Quest of Honor Read online

  Thomas was returning to his chamber when he heard the splash. It was nearly silent, but it came from directly below him beside the rail. He immediately knew the cause — it was her. How the hell she had escaped from the room, he had no idea, but he wasn’t about to let her go. He looked over the side to see her making quick strokes toward the awaiting Gunsway. She was a strong swimmer and would be gone quickly. Not thinking any further ahead than catching her, Thomas threw off his coat and hat before diving in after her.

  She heard the splash, and looking behind her, saw him in chase. She increased her pace. She was a quick, skilled swimmer, but he had placed his dive well and was that much stronger, and soon bore down on her, linking an arm about her waist.

  “Let me go, Harrington,” she cried, fighting against him.

  “Not today, Eleanor,” he said, working to keep them both above the surface as she kneed him between the legs. He gasped. “I need answers from you first.”

  He pulled them to the side of the ship, where the ladder awaited. He pushed her up ahead of him. “Up,” he said. “And signal your crew. When you’ve answered my questions satisfactorily, I’ll release you in due time. I’m not a cruel man and I won’t let you hang.”

  There was no hiding her from the crew anymore. They had gathered along the rail, astonished at seeing their captain hoisting a body out of the water.

  Eleanor looked down at him with one eyebrow cocked.

  “And how, Captain, am I to know I can trust you?”

  “Because, Eleanor,” he responded, quietly now. “I hold honor above all other virtues, and my word is my bond. Even to a pirate.”

  They reached the top of the deck, his crew gaping at her.

  “The lady fell from the pirate ship,” Thomas explained to them. “She’ll be our hostage for the time being. She will stay in my cabin and there will always be a guard on her door.”

  She lifted his jacket from the deck floor and waved it over her head at her crew, who responded with a glint of sunlight off a glass. The crew had been together for so long there was no misunderstanding their codes to one another.

  She turned to him. “Very well, Harrington. I will answer your questions, with one caveat. I see we’re only a few days away from Arwenack Castle. Visit the port, and find what I’m telling you of Captain Adams to be true.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough.”

  Together they returned to his chamber. He shook his head in disbelief when he saw the doorknob hanging off the side of the door. He sighed, ran his hand through his hair and kept Eleanor with him while he summoned a crew member to fix the door handle. Thomas declined to provide the sailor with an explanation as to what had happened to the door. When it was repaired, he locked it behind him and returned to the deck to assess the crew.

  When he returned, Eleanor was perched on the window seat, a space he was beginning to think of as hers.

  “Good day, Captain,” she said with a wry grin. “Such a pleasure to host you in my chambers.”

  “Eleanor,” he responded warily, sitting down opposite her. “Are you ready to answer my questions?”

  “Aye, sir,” she said with a mock salute.

  “Where is Captain Adams and how did you end up on my ship?” he asked. “I was fully prepared today to have Captain Adams himself demanding the return of a young lady. I thought my entire Navy career was in ruins. And then a crew boards my ship looking for this its captain.”

  In truth, he had accepted his forthcoming demise with much less angst than he would have expected. True, he felt guilt at the shame he would bring his family but besides that he felt… free. Then the Gunsway crew had come on board and completely shocked him — enough so, he let them leave.

  Eleanor chewed her lip. It was apparent how highly Thomas regarded truth and honor, but she couldn’t very well tell him her father was dead and she was now the captain of the Gunsway. It would put him in a dilemma of what do with her, and she didn’t want to risk him keeping her prisoner.

  “The captain came up with a plan and chose not to tell the rest of the crew about it,” she said. “He told them he was surrendering himself but I offered to go in his place. We left the Gunsway at the same time, me to your ship, and him to another location that he did not share with me.”

  He eyed her with suspicion. “I’m not sure I should believe this tale.”

  “Believe it or not, it’s your choice, Harrington.”

  “And who are you, to the Gunsway crew and Captain Adams? I do not think it’s regular practice, even for pirates, to have a woman on their ship, let alone use her as bait.”

  “It’s not regular, Captain, but it’s been known from time to time,” she responded with a smile. “Pirates, it seems, are much more accepting of women aboard than the Navy. Captain Adams found me as a girl. My mother was a prostitute and no longer wished to have me in her care. The captain welcomed me to his ship as part of his crew. He’s made sure I have always been treated with the utmost respect.”

  It was a partially true story — Eleanor simply left out the fact that the captain was more than just a kind soul but, in fact, her true father.

  Thomas looked conflicted, like he wanted to believe her but knew, in his heart of hearts, that she could spin a tale as easily as tell the truth.

  “Now Captain,” she said, “You will continue to make for Arenwack Castle?”

  “I said I would,” he responded. “And I shall.”

  “Do you see the islands to the northeast?

  “I do,” he replied. “In fact, I was intrigued by them when we caught sight of your crew.”

