Judah was ready to spring when the guard turned on his heel and moved out of sight. Judah breathed a sigh of relief, and waited until the man's footsteps faded into the distance before he continued toward the house.
He ducked from one tree to another until the house loomed out of the mist before him. Then his eyes sought the window that would be Liberty's. Cautiously he walked to the tree just below it, and he assessed the situation. There was no way he could get to Liberty without using the rope. He grabbed a branch and swung himself into the tree, just in time to avoid the sentry that walked by.
The English soldier paused in his duty, and propped his rifle against the tree trunk. Minutes passed, and the man still didn't move. Judah became irritated, for precious time was passing. He had to rescue Liberty before the mist cleared. They would have no chance at all when the morning sunburned it away.
Liberty had fallen asleep curled up on the window ledge. She awoke with a start; a sudden noise had shaken her out of her sleep. She listened for a moment, but there was no sound. Cold and stiff, she stood up and tried to restore circulation to her legs.
A sound, like someone throwing pebbles against her window, caught her attention. She listened until it came again. Someone was outside her window. Pressing her face against the frosted pane, she could see nothing. She had convinced herself that she must have imagined the whole thing, when she heard it again.
Liberty slowly opened the window, and before she could react, a dark shrouded figure swooped inside, knocking her to the floor and landing on top of her. Immediately enfolded in a dark cape, Liberty fought to get free. But a man's hand clamped over her mouth, and panic rose up inside her. She pushed against the strong hand that seemed to cut off her breathing.
"Have no fear, my lady wife," a beloved voice whispered in her ear. "I have come to get you out of here. I am going to take my hand away from your mouth now, but do not make a sound," he cautioned.
"Judah," she whispered as he scooped her up in his arms and held her tightly against his broad chest. Joy threaded her words. "You came for me."
He pressed his cheek to hers, and tightened his arms about her. "Did you think I would not? Surely you knew I would never allow you to become anyone's prisoner." He smiled. ". . . Except mine."
Her heart sung with happiness because he had come for her, yet she feared for the man she loved. "Judah did you not get my note warning you not to come? Do you not know you are in danger?"
His lips brushed against hers and he laughed softly. "Madame, do you not know your husband is accused of being a pirate who thinks nothing of danger?"
"Judah, be serious. You are in peril here. You must leave immediately."
He set Liberty on her feet. "I will not leave without you. Dress quickly. I had to deal with one of your guards below. I fear he will regain consciousness at any moment and alert the house."
Liberty's hands fumbled, she was in such haste to get dressed. Pulling on her gown, she felt Judah's hands at her back, tying the bow at the neck. "I would rather be undressing you," he whispered against her ear, sending shivers of delight to dance down her spine.
She reached up to place her hand on his, but Judah had already moved across the room to look out the window. Liberty gathered up her cloak and pulled it around her.
"Come on," he called to her, as he tested the rope he had tied in the branches of the tree. "We must leave now. It sounds like the changing of the guard. Hurry!"
Liberty flew into his strong arms, and to her surprise, he threw her across his shoulder. She hardly had time to gasp in surprise, before they went flying through the air and he landed softly on the sturdy tree branch.
Judah set her down beside him and caught her about the waist to steady her. "So far, so good," he laughed. "Now you must clutch me around the neck, and I will descend the rope. Are you frightened?"
"No, not with you."
"Good girl," he said, feeling great pride in his wife. He had known many women who would have been hysterical under similar circumstances, yet not once did Liberty express fear or doubt. She did not hesitate to follow his every command without question.
Her hands went around his neck, and he lowered them both down the rope. Judah could hear the moaning of the man he had knocked unconscious. He knew they had to hurry. When his feet touched the ground, he pulled Liberty behind the tree.
He realized that it was long past the hour and a half Zippora was supposed to wait for him. If she had followed his instructions, she would be gone by now, and their chances of escaping were very slim.
