Warmth was reflected in the first mate's eyes as they rested on the golden-haired beauty who had charmed him. "You had better scoot along, Madame. The captain is waiting for you, and he isn't in the best of moods." Suddenly Philippe threw back his head and laughed at the humor of the situation. "The captain isn't in the best of moods because he thinks he left his young bride so soon after the wedding."
Liberty laughed as she gave her hat a final pat. Then she went out the door and raced to the upper deck. A quick glance told her that three cannons had been loaded onto the pontoon. "Come aboard, lad," Judah called up to her. "We are ready to get underway."
Judah's attention was on the cannons as Liberty climbed down the ladder and onto the flatboat. "We are riding low in the water because of the weight of the cannons," Judah observed. "Let us hope that we don't run into rough weather and capsize. Our progress will be much slower now."
Liberty realized that she must have slept for hours, because the sun was riding high in the sky. On the horizon, dark, threatening clouds gathered, and the icy fingers of a cold wind promised to make the return trip miserable.
Judah had instructed the crew to keep the boat in the middle of the river, hoping to avoid the choppy waves. Now Liberty noticed for the first time that the Winged Victory was anchored in a small inlet that was well hidden from the river's main channel.
Long, tedious hours of poling passed, and they were still on the Mississippi, each man tense and fearing discovery. When the sunset streaked a blast of purple across the clouds, Liberty pointed to a quiet bayou, and with relief, the men guided the boat in that direction.
Judah glanced upward as the first raindrops began to fall. "Is the rain going to be a problem?" he asked, turning his gaze to Liberty.
"It could be, M'sieu, if the wind comes up. I would advise that you keep near the shore. Then, if we get into trouble, we will have a better chance of saving the cannon. About five miles ahead, the bayou narrows, and we may have problems with all this weight."
"Smart lad," Judah said, silently thanking Liberty for sending him such an able guide. His thoughts went to his young bride and he felt warm in spite of the chill wind that pelted rain into his face. He could almost picture Liberty curled up beside a warm fire, candlelight reflecting off her golden hair.
He tried to forget about the cold by remembering the many times he had been enchanted by Liberty, the minx. Every time he had been with her, she had lightened his heart and made him laugh. He must have been falling in love with her right from the beginning, though he hadn't admitted it to himself. Perhaps he hadn't allowed himself to love her at that time because she had been so young. Now he couldn't imagine life without loving Liberty.
A chuckle escaped his lips when he thought of the time he had come upon her fishing, and she had been dressed like a boy!
He smothered an oath and swung his head around to the young lad. No, he told himself. Liberty would never try to deceive him again. He would not be so easy to fool now.
He motioned for one of his men to take his pole, then moved to where the lad was huddled against one of the cannons. Suspicion ate at his mind as he dropped down on the plank seat, hoping for Liberty's sake that he was wrong.
"Have you made me look like a fool again, Liberty?" he asked in a soft voice, his eyes searching the darkness and trying to peer beneath the concealing hat.
There was a long silence before she answered. "Pardon M'sieu?"
He couldn't tell from the voice. It didn't sound like Liberty's, but he had to be sure. He reached out and removed the hat, and his blood flamed with anger as he watched golden hair tumble down around her shoulders. "By, God, Liberty," he whispered in an enraged voice. "Do you know what you have done? Do you have any notion of the danger you have put yourself in?"
She felt stung by his anger. "You needed me, Judah. Did you not say this was an important mission? Did I not guide you safely to your ship?"
He leaned back and stared upward, allowing the rain to cool his temper. "Must you always do this, Liberty? Do you like making a fool of me?"
"Judah, it wasn't like that. You needed a guide, and I'm the best person for the task. I know the swamps better than, anyone I know."
He thumped the brim of her hat. "Well, the harm has been done now. Put your hat back on, and hope that my men do not discover who you are. If they knew how easily you have made a fool of me, they would have very little respect for my authority."
