She welcomed the pain.It kept her alert, moving, and not folding into a ball of agonizing terror.Terror that now only increased when her thoughts once again sped to Omphile.How was Moses going to find her in the mansion?Even if he did, how would he escape with her unnoticed?
She yanked on Cadan’s arm, once, twice, until finally halting him.“We must go help Moses.I know where Omphile is!”She heaved out between breaths.
“So does Moses.Trust me, my lady.Now hurry!”Squeezing her hand tightly, he tugged her behind him once again.
Trust him?But what choice did she have?
Within minutes they left the sugarcane behind and raced down a dirt road to the edge of town.Darkened storerooms and warehouses rose on both sides of the path like sentinels of the night.Oddly the warm mud felt good on her bare feet, now cut and bruised from their run.
Perspiration trickled down her back and moistened her neck and forehead as the scent of fish, horse dung, and spirits filled her nose.
Yet they continued.Slower this time.
“Wish you had that hat,” Cadan commented, glancing at her loose hair.“We’ll have to stick to the shadows behind town.It will hurt your feet.”He frowned.
“There, I see them!”a man shouted.
Clutching Gabrielle’s arm, Cadan pulled her between two buildings.Then facing her, he pressed his arms on either side of her and cloaked her with his body.
His hot breath whooshed over her.The warmth of him leached through every bone.His masculine scent of leather and nutmeg saturated every pore of her skin.He covered her like a shield…a breathing, pulsating shield.And for the first time in her life, she felt truly protected and cherished by a man.
The French troops marched past.Cadan looked up and, without saying a word, took her hand once again and led her behind the building.
They kept to the shadows, hiding amongst trees and brush behind shops, taverns, and punch houses.Though ’twas nearly midnight, a few people still milled about, but mostly ’twas sailors, pirates, and lonely men drifting from one brothel or alehouse to another.Gabrielle caught glimpses between buildings of the silver-streaked wavelets in the harbor where ships rocked to and fro.
Surely theResolutewas not among them.But where was Cadan going?She didn’t ask.For some reason, she trusted him.He’d come for her.Risked everything.He could have gotten his revenge on Damien at the ball when the man was incapacitated, yet he’d chosen to save her instead.Why, she could not fathom.
Soldiers flooded the town, some on horseback, others in groups with pistols and blades drawn.Angry French words ricocheted off buildings and trees.
“What are they saying?”she dared ask Cadan.
“They are asking if anyone has seen us.”He stopped behind a small building and drew her close, listening.His breath came heavy.He stood nigh inches from her, the tip of her head only reaching his chin.
“They are everywhere, Cadan.”Gabrielle hated the tremor in her voice.
Even in the shadows, she thought she saw him grin.“Not everywhere, my love.”
His endearment warmed her down to her toes.What was wrong with her?Was she falling for this man, this pirate who had used her and her son as bait?Could she not at least fall for a decent man?
They continued onward, soon leaving the town behind and entering a mangrove swamp.Hesitant, Gabrielle finally followed Cadan through knee high water, doing her best not to think about the creatures that lived there—frogs, lizards…snakes!Her feet sank into soft silt one minute and then balanced over a tangled mass of thick tree roots the next.Her sodden trousers weighed her down with each painful step.Fish nibbled at her feet, and she prayed there were no lethal predators about like the crocodiles she’d heard of.Yet thoughts of seeing Matthew again, even if that hope was small, kept her moving forward.
After what seemed like hours, swamp gave way to sand, and the smell of the sea filled her nose even before she heard the lap of waves on the shore.
The shadow of a large man came into view, standing beside a boat.A woman eased out from behind him at the sound of their approach.
Gabrielle squealed.“Omphile!”She ran toward the woman, immediately swallowing her up in her arms.
Moses clasped hands with Cadan.“Good t’ see you, Cap’n.”
“And you.”
Leaves rustled, sand shifted, and a voice behind them shouted.“Halt there!”
Gabrielle looked up to see three men pointing rapiers straight at Cadan’s heart.
“Take the women and go!”he shouted to Moses, drawing his blade.
“Nay!”Gabrielle shouted as Moses turned and gestured for them to get into the boat.“I will not leave you!”