Judah clasped Liberty's hand. "Do you feel up to running?" he asked urgently.
"Oui," she said, lifting her gown. "I can run very fast when the need arises."
Their feet seemed to fly as they headed in the direction of the river. Behind them, Liberty heard a voice calling out. "Intruder on the premises! Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm!"
They ran and ran until Liberty felt that her lungs were going to burst from lack of air. Her legs would no longer hold her and she slipped. She would have fallen to the ground had Judah not grabbed her. Without breaking his stride, he swung her into his arms and continued toward the river. He was hoping Zippora would meet them when they got there.
The mist was beginning to clear, and the first rosy glow of morning touched the Eastern horizon. Several shots rang out, and then bullets were whizzing all about them. Judah jumped behind a tree, listened to the sound of running footsteps. "Pray we have a boat when we reach the river, Liberty," he said, clasping her to him. He took a deep breath and bounded down the embankment, his black cape flying behind him.
"Over here," Zippora called out. "Hurry!"
Judah seemed to sail through the air as he leaped off the embankment and landed softly in the boat. When the small craft stopped rocking, he deposited Liberty in the rear, and pushed her head down. "Keep low," he cautioned. He then picked up an oar and helped Zippora row, knowing they must get out of range of the British guns.
Bullets whistled past them as several soldiers gathered at the river's edge. Others were ordered into boats and were soon in pursuit.
Zippora only laughed. "The Anglais would be wiser to stay on land. In no time at all they will be hopelessly lost in the mist. We are safe from them now. Besides I took advantage of the time while I was waiting. Those boats will not remain afloat for long."
Liberty drew in a deep breath. Her heart felt light as she hugged her cape about her. Judah did care about her. Had he not risked his life to rescue her tonight?
As the sound of English voices faded behind them, they caught the current and headed downriver.
"Where are we going," Liberty asked, when they moved past the bayou that would take them to Zippora's cabin. Not that she cared. It was enough to be free.
"I am going to take you where you will be safely out of British hands, and where they will not find you," Judah told her.
"You cannot take her to Bend of the River," Zippora said, leaning back and allowing Judah to do the rowing. "It is surrounded by the Anglais. They might capture her again."
"I know," Judah said, allowing the current to sweep them downriver. "I am taking her to the Winged Victory. You should stay aboard with her, Zippora."
"No, 1 will return home. I am in no danger."
By the time the mist had cleared, they had passed the enemy position and were approaching Colonel Jackson's headquarters at Chalmette. Judah rowed ashore and helped Zippora and Liberty to disembark.
Liberty looked from her husband to her dear friend Zippora. "How can I say thank you?" she asked, tears shining in her eyes. "I am most grateful to both of you."
Judah flashed her a smile, and Zippora turned away to climb back into her boat. "I have no time to listen to this," she said in a gruff voice, but Liberty saw that her eyes were shining with happiness. She watched the old woman pull away from shore and paddle to the middle of the river. Liberty raised her hand to wave good-by, and Zippora acknowledged her with the merest nod of her hea
d.
"That is an amazing woman," Judah observed. "I wager there is not another like her anywhere in this world."
Liberty nodded in agreement.
Judah's eyes were warm as they rested on her face. "Are you tired, little one?"
"A little."
"Come, I will have Philippe escort you to my ship. You can rest when you get there." Taking her arm, he led her through the camp.
Disappointment showed in her eyes. "Will you not be coming with me?"
"I am afraid not. Like many of my countrymen, I am committed here, Liberty. The English want New Orleans, and they know they have to go through us to get it."
For the first time Liberty noticed the activity going on around her. Walls built of mud ran along a deep canal. Fence posts had been driven into the ground to reinforce the rampart, and artillery was placed behind it at strategic points. Some men were drilling, while others were cleaning their rifles. A few slept on the cold ground, and Liberty suspected they must have been on night duty. There was tension in the air, a premonition of things to come.
