Surrender the Heart

by Marylu Tyndall

  Marianne’s stomach curdled. Flogged? Because of her. Because she’d tempted them with rum. Maybe she should confess—tell the captain it was her fault. Perhaps he’d lessen their punishment.

  Or perhaps he’d have her flogged right alongside them. Or worse. Perhaps he’d realize her complicity in the escape and have her hanged. She bit her lip. Lord, please do not let him punish those men.

  Grinding his teeth together, Mr. Garrick turned to leave, then stopped. “What of the deserters, Captain?”

  “I have no time to search for them now.” Swerving about, the captain stared out the stern windows where the first rays of the sun seemed to hesitate, cowering, outside the panes. “We must get underway. As soon as the supplies arrive, prepare the ship to sail. I’ll be on deck shortly. And you, Miss Denton, bring me my blasted tea and biscuit!”

  Lieutenant Garrick donned his hat and knuckled a salute before he stormed from the room. Marianne followed him out and shut the door before she realized her error. Halfway down the passageway, the lieutenant turned on her. His eyes boiled like lava. “I know you helped them,” he spat out through his swollen lips.

  Marianne cleared the tremble from her voice. “You know no such thing, Mr. Garrick.”

  He snorted and a sultry grin formed on his lips. “Your fiancé left you, eh? No one around to stand up for you anymore.” He ran a finger over her cheek and she stepped back.

  “I’ll find proof that you helped your friends escape and when I do, you’ll have to choose between me and the noose.”

  Marianne shuddered. The noose would win. But she dared not anger him further by telling him so.

  With a coarse chuckle, he turned and marched away.

  Marianne released the breath that had stuck in her throat. Her future looked bleak. Bleak indeed.

  From her position at the stern, Marianne gazed at the island of Antigua as it faded to gray in the distance. Somewhere on that island were Noah, Luke, and the others. At least she hoped they had made it safely to shore.

  And weren’t locked in some horrid British prison.

  A shiver coursed through her, and she gripped her belly. Daniel’s sweet face filled her mind, and she chided herself for thinking only of her own poor predicament. Thank God he and his father were finally off this ship. And Weller and Luke. And of course Noah. He had been brutalized aboard this ship because of her. Now he was free. For that she was grateful.

  Oh, why hadn’t she simply jumped overboard? Wouldn’t it have been better to drown than suffer her present fate? She had wanted to. Had desperately wanted to trust Noah.

  I am a coward. A coward who trusts no one.

  The ship bucked and she braced her feet against the deck. A gust of brine-scented wind whipped her hair and cooled the perspiration on her neck. Above her, the sun inched toward its high command for the day. The captain would be wanting his noon meal soon. His commands blared across the ship from his position on the quarterdeck. No doubt he was still furious about the escape.

  She couldn’t help but smile. But it quickly faded as a vision of the pleading look on Noah’s face crossed her mind. He said he’d come back for her.

  But as the island sunk below the horizon and dropped out of sight—just as Noah had done over the railing—she knew that would not be possible. Even if he connected with his merchant ship, even if he could convince his men to pursue the HMS Undefeatable, Noah’s ship was no match for a British frigate. That much she had learned.

  Besides, who would try to defeat a ship named Undefeatable?

  Especially to free an ordinary woman like her.

  No. There would be no rescue party coming to save her. She was destined to serve Captain Milford aboard this ship of horrors for as long as God determined. And from the looks of things, that may be a long time indeed.

  Unless, of course, she was hanged for aiding in the men’s desertion.

  Lieutenant Garrick’s threat reignited her fear. She would do her best to avoid being alone with him, but eventually he would trap her. That, too, she must accept.

  The captain barked at her and headed down the quarterdeck stairs. Releasing the mast, Marianne turned, all life and hope draining out of her feet onto the deck as she followed him below.

  Noah clutched Matthew’s hand and swung over the bulwarks. Planting his sandy feet on the deck—his deck, the deck of the Fortune—he embraced his friend. “I knew I could count on you.”

  The man’s bald head gleamed in the morning sun nearly as bright as his smile. “Alls we had to do was follow you. I knew ye’d find a way to escape sooner or later.”

  “How did you find us?” Noah and his men had been hiding in a clump of trees on the southwest side of Antigua, living off coconut milk and crabs for three days.

  Luke clambered over the railing, followed by Weller, Blackthorn, and Daniel.

  “I figured if you escaped when the ship anchored, you’d be somewhere away from the Brits hiding amongst the trees. All I had to do was sail real slow-like around the island till I spotted your signal fire.” He winked.

  Noah stretched his back, still raw from the flogging.

  Daniel’s eyes lit up. “So this is your ship, Mr. Noah?”

  “Yes, it is.” He tousled the boy’s hair and scanned the deck as his crew swamped him with greetings.

  “We thought you was gone for sure, Cap’n,” Mr. Rupert said.

  “Good to have you back, sir,” Mr. Pike shouted.

  “What’s it like on one of them British frigates?” another sailor asked.

  “Thank you all.” Noah scanned his men. “Not a pleasant experience, I assure you.”

