Too Great a Temptation by Alexandra Benedict

Author:Alexandra Benedict [Benedict, Alexandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780061754401
Google: egWVIhDCYvkC
Amazon: 0060847948
Barnesnoble: 0060847948
Goodreads: 534654
Publisher: Avon
Published: 2006-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Mirabelle was on her hands and knees, scrubbing the stairwell with salt and vinegar, when Quincy came bounding down the hatchway. He narrowly missed trampling her fingers, and didn’t even bother to pause and apologize. He just kept sprinting toward the captain’s cabin.

“Bloody numskull!” she cried. “Watch where you’re going.”

Quincy didn’t pay her any heed, though. He burst into the captain’s room without bothering to knock first. “I think we’re about to be attacked, James.”

Startled, Mirabelle dropped the scrub brush into the bucket and dashed down the corridor. But she was brushed aside when James came thundering out the door, spyglass in hand.

Quincy fell in step behind the captain, and Mirabelle behind Quincy.

“What’s going on?” she demanded, following the rushing pair topside.

“A ship keeps appearing on the horizon,” said a breathless Quincy. “She looks like she’s heading straight for us.”

Mirabelle couldn’t believe her ears. The Bonny Meg was about to be attacked? But she was a bloody pirate ship. No one was suppose to attack her. She was suppose to attack other rigs.

Poised on the poop, James lifted the spyglass to his eye and scanned the horizon. Mirabelle did the same, squinting. The other ship was still a good distance away, about five miles, she reckoned. Without a spyglass, though, the vessel was no more than a blot on the horizon, so Mirabelle couldn’t be sure of her direction.

“I was thinking, James,” said Quincy. “On the night we almost clipped another rig, maybe it wasn’t an accident. Maybe she was gunning for us.”

The captain didn’t say anything, deep in thought.

“I was also talking to Damian,” Quincy went on to state, “and he mentioned spotting a handful of ships on the horizon over the past few weeks. What if it’s not many ships crossing our path, but one ship tailing us?”

Still nothing from the captain.

“It could be the American authorities, James. After escaping the gaol, we might’ve been followed into port.”

Mirabelle watched the captain’s inscrutable features in anticipation. After a long pause, he slowly turned toward Quincy. “I’ll order the helmsman to keep a safe lead from the other ship.”

She recognized that mulish gleam in James’s eyes. He was being overly cautious for her sake. He wouldn

’t dash headlong into battle if he could avoid it—not with her on board.

“In the meantime, let’s see if we can scare her off,” said James. “Quincy, fetch me the Jolly Roger.”

Mirabelle’s heart started to pound. “What about Damian?”

“That’s right,” said Quincy. “You haven’t told him who we really are…and I don’t think he’ll be thrilled to find out.”

“Why?” James demanded brusquely.

“Oh, just a hunch I have.” Then hastily he added, “But remember, James, Damian saved my life. You can

’t hurt him, even if he doesn’t want to join the crew. You’ll have to find some other way to keep him from—”

“Lock Damian in the brig.”

James and Quincy glanced at her, puzzled.

“It’s simple really,” she said, heart pounding in her breast. She wasn’t sure whether the nausea swimming around in her belly was due to the thrill of a potential fight or simple fear.

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