‘We are not at war, sir, not with you or the French. The Mediterranean is international water. My sole task is getting a pretty lady to a wedding.’
These Americans. Anna felt her face flame. She snatched the trumpet from him. ‘I have been informed by Captain Beattie that wedding licences have a time limit. So does my patience.’ She lowered the trumpet, wondering what she was turning into, in her brief association with two navies.
The laughter drifted across the water. ‘Come alongside as close as you can.’
‘Aye aye, Captain.’ Captain Tyler turned to her. ‘Ma’am, it’s been a pleasure to have you aboard.’
‘Now what?’ she asked, not wanting to know.
‘Watch.’ He winked at her. ‘I’ve never lost a soul yet.’
She held tight to Allan as Captain Tyler’s helmsman expertly manoeuvred the smaller ship close to theQueen. Ropes flew, loosely connecting the two ships. In another moment, a series of ropes shaped somewhat like a chair dropped down, lowered from a spar.
‘I can’t possibly do this,’ she whispered.
‘ThenI’llhave to marry you,’ Dan Tyler said.
She glared at him and he chuckled. ‘Miss Fontaine, let me suggest that you put little Pru in first and seat Allan on her lap. I can guarantee you that my Royal Navy counterparts know what to do.’
Pru sat, even though her lip quivered. Anna kissed her cheek. ‘My darling girl, trust a little longer.’
Pru nodded, looped her arms through the rope, then grabbed Allan and closed her eyes. ‘You’re squeezing me too tight,’ he complained.
‘Don’t care,’ she told him. ‘I can’t swim!’
Up they went, guided by two sailors at the ropes. Anna held her breath until they reached theQueen’srailing above them, where practised hands pulled them up and over. She turned to Captain Tyler and held out her hand.
‘Thank you, sir. If ever I can render you a favour…’
The rope seat came down again. She looped her arms as Pru had done, and let Dan Tyler adjust the restraining rope across her waist.
‘I’m coming over, too, after they send the ropes back.’ He gave the rope a tug. ‘I want to meet your Captain Beattie.’
He signalled to theQueenand up Anna rose, too frightened to look down but determined not to embarrass the man who waitedfor her. She looked back at Dan Tyler, and saw him touch his hand to his heart.
Gazing back across the water to the mangledJaunty, Anna bowed her head as the cost of war at sea settled into her heart and mind. She stared ahead at John.
‘Convenient, eh?’ she murmured.
Chapter Nineteen
Anna knew there wasn’t a graceful way to land on the deck. It was a simple matter to release her death grip on the rope and lurch into John’s embrace. ‘Ah, such grace,’ he whispered in her ear, which made her laugh.
He kissed her right there on the deck. Her nautical audience—oh, the Navy!—sighed in unison, which gave Anna the giggles, even though her face was red, her hair a mess and her dress rusty with dried blood from the wounded sailor. At least she was wearing a clean petticoat.
She thought Captain Beattie would make some comment to the bright-eyed rabble observing the whole scene with glee, but he merely turned to the other man with epaulettes on each shoulder and bowed.
‘Your deck, Captain Thomas,’ he said. ‘Thank you for the loan of it. I’m taking this lady below.’
‘Where is your ship?’ Anna asked.
‘This way, Miss Fontaine,’ he said most formally, but with a smile. ‘I’ll show you my domain.’
With a nod to Captain Thomas, who wasted not a moment in shouting, ‘As you were, men,’ sending everyone back to theiroccupations, John took her hand and walked her across the deck.
He gestured. ‘There she is, mySwallow.’
She heard the pride, and wondered about theSwallow, which she had naturally seen in Plymouth, but which looked so much smaller now as she stood on the much larger flagship.
