Fortune's Flames

by Janelle Taylor

  Maren had messed up his plans by marrying Jared Morgan, the famous Captain Hawk. During his voyage to Baltimore and Jamaica, Eric had decided to sell all of his American holdings and move to his plantation on that lovely island. He had intended to tell Maren they were not blood kin, and to take her as his wife. He had always craved her, but as her cousin, he had been unable to approach her. Of course, she would be a widow after Jared was killed….

  Little did Maren know that Eric had encouraged his friend, Daniel Redford, to marry her, so she would be out of the way. He and Daniel were a lot alike, both second in line for inheritance and both unloved by their fathers. It had not been hard to convince Daniel that Maren would be rich one day and would make him a perfect wife. Since Daniel’s brother had wooed and wed Daniel’s true love, Daniel had been most receptive to Eric’s suggestion. Then, during one of his secret trips to London, Eric had learned of Daniel’s death and he’d made new plans for Maren James. He was getting rich playing three countries against each other, but it was time to drop his pretenses before someone unmasked him. A good gambler knew when to leave the table, even if he was winning.

  Now that he was within reach of Jared Morgan’s wealth, Eric would soon have all he needed to live better than Britain’s king… after he picked up that gold shipment in France. The necklace had not been in the bank box, so he would have to locate Maren to retrieve it. Horben and his men were searching for her at Payne’s Point. Eric had assumed Maren was with that arrogant little blonde, Lilibeth Payne; and once Horben got her, he would take Maren with him to France, then drop her off in Jamaica and tend to his business here. Maren would be held captive until he needed Jared’s widow to seize the Morgan fortune. Then he would decide whether she was worthy to marry him or not. If he didn’t want her, he would hand her over to Horben.

  By Sunday afternoon, Eric was certain they would not locate Maren nearby. His overseer at the dock, Andrews, had told him of the young man who had arrived last Sunday morning, looking for Jared Morgan and Lady Luck. When the sailor was described as being in his mid twenties, with sandy hair and hazel eyes, Eric recalled the man who had jumped ship in Savannah: Peter Thomas. He went aboard the Martha J and questioned his crew about Peter. Discovering that Peter had purchased another crewman’s shore leave at Baltimore, he added up the facts, and was enraged by his conclusion.

  He was positive that Jared was on his way to France, with the necklace and with Maren. He ordered his ship and crew to make ready to sail at dawn the next morning, and he offered each man a bonus if they beat the Sea Mist to Marseilles.

  Horben Wolfe focused his ghostly eyes on his friend and asked, “What will you do if she’s with him and you catch her?”

  Eric’s frosty green gaze met Horben’s icy blue one and he replied, “I’ll see if she’s there by choice or if our illustrious Captain Hawk has coerced her into marrying him and betraying me. You heard what Sam and Dan said: she was against battling me, but Morgan kept pushing her. Dan said he was threatening her with the loss of Lady Luck and with jail because of that money I took. With all that pressure, it’s no wonder she got scared and turned to Morgan for help and protection. Dan thinks Morgan forced her to marry him for selfish reasons, which I can understand. If she’s innocent, I’ll keep her. If she isn’t, she’s yours to do with as you choose.”

  Horben smiled and licked his lips as he envisioned Maren under his control. “Damnation, I hope she’s guilty.”

  They both laughed, then Eric said, “You’re my best friend and you’ve stuck by me for years. I know how badly you want her. Even if she’s innocent, I’ll let you have her once a week, drugged of course.”

  Horben smiled at Eric and then clasped his hand because he knew Eric was telling the truth. “In that case, I hope she’s innocent,” Horben said.

  “Me, too, Ben. She’ll make us a perfect wife.”

  Friday afternoon in the mid-Atlantic, Jared and Maren were nestled together in his bed. Jared had been on deck since five o’clock yesterday, but he had finally come down to rest and sleep. Despite his exhaustion a hunger for his wife had kept him from rest. He had asked her to undress and join him for a while, and she had eagerly agreed. They had sighted a few ships, but always at too great a distance to be a threat, and since Jared knew his men were on constant alert, he felt safe in stealing a few hours with Maren.

