Surrender the Heart (57 page)

Noah shook his head.

Luke groaned, but finally nodded and turned toward the
Defender
. Blackthorn followed him.

Blue waters transformed to ebony as the last traces of light escaped below the horizon. Gathering a huge breath, Noah dove beneath the murky waters and swam toward the monstrous shadow of the frigate. A monster holding his princess captive.

Marianne listened to the cheers and howls blaring down from above as the men manning the gun congratulated themselves on their good aim.

Holding her breath, she searched the waves.
No, Lord, no
. Her heart felt as though it would explode in her chest. She squinted into the darkness, refusing to tear her gaze away, refusing to admit they were gone. Then slowly, one by one, three heads surfaced, barely discernable in the darkness. She released a heavy breath. They were alive!

But the boat was gone. Obliterated.

Her only way to be rescued swallowed up by the ravenous waves.

Did the crew above see that Noah and his men had survived? She listened for their excited chatter and for the sounds of the gun being reloaded, but only the slosh of the sea against the hull and the pop of distant musket fire swept past her ears.

She leaned her head against the stern. It was cold and wet against her cheek. Her lungs filled with the smell of wood and tar. It was over. Noah had tried.

She would forever be grateful to him for that.

Anguish squeezed every nerve and fiber, threatening to crush her heart. Perhaps getting off this ship was not part of her destiny.
Oh Lord, I don’t think I can bear it
. She would miss Noah terribly. And
what would become of her mother and sister? Tears barely left her eyes before the breeze batted them away. The cruel wind allowed her no time to mourn.

Yet hadn’t she surrendered all to God, no matter His will?

Or was it only when things happened the way she desired that she would give herself freely to Him?

I am sorry, Lord. If I am to stay on this ship, then I will stay
.

Her hands burned against the rope’s rough fibers.

Bracing her feet on the hull, she slowly pulled herself up. Better to face whatever punishment the captain would wield upon her for breaking his window than drown all alone. That was, if he didn’t also discover she’d cut the tiller. Who knew what hideous fate awaited her then.

One final glance over the sea told her Noah and his men must have swum back to the
Fortune
. Good. They were safe.

Then a faint splashing from below caressed her ears. Looking down, she squinted. Tingles ran across her arms. Noah’s head popped from beneath the choppy waves. He reached the tip of the lame rudder and gazed up.

“Go back, you fool!” she shouted.

He snapped wet strands of his hair from his face and grinned. “I come to rescue you and you call me a fool?”

Marianne inched down the rope closer to him. “Yes! When that is how you are behaving. What do you think you are doing?”

“I have already told you.”

“Are you mad?”

“Definitely.” He smiled again.

Marianne huffed. Part of her screamed in fear for Noah’s life while another part of her screamed in ecstasy at his chivalrous action.

“Go away before they see you!” She waved him off.

A swell splashed over him and he shook the water from his face. “I’m not leaving without you.”

“You have no boat.”

“I have my back.”

Marianne’s fingers grew numb. They slipped on the rope. “Are you
daft? I can’t come down there.”

“Yes you can.”

“You know we are both already dead.”

“Probably.”

His nonchalant tone jarred Marianne. She searched for a glimpse of his expression, to know if he smiled or if fear tightened his features, but the descending shadows stole his visage from her.

“Jump, Marianne. If we are to die, I would rather die in your arms.”

Her heart melted as tears filled her eyes. “Don’t be such a romantic goose.”

A sound came from the captain’s cabin. Marianne’s mouth went dry. “Leave! I beg you before they discover you.” Her voice broke in a sob. “I will not have your death on my hands.”

“I will not leave you.”

“But I’m asking you to. Please? For me?”

Marianne glanced toward the
Fortune
, but the ship had moved. A nebulous shadow skating on an eerie mist drifted toward them.

“It’s time, princess. Jump!”

She shook her head. Her blood turned to ice. “I can’t. You know I cant.”

“Ah, but you can. You have only to trust me.” He clung to the rudder chain with one hand as he held up the other. “I’ll catch you, and you can hold onto my back while I swim.”

