how to explain it, but she’s got some crazy grip on me. I’m seeing her in the morning. Maybe I can unravel both mysteries.”
“You think she’s involved?”
Jared rubbed his jaw and exhaled loudly through his nose. “I surely hope not, Kip. Unless she’s got me fooled badly, she isn’t.”
“But Eric, it’s not even morning yet,” Maren protested when her cousin roused her and ordered her to get ready to leave immediately.
“Five British warships are arriving today,” he lied. “Someone could recognize me or the Martha J. Please hurry, Maren. We’ve got to get out of here on the early tide or we’re trapped.”
“Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll be ready.” Alone, Maren flung on her clothing, then wrote Jared a note. She could finish her grooming aboard ship, but she couldn’t vanish without telling Jared she’d had to leave. She crept down the hall and slipped the note beneath his door, returning to her room just before Eric knocked again.
In less than thirty minutes, Maren was watching the island disappear. She threw herself across Canton’s big bed and tried to go back to sleep so she wouldn’t be tormented by what she was leaving behind.
Jared was up shortly before dawn, eager to see Maren. He hoped she could get away and join him soon. He dressed quickly and carefully, wanting to look his best for her. As he eagerly awaited her arrival, pacing the large room, he noticed a paper on the floor near his door. He frowned as he picked it up, suspecting it was something he did not want to read. “Had to leave. Dangerous here. Hope to see you in New Orleans.” Although the note was unsigned, he did not doubt whose message it was.
Jared hoped Maren had not left yet. He went to her room, to find only a cleaning woman. He rushed downstairs, but Maren was not in the lobby. Questioning the man at the desk, he learned that Maren and James Slade had left before dawn, clearlyin a hurry to catch the early tide.
Jared sighed heavily, but within moments one of his brows rose. He wondered if she had told James Slade about his presence, had perhaps let it slip accidentally. James Slade was certainly running from something or someone. Jared recalled the words Dangerous here and wondered what Maren had meant. At least her message sounded as if her hasty departure was a reluctant one. Yet, something was amiss. Besides probing for his name, she had asked what he was doing in Jamaica and if he had any plans for this day.
If only he could pursue the Martha J and check out this curious situation. But he couldn’t. His contact here had passed along an order to attack a British flagship heading this way. In addition to rescuing impressed American sailors, Jared was to steal muster rolls and official papers which listed the destination, size, and strength of the British squadron massing near Nassau. Afterward, he was to deliver the information to the President.
Now that Maren was gone, he did not intend to linger. He had asked his contact to learn all he could about Eric James, about his shipping firm, his plantation, and about James Slade. Jared knew that when he reached the President he would discuss James Slade and Eric James with him, for those two men were obviously involved in some secretive endeavor that might be perilous to America.
Chapter Three
On June eighth the Martha J reached New Orleans. Maren was apprehensive about going ashore and being confronted by the reality of her parents’ deaths and her homelessness. When she had left almost two years ago, she had never expected to return under such sorry circumstances.
Eric guided her to where his brother was awaiting them. Marc was beaming with excitement, his dark blond hair was mussed by the wind, and his green eyes were darting about as if to avoid missing anything. He favored Eric a great deal; even their heights were the same, five feet and eleven inches. Yet, Marc’s personality was very different from his brother’s. Marc was still green and
“You think she’s involved?”
Jared rubbed his jaw and exhaled loudly through his nose. “I surely hope not, Kip. Unless she’s got me fooled badly, she isn’t.”
“But Eric, it’s not even morning yet,” Maren protested when her cousin roused her and ordered her to get ready to leave immediately.
“Five British warships are arriving today,” he lied. “Someone could recognize me or the Martha J. Please hurry, Maren. We’ve got to get out of here on the early tide or we’re trapped.”
“Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll be ready.” Alone, Maren flung on her clothing, then wrote Jared a note. She could finish her grooming aboard ship, but she couldn’t vanish without telling Jared she’d had to leave. She crept down the hall and slipped the note beneath his door, returning to her room just before Eric knocked again.
In less than thirty minutes, Maren was watching the island disappear. She threw herself across Canton’s big bed and tried to go back to sleep so she wouldn’t be tormented by what she was leaving behind.
Jared was up shortly before dawn, eager to see Maren. He hoped she could get away and join him soon. He dressed quickly and carefully, wanting to look his best for her. As he eagerly awaited her arrival, pacing the large room, he noticed a paper on the floor near his door. He frowned as he picked it up, suspecting it was something he did not want to read. “Had to leave. Dangerous here. Hope to see you in New Orleans.” Although the note was unsigned, he did not doubt whose message it was.
Jared hoped Maren had not left yet. He went to her room, to find only a cleaning woman. He rushed downstairs, but Maren was not in the lobby. Questioning the man at the desk, he learned that Maren and James Slade had left before dawn, clearlyin a hurry to catch the early tide.
Jared sighed heavily, but within moments one of his brows rose. He wondered if she had told James Slade about his presence, had perhaps let it slip accidentally. James Slade was certainly running from something or someone. Jared recalled the words Dangerous here and wondered what Maren had meant. At least her message sounded as if her hasty departure was a reluctant one. Yet, something was amiss. Besides probing for his name, she had asked what he was doing in Jamaica and if he had any plans for this day.
If only he could pursue the Martha J and check out this curious situation. But he couldn’t. His contact here had passed along an order to attack a British flagship heading this way. In addition to rescuing impressed American sailors, Jared was to steal muster rolls and official papers which listed the destination, size, and strength of the British squadron massing near Nassau. Afterward, he was to deliver the information to the President.
Now that Maren was gone, he did not intend to linger. He had asked his contact to learn all he could about Eric James, about his shipping firm, his plantation, and about James Slade. Jared knew that when he reached the President he would discuss James Slade and Eric James with him, for those two men were obviously involved in some secretive endeavor that might be perilous to America.
Chapter Three
On June eighth the Martha J reached New Orleans. Maren was apprehensive about going ashore and being confronted by the reality of her parents’ deaths and her homelessness. When she had left almost two years ago, she had never expected to return under such sorry circumstances.
Eric guided her to where his brother was awaiting them. Marc was beaming with excitement, his dark blond hair was mussed by the wind, and his green eyes were darting about as if to avoid missing anything. He favored Eric a great deal; even their heights were the same, five feet and eleven inches. Yet, Marc’s personality was very different from his brother’s. Marc was still green and
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