Chapter 9
Nine
Rhys paused for a moment and considered her words.
Maybe Tempest was not so straightlaced and reserved as he had first decided.
When one becomes responsible for children, they become a parent, guardian or teacher, even if they are not.
Though Tempest could be considered a guardian, they were not in a situation, such as Hyde Park or a ball, where a traditional guardian was needed, but it was up to her to see that they were cared for.
He had always watched his language around misses but never his friends.
A person’s behavior does change depending on who else is present.
“There!” Tempest pointed. “Could that be a cave?”
They were nearing the hills, and had been on an incline, so it was possible.
The two slowed as they drew near, then stopped before it. The opening was not very wide and if they had not been specifically looking for a cave, it might have been missed.
“Shall we inspect it?” Tempest asked.
“I will go first.” He used his flint to light the torch then took a deep breath.
He hated caves because one never knew what could be found. This could be the home to a wild animal that did not like intruders, or a place where snakes escaped because it was cooler. Or where bats slept during the day.
He hated bats.
Rhys took a deep breath and held the torch ahead of him and hoped that if there was anything to disturb inside that it would react in warning so that he and Tempest could back away.
There were no sounds. Then again, snakes were not exactly loud.
“Are you afraid of the dark?” Tempest asked, humor laced in her tone.
“I have a fear of disturbing dangerous predators,” he responded.
“Oh, yes, I suppose that could be a concern.” With her words, Tempest moved back and away from him.
Had she not considered that the cave might not be empty?
Slowly he took one step into the entry, then another, and another until he was standing just inside, ready to retreat at the first sign of danger.
When nothing bit him or flew at him, he breathed out and then turned from one side to the other before he shifted the light to illuminate the ground, and then the ceilings, then carefully shed light behind rocks and into crevices until he’d inspected the whole of the cave.
Well, most of it. There was a tunnel that branched off, but he was not so concerned about that right now because this was enough space for Tempest and her sisters to hide in if the need arose.
“You can come in,” he called. “It is safe.”
Tempest stepped inside the cave with caution.
“I am not so certain,” Tempest said as she stood in the center and looked around. “Where does that go?” She pointed to where the cave branched off.
“I do not know.”
“We must know!” she insisted.
“If the girls do not go beyond this area, I do not believe there should be any concern.”
“I told you that Ellen sometimes wanders off.”
“Tell her not to,” Rhys argued. The child was six after all and old enough to understand and obey instruction.
“We do, but sometimes she gets bored and forgets.”
“Keep her entertained!”
“Clearly you have not spent time around children!” Tempest argued and grabbed the torch from his hand and marched to the bend in the cave but slowed as she drew near.
As he had done when he first entered, she held the torch before her and slowly stepped. He came up from behind and looked over her shoulder.
It was just a small area that ended. Even better, there were no predators within either.
“Satisfied?” he asked as they returned to the center of the small cave.
“No spiders. No vipers.” She stood back and looked out the mouth of the cave. “Sunlight does come in so not full darkness, but we do not know what it is like at night.”
“Dark,” he answered.
“We can have a torch placed in here,” she suggested.
“If you are hiding in here, it is because the French are near and they will see the light.”
“Maybe a torch can be left toward the back and lit and kept away from the entrance.”
“That is too much of a risk,” Rhys argued.
“So is running through the forest at night!” Tempest yelled. “Did you consider that obstacle. We walked this in the day, I am not certain I could find this at night, especially with no light.”
He had not. His first concern was for them to have someplace they could hide. This was not it.
“You are correct,” he finally admitted. “But we must find something, or someplace.”
“In that we are agreed,” Tempest said.
“But where?” Rhys asked again.
He blew out a sigh and turned within the cave again, then looked at Tempest, her brow furrowed in concentration, lips pursed as if she were considering the problem.
Not only that, but they were also very much alone with no chance of children coming upon them.
“I really do not like fighting with you,” Rhys said as he took a step in her direction.
“Nor do I enjoy fighting with you.”
“Then why do you?” he asked.
“I know what is best when it comes to my sisters,” Tempest answered.
Rhys had drawn himself up before her. He leaned in until their noses were almost touching. “And I know how best to keep you safe from the French.”
Her eyes widened, the deep pools darkening as her lips parted.
“Yes, I suppose you may be correct.” Her voice was nearly whispered. “But only when it comes to the French.”
“The French discovering us is all I care about, and why your sisters need rules.”
Neither had backed away from the other, and Rhys was certain he experienced the heat from her body.
Did he kiss her?
He wanted to. He had since they’d fallen in the sand the night before.
No, he had noticed her kissable lips when he first saw her but kept forcing them from his mind, and then they had fallen out of the hammock and she had filled his dreams.
But if he did kiss her, it could create all manner of difficulties.
