Moontide Embrace (Historical Romance) (39 page)

A chuckle escaped his lips when he thought of the time
he had come upon her fishing, and she had been dressed
like a boy!

He smothered an oath and swung his head around to the young lad. No, he told himself. Liberty would never
try to deceive him again. He would not be so easy to fool
now.

He motioned for one of his men to take his pole, then
moved to where the lad was huddled against one of the
cannons. Suspicion ate at his mind as he dropped down
on the plank seat, hoping for Liberty's sake that he was
wrong.

"Have you made me look like a fool again, Liberty?"
he asked in a soft voice, his eyes searching the darkness
and trying to peer beneath the concealing hat.

There was a long silence before she answered. "Pardon
M'sieu?"

He couldn't tell from the voice. It didn't sound like Liberty's, but he had to be sure. He reached out and
removed the hat, and his blood flamed with anger as he
watched golden hair tumble down around her shoulders.
"By, God, Liberty," he whispered in an enraged voice. "Do you know what you have done? Do you have any notion of the danger you have put yourself in?"

She felt stung by his anger. "You needed me, Judah.
Did you not say this was an important mission? Did I not
guide you safely to your ship?"

He leaned back and stared upward, allowing the rain to
cool his temper. "Must you always do this, Liberty? Do you like making a fool of me?"

"Judah, it wasn't like that. You needed a guide, and I'm the best person for the task. I know the swamps better than, anyone I know."

He thumped the brim of her hat. "Well, the harm has
been done now. Put your hat back on, and hope that my
men do not discover who you are. If they knew how easily
you have made a fool of me, they would have very little
respect for my authority."

"Judah, I did not-"

Whatever Liberty was about to say was cut off by the
sound of sporadic gunfire just ahead. Before she knew what was happening, Judah roughly pushed her to the
bottom of the boat and covered her body with his. The
ping-ping of bullets ricocheting off the cannons could be
heard.

"Get down, Rojo," Judah called out. "All of you, keep
your heads down; the current is taking us right toward
them."

It was hard for Liberty to breathe because Judah's
body was pressing her against the bottom of the boat.
"Judah," she whispered. "If we could steer to the right, there is a small bayou just ahead. I need to lift my head so I can find it for you."

"Hell, no. You are not to lift your head. You will keep it down, or you will have to fear me more than the
enemy," he said in a commanding voice. "You will tell me
what to look for, and I will guide the boat."

"I cannot see to guide you, if I have to keep my head
down," she reasoned.

He clamped his jaw tightly together. "You will obey me
in this, Liberty," he told her in a whisper. "I am going to
try to get us out of trouble, but I had better not see you raise your head."

The bullets continued to fly, and Liberty held her
breath, fearing Judah would be hit by one. She watched
him crawl past the other three men until he was at the front of the boat. One of the men offered to help, but Judah ordered him to remain where he was.

On his knees, Judah grasped the pole and applied pressure. They were so near the enemy that they could
hear English-accented voices just ahead. Slowly, the boat
moved out of the current and toward the opposite shore.
Just ahead, Judah saw a fork and hoped they could reach
it before the enemy reached them. He could hear the oars
of several small boats splashing in the water, and he knew
the enemy was in pursuit. Judah motioned for Rojo to get
the other pole and help him.

"Captain," Liberty said just behind him. "If you will ease her over to your right, the current will help us along."

Judah did as Liberty advised, but still he could hear the enemy gaining on them. "That's right,
M'sieu.
You are almost there," she urged, raising her head, only to have Judah push it down again with his booted foot.

Judah could feel the boat as it caught the current. As
he applied pressure to the pole, the boat moved down the
narrow fork of the bayou.

"M'sieu"
Liberty spoke up again. "I know a place where we can hide, one in which the British cannot find
us. Just around that bend, there is a hidden cove. It is a
haven for alligators, but we will be safe enough there."

Judah nodded grimly. He knew it was just a matter of minutes before the British would find the fork and be in pursuit. "Everyone to the poles," he said. "Put your backs
into it, men. If we cannot outrun the enemy, we will
outsmart them. Remember, if we see that we are going to
be taken, the cannons will have to be sunk."

To Judah's relief, the bend loomed just ahead. He
could hear the British behind them, and he knew they had
found the cutoff. At last they were around the bend, and Liberty jumped to her feet. "There, Captain, see the cove
just to the right?"

"That doesn't look like a cove to me, Captain," Rojo
said.

"Trust me, Captain. Behind the vines and underbrush is
a perfect cove."

"Follow the lad's instructions, men. He hasn't led us wrong yet."

