DD-Michaels-END.rtf (36 page)

"Ethan, get up," Morgan told him, giggling. "The whole world is up there on the terrace."

"Good. Witnesses. But
if you're quite sure
itcan wait?
"

"Quite sure. Besides, the sky's starting to spit."

"I'm confident that's some local saying, and more than colorful. But I agree, we're going to be rained on very shortly." He turned to call Cassandra away, as she'd been standing with Alejandro, stroking his neck and whispering to
him. "Move back
now, and Alejandro will show you his best trick. I
do hope someone remembered to bring a carrot, because he fully expects to be rewarded."

"Me, I did! I've got three," Cassandra said, holding up the carrots she'd taken from the kitchens. "Now make him fly."

"First I'll use one of these to bribe him," Ethan said, taking a carrot as he approached the horse. "I apologize, my friend, but I know you understand that there are times when it is important to distract the ladies with bits of brilliance."

Alejandro quickly disposed of the carrot
,
then turned his teeth-baring smile on his master.

"Yes, yes, your modesty is always so humbling, you miserable hulk of bones," Ethan told the horse, then backed away from him, standing a good ten feet clear of the animal.

"Will he do it? Did you ask
him? Do you cast a spell on him? Is that how it's done?"

"
Cal
li
e, quiet," Morgan warned her, then took
a
deep breath, her own anticipation as high as or even exceeding that of her sister.

"First
,
the
courbette,
"
Ethan said, one eye on the horizon, where gray skies met gray sea. "Alejandr
o
—courbette!"

As Morgan watched, open
m
outhed, and Cassandra danced in place, clapping her hands, Alejandro reared upright, pawing at the air, then proceeded to actually
jump
in place four times on his hind legs before gracefully assuming his previous position. Cassandra ran forward
,
to give him another carrot.

"Magnificent
,
" Ainsley Becket said, having come
up behind them without anyone noticing. "Where on earth did you get him? I've heard of these horses, but I didn't think pureblood Andalusians were even allowed to cross the Channel."

Ethan had been expecting the question. "As it happens, Ainsley, I was traveling on the Continent a few years ago and was fortunate enough to be able to assist someone with a particular problem. Knowing of my love of horseflesh, the man gave me Alejandro in the way of a thank-you."

Ainsley nodded. "As Jacko said, not a lie, not the full truth. He very much admires that talent in a man, and I agree with him. Therefore I won't ask you to confirm or deny that your
travel
was in the way of clandestinely assisting in the safe removal of some of the world's most treasured horseflesh from Bonaparte's attention, as I heard was the case a few years ago."

"That would probably be best, sir, thank you."

"He still didn't fly, Morgan. He jumped, beautifully, but he didn't fly. Ethan said he would fly," Cassandra complained.

Morgan looked from Ethan to
her papa, and realized that there were some things men knew and women could only guess at..
.
at least until a woman got her own man alone. But it was already clear to her that Ethan's current mission may have begun with a request from this Marianna person...
b
ut it had not been his only mission during the war.

Obviously, the two of them were going to
have some very
long
talks at Tanner's Roost, and she wouldn't be the only one with secrets to share.

"If you'll excuse me, Ainsley
,
" Ethan said with a slight inclination of his head. "I believe your daughter wishes to see Alejandro's last remaining trick."

He motioned for Cassandra to come stand beside him, and called to Alejandro, who immediately lifted his head at the sound of his master's voice. "Alejandro, good boy. Time to impress the audience, Alejandro, all right?"

The horse actually nodded his proud head and, behind him, Ethan could hear Cassandra giggle.

Ethan shot his arms straight up into the air and held them there. "Alejandr
o
—
c
apriole!"

From a complete standstill one moment, the magnificent stallion jumped nearly five feet straight up into the air, giving out a mighty kick of his back legs, his front legs tucked beneath that strong chest. His magnificent tail flew outward even as the sheer velocity of the jump caused his mane to fan into the air above his head, almost like a peacock spreading its feathers.

Alejandro seemed to actually hover in the air a moment
,
but when Morgan blinked, the stallion was once more standing quietly on the sand, looking more than a little pleased with his performance.

"My God." Ainsley shook his head. "I've seen drawings, of course, but nothing that even vaguely compares to this. Are you using him for stud?"

"Not yet, no. There were promises made, you understand, not that I could find a purebred Andalusian mare in England in any case. Until now, I hadn't seen a
mare I believed worthy of crossbreeding. Berengaria, however, seems the exception. Morgan?"

"Oh yes," Morgan said, uncaring that her excitement was all but palpable. "What a magnificent combin
a
—"

"Sails, Cap'n," Jacko interrupted, a little breathless, as he had run down from the terrace. He handed Ainsley a spyglass, a second one to Ethan. "That your
Marianna,
boy?"

"I doubt it," Ethan said, raising the glass. "She's not due yet. Wait
......
yes, that's her."

"And she's not alone," Ainsley said, pointing beyond the
Marianna
.
"French flag. You can only play the same game so often, Ethan, before someone else wants to play, too. We're only fortunate the Waterguard dislikes patrolling when the weather is less than fine. Jacko."

"Right here, Cap'n, awaiting your order."

"A crew to the
Respite,
now. Hoist anchor, turn her and open the gunports. We couldn't hit anything from here, but a show o
f f
or
c
e should be enough to send the Frogs running. Cassandra, up to the house,
now."

Ethan turned to Morgan. "Morgan, up to th
e
—
o
h, never mind."

