The Rogue’s Prize by Katherine Bone Page B

get past that.”
    The Channel had a way of whipping up
    sudden storms packing all of Poseidon’s
    fury.
    “Don’t worry, sir,” Jacko said.
    “Our men are well-trained and we have
    what’s left of the Octavia ’s crew. And if
    Frink’s men know what’s good for them,
    they’ll man the braces with the rest of us.
    We follow orders. That’s what we do
    best. That’s what keeps a sailor alive.”
    “Do you think we can get Simon’s
    niece back home in one piece?”
    “We’ve sworn to do riskier things,
    sir.” Jacko’s honesty shook him. In truth,
    he was right.
    He nodded. Simon was a hard man.
    When you signed with Danbury, you
    signed on for life, swearing to endure
    anything until the job was done. If Simon
    told you to do whatever was in your
    power to attain a madman’s trust, you
    did it in spite of your misgivings, if you
    had any. Simon had trained them all,
    twenty men total, and extremely well.
    “How is her Ladyship faring?”
    Jacko asked.
    Percy peered down from the
    sextant. “Exhibiting much more spunk
    then I thought her capable of.”
    “Not hard to imagine,” Jacko
    jested. “She is Simon’s niece.” Jacko
    squinted toward the north. “If she has but
    one ounce of Danbury in her, we should
    expect no less.”
    “She’s shown her meddle more
    than half.” Percy smiled, remembering
    how she’d used a bed warmer to
    neutralize Saracen and how easily she’d
    melded into his embrace.
    “You can ill afford to be swayed by
    the fact that she’s a woman, sir. She’s
    untainted, thanks to your quick thinking,
    and Simon will want her back that way
    — completely unscathed.”
    A growl rumbled up from his core.
    “Say what you mean.”
    “The men expect you to claim your
    reward.”
    “What about you, Jacko?” he asked.
    “I know you, sir. You’ve sacrificed
    everything for this,” he said, pointing
    toward the crew scuttling along the deck.
    “Lady Constance is as fine as they come.
    I think you’ll have a hard time resisting
    her, especially if she shares your cabin.”
    Jacko was right to warn him off.
    Simon had tackled Robert Surcouf, one
    of the most successful corsairs France
    had culled in the Indian Ocean, and lived
    to tell the tale.
    “What would you do?” he asked.
    Jacko winked. “I’m not you,” he
    said. “But consider the ramifications.
    Lady Constance is not weak-willed. If
    you seduce her, she could demand your
    life for it.”
    Percy’s mouth suddenly felt dry.
    “Be a good man and fetch me some
    grub.”
    “Will you not be taking your meal
    with her Ladyship?”
    “No,” he said.
    “Aye.” Jacko grinned. His quick-
    footed retreat left Percy unsettled.
    Food was the furthest thing from his
    mind. Instead, images of Constance’s
    naked body, strawberry blonde curls,
    cherubic face, and silken limbs teased
    his senses. “Damn your hide, Jacko,” he
    grated through clenched teeth. He was a
    cad, and being reminded of that fact did
    not sit well.
    The sea crested and foamed,
    mimicking his riotous thoughts. He
    raised his eyes heavenward, and then
    cast them back to the swells. There was
    a storm brewing, on the sea and in his
    heart.
    Percy strapped himself to the helm
    and prepared for the worst.

    • • •
Lord Montgomery Burton opened the
    missive and held it beneath tempered
    candlelight, fuming with rage as he read
    the hastily scribbled note, which had
    been blotched by drizzling rain.
    No one has seen your
    intended for nigh a week.
    After some extensive research
    into
    the
    matter,
    I’ve
    concluded that the lady in
    question has run.
    Never fear, I will continue
    the search.
    Your dutiful servant,
    Josiah Cane.
    Embroiled with rage, Burton threw
    the note his butler had just handed him
    into the fireplace. He watched the edges
    ignite, inwardly laughing at the irony.
    Months of wooing Lord Byron Danbury
    into giving him permission to marry his
    only child appeared to have been for
    naught. In horrible financial straits, the
    duke