Minutes passed like hours as they poled the boat
forward. Now they were going against the current, which
made progress all the more difficult. At last the boat
moved through the vines and everyone breathed a sigh of
relief. There was indeed a hidden cove.

Moments later, three longboats moved swiftly past. "I
count twenty men, sir," Rojo whispered. "Possibly more."

"Keep your voices down, men. We aren't out of danger.
They may yet turn around and come back," Judah warned.

"They will have to come back eventually,
M'sieu"
Lib
erty informed them. This bayou is a dead end, leading
only to marshlands and quicksand. I know a way out of
here, but I doubt that they do. It is my opinion that we should remain here until they return."

"How long will that take?" Judah asked impatiently. He
wanted to deliver the cannon and join the fighting. He also wanted to see that Liberty was safely out of danger.

"I would think two hours,
M'sieu."

"Rest easy, men. It appears we will be here for a while," Judah told them.

"Why can't we go back the way we came, sir?" one of
the men wanted to know.

"We can't chance it," Judah said. "There may be others
behind us. We will wait here until the danger has passed."

"But the lad said there were alligators here, Captain,"
Rojo said, searching the darkness, and knowing the
splashes he heard along the banks must be the ugly beasts
looking for a meal.

"You don't need to worry, Rojo, you are too tough for even the alligators to digest," one of the men joked, while
laughing humorously. "Pity the poor alligator that sunk his teeth into you."

Silence fell across the swamps once more, while a light
rain made the occupants of the boat miserable. Judah went to Liberty and wrapped his cloak around her. "I should beat you," he whispered so only she could hear.

"Would that not shock your men, Captain?" she said,
noticing that some of the anger had gone out of his voice.

"Minx," he told her, wishing he dared pull her into his
arms and hold her very close. She could have been killed,
and the danger wasn't over yet.

"I am sorry that I — "

"Shh," he cautioned, fearing the men would hear her.
"You did well, lad," he said for the others' benefit. "I doubt we could have gotten this far without your help."

Liberty basked in his praise. It was a cold, wet and
miserable night, but there was nowhere else on earth Liberty wanted to be at that moment. "Then you are glad I came?" she whispered.

"We will talk about that later." Suddenly a brilliant thought came to him. "Men, it's cold and more than
likely, it will get colder. Stay together for warmth and try
to keep dry." He moved closer to Liberty, and she felt his
warm hand slide around her back as he drew his cloak over both of them.

She was vaguely aware that the other men had pulled their cloaks over their heads and were huddled together,
but she was more aware of a strong hand that moved
across her shoulder and softly cupped one of her breasts.
"You asked for it," he whispered against her ear. "Even now I ache for you, do you know that, Liberty?"

Oh, yes, she knew about aching and needing. Her breath caught in her throat, and she could scarcely draw
it in. Judah did not speak of love, but of need and desire. At the moment, that might be all that held them together.

His hand moved down past her waist to rest against her thigh, while he pulled the cloak over both their heads.
Daringly, his hand moved between her legs, and he
groaned at the warm feel of her. With a strangled cry, he
found her sweet lips and smothered them with a burning
kiss.

"Damn you for what you are doing to me. I have been in hell lately, Liberty. You belong to me, yet I cannot have you," he said in a tortured voice.

Liberty didn't care at that moment that there were three
other people nearby. All she could think of was the man
who held her in his arms and burned her lips with his
passionate kiss.

Judah raised his head, trying to regain his sanity. This
wasn't what he wanted for Liberty. He would not take the
chance of shaming his wife before his men. "Talk to me
about anything, Liberty," he whispered, a catch in his voice. "Talk to me, but do not touch me."

Liberty felt desire throb through her, and she knew she
must regain control of her emotions. They were on an
important mission; her feelings did not matter at the moment. She tried to speak, but could not. He was too near—so very, very near.

When her hand moved to clasp his, he flung it away,
moving from her with a strangled oath. Was he crazed?
he wondered. All Liberty had to do was touch him and he
forgot everything else.

The heavy rain pelted him in the face and went a long
way toward cooling his desire.

18

The clouds had moved away, leaving a bitter, cold night. Liberty huddled beneath Judah's damp cloak, which did little to warm her. In the hours before sunup,
the British returned, just as Liberty had predicted they
would, and as soon as the enemy disappeared around the
bend, Liberty told Judah that they could safely move out
of the cove. Cautiously at first, the men applied their
poles, and the craft caught the current. Liberty moved to
the front of the boat and guided them into a smaller bayou.

For four hours they fought their way through narrow
passages that were choked with vines and vegetation. Rojo kept a wary eye on the alligators that often reared their ugly heads. Judah knew that the enemy was all around them, so he ordered silence.

