Captain Of My Heart
Page 41
“Well, then, shall we get up and greet our first day as Captain and Mrs. Merrick?”
“Aye, lass. But first, we have some catching up to do,” he murmured, and pushing his hands beneath her thick, heavy hair, he lowered his head to hers and claimed her lips in a kiss. “A lot of catching up to do.”
Epilogue
The Essex Gazette, September 15, 1779
After setting his prize—not his own ship—afire, and using it to cut a hole through the British fleet at Penobscot and dashing through it to make his escape, the brave Captain Merrick gallantly brought his sharp-sailing schooner Kestrel off Newburyport, where he engaged in a heated battle with Captain Richard Crichton in His Majesty’s frigate Viper that was witnessed by many from the shores of Plum Island.
We are happy to report that despite being outgunned, Captain Merrick managed to get the better of his superior rival and, taking advantage of both tide and the seabed, caused such damage to the British ship that she foundered and sank within sight of all who witnessed this stunning affair.
There was no mention of the brave Captain Merrick’s collapse following his ingenious escape from Penobscot, nor of Lieutenant Liam Doherty’s taking over command of Kestrel and keeping her out to sea for a few weeks, long enough for his captain to recover from the abuse he’d suffered at Crichton’s hands, and a thirty-foot fall from Kestrel’s rigging. But that didn’t matter, as far as Ephraim was concerned.
The important details were all right here.
Upon bringing his schooner safely into Newburyport to the rousing cheers of the town, our heroic Captain Merrick found himself rewarded with the finest prize of all—Miss Mira Ashton— the happy couple tying the knot within moments of Captain Merrick’s triumphant arrival.
Crichton dead and gone, never able to harm his family again. Kestrel tied up down at the wharf, both she and her captain restored to their former glory. Matt and Eveleen happily married, and Mira and her cooking and her bleedin’ cats now Captain Merrick’s problem.
Ahh, life could sure be good, even to an old man.
Cackling with glee, Ephraim Ashton, shipbuilder, picked up the paper and read the passage a second time.
And then he licked the jelly from his fingers so as not to get any on the Marine News section, carefully rolled up the paper, and made his way to Davenport’s Wolfe Tavern, chuckling all the way.
THE END
About the Author:
Bestselling, multi-award winning and critically acclaimed author Danelle Harmon has written ten books, previously published in print and distributed in many languages worldwide. Though a Massachusetts native, she has lived in Great Britain and is married to an Englishman; she and her husband make their home in New England with their daughter Emma and numerous animals including four dogs, an Egyptian Arabian horse, and a flock of pet chickens. Danelle welcomes email from her readers and can be reached at Danelle@danelleharmon.com or through any of the means listed below:
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