“We’ll sink.” Pictures of her father’s bloated white body swelled in her vision. She gazed down. Below the surface of the murky sea, nothing but cold and dark extended to a bottomless pit.

“We won’t sink. I’m a strong swimmer.” Noah’s confident tone held a hint of panic.

Terror clogged in her throat. She couldn’t speak.

“Trust me.” He waved her on with his hand. “Come, we haven’t much time.”

Trust. She’d sworn never to trust anyone again.

“Marianne, I promise I’ll catch you.” Urgency and conviction fired from his voice.

“Trust Me.”
The words rose from deep within her, strong and convicting and filled with promise.

“Lord, You want me to jump?” she whispered.

“Yes. Trust Me, beloved. I’ll always be there to catch you.”
Marianne’s eyes burned with tears. The rope tugged in her hand.

“Ah, here you are.” A familiar voice dribbled down upon her.

Marianne slowly raised her gaze to the stern windows where the dark barrel of a pistol hovered over her forehead.

CHAPTER 30

L
ieutenant Reed.” All hope fled Marianne, turning her muscles into mush.

He leaned over the window frame, a pistol in one hand, a knife in the other. “Look what I found lying beside the slashed tiller ropes.”

Marianne’s head grew light. Her fingers slipped on the rough hemp.

“Come up here, Miss Denton at once, or I’ll be forced to shoot you.”

She studied his face, but it was too dark to see his expression. “Please, Mr. Reed, let us go.”

“Lieutenant, I beg you!” Noah shouted from below.

“Beg all you want, Mr. Brenin.” Mr. Reed’s voice held the pompous ring of the London ton. “But you and this lady are enemies of England. Together you have disabled a British frigate, and you must pay the consequences.”

“Take me instead!” Noah yelled.

“No, Noah!” The ship hefted over a swell, sending the rope swinging. Marianne’s stomach tightened. Her fingers ached. Pain burned across her palms. Bracing her feet on the stern, she settled the line.

“Let her go and take me,” Noah shouted louder this time. “She’s a lady and should not be entangled in the wars of men.”

“Very heroic, Mr. Brenin.” Mr. Reed’s voice carried none of the expected sarcasm. “But my life and my career are on the line. I’ve too much at risk to care about the lives of two Yankee rebels.”

A heaviness settled on Marianne. All was lost. With one last glance at Noah, she inched her way up the rope. “Go back, Noah. He can’t shoot us both.”

“I told you, I’m not leaving you.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks, cooled by the night breeze. “Noah, please.” She continued climbing. Nearly at the ledge, she halted and glanced up. The knife in Mr. Reed’s hand blurred into a silver streak.
The knife
. Of course. “Mr. Reed, if memory serves me well, it was you who allowed me to keep that knife.” Threads of strength wove through her trembling voice.

“For protection only.”

“But you
did
allow me to keep it.”

“Yes.”

“And I did slash the tiller ropes with it.”

Nothing but the creak of the ship responded.

Marianne gathered her resolve and said a silent prayer. “If I stay on this ship, I will inform the captain of such. And from what little I know of your precious Articles of War, I would say that information will not bode well for your naval career.”

The shadow that was Mr. Reed remained frozen in place.

“However, if you grant Noah and me our freedom, Captain Milford need never find out.”

Voices barreled down from above. “There’s a man on our rudder chain!”

Mr. Reed withdrew the pistol. She heard him sigh. His shadow shifted. Boot steps thundered.

Reed gazed down at her. “Jump and be quick about it.”

Marianne glanced at the dark water gurgling beneath her feet.

More boot steps. More voices shouting.

“Do it now!” Mr. Reed hissed, then he disappeared from the window.

“Trust me, Marianne.” Noah’s voice of assurance wrapped around her from below.

But she couldn’t see him in the darkness. Would he catch her?

A light appeared in the captain’s cabin, spilling over the ledge like a glittering waterfall.

“Trust Me.”

“There’s a woman out here!”

Words from the book of Esther drifted through Marianne’s mind—words Esther said after she had decided to follow God and trust Him.

“If I perish, I perish.”

Marianne let go of the rope.