“I did not intend to imply otherwise, Captain,” he said earnestly.
“I know.” She paused, remembering Jordan had just as much reason for wanting to see Travers as she did. “I want you to assign a half dozen men to discover Travers’s whereabouts when we dock tomorrow. It will only take us about eight hours to exchange our cargo. Make sure they know that is all the time they have. You will remain on deck as captain. I will not go up at all unless it is necessary to have another attack of the vapors if a search is threatened.”
Jordan stood and beamed at his captain. “If I ever get married, remind me to make certain my wife takes better to the sea than you.”
“It will be my pleasure,” she returned, matching his bright smile.
“Anything else before I leave?”
“Find Peach and tell him I would like some of that fresh rain water for a bath. And, Mr. Jordan,” she added softly but with the same firmness present in all her commands, “those men you pick to find Travers. Make sure they’re volunteers.”
He laughed. “That will be easier than finding Peach, Captain.”
When he was gone Alexis examined the cargo manifest, checking off the list with sharp strokes of her quill. As she finished, there was a hesitant knock at the door.
“Your water, Captain,” the voice announced timidly.
“Bring it in, Peach,” she answered. “Fill up the tub, then take this manifest to Mr. Jordan and ask him to verify it. If it is satisfactory, slip it under my door. I do not want to be disturbed until we reach London.”
Peach filled the tub quickly, in spite of the heaviness of the buckets he had to carry from the companionway. Peach, at twelve, all arms and legs, was a little in awe of his captain and his hurried pace was due as much to his anxiousness to please her as it was to remove himself from her presence. He took the paper Alexis held out to him and almost ran from the cabin, missing her murmured thank you.
Smiling to herself over Peach’s actions, Alexis unfastened her dress and hung it in her wardrobe. Tossing her other garments aside, she slipped into the tub. When tepid water greeted her, she noted it was time to have a talk with her new cabin boy about hot baths.
She leaned her head against the edge of the large copper tub and shut her eyes. The full weight of the responsibility she carried for her men and her ship consumed her for a second. She shuddered involuntarily. The end had been so close today when they had been boarded.
The British were anxious to call a halt to her activities, but this afternoon had been the closest they had come—and they’d left, never knowing they had been face to face with Captain Danty. TheSea Jewelmatched the general description of the vessel that sunk a British sloop six weeks earlier. Of courseFlying Tempest, Wicked Lady,andAriel—the other names of her ship—also matched the description.Dark Lady,the name under which the search had begun, had flown with just as many different flags and the safe was full of documents proving ownership to different shipping lines—Garnet Shipping among them.
Alexis sighed, lathering her shoulders and face. She had managed to fool them today because they were looking for a scarred man, not a scarred woman. But how long would she be able to keep the secret? Her men would never tell; they had as much to lose as she did. The crew ofHamilton?No, they had wished her well. And Lafitte? She laughed lightly. Lafitte would never speak a word.
Her mind went back to the day of her escape from theHamiltonand from Cloud….
She had held out her arms and allowed the men to pull her out of the rescue boat and onto the deck of the ship. Then they had pulled their arms away suddenly, as if they had no right to touch something they could not explain. And a woman, half drowned from the torturous swim she had just finished, was beyond their comprehension.
Alexis, swaying at the loss of support for her tired, aching limbs, would have fallen if other strong arms had not reached out to stop her descent. She thanked the man, who was regarding her more curiously than the others; then she gently released herself from his secure grip and edged toward the railing, leaning against it until she could catch her breath. She observed the startled faces, especially that of the man who had broken her fall. He seemed to be mildly amused. His narrow lips were set in a taunting half-grin as if he had already accepted her being aboard and was merely waiting for some sort of explanation. His blue-green eyes sparkled mischievously, holding some secret he was not ready to share. Alexis’s gaze wandered past his handsome face in search of the captain of her vessel.
“I would like to talk to the captain,” she said when she finally caught her breath. Most of the men continued to stare at her blankly. Alexis persisted. “Thank you for bringing me aboard, but I would like to explain my presence to your captain. It is Mr. Samuels, I believe. May I see him?”
There was a murmur of confusion before the man with the taunting smile stepped forward to ease Alexis’s bewilderment. “I am the captain, demoiselle.Je m’appelle Jean Lafitte.”Hemade a low bow but looked up quickly to watch Alexis’s reaction.
Alexis was unperturbed. She smiled, holding out her hand. Lafitte took it and kissed it lightly. “Monsieur Lafitte, may I inquire what you are doing aboard my ship?” she asked.
For the first time she read surprise on his sun darkened face, but he masked it quickly, breaking into a wide grin and laughing heartily. “Demoiselle, that was my question to you. Perhaps you read minds?”
“Not at all,” she answered easily. “My name is Alexis Danty Quinton and this vessel belongs to me. If I may see the real captain, the one my father put in charge, he will be able to verify my identity.”
“That is not necessary even though your request is impossible for the moment. Captain Samuels is aboard my own ship. Quite safe, as is the crew.” He thought he detected a hint of relief in her champagne eyes. She was most unusual. Beneath her wet and tangled hair, beyond her dripping men’s attire, there stood a singularly beautiful young woman. In addition to her physical attributes she seemed to have an aura of strength and sense of challenge about her. He could hardly believe she was standing in front of him quite calmly, demanding to see Samuels.
“Je pense, Mademoiselle Quinton—”
“I would prefer Alex, Monsieur.”
“Alex, then. I think you will have to answer some of my questions first; then we will make a determination as to whether you will see Samuels. Would you like drier clothes?”
Alexis looked down at herself and laughed.“C’est une bonne idée.I am afraid my rather unusual appearance has done little to confirm my identity.”
Lafitte nodded amiably and led Alexis to Samuels’s cabin. “You might be able to find something suitable among his things until your own clothes dry. I will return shortly and we can trade explanations, though I assure you that mine is very simple.” He started to leave but stopped, remembering something. “The ship you left sent us a signal to pick you up. Is there a return message?”
Alexis was silent. She thought of Cloud lying unconscious on the floor of his cabin and of Landis and Harry and all her other friends aboardHamilton.They would want to know. She shook her head. This was a new beginning, and they had to be forgotten for the time being. “No,” she said softly. “There is no message. I’m sure they know I was pulled aboard. They will know I survived.” She paused. “And, Monsieur Lafitte, it would be best if you got under way immediately. I was warned before I jumped ship that you might be in possession of this one. Someone on board may change his mind and come after you.”
