by Amelia Grey
"Miss Chelly! Miss Chelly!"
Chelly's heart jumped up in her throat as she heard Bo calling to her. She glanced aside long enough to see Bo running toward her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the captain make a move toward her. She sidestepped toward Bo. Hammersfield's hand grazed her arm, but he couldn't hold on. Bo grabbed her around the legs and held on tight.
"Bo, come here to me," the captain called.
"Stay where you are, Bo." Chelly pointed the pistol at the captain again. "I swear I'll shoot you next time, captain. Now, you're wasting my time and I'm getting edgy. Give the order to sail." Her voice was trembling as bad as her hands. A roaring started in her ears. Fear of failing forced her to remain calm.
"Are you going to listen to her?" Bradley asked the captain before turning back to Chelly. "I want to return as soon as possible, too, but I don't want to leave Austin at the mercy of the French. My God, there's a war going on. Napoleon is angry with everyone. Austin could get killed!"
Bradley's earnest pleadings caused her to reconsider leaving Austin, but only for a moment. Just as quickly, she remembered a little boy who wasn't ready to be separated from his mother. Maybe years from now when Bo was a young man, but not now. She had to forsake Austin and leave him in France. She had the chance to return Bo. She had to do it. She must right Austin's wrong.
Feeling Bo's little arms around her legs, Chelly said, "Sail."
"You have nerve holding that gun on everyone as if you'd really use it. I guess I'm going to have to take the damn gun away from her and tell Austin—"
Tired of his whining, Chelly pulled back the hammer and cut Bradley off in mid-sentence. The click sounded all over the ship. Even the men on the other end of the deck had heard and turned to watch them.
"I suggest you don't try my patience or you won't live to see your wife again. I don't intend for anything to stop me from getting this little boy back to his mother."
"I don't believe you'll pull that trigger."
" Mr. Thornhill. You haven't given me any reason to be kind to you or to like you, and I don't. I won't blink an eye at pulling this trigger if you come near me."
"Don't be stupid, Bradley," the captain said in an irritated voice. "How much does she have to know when her trembling fingers are on the trigger? We can't chance rushing her and possibly hurting that boy." He turned to the men who stood behind them and yelled, "Let the sails fly!"
* * *
Three French soldiers met Austin and Jubal with muskets drawn as they pulled the small boat up on shore. Austin knew they would be waiting. He'd seen one of the men signal to shore. The soldiers looked over-dressed in their fancy red coats and blue breeches. Their tricorn hats had ridiculously long plumes sticking out the right side.
Austin was tired from the rowing, ill from what he was about to do, and didn't take kindly to being greeted with three muskets pointed at his chest.
"Your ship flies Napoleon's flag," the ranking officer said in broken English. "Who are you?"
Austin didn't want to give his name. "I'm here as an emissary to meet a Monsieur Alexander Le Camus for Napoleon's brother, King Jerome Bonaparte of Westphalia."
"The dark man?" the officer said, pointing his musket toward Jubal.
"He is my manservant. He will cause no trouble. I'm responsible for him."
"Where are you to meet Monsieur Le Camus?"
"L'Aueerge Guerin," Austin said.
"We know where it is. We will escort you."
Austin nodded and started to follow the Frenchman when Jubal said, "Mr. Radcliffe, look."
Austin kept on walking. "We don't have time to look at anything right now, Jubal. I'm in a hell of a hurry to get this over with."
"I think you're going to want to see this. Somebody has hoisted the sails on Aloof."
Austin felt as if a ball had hit him in the chest. Spinning around on the rocky shore he looked out over the water. All of Aloof's three sails were flying.
"Damn," he whispered to himself. "What in the hell is Hammersfield doing?"
"I don't know. But I think she's moving, sir," Jubal said. "He's turning her around."
Fear like he'd never known rose up so fast in his chest that he choked. "No!" Austin shouted.
His blood pumped. He started running back toward the water. His booted feet caught in the rocky sand and he staggered. Muscles jerked in his legs, he stretched them so far. In a near panic, he ran past their small boat and splashed into the cold water.
