Surrender the Heart (38 page)

The captain slammed down his jug, spilling water on the charts laid out across his desk. “Clean this up at once!” he barked at Marianne. Then grabbing his hat, he followed the midshipman aloft.

Thank You, Lord
. Marianne breathed a sigh at the temporary reprieve. With any luck, the captain would forget the aloe upon his return. After dabbing up the water, she set the boots aside and went above. They had not spotted a sail since boarding this horrid ship. Were the guests friend or foe? She couldn’t keep her hopes from rising.

But as soon as she emerged above, those same hopes fell to the hot deck beneath her shoes. Too small to be a French warship, it was most likely a merchant or a privateer, neither of which would take on a British frigate.

The
Undefeatable
pitched over a rounded swell, then swooped down the other side. Balancing over the teetering deck, Marianne inched toward the capstan, not daring to venture to the railing in such rough seas. Bloated, foamy waves billowed all around the ship. The wind clawed at her hair, loosening it from its pins. The scent of salt and rain swirled about her, and she glanced at the dark horizon. She gripped the wood. Her knuckles whitened.
Lord, please don’t send a storm our way
. How many horrid tales had made their way back to Baltimore of ships that had sunk to the depths during a squall where not a soul on board was ever seen again?

Unable to stop herself from seeking a glimpse of Noah, she glanced aloft and found him clinging to the third yard above her on the mainmast. Her pulse quickened at the sight of him. With his broad shoulders stretched back and his bare feet gripping the swaying ratline, he seemed more comfortable in the heights than he had been at first. Blackthorn said something to him, and Noah’s hearty laughter spilled
down upon her like a warm spring shower. She shook off the sensation, not wanting to relish in the new and frightening feelings the man invoked in her.

Especially when nothing would ever come of them.

The crack of a rattan split the air, drawing Marianne’s gaze to the petty officer hovering over Luke. Mr. Heaton released the rope and rose to his full height, leveling dark, snapping eyes toward the officer and then at Lieutenant Garrick who stood behind him.

“Again! For your insolence, sir,” Garrick commanded, and the petty officer struck Luke once more. Grimacing, Luke bent to pick up the rope and took up his spot in line. His black hair hanging in his face did not hide his fury, and Marianne wondered how much a proud man like Luke could take before he retaliated.

A satisfied smirk on his face, Garrick surveyed the deck, his eyes halting when he saw her. A superior grin crept over his lips. His eyes grew cold, and he started toward her, but Marianne nodded toward the captain at the helm.

Following the direction of her glance, Garrick gave her one last look of scorn, then spun about.

Though she knew her reprieve was temporary, Marianne breathed a sigh of relief. The determined look in Lieutenant Garrick’s slitlike eyes told her that he would not be easily swayed from his objective. And for some reason—perhaps because she was the only woman aboard—his objective was her. She must be careful not to be found alone again anywhere on the ship. Perhaps she could appeal to the captain. He displayed some admiration toward Marianne—at least when he had his wits about him. Not to mention she had a feeling that he had lessened Noah’s sentence on her behalf. Perhaps if she expressed her terror of Garrick to the captain, he would keep the licentious lieutenant at bay.

Thunder pounded its agreement in the distance as the ship crested a wave and salty spray misted over her.

“Blast her! She’s taunting us.” The captain’s bellow could be heard above the rising howl of the wind. He snapped his scope shut and
set his jaw in a firm line. Off their larboard quarter, the unknown ship’s sails appeared, then quickly disappeared behind the foamy peak of a surging wave, only to reappear as the vessel crested the roller. Marianne wondered why they weren’t chasing the small craft as they’d done with Noah’s.

Her answer came quickly from Lieutenant Reed’s lips. “She’s aweather of us, sir. With the oncoming storm, we’ll never catch her.”

“I am aware of that, Mr. Reed,” the captain spat.

Daniel appeared at Marianne’s side, bracing himself so sturdily upon the tilting deck that he had no need to hold on. He smiled up at her, his dark hair tossing to and fro in the wind. “That ship will save you.” He nodded toward the ship that dared to tease the HMS
Undefeatable
.

Marianne wrinkled her brow. “I’m sorry, Daniel, but that ship is no match for this one. I fear they are doing nothing but infuriating the captain. Which is never a good thing.”

His eyes twinkled as if he knew a grand secret.

Thunder roared again. Thick, black clouds churned in a sooty witches’ brew over the horizon, spreading dark fingers up to steal the light of the sun not yet halfway across the sky. A light mist descended upon them. Marianne shivered.

“Take in topgallants and royals!” Lieutenant Reed yelled from his post beside the captain, causing more orders to be shouted across the various stations.

Glancing aloft, Marianne saw Noah inch his way alongside a dozen other men farther up the mainmast. She thought of his brother’s tragic death and she shuddered.
Lord, protect him
.

A yellow flash lit up the seas, followed by a jet of gray smoke. The air pounded with the blast of a cannon. Marianne raised a hand to her throat, staring at the audacious vessel who dared fire upon His Majesty’s royal frigate. Her hopes for rescue had just begun to rise when the shot fell impotent into the foamy sea several yards away.

