Her Wicked Proposal novel Chapter 76

Anne and Cedric hurried up the flight of stairs and burst out onto the main deck. He whipped his head about as though listening to the crew around him.

"What's happening, Anne? Be my eyes."

Men raced to positions and men shouted orders and reports.

"She's a large sloop, sir. We'll never outrun her!"

"No flag signals ordering us to stand down," yelled another. "Gun ports are open!"

Anne heard who she presumed was the captain bark, "Bring her to port! Load cannons! Load chain shot! Target her masts!"

It was chaos.

"How close is the other ship?" Cedric tugged her to the railing and they carefully, but quickly, worked their way across the maze of ropes and ship equipment on deck.

"Half a mile away. There might be another chasing behind it." She squinted in the bright light, trying to assess the distance between them and the ship. Thankfully none of the crew did more than glance at them with irritation as they rushed past.

"We don't have enough chain shot, sir!"

"Load the remaining cannons with grape shot!" the captain ordered.

"Aim for the decks!" a midshipman added.

"Belay that! Aim for the sails! We have to slow her down!"

She was terrified she and Cedric would be hauled back down into the hull of the ship by someone, but they were far more worried about the approaching sloop. When she focused on the ships in the distance she saw two flags. The Union Jack flapped against the wind of both vessels. The larger and closer vessel also carried the flag of the Royal Navy at the rear. The ship just behind it was closing the gap, and she saw more clearly that ship's flag.

Cedric curled an arm around Anne's waist, keeping her close as they moved. "Do you recognize any of the flags?"

"There's a British flag and a navy flag on the first. The second has a dark blue flag with a white flower on it." It was hard to make out the shape in the distance with all the wind.

Cedric laughed. "Good God, he found us!" And then he whooped loudly and kissed Anne on the lips.

"Who found us?" She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Ash! That's his company flag. Must be one of his ships! He's brought the bloody navy with him, the sly dog!"

Before Anne could say anything she saw Jonathan run up on deck, shouting, "Jump! We don't have time!"

Jonathan sprinted across the deck, leaping over a pair of sailors bent over a cannon they were preparing to load.

"Fire in the powder room!" he bellowed.

That single cry and the ominous coiling of black smoke from below the deck sent sailors scattering like rats.

"What about a longboat?" Anne asked.

"No time!" Cedric glanced around, cursed under his breath. He thought he could make out some shadows, but even if it was more than just wishful thinking it wasn't enough to navigate by. "Is there a part of the deck without a railing?"

Anne glanced around. "Yes."

"Do we have a clear shot to run to it?"

"Yes. It's about fifteen feet." She swallowed hard. "We're really going to jump?" It looked like another twenty feet to the ocean.