When the water reached his chest he started swimming with all his might. The muscles in his arms and legs burned. His lungs ached for him to slow down. Fear kept him going.
Two hundred meters out he stopped and tread water, so tired he could hardly keep his body afloat. He looked at Aloof. She was sailing away.
The two French ships flanked her as she maneuvered out of the shallow water heading west.
"Come back!" he shouted to the ship as his fist hit the water, splashing his face with the chilling wetness.
"Bradley must have found your other pistol."
Austin didn't know that Jubal had followed him into the icy water until he spoke those words. He turned and looked at his friend. Water clung to his tightly curled hair. His lips had already turned a deep purplish-blue from the chilling water. But Austin didn't feel the cold.
"It's not Bradley." He hit the water with his open palm. "It's Chelly."
Part II
The Return
Chapter 12
Jubal's eyes widened. "Miss Worthington? No, sir." Jubal shook his head as his arms moved at his side, keeping him afloat. "She doesn't know how to do anything like that."
"Yes, dammit, it's Chelly." A chill shook Austin as his arms plowed through the cold water and his legs kicked beneath him.
"She's going to get herself and everybody else killed. The French gunboats are following her. They're going to fire on Aloof!"
"No. Not as long as that flag is raised. Besides, Hammersfield should start pulling away from the other ships any minute now. And they'll turn around and come back when they see she's leaving the coastline."
"Why is she leaving us? What is she going to do?"
"What she's going to do is get herself thrown in prison for the rest of her life." Austin groaned inwardly as he said the damning words aloud.
"Prison, sir?" Jubal's words trembled and his teeth started chattering as he continued to tread the icy water.
"Jubal, she's headed back to Baltimore to return Bo to his mother. Dammit, doesn't she know that if she returns Bo they'll assume she was party to his kidnapping and throw her in jail? Dammit. Goddammit!" He slapped the water with his fist for the third time.
What in the hell was he going to do? There was no way on earth he could make it back to Baltimore before she did, even if he stole one of Napoleon's ships and started today. The larger ships wouldn't outrun Aloof. How could he have misjudged her?
"You're cold, sir? Let's go back to shore."
Austin kept his eyes on his fast-fading ship. Yes, he was cold, and there was a knot the size of a cannonball in his stomach. He'd never be warm until he held Chelly in his arms again. And that wasn't likely to happen. She obviously didn't know it, but she was sailing her way to life in prison.
* * *
Austin sipped the French wine. It was dark and heavy, befitting his mood. Jubal was having a meal in the back room of the inn, but Austin refused to eat. He couldn't think about food until Le Camus arrived and he'd secured passage on a ship away from France and back to America.
He'd wring Chelly's beautiful little neck, if he were ever fortunate enough to get that close to her again, for this foolhardy stunt. Thank God he'd had the good sense to put a few coins in his pocket. Otherwise he and Jubal would still be at the mercy of Le Camus.
He'd felt more kindly toward the French soldiers when he and Jubal had come out of the water and the men hustled them to a nearby cafe. The soldiers were able to tell the innkeeper that they needed dry clothes and a bed
for the night.
Now he waited for the man who was going to be very unhappy to see him.
The room was shadowed by dim, smoky light. A snub of a candle burned on his table and all the others had burned equally low. Only three other men, including the owner, were in the low-ceilinged room. They talked in quiet tones, for which he was glad. He really didn't want to be disturbed by gaming and raucous behavior.
There was no use lying to himself: Austin had mixed feelings about what Chelly had done. A part of him wanted to swear at her and call her a fool and demand she get what she deserved for her damning actions, while the other part of him admired her courage and strength to take on Hammersfield and the French Navy in her determination to get Bo back to Betsy Patterson.
He also had to admit that it stung to think that she'd duped him. He'd had complete trust in her, never once suspecting she'd attempt something like this. That was not an easy thing to admit to himself.