"Thank you, Ethan," she said, taking the spyglass from him and training it out over the Channel. "She wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow night."

"Perhaps Marianna misunderstood."

"Misunderstood? But surely you and Chance were quite specific when yo
u
—" She lowered the spyglass to look at him. "Oh, you'll pay for that, Ethan Tanner."

He grinned at her. "Can I suggest a suitable punishment?
Later?"

Morgan shrugged, lifted the glass to her eye once more. "Sounds promising. As long as you don't try to drag me away now that everything's begun."

"I'd need a full team of horses for that feat," Ethan said, and the moment was over.

Ainsley was still speaking, talking to himself, or possibly to his sons, who had also come down onto the beac
h
—
s
ave Courtland, who was already on his way to the
Respite
at a full-out run, as if anticipating his father's orders.

"She was out too far. Why would she have gone out far enough to catch the attention of the Frenchman? Not that he'll come much closer once he realizes he's outgunned."

"Never has come within range, not a single one of the bastards we've seen this past year or more," Spencer said. 'Took Morgan's fancy man
over there to bring this one so close, and to force us to show our guns. We should have sunk him months ago."

"Would that be the French ship, or me, do you think?" Ethan asked, leaning down to whisper the words in Morgan's ear.

"He means the ship, as well you know. Papa was careful to have the
Respite
'
s
design meant to disguise the existence of gunports. And Spence is right. These French ships been a thorn in our sides long enough. No one really expects an invasion anymore, but they like to wear on our nerves. Ah, look. He's turning away, probably to go back to patrolling out of range...
a
nd lying in wait for when the
Marianna
heads out once more."

"A fine frigate your friend sails," Ainsley commented
,
following the
Marianna
with his spyglass long after a glass was needed to see it clearly. "She's flying the Union Jack, which is dangerous in itself, but makes sense in these waters. A
h
—
s
ome slight damage to the mainmast. Seems they did more than play with the Frenchman. Rian, Spencer, gather a crew. See to having the damage repaired. That ship must be ready to leave with the evening tide."

Someone had taken Alejandro's reins and was already leading him back to the stables. Everyone, it seemed, was jumping to or running off, or whatever it was men under the cool, decisive command of Ainsley Becket did, and Ethan was quite impressed. T
h
ere might not
,
as Eleanor had said, be a hierarchy of servant and master at Becket Hall, but when itch came to scratch, there was no question as to who was in charge.

Morgan slipped her hand into Ethan's as they watched the progress of the
Marianna,
until the French ship had reassumed its accustomed role of patrolling the English coastline from a safe distance, only the tops of its sails still visible.

"He won't go far, just as Papa said," Morgan told Ethan. "Your friend will have to sneak out of here again somehow, and that means the
Respite
will have to become a part of this. Our sloop's faster than anything the French have
yet
to
put
in the Channel. Leadthe way, cause a diversion. And maybe finally put one of those blasted Frenchmen on the bottom."

"Yes. I imagine they play havoc with any smugglers operating in the area," Ethan said, watching as the
Marianna,
now safe, began to drop anchor alongside the
Respite,
both the larger and smaller vessels riding in what had to be a natural, deep harbor not clearly visible from the shore. Whoever had picked this location for Becket Hall had chosen well. Carefully.

"Yes, you have no idea ho
w
—" Morgan glared up at Ethan. "You won't be happy until you have all my secrets, will you?"

"Probably not. Come along now, they've put down a longboat and I really should go greet Marianna. Cap'n?" he asked, falling into Jacko's way of addressing the man who was most definitely a captain, on sea or on land.

Ainsley lowered the spyglass at last. "I'll be in my study with my charts. Have the woman and her captain there as quickly as possible, please, along with the boys. And yourself, of course. That cylinder of yours had better be important, Ethan."

"I doubt that it is, sir," Ethan told him frankly. "But getting my friend safely back to America is very important. You do understand that there are many who'd consider her an enemy of the Crown. The minister will deny any knowledge of her if she's captured."

Ainsley nodded in agreement. "Then, Ethan, let's get her here, and let's get her gone."

Morgan was in a hurry to reach the area of the shore where the longboat was heading, eager to see this mysterious Marianna who had "chosen the better man."

As they neared the landing spot, she could see the occupants of the longboat. "Why, they're all Negroes. Your Marianna keeps slaves? Odette won't like that, not at all. None of us will like that."

"American ships are being stopped, Morgan, remember, and any considered to be English sailors removed and forced to join the British Navy. With her very unique crew, mostly from the West Indies, I believe, Marianna has escaped the problem. But from my understanding, they are all free men. Marianna is..
.
she's very much her own person, and not afraid to stand up for her beliefs. You'll like her, really."

Morgan decided to withhold judgment until she'd spoken to the woman, who was just now being helped onto the shore by one of her crew. It was difficult to see her at first, as her head was well-covered by the hood of her cloak, but once she was onshore, and turned to thank her crewmen, the hood fell back, revealing the woman's face.

"Here, Abraham, if you please," she said, untying the laces holding her cloak and handing it to a tall, ebony man who looked capable of breaking in half anyone who so much as looked at the woman too hard.

Marianna was slim of build, and rather ta
l
l, with an erect posture that put the he to any notion that long weeks at seahad fatigued her. She wore a dark divided skirt beneath a long blouse tied with a deep blue sash at her waist, the blouse so white it nearly glowed. A man's shirt? Morgan wondered, as the sleeves were rather long, and
hung almost completely over
her hands, and the open, upturned collar reached past her chin.