  Blackthorn eased beside Noah and shook the water from his hair, reminding Noah of a wet bear. “Nice ship, Brenin.”

  Noah smiled.

  “Weller made it back without losing any more of his fingers!” Mr. Rupert said, and they all chuckled.

  Agnes emerged from the crowd and absorbed Noah in her fleshy arms, nearly squeezing the life from him. “I was so worried about you, son.” She held him back and took a good look at him. Noah felt a blush rising up his neck.

  “A bit skinny, but you look well.” She slapped his belly then glanced over at Luke and the others. “Where’s Miss Denton?”

  Noah opened his mouth to tell her, but the words withered on his lips.

  “We had to leave her behind.” Luke frowned.

  “You what?” Her face grew puffy and her eyes sharp. She faced Noah. “You did what?”

  “It couldn’t be helped, Agnes.” The breeze tore his words away as if they bore no weight.

  Her eyes filled with tears. “That poor dear. All alone on that enemy ship.”

  “Don’t worry, ma’am.” Daniel sidled up to the large woman. “We’re going to go rescue her, aren’t we, Mr. Noah?”

  “That we are.” Noah said with as much conviction as he could muster. Problem was, he didn’t know how.

  “And who might this be?” Agnes drew Daniel into the folds of her skirt.

  “My son, Daniel.” Blackthorn ran a sleeve over his forehead and stood tall. He exchanged a look with Noah and Luke. “Feels good to be able to claim the lad as my own.”

  Agnes pushed Daniel’s hair from his face. “Why, you sweet boy. What were you doin’ on that ship?”

  “God’s work, ma’am.” Daniel smiled up at her.

  “An’ I’d say he fared better than the rest o’ us because of it.” Weller tugged at the scarf around his neck and laughed—the first laugh Noah had heard the man utter since they’d been impressed by the British.

  “Indeed.” Daniel’s prophesy of rescue leapt into Noah’s mind, and he eyed the boy curiously. Coincidence? Or did the lad truly hear from God? But he didn’t have time to ponder it now. Marianne was in trouble. “Haul in the boat!” he ordered. “We set sail immediately.”

  Luke began braying orders to the crew, sending them scampering across the deck.

  Noah turned to his boatswain. “What is the status of the ship, Matthew
?”

  Matthew scratched his bald head. “We dumped all the rice and flour that got wet, Cap’n. Still got the cloth we can sell. But as far as sailin’ goes, she’s fit as a fiddle.”

  “Good.” Noah nodded and glanced at the glistening shores of Antigua a mile off their larboard side then shifted his gaze to the endless turquoise sea. His gut twisted in a knot. Agnes’s sorrowful eyes met his, and he knew her thoughts must also be of Marianne.

  “Never fear, Agnes, I’ll get her back.”

  She pursed her lips. “I’ll hold you to that, Noah.” Then with a swipe to rid her face of tears, she gathered Daniel close and led him away. “I bet you’re a might starved, too, little man.”

  Later, in his cabin, with his belly full, Noah leaned back on his desk and faced a line of his men. Luke, Matthew, Mr. Weller, Mr. Pike, Mr. Boone, Blackthorn, and Daniel.

  Mr. Pike shuffled his feet. “This is self-destruction, Cap’n.” He kneaded the hat in his hands. “The crew ain’t sure they want to be a part of it.”

  Noah shifted his back, glad to be out of the filthy garb the British had given him to wear and back into his own clothes. Rays of morning sun angled in through the stern windows, creating spears of glittering dust through the air.

  “We can still make some money with the goods left in the hold.” Mr. Boone’s voice lifted in enthusiasm. “The trip won’t be a complete loss.”

  Seafoam arched her back and rubbed against Noah’s side. He picked her up and scratched her head, surprised that he’d actually missed the cat.

  Matthew shook his head. “I like Miss Denton, too, Noah, but chasin’ after a British frigate with no plan as to how to rescue the lady, why it be sheer madness.”

  “You’ll get us all killed.” Weller scratched the scar on his face and muttered to himself. “Or worse, impressed again.”

  Blackthorn nodded. “I know I’m not a part of this crew, but I’ve been on that frigate long enough to know there’s no way to get close enough to get Miss Denton off without waking their broadside.”

  Setting the cat down, Noah folded his hands over his chest, fighting back a wave of frustration. “Yet we got off.”

  “Aye, in a British port.” Blackthorn scratched the hair sprouting from the collar of his shirt. “It’s the only time the frigate won’t be guarded so heavily. Now, that we’re at war, we won’t be able to get within a stone’s throw of a British port should the HMS Undefeatable anchor in one again.”

  Seafoam sauntered over to Daniel.

  Noah gripped the edge of his desk until his fingers hurt. Blackthorn was right. They were all right. Then why did everything within him scream in defiance. He gazed at Luke, who stood eyeing them all, unusually silent. The bruises on his face had faded to yellow.

  “’Sides,” Mr. Boone joined in. “I hear the lady won’t go in the water. How are we to rescue her? Sprout wings?”

  “Impossible.” Blackthorn shook his head and gave Noah a sympathetic look.

