“I would not endure it a moment longer if your ship was ready. He is a cruel man. He talks lightly of disciplining his men with harsh floggings as if that will endear him to me.” He sighed. “What a lot of fanciful notions others have about pirates.” He joined Cloud’s laughter, thankful the man retained that capacity, and then he went to his room.
The following evening the news was much the same.
“He is growing very impatient,” Lafitte said.
“Our repairs will be completed tomorrow evening. Can you keep him one more day?”
“Can the crew work without you?”
“Of course. Mr. Jordan will supervise.”
“Bien.I want you to meet Travers.”
“What on earth for, Jean? I don’t think I could tolerate being in the same room with him. Why do you ask it?”
“I persuaded him to stay an extra day because I said I received a lucrative offer from the Americans. I told him I expected the arrival of their representative tomorrow. You must not make me out to be a liar.”
“All right,” Cloud agreed reluctantly. “When do you want me to come?”
“In time for dinner,naturellement.Jeannine is preparing the most delicious ham. You will enjoy it.”
“I doubt I will eat a bite.”
While Travers was in his third afternoon meeting with Lafitte, Hugh Jackson decided it was time to check on the condition of Alexis. He was careful to make sure no one saw him go in the direction of her quarters. Travers had a few men who were loyal to him and the doctor feared his captain’s reprisal as much as anyone.
He listened at the door for some sign of life inside before he dared enter. When he caught the sound of tiny whimpering he unbolted the door. Holding the lantern high, he stepped inside. He had barely taken three steps into the cabin when he was attacked from behind and knocked on the floor. The lantern dropped and rolled but it did not go out, so Alexis had enough light to see it was not Travers she had gone after, but one of the two men who had shown her some kindness.
“I’m sorry, Doctor,” she apologized wearily. “I thought you were the captain.”
Jackson got to his feet and brushed himself off. “You seem to have a habit of making that mistake. I wouldn’t mind if your intent wasn’t to kill.” He bent over for the lantern and lifted it high, inspecting her in the flickering light. “My God! What happened to you?” Her right eye was bruised and discolored and her jaw was swollen. Her once-white shirt and fawn trousers were spotted with blood and he could see slight scars in the material that had been rendered by a whip.
She dismissed her appearance with a wave of her hand but she faltered unsteadily on her feet. “Please, Doctor. Captain Travers would not tell me. How is Mr. Smith?”
“He is much better. Stubborn man. Wanted to come down here himself, but I told him I would look in on you. You are lucky he is alive. You would be hanging from the crosstrees otherwise.”
“I am aware of that.” She released her breath slowly. Relief that Smith was alive and recovering made her relax. The pain she had been trying to hide from the doctor gripped her in a dozen different places. She moaned and started to fall to the deck.
Jackson caught her and eased her down, placing the lantern on the deck. The fetid air in the room was turning his stomach but he managed to fight the nausea while he held her head in his lap and stroked her hair. He had no medicines with him and he was undecided whether he should risk going back for them.
“I want to help you,” he said quietly. “I don’t know what I can do.”
“It’s all right. You should not be here. If the captain finds out he will have you punished.”
“Did he do this to you?”
She nodded. “That first night…after I hurt Smith…he came down here. He said he did not want to punish me in front of everyone.”
“Shh. Don’t talk. Have you had anything to eat? No, don’t talk. Just shake your head.” She shook her head. “Water?” Again she shook her head. “God almighty! What does he want from you?”
“He wants me to b-b-beg.” She was shivering now so Jackson took off his jacket and covered her.
“I’ll be back,” he said, easing her head onto the floor. “I’ll get my medicines and—”
“No, you mustn’t. The captain—”
“I don’t care about that. You can’t survive down here without some treatment.”
“No!”
