“You can go, Peach,” she said finally, touched by his concern.
He walked past her with the same confident air he had displayed for Cloud the previous evening. He had reached the door when Cloud called to him.
“By the way, Peach,” he said casually. “I don’t believe I thanked you properly for your assistance yesterday.”
“I was doing what was expected of me,” the boy replied.
Now Cloud’s voice was earnest. “I would not thank you for anything less than that.”
Peach turned, flashing Cloud a huge, wondrous grin, and Cloud knew he had passed the first test.
Alexis shut the door behind her cabin boy and looked at Cloud thoughtfully before she spoke. “I think there is a conspiracy against me. You are going to take Peach away from me.”
“Hardly. In fact, I’d say the conspiracy is against me.” He smiled. “If Peach is any indication, I am going to have my hands full trying to prove I’m worthy of you.”
Alexis took a seat at the table and began peeling an orange. “You’ll find Peach an exception. The others trust my judgment. But I suppose he’ll keep you busy enough.” She dismissed Peach’s protective attitude with a wave of her hand. “I think we should discuss what you want to do about Howe and the others. Have you given it any thought?” Her voice was cool and impersonal but Cloud looked up from his plate in time to see the downward curve of her mouth, revealing her concern.
“I’ve given it some,” he answered. “Are you worried about something, Alex?”
“Are you going to ask me to return you to Washington so you can fight them personally?”
“And if I did?”
“You haven’t answered my question,” she sighed. “But I’ll answer yours. I cannot return you directly to Washington. It would be too dangerous for my crew. But I will see you safely to another port, if that is what you really want.”
“You would do that?”
“If I didn’t I would be guilty of the same thing you were when you took me from my home.” She faced his gaze directly and caught the first hint of a smile in his eyes and the relaxed line of his mouth. “You aren’t going to ask me, are you?” Her relief was overshadowed by her indignation that he would even pose the question.
“No. I am not going to ask you to do that. But I had to hear your answer anyway.”
“Why?”
“I had to know if the alternative was open to me or if I was your prisoner.”
Now Alexis smiled at the thought of keeping Cloud behind a locked door with guards posted at the entrance. “You would do better not to bait me or I might be tempted to throw you in the hold.” She eyed him wickedly over the rim of her cup and actually seemed to be weighing the thought. His smile disappeared and she laughed, setting down her cup. “What do you have in mind?”
“Can you take me to Charleston?”
She sat upright. “But I thought—”
“To deliver some letters,” he finished before she could go on. He waited for her to relax then he continued. “I thought I would write a letter to Madison and to my sister, explaining what the senator is doing. Did you know Howe is from Massachusetts? Ironic, isn’t it? Emma and Blake will be able to exert some pressure on him there, and I am sure the President will find a suitable method for dealing with him. The others will fall into line after that.”
“Do you think the letters will actually make it to their destination? It’s risky putting that all on paper. What if they are never delivered?”
“Howe can’t—”
“I didn’t mean Howe. I mean letters just have a way of getting lost.”
Cloud frowned and dropped an orange slice into his mouth. He chewed it thoughtfully. “I suppose it’s a chance I’ll have to take.”
“I might have a way to reduce the risk. My second-in-command, Kurt Jordan, is from Charleston. He may know someone who would see the letters delivered personally. I’ll ask him when we go on deck.”
Cloud finished his breakfast, thinking that Peach was right for placing his trust in Captain Danty.
“And now, Captain,” he said, pushing his plate aside. “What sort of work do you have for me to do?” He laughed at her surprise. “I seem to be a commander without a ship and I can’t very well do nothing around here.”
“Are you serious?” She could hardly imagine him working for her.