  As he removed his boots and garments, Jared asserted, “I hate to admit it, or even to think it, but I believe Dan Myers is involved with Eric or his cohorts. I keep recalling indications I didn’t grasp at the time. As soon as Evelyn was exposed to him, she became a threat, and she was slain. Then Heath died mysteriously. Dan was angry about the attacks on you, so those two must have been overstepping their orders. I think he moved out of the house to throw suspicion off himself, but the incidents those two created kept pointing the finger at him. So he got rid of them.”

  “He was my father’s friend. Why would he betray us, Jared?”

  Jared lay down beside her and clasped her naked body to his. “I recall the way he looked and sounded when he talked about Lady Luck, and how nervous he was that day we searched Eric’s home. Remember how relieved he seemed when we didn’t find anything there?” Maren nodded and snuggled closer. “Dan loves that place. Maybe Eric offered him a share in it for his aid. The trouble started after my arrival, so maybe Dan thought we wouldn’t want him there anymore and he’d be pushed out.”

  “But we wouldn’t have done that, Jared. He’s a good manager, and we need him. Doesn’t he realize how much we liked him and trusted him?”

  Jared sighed heavily, from fatigue and disappointment. “Perhaps he was already in too deep by then. I believe he suddenly started romancing Mary Malone to entice her to spy on us for him, just in case we doubted him.”

  Maren revealed the housekeeper’s distrust of Jared and her warnings about him. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew she was wrong and it would hurt you. Possibly Dan planted those ideas in her mind, so he could create a breach between us.”

  “Yet she never swayed your faith in me. I love you, Maren Morgan,” Jared vowed huskily, then covered her mouth with his.

  Thoughts of Dan, and of all other matters, were quickly lost as passion seized them and carried them far away. They made love urgently, yet savored every minute of their time together. Then Maren held Jared in her arms while he slept, and she prayed for peace.

  Eleven more days passed, the sea remaining calm and no hostile ships being sighted, and Maren and Jared drew closer and closer to each other and to their destination. On the twelfth day after they’d voiced their suspicions of Dan—the twenty-fourth day of their voyage—trouble came to them. A large British ship bore down on the Sea Mist, determined to attack.

  Maren watched the enemy ship become larger and more menacing as it sailed rapidly toward their larboard side, the wind in its favor. Clouds filled the sky, and she feared a violent storm was brewing. The brisk breeze caused the canvas to whip and pop loudly, as if protesting this duel of powers. She heard the order to clap on more sail, but the British ship kept coming, closer and closer. Then, as if the elements were working in America’s favor, the waves and winds rose higher. Spindrift gathered on the sails, and when struck by intermittent sun, it glittered like tiny lights. Whitecaps slapped against the ship’s hull, and the smell of salt air and of impending conflict filled everyone’s nostrils. The crew readied themselves for the attack, and for confronting death.

  Meanwhile the British ship crowded on the sail and sped toward them, seeming to glide across the water’s surface as if she were skating on an unevenly frozen pond. Jared kept his ship on course because his mission was vital and he did not have time to battle this persistent and arrogant foe. He ordered the pirate flat hoisted, indicating no quarter if overtaken, but the British ship held to her course. When she neared firing range, she sent a warning shot at the Sea Mist.

  Jared did not reply to it. He hoped the British captain would give up his pursuit. But the
Sea Mist’s crew swarmed over the decks and riggings, making certain their vessel was well prepared to defeat this foe. As the distance between the ships diminished, Nature became more tempestuous, and both ships were forced to reduce sail and slacken speed to achieve control. The challenge that had been given was now reluctantly accepted.

  The British ship fired another round, which came closer to striking the Sea Mist. It was apparent that Jared’s ship had been recognized, for the enemy did not wait for the Sea Mist to hoist a nation’s flag or surrender. The British guns spit forth another volley, and within minutes the two vessels were sailing at each other head-on to test their captain’s courage and skills. The British ship was larger and boasted more firepower, but Jared was the best commander and his sleek ship was easier to handle. Jared ordered his crew to open fire on their attacker and to continue firing as quickly as the guns could be reloaded.

