He had not lost two fingers and half a leg because he went out of his way to avoid confrontations.
“Blow me,” he muttered again. “I can well see why ye’d be wantin’ to chase after the fellow. An’ with more guns than a mere merchant trader would have to offer.”
Dante shook his head, causing his earring to glitter in the lamplight. “He has more than a two-week start on us. Even burdened as he is, I have come to believe overthe past few hours, it would be sheer foolhardiness to think we could catch him.
Spence’s brow pleated over a frown but it was Beau, still looking on in silence from the doorway, who felt her spine prickle at the implication that the Egret was too slow and unrefined to merit the pirate wolf’s respect.
“I would have you know, sir,” she said, striding briskly into the pool of brighter light, “with a fair wind in our sheets we can run at fifteen knots and better.” She dropped the platter without ceremony on the table and leaned forward on the heels of her hands. “We have sailed from Plymouth to the Tortugas in under six weeks. I doubt even your
Virago
could have outrun us.”
Dante glowered while Pitt stepped quickly into the breach. “You must have had an excellent navigator and pilot.”
“We did,” she said evenly, turning to meet the smiling green eyes. “Me.”
The smile was startled off Pitt’s mouth. “You?”
Spence settled his weight back in his chair, balancing precariously on the two hind legs while he folded his arms across his chest. “Best damned pilot I ever had at the helm. Hell, she once took us through Magellan’s Straits in a storm. An’ her charts? Ye’ll see none their equal. If anyone can run us up the arse o’ yer rogue captain, it’s my Isabeau.”
“A woman,” Dante muttered, still disbelieving, “at the helm of a ship? Has the world gone mad?”
Beau glared at him. “Only the small portion with you in it.”
“Well, regardless,” Pitt interjected quickly, “it does work to our advantage that we know precisely where Bloodstone is going.”
“To London, ye mean.”
“To London.” Pitt nodded. “He’ll waste no time boastinghis prowess to the Queen and her counsel, likely taking all the credit for the venture in the same voice he uses to mourn the loss of Simon Dante.”
“Aye, an’ he’ll do it all with yer gold in his pockets.”
“My gold,” Dante agreed, finally tearing his gaze away from Beau. “Which could be half yours if you brought me within striking distance of the cowardly bastard.”
“Half?” The tiny glands under Spence’s tongue squirted with more than casual interest. And, looking at the hard gleam in Dante’s eyes, he saw no reason to doubt the man would, indeed, pay the price gladly. The
Talon
would be doubly burdened and moving slower than a snail, taking longer routes around known lanes of shipping in order to avoid being set upon by scavengers. Two weeks of plodding could be made up in a few days of spirited sailing with the wind in their teeth.
“Beau?”
She looked at her father, amazed he was even considering the possibility. “What if the zabras did make it back to a Spanish port? What if there are a dozen ships out there right now hunting for a wounded privateer?”
Spence pursed his lips and had to acknowledge the threat. The Spanish coast was less than two hundred leagues off the starboard beam, and if they had indeed sent out hunters …
Something else the Frenchman had said caused Spence to frown and turn to Dante again. “Ye said yer mission was not yet finished after ye left Veracruz. What more were ye plannin’ to do?”
Dante drew a deep breath and avoided catching Pitt’s eye. “We were planning to make a small detour past the harbor at Cadiz.”
Spence’s chair thumped forward and he shook his head asif to clear water from his ears. “Cadiz? Did ye just say
Cadiz?”
Dante smile grimly. “That was the same response Bloodstone gave me. He wanted no part of it,
“Blow me,” he muttered again. “I can well see why ye’d be wantin’ to chase after the fellow. An’ with more guns than a mere merchant trader would have to offer.”
Dante shook his head, causing his earring to glitter in the lamplight. “He has more than a two-week start on us. Even burdened as he is, I have come to believe overthe past few hours, it would be sheer foolhardiness to think we could catch him.
Spence’s brow pleated over a frown but it was Beau, still looking on in silence from the doorway, who felt her spine prickle at the implication that the Egret was too slow and unrefined to merit the pirate wolf’s respect.
“I would have you know, sir,” she said, striding briskly into the pool of brighter light, “with a fair wind in our sheets we can run at fifteen knots and better.” She dropped the platter without ceremony on the table and leaned forward on the heels of her hands. “We have sailed from Plymouth to the Tortugas in under six weeks. I doubt even your
Virago
could have outrun us.”
Dante glowered while Pitt stepped quickly into the breach. “You must have had an excellent navigator and pilot.”
“We did,” she said evenly, turning to meet the smiling green eyes. “Me.”
The smile was startled off Pitt’s mouth. “You?”
Spence settled his weight back in his chair, balancing precariously on the two hind legs while he folded his arms across his chest. “Best damned pilot I ever had at the helm. Hell, she once took us through Magellan’s Straits in a storm. An’ her charts? Ye’ll see none their equal. If anyone can run us up the arse o’ yer rogue captain, it’s my Isabeau.”
“A woman,” Dante muttered, still disbelieving, “at the helm of a ship? Has the world gone mad?”
Beau glared at him. “Only the small portion with you in it.”
“Well, regardless,” Pitt interjected quickly, “it does work to our advantage that we know precisely where Bloodstone is going.”
“To London, ye mean.”
“To London.” Pitt nodded. “He’ll waste no time boastinghis prowess to the Queen and her counsel, likely taking all the credit for the venture in the same voice he uses to mourn the loss of Simon Dante.”
“Aye, an’ he’ll do it all with yer gold in his pockets.”
“My gold,” Dante agreed, finally tearing his gaze away from Beau. “Which could be half yours if you brought me within striking distance of the cowardly bastard.”
“Half?” The tiny glands under Spence’s tongue squirted with more than casual interest. And, looking at the hard gleam in Dante’s eyes, he saw no reason to doubt the man would, indeed, pay the price gladly. The
Talon
would be doubly burdened and moving slower than a snail, taking longer routes around known lanes of shipping in order to avoid being set upon by scavengers. Two weeks of plodding could be made up in a few days of spirited sailing with the wind in their teeth.
“Beau?”
She looked at her father, amazed he was even considering the possibility. “What if the zabras did make it back to a Spanish port? What if there are a dozen ships out there right now hunting for a wounded privateer?”
Spence pursed his lips and had to acknowledge the threat. The Spanish coast was less than two hundred leagues off the starboard beam, and if they had indeed sent out hunters …
Something else the Frenchman had said caused Spence to frown and turn to Dante again. “Ye said yer mission was not yet finished after ye left Veracruz. What more were ye plannin’ to do?”
Dante drew a deep breath and avoided catching Pitt’s eye. “We were planning to make a small detour past the harbor at Cadiz.”
Spence’s chair thumped forward and he shook his head asif to clear water from his ears. “Cadiz? Did ye just say
Cadiz?”
Dante smile grimly. “That was the same response Bloodstone gave me. He wanted no part of it,
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