  Daniel picked up Seafoam and gazed up at his father. “But, Pa, nothing’s impossible with God.”

  “Hush, lad.” Blackthorn put a hand atop Daniel’s head. “And from what I’ve seen, Noah, you don’t have more than eight guns onboard. Four pounders at that.”

  Frustration bubbled in Noah’s stomach. “What do you say, Mr. Heaton?”

  Luke grinned, then shrugged one shoulder. “I say we have a lady to rescue.”

  “That’s the spirit, Mr. Luke!” Daniel cuddled the cat to his chest, and Noah could hear the deep rumble of her purrs from where he sat.

  Well, at least Noah had one man and a boy on his side. And a cat. “Have the both of you gone mad?” Matthew shifted his wide eyes between Noah and Luke.

  Noah held up a hand, silencing him. “Gentleman, there is a fully armed British ship of war sailing up the coast of America—the coast of our great nation, our coast. She intends to do us harm. She intends to sink our ships, impress our men, and steal from us the freedoms we fought so hard to gain. On that ship is a young American girl held against her will.”

  Noah took up a pace before the men, examining each one in turn. A surge of strength, of purpose, billowed within him. “We know where this frigate is going. She and her companion hope to engage the USS Constitution and sink her to the depths. How can we go about our way and ignore our duty? How can we close our eyes and concern ourselves with money when the very future of our nation hangs in the balance?”

  He stopped, blood surging to his fists. “We are Americans. We are a people who stand up for what is right, who do not tolerate injustice, who will do anything for the cause of liberty. Even risk our own lives.”

  The men remained still, their eyes riveted on him.

  “How can we do anything but follow our enemy and do everything we can to thwart her evil plans and rescue Miss Denton?”

  Matthew’s expression twisted. “You’ve changed, Noah.”

  “Spend some time on a British warship and see if it doesn’t inspire your patriotism.” Noah snorted.

  A tiny grin played at the corner of Blackthorn’s lips. Matthew gave Noah a knowing look while Mr. Boone and Mr. Pike stared out the stern windows.

  “But what can we do?” The glee in Mr. Weller’s eyes, present since their rescue, had dissipated, and Noah hated himself for it.

  “I don’t know.” He lengthened his stance. “Gentlemen, let us follow this ship the British call the Undefeatable and find out if she lives up to her name.” He scanned his men, searching their eyes for compliance. “Who’s with me?”

  “Aye.” Luke smiled.

  “I am,” Mr. Pike and Mr. Boone said simultaneously. “We are!” Daniel burst out, then tugged on his father’s sleeve. “Aren’t we, Pa?”

  Blackthorn gave a reluctant nod.

  Noah glanced at Matthew. The old man shrugged. “You know I’ll sail wit’ you where’er you go.”

  “And what is your decision, Mr. Weller?” Noah asked. “I will put ashore all those not wishing to join us. No one would fault you for it.”

  Weller grunted, then shook his head. “You promised to get me off that British frigate, Cap’n, an’ you stuck to your word. Nay, I’m goin’ wit’ you. Even though I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Weller.” Emotion clogged Noah’s throat at his men’s loyalty, especially since most of them knew the price they would pay if the British caught them again.

  “Very well.” Noah planted his fists at his waist and cleared his throat. “Luke, inform the rest of the crew of our mission. Those who do not wish to join us will be dropped off at Charleston on the way north.”

  Ignoring the fear that most of his men would abandon him, Noah dismissed his friends and watched as they slowly marched from the cabin. His friends, indeed. For he doubted he’d find a more loyal bunch.

  And he hoped to God he wasn’t leading them all to their deaths.

  CHAPTER 23

  Marianne set the captain’s polished boots beside his bed and examined the black leather gleaming in the lantern light. Perfect. Tucking the rag into the pocket of her skirt, she turned to face the captain, hoping he wouldn’t overindulge in drink tonight.

  Her hopes faded when she saw him pouring yet another glass of brandy. She studied him as he stood alone with his thoughts, unaware of her censure. Dark circles tugged his eyes downward. The lines on his faced etched a sad tale. He sipped his brandy and stared into the darkness beyond the stern windows as if he wished he were somewhere else. Anywhere else. The light from lanterns swaying overhead sent the buttons lining his lapel shimmering like gold, but their luster fell flat when reflected off his haggard face.

  Marianne’s heart sank for this man.

  It had been two weeks since they’d left Antigua. Two miserably long weeks in which Marianne’s agitated emotions had gone from despondency to anger to sorrow and finally to a benumbed acceptance of her fate. If God wanted her to be a slave on board an enemy ship, if He wanted her mother and sister to go uncar
ed for, then so be it. She would accept her destiny. Accept it, yes, but not without feeding a growing anger toward a God who was supposed to care for and love her.

  But as John Milton said his poem, “Comus,” “A sable cloud turns forth its silver lining on the night,” such a silver lining had shone on Marianne’s recent storms. For Lieutenant Garrick had not followed through with his threat to prove her involvement in her friends’ escape. Nor had he made any advances toward her. In addition, the drunken watchmen made no mention of her actions and had only received a dozen lashes each.