Miss Lavigne's Little White Lie by Samantha Grace

Author:Samantha Grace
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2012-07-31T21:00:00+00:00

Twenty-one

The wind-swollen sails of the Mihos carried her over the waves, and her flags whipped from the mast. Frothy white water parted for her bow. Daniel’s newfound enemy would be upon them soon.

He handed Lisette the spyglass. She gazed through it then passed the glass back to Daniel. “It’s him. I recognize the flag.”

The Mihos’s personal flag displayed a red lion standing erect with claws bared against a white background.

Daniel hugged Lisette to him and kissed her temple. “Take Rafe, Serafine, and Amelia below deck. Stay out of sight no matter what transpires on deck. Have I made myself clear?”

Lisette’s emerald gaze narrowed and her jaw jutted forward. He returned her glare without blinking. She may dislike him ordering her about like one of his men, but he was in charge.

She turned to her entourage. “You heard the captain. We are to cower below deck.”

“Now, that’s a good wife,” he said. To annoy her further, he popped her on the bottom, eliciting an outraged squeal.

“Monsieur!”

Several of his crew chuckled, and she turned crimson, slaying Daniel with one dirty look. Good. He preferred her angry with him than frightened by the coming confrontation.

“Run along.” He made shooing motions with his hands and grinned in the face of her displeasure.

She snatched Rafe’s hand in hers and marched to the hatch with him in tow. Serafine hurried behind, throwing a wary glance over her shoulder before disappearing below deck.

Jake shook his head and offered his arm to Amelia. “You’re hopeless. I’ll be back in a moment. Don’t start the fun without me.”

Amelia looked paler than normal. “Jake, you will be careful, won’t you?”

“Of course, sweetheart. There’s no cause for concern.”

Daniel felt a twinge of apprehension as his brother escorted his pregnant wife below deck. What if Daniel had underestimated Reynaud and was placing everyone in danger? Perhaps he should have tried outrunning the other ship. He shook off his uncertainty and squared his shoulders. There was no turning back now.

Daniel gazed through the spyglass again. The Mihos had dropped half her sails and was slowing.

“Heave to,” he said to Patch.

His first mate called out his command. “Heave to.”

They would hold their position, readying for battle if they must. The Mihos was still out of range of the guns, but Daniel refused to shed blood if he could avoid it. Putting the fear of God into the Mihos’s crew was another story.

“Fire a warning shot in case she is contemplating unfriendliness.”

His order echoed along the deck. “Fire once across the bow.”

The thunderous boom of the cannon vibrated in Daniel’s chest, and the deck under his feet quivered. The ball crashed through the surface of the sea, shooting water into the air approximately thirty feet from the approaching ship. Her remaining sails dropped amid distant shouts from the seamen on the Mihos.

Daniel had their attention.

He counted on most of the crew from the other ship having no experience in battle. Not so on the Cecily. After the war, the Royal Navy no longer required the services of as many sailors and released them from their duties without pensions.

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