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over. ‘You are a man of some importance and a reputation that most seamen must envy.’
    His eyes narrowed. ‘Let’s get to the point. I’m not a man who needs to be buttered up before he can be asked to do anything. Speak plain, Rowena. You want something from me and you must want it badly for you to seek me out like this.’
    â€˜I do. The devil drives where the devil must,’ she said, feeling that the devil was certainly driving her when she must grovel to this man. ‘You will not have heard that my sister was on the Petrel , and that she was taken captive.’
    At last she had his interest.
    â€˜No, I had no idea. I’m sorry. It can’t be easy for any of you, but I still don’t see why you are here.’
    â€˜To ask you to help me find her.’
    He looked at her in genuine astonishment. ‘Rowena, there really is no other woman who would have the damned impudence to come here, after all that has happened between us, and ask me to find her sister.’
    â€˜I know what it looks like, but I—I thought…’
    â€˜What? That I would up anchor and sail into some of the most hostile waters in the world to search for one young woman? Did it not occur to you that I have my own ship, my own business, to attend to, and that I would not be languishing in Falmouth harbour if I were not waiting for your father to settle his debt to me?’
    â€˜There is nothing I can do about that.’
    He looked at her hard and then after a pause, he said, ‘You want me to do the impossible. You are asking me to go behind your father’s back and take my crew into a hornets’ nest, where there is every chance they might not survive.’
    Fire sprang into her eyes. She clenched her hands tightly in the folds of her skirt. ‘I would not have thought the task so impossible for a man such as yourself. I have been told you know the coast and the sea around North Africa well, and that you are acquainted with some of the Barbarians personally. I have no wish to know the whys and wherefores of this—that is your business—but with all this to your favour you are better qualified to find my sister than anyone else.’
    For a moment he looked at her in silence. There wasa glint in his eyes. ‘I cannot believe you have come here to ask this mad, impossible thing.’
    Rowena felt a wave of desperation as she strove for control. ‘Do you think I don’t know that? It is mad and perhaps it is impossible,’ she exploded, her eyes bright with anger, ‘but I have to try. If you will not help me, perhaps you can tell me someone who will, because I swear that if there is the slightest chance of finding Jane I will row all the way to North Africa myself.’ Behind her words lay the shadow of a struggle. When she had entered the cabin her objective had looked close within her reach; now it seemed as remote as ever.
    â€˜Don’t be a fool, Rowena. Look at the facts before you do anything rash. The fanatical, tyrannical network of Islamic slave traders have declared war on the whole of Christendom, and the whole of Europe has been hit by repeated raids, including England’s coastal villages. Thousands have been snatched from their homes and taken to Algiers and Sale in chains. The corsairs are highly disciplined. They are ruthless and make a formidable fighting force. No one knows what happens to the captives seized by the corsairs. Once sold, many disappear without trace and are never heard of again. That is a fact, and cruel, as it may seem, you must accept it.’
    â€˜Never. I will never accept it. What would you do, if it were your sister who had been captured? Would you not want to go after her, to get her back?’
    Rubbing the back of his neck, he nodded slowly. ‘If I am honest, yes, I would.’
    â€˜Then, please, I beg of you to give it some thought.If it were within my power, I would pay you anything you