Miss Whittier Makes a List (3 page)

“
Prepare to board!
Ready with the grapples!
”

Captain Winslow t
urn
ed away in disgust, unable to bear the sight, as the sailors on the other vessel swung out with their grappling hooks and dug them into the
Molly
’
s
railing. Hannah tried to make herself small on the grating, but the captain did not order her below. Instead, he came across the deck and sat down beside her.

“
Thee does not need to fear,
”
he said to her in a low voice as he watched the ships swing together, and then motioned his own crew down from the riggings.
“
Think of this as something to tell thy brother when we pull into
Charleston
,
”

“
What is happening?
”
she asked.

“
My dear, thee is about to see His Majesty
’
s Royal Navy impress my crew.
”

Captain Winslow gave her shoulder a
re
assuring pat
,
then stood up and straightened his coat as
the
captain of the other vessel leaped gracefully onto the deck of the
Molly Claridge,
followed by other sailors and a lieutenant of Marines. She watched in dumbfounded amazement as other Marines in red coats climbed into the riggings of their own vessel and trained their muskets down onto the deck of the
Molly,
which bobbed below them in the water.

The captain strode across the deck, nodded to her, and stood in front of Captain Winslow.

“
Captain, I am Captain Sir Daniel Spark and this is His Majesty
’
s frigate
Dissuade.
I am requiring and requesting that you
turn
over to me all deserters from His Majesty
’
s Royal Navy.
”

“
I have none on board,
”
growled.

“
I think you do,
”
Captain Spark replied, biting off each word as though born to command.
“
I demand that you summon your crew and have them show me their papers.
”
When Winslow said nothing, he looked over his shoulder at the carronade, which was now reloaded and pointed at point-blank range.
“
Well now, sir?
”

Wearily, Winslow motioned to his men who stood about the deck, talking among themselves in guarded tones, and then glanced up at the Marines in the
Dissuade
’
s shrouds.
“
Line up and show them your papers, lads.
”

“
Good of you to be so obliging,
”
said the captain.

With a growing sense of stupefaction that someone without a by-your-leave could so coolly commandeer a ship of another country, Hannah sat with her hands balled into tight fists and observed this intruder to the
Molly.

He was tall, impeccably dressed in the white pants, white
vest, and blue coat of the Royal Navy, and rendered even more imposing by the high fore-and-aft hat he wore. I wonder how he keeps those trousers so white, she thought, fascinated in spite of herself. Gold epaulets fringed both shoulders, proclaiming him a full captain. His face was mahogany-colored from constant exposure to the sun, with weather wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. He was thinlipped and grim, with a straight nose. From his buckled shoes to his hairline, he was well built, but without an ounce of fat anywhere that she could see. In any other setting, she would have thought him a magnificent specimen.

“
Dear me,
”
Hannah whispered under her breath, making herself smaller on the grating where she sat.

She thought she spoke softly, but he turned toward her, raising one eyebrow in a scrutiny that lasted only a brief moment, but which seemed to go on and on. His eyes were the cool blue of ice rimming a deep winter pond, and stood out distinctly in contrast to his tanned face.

He cleared his throat.
“
If there is something about me you see that does not meet your scrutiny
,
please let me know.
”
His words were crisp and lively with command.

Hannah blushed and looked away from him, raising her chin proudly and gazing out beyond the rigging to the port bow. There was a long pause, as though he waited for an answer. Reluctantly, she looked back at him.

“
Well!
”
he asked her, one eyebrow raised.

“
I think thee is a perfect beast,
”
she replied as distinctly.

“
Oh,
does thee?
”
he replied, his voice heavy with mockery. To her further dismay, the lieutenant of Marines standing beside him laughed out loud.

One glance from the captain
’
s disconcerting blue eyes ended that outburst and turned it into a cough. The captain directed his gaze next at Aaron Winslow, who stood beside his men lined on the deck.

“
Sir, Lieutenant Ream here will examine your crew
’
s papers. If anything is out of order, he will seize that p
ar
ty and return him to the
Royal
Navy, where he belongs.
”

Winslow made no reply. The Marine made his way down the line of seamen while Captain Spark stood ramrod straight, eyes ahead, taking no notice of Winslow. The Marine read each paper carefully, then stopped before the sailing master. When the man did not hand over his paper, he tapped his chest.
“
You there,
”
he barked.

