Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (top rated books of all time txt) 📗

advisability of maintaining a lowprofile in these circumstances, kept her counsel and endured the tediumof the journey in silence, relieved only by the ample contents of thepicnic hamper thoughtfully provided by Madame Bonnet. Linton shook hishead with a grimace of distaste when she tentatively offered to shareher repast and attempted to shut out the sounds of someone enjoying ahearty meal, wincing slightly as she scrunched into a large, very crispapple.

They reached the small port of Calais in the late afternoon andDanielle gazed eagerly through the grimy window at the harbor crowdedwith elegant yachts and not so elegant fishing boats.

"What ship will we take, milord?" she ventured, unable to containherself a moment longer.

"My own—the

Black Gull.

" hereplied briefly.

"That sounds like a pirate sloop," Danny commented.

"Well she's not," was the uncompromising reply.

A small sigh escaped her and the earl relented. It really was not justto take his own tedium and ill temper out on her. She had certainlycontributed to his discomforts earlier in the day but since then hadbehaved with impeccable consideration. He leant toward the window.

"Look over to the left, amongst that group of yachts beside the pier.You see the white one with the black trim? That's the

Black Gull

."

"Oh, she's beautiful," Danielle exclaimed. "Are we to go aboardimmediately?"

"It is my intention to sail with the evening tide," His Lordshipinformed her. "The sooner I get you out of France," and off my hands,he thought, "the happier I shall be."

The coach drew up at the pier. Its weary passengers prepared todisembark.

The earl paused for a moment, one hand on the door. "Do you know themeaning of the word inconspicuous, brat?"

"Of course I do," she affirmed indignantly.

"Well, you must admit I have had cause to wonder."

Danielle wrinkled her nose at the sarcasm, but Iinton was continuing."My sailors are good seamen but they

are

sailors and I want no troubleon this voyage. You will oblige me by remaining in your cabin for theduration. If you are obliged to say anything speak only French. Is itunderstood?"

"I must stay below

all

thetime?" Her eyes widened in disappointment.

"All

the time, Danny," HisLordship stressed firmly.

She shrugged in resignation and followed her mentor onto the quay.

"Button your jacket," Iinton whispered suddenly. "You may not havemuch to display, but sailors have sharp eyes."

Danny hissed with indignation but did as he bade her, pulling her caplow over her eyes as she walked behind him along the pier, castingcovert glances at the fascinating scene around her.

Forster, captain of the

Black Gull,

came forward to greet its master asthey crossed the gangplank. "Ah, my lord, so you have made it in time.I received your message this morning and we are ready to sail with thetide." He gave the small figure standing meekly behind the earl only acursory glance before examining the salmon-tinged sky.

"We may be in for some dirty weather, my lord. Looks like a squall ortwo up there."

Linton gave a brief nod. "Do you advise we wait for the morning?"

"Nah!" The captain spat contemptuously over the deck rail. "The

Gull

can handle a bit o' wind."

"Good. Have my luggage stowed below. The lad has the small cabin nextto mine."

Danielle watched wistfully as her protector strode off along the deck.

"Look sharp then, lad. We don't have all day, you know." The captain'sbrusque tone brought her head up and the sailor surprised a flash ofannoyance in those big brown eyes. He'd seen that look on many a youngcabin boy at the start of his first voyage. It didn't last long,though, he reflected with grim satisfaction—not under the command ofCaptain Forster.

He rapped out a sharp order to a seaman hovering nearby who, with animperative jerk of his head toward Danny, moved off with a curiousswinging gait to the companionway. She followed silently, seething withindignation at the earl's cavaliar disappearance, and soon foundherself in a tiny cabin whose only furnishings were a narrow bunk witha thin pallet and blanket, a table and chair both bolted to the floor,and a chamber pot. There was little room for anything else and no spaceat all for moving around. The door closed behind the departing sailorand she sat miserably on the bunk, tired, dirty, and hungry. The cabinwas close and airless and she thought longingly of the fresh breeze ondeck, listening to the sounds ofactivity above her, the creak and rattle of chains, shouted orders, andscurrying feet.

After a while the door opened again abruptly to admit a boy of abouttwelve with a tray which he set down on the table while examining Dannycuriously but not unkindly.

"'Is Lordship says as 'ow yer to eat yer vittles in 'ere and Cap'n saysyer to stay below 'till we reaches Dover." He paused, clearly waitingfor some response, but received only a puzzled frown and a murmured,

"S'il vous plait?"

"Oh, yer one 'o them froggies wat can't speak the King's English," theboy said in disgusted comprehension and left the cabin and Danny to hersolitary meal and her cheerless thoughts.

It was neither an elegant nor comforting meal—cold meat, cheese,unfresh bread that clearly had been baked that morning, washed downwith a cup of unpleasantly warm water. But at least it was food and hermemories of real hunger were still too reeent for her to turn up hernose. Once finished, Danny put the tray outside the door concluding, onthe basis of past experience, that whoever came to retrieve it wouldotherwise barge into the cabin without so much as an alerting knock. Inthe absence of any diversion she lay down on the hard bunk feeling theyacht rock gently beneath her. She didn't think they had taken up theanchor yet—they didn't seem to be moving anyway—and soon her suspicionswere confirmed as a tremendous rattling noise beneath the cabin floor,louder instructions above, and pounding feet indicated the

Black Gull's

readiness to