“This ship? It is the one I gave to Alexis,n’est-ce pas?”
“It is her ship,” Cloud answered.
“And what is an officer of the American Navy doing aboard her vessel? And where is Captain Danty?”
“May we talk below? There is a lot to explain.”
Lafitte hesitated, casting a sidelong glance at Pierre. “I will go with the captain. It will be all right.” He motioned to Cloud to lead the way before Pierre could protest and in a few minutes he was alone with Cloud in a cabin that had the presence of Alexis all about it. He saw her handwriting on the open page of her log, bold yet distinctly feminine. He thought she had chosen her furnishings in much the same manner. There was nothing in the cabin that reminded him of the man who had sailed this ship for Quinton. It was clearly Alexis’s domain. He took a seat and told Cloud to do the same, then repeated his question.
“Alex is dead.” Cloud heard the sharp intake of breath and he continued dully. He forced himself not to think about what he was saying and to concentrate only on getting the words past the tightness in his throat. “We were on our way to New Orleans. We had reason to suspect Captain Travers was patrolling these waters.” He met Lafitte’s eyes directly, letting him know he understood how the information had been received. Lafitte bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment. The storm put us off course and Alexis decided to head for Barataría. We had encountered some minor damage at that time which she thought could be repaired here. Lightning struck our mizzenmast and when it fell it knocked out a section of railing, Captain Danty, the first mate, Jordan, and another crew member were thrown overboard. We managed to get Jordan. There was nothing we could do for Alex and Redland.”
Lafitte listened attentively to the lifeless account, noting the pained, weary expression in the green eyes facing him. That Cloud had had no sleep was obvious. That he had lost someone he cared for was even more obvious and enormously difficult to look upon.
“What were you doing aboard her ship? You must understand that I have to be sure…” Again he faltered, disliking himself for even doubting Cloud’s motives.
“That I am not making this up? That I would tell you this wild story to get at Alex?” Cloud felt anger welling up inside him and he fought to control it. Part of him realized Lafitte was being cautious to protect a woman he did not want to believe was dead. Briefly he told the pirate all that had happened to bring about his presence on theDark Lady.When he was done Lafitte nodded and rose from his chair.
“I am truly sorry,” he said quietly. “I wish it could be as Pierre and I first thought—that you were only trying to discover her whereabouts. I wish I did not believe you.” Both men were silent, each thinking private thoughts that they knew somehow were the same.
Lafitte broke the silence first. “Come. You will be my guest for a few days—you and the crew. It will be some time before the ship can be repaired, and perhaps in that time, we will be able to learn something of Captain Travers. I assume that is what you want to do.” Cloud nodded.“Bien.It is as she would have wanted—not for herself, but for the ones she loved. There is a representative of the Royal Navy due here tomorrow. Perhaps he will know something that will be of help.”
Dinner had been a decidedly gloomy affair. Cloud listened closely to the conversation between Jean and Pierre which centered mainly on the arrival of the Royal Navy captain. Apparently the British had conceived a plan Senator Howe would have admired. They wanted to secure the pirate’s help in maintaining a firm base in New Orleans. The British were willing to name the pirates subjects of the crown and give them residency in British colonies. The brothers joked about the audacity of such a proposal. Jean was interested in meeting the representative in order to put the question of aid to an end once and for all.
Cloud was grateful for the discussion because he could not have contributed any thoughts that would not have reminded everyone of Alexis. Jordan and Peters were also invited to dine and more than once Cloud caught them staring off into space while they made a pretense of eating the delicious food Lafitte had provided for them. Jordan excused himself and his lack of appetite with a statement about not being fully recovered from his near drowning, and the others graciously accepted it. Peters managed to get away from the table early saying he had Peach’s leg to attend to. Again the excuse was accepted. When he was gone, Cloud and the Lafitte brothers were left to manage the uncomfortable silence.
“You have no wish to get away?” Jean asked as he refilled wineglasses.
“Every wish,” Cloud replied honestly. “I hadn’t yet found a way to do it tactfully.”
The brothers laughed, and Jean said, “Tact has its place.”
His voice became somber and he lay his hand on Cloud’s wrist, offering support in his grasp. “But not here—among friends—who share your grief. I suggest you take a tour of Barataría. It is quite beautiful, especially now, at dusk. You will find much to your liking.” He knew he was not cleverly handling his suggestion that Cloud be alone but he believed what he said about tact. “I also insist you spend the night here. One of the servants will prepare a room for you. When you return I will have some news for you concerning our visitors tomorrow. I am expecting it shortly.”
Cloud nodded. He thanked Jean for his understanding, not with words but with his eyes. Then, he left the spacious dining room, the wide foyer, and stepped out onto the portico. There was a slight breeze, the air was cool and fresh, and Cloud took pleasure in being able to breathe it.
He walked aimlessly, hands in his pockets, thumbs out, and let the wind tug at his open collar and whip at his thick hair. He stopped suddenly, not knowing precisely why, when he reached the top of a grassy knoll overlooking the bay. The sun, barely noticeable on the edge of the horizon, had colored the sky with red, orange, and in some places, pale mauve that would become a rich indigo and later deep purple. In sharp relief against the striking background were two ships rolling listlessly off shore. In direct contrast to their somber silhouettes he could hear voices drifting across the water to his place on the crest of the hill. They were too loud, too raucous, too determined to be carefree, to be coming from Pierre’s ship. They were the voices of the crew of theDark Lady.Voices that were consciously hiding their misery beneath boisterous laughter and being totally unsuccessful at it.
He sat cross-legged in the grass and continued to stare out over the bay. He felt oddly protected up here—away from the men, the ship, but overlooking it all. Safe, but in control. The feeling passed and he jerked his head up when he heard the sound of someone approaching from behind. Before he could turn a voice spoke and he was strangely at ease to discover it was Lafitte.
Lafitte sat down beside him, his eyes taking in the same view Cloud had been admiring. “I thought I would find you here. You were thinking of her.” It was not a question.
“Yes.” Cloud was startled by his answer. Until then he had not been aware that Alexis had been on his mind. “She had a place like this. On Tortola. She called it her crow’s nest. She would sit there and watch the ships and wait for her friend and plan her future. She always thought she would be safe in her nest…nothing could harm her there.” He paused, drawing in his breath. “She was wrong.”
“And you?” Lafitte asked quietly. “Do you feel that way now? Protected? Safe?”
“I did for a while. Only a moment. There isn’t any place where one can be fully protected.”
“At one time I thought Barataría would offer me that,” Lafitte thought aloud. “A refuge from the rest of the world. It is not like that. The world intrudes.”
Cloud listened to the words, regretful but not bitterly spoken. There was some memory that remained unsaid. He had heard stories about Lafitte’s family, murdered by the Spanish, and now he thought they were true. Lafitte had ceased to allow the world to intrude upon him. Now he made the first move.
Cloud unfolded his legs and stretched them out before him, leaning back on his elbows. He let the silence that seemed to create a seal of friendship over them continue a few minutes longer before he spoke.
“You said you would have news for me when I returned to the house. I assume you did not want to wait to tell me.”
Lafitte nodded. “It is about the British representative. I told you they are anxious for my assistance.”
“You also gave me reason to believe you would not consider it.”