It was past noon when Liberty guided them into a wide
branch of the river and the current carried them along.

"M'sieu,
you must now tell me where you want to go so
I can get you there," Liberty said, still playing the part of
a young boy.

"I was supposed to join General Jackson at Chalmette.
I no longer hear gunfire and will have to scout out the
situation before I act."

"I know where we can hide the boat. Your men can have shelter and a good meal there. Then you and I can
scout out the situation, and you will know better what to
do."

Judah gave her a scalding glance, but she saw defeat in
his eyes. He had no choice but to do as she said.

Liberty guided them up the bayou for another hour before she motioned for them to pull over to the bank.
"You must all remain here while I find out if Zippora will
welcome you," she said, agilely jumping ashore.

"I'm coming with you," Judah remarked, as he, too, jumped onto the bank. "You men, look lively, and keep
your guns handy. I would not like to lose you or the cannons."

Liberty made her way up the path with Judah at her
side. A sideways glance told her he was staring at her, a
grim expression on his face, and she knew he still hadn't
forgiven her for deceiving him.

"You will give me directions on how to get to Chalmette, but you will remain here with Zippora," he said at last.

"That would not be possible, Judah. I will have to guide you through some very treacherous areas. You
couldn't possibly make it on your own. There are places
where we will have to walk, and you wouldn't know where
to look for the quicksand or the dangerous swamp gas."

"You could draw me a map."

She stopped and looked up at him impatiently. "Under
stand, Judah, for better or worse, we are in this together.
Neither of us is important at the moment. What matters is that you get those cannons to General Jackson. I am your only hope of doing that and you know it."

Her eyes, now the color of the sea, were swirling storm
centers. He let out a disgusted oath, then motioned for her to continue. "It seems I have no choice at the
moment, but we are not finished on this subject, Liberty."

By now they had reached the path where the human skull hug on the high pole. "I hope Zippora is home,"

Liberty said, hurrying her footsteps. With long strides,
Judah kept pace with her.

When they reached the cabin, smoke was coming out of
the chimney, and Liberty breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her friend standing in the doorway. Zippora
watched them approach, a strange light in her yellow eyes.
When they stood before her, she spoke first to Judah.

"So you have returned,
M'sieu.
I wondered when you
would pay us a visit."

"Somehow I get the feeling that you do not wonder about anything, Zippora. I have the feeling you know
all," he said, smiling at the woman who had saved his life,
and had been a friend to Liberty.

She waved her hand in the air. "If I knew everything,
would I be living here?"

"Zippora, I need your help," Liberty said, and the urgency in her voice drew the old woman's attention.

"What is wrong,
ma chere?
Why are you dressed as a
boy?"

Liberty quickly told Zippora about their plight, and about how they had spent the night hiding from the
British. "We need a place to hide the cannons, and Judah
has three men who need food and rest. I will need a supply of food and the use of your skiff."

Zippora's eyes moved from Liberty to Judah. "It is
done," she said with startling quickness. "I will pack you
food, and you know where I keep my boat. I will send
Reuben to show your men where to hide the pontoon boat, and they can rest here until you return."

Liberty reached for Zippora's hand. "Thank you for not asking questions that I cannot answer."

"A true friend never asks why, but offers help when it is
needed," the wise old woman observed.

"I bless the day you became my friend, Zippora," Liberty said softly.

"I, too, bless that day,
ma petite"
Zippora told her.

Judah saw love shining in the yellow eyes that rested on
Liberty, and he knew that Zippora wouldn't lift a finger to help him if it weren't for Liberty.

The bayou seemed endless as Judah plied the oar that
moved the small boat along. He couldn't remember the last time he had closed his eyes in sleep. The food
Zippora had provided had gone a long way toward reviv
ing his body, if not his spirit. He and Liberty had been forced back many times by the flash of a red coat; the
enemy was scattered everywhere. Thus far they had not seen one American, so they could not find out how the
battle had gone the night before.

"Judah," Liberty whispered urgently. "We cannot get
through this way. The British have it guarded—look to your left."

His eyes followed her direction, and he quickly paddled the boat back the way they had come, because there were
enemy soldiers guarding the bank.

Liberty placed her fingers to her lips, and motioned for
him to row to the shore. When the small craft bumped
against the bank, she grabbed up the pack of food and
water, shouldered the machete, and jumped ashore. "We
must hide the boat in the swamp," she whispered. "We may need it later."

As soon as their craft was hidden among the under
growth, Judah followed Liberty's lead. He was amazed by
her ability to find her way through the swamp. She took
twists and turns that would confuse the most brilliant mapmaker.