  The enemy ship did the same, and soon thunderous cannonfire and acrid smoke permeated the air. The Sea Mist delivered a stunning blast to the broadside of the other ship, raking her foe with expertise, and as the desperate battle continued, Jared maneuvered his ship so deftly that three staggering blasts of double shot hit the British ship. Her mizzenmast and foremast were hit, leaving only the mainmast; and much of her rigging was destroyed, while Jared’s ship had received little damage.

  Eventually the British guns became silent, and the ship floated aimlessly on the waves. Jared knew this was not a trick to lure him in closer; the other ship was crippled. He ordered grappling hooks be readied, intending to board her and search for papers and impressed Americans.

  Though Maren covered her ears to shut out the screams of wounded men, she could smell the smoke from the fires aboard the other ship, and she wondered if they could be controlled. If not… Her heart pounded anxiously as she tried to imagine what Captain Hawk would do with the enemy ship and its defeated crew. She wanted to rush topside and beg him to show mercy, but she knew she must not interfere.

  Time seemed to move slower than a snail. Finally, she realized the Sea Mist was drifting away from the other ship. She waited, eyes closed and pulse racing, to see if Jared ordered the ship blasted into the depths of the ocean, and she prayed, harder than she had ever prayed, that he would not kill helpless prisoners.

  Suddenly the cabin door opened, and Maren whirled about.

  “I thought you might want to see this British prisoner and speak with him,” Jared said.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Bart? Barton Hughes?” she asked incredulously.

  “Maren James?” the man replied, equally astonished.

  She and Bart rushed toward each other excitedly, and they hugged and laughed. Then Bart grasped her forearms gently and held her away from him to eye her. “You look wonderful, Maren. Lordy, it’s great to be free again, thanks to Captain Hawk. What are you doing here?” As if he suddenly became aware of his unkempt state, an embarrassed expression crossed his face and he apologized before she could explain her presence. “Please excuse my sorry appearance. The British don’t treat prisoners well. I hope Captain Hawk will provide me with some clean garments and will allow his barber to cut my hair and give me a shave.” He ruffled his unkempt hair and rubbed his bearded face as he spoke.

  Maren had studied Barton Hughes quickly because she did not want to make him undergo an impolite scrutiny. Lilibeth’s fiancé had always taken great care with his appearance, and it obviously dismayed him to look so dirty and maltreated. His face and arms, pale from a Jack of sunshine, were bruised and soiled. His midnight black hair was oily and shaggy; it fell into his haggard face and grazed his shoulders. He had not shaved for several weeks. He was clad in a short-sleeved sailor shirt and dark trousers which were wrinkled and dirty. His clothing hung loosely on his gaunt frame. Maren did not have to be told he had endured physical and emotional torment, his eyes revealed his suffering.

  She stroked his cheek comfortingly and smiled. “Don’t you worry, Bart; we’ll have you fat and sassy within a week or two. What were you doing on that ship? Beth told me you were fighting near Maine.”

  “You’ve seen her?” he asked anxiously. “How is she?” His greenish blue eyes had brightened at the mention of Beth.

  Maren related all she knew about Bart’s love, even the jests Beth had made about going after her fiancé, and joy filled Bart’s eyes as he admitted, “Lordy, I’ve been lonely and miserable without her. War is hellish, Maren, worse than I ever imagined. I thought it would be settled in a few months, but it’s been years, terrible years.”

  “When was the last time you contacted Beth?”

  “Right before I was captured and put to work as a slave on that British ship, around the end of May. I hope she got my letter in early June and hasn’t been too worried. As soon as it’s possible, will you help me get a message to her?” he asked Jared.

  “We’ll be heading back to America after we sail from France,” Jared replied, “so it shouldn’t be too long, Bart. When we reach Washington, you can either find another ship there or stay with us. I have to stop in Savannah to drop Maren off at my home; then I plan to go to New Orleans.”

  Bart looked from Jared to Maren. “Am I missing something here? I thought you were living in London now.”