When he got back to Baltimore, he'd have to find a way to convince the authorities that Chelly had nothing to do with the kidnapping; but since she would be the one returning the child, he wasn't sure he could talk them into believing she was completely innocent.
Another thought bothered him. One that touched, yet angered, him. He had a feeling that Chelly wouldn't mention his name when she returned Bo. It was crazy, he knew. She detested what he'd done; she'd made that clear numerous times. Still, he had the feeling she'd keep his name out of the story. She might not have admitted it to herself, but he knew she had strong feelings for him. He not only sensed, he felt it every time she looked at him.
He sipped the wine again.
"I can't believe you got him all the way here only to lose him after you rowed to shore. Fool, why didn't you bring him with you?"
The tone of the sharp European accent brought Austin to his feet in a flash. He stared into the eyes of a man he recognized immediately. Alexander Le Camus looked just like his brother, Auguste, the one who'd set up this damn kidnapping.
Austin's eyes narrowed. He leaned toward the man. "I don't like your tone. Change it or I'll change it for you."
The Frenchman's ruffled sleeve fanned the air as he made a motion to dismiss Austin's threat. "You're right, of course. As you can understand, I'm highly agitated by this news."
"I'm not crazy about it myself."
"Sit down. Finish your wine." Le Camus pointed to Austin's chair, and then seated himself on the opposite him. "How did it happen that your men disobeyed your orders and sailed without you?"
There was no way Austin would tell this man about Chelly or Bradley in case the French decided to seek revenge for this action. "Who knows what makes a man turn on his master? Obviously, someone on board figured out who Bo was and decided he could make quick money by returning the boy to his mother." His lie sounded convincing to his own ears.
"That could be, but it might be they are seeking a ransom. King Jerome is a wealthy and powerful man. He could pay much for his child."
Austin nodded, he might as well go with the idea since Le Camus had brought it up. "If the kidnappers are after a ransom, you'll know soon enough."
"We could know right now if we'd had a ship ready that could given chase immediately. This is going to bring such sorrow to all of Westphalia. King Jerome has dreamed of being united with his son. Now, I must give him the news of this delay."
Austin set up straighter. "Delay? I don't think so. Not if you're thinking of counting me in those plans. My part in this scheme is over. No doubt I'll spend the rest of my life rotting in prison because I thought to honor my debt to Jerome."
"King Jerome," the Frenchman reminded him in a stiff voice. "Your vow was to do him a favor in likeness to the one he did for you and saved you and your mother."
"And I did." Austin rose and leaned over the table. "I was asked to bring the boy to France. I did. It was beyond my control that someone else kidnapped him from me the hour I arrived."
"We never saw Bo. We don't know that you even brought him."
"Have I not better things to do with my time and my ship for such a fool's errand as to sail to France without the boy? Tell King Jerome I consider my debt to him paid. If he wants to try to recapture his son, he'll have to find another lackey. Now, tell me where I can find a ship to take me back to America?"
* * *
Chelly felt like a free woman as she took hold of Bo's hand and stepped out of the row boat and set foot on English soil. She was surprised at how quickly they'd made the trip to England. By the time Captain Hammersfield dropped anchor, Chelly had the rest of her plan firmly in place.
The short trip to shore had been choppy. At first she worried that Bo might be frightened or become ill so close to the water. But to her surprise, he loved the bouncing ride across the rough sea.
Vagrant wind blew wispy strands of hair across her face as she looked around the port. The sky was a murky shade of gray, hiding all traces of sunshine. The shoreline was dotted with dark buildings and piers that ran out into the water. Small and large boats were docked side by side. An ominous feeling stole over her, that same unwelcome feeling she'd had the night Mr. Muller threw her out of the tavern. There were several men around the docks. Some working, others standing around, talking. If she hurried, maybe they'd have enough time to locate a ship bound for America, and find lodging before darkness fell on the streets.
"Thank you for rowing us to shore, Robert," she said as they waded out of the ankle-deep water and onto the rocky beach.
