Bleu, Jonathan took Elizabeth to her room and placed her gently on the bed.He heard a soft moan, the first sound she’d made since she’d been wounded.
“Elizabeth?”Jonathan said softly as he made her comfortable.
Her eyes fluttered open.After a moment or two she finally focused on Jonathan and said, “He shot me.”She sounded as though she could not believe it.
“I know.”Jonathan clenched his jaw.He sat beside her, taking her hand.“But you don’t have to worry about Lee.He’s dead.He can’t hurt you anymore.We’re taking you home to Four Oaks so we can have the bullet removed.”
She hesitated, blinking with bafflement.“Dawson?”she asked, her voice dry and cracked.
“I’m getting ready to check on him as soon as I get you settled in.”
“I’ll be all right,” Elizabeth assured him.“But I want to see Dawson and Tiffany.”
“Your slightest wish is my command.”Jonathan bowed and Elizabeth gave him a weak smile.
“You haven’t always been so agreeable,” she reminded him.