The sailing master stepped forward
,
forcing the M
arine to back up. He turned smart
ly and faced Captain Spark.
“
Elijah Cogburn, late of the
Temeraire.
”

Captain Spark allowed himself a tiny smile. He strode to the sailing master.
“
I thought I recognized you, Cogburn,
”
he said, his voice mild, but with that hint of sarcasm that Hannah was already beginning to loathe.
“We
thought you jumped ship.
”

“
I found a better berth, sir,
”
Cogburn replied, eyes straight ahead.
“And a better country.
”

Captain Spark came closer, until Cogburn was forced to take a step backward.
“
May I remind you
—
all of you
—
once an Englishman, always an Englishman!
="+0">”

The sailing master made no reply. At a small gesture from the captain, two sailors sprang forward and hustled Cogburn to the ship
’
s railing. He looked back at Winslow, the bare pleading evident on his face.
“
Captain Winslow! Can you do nothing?
”

Her h
ea
rt wrung out, Hannah scrubbed savagely at the tears in her eyes. She knew she should not say anything, but something deep within her compelled her upright. In a moment she was standing beside Captain Spark
,
who regarded her with faint amusement. She looked up and up to his face, and nearly lost her courage, staring into those unsettling eyes.

“
What gives thee the right to do this thing?
”
she raged, amazed at her own temerity, even as she spoke.

“
The right of the Royal Navy, and I might add, a man who has guns and muskets trained on this deck,
”
he replied coolly. He glanced at Captain Winslow.
“
I suggest you retire this little termagant below deck or I might be tempted to use her for chum and troll for sharks!
”

Hannah gasped.
“
Thee is despicable!
”

“
I certainly am,
”
he roared back.
“
Now sit back on your grating before I paddle you!
”

She did as he ordered, not doubting for a moment that he would have turned her over his knee. Tears came to her eyes once more as the Marines in the shrouds and the sailors on the opposite deck laughed. She sat as tall as she could, while tears of rage and humiliation streamed down her cheeks.

After a moment, the Marine lieutenant continued his perusal of citizenship papers. He pulled out an Irishman and two Canadians, then saluted to Captain
Spark.
“Tha
t
’s
it, sir,
”
he said, showing him the papers.

Spark read them quickly and nodded. He looked back at another officer still on the deck of the
Dissuade.
“
Mr. Lansing, have we need of any others?
”

“
Two more, sir,
”
Lansing holleulle.

His hands clasped behind his back, the captain walked up and down in front of the remaining Americans. He
stopped in front of one sailor,
Nantucket
born and bred, and nodded to his lieutenant. The Marine grabbed the man and dragged him to the railing as he protested and tried to dig with his bare feet into the deck.

“
By God,
”
muttered Captain Winslow, his face white.

Captain Spark continued his stroll of the neck, stopping at last before Winslow
’
s own son.
“
This one,
”
he said to his lieutenant.

Captain Winslow leaped forward, shouting, as the young man cried out.
“
By God, sir, that is my own son! And this his first voyage! Has thee no heart?
”

“
None whatsoever, Captain Winslow. Take him aboard,
”
the captain snapped.
“
Terms of enlistment are up when this ship docks in
Portsmouth
, and not one moment before.
”
He tipped his hat to Captain Winslow, who was held back in the iron grip of his bosun.

The impressed seamen were quickly bundled over the side and hauled up onto the other deck. Captain Winslow dropped to his knees and wept, his head in his hands. It was more than Hannah could bear. She jumped up again and ran to the British captain, who waited to reboard his vessel. She grabbed his
ar
ms and
tr
ied to pull him around.

“
Thee cannot do this! Have we no rights?
”
She tugged his arm, but he was anchored fast to the deck and would not budge.

“
You have no rights,
”
he said quietly.
“
None whatsoever. You belong to an impertinent nation that will soon be a
failed experiment. Let go of my arm.
”