by Jewel Adams
“I cut it; Alicia stitched it.”
“I’ll look once things settle down.”
“Later Dan; we need to be away before dawn. I don’t want to chance running into the Orchid.”
When they gained the Raven’s deck, she just set foot on familiar ground when three of the largest matched set of men came out of nowhere. She looked from them to Dan.
“Lass, meet my sons.”
Their size matched Dan’s, but there the similarity ended. In fact, not a one looked like the other in coloring or looks, just in size. Four giants. God, the Raven won’t need any ballast.
“Gentlemen, I’m Corin.” She just smiled up into the open laughter in their eyes that went from her to their father as if he just went over the hill and needed a front porch and swing.
“You’ll have to excuse their manners, lass. Seems they’ve been a’sea too long, water in the brain. The dark one’s name is Jacob. That one there, with the problems with his lip, is Jess. And the red-faced one is called Cal for Caleb.”
“Well, if you gentlemen are half the sailors your father is, we might make it away from the dock. Shall we?”
Corin went to the wheel and shouted out orders to each man. When no one moved, she looked at Dan. “It must be the water stuck in their ears.” That did the trick… after a few muffled curses, their pride took over. They were all she expected, making the Raven sing into action.
The schooner reached the open Gulf waters, and Corin ordered up full sails, sending the ship clipping through the waves; the bow was flying. “God, I needed this.”
“How’s she handle, lass?”
“Beautifully. I missed her, the sea and the freedom. Can you take her so I can change and get our headings?”
“Ah, could Caleb? He’s beside himself to sail her.”
“Why not?” She gave Dan time to move away and act busy so Caleb wouldn’t know his father asked her.
“Cal, could you come here, please?”
“Aye, madame.”
“Please, it’s Corin. Want to take her?”
God, he practically lifted her away from the wheel. Hiding her humor, she told him of Raven’s little quirks and about the instruments. Like Rogan, his dark blue eyes filled with curiosity and awe over the panel. She only needed to watch him a few minutes to know he could handle the ship.
From the hatch, she saw Jess and Jacob join him. Caleb took his brothers in hand and instructed them. “Your dad must have been one heck of a hunk in his glory days.”
Dan called to her before she went down.
“Lass, you will need these.”
“Keys?”
“Aye, the captain had your cabin and the bow’s hold locked. Ain’t no one been in either since you left.”
Her eyes grew bright over the distant memory of that night. “Thank you, Dan.” Walking into the cabin felt like coming home for Corin. “Except you are missing, Rogan. God, please keep him safe.”
Taking the charts Alicia gave her before they left, she tossed them onto the table, causing a piece of paper to float to the floor. Picking it up, she almost threw it away but caught the writing.
Dear Cat,
If you look for something and it is gone, I probably took it, with other things, to the bow. Most of it would be safer in Davy Jones’ locker, but then you know that.
I guess, if you’re reading this, something came between us. I hope it won’t be for long, especially if I’ve not been able to tell you how much I love you.
Take care, Corin, be safe.
Forever,
Rogan
“I love you too, Rogan.”
~ * ~
Paul entered his cabin, still furious over not finding Corin. There was no reason to stay, after returning to Dèsirèe and finding her gone. Then losing Alicia and Louisa finished his plans. They would sail with the afternoon tide. But he wouldn’t go far. Corin would be back; this wasn’t over between them.
Going over to the maps, something stopped him. Bending down, Paul picked up the wilted petal then stared back at the door. “Kent! Get down here!”
“Aye, sir.”
“Who’s been in my cabin?”
“No one, Diamond, honest.”
Slamming the door, his fingers played with the orchid. Moving back to the table, his hand reached under the table and flipped the drawer open.
“Damn it!”
He lifted out the parchment in a rage. The feather fell to the table after he crushed it in his hand. “Raven! Who the hell are you to dare the Black Diamond?”
