The Reverend's Daughter (Book 2 after The Duke's Daughter)

Twenty Five Part One

Violet paced the deck, back and forth, over and over. He stared at the Omega, that 'sailed' beside them. They were having no trouble keeping up with the King's ship, as it barely moved through the water.

What was the old man doing? Why were they crawling along, when all Violet wanted to do was sail as fast as he could, get this over with, and get his wife back.

Was the man taunting him? It surely felt as though he were being tested. He paced over to the helm deck.

"What do you make of it?" Violet asked Brutus.

"I know not, but I do not see much we can do about it." Brutus admitted. Their sails were adjusted to barely catch the wind, if they be trimmed at all, the Wench would pull away leaving the Omega behind.

Violet resumed his pacing, staring at the other ship.

There were only enough men topside the Omega to sail her straight, the rest of the crew had vanished below an hour before, and none had returned top deck to get them under way.

"You are about wearing a groove into the planks, son." Marcus sat atop a water barrel, watching his son pace and rake his hand through his hair. Marcus could tell that Violet was becoming more frustrated by the moment.

"If my wife were not aboard that ship...." Violet grinned an evil grin.

"Then we would have no reason to be here." Marcus added.

Violet stopped his pacing and faced Marcus. "We tried to avoid her."

"And they sensed your weakness." Marcus observed.

"What would you have me do, keep sailing right at them and wave as we passed?" Violet was frustrated and he knew he was directing his frustration at Marcus.

Marcus grinned, "It may have turned out different than this."

Violet's eyes bored into Marcus' own, as Marcus continued grinning at him.

Truly, he was ticking Violet off, and he knew it.

"I wonder......" Violet had an idea suddenly, it may work....Vi shook his head, he should not even consider it.

"What?" Marcus asked. He had seen a light shine briefly in Violet's eyes and he was curious as to what had put it there.

"I had an idea, a kidnapping of sorts....." Violet told Marcus his thoughts, as Marcus stared across at the other ship, which barely moved upon the water.

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Betsy shivered, her sleeved shirt was thin linen and she had not donned a jacket before hiding in the nest.

She had not felt the cold earlier, the adrenaline at finding an armed ship approaching them upon awakening, had started her blood pumping.

Now that her anger was simmering, instead of boiling inside her, she realized she was becoming chilled.

Three crewmen stood and offered her their jackets, as a few more were stripping theirs off, only to be refused with a hand held up in front of her.

"No gentlemen, thank you kindly, but I would not think of it, I am a prisoner," Betsy glared at Eli, as he smiled at her and dipped his head in acknowledgement of her statement. "And I have my own perfectly fine jacket aboard my own ship!" She spit this at Eli, and even though he was two meters from her, he felt the violence of her anger towards him.

Eli stood, he approached the little she cat, and stood in front of her, as she stood also and put her hands on her hips.

Eli removed his jacket and handed it to Betsy, he smiled and bowed, as she took it bewilderedly, "Please continue." Eli walked back to his seat, sat down and cupped his hands around his coffee mug.