"Judah, I did not-"
Whatever Liberty was about to say was cut off by the sound of sporadic gunfire just ahead. Before she knew what was happening, Judah roughly pushed her to the bottom of the boat and covered her body with his. The ping-ping of bullets ricocheting off the cannons could be heard.
"Get down, Rojo," Judah called out. "All of you, keep your heads down; the current is taking us right toward them."
It was hard for Liberty to breathe because Judah's body was pressing her against the bottom of the boat. "Judah," she whispered. "If we could steer to the right, there is a small bayou just ahead. I need to lift my head so I can find it for you."
"Hell, no. You are not to lift your head. You will keep it down, or you will have to fear me more than the enemy," he said in a commanding voice. "You will tell me what to look for, and I will guide the boat."
"I cannot see to guide you, if I have to keep my head down," she reasoned.
He clamped his jaw tightly together. "You will obey me in this, Liberty," he told her in a whisper. "I am going to try to get us out of trouble, but I had better not see you raise your head."
The bullets continued to fly, and Liberty held her breath, fearing Judah would be hit by one. She watched him crawl past the other three men until he was at the front of the boat. One of the men offered to help, but Judah ordered him to remain where he was.
On his knees, Judah grasped the pole and applied pressure. They were so near the enemy that they could hear English-accented voices just ahead. Slowly, the boat moved out of the current and toward the opposite shore. Just ahead, Judah saw a fork and hoped they could reach it before the enemy reached them. He could hear the oars of several small boats splashing in the water, and he knew the enemy was in pursuit. Judah motioned for Rojo to get the other pole and help him.
"Captain," Liberty said just behind him. "If you will ease her over to your right, the current will help us along."
Judah did as Liberty advised, but still he could hear the enemy gaining on them. "That's right, M'sieu. You are almost there," she urged, raising her head, only to have Judah push it down again with his booted foot.
Judah could feel the boat as it caught the current. As he applied pressure to the pole, the boat moved down the narrow fork of the bayou.
"M'sieu" Liberty spoke up again. "I know a place where we can hide, one in which the British cannot find us. Just around that bend, there is a hidden cove. It is a haven for alligators, but we will be safe enough there."
Judah nodded grimly. He knew it was just a matter of minutes before the British would find the fork and be in pursuit. "Everyone to the poles," he said. "Put your backs into it, men. If we cannot outrun the enemy, we will outsmart them. Remember, if we see that we are going to be taken, the cannons will have to be sunk."
To Judah's relief, the bend loomed just ahead. He could hear the British behind them, and he knew they had found the cutoff. At last they were around the bend, and Liberty jumped to her feet. "There, Captain, see the cove just to the right?"
"That doesn't look like a cove to me, Captain," Rojo said.
"Trust me, Captain. Behind the vines and underbrush is a perfect cove."
"Follow the lad's instructions, men. He hasn't led us wrong yet."
Minutes passed like hours as they poled the boat forward. Now they were going against the current, which made progress all the more difficult. At last the boat moved through the vines and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. There was indeed a hidden cove.
Moments later, three longboats moved swiftly pas
t. "I count twenty men, sir," Rojo whispered. "Possibly more."
"Keep your voices down, men. We aren't out of danger. They may yet turn around and come back," Judah warned.
"They will have to come back eventually, M'sieu" Liberty informed them. This bayou is a dead end, leading only to marshlands and quicksand. I know a way out of here, but I doubt that they do. It is my opinion that we should remain here until they return."
"How long will that take?" Judah asked impatiently. He wanted to deliver the cannon and join the fighting. He also wanted to see that Liberty was safely out of danger.
"I would think two hours, M'sieu."
"Rest easy, men. It appears we will be here for a while," Judah told them.
"Why can't we go back the way we came, sir?" one of the men wanted to know.
"We can't chance it," Judah said. "There may be others behind us. We will wait here until the danger has passed."
