Gabe kissed her then turned and made his way to the boat, choking back his emotions once more. Nanny had been standing back, watching. She walked up and put a shawl over Faith's shoulders.
'Yo mama would skin you alive child, being out heah in this night air half-naked as you is.' Faith still held the ruby in her hand and could feel the heat it exuded. Then quietly she said, 'There goes the man I love, Nanny.'
'Mine too, child, mine too.'
PART THREE
The Prize
… Michael Aye
Chapter One
Lum proved his value immediately in guiding the boat into the channel through the marsh and into and down Broad River. As quietly and quickly as possible they went past Port Royal then out into the bay. The tide had been on the ebb as Caleb had warned. The boat Jubal and Kawliga commandeered was the Lucky Lady, a yawl, a fishing boat of twenty-five feet in length and six feet in width. It had two masts, a main mast and a small mizzen mast which was located right on the transom. It also was equipped for four sets of oars. The boat was overcrowded. Thirteen people with a few supplies.
However, Gabe wished for one more. Without thinking, he clutched the leather bag around his neck-the empty bag. He went to remove it from around his neck but stopped. He would keep it there. The bag would remain close to his heart. Like his heart…empty until…until.
'Better come a point or two larboard,' Dagan cal ed. He was in the bow and Gabe sat at the tiller.
Casting aside his personal sorrow, Gabe cal ed forward, 'Let's set the sails and see how she does. We may have to rearrange either the supplies or where people are sitting.'
The girls were huddled together. Little thought had been given to how they were dressed when they were
freed and herded down the boardwalk and into the boat. The girls were shivering from the cool damp night air. The men had given what they could in the way of clothing but some of the girls had been almost naked, so even with the clothing a lot of skin was still exposed to the elements and the men's eyes.
Especial y Jubal, who was feasting his eyes. Gabe had caught him staring more than once, but what did you say to a young boy. Gabe smiled to himself, thinking of the bent up humours the boy must be suffering from.
The girls who had been silent when they first escaped had started to talk. It was amazing to Gabe as he listened to the chatter that most of them were from the Tidewater area in Virginia but did not know each other. One was a strawberry blonde from Boston and appeared to be whiter, almost pale in skin color. The girls al seemed to come from fairly well to do Colonial families but had nothing else in common, except each had been sexual y abused by Adam Montique. He seemed to enjoy acting out different scenarios while Hindley would cheer him on and on occasion take part himself.
The strawberry blonde girl was named Erin. She had been singled out by Hindley and had suffered more abuse than the others. Dagan seemed to sense her need and talked quietly with the girl who sobbed at times.
Gabe knew if anyone could help her it was Dagan.
The one thing Gabe found strange was that with al the women on board Caleb seemed distant. General y, Caleb would have been showing an interest and making
himself as irresistible as possible. Was he showing the girls respect because of their recent ordeal? Was he having pain from the recent snake bite? Something was different.
Little did Gabe know Caleb's mind was on a woman, but not one of these. But one that was tucked away in Virginia. One named Kitty.
'Sail ho!' Dagan cal ed out. Half dozing at the tiller, Gabe was instantly alert.
'Where?'
'Two points off the starboard bow.'
Without rocking the boat, Gabe stood up. He couldn't see a thing. The sun was coming up and that made it even more difficult. 'You sure?'
For an answer Dagan just gave him a look. Dumb question, Gabe thought. It had been three nights and two days since they'd made their escape. This was the dawn of the third day. They had discussed putting in at Charlestown but it was agreed it would be safer for Gabe and Dagan to sail on toward Norfolk.
Hopeful y, they would meet up with Markham and the Swan. He was to have cruised these waters hoping for a rendezvous, but that would be a chance meeting only. The likelihood that the sail was British was good, but it could just as well be a Colonial ship.
However, after three days and nights in a small boat the wear on the girls was starting to show. The fair- skinned Erin in particular was showing the effect of
constant exposure to the sun and wind. If a meeting with a ship had not occurred by mid-day Gabe had already decided to put ashore. The winds had been light and at times almost nonexistent, but Gabe knew they had to have made enough progress to be off the coast of North Carolina.
After another fifteen minutes Dagan cal ed back,
'She's British and looks like a mail packet or dispatch ship.'
Not wanting to be missed, Gabe had Rud fire off three shots. That should wake-up the buggers, he thought.
However, there had been no cause for concern.
The lookout on the mail packet, Parrot, had already cal ed down his sighting, 'Sail ho! Dead ahead, boat load of naked women.'
Lieutenant Farnsworth Dean of HMS Parrot was most accommodating, as was his only other officer and the entire ship's crew. It was not everyday you picked up a boat load of naked, well, near naked women. The lifetime dream of al sailors.
Dean listened intently as Gabe related his story.
When the Swan was mentioned, Dean related they had sighted Swan and talked with her commander two days ago. So they had in fact been keeping a sharp lookout.
Dean surprised Gabe by telling him he had been a midshipman under then Captain Gilbert Anthony on
HMS Recourse, and recounted their battle with Algerian pirates, 'It was a hot time we had of it that day.'
'Mr. Buck made me promise to take care, so he wouldn't have to send me home in halves. Ha! Ha! I hear he's a post captain now and Captain Anthony has raised his flag,' Dean continued.
'Aye,' Gabe said, realizing how much he missed his brother and his own ship, the SeaWolf. How he longed to be back in his cabin. He needed the ship to take his mind off Faith. It appeared Dagan's lady luck had finally changed. Not only changed but played a cruel trick as far as Gabe was concerned. He couldn't come to grips with the many thoughts that were running through his head. He could resign his commission and maybe that would change her mind. But no, he couldn't do that. He couldn't dishonor Gil or his father, no matter what.