For the first time Liberty felt the horrors of war. Men were preparing to fight, to kill one another. Perhaps blood would be spilled on the very ground where she now stood.
"Come away with me, Judah," she said, in a moment of weakness, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Please do not stay here."
"I cannot, Liberty, and I do not believe you really want me to. Could you respect a man who would turn his back on his duty?"
"I . . . no. It's just that-."
"I know," he said, smiling down at her. "You haven't had anyone to look after you since your father died. It's only normal that you would be concerned about the only stability in your life, which at the moment happens to be me."
Liberty looked at him strangely. "Was that the way Judah thought she felt about him, as someone she could depend upon?"
"Judah, you are my husband."
His eyes moved across her face. "I haven't forgotten, Liberty."
Suddenly she was terrified for him. Suppose he was wounded, or even killed, in battle? "Judah, what will really happen here?" she asked.
"I won't lie to you, little one. There will be a battle such as we have never known before." He glanced about him at Jackson's strange-looking army. The British know they will have to go through us to get to New Orleans, but we intend to stop them here—we have to!"
Liberty's eyes came to life with flames of patriotism. "I wish I were a man. I would stand beside you and fight to the bitter end." She turned to him, her eyes expectant. "I don't suppose you would allow me to stay?"
He smiled and shook his head. "No, I will not. And none of your tricks either. You are going where you will be out of the line of danger."
"Will you have the fire power of the Carolina when the battle starts?" she asked, remembering the ship had helped Colonel Jackson in the last battle.
"No, she was set afire by the British. We saved some of her guns, however. They are mounted and ready to fire. Her crew members hope to get their revenge."
"What of the cannons that we brought through the swamps?"
"They are primed and ready. My gunners from the Winged Victory will man them when the battle commences."
By now they had reached a tent, and Judah led Liberty inside. There she saw Philippe and several other men she recognized from the Winged Victory.
"Gentlemen, I would like to present to you my wife, Liberty Slaughter. Liberty, this is Rojo. Philippe you already know. James Brent, Robert Massey, and George Cummings. The others are either in camp or downriver guarding the ship."
Each man quickly removed his hat and faced Liberty with shining eyes. Philippe appointed himself as spokesman. "Madame Slaughter, we are indeed honored to be presented to you. We stand ready to help you in any way we can."
The others shook their heads in agreement, except Rojo. He stared into clear blue eyes and lost his heart. Surely she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. "The captain is a most fortunate man, Senora. I have never seen anyone more pretty," he blurted out, provoking rib gouging and snickers from some of the other crewmembers.
Judah looked at each man through lowered lashes, which brought immediate silence. "Philippe, choose three men and escort Madame Slaughter to the Winged Victory. You can send the others back, but I want you to remain with my wife until further notice."
"Aye, aye, sir," Philippe answered. "Are there any other instructions?"
"Yes." Judah lowered his voice. "Should the war go against us, you are to get my mother, and my grandfather if he will go with you. Then I want you to take the Winged Victory to Boston. Is that understood?"
"Aye, Captain." There was a grave look on the first mate's face, because he usually went into battle with his captain. The two men shook hands. "God keep you, Captain," Philippe said.
Liberty felt a sob building up deep inside her. How could she walk away from the man she loved, knowing she might never see him again. She tried to think of Colonel Jackson's wife, Rachel, and how hard it must have been for her to send her husband off to war—but it didn't help. She held her back straight and refused to cry in front of Judah's men. She would show everyone what it meant to be Judah Slaughter's wife.
Judah took Liberty's arm and led her back toward the river, while the four men escorting her followed, just out of earshot. Neither of them spoke until they reached the longboat, then Liberty turned to her husband. "Take care of yourself," she said bravely.
"I shall. You will be well cared for, Liberty. Philippe will guard you with his life. I trust him completely, I hope you will too."
uOui, of course." She clutched his shirtfront and gazed into his eyes. "You will not take any unnecessary chances, will you?"
