Alex managed to sidestep them. “I’m afraid you’ll have to accept me since I own the building,” he said, looking down at his nails as he leaned against the wall.
The admiral’s voice made the rafters creak. “I don’t take insolence from subordinates, and especially not from popinjays like you. Remove him.”
As Alex allowed himself to be removed from the room, he cursed the fact that he couldn’t do anything to defend himself without raising suspicions. So he stayed outside and continued cursing—this time directed toward the thick-walled house that his ancestors had built that didn’t allow him to hear very much. Once he heard Westmoreland’s voice boom that if you spare the rod you spoil the child—and he knew the child was America.
Alex’s worst fears began to come true, as he realized that the admiral was there to retaliate for what the Raider had done. When he heard the name Taggert in the admiral’s loud voice, Alex came alive. He went to the common room, where everyone was moving in slow motion, their ears inclined toward the hall that led to the office.
“Keep the children with you,” Alex said to Eleanor. “No matter what happens, keep the children with you.” He didn’t pause or say anything else as he left the house and made his way, as hurriedly as his disguise would allow him, toward the wharf.
Jessica was on the deck of her ship, slinging saltwater about with a mop.
“Jess, I need to talk to you,” Alex called and he tried to keep the urgency out of his voice but it was difficult.
“I have nothing to say to you,” she said, moving out of his line of vision.
Alex glanced over his shoulder to see if the admiral and his men were in sight yet. “Jess, come down here! I have to talk to you.”
“Hey, Montgomery, your girl won’t talk to you?” someone called.
Alex started up the gangplank. “Jess,” he hissed, purposefully making his voice whine, “if I fall off here because of you…”
With a look of disgust, she went down the gangplank to meet him. “It would serve you right.” She started to help him onto the ship, but he caught her about the waist and, with some force, led her down to the wharf. “Alex, I have work to do. We can’t all spend our days being lazy like you can. I have a family to feed.”
Alex could see the admiral and his men coming toward them. “I told you that I have to talk to you.” He put his arm through hers and began pulling.
“What is wrong with you? I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t even want to see you. Now, let me go.” She turned her head. “Who are they?”
Alex caught her by the upper arms and made her face him. “Listen to me, Jess, what I say may save your life. We are English subjects. The English think of us as their children. Legally, they have rights. Maybe someday we can change that, but for now they have every right.”
“Alex, you are crazy. And I don’t have time for a lecture on politics; I have work to do.”
He didn’t release her arms but held her so that she was looking at him.
A man behind them began to speak to the crowd that had gathered around the admiral. “By the order of His Majesty, King George III, Admiral Westmoreland has been sent to put a stop to this man who calls himself the Raider. The admiral will remain in the Colonies until this man is dead. Anyone found harboring the Raider will be executed on the spot, with no trial. It has come to the attention of the admiral that one Jessica Taggert has given aid to the enemy.”
Jess stopped struggling in Alex’s grasp and went dead still.
“By the decree of the admiral and the king, the ship belonging to this Taggert woman, the Mary Catherine, will be taken from this dock and burned at sea.”
“No!” Jess managed to scream once before Alex got his hand over her mouth and silenced her. He put his big, padded arms around her and pulled her back against his belly.
“I’m going to take you to the house now, Jess,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to see this.”
She fought him every step of the way, struggling against his hold on her, kicking at him, trying to bite his hand, doing anything to get him to release her, but he held fast. He managed to get her through the doorway to the Montgomery house. Except for the children and Eleanor, the common room was empty.
“What is it?” Eleanor whispered, seeing her struggling sister with Alex’s hand over her mouth.
“The admiral was sent to kill the Raider. Pitman said Jess had something to do with the Raider, so the admiral is setting an example by burning the Mary Catherine.”
Eleanor was too stunned to react.
“Get me a bottle of whiskey,” Alex ordered. “I’ll take her to my room.”
Jess renewed her struggles as Alex hauled her down the corridor. He passed his father’s open door, but only glanced at Sayer, neither of them saying a word. By the time Alex reached his bedroom with Jess, Eleanor was there with the whiskey. “I don’t want to see anyone,” he said, grabbed the bottle, then shut the door with his foot, the latch falling into place. He released Jessica.
“You bloody coward,” she screamed. “Let me out of here. I can stop him.”
Alex leaned against the door so she couldn’t open it. “No, you couldn’t. That man has a look of hate in his eye. He plans to have your Raider—and if he can’t have him now, he’ll take anyone connected with him. He means to make an example of you.”