He must worry about the French, the British invasion and the children, not Tempest’s lips, or her legs, or any other part of her anatomy.
Maybe when they were safe, but he could not afford to be distracted now.
However, before he could step back as he should, she spoke. “We should leave.”
“Yes…” He had to clear his throat because the answer came out croaked. “Yes. And search for another place for you and your sisters to hide.”
* * *
Tempest gave a nod, stepped around Rhys and exited the cave.
He had been about to kiss her. Of that she was certain.
Or maybe not.
He had been thinking about it and she had wanted him to until she realized that it would only bring a complication. She needed to protect her sisters and keep them safe and not think about kissing Rhys.
Unlike their walk while they searched for a cave, nothing was said on the return and when they rounded the corner of the house, stopped to find all five girls sitting outside.
“Do you see how easily we came upon you? What if we would have been French soldiers?” he demanded.
“We would have hidden.”
“It would have been too late.”
“No, it would not have.” Margaret grinned.
“Why not?” Rhys demanded.
“Because we have taken turns looking out the window at the back of the hut just so nobody sneaks up on us.”
“Who was supposed to be watching the window now since you are all out here?”
“Nobody. I saw you coming and told the others,” Ann announced.
Tempest smirked. “I told you that there was no need to worry.”
“Yes, well, they still…I still do not have a shelter.”
Margaret stood and fisted her hands on her hips. “You were not looking for shelter, Mr. McNaught.”
“I was not?” At least he appeared perplexed, but Margaret was her one sister who was too intelligent for her own good, and more so than anyone else in the family.
“You were searching for a place where we could hide but did not want to frighten us.”
Tempest arched a brow daring him to contradict Margaret’s assessment as he did hers.
“Yes…well…you need a place to do so.”
“We agree,” Ann said as she stood. “And we have found it.”
“How?” Tempest demanded. “You were not to leave the terrasse if you came out of the house.”
“We have not yet proven it as a possibility,” Nicoll said. “But we did put our minds to the options.”
“What is it?” Rhys asked with suspicion.
“The boat?”
“Will sink if you try and put it in the water.”
“You disguise it,” Margaret said with a heavy sigh at his stating the obvious.
“How?” he asked more slowly.
“Logs and leaves and such, and tip it just right so that we can get under it.”
“Will you all fit?” Tempest asked. She was not so certain.
“You as well, Miss Driscoll,” Rhys warned.
Yes, well she would sacrifice herself for her younger sisters if necessary, but it was not an argument that she wanted to have with him or in front of them.
“Can we see if it will work?” Ruth asked with excitement.
“Why not?” Rhys grinned.
The girls hurried down the few steps from the terrasse and ran to the boat and tipped it on its side.
They then found dead logs to brace the boat at either end then the younger ones crawled inside, followed by Nicoll.
They had to curl up with practically their foreheads on the ground, but they fit.
They were also pressed together to make as much room as possible.
Nicoll patted the empty space beside her. “See if you will fit, Tempest.”
“I can tell by looking that I will be able to.” She was not about to demonstrate now and would only retreat there in the most dire of circumstances.
“I also think that you should remain in your dresses,” Rhys said after they crawled back out.
“What if we get dirty?” Ellen asked innocently.
“If they have been washed and are drying, be close enough to grab them to hide with you. If soldiers come around and want to look inside the hut, I do not want to have to explain why I have dresses.”
Ruth giggled. “That would be silly, would it not.”
It would be dangerous and something that she had not considered.
Not that they had brought anything with them, but stockings and shoes were often discarded because they would rather be barefoot in the sand and it was hot.
Therefore, when they returned to the hut, she had her sisters gather their things and place them in a cloth sack, along with her reticule, that they would grab if they needed to hide.
“I am hungry,” Ellen whined as she sank down on the bench.
It was difficult to know the time because she’d left her timepiece in her reticule. But by the location of the sun, it must be nearing the afternoon. “I will prepare something to eat. Will you be joining us, Mr. McNaught?”
“No thank you,” he said as he retrieved a fishing pole and bucket.
“What are you doing?” She thought he was going to go into town.
Rhys held the pole out to her. “Hunting?”
“That is silly too,” Ruth giggled. “You do not hunt with a fishing pole, Mr. McNaught.”
“I know what fishing is, Mr. McNaught. That is not want I meant.”
“I am hungry and I would like something different for dinner for a change.”
“Can we join you?” Margaret asked.
“I can help,” Ann insisted.
“None of you are coming with me because you are too noisy and will scare off the fish. But, with any luck, I will catch enough for all of us.”
“I thought you were going to walk into Fort-de-France today. Not fish.”
“I will not leave until later.” His eyes bore into hers and Tempest’s stomach tightened.
What if he was caught?
Was it too dangerous?
Yes, what he was about was dangerous, but they needed the means to escape the island.