"But the lad said there were alligators here, Captain," Rojo said, searching the darkness, and knowing the splashes he heard along the banks must be the ugly beasts looking for a meal.
"You don't need to worry, Rojo, you are too tough for even the alligators to digest," one of the men joked, while laughing humorously. "Pity the poor alligator that sunk his teeth into you."
Silence fell across the swamps once more, while a light rain made the occupants of the boat miserable. Judah went to Liberty and wrapped his cloak around her. "I should beat you," he whispered so only she could hear.
"Would that not shock your men, Captain?" she said, noticing that some of the anger had gone out of his voice.
"Minx," he told her, wishing he dared pull her into his arms and hold her very close. She could have been killed, and the danger wasn't over yet.
"I am sorry that I — "
"Shh," he cautioned, fearing the men would hear her. "You did well, lad," he said for the others' benefit. "I doubt we could have gotten this far without your help."
Liberty basked in his praise. It was a cold, wet and miserable night, but there was nowhere else on earth Liberty wanted to be at that moment. "Then you are glad I came?" she whispered.
"We will talk about that later." Suddenly a brilliant thought came to him. "Men, it's cold and more than likely, it will get colder. Stay together for warmth and try to keep dry." He moved closer to Liberty, and she felt his warm hand slide around her back as he drew his cloak over both of them.
She was vaguely aware that the other men had pulled their cloaks over their heads and were huddled together, but she was more aware of a strong hand that moved across her shoulder and softly cupped one of her breasts. "You asked for it," he whispered against her ear. "Even now I ache for you, do you know that, Liberty?"
Oh, yes, she knew about aching and needing. Her breath caught in her throat, and she could scarcely draw it in. Judah did not speak of love, but of need and desire. At the moment, that might be all that held them together.
His hand moved down past her waist to rest against her thigh, while he pulled the cloak over both their heads. Daringly, his hand moved between her legs, and he groaned at the warm feel of her. With a strangled cry, he found her sweet lips and smothered them with a burning kiss.
"Damn you for what you are doing to me. I have been in hell lately, Liberty. You belong to me, yet I cannot have you," he said in a tortured voice.
Liberty didn't care at that moment that there were three other people nearby. All she could think of was the man who held her in his arms and burned her lips with his passionate kiss.
Judah raised his head, trying to regain his sanity. This wasn't what he wanted for Liberty. He would not take the chance of shaming his wife before his men. "Talk to me about anything, Liberty," he whispered, a catch in his voice. "Talk to me, but do not touch me."
Liberty felt desire throb through her, and she knew she must regain control of her emotions. They were on an important mission; her feelings did not matter at the moment. She tried to speak, but could not. He was too near—so very, very near.
When her hand moved to clasp his, he flung it away, moving from her with a strangled oath. Was he crazed? he wondered. All Liberty had to do was touch him and he forgot everything else.
The heavy rain pelted him in the face and went a long way toward cooling his desire.
18
The clouds had moved away, leaving a bitter, cold night. Liberty huddled beneath Judah's damp cloak, which did little to warm her. In the hours before sunup, the British returned, just as Liberty had predicted they would, and as soon as the enemy disappeared around the bend, Liberty told Judah that they could safely move out of the cove. Cautiously at first, the men applied their poles, and the craft caught the current. Liberty moved to the front of the boat and guided them into a smaller bayou.
For four hours they fought their way through narrow passages that were choked with vines and vegetation. Rojo kept a wary eye on the alligators that often reared their ugly heads. Judah knew that the enemy was all around them, so he ordered silence.
It was past noon when Liberty guided them into a wide branch of the river and the current carried them along.
"M'sieu, you must now tell me where you want to go so I can get you there," Liberty said, still playing the part of a young boy.
"I was supposed to join General Jackson at Chalmette. I no longer hear gunfire and will have to scout out the situation before I act."
"I know where we can hide the boat. Your men can have shelter and a good meal there. Then you and I can scout out the situation, and you will know better what to do."