Picking up the plume, Paul absently ran it through his fingers. The waving action stirred the air, filling it with the scent of roses. Shaking his head in disbelief, Paul’s laughter slowly filled the cabin. “The beauty’s thorns strike, hey, Corin? It is far from over, Cherie!”
Chapter Eighteen
Obstacles of all Shapes
“Ship to stern, Captain!”
Rogan ran to the rail and called up. “What’s she flying, Terry?” They had been running back and forth through the British waters for nearly a week. Tomorrow the merchant was to set sail from Savannah. Rogan was sailing them dangerously close to the shallows.
“Looks to be…holy! It’s a Man o’ War!”
Rogan’s fist hit the rail.
“Captain! There’s…yes, I see her now, there’s another following in her wake. Twins to the guns, heading for the coast.”
Rogan called out orders. Taking over the wheel, he turned the Tempest about, steering her south. “That bastard.”
Terry made his way down and joined him. “It’s a trap, sure enough. I saw them pulling down the sails. They are practically on top of the raid’s location. I don’t think they saw us. What are you doing?”
“Getting the hell out of here. I’ve no desire to be hauled off and hung in England.”
“Back to New Orleans?”
“No, I’ve found my answer. We’re heading for Black Diamond Island, but first we need to see John Kent at St. Thomas.” Corin’s promise was ringing in his head as loud as her warning should have. John could get a message to her and keep her at Dèsirèe, then he’d deal with Diamond. “He’ll pay, Brian!”
~ * ~
Dan didn’t like it. She’d slept hardly at all this last week, driving them and herself to reach the raid coordinates. He still wasn’t convinced that map of Diamond’s was the right one. At least they’d know today.
If this were the right spot, Rogan would be raiding the merchant today. Corin wouldn’t leave until they found him. His thick brows pulled together in worry. “Or God forbid, what is left of him.”
He looked up at her at the wheel. Her hair was loose, flying behind her like some wild thing, with that blouse and skirt plastered against her small frame. She reminded him of those island girls he’d seen past the cape one voyage. He also looked at his sons. They looked plain worn out. She certainly killed their laughter, sure enough. When she shouted out an order now, not a one of them didn’t snap to it.
She’d even showed them how to bring a man down like he’d seen her do in Saint Thomas. Dan laughed over that. She played real sly about showing them when he asked until Jess smarted off and said there was no way she could take him down. He’d been the first to end up on his back. They all got there eventually. Corin used a different tactic each time, must have figured they wouldn’t ‘fall’ for the same move twice. He laughed again over the shock on each boy’s face when he looked up at her standing over him, offering him a hand up.
Once they’d been convinced, it had been the boys who wouldn’t let her go without explaining how she did it.
Damn, he’d never seen anything like it. She said it was all done with leverage. She showed them other things too; pressure points that could kill or just knock a man out, depending on how hard, and where the blow was delivered. It turned into a daily lesson, breaking up the monotony for everyone. But Dan made every one of his sons swear they’d not practice with Corin. She may have shown them different
ways to fight, but they were still oxen, and she couldn’t take their beatings, even the guarded ones.
The girl did have a strong tolerance, though. When he’d pulled out those stitches on her arm, she bit her lip to keep from crying out. There was only one man who saw the vulnerable woman that Corin took pains to hide. Dan prayed he wasn’t in these waters facing the trap Diamond set.
Caleb called out from the catwalk at the bow. He was using that double spy glass Corin gave him. Dan didn’t let them see, but he tried them. Damn, if that father of hers wasn’t a genius. The things he’d made were something else. Caleb could see farther with those than any spy glass.
“Dan, can you take the wheel?”
“Sure lass, go see what he’s found.”
Corin ran across the deck in her bare feet, holding the rope as she went out to where Caleb stood. “What is it?”
“We found them, Corin. Two Man o’ Wars, just like you said. There’s another ship coming out from the coast.”
