“It’s a lovely garden, isn’t it?” he asked, following her gaze.
“Why, yes it is.”
Cloud smiled at the brief pause she took before she answered. He knew she had not been looking at the garden, but the distance to it. She was seeing a path of escape, not a path of brightly colored flowers in the last of the evening light. He noticed, as he was sure she did, the window was bolted shut. He breathed easier. The terrace beyond was out of her reach. When she faced the room again he saw her looking for other exits, all the while carrying on a harmless discussion with Bennet.
When the table was cleared and the servants were gone, Farthington escorted Alexis back to a chair. Cloud noticed she had asked Bennet for the seat closest to the window and farthest from him. He looked at the bolt again and saw she had not tampered with it.
Those present seated themselves once more, each with a glass of wine except for Cloud and Alexis. Davidson reached for a box of cheroots. He hesitated when he saw Alexis wrinkle her nose slightly.
“Do you mind if we smoke, Miss Danty?”
“Not at all, if someone would be kind enough to open the window.” The senator moved to gallantly comply with her request.
Cloud shifted uneasily as Howe slid the catch and swung the windows wide, creating an unobstructed entrance to the terrace and the lawn beyond. Soft August breezes filled the room. The scent of flowers from the garden smelled like freedom to Alexis and she inhaled deeply. The same scent smelled of danger to Cloud and he could scarcely breathe at all. Then the fragrance was all but obliterated by the overpowering cigar smoke.
“Miss Danty,” Howe said pleasantly when he was seated again. “Before we can proceed we need to establish you are who Captain Cloud claims you to be. I am sure you must realize how difficult it is for us to imagine you as the captain described you to us. He mentioned how lovely you are, of course, but he hardly described you as you are now.”
Alexis nodded and waited for Cloud to answer this blow to his credibility.
“She is Captain Danty, Senator. Why do you think otherwise?” Cloud’s easy answer mocked the tension in his every muscle.
“I know you were against this from the beginning, Captain. You also told me of an attempted escape. Perhaps you let the real Captain Danty go free and substituted her with this woman.”
“Ask her yourself.”
Howe leaned forward in his chair, folding his arms on the table and addressed Alexis. “Are you Captain Danty?”
“Yes.”
“Can you prove that to us?”
“What manner of proof do you require, Senator?” Her voice was laced with derision but Howe was oblivious to it. “Run you through with a sword, perhaps?”
Richard Granger coughed uneasily. “Um, not that. Tell us something of your background.”
Mechanically, as if she were reciting memorized material, Alexis told them of London and Tortola and her search for Travers. She described her escape fromHamiltonbut made no mention of Lafitte. She told them of her imprisonment on boardConcord.At no time did she embellish the facts, instead she gave the information simply and honestly.
Cloud listened to her lifeless recital as he watched the faces of the others. She told them no lies and yet she said it in such a way that not one of them believed her. When she was finished he said, “I trust Captain Danty has satisfied you.”
“On the contrary,” Davidson answered, stubbing out his cheroot furiously. “She has told us nothing she could not have learned from you.”
“I did not learn it from him,” Alexis objected adamantly, too adamantly for them to believe her.
“What do you know Lafitte?” asked the senator sharply.
Alexis’s eyes grew wide. “Why, Lafitte is a pirate. He is very well known.” Her expression and voice spoke of innocence and the others turned angrily on the captain they had trusted.
“Did you forget to tell this impostor about Lafitte’s part in her story, Captain?” Bennet Farthington placed a comforting hand on Alexis’s bare arm. He had been right after all. Cloud could not bring in the real Captain Danty. The woman at his side, trembling beneath his hand, was far too naïve to take command of a ship, let alone make threats against a British commander. He had known it the moment he had seen her standing in the doorway. What man would follow this woman anywhere but to bed?
Alexis turned her face away from Farthington, his thoughts so openly displayed in his eyes she could not bear to look at him. He interpreted her action as a demure invitation to carry out his thoughts.
Cloud smiled grimly. “I told her nothing. She is Alex Danty, Captain of theDark Lady,theDiamond Maria,theAriel,to name but a few of the titles she uses for her ship.”
The words were barely out of his mouth before Alexis decided it was time to press her advantage. She covered her face with her hands to hide her disgust. What sounded like choked sobs to the others was in truth her bitter laughter.
“Don’t blame Tanner! It’s not his fault I couldn’t remember everything!”
Cloud was prepared for her. Now that the lies were going to be told, she would be believed. They had asked for this. Silently he applauded her, wishing he could truly help her with what she was working toward. The most she would be able to have was a brief moment to secure credibility for her performance.
