Chapter 6
Six
After the girls had left, Rhys had taken his bottle of rum and retreated to the hammock where he sat and stared out at the sea.
The boat was clean, thanks to the girls, though it could use a new coat of paint that he did not have.
Just like he did not have any tar or pitch. Without it, the boat was useless.
He had then taken a drink of rum then lifted his spyglass, hoping that he would spot a ship of the Royal Navy on the horizon on their way to rescue Miss Driscoll and her sisters.
Instead, French soldiers rounded the corner and were walking up the beach in their direction.
“Bloody hell!”
He had quickly corked the bottle and left it in the sand then took off running toward the hut to warn the females. Except when he entered the house only Miss Driscoll and Ann were inside.
“Where are the girls?”
“Nicoll and Margaret are washing the shirts,” she answered.
“What about the other two?” he demanded.
“Collecting coconuts.”
“On the beach?” he asked in alarm.
“Perhaps near the beach.”
Blast! Miss Driscoll wasn’t certain where her sisters were, which could get them arrested and killed.
“Why would they be on the beach? They are supposed to stay off the beach.”
“Near the beach because that is where the coconuts grow and are more likely to drop where they can be gathered,” she argued before her eyes grew wide with alarm. “Why? What is wrong?”
“French soldiers. Get the two washing and get them in the house. I will get the other two.”
He ran out before she could respond or argue with him.
The two youngest were likely where they could be discovered.
As soon as he reached the edge of the trees, Rhys stopped and searched for the girls.
Ruth stood beside a tree not far away. He slowly approached.
When she saw him, she smiled and opened her mouth but he quickly put a finger to his lips and pointed toward the soldiers.
When she saw them, fear filled her eyes and her smile disappeared.
He then pointed to a bush and they both got behind it.
“Where is Ellen?” he whispered.
“She was over there,” Ruth pointed a little further away.
“Stay here and be quiet,” he ordered just as Miss Driscoll joined them.
She should be in the house with her sisters, not here. The more of them who were on the beach the better chance of discovery. Hopefully she had retrieved Margaret and Nicoll before she came here.
He watched the area, looking for Ellen and watching the soldiers, his heart pounding in his chest.
“What do they want?” Miss Driscoll asked.
“I do not know,” he returned.
Maybe they hoped supplies had been dropped.
Movement at the edge of the trees caught his attention when Ellen stepped out.
Miss Driscoll sucked in a breath.
After noting that the French soldiers were not looking in their direction, he rushed forward, wrapped an arm around Ellen at the same time he clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle any scream, then rolled to the ground, partially hidden, but not totally, and watched the French soldiers approach.
“Be quiet,” he whispered more to let her know that it was him who had her and not somebody else.
The child stopped struggling and Rhys could only assume that she saw the soldiers too.
He nearly held his breath as they drew near and he was certain they would be discovered but then the soldiers stopped. The four of them turned and faced each other.
“There are no turtles,” one of them complained in French.
“We were told to bring back turtles for soup.”
“We cannot do that if there are not any.”
“Captain will just have to eat the same rations as the rest of us. I am not going to walk the beaches all day searching for turtles.”
“We need to be gone long enough so he thinks we tried,” another said. “If I thought the soup would be shared with us, I would look harder.”
“What do we do?” one of them asked.
Go away! Rhys wanted to scream at them.
The four turned and looked out at the sea.
“It is a hot day. It would be nice to be in the water.”
Bloody hell! If they strip down and swim, not only would he and Ellen be stuck here longer than he was comfortable, but she might see things that she should not, as would Miss Driscoll and Ruth.
Except, while they were distracted by the water, it might give them an opportunity to sneak away.
“A swim it is,” one of them laughed and the four walked closer to the water, their backs to Rhys and Ellen as they started to remove their coats.
He took the opportunity to roll, lift Ellen again and dart into the trees, stopping only when he was certain he could no longer be seen and looked at the soldiers to make certain that his escape had not been noted.
