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.The wind was blowing abrisknor'easter as she climbed to the quarter-deck.Brandon stood beside the wheel watching thesouth ofEngland sweeping by and when land's end stood behind them, he turned to the man at thewheel. Helmsman, bring her about.Steady on due west. And then he bellowed to the tops. Watchthosegallants, lads, and take another reef in the mainsail.He stood for some time with his hands behind him and his feet braced apart, feeling the deckbeneath himand watching the rigging, masts and sails until satisfied his ship stood neatly trimmed with thewind on herheels.The sun sat low and red upon the horizon, painting the clouds a golden hue and splat-tering the seain red.Land's end stood behind them now, all black and gold beyond the mists.With anaching in herchest, Heather watched the last of England fade from view and from her life.Chapter 6The sun rose cold and bleak on the fourth day out and the easterly winds began to pick up.The first twodays had been relatively mild and with every inch of canvas spread the Fleetwood hadplowed alongover lightly rolling seas.Now the rigging sang in the wind and the ship strained as it choppedits waythrough frothy white caps.The ship was heavily laden and rolled low in the water, yet shehandled welland responded smoothly to the helm.Brandon cast a weather eye ahead to a low bank of clouds on the horizon, stowed his sextantand foldedaway his charts.The wind was biting cold this morning and boded ill weather ahead, yet hesmiled tohimself as he went below for they were making good time, almost forty leagues a day.Heentered thecabin, put away the charts and sextant and poured himself a mug of coffee from the pot onthe smallstove.As he sipped the hot brew he looked at Heather still asleep in his bunk.Her hand,partlyconcealed by the lace on the sleeve of her gown, lay across his pillow and her softly curlinghair wascaught beneath it.He thought of her warm and soft against him, and he wondered briefly howmuch of afight she'd put up if he tried to take her now.She stirred slightly as if aware that she was be-ing watched,and he forced the thought from his mind.She stretched lazily under the quilts, and her eyesfluttered openslowly.She saw him and smiled a timid morning greeting.At that moment George knocked gently on the door, and she flew out of the bunk, givingBrandon aglimpse of a slender thigh before she snatched the gown down and hurriedly pulled on awrapper.AtBrandon's call the servant entered with a tray bearing their morning meal.From his pocketGeorgepassed Heather an orange, and she thanked him graciously.Brandon, seeing this movementover hisshoulder, raised an eyebrow, wondering if the servant was becoming enamored with hiswife's beguilinginnocence.ABC Amber Text Converter Trial version, http://www.processtext.com/abctxt.html We'll be having guests for dinner tonight, George, he said abruptly, turning round.He feltHeather'ssurprise but he didn't look at her. I have asked Mr.Boniface and the mate, Tory MacTavish,to join us.You will attend to it please. Aye, cap'n, the servant replied as he cast a quick glance at Heather.She had already turnedaway andseemed intent now on warming her hands above the stove.But there was no mistaking thatshe wasupset, and George shook his head in consternation at the younger man's boorish manner.The captaincould not stubbornly maintain his independent bachelorish ways as a family man.The night seemed colder and Heather stood arrayed in one of her new gowns with her backto the littlestove, waiting for Brandon to finish dressing.She had chosen the gown more for warmth thananythingelse.It was of a burgundy velvet with long sleeves and a high, close fitting neck and a bodiceembellishedliberally with black jets and tiny sparkling beads.She had swept her hair into a fashionablecoiffure, andshe presented now a most enchanting contrast in this otherwise totally masculine setting [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]