A string of vile curses flew from the captain’s mouth. He paced the quarterdeck, stopping to stare at the pesky ship though his long
glass. Despite the mad rush of wind, she heard bits and pieces of his dialogue. “Show them … How dare they? They don’t know who …” He ceased his pacing and took a commanding stance.

“A signal shot.” Garrick laughed. “Too far away and too absurd to be a warning.”

Captain Milford fumed. “A signal for whom? For what purpose?”

Marianne leaned toward Daniel. “What ship is that?” she asked, but the boy’s attention was riveted aloft where excited chatter filtered down from above. She glanced back at the vessel. The gray sails faded against the darkening horizon and soon disappeared.

“That’ll teach them!” the captain brayed as if he’d been responsible for the ship’s retreat.

“It’s a good ship, Miss Marianne.” Daniel’s voice rose above the wind, and he took her hand in his. “A good ship.”

Marianne chuckled. “You are a curious lad, Daniel.”

“Is that a good thing?” The mist pooling on his long lashes sparkled.

Giving his hand a squeeze, Marianne smiled. “A most excellent thing.”

The mist transformed into raindrops that tapped over the deck and sounded like applause. Applause for what, Marianne didn’t know. Perhaps for the ship that had dared to fire upon them, or perhaps for this young boy beside her who seemed more angel than human. As if to confirm her thoughts, Daniel held out a hand to catch the drops of rain, then he closed his eyes and lifted his peace-filled face to the wind, treasuring the moment. Innocent trust and glee in the midst of such chaos. She envied him.

Further commands to lower sail echoed across the ship. Shielding her eyes from the rain, Marianne looked aloft to see Noah descending.

Her heart skipped as the details of his face came into view.

The captain grumbled, handed command of the ship to Lieutenant Reed, and dropped below deck. Marianne should follow him and tend to her duties below or risk his wrath, but the identity of their curious visitor kept her feet in place. Perhaps Noah could offer more
information than Daniel’s “good ship.”

The rain fell harder, and Marianne drew Daniel close, dipping her head against the drops and the buffeting wind. The deck tilted, and she tightened her grip on the capstan. Her legs trembled.

Noah landed on the deck with a thud. He winced and stretched his shoulders beneath his wet shirt. The fabric clung to his corded muscles as red bands appeared across his back. Swinging about, his gaze landed on her and remained. He ran a hand through his wet hair and attempted a smile. Despite the rain, heat rose up her neck at the intense look in his eyes. Not the anger she expected. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Luke joined him, drawing Marianne’s attention. She inched her way closer to them, keeping Daniel by her side.

Noah gave his first mate a look as if they shared a grand secret. “Did you see what I saw?” he said to Luke.

Luke smiled and lifted his brows. “I did, indeed.”

“What did you see?” Marianne edged between them.

“That ship.” Noah gestured to the span of agitated, foamy sea where the gray sails of the vessel had last been seen. “I’d know that ship anywhere.”

Marianne shook her head.

“It was my ship, the
Fortune.”

CHAPTER 20

T
he ship bucked. Marianne’s feet lifted off the deck, and she tumbled against the bulkhead of her tiny cabin. Wind howled. Waves battered the hull with the fury of a jealous lover pounding on the door to his beloved’s bedchamber. Dropping to her knees, Marianne gripped the bed frame and leaned her head against the mattress to resume her prayers. The sharp smell of aged burlap filled her nose.

Oh Lord, please do not let us perish in this storm
.

The ship rose as if the great sea monster, Leviathan, had picked it up. Marianne clutched the wooden frame. The splinters bit into her skin.

Lightning flashed. An eerie shroud of gray passed through her cabin before plunging the room back into darkness.

Terror sent her mind reeling with visions of herself sinking beneath the violent waves. Gurgling, fuming water filled her mouth, her lungs and stole her last breath. She resumed her prayers. She prayed for her mother and sister back home. It may be the last chance she had to lift them up before God.
Oh Lord, take care of them please. Heal my mother and send someone who will provide for them
.

Thunder cracked a deafening boom in response. The ship trembled,
mimicking her own body. The deck careened to the left. She propped herself against the bulkhead. Her thoughts went to the
Fortune
they’d spotted earlier. No doubt Matthew, Agnes, and the crew suffered in the midst of the storm as well.
And protect them, too, Father
.

Yet they had come.

The excitement in Noah’s voice at the sight of his ship had been unmistakable. But Marianne dared not join in his optimism. A rescue seemed as impossible as this frigate surviving the ferocious gale that pummeled them.

The ship pitched, then dove. Something thumped to the floor. Groping in the dark, Marianne found the Bible Daniel had lent her. Clutching the Holy Book to her chest, she realized she’d not once opened it since he’d given it to her. “Oh Lord, forgive me. If you save us from this storm, I promise I’ll read Your Word.”

Yet even those words seemed to fall on empty ears as the ship bolted again. Marianne tumbled into the leg of the table attached to the bulkhead. Her arm throbbed.

Struggling to stand, she supported herself against the door and gazed out the heaving porthole. The sea splashed against the glass, only to be torn away by the howling wind. Lightning shot a white devil’s fork across the sky. A chorus of thunder gave a demonic chuckle in its wake.