  Maren didn’t know how much to reveal, so she was glad when Jared’s arm encircled her waist and he said, “Maren decided to marry me instead of Daniel Redford. We took our vows on July tenth, but we’ve kept our marriage quiet because of my mission. If you get back to New Orleans before we do, I’d appreciate it if you guard our little secret because we’ve had some trouble with Maren’s cousin and his hirelings.”

  “Congratulations and best wishes, but what kind of trouble?” Bart asked.

  Jared gave him a partial explanation of Eric James’s takeover of Cameron James’s holdings after the older man’s death. “Maren and I own Lady Luck together,” he added, “but he wants that too. He hired ruffians to frighten us out. When I had to sail on this mission, I couldn’t leave her there because accidents kept happening to her, and several suspicious characters were killed.”

  “I’ve only met Eric James on a few occasions, but I didn’t care for him. During his visits to New Orleans, he approached me several times about some unsavory deals, and he was vexed because I refused them.” Bart glanced at Maren and said, “I’m sorry about your father, Maren; he was a good man. Why are you heading for France? Isn’t that kind of dangerous?”

  Jared responded, “We’ve learned that Eric James is pretending to work for three countries, and he’s taking money from each one. He’s supposed to pick up a gold shipment in Marseilles, from Napoleon and his loyalists, to help us battle the Brits, but we’re hoping to beat him there and claim it. As far as I know, he’s a week or so behind us. That’s why I didn’t want to stop to fight that ship.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Bart declared with relief.

  “So are we. It must have been Fate,” Maren told him.

  Bart’s eyes were troubled when he spoke again. “Yes, it must have been Fate, Maren, because you’re heading for trouble if you sail for Washington after you leave France. Within the next two weeks, the British are plotting to attack it along with a number of major cities. They intend to shell all the leading ports, and burn the shipyards. We prisoners were kept in an area where we could hear what was going on at the officers’ meetings, and they had plenty of them aboard in the last two months. I’ve heard plans which turned my guts inside out. I hope some American agent has uncovered those schemes and our country is preparing to thwart them, because we could never make it back in time to alert the President, not even if we turned around this very minute. You and I must talk, Jared, but I would like to clean up first.” Bart pushed his ebony hair away from his face, and he prayed he did not smell as badly as he thought he did.

  Jared nodded in understanding. “I’ll have my cabin man, Jacob Tarver, help you with a bath and a shave; then he can cut your hair and get you a decent meal. Kip’s
finding places for you and the others to bunk, and since we’re about the same size, I’ll locate something for you to wear. We can’t get back in time to warn of the attacks, so I suggest you rest today. We can talk over dinner tomorrow. There’s an American agent aboard that I’d like you to meet. You can tell him what you’ve learned when he and Kip join us for dinner tomorrow night. We’ll reach Marseilles in about a week, so we’re going to go over our strategy again. Later you can talk with Maren about Beth.”

  After Bart left with Jacob Tarver, Maren hugged her husband and thanked him for showing mercy to their enemies.

  “So many of them were dead or wounded that I didn’t see any need to sink a crippled ship,” he replied. “It isn’t going anywhere and it can’t be repaired. All they can do is tend their injured, bury their dead, and hope for rescue. Not many of those men will heal soon enough to fight us again. But I have to get you home as quickly as I can; that could have been us. We’re lucky we didn’t have more than one ship after us.”

  “Fate, Jared Morgan, we’re fated to survive and be together.”

  “Fate’s like luck, Mrs. Morgan, sometimes it needs a helping hand.”

  “As long as it’s your talented hand doing the helping, my love.” Maren’s golden brown eyes danced enticingly.

  Jared’s blood was already fired by his recent victory. Compelling emotions surged through a man before, during, and after battle, but now, he burned with the desire Maren kindled in him. It was early afternoon and he should return to duty for there might be more British ships in this area. Still, the conflict had been won so easily he had not expended all of his energy, his tension. He knew that his crew was scrubbing up and doing repairs while the freed men were eating, cleaning up, and resting. He walked to his door and hesitated only a moment before bolting it. As he turned, Maren was already unfastening her clothing, and a seductive smile teased her lips.