CHAPTER NINETEEN
Maisie rose to her feet, her hands clutching at her tethers. She hadn’t been able to rest easy, even with the stuffed sack Roderick had left her to sit upon, but the distress she felt up until that moment was nothing compared to the sense of doom that encroached on her now.
It closed in all around her, ominous and far-reaching, and building all the while.
The ship lurched, as if changing direction.
Something bad was going to happen. Panic hit her. She sought an enchantment to free her from her bonds. Then the ship seemed to still.
Sails had been drawn in and she heard them drop anchor. Was it because Roderick was taking her to shore? If that was the case, the men would be uneasy, which might explain the sense of impending doom she felt. It would be dangerous if the men found her freed by magic, so she stayed as she was.
Then she heard a loud boom, followed by silence. Distant voices reached her through the bowels of the ship. Someone shouted, but she could not understand what was being said. Time passed. Then the sound of footsteps close by took her attention to the door. Moving her head in that direction, she listened closely, trying to work out if it was Roderick. If it was, she would truly have to say goodbye to him. It would be hard, for she felt great affection for him, but she knew he could do no more than take her to land and set her free.
Why didn’t that make her happy, as it should?
A key rattled in the lock and the door creaked open.
Several men entered the room. She sensed three, maybe four.
“See?” one of them said. “Even the captain was afraid to look at those eyes of hers.”
“I am surprised, for I thought him smitten with her.”
The second man sounded familiar. Brady, perhaps? They circled her, three of them.
None of them was Roderick.
When they began to untie the rope that bound her hands, Maisie reacted. “Where are you taking me?”
“Fear not, Jezebel, it is not the plank that awaits you.”
That was definitely the old man, Clyde, for not only did she recognize his voice, she knew he’d been the one to saddle her with that name. She turned her face in the direction of his voice.
“What’s happening?”
“You’ve been rescued by the British navy, who seem to be under the assumption that you were kidnapped by our captain.”
“A fine story indeed,” one of the other men said. “Any fool could see she came aboard of her own volition. Duped our captain with one of her spells, no doubt.”
“Didn’t need no spell to dupe him, if you ask me,” Clyde responded. “I wager that one look at her was all he needed, and he was sold on the idea of bedding her.”
“I wager, I wager,” the other man parroted. “Do you do anything but wager with yourself?”
“It keeps me sharp in the head.”
Maisie barely registered their words, stricken as she was by fresh concerns. Whatever did they mean, the navy was here for her? “I do not understand. Who has come?”
As soon as the words were out, dread swamped her. Who else would come but Cyrus?
No, not that.
Hands reached behind her head.
“What are you doing? Are you a fool?”
“She cannot climb the ladder blinded. Look away if you are scared. I am not afeared. I’ve been given no reason to be.” Swiftly, the blindfold was removed.
Maisie blinked and squinted. It was Clyde who stood before her. A quick glance showed her the two men with him had averted their eyes. She had the wild urge to tell them it wouldn’t help, if she chose to make magic, but she resisted.