The question brought a grin to my face. “It seems I evoke that desire in people. Have you not glared at me on more than one occasion in a way that suggested you wished to throttle me?”
She swatted my arm. “I am struggling not to glare at you just so at this very moment. How can you tease me after saying something like that? You are a complete nuisance, Edward Paget.”
I chuckled, our banter easing much of the heaviness caused by our conversation. I needed it. “And you would have no respect for me if I did not aim to meet expectations.”
Her lips twitched. “Am I to expect your teasing for the rest of my life, then?”
“I would be fortunate should you allow me your company for that long.”
The twinkling amusement in her eyes faded. I had said too much—flirted too openly. She shifted on the bench, averting her gaze. “Why did Captain Hollinsby attempt to kill you?”
I drew in a breath to steel myself against the flood of memories that would come in tandem with my explanation. “After I turned twenty-one, the Royal Navy formed a branch known as the West Africa Squadron. Have you heard of it?”
She shook her head.
“It is a fleet of ships whose sole purpose is to scour the African coast searching for slave ships,” I continued. “After the Slave Trade Act passed, it became illegal for English ships to capture slaves and transport them to the colonies. Such activity became the equivalent of piracy in the eyes of Parliament, and a hefty fine was established for anyone caught participating in it. Upon hearing of the Squadron, I immediately wished to transfer my service, but it required time and work to acquire the position. It took me three years and a promotion to lieutenant before I transferred to theFreedom, a ship in the Squadron captained by Hollinsby.
“For five years, I sailed with him. We searched dozens of ships, freed hundreds of people. I finally felt as though I was making a difference. I could not sit in Parliament and fight for new legislation, but I could fight for the people who were yanked from their homes and chained.” Moisture gathered in my eyes, and emotion laced my voice, but I did not fight it. “No one deserves to be enslaved. Every human being deserves freedom—a life where they are not required to work without payment and often with cruelty.”
I closed my eyes, shaking my head. “Like a fool, I assumed everyone serving aboard theFreedombelieved as I did. I thought Hollinsby was a good man. He was a decorated captain, revered by all of England, but it was nothing but a façade.”
Anger pulsed inside me. I hated how easily I had been deceived. Five years of serving with the man and not seeing his flaws? His true nature? How had I been so blind? Had I realized the man’s intentions sooner, Adda would not be in the predicament she was now. She might never have been forced into a life of servitude.
“Edward?”
Annette’s soft voice bid my eyes open, and I turned to face her. Sympathy shone in her gaze, and I felt at once a peace that curbed my anger. Confiding in her had been the right choice; I could feel it. That reassurance changed something within me. Opened my heart in ways I’d been fighting. To share my burdens with this woman—this woman, who might become my wife—unlocked a vision of the future I hadn’t considered.
My shoulders slumped, the tension draining from my body.
“What did Hollinsby do?” she asked gently.
I sighed. “One night, we captured a vessel carrying slaves. Hollinsby had them brought aboard, and we were to return them to the coast the following day. The captain of the slave ship faced fines for his miscreance—high ones, given the rate of one hundred pounds per enslaved person. The vessel was carrying over a dozen.
“I had thought we claimed another victory. Seeking to celebrate with Hollinsby, I ventured to his quarters later that night, only to find him in company with the slave ship’s captain. The two of them were clearly drunk and had likely forgotten the door remained ajar. That’s when I learned the true nature of Hollinsby. The two men were celebrating their agreement, which included slaves for Hollinsby and a warning for the other man.”
“A warning?” Her brows puckered. “You mean to say Hollinsby let him go without paying the fine?”
“Worse. Under the guise of darkness, Hollinsby returned the slaves to the ship, save for two.”
“You are certain?”
I nodded. “I hid on deck and watched them get transferred myself.”
“And you confronted Hollinsby?”
“Not right away. I suppose part of me hoped to find an explanation for what had occurred. It was naive of me to hold onto hope that Hollinsby was still the man I believed him to be. By the next morning, we were anchored off the coast. He gathered the crew and told us that we had successfully freed more men and women and that they had already returned to shore.”
She reared back, her expression indignant. “And not a single person questioned why the transfer was made at night? Or suspected anything was afoul?”
I smiled wryly. “They had no reason to doubt Hollinsby. Each of the men likely believed a small crew rowed the slaves ashore while the remainder of us rested. No one questioned it. No one found it strange. After all, it was not the first time the captain had done so.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean to say he had done this before?”
“Yes, perhaps many times. The slave trade has always been a lucrative business. Captains would pay handsomely for a Squadron ship to look the other way. Not only do they avoid the fines, but they are free to continue on with their cargo. A cargo that is worth its weight in gold. Hollinsby was paid quite well with bribery. The promise of wealth could convince a man to risk the gallows.”
Annette stood and began pacing in front of me. “But they are people! They are not pieces of silk or-or a painted vase. People should not be sold like cattle. Likethings. Especially not for the gain of another man.”
“We are in agreement, but that was not the reality of the past. Or in this case, the present.”
