They could smell the smoke now, but Eden’s initial excitement at coming upon a battle had become nearly suffocating dread. “You swore to me not ten minutes ago that you wouldn’t become involved in the War. Are you saying now that you’ve changed your mind?”
“Yes, if it would please you.”
She had understood his blatant demand for affection, but could not imagine what he wanted now. “That can’t possibly be the truth. What is it you really want?”
Raven knew he deserved that insult, so ignored it and came to the point quickly. “I want your promise that you’ll never seek either an annulment or a divorce. I also want your word that you’ll do as I ask when we reach Jamaica and not reveal that you’re Alex’s widow until after his child is born.”
Astounded by the enormity of his demands, Eden tried to find a way to avoid agreeing to them. “What if I say yes, and then the Southern Knight doesn’t need your help? Will you then release me from that wretched bargain?”
That she was so clever a woman always amazed him. “No, each of us must be willing to take a risk, Eden. I’ll not go back on my offer of help, and you must keep your promise regardless of the outcome of the battle, or our efforts to change it.”
“I think the term bastard is too mild to describe you, Raven Blade.”
Raven did not allow the pain of that insult to show in his expression either. “Was that a yes?” he taunted.
“It’s the only choice I have!”
“No, it’s not.”
“Oh shut up!” Eden hissed. She grabbed the spyglass from his hand and leaned against the rail to steady herself. She didn’t want to miss a second of the drama unfolding nearby, not when her father’s future might depend on it, and hers as well.
Chapter Fifteen
September 1863
Nathan Sinclair’s situation was dire enough without having to worry about a British clipper ship lurking in the distance, so he simply ignored it. Like the other Commerce-Destroyers, the Southern Knight was a wooden ship of approximately 1,000 tons. It had eight guns, and two steam engines that were capable of producing a speed of twelve knots. By adding sails, they could make fifteen. The Confederate raiders had been built for speed, and while they were more than a match for any merchantman afloat, they had never been intended for the task of battling Federal warships.
The corvette that had attacked the Southern Knight carried eighteen guns mounted on the upper deck. The class of warship under the frigate, corvettes were used for scouting, convoys, and privateering. Nathan had at first attempted to elude the more heavily armed ship and, having failed, was determined they would defend themselves until dusk when they would make good an escape under the cover of darkness. The success of that plan was dependent upon their ability to inflict damage without suffering an equal amount in return, and being so badly outgunned made that task a considerable challenge.
Despite being under heavy fire, they had suffered few casualties, but with their supply of gunpowder running low, Nathan began to fear their store of munitions would be depleted before dusk arrived to shield them. Fighting against time as well as the corvette’s relentless assault, he was doggedly determined not to lose either battle and ordered his men to make every shot count.
Standing on the quarter-deck, Nathan turned in response to a distress-filled cry and found the British clipper bearing down on them at an alarming speed. Knowing the corvette’s captain was bound to be equally distracted, he ordered a momentary cease-fire until they could discover the clipper’s purpose. When he saw the British vessel meant to traverse the channel between them and the Federal warship, he could not believe his eyes.
Thinking no sane captain would set such a suicidal course, he nonetheless chose to use the ship’s passing to every advantage, and ordered the starboard cannon to fire the instant each had a clear shot at the corvette. As that command was relayed to the gun crews, Nathan continued to stare in wonder at the audacity of the British maneuver. At one time there had been many Englishmen who were in sympathy with the Southern cause. That such an individual had appeared on that of all days was a stroke of luck he would not waste.
The Jamaican Wind passed within thirty feet of the Southern Knight, and Nathan’s mouth dropped agape as he recognized his only daughter standing at the rail. She was waving and blowing kisses, and while her tawny curls were being whipped wildly by the wind, her expression and gestures were unmistakably ecstatic. She was standing between a tall man dressed in black and a signalman waving semaphore flags to transmit an urgent request for the Southern Knight to follow the British vessel. It was easily the most remarkable spectacle any on board the Confederate raider had ever seen.
The first of their cannon fired then, followed in rapid succession by the other three on the starboard side. Not nearly so alert to the possibilities of using the British clipper as a shield, the corvette was repeatedly struck amidships before firing a single round. Seeing the enemy’s wooden hull splinter at the waterline, a loud cheer went up from his men and Nathan was satisfied the Federal ship had suffered sufficient damage to prevent it from giving pursuit. He therefore broke off the engagement and, setting the engines, at full speed, followed the helpful British vessel without further delay.
Pleased the Southern Knight was following in their wake, while the Federal corvette appeared to be in distress, Raven dismissed the signalman, folded his arms across his chest, and leaned back against the rail. Eden was using the spyglass, and he waited for her to hand it back to him before he spoke.
“It looks as though our ploy worked, undoubtedly because it was so damned unexpected. That should make the terms upon which we agreed easier to follow than if the venture had ended in failure.”
While the sarcasm had not left Raven’s voice, Eden was too amused by her father’s startled expression to react negatively to her husband’s mood. At least her parent had not been so befuddled by their bizarre attempt to help him that he had allowed the opportunity they had provided to slip by unused. She had always considered him the best of captains, and it was readily apparent that Raven was of equally high caliber. She was too thrilled by their success to be goaded to anger by his reminder of their bargain.
“I know I sounded very ungrateful before, and I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think that I put a higher value on the lives of my father and his crew than you and your men.”
That she could speak such an outrageous lie with a straight face didn’t amaze Raven, only that she had bothered. “We agreed on honesty remember? Just how little you think of us is far more plain in your actions than your words.” When she opened her mouth to protest that opinion, he promptly cut her off. “You got what you wanted and so did I, so there’s no point in arguing about how we went about it.”
“You’re being very unfair,” Eden insisted stubbornly. “In the first place, you offered your help, I didn’t demand it. But I’m sure you’d have done the same thing had you had the opportunity to save” She paused as she tried to think of someone he cared enough about to rescue, and had to give up the effort when she realized she didn’t know any such person now that Alex was dead. “A friend,” she finally added. “You’d not allow someone you cared about to come to harm if you could prevent it.”
Raven continued to regard Eden with a skeptical glance. They had hurriedly draped canvas over the bow and stern so her name could not be read and he doubted he would ever be called upon to explain his actions that day. “Your opinion of me seems to change with the hour. As soon as we’re certain there are no other Union vessels nearby, I’ll invite your father to come aboard. I’m sure he’s as anxious to speak with you as you are to see him. You may tell him the truth about Alex, of course, but not about our bargain. I’d rather my father-in-law didn’t consider me the bastard you do.”Jamaican Wind’s
Raven had gotten his way, and Eden did not understand why he was being so obnoxious. Maybe he had not expected her to accept his terms and was angry she had forced him to keep his side of their bargain.
Whatever his reasons, she had no time to pursue them now when she would need all her wits to devise a means to describe the recent events in her life to her father that would not prompt him to instantly disown her.
When Nathan Sinclair and several of his officers came on board, Eden rushed into her father’s arms, and he responded to her affectionate greeting with equal enthusiasm, lifting her off her feet in a boisterous hug. He had taken the time to clean up and change into a uniform that wasn’t blackened by smudges of gunpowder. He had had no hope of seeing any of his family anytime soon, and could not truly believe Eden was standing in his arms until he had hugged her repeatedly.