My Seaswept Heart Read Free Page A

several of the tavern’s
disreputable patrons were watching her. She forced herself to calm
down.
    He stared at her a moment and again she
thought, hoped, she saw a flicker of sympathy. When he spoke his
voice was firm. “I suggest you leave your island.”
    “We cannot. Our homes are there. And Libertia
means everything to my uncle.”
    “Then ’tis a matter of taking your chances
with the Frenchman.”
    Finding no satisfaction in the captain’s
words, Anne turned to the blackamoor, then the man called Deacon.
Neither met her eye. The captain was bolder, but his expression was
one of annoyance. A more feeble-hearted female might have
retreated, but Anne had been through too much, feared too much, for
such tactics.
    “If you would only listen to me—”
    “I’ve heard enough.”
    “You’ve heard nothing!” Anne’s nostrils
flared in anger. “I’d thought you might care a bit because of what
you named your ship,” she said in disgust.
    “The Lost Cause ?” His brow arched.
“’Tis a name meant to remind me of that basest of all human
frailties. ’Tis not that I champion lost causes. I loathe them, and
the fools who perpetuate them.”
    There was nothing to do but leave. Anne
turned on her heel, but his voice stopped her before she could take
a step.
    “Mistress Cornwall.” His grin was sly when
she faced him. “Perhaps we shall meet again, and I can show you
there is more than one way for a captain to be good.”
    His laughter followed her as she made her way
through the loud throng of drunken sailors. Even smelling as foul
as it did, the outside air was a relief after the smoke-filled
inside. Anne took a deep breath, gasping when someone grabbed at
her.
    “Israel, my heavens, you gave me a fright.”
Anne clasped her fingers to the base of her throat, annoyed to see
that her hand shook.
    “No more than you gave me. Do ye know how
long you were in there?”
    “Not exactly.” Anne took Israel’s arm, and
pulled him away from the tavern door.”
    “I was just about to come in after ye.”
    “It would have done no good.”
    “Ye found him then.”
    “I did.”
    “And, will he go after d’Porteau?”
    “Not at the present, no.” Anne brushed aside
a wisp of brown hair the trade winds blew into her face. “He wasn’t
very willing to listen.”
    Israel settled onto an overturned barrel.
“Well, I suppose that be it then.”
    “What? Oh, I’m not ready to give up on him
yet.”
    “But ye said.” Israel paused and shook his
head. “Ye don’t know Captain MacQuaid. He’s a stubborn one. If he
won’t listen—”
    “Then he’ll simply have to see for himself.”
Anne rushed on before her friend could argue. “He’ll like my uncle,
I’m sure of it. And once he sees Libertia himself, understands what
Uncle Richard is trying to do... Don’t you see, it’s the only
way.”
    “I ain’t sayin’ he wouldn’t be impressed. But
if he don’t want to go, there ain’t no way we can force him. It
ain’t as if ye can kidnap him.”
    Anne slowly lifted her head. “But, Israel,
that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
    ~ ~ ~
    “He’s the devil’s curse.”
    “That he is, Deacon. That he is.” Jamie
called out to the barmaid to refill his tankard.
    “The girl doesn’t stand a chance against
him.”
    Jamie scowled at his chief gunner. The black
man didn’t appear intimidated. “She is not our problem, Keena.” He
leaned back against the wall. “Besides, she’s a comely enough lass.
The Frenchman likes beautiful women.”
    “She will lose her beauty quickly.”
    “Hell and damnation, Keena, what ’twould you
have me do? If her island is in danger, she damn well better get
off the island.” Jamie folded his arms across an impressive chest.
“What was the likes of her doing here anyway?”
    “Appeared to me she was asking for help,”
Keena said and earned himself another dark scowl from his
captain.
    “Let her set sail for England or somewhere.
She’s too much the lady