Will shook his head, not understanding.
Henriksen pointed to a dark spot on the horizon that Will could barely make out. “Safer to know if it’s friend or foe.”
“Yes.” Damn. He’d slept like hell, alternately missing Eugénie, worrying about her, and wishing he could turn her over his knee and give her the spanking of her life for not trusting him to deal with the problem. His teeth hurt from grinding them, and his stomach was so sour he’d only been able to manage a cup of tea and a slice of bread. “I’ll wake the others.”
Andrew and Cicely were at the long table in the room next to the galley. She smiled. “Good morning.”
Will tried to return it and couldn’t. “We have company.”
Andrew stopped gazing into his wife’s eyes long enough to glance up. “Who?”
“Dev . . . I don’t know.” Will told them what Henriksen had seen.
“I’ll be right up,” Andrew said, as he and Cicely both rose.
Were they joined at the hip?
Will scrubbed his face with his hand. “Thank you.”
“Don’t worry, Will.” Cicely smiled up at him. “We’ll have her back to you before you know it.”
A half hour later, he was gripping the rail so tightly his knuckles turned white. “How much longer until we know?”
Andrew lowered the glass. “The unidentified ship has raised some flags. It won’t be long now.”
“It’s Vincent Beaufort!” Henriksen called from the helm. “He’s got Nathan with him!”
“How can you tell that from the flags?” Will called.
Henriksen laughed. “Not from the flags, my lord. I can see him.”
“Thank God he truly is alive!”Aunt Sidonie’s fist went to her mouth, and tears shone in her eyes.
Will had been so focused on the ship he hadn’t even noticed his aunt on the deck.
Andrew turned to Cicely. “Get the pistols.”
She nodded and dashed off.
“Mrs. Wivenly,” Henriksen said, “please go below. Nathan would never forgive me if anything were to happen to you.”
For a moment she drew her brows together as if she’d balk, then she inclined her head sharply. “Don’t forget to call me when I can return.”
“I won’t forget.”
Not long after Will’s aunt left, Cicely returned with three pistols. She handed one to Andrew and one to Will, keeping the third one for herself.
She gave Andrew a kiss. “If the ship is boarded, I’ll be near the middle mast.”
“You’ll stay out of the fighting?”
She placed her hand on his cheek. “Of course. Stay safe. You, husband, are not allowed to die.”
Henriksen called for the guns to be readied.
They were rapidly bearing down on one side of the galley. While the other ship approached on the opposite side, it wasn’t going to arrive in time to help.
How Henriksen did it, Will would never know. TheSwift Windcame along the left side of the galley as the other ship flanked the right. Henriksen ordered the ship with Eugénie on it to heave to. Which, surprisingly enough, they did. Of course it might have been due to the guns pointed at them.