He passed her the binoculars; she felt her heart pounding at a frantic pace. She moved the glass until the two ships came before her. “They are flying British colors.” Moving it slowly to the left, the other ship came into view. “It’s British, the merchant ship.”
“Must be the one.”
She searched all around the three ships and the coast, even out farther to sea, but didn’t see the Tempest anywhere. “I can’t find Rogan. Caleb, you look.”
After a couple of sweeps, he said, “He’s not out there. Think he figured it out and left.”
“We should have seen him.”
“It’s a big ocean, Corin… hell, he could have gone north to avoid them. Something we should be thinking of doing. We’re getting too close… they’ll be able to see us.”
He was right. Corin raced back, shouting orders to man the sails as she took over the wheel and started to tack against the wind to bring Raven about.
“Dan, do you think he went to Charleston?”
“Nay lass, not if they were waiting for him. He’s probably headed home.”
She couldn’t agree. Rogan knew it was a trap; he would also know who set it and why. They might be able to catch up with him, but if he wasn’t heading for Black Diamond Island, she could be meeting Paul instead. Corin wasn’t sure what course to take. She turned the helm over to Caleb and went to the stern. Sitting down against the mast, she tried to think like Rogan. “Where are you?”
Caleb’s call brought her forward.
“We’ve got company.”
“Avoid them.”
“Can’t do that, Corin, they hailed us; they’re showing Dutch colors… it should be all right.”
He looked at her. “You better get below.”
Knowing he was right, and leaving the deck, were two entirely objectionable prospects. When she reached the cabin, she realized she didn’t have to stay below. Her old disguise would be fine. They wouldn’t get that close for anyone to take her for more than a lad.
When she came back on deck, the Dutch brig and the Raven were running parallel, close enough for shouting. The captain called out and asked where they hailed from.
“Tell them Boston, Caleb.”
The captain said they just left Hattie.
Caleb didn’t need any prompting to ask how their stay had been.
“What did he say?”
Caleb called back, asking him to repeat the message. They all heard it this time. A hurricane hit the island, flooding and a lot of death on the lower plantations, especially the slaves.
The discussion fell out of Corin’s hands. They talked awhile longer, then parted. Everyone stood around, waiting for her to say something. “I’ll go and get the headings for Hattie.”
Dan followed her. “Lass, Rogan will be fine. Brian needs to get out of there.”
“I know you are right… Rogan didn’t fall for the trap, that’s all we came to stop. So, let’s go get Brian.” She turned back to Dan before entering the cabin. “Dan, we’ve got to figure out a way of getting Brian. Alicia said this Stearns isn’t likely to admit owning a white, let alone hand him over.”
Dan decided he should tell her what else Alicia said on the Raven. “Lass…”
“You better tell me all of it, Dan. I need to know what to expect.”
“If they know we have come for him, they could take it as a threat and kill him to hide the fact.”
That bad! Corin hadn’t expected this. They parted, both thinking about what lay ahead. Raven’s crew was a subdued group the balance of that day. Corin and Dan agreed they needed some time to plan the right action before going any further. They anchored off one of the Bahamas cays.
They took dinner on the deck and started planning, each voicing different plans. Jacob was the quiet one of Dan’s sons. Maybe that’s why everyone fell silent and listened when he spoke up.
“Corin is the only one who can do the snooping to find out where Brian is. If any of us starts asking questions, they’ll know why we came.” He turned and faced her. “But you can, Corin, you are a woman, no one would suspect you came for Brian.”
Caleb agreed. “He’s right. Hattie’s too big to try and search. We need to find out where Stearn’s plantation is and get there somehow.”
“All right, I agree. I wouldn’t raise suspicion except for one thing… why am I there? I mean, I just can’t waltz up and say, hi, I’m Corin, where’s Stearn?”
Jacob seemed to have the answer for that one as well. “You need to be somebody of importance to get close to the plantation. They are pretty tight.”
