“That’s right,” she said quietly. She searched his face earnestly. “Do you understand why I have to go back, Mr. Jordan?”
His expression was deadpan. “Do you understand why we are going with you?” Alexis’s eyes betrayed her surprise and Jordan’s laughter this time was warm and comforting. He smiled openly, his eyes shining with the brilliance of a child setting out on some new adventure. “You don’t think we are going to let him hang after he returned you to us? And we are certainly not going to allow you to turn yourself in. They wouldn’t trade anyway. They’d have you and Captain Cloud. No, we came to Washington to get a captain out and that’s what we are going to do. Objections?”
Alexis grinned. “I don’t think it would be prudent to object. I’d only end up with a mutiny on my hands.” She stood and began pacing the deck, not in restless agitation, Jordan noted but with a purposeful stride that marked her resumption of full command. Her words were clear and crisp, edged with the undeniable authority of her position. “How far are we from Washington?”
“Not far. If we turned about now we could be back before sunset.”
“Too early. We will continue slow and steady and then we will turn and go back when it is dark. I doubt anyone will come after us now. Captain Cloud is the only one who could bring us in and he has probably sent any pursuers on the chase of their life. If there are any ships sighted, we are going to outrun them. No fighting unless we’re fired upon. Is that clear?” Jordan nodded. “Did you sight many British frigates as you were approaching?”
“Several. They didn’t give us any notice. Ran up a Union Jack and gave our destination as London. They let us through. We changed our course again when we were clear.”
“Good. We will continue that way. I do not anticipate them as being much of a problem. Our biggest worry from them remains impressment.”
“Do you know where the captain will be taken?” asked Jordan.
“No. But his crew is bound to know something by the time we return. We will have to rely on them for information. And Mr. Jordan,” her voice was deadly serious, “that’s all we can ask of any of them. They don’t dare be implicated in any escape.”
“I understand, Captain. Do you have a plan?”
“The beginning of one. Only the beginning. I need more time to think.” She stopped pacing and faced Jordan, her slim smile rife with self-mockery. “I am more accustomed to devising my own escapes, not someone else’s.”
Jordan chuckled. “Do you want me to talk to the men?”
“Yes. I do not want any man involved unless it is his own choice. Those who do not want to help will have to be left in Washington, otherwise they’ll be in danger if we’re chased.”
“They’ll all come,” he answered certainly.
She nodded. “I think they will. You can go now. I’ll have something worked out in an hour or so. Come back then and we can go over the details. I want you to tell me anything that doesn’t sound plausible. We cannot afford one mistake.”
Jordan started to take his leave, eager to tell the others about their new plans. He halted when Alexis called to him. He heard the anxiety in her tone and when he turned he saw it clearly displayed on her face. She stood before him with all her defenses down and he felt a certain pride that she trusted him to see her this way.
“You never answered my question,” she said quietly. “Do you understand why I must go back?”
He smiled. After a pause he said, “I might even understand it better than you.”
She stiffened. “What does that mean?”
“You are going back to the captain because you want to put an end to this farce once and for all. The charges of treason—his death—have to be stopped because they would give the illusion of truth to all the lies that have been stacked against you. And there is another reason you’re going back—the one you don’t want to name.” For the first time since he had known her, Jordan thought he detected a blush surfacing on the planes of her cheeks.
“Am I so obvious?” she asked, meeting his gaze directly.
“This time—yes.” Jordan leaned against the door, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Were you worried we might not want to follow you if we thought you were doing this because you love the captain?”
“I didn’t know if you would understand.”
Jordan’s sun-white brows furrowed and lines creased his face. His voice was sharp. “Captain Danty, we have followed you all over the Atlantic because you hate a man. There is a reason for hating him. You have a reason to want your revenge. Now we’ll follow you into Washington because you love a man. There are reasons why you love him. You must have a reason for wanting to see him free.”
“I should have known,” she said. “I should have known without having to hear it from you.”
“Yes, you should have,” he said flatly. “All this time aboard this ship together, you shouldn’t have had to ask.”
Alexis cast him a sharp glance then she laughed. “I deserved that.” She sat down. “Now, Mr. Jordan, as to this ship. What exactly are we calling her these days?”
He stood at attention, once again the competent first mate. “Why, it’s theDark Lady.We’ve come full circle.”
“Then suppose you go on deck and see thatDark Lady’screw knows what’s going to take place this evening. When you’ve accomplished that we will go over precisely how it is going to take place.”
Jordan caught the excitement in her voice. “Aye, Captain,” he answered and left the cabin with a new spring in his step.