As the day wore on, and the afternoon sun beat down
on them, Liberty felt she couldn't take another step. They
had chopped and hacked their way through the rozo cane,
which made a thick barrier through the swampland. The
musky scent of alligator was thick in the air, and pesky
insects buzzed about, sparing neither man nor beast from
their sting. Trickles of perspiration rolled down Judah's
face, soaking his neck and drenching his shirt.

At last Liberty stumbled and fell. Judah dropped the
machete and scooped her into his arms. Sitting down on a
fallen tree, he held her tightly to him. "What kind of a
monster have you married that he would push you past all
endurance?" he asked in a choked voice.

She closed her eyes and rested her head against his
shoulder, too weary to answer. "We will rest for a while,"
he told her. "Will we be out of these swamps before nightfall?"

"I don't know," she said weakly. "I hadn't thought we
would meet the British at every turn. If we can avoid
being captured, we will come out several miles below
Chalmette."

Judah felt her go limp in his arms, and he knew she
could go no farther. Exhaustion had taken its toll on them both. He decided it would be wise to camp for the night,
where they were.

He held her to him, while he unfolded the blanket Zippora had provided for them and spread it over the
grass. Carefully, so he wouldn't awaken her, he placed
Liberty on the blanket. He stared at her for a long moment, loving her in the very depths of his soul. Then he smiled. Mud was smudged on her cheek, and she looked so like the little girl he had first met.

Wearily, he lay down beside her and pulled her into his
arms, certain that if the enemy came upon them, he would not have the strength to fight them off.

Liberty stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. For one
breathtaking moment, she stared into turquoise eyes that
seemed to shine with endless depths. She didn't know how
long Judah had been watching her, but she felt self-conscious, knowing she must look a fright.

"What time is it?" she asked, upon noting that the sun
had sunk low in the west. "I am so sorry I fell asleep."

He touched her cheek. "We both slept. I doubt that
either of us could have gone much farther. I have decided
we should rest here tonight."

She was conscious that his hand moved down her mud-
streaked cheek and he softly cupped her chin, bringing her forward, within a breath of his lips. "My lovely,
lovely, wife. Will you hide your beauty under the guise of
a young boy?" A smile curved his lips. "Such a waste."

Liberty was trembling by the time his mouth settled on hers. He moved her trouser-clad body tightly against his,
and her blood flamed when she felt the swell of his desire.
The evening sounds of the swamp faded as he whispered
her name in a passionate voice. She was almost mindless
with need when his hand moved to her shirtfront and pushed the rough material aside to reveal her satiny
breasts. Dipping his head, he pressed a kiss into the valley
between them.

"Not what I had in mind when I promised you a
wedding night," he told her, brushing a curl from her face and looking deeply into her eyes. He was quiet for a long moment, then the ghost of a smile flickered on his lips. "I
must say, Liberty, we do seem to make love in the most
unusual places."

"You aren't . . . you wouldn't be considering . . . not here in the open?"

Deep, amused laughter issued from his mouth. "I believe that is exactly what I have in mind. When I am near you, all I can think about is taking you to me."

Suddenly the laughter left his eyes, and his fingers
traced a pattern down her neck and across one breast. He
looked up, saw the uncertainty in her eyes, and said, "I want you, Liberty. I will always want you."

Her heart cried out, for she was yearning to hear him speak of love, not want. But already her body was reacting to his touch. His lips robbed her of any protest she might have made as his hands were pushing the trousers down over her hips.

Judah kissed her until she felt drained of strength, all
the while he was undressing both of them. Liberty now
boldly sought his lips and welcomed his thrusting tongue.
She felt a painful ache start in her stomach and spread throughout her entire body. She did not heed the cool air
that touched her now-naked skin.

His wonderful, magical hands slid over her breasts,
then glided down her stomach to softly caress her inner
thighs. She threw back her head and bit her lips as he plunged his finger into her warm softness.

Judah's heart was pounding in his ears. For the first time he was able to see Liberty as he made love to her,
and it took his breath away. Her golden hair was spread
across the rough blanket, and her satiny skin had taken
on the silvery glow of the setting sun. Feverishly he tried
to reason past the trembling of his body. Liberty made him feel so alive.

The old imitator, a mockingbird, stationed itself in a
cypress tree and serenaded the lovers. Its high trilling
songs intermingled with the gentle breeze. Soft grasses
cushioned their bed, and the dying sunset splashed bril
liant colors across the sky. From somewhere, deep in the
swamp, came the haunted cry of a whippoorwill.

Liberty's breath was trapped in her lungs as Judah
gently slid into her body. Both of them were so overcome
with earth-shattering emotions, they did not move at first, but remained locked in a tight embrace, fitting together in
perfect unison.