by Meg Hennessy
“And that is our priority, brother,” Jordan whispered to Loul.
Loul nodded his understanding. “Where is Donato de la Roche?”
“It’s been months.” Jordan glanced over to his sister, remembering the long journey to bring her home. “Where is he, indeed?”
Epilogue
Gulf of Mexico, 1816
After a year of planning and waiting, he watched the triangle sails fore and aft as they were unfurled in the dead of night. More than thirty men silently climbed the hundred-foot riggings, preparing to unfurl the large square sails on the fore and main mast when the order was given. The thick, salty air covered the faces of the loyal sailors, who worked steadily for their mission.
Waves rolled into the shore, breaking along the rock edging of a private island in the Jardines de la Reina, near Cuba. The frothy whitecaps spilled over the land and creamed the docks, but preparations for sail continued. The hull rocked with each wave and the small triangle gaff sails sucked up the midnight breeze, as if anxious to begin their journey. But they were brailed, the ship not yet ready.
A parcel of clothing for a small child was unpacked in the captain’s cabin. Supplies for a ten-hour journey, a thick flannel gown, warm shawls, diapers and flannel squares, woolen shoes, and a heavy robe were neatly organized in a wardrobe. A nursemaid would await their return, but not journey with them. For the journey, he had prepared where the child would stay and receive his care.
Whiskey was stocked in the cabinets. The map room armed with the sextant, log line, lead line, and hourglass. But he needed none of these to find the mainland of America, New Orleans.
He glanced toward the sky, knowing what his speed would be once all sails were unfurled. He knew the depth of the water up to and through the mouth of the great Mississippi River. He knew the docks, the layers of ships that would be lying-to, and he knew the route of the new American gunboats, who had cruised the shoreline since their second victory against Britain.
As ordered, the men raised the flag of Spain to the main mast. His disguise nearly complete. He watched it flutter in the wind. The snapping sound was all he could hear in the silent night as now more than forty men worked about the ship.
The guns were rolled in and anchored. Powder monkeys loaded powder cartridges and balls into their boxes just for the ready. Provisions were scant, for he wanted speed. Enough salted pork, bread, and water were loaded to last the men twenty-four hours.
The shrouds of the fore and main mast looked alive with the silhouettes of arms and legs scrambling above the deck. The riggings creaked with the soft, lulling roll of the ship from the waves hitting the shoreline. But it was a short sea, with irregular breaking of waves and calm deep swallows. Sea smoke snaked in and around the tall riggings. A perfect night to sail across the gulf waters and reclaim what was his.
He had given the child enough time, for a baby needed his mother. But now, his son was older and a nursemaid would care for him. A son belonged with his father as he grew into a man. And with his father, he would be.
“Haul anchor,” he shouted in Spanish.
Four men at the ready, grabbed a capstan bar and turned. The metal clanking sound of riding chain echoed into the night. He checked the position of the gaff topsails.
Perfect.
“Crack sails!”
Men scurried along the shrouds and unfurled the large square sails of the main and fore mast. They billowed in the wind slowly pulling the ship away from shore.
“Helm up!”
Donato de la Roche stepped onto the helm and pulled out his spyglass.
Next port, New Orleans.
...
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Acknowledgments
The University of Louisiana for publishing superb historical resources about New Orleans and its people.
The crew of the Flagship, Niagara. I’d like to thank them for bringing history to life and allowing me to interview sailors and walk the deck of such a great ship.
The curators of the Louisiana plantation, Laura, whose expertise and enthusiasm for history inspired this story.
About the Author
Award-winning author, Meg Hennessy, lives with her husband amid rolling hills of Hartford, Wisconsin. Besides writing, spoiling her first grandson, or pampering her much-loved horse, she enjoys backyard birding and admits to being a gardening addict. As a history lover, Meg likes to create high-energy characters against historically rich backdrops, offering her readers a vivid peek into the lives and loves of yesteryear. In Dark Secrets, Deep Bayous, inspired by the Creole plantation named Laura, author Meg Hennessy creates an evocative blend of culture and history to bring the reader inside the lives of Creole women.
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