The Diamond King by PATRICIA POTTER Page B

kneeling next to her, holding her hand.
    Her lips were clenched in pain but she didn’t make a sound.
    Alex glared at Robin. “So this is how you keep your word,” he said, to defuse his own fear for the lass.
    Robin looked down at the deck.
    “‘Twasn’t his fault,” Meg said. “He tried to keep me from coming up, but I darted out and he came after me.”
    “Find Hamish,” Alex said. Hamish was the closest thing they had to a doctor when he wasn’t serving as sailmaker. They had not been able to find a physician before sailing, but then Alex had never had much faith in them anyway. He’d always objected to the principle of bleeding someone who had already lost a lot of blood.
    He tore away the cloth around the wound. Some of the material had been driven into the wound by a three-inch wide splinter that had gone nearly through Meg’s arm. He swallowed hard. His own wounds had not been as hard to bear as this one. He felt every moment of the pain, knowing the burning, tearing agony Meg must be feeling. He only hoped the splinter had missed the muscles.
    Meg looked at him with huge eyes the deep blue of a Scottish loch. She would be very pretty someday with her dark red hair and vivid eyes. But now her hair was hacked off, and she had the usual smudge across her face. Her front teeth were biting her lower lip as she tried to contain her pain.
    She was a gallant little soul, although he would love to strangle her at the moment. He should have locked them in the first mate’s room, or his own. Or he should have taken them back to France.
    But now he suffered with her.
    Hamish came through the hatchway door. “Wha’s wi‘ the lass?” He knelt next to Meg. “Ah, lass, I have to be taking this out of you.”
    She nodded.
    “Hold tight tae the lad,” he said.
    Alex inwardly flinched as Hamish took out a clean cloth from the bag he’d brought and told Robin to hold it with his spare hand. Then he pulled the large piece of wood from her arm; blood poured from the wound. Meg paled yet still didn’t utter a word.
    Hamish stanched the bleeding with the cloth, then studied the wound. “I must fish around for the cloth that was driven in,” he said. “It could cause putrefaction.”
    Alex saw her small hand grip Robin’s even tighter. He wanted to take the other one that was knotted in a tight fist, but there was no place for him. Pain ripped through his body as she gave a small, brave nod. “ ‘Twas my fault,” she said. “Will told us ...”
    Alex wanted to say nay, but he couldn’t afford the sentiment. They had to learn to obey. The consequences were too disastrous otherwise.
    Burke crowded in. “How’s the lass? I heard she was—” He looked down and the tough outlaw swallowed hard as he too watched every move Hamish made.
    “Sir?” Claude was playing with his hat. “The boarding party is ready. Do you wish to go with us?”
    “Aye,” Alex said. He really did not want to go. He wanted to stay and comfort brave young Meg, but Robin seemed to be filling that function.
    Keep your distance
. He had tried to do that these last months. One day they would leave him. They would be on their own.
    Robin looked up at him with wounded eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I should have been quicker.”
    Alex did not trust himself to speak.
    Instead, he turned and made his way to the boat that was ready to be hauled away. He sat down at the stern and tried to concentrate on the matter before him. They were all armed, in the event that all the fight wasn’t quite gone on the part of English captain. Still, he couldn’t get Meg off his mind, or the way she’d tried so hard to be brave. She’d always been brave. She’d also always been reckless.
    They reached the other ship and climbed up the ladder. They were met by a man in a blue uniform. His eyes were fierce with anger.
    “How dare you fire on an English ship?”
    “By the authority of the French government,” Alex said. “I sail under a letter of