Judah gave her a scalding glance, but she saw defeat in his eyes. He had no choice but to do as she said.
Liberty guided them up the bayou for another hour before she motioned for them to pull over to the bank. "You must all remain here while I find out if Zippora will welcome you," she said, agilely jumping ashore.
"I'm coming with you," Judah remarked, as he, too, jumped onto the bank. "You men, look lively, and keep your guns handy. I would not like to lose you or the cannons."
Liberty made her way up the path with Judah at her side. A sideways glance told her he was staring at her, a grim expression on his face, and she knew he still hadn't forgiven her for deceiving him.
"You will give me directions on how to get to Chalmette, but you will remain here with Zippora," he said at last.
"That would not be possible, Judah. I will have to guide you through some very treacherous areas. You couldn't possibly make it on your own. There are places where we will have to walk, and you wouldn't know where to look for the quicksand or the dangerous swamp gas."
"You could draw me a map."
She stopped and looked up at him impatiently. "Understand, Judah, for better or worse, we are in this together. Neither of us is important at the moment. What matters is that you get those cannons to General Jackson. I am your only hope of doing that and you know it."
Her eyes, now the color of the sea, were swirling storm centers. He let out a disgusted oath, then motioned for her to continue. "It seems I have no choice at the moment, but we are not finished on this subject, Liberty."
By now they had reached the path where the human skull hug on the high pole. "I hope Zippora is home,"
Liberty said, hurrying her footsteps. With long strides, Judah kept pace with her.
When they reached the cabin, smoke was coming out of the chimney, and Liberty breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her friend standing in the doorway. Zippora watched them approach, a strange light in her yellow eyes. When they stood before her, she spoke first to Judah.
"So you have returned, M'sieu. I wondered when you would pay us a visit."
"Somehow I get the feeling that you do not wonder about anything, Zippora. I have the feeling you know all," he said, smiling at the woman who had saved his life, and had been a friend to Liberty.
She waved her hand in the air. "If I knew everything, would I be living here?"
"Zippora, I need your help," Liberty sa
id, and the urgency in her voice drew the old woman's attention.
"What is wrong, ma chere? Why are you dressed as a boy?"
Liberty quickly told Zippora about their plight, and about how they had spent the night hiding from the British. "We need a place to hide the cannons, and Judah has three men who need food and rest. I will need a supply of food and the use of your skiff."
Zippora's eyes moved from Liberty to Judah. "It is done," she said with startling quickness. "I will pack you food, and you know where I keep my boat. I will send Reuben to show your men where to hide the pontoon boat, and they can rest here until you return."
Liberty reached for Zippora's hand. "Thank you for not asking questions that I cannot answer."
"A true friend never asks why, but offers help when it is needed," the wise old woman observed.
"I bless the day you became my friend, Zippora," Liberty said softly.
"I, too, bless that day, ma petite" Zippora told her.
Judah saw love shining in the yellow eyes that rested on Liberty, and he knew that Zippora wouldn't lift a finger to help him if it weren't for Liberty.
The bayou seemed endless as Judah plied the oar that moved the small boat along. He couldn't remember the last time he had closed his eyes in sleep. The food Zippora had provided had gone a long way toward reviving his body, if not his spirit. He and Liberty had been forced back many times by the flash of a red coat; the enemy was scattered everywhere. Thus far they had not seen one American, so they could not find out how the battle had gone the night before.
"Judah," Liberty whispered urgently. "We cannot get through this way. The British have it guarded—look to your left."
His eyes followed her direction, and he quickly paddled the boat back the way they had come, because there were enemy soldiers guarding the bank.
Liberty placed her fingers to her lips, and motioned for him to row to the shore. When the small craft bumped against the bank, she grabbed up the pack of food and water, shouldered the machete, and jumped ashore. "We must hide the boat in the swamp," she whispered. "We may need it later."
Moontide Embrace (Historical Romance) Page 29