Jack looked glorious, like some ancient Greek god. His dark hair swirled around his sharp features. His shirt was soaked and plastered to his well-muscled chest. His coat had lost its battle with the wind to stay closed, and his coattails flapped behind him wildly. The concentration on his face was absolute as he yelled out orders to the crew.
A giant wave crashed over the deck railing, making the boat pitch, tossing Vivian back against the wall. As she straightened, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to the starboard side of the ship, where she spotted Johnny. He clung to a piece of rigging, perhaps ten feet above the deck. Rain pelted his frightened face. He must have been climbing down when that last wave washed over the railing near him, almost knocking him off. The ship rolled again, and clinging to a rope, Johnny swung like a pendulum.
With another pitch of the ship he would swing right over the railing. With no time to think, Vivian shed her cloak. She ran over, grabbing hold of Johnny’s leg. She pulled back with all her strength, trying to counteract the swing of the rope from sending Johnny overboard.
****
Thunder boomed. A bright flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the deck. A gleam of blond hair caught Jack's eye. Squinting against the rain, he saw Vivian race out and seize young Johnny’s leg as the boy was about to swing right over the railing. She gave a vicious tug, tumbling both her and Johnny to the ship’s wooden deck. Bloody hell. What was she doing topside?
“Clarkson, take the wheel.” he yelled. He vaulted down the steps from the quarterdeck. The wind roared in his ears, and he ran a hand over his face to wipe the rain from his eyes. Another wave crashed over the railing, washing over Vivian and Johnny. Johnny reached for the nearest rope with one hand and for Vivian with the other, but she was, in one great push of water, swept overboard.
Dear God.Jack’s heart stopped in his chest; but his legs kept running toward where she had gone over. He reached the railing and leaned over to peer into the choppy waves, frantically searching for her small form. Fear roiled in his stomach like bilge water. He screamed her name into the whipping wind, “Vivian!”
Chapter Seven
“Captain Jack.” The wind carried his name. “Down here!”
Jack looked straight down, and to his amazement, Vivian, both hands wrapped around a rope, dangled from the side of the ship.
“Hang on.” he called to her. “Someone get me a rope! She’s here. Get me a blasted rope.”
Kelly stepped up next to him, handing him a line, then looked over the side of the railing. “Saints alive! How did she manage to grab hold?” Kelly said.
Jack tied a loop on one end with a slip knot. He lowered it carefully to her, yelling to be heard over the wind. “See if you can get your head and arms through and I will pull you up.”
Her small hands were tightly wrapped around her rope. The wind and rain beat against her. She looked up at him as he lowered the rope over the railing, fear written across her face.
“I won’t let you fall,” he shouted.
The loop hit her head. Her expression spoke of grim determination as she put one arm through, transferring her grip to his rope. The ship pitched, and she swung away from the hull and then slammed back against the wooden planks. His heart stopped as the line slid through her hands and she dropped several feet. She was going to fall! But she adjusted her grip and reached out again for the rope he had lowered. He tightened his own hands on the line, waiting until she had both arms and her shoulders through the loop. Then she called up, “all right, I am ready.”
With Kelly’s help, they pulled her up, and when she rose level with the railing, Jack lifted her over. He wrapped his arms around her, then sank to his knees with her in his lap. Never had he been more scared for someone else in his life. He’d be able to move in a minute, but for now he could not let go of her.
“Captain,” Kelly shouted over the rain. “Shouldn’t we move her inside?”
Jack nodded and scooped her up. Vivian lay her head against his shoulder. “Someone get Davis. And make sure Johnny gets safely below deck as well.” He strode off to take her down below to her cabin.
“You reckless fool. What were you thinking?” His heart still knocked at a wild tempo in his chest.
“Wasn’t thinking, just acted…couldn’t let him go over.” Her teeth chattered.
“Well, you saved his life for sure but almost lost yours. I have no idea how you managed to catch onto that rope.”
“Don’t know either. Knocked my head, though.” She shivered despite being next to his warmth.
Reaching her cabin, he shoved the door in with his boot, then searched for a place to set her down. They were both soaked to the bone, so he couldn’t put her on the bed. Miss Beaumont burst in through the connecting door from her room.
“What in God’s name? I knew I should have never let you out of this room. Over here, set her on the desk chair for now. Are you hurt, Vivi? What happened?”
“She went overboard but managed to grab onto a rope before falling into the water. She said she hit her head.” He knelt in front of her, gently examining her scalp. On the left side a section of her hair was matted with blood. The growing red stain against her pale blond hair caused a ball of ice to form in the pit of his stomach. Where the hell was Davis?
“Do you hurt anywhere else, luv? Any broken bones?” he murmured. Vivian looked dazed and unresponsive. Her lips were turning blue.
George Davis strode into the room. “What’s happened? I was told Miss Jamieson is hurt?” Jack briefly explained and showed him where she was bleeding.
Davis scrutinized the area and said, “It looks like a minor laceration, but head wounds do tend to bleed a lot.” He placed a clean handkerchief on the spot. “The bleeding is already sluggish and should stop shortly. You will have a lump there by morning, though. Where else hurts?”
Vivian gestured to her left arm and shoulder, but wasn’t able to get any words out. Davis continued his examination as Jack held himself in check. He wanted to push everyone else out of the room. He wanted to be the one to take care of her. The minute Davis stepped back, Jack knelt in front of her, making his own assessment of her condition. He stared into her eyes, concerned at her dull, glazed-over stare.