He smiled. "You have my word, I will not."
She drew in a ragged breath, wishing he would take her in his strong arms and assure her that they would soon be together. The wind ruffled her golden hair, and he smoothed it down with his hand. He touched his finger to his lips and then pressed it gently to hers. "We will be together again soon, little one . . . soon."
Liberty turned away, knowing she could no longer hold the tears back. Judah helped her into the boat, and the others climbed in after her, taking up the oars. She refused to look back at Judah until the boat had moved a safe distance downstream.
When Liberty could trust herself to turn, Judah was too far away for her to see his expression, but he raised his hand to her and she waved back. She wished she dare ask Philippe to turn the boat around and take her back. What would she do if anything happened to Judah? She hadn't had the chance to tell him she loved him.
She pulled her hood over her head so it would hide her face from the others. Only then did she allow the tears to flow freely. Soon they rounded a bend, and she could no longer see her husband. The men must have known what she was feeling, because no one spoke. The only sounds that could be heard were the distant singing of a mockingbird and the swish of oars as they sliced through the water.
Sebastian slammed his fist down on the desk and winced in pain. "What imbecile allowed Judah Slaughter to come into this house and spirit Liberty away right under our noses?"
Colonel Newman smiled. "Since I am in charge here, I suppose you could say I was that imbecile."
Sebastian cleared his throat. "I did not mean to imply that you were at fault, Colonel. I was referring to the guards who were on duty last night. They were careless and unprofessional. I demand that they be reprimanded."
"You are in no position to demand anything. And since you are not a military man, how would you know what was professional and what wasn't?"
Sebastian chose to ignore the insult. He realized he had spoken rashly. The one thing he did not want to do was turn Colonel Newman against him. The man was in a position to help him get his hands on Briar Oaks, maybe even Bend of the River.
"I have to hand it to Slaughter," Colonel Newman stated, admiration threading his voice. "He took us completely by surprise. I would
n't have thought any man could have navigated in that heavy fog and mist last night."
Bandera had been sitting near the fire, trying to keep warm. She got up and crossed to her husband. "What is to be done to recover my sister, Colonel? Have you sent men to search for her and bring her back?"
"I don't mean to sound indelicate, Mrs. Montesquieu, but I no longer have an interest in your sister. I admit it would have been nice to capture Judah Slaughter, but since that did not happen, we still have a war to fight."
"Does it not bother you that my cousin made fools of us all?" Sebastian wanted to know. "I would think, if for no other reason, you would want to retake Liberty to redeem your honor, Colonel."
Colonel Newman laughed aloud. "My honor was never at stake. Judah Slaughter is the one who redeemed his honor last night. We held someone who belonged to him, and he took her back against impossible odds. I would have attempted the same had I been in his place."
Sebastian stared at the colonel in astonishment. "If I did not know better, I would think you admire my cousin."
"I do admire him. He has courage beyond that of most men. I'd bet you are not even aware of some of his exploits at sea."
"No, nor do I want to know about them," Sebastian said pettishly. "I do not admire his kind."
Bandera tapped her shoe against the floor in vexation. "I see that old witch Zippora's hand in this. Only she could have guided Judah here last night." She turned her eyes on the colonel and flashed him a smile. "Surely you are going to help us get my sister back. We cannot leave her in the clutches of that pirate Judah Slaughter."
Colonel Newman's mouth tightened into a firm line. He had been in close contact with Bandera and Sebastian since Christmas. It was all he could do to stay in the same room with them. "Your concern for your sister is very touching. But I believe she would rather be in the hands of her husband than locked in her bedroom. I have been astounded that you never asked me to release your sister from her confinement, Madame. Indeed, I was told that you did not once ask to see her." A devilish smile lit the colonel's gray eyes. "At least your husband showed enough concern to ask to be admitted to her room on several occasions."
Moontide Embrace (Historical Romance) Page 34