They were still in the process of disrobing and had no idea.
He set Ellen down. “Quietly hurry back to the house and get inside.”
She nodded then took off running as he made his way over to Miss Driscoll and Ruth.
“Let’s go. They are still distracted.”
The two stayed low as they made their way back to the trees while Rhys remained behind the bush and watched, ready to warn the others if they were seen.
Once they were completely naked and stepping into the waves, only then did he retreat to make certain everyone had made it back to the house safely.
* * *
Their discovery had been too close. Had Mr. McNaught not been there to retrieve Ellen, they might have been found out and that would never do.
“I am going to return to the beach and watch and make certain they do not come this way,” Mr. McNaught announced as he joined them in the hut. “Do not leave unless I tell you to.”
That was the second time he had issued that order, but it would be obeyed for the safety of her sisters.
“I will return when they are gone.” He then disappeared, closing the door behind him.
That was all well and good, but Tempest was also responsible for her sisters and she needed to know where the French soldiers were as well. She simply could not wait inside uncertain and worried.
“Girls, I am going to follow Mr. McNaught. Do not leave.”
“You are not supposed to leave,” Margaret reminded her.
“I am an adult and responsible for you.”
She did not give her sister a chance to argue further, but slipped out of the house and followed Mr. McNaught, carefully and slowly until she found him crouched behind the same bush she had hidden behind before.
“I told you to stay in the house.”
“I do not take orders from you,” she hissed.
The soldiers were swimming, laughing and talking, and too far away to hear them. It was time she had answers to the questions weighing on her mind.
“You should avert your eyes, Miss Driscoll, it is not proper that you view men in a state of undress.”
She snorted at his comment. “I have seen men bathing and swimming naked in the sea since I was a child. I am certain they possess nothing that I had not taken note of at a younger age.”
He slid a sidelong glance at her and raised a blond eyebrow. “And here I thought you suffered from a strict moral code, given how you took and hid my rum.”
“I did not say that I intentionally watched,” she hissed. “Why are you really here?”
“Peace and quiet, though that seems to be lacking since you arrived.”
“I do not believe you.” It was too suspicious that he would be living in the very place she and her sisters had been brought.
“Trust me, it was quieter before your arrival.”
“That is not what I meant,” she retorted. “Tell me why you are really here?”
“Tell me why you are here?” he countered.
“You already know why we are. Why are you?” she demanded.
He sat in silence as he watched the soldiers swim and Tempest wondered if he would even answer her question or ignore it.
She could demand that he did, but feared their voices would rise, mainly due to her frustration with him, and the last thing either of them needed was for her to bring attention to their hiding place.
“Do you know why the French may have fired on your ship?” he asked quietly.
Was he asking because he had his own uncertainties?
Oh, maybe she should just tell him. Even if he was here just for peace, he was still English and understood the danger of the French finding them.
“You do, do you not?” he asked again.
“I have my suspicions,” she admitted.
“Does it have anything to do with your uncle?”
Tempest blew out a sigh. “You know it does, do you not.”
“How did the French attack your uncle’s cutter when so many ships from the Royal Navy surround Martinique?”
They both knew the circumstances, or somewhat, if he asked her such a question.
“We were further away, but when the damage was realized, the captain made for the island. He did not want to put in at the harbor since it is still controlled by the French but did his best to get to this side of the island. Unfortunately, it never got close enough so that those aboard could swim for the shore and from what I understand, we were lucky The Francis remained afloat long enough for me and my sisters to make it into the ship’s boat and row away.
Cornelius only accompanied us to make certain we landed where we were supposed to. ”
“He never told you I was here?”
“He could barely give me directions because his injuries were so severe. He only pointed and breathed his last before we reached the beach.”
“I assume you know what your uncle and the cutter were about?” he asked.
“I do.”
“We will talk later. It appears the soldiers are done swimming.”
Tempest glanced at the water and her face heated when she saw them in their entirety as they walked toward their clothing littered on the beach.
Men and women were certainly formed differently.