“Would rich get me in?”
Jess laughed so hard he fell back on the deck. “Rich would definitely help.”
Corin couldn’t sit any longer. She thought better walking. “Let’s say I am rich.”
“If you were, arriving on the Raven would ruin it. First of all, your schooner stands out, let’s face it, Corin, the ship isn’t exactly common.”
“I know, Caleb, and I don’t want anyone to see her. No, the Raven must stay hidden for our getaway.”
“So, you’d have to arrive on another ship as a passenger.”
“Not just a passenger, Jess, but a rich one, remember?”
They were starting to get into the spirit, but Jacob became the brains of the plan. “You can be looking for land to start a plantation. But you can’t be alone… one of us must be with you, either as your husband or brother.”
“Let’s make it brother. Playing husband could get one of us killed.”
Caleb was the practical one. “It should be Jacob; he has your coloring… you would look like brother and sister.”
More like Paul Bunyan and Tom, rather, Tina Thumb, but Corin knew they wouldn’t see the humor in the compassion. They were all a head taller than Rogan. Groaning, she had a crick in her neck from looking up at them all. She just came under their arms.
“You both will need clothes and passage. Savannah would do for both. The boys and I can take the Raven to Hattie and wait for you there.”
They talked another hour or so more about their plan. There were many things to work out before they reached Savannah. She had one more problem… she decided they were all in this together, and she trusted all of them explicitly. “There’s something else. How would a person change emeralds, diamonds, and rubies into cash?”
~ * ~
“Are you sure that’s all you have to wear?”
“Jacob, I told you, all my things are back at Dèsirèe.”
He bent down so his head was close to hers. “You look like a bloody crook in that getup.”
She hissed back at him, “Maybe that’s a good thing. This joker or whatever he is won’t be tempted to rob me!”
Dan dropped them on a beach along the coast. Luckily, they’d caught a ride with a farmer going into Savannah. In Alicia’s costume, minus the mask and after trading the blouse for a shirt that Rogan left, Jacob seemed the only one to be paying her much attention. She thought she looked rather like any gent
leman. The cape and hat hid any evidence that she wasn’t.
“This is the place.”
The shop Dan gave them directions to was in a reputable area of the city. She had only brought two of the smaller gems with her. If it went well, she could return with more before they sailed.
No one was in the shop when they entered. The bell brought a small man out from the back. “May I help you?”
She walked up, but as decided, Jacob would do the negotiating.
“Yes sir, we need to see the owner, Mr. Trent.”
“I am Mr. Trent.”
“This is business we do. Could you value this, please?” Jacob passed the man the ruby. It was the size of a dime and sparkled delicately as the man held it up to the light. He weighed it and perused it in every which way, never saying a word.
All kinds of horrible thoughts hit Corin. What if it were a fake? Or so well known the man knew it was stolen. Were gems well known in this time? God, she wished he’d say something.
“It’s a very valuable stone. The finest quality. I could get you fifteen hundred in gold for it.”
Corin stepped forward and picked up the ruby. Shaking her head at Jacob, she turned and headed for the door. The man’s demeanor disappeared.
“Where are you going?”
“He says it’s not enough.”
“Wait, all right, two thousand.”
She began to walk away again, hoping she wasn’t being stupid.
“Three thousand, and that’s the best I can do.”
Nodding to Jacob, the man sighed.
“What about this one?”
The diamond paled the man. His fingers shook when they touched it. It was the same size as the ruby. Things weren’t any different in this time; diamonds were more valuable. The settled on 5,000 for the diamond. Jacob hinted there were more…larger ones.
The man fanned himself, saying he’d have to contact a buyer, but that he would certainly be able to find one.
Corin remained adamant that the exchange be completed in a proper place, and that the exchange be in gold and English currency. Arrangements were made to meet the next day at the governor’s office. After they left, Corin decided they were probably going to be thrown into the nearest jail.