After a light breakfast in his kitchen, he threw the trunk into the carriage and headed the horses in the direction of the harbor. Steering away from theConcord,he drove toward the piers the cargo ships used. There he inquired about destinations and departures. He was in the middle of one of these conversations when his eyes suddenly focused on a sight he had feared for weeks but now welcomed. He walked away from the bewildered man at his side, offering no explanation, and watched the Quinton merchant—Alexis’s ship—glide down the Potomac. He caught a young boy passing by and quickly scribbled off a note. He pointed in the direction of the ship and the boy nodded. After giving him a few coins, Cloud went back to his carriage.
He took a number of side streets to Davidson’s home to pass the time. When he arrived he was asked to have a seat. He waited, feet propped on the trunk in front of him.
“You wanted to see me, Mr. Davidson?” he asked when he had been escorted to the study and the door was closed behind him.
“Yes. Have you brought Captain Danty’s things?”
Cloud thought Davidson looked as if he hadn’t slept all night. He smiled, thinking of his own restful sleep. “I have them in a trunk in the hallway. I’ll take it up to her, if you haven’t changed your mind about permitting me to visit.”
Davidson seemed appalled that the captain would think that. “Oh no! You must speak with her. Mr. Madison was extremely disappointed with her refusal to help us.”
“You’ve talked to him?”
“First thing this morning. He was most anxious to hear our report and very distressed that we were forced to hold her. He wants you to make her understand.”
“I intend to,” Cloud said firmly.
“Good. Then please go to her now. Leave word with the guard as you said you would. I have a meeting this afternoon with Bennet and Dr. Eustis.” He frowned, wringing his hands together. “This war has us all overworked.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Davidson looked at Cloud curiously, not sure what it was the captain professed to understand. “Ah, of course you do, Captain Cloud. I mean, after all you will be fighting it.”
Cloud smiled, shaking Davidson’s hand. “I will persuade Captain Danty, Mr. Davidson. She and I will fight this war together.” Still smiling, he left the room.
“What do you make of it, Captain?” asked Ned Allison.
Jordan folded the note and slipped it into his pocket, turning to the boy who delivered it. “Who gave this to you?”
“I don’t know his name, sir. He didn’t say. Just said I was supposed to give it to someone on this ship.” The boy was nervous under the harsh stares of the men. His foot tapped against the deck and his eyes darted toward the wharf.
“Well, what did he look like?”
The boy shrugged his shoulders. “He was tall. Well dressed. A uniform, I don’t know nothin’ about rank. He wasn’t husky like you, but you could tell he was strong. Oh yeah, he’s got hair about the color of this.” He held up one of the coins Cloud had given him, the color of copper. “That’s all I remember.”
Jordan smiled grimly. “You remembered enough, lad. Go on. Get out of here.” He waited until the boy made his hasty retreat then he looked at Ned and Peters. “We’ll do what the note says. It had to have been written by Cloud. He’s got until four o’clock. Otherwise we’re going to tear down this town brick by brick until we find her.”
Peters nodded. “And we’ll use the rubble to bury the bastard.”
It took Alexis several minutes after waking to remember where she was and why she was there. Sitting up in bed, she glanced around the room, seeing things she had been unaware of when she first entered.
A beautifully crafted chest of drawers stood against one wall as elegant as the giant four-poster bed on which she sat. On the commode by the bed was a washbasin filled with fresh water. Clean linens were placed neatly beside it. A pale green robe lay over the back of a chair. She sighed at this fresh attempt to win her over.
It occurred to Alexis that in this room she could easily think of herself as a guest, but a knock at the door and the guard’s voice announcing breakfast destroyed the notion.
“Good morning, miss,” the guard said uncomfortably, as he brought in a tray of steaming eggs and ham. Alexis chose not to respond to his greeting.
She thanked him as he left the tray on the table by her bed. When he left she found she had little appetite, and she left most of her meal untouched.
She washed and put on the robe she supposed must belong to Davidson’s wife or perhaps a mistress. The room seemed stiflingly hot. As she threw open the window, she saw two guards look up in her direction. It was then that the hopelessness she had experienced the night before washed over her again, but she managed to shake it off as she stepped away from the window. She must never again allow that feeling to overtake her in such immense proportions. How had she let it happen last night? she wondered. Why had she accepted their judgment and treatment of her? She picked up a delicate crystal vase from the mantel of the fireplace and in one violent motion of her arm she hurled it to the floor. Her body trembled as it shook off the last of her feelings of defeat. She was flushed and her eyes were glowing when the guard burst into the room.
“What did you do?” he demanded. His eyes went first to the splinters of glass at her bare feet and slowly traveled upward over her body. He saw the faint quivering of her flesh as a movement in the pale green robe. One arm hung at her side while the other was still caught in the uncompleted motion of her throw. Slowly the arm continued downward until it also rested at her side. Her face held no expression except for the kind of fulfillment he thought it was only decent to show in bed. Her lips were parted slightly and her eyes were bright in a way that would have said thank you to a lover.
She bent to pick up the glass. “I knocked this off the mantel,” she explained. “I am sorry if I disturbed you. Please tell Mr. Davidson I will be happy to replace it for him.”
“Aye, sure. And how are you going to do that when you’re in prison?”
She lifted her head a moment to look at him and then dropped it just as quickly to hide her smile. “You’re right. I forgot where I was and where I’ll be going. No matter. I’ll find a way to replace it.”
