Captain of the Heart by Anna Vincent

Author:Anna Vincent [Vincent, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, 18th Century, French Revolution, Historical France, Navy, Sailing
Publisher: Beauvoir
Published: 2023-09-29T22:00:00+00:00

François could see it was almost over. The black ship was finished, sinking slowly into the misty sea like a dying serpent, and many of the attackers were fleeing while they had the chance. He thanked his lucky stars they had made the guns ready in time, for their superiority over the pirate ship lay mostly in cannon.

He wiped his face on his sleeve to clear the sweat and looked along the deck. A few skirmishes continued, and some prisoners were being led away.

Christian Lavelle appeared at his side, his expression concerned.

‘Have you seen Chambois, sir?’ he asked.

François felt a jab of fear. ‘Not since we were up on the poop deck. I ordered him below.’

Christian grimaced. ‘I doubt he followed your advice sir. He’s quite a fighter when the mood takes him.’

‘So I noticed,’ François replied grimly. ‘You search below. I’ll check the decks.’

He took the stairs to the upper level two at a time, but though he found Roussillon’s body, there were no other Frenchmen. ‘God rest your soul, Alexandre,’ he murmured, stopping long enough to close the man’s eyes and lie him flat on the boards. Then he returned to the helm. Grévin sat on the bench deep in discussion with the helmsman.

‘Pierre, you are wounded.’ François was struck by the ashen colour of the navigator’s skin.

Grévin tried to shrug it off, but the effort cost him much pain. His greying hair was sticky with blood and his left arm hung useless at his side. He tried to stand, but the captain pressed him back on to the bench.

‘You must go below and let the surgeon fix you up.’

Grévin gave a short laugh. ‘Cut me up, you mean. No François, I’d rather you did it. Your aim is probably better.’

‘Take him below,’ François ordered the helmsman. But Grévin bade him wait.

‘I have news, Captain. A messenger came from the Mousquetaire. They were unseen and untouched in the raid. It seems there was but one ship involved in the attack.’

‘That is good news indeed. We’ll send the prisoners to them in exchange for some healthy men to work the Aurélie. Once this blasted fog lifts we’ll still have some days’ sailing to reach port, and who knows if there are more pirates out there searching for trapped vessels like ours.’

Father Cassel appeared, his clothes soaked with blood from tending to the sick and dying. His face was haggard, but his eyes lit up when he saw François, then clouded again at the sight of Grévin’s injuries.

‘Come, my friend,’ he said, taking the navigator’s good arm.

With François helping, they got the man down the companionway to the wardroom and laid him on the heavy wooden table, which had been pushed up against a wall to make room for the cannons to be fired. The room smelled of powder and blood, but it was better than the deck. François threw open the windows for what little breeze might care to enter.

He stood looking down at his officer, his heart heavy with dread.

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