  “What would you say about a little day trip? You talk of freedom, Harrington. Let me show it to you. I know those islands well, and can give you a taste of what life looks like on the other side. The lush vegetation, the waterfalls, the beaches, the nearly uninhabited land — when will you ever have another opportunity to explore such a place, with someone there to guide you?”

  He eyed her warily. “I’m assuming this is part of an elaborate escape plan you’ve cooked up.”

  “Not at all. I trust in your word, and you say you’ll release me. I also want you to visit Arenwack before I take my leave of you.”

  He rolled his eyes as she insinuated she could leave whenever she chose.

  “Just a few hours, that’s all I ask. I would so love to have time out of this cabin, as luxurious as it is, and you have made the deck off limits. We can leave in the early hours, when there are few of your crew on deck.”

  He knew he should say no. It was a terrible idea, one which would more than likely lead to her escape. However, what would she do on an island on her own, without any means of transportation? If she chose to stay there, then so be it. His mind told him to say absolutely not and keep her on this ship, but her words of adventure called, and his heart swayed him.

  Before he knew what he was saying, the words came out of his mouth. “Very well, Eleanor. We leave shortly before dawn.”

  15

  Eleanor woke early the next morning, just as a hint of the sun began to break over the horizon. She stood over Captain Harrington as he slept, cramped in the window seat. She didn’t suppose there were many captains in the Navy who would let a prisoner sleep in his bed while he folded himself into a tiny, uncomfortable space. It made her feel a twinge of gratitude towards him.

  His face was still somewhat tense as he slept. She didn’t suppose he was particularly comfortable, and she wanted to run her hand over his face to smooth away the lines covering it. Instead, she poked him in the side and he woke with a start.

  He reached for his sword before his startled blue eyes came to rest on her as she leaned over him.

  “Good morning, Harrington,” she said with a grin. “Are you ready?”

  She was looking forward to sharing the island with him, she realized. For once, she really was telling him the truth. She simply wanted a day out of this cabin before they sailed the rest of the way to England, and she chose the best way to bribe h
im, with the adventure she felt he so longed for.

  He splashed water on his face and to wake himself up before making his way to the kitchens for food for the day. As he stuffed it into a sack he shook his head at himself, still unsure of this scheme of hers.

  Before they left, he laid down a few rules.

  “Eleanor,” he began. “If we are going to do this, you must agree to a few of my stipulations.”

  “Aye, Captain,” she said, mocking him.

  “I am serious about this,” he said. “If not, back to the ship it is, and then onto not Arenwack Castle, but to London where I will turn you in.”

  “I believe we have covered that, Harrington,” she said.

  “Yes, but now my crew has seen you, and knows you came from the Gunsway,” he replied. “You would still have a chance, but not as a great a one as you would have before.”

  She considered this but brushed it off.

  “Now,” he continued. “You will stay at my side at all times. No wandering off. You will have no weapon. And should we encounter anyone on the island — any living person at all — you will have no contact with them. Is this understood?”

  “I believe I can agree to those rules, although I believe it would be in your best interests if I had a weapon. You never know what creatures may approach.”

  “Absolutely not. If the need should arise, I have a gun and a sword and will deal with the threat accordingly.”

  “As you wish, Captain,” she said. “Now lead on before the morning is too far upon us to depart.”

  He led her down the ship’s deck to where the rowboats waited, realizing as he did so that she now knew the exact escape route — not that she wouldn’t be perfectly capable of finding it on her own.

  He had ordered the crew to anchor a few hundred yards from shore, telling them the woman was going to show him a treasure stash. He sighed as he realized she was making a liar out of him.

  “Bending the truth,” was her response when he argued with her on the story.Now as they began the short row to shore, he had to marvel at the strength in the sinewy muscles he could see through her white blouse. He mused anew that she was one of a kind — the likes of her he had never before encountered. In his life, women seemed to fall into one of two categories — the “marrying kind” his mother enjoyed pushing upon him, and the “non-marrying kind,” who neither expected nor wanted anything from him — which he had branded Eleanor upon their first meeting. He realized how much he must have drank that night to have thought of her so. Looking at her now, one could never make the mistake of thinking her something cheap.

  She caught his gaze and a corner of her mouth lifted. “Enough with the daydreams, Harrington. Put your back into it and pull your weight.”

  He didn’t respond but kept time with her and ensured he outmatched her pulls.

  They reached the sandy shore and pulled the boat high enough so that it would be away from the incoming tides. She brushed the sand off her hands and turned to him with excitement.

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever had the pleasure of escorting a guest through this island,” she said. “Come, I’ll show you one of my favorite places. My — Captain Adams introduced it to me many years ago and it’s where I always long to return. It feels like home, nearly as much as the Gunsway.”

  She led him through thick brush, the rich, lush greenery surrounding them as she found the nearly invisible path through the jungle-like island growth. He had seen this type of natural vegetation before from the beach, but had never taken the time to immerse himself in it. The sun filtered through the trees, over the jagged mountainous cliffs that lined the other side of the island. This, here, was a different world, one that filled him with peace and contentment.

