Read Online A Captive Heart by Patricia Scott - Free Book Online Page B

to make the Captain hold his tongue when she asked to speak to him and sought to appeal to his romantic nature as a Frenchman.
    She explained, ‘My young charge you see is so much in love with this young man. But her Papa he does not approve of the match and so they have wished to elope without his permission or blessing.
    ‘He will come on board disguised as a young woman: my daughter and my mistress’s maidservant. And no one but yourself must know of this. Do you understand, Captain Jacque? No one in your crew shall speak of it ever afterwards.’
    ‘Mais oui, Madame, but why do they not take a package to France on my ship? Why return to England where her Papa could stop the marriage?’
    ‘It is none of your business, Captain.’
    He took off his cap, scratched his balding head, and looked puzzled but said no more about it. Martha knew it mattered little to him as long as he did not get personally involved in a family feud or the war. He made a good living from smuggling as well as shipping out the Royalists to France and he did not want to get a bad reputation and lose his trade in emigrants altogether.
    Martha emptied her purse out onto the Captain’s table and his eyes lighted up appreciably as the gold coins shone brightly under the swinging lantern.
    ‘All I request, Captain Jacque, from you is your silence, and that nothing will be said to anyone about her young man. Once your ship docks in Falmouth, he ceases to be your problem.’
    ‘ Tres bien Madame.’
    Adam was brought on board the ship dressed in his full female garb. He had had many doubts about this pantomime of role changing. Even now he could feel the dark stubble prickling to the surface on his chin despite Reuben’s best attempt to shave him clean early that morning. Luckily the crew had been kept much too busy to take notice of his appearance when he came on board and he went straight down to the women’s cabin, but there was always the risk during the voyage of them seeing through his disguise at some time or other.
    H e was forced to wait it out in the cabin. He was well used to playing different roles as an agent, but this was one role he did not like having to do. It was not something he fancied taking on ever again. Although he was forced to chuckle about it beforehand with Reuben.
    It had been a dangerous feat getting Adam safely up out of the cave with his injured arm barely healed on the previous evening. Under the cover of darkness, helped up the Cliffside by a strong rope halter under both armpits, which had been painful for him but necessary, Reuben and Tamsin had helped him onto a horse and they had ridden to the harbourside where the Marie Louise waited.
    Martha supplied the dress, cloak and covering linen headdress and his dark good looks helped the masquerade to pass muster. His height was the one drawback and Reuben who helped him to change dress in the cave was hard put to it to hide his loud guffaws of laughter when Adam was ready to leave.
    Tamsin smothered a giggle or two as well when she saw his miraculous transformation from man to maiden on board in their cabin.
    ‘You make quite a handsome young woman,’ she teased as she walked around Adam, studying him.
    ‘Thank you,’ he declared haughtily with a twinkle in his green eyes, ‘but I’d rather not make a habit of it. I hope I can soon change into something far more suitable for a Royalist gentleman.’
    Martha scowled at this comment but Tamsin laughed and said, ‘I have brought a good suit of my father’s and a feathered beaver hat for you to wear afterwards once we reach Cornwall. From there on you will take on the Cavalier garb once again. As a Royalist you must make your own way from Falmouth by foot or by horse if you can arrange one.’
    He heard this with much relief and did his best to cheer her up after she had said goodbye tearfully to her father on the quayside. Waving to him from aboard the deck of the ship Tamsin wondered whether she would see her