Page 30 of Much Ado about a Widow

“Oh, Lulu! Come here.” Georgie bent down and beckoned to the dog.

The ship pitched forward again. Georgie lost her footing on the slippery planks and tumbled to the deck.

“Careful, my lady.” With St. Just’s help, she staggered to her feet, righting herself just as Lulu slid forward and disappeared over the side into the merciless waters of the Channel.

Chapter Ten

“Lulu!” Lady Georgina screamed—a sound as piercing as any bosun’s call Rob had ever heard—and began fighting to get out of his embrace.

“Lulu! Oh, dear God.” Clawing at his arms, she twisted to and fro until she suddenly threw herself against him with full force. Catching him off guard, she broke free of his hold and staggered toward the rail, still shrieking. “Lulu.”

“Georgina.” Rob darted after her, afraid she’d jump overboard to try to save the animal. “Come back. She’s gone.”

The drenched deck pitched again, and his feet went out from under him. He hit the planks and slid toward the bow, fetching up against the rail with a force that shuddered through his whole body. Shaking his head, he picked himself up and ran to the bow where Georgina stood, still screaming and sobbing.

“Lulu. Oh, please, please, help her.” She turned miserable eyes on him, heavy with tears that poured down her cheeks. “Can’t you save her? Turn the ship around? We can’t just let her drown.”

“I’m sorry, my—”

“No!” She slammed her fist into his chest with enough force to make him stumble backward. “You do not get to be sorry. You have to save her. You brought us on this ship.” Her eyes flashed green sparks in the setting sun. “She’s your responsibility. Save her.”

Over Georgina’s shoulder he could just make out the tiny head, still valiantly swimming toward the stern of the vanishing ship. Impossible to lower a boat in time. The frigid water would claim her before they could get it to her.

Georgina searched his eyes, then dissolved into renewed tears at the hopelessness she found there. “No, no, no.”

She laid her head on his chest, sobbing as though her heart had broken in two. Perhaps it had. Her tears scalded him through his wet shirt, searing him all the way to his soul.

Damn.

He wrenched her away from him. “Keep your eyes on her. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

Stunned, she swallowed hard, then nodded and quickly faced the sea and pointed. “There. There she is.”

Rob dashed aft, calling for Chapman.

“Aye, Captain.” The lad sprang up from nowhere.

“Haul to and lower the boat.”

“Haul to, Captain? Why?” Confusion rent the boy’s face.

“Man overboard.” Rob raced to the starboard side. “Where is she?” he called to Georgina who had moved astern, tearing his jacket off over his head as he ran.

“There.” Georgina pointed far to the stern, where the dog was almost swallowed by the waves.

“She?” Chapman looked at the lady, his frown deepening. “Who’s gone overboard?”

“I have.” Rob stepped onto the rail, balanced precariously long enough to say a swift prayer to St. Jude, then dove into the dark waters.

Freezing blackness engulfed him, the intense cold like a thousand needles of ice piercing every part of his body. The shock drove the air out of his lungs before he could stop it. Panicking, he fought to clear his head. Had to breathe. Furiously kicking his feet, Rob sped toward the surface, lungs on fire for air he couldn’t reach.

The light became brighter until he burst through the surface, gasping in a lungful of blessed, cold air. Panting to get as much into him as quickly as he could, he groaned when the frigid water registered once more on his body.

Move. He had to swim or freeze. Whipping his hair out of his face, he turned in a circle until he spotted the Justine, alarmingly far away. But the sails had dropped, bless Chapman. Christ, he couldn’t just bob here in the water watching the ship. If he didn’t start moving he’d freeze to a solid statue before he could reach the dog. Got to swim. Where was the wretched beast?

“Where is she?” he called to the lone figure on the stern.

“There.” She pointed behind him.