  Ahead of him, her hair blowing in the gentle breeze, her hands trailing through the grasses, Eleanor seemed like part of the island herself. She belonged here, was one with it. This, he thought to himself, this was contentment, was life at its true core.

  She glanced back at him, smiling at the way he lifted his face to the sun with a soft smile on his lips. She had felt this spirit within him, but had been curious to see if it was truly there or a figment of her imagination. But here he was. Beneath the layers of anger, of frustration, and a general dissatisfaction with his life, lay this man. A man who did not belong in the Navy, nor polite society. He had the soul of a pirate, he just didn’t know it — or didn’t want to admit it.

  She led him up the side of the gentle incline in silence, although the birds and the animal calls on the wind spoke volumes. She turned them left to another path, one which broke through the trees into what looked like a clearing up ahead. He could hear the gurgle of water, and as they rounded the corner, she stepped out of the way to let him take in the sight for the first time.

  It took his breath away. The water cascaded over a rocky outcrop to fall into a pool of water below. The water was an emerald green from the reflection of the trees, a color that mirrored her eyes, the eyes which had pierced his soul. There was a sandy shore surrounding the pool, with a rainbow of exotic flowers encircling it as if they had been planted there in a pattern by God Himself.

  She saw the reflection of the sight in his eyes, the way he responded, with admiration and appreciation for all that nature held in store for them.

  She finally broke the silence and the spell. “Come Harrington,” she said. “The walk has been warm and I would love a swim.”

  The sight as she stripped down to her undergarments was equally breathtaking. She caught his look. “It’s not as if this is something you have not seen before,” she said. “But I will leave on a layer to protect your modesty.”

  She grinned and began to climb up the rock face to the top of the outcropping.

  “Is that safe?” he called up to her. “How do you know if this pool is deep enough to dive?”

  “Because, Captain,” she said. “I have dived off this rock face too many times to count, and explored the depths of this pool.”

  With that, she raised her arms overhead and dove cleanly into the green below, disappearing beneath the surface. She broke through the water, laughing.

  “My, but that feels wonderful. Come, Captain, join me this time.”

  As she walked out of the water, her thin layer of clothing stuck to her skin, and it was all Thomas could do to keep himself from removing that layer as well. He shed his shirt, but left his pants to keep from embarrassing himself as he followed her up the cliff wall. He stood at the top, looking out at the forest below. After she dove in again and cleared the surface, he followed her, the thrill of adrenaline shooting through his veins before the cool water engulfed him.

  He came to the surface with a laugh on his lips, turning his head to find her in the water next to him.

  “You’re a good swimmer, Captain,” she said. “I’ve heard many of the English nobility would drown should they find themselves in this predicament.”

  “There is a lake on my family’s estate,” he explained. “My brothers and I learned how to swim from the groundskeeper and his children. It’s a skill that has served me well, it seems.”

  She began to swim back to the shore when he caught her arm.

  “Eleanor,” his face had a serious quality to it now. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  “You’re welcome,” she regarded. “You are the first I have shown this place to. In truth, I do not know why I brought you, but I felt it may speak to you as well.”

  He didn’t respond, but pulled her in with one arm, the other holding them above water as his strong legs kicked below. He took her mouth with his, kissing her with building passion and desire. She responded eagerly as she had before, a willing partner of fire as the cool waters lapped around them.

  She groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss, her fingers encircling themselves in his hair as her legs wrapped around his waist to bring herself closer to him. He gripped her tighter as they began to slowly slip underwater, her passion
overcoming him. She finally broke away as they both came back to the surface for air.

  They swam to shore, but before he could say a word she shushed him, one finger on her lips. He looked at her with question, and she cocked her head over to the right. Grabbing her clothes, she motioned for him to follow her into the brush as she pointed ahead.

  There, children ran through the trees in the distance. They were minimally dressed, and, he realized, inhabitants of this island. They laughed as they jumped over tree roots and followed a well-worn path. Minutes later, their mothers followed, some carrying babies, others foraging along the path as they went.

  When they were well out of sight, he turned to her.

  “Did you know these island were inhabited?”

  “Of course,” she responded. “I had thought they were keeping to the other coast of the island, but perhaps they have moved. We have an understanding. We barter with them, and they allow us to visit the islands now and again, leaving us in peace.”

  “The children, they seem so…” his voice trailed. “Happy.”

  “Of course they are happy,” she said. “Why would they not be?”

  He shook his head, unsure.

  “You must do something for me,” she said quietly.

  “What’s that?”

  “Never tell anyone about this place. About what you’ve found here, about this island. The British, they have a propensity to take over, and I don’t want to be the reason these people would lose their home or their way of life.”

  He slowly nodded, agreeing with her. She wasn’t sure what he would think of that, due to the family he came from and the life he led, but he seemed to understand.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked her. “Perhaps we should eat before heading back to the ship.”

  The thought of returning filled him with dread, but this was an escape, a day away. His life awaited him.