The Storm Girl by Kathleen McGurl

Author:Kathleen McGurl [McGurl, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2022-03-17T12:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

They worked hard and fast – the men on board the luggers – removing sails, spars, masts, ropes, guns, gear. Anything movable was taken off the ships and stored in Hannah’s outbuildings. Esther made sure it was all tidily stowed away. At some point it would go back on the ships, or maybe would be used on new ships if these were seized. Now and again she went out and stood on the quayside, checking on the position of the Revenue cutters and the Navy sloop Orestes. They weren’t moving – they’d anchored just off the mouth of the harbour. There was no way out. Streeter had made the right decision – about stripping the ships, at least. She was still uneasy at the prospect of issuing guns to the free traders.

Captain May and Captain Parrott had gone back and forth between the inn and the ships, and Esther had seen them distributing muskets and ammunition. So it was really happening. As far as she was aware, Sam had not taken a gun but George had.

And then in the afternoon something changed. The stripping of the luggers was almost complete, and Esther was hoping to find Sam and go back with him to The Ship at Anchor. She left the stable to look for him, and noticed there were several rowboats and a pinnace in the water, launched from the three Customs ships. All were making their way slowly, against the outgoing tide, through the Run and into the harbour. There were marines on board the boats, also armed with muskets.

Captain May came to stand alongside her. He was looking through his spyglass at the pinnace. ‘That’s William Allen in charge there. Dammit.’

‘Who’s William Allen?’

‘Sailing master from Orestes. He has a commission from the Board of Customs too. Young but very able. He looks to be leading this expedition. They’ll try to board the luggers and seize them. He’s good. Damn.’ Captain May turned and hurried off – Esther guessed to confer with Parrott and Streeter. A moment later she spotted men taking positions on the luggers, behind their gunwales. And another couple of men with muskets, including George Coombes, running across the yard and into the Haven House. Upstairs, several windows were opened and Esther could see musket barrels pointing out.

‘Oh God. Where is Sam?’ she muttered to herself. It was time to get away from there. If there was to be a battle, and she really couldn’t believe it but that’s what it looked like, she wanted Sam and herself to be as far away as possible, safe and sound in her father’s pub. She ran towards the Civil Usage where she’d last seen Sam. It was a sorry-looking hulk of a ship now, stripped of its masts and sails. It had made two voyages only, and that seemed as though it might be all it would ever make.

Sam was climbing down a rope ladder over the side of the ship. He spotted Esther and ran towards her.

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