"Yes, Miss," he said with a reluctant look in his dark brown eyes.
That he was disappointed in her behavior was evident in his expression. It wasn't easy for any of the men, she knew. No one liked having a gun pointed at them. "I'm sorry we're not parting under better circumstances, Robert. You've been a great help to me with Bo. And although it probably doesn't matter to you, we will miss you."
His eyes brightened. "No, Miss, that's not true. I will miss you, but not just yet." He looked around the area. "I think I should stay with you until you find a place for the night."
"There's no need. We'll be perfectly safe," she answered in a voice that sounded stronger than she felt.
Robert shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. " I don't know why you had to leave Aloof, Miss. We can get you back to Baltimore faster than any other vessel. And it shouldn't take the captain more than a day or two to load supplies."
She smiled comfortingly at him. "I know all that. I simply can't trust Captain Hammersfield to take us to Baltimore rather than back to France to deliver Bo and get Austin. Not only that, I wasn't comfortable holding that pistol on him, you know that."
"Yes, Miss." Robert settled the heels of his palms on the back of his hips and looked directly into her eyes. "I could be a big help to you with Bo, if you'd let me stay with you. I don't think Mr. Radcliffe would be happy with any of us leaving you here to find your way back to Baltimore by yourself."
"Mr. Radcliffe won't hold any of you responsible for what is only my doing. Now, it's getting late." She reached out her hand. "I'll take the satchel."
Reluctantly, Robert picked up the small case and handed it to her.
"And, Robert, please tell Austin I've taken his money and his pistol. I'll return both to his town house as soon as I can."
"I know I have no right to ask you again, Miss, but I wish you'd reconsider. I'd like to stay and help take care of you and Bo. I don't like leaving you here alone in this strange country. Begging your pardon, Miss, but I agree with the captain. Mr. Radcliffe would want one of us to stay with you. And if I don't row back to Aloof, they'll know I've stayed with you."
"Let him go with us," Bo spoke up for the first time as he pulled on the tail of Chelly's skirt.
"Not this time," she said without looking down at the child. "Your offer is kind, Robert, but no. We're going to be all right. Goodbye."
With Bo holding one hand and her satchel in the other, Chelly started up the beach toward the buildings and shipp
ing activity. Bo waved to Robert until the young man was out of sight.
Chelly was truly on her own and it was an awesome, yet intimidating feeling. At least she was in an English-speaking country. If she'd had to escape from France, it would have been more difficult. She knew very little French.
"Are we going to find Mama?" Bo asked as they walked along.
She looked down at him and smiled. "Soon, Bo. Soon." It felt wonderful to be able to say that to him. "We are away from the people who took you from your mama. Now all we have to do is find our way back home."
The gray sky made it feel colder than it actually was, especially since her feet were wet. But the pleasure she felt at having accomplished her goal of getting Bo away from Austin put a light bounce in her step. Now, all she had to do was find a ship heading for Baltimore and, with as many of the vessels as she saw lining the coastline, that should be no problem.
Chelly tensed when they passed several derelict-looking men, but when the dock-workers paid the two of them no mind, her tension eased. In the distance along the boardwalk she saw a handsomely-dressed man hurrying their way. When he drew nearer, she stopped him and asked, "Excuse me, sir, could you tell me where I can find a ticket office for passenger ships?"
He placed a finger on his lips, his mustaches twitching. "Humm—I'm in a hurry, but let's see, you go about two miles down into that area over there," he pointed with his walking stick to a group of buildings. "Then go about three streets over from the south. Yes, that should get you there. Just ask anyone once you get in the area." He tipped his hat. "Good day."
"That man wasn't kidding when he said he was in a hurry, Bo," Chelly said as she watched the older gentleman continue his fast pace. "Well, we've no time to waste either. About two miles, he said. Maybe we should take a carriage."
Chelly considered the transportation, but quickly decided she'd do well to save the money and the walk would do them good. "We should be able to walk that in no time. And we certainly need the exercise after being on that ship for so long, don't we?"