Free The Lady and the Captain by Beverly Adam Page A

fifth-rated ship-of-the-line are enviable. She and her kind can do what no other larger vessel can. She is able to quickly maneuver through the sea at a brisk speed of twelve knots. Although heavily sailed, she can surprisingly turn nimbly about. She is much faster compared to the larger warships of the fleet.”
    “Indeed . . .” Sarah breathed, looking up once more at the tall masts before her.
    “Aye, these frigates are considered to be ‘the eyes of the fleet.’ They are capable of acting as efficient messengers. They can swiftly slip between enemy lines, harassing larger first-rated warships and giving support to other vessels blocking important seaports. But they do have one weakness . . .”
    “And what would that be?” she asked.
    “She’s vulnerable to being pulverized. If attacked by better-armed enemy warships, she will be nothing but splintered wood bits . . . aye, a larger vessel with its multitude of cannons can easily dispatch us to the high heavens by simply blasting us out of the water.”
    “She is nonetheless a grand warship,” said Sarah, pleased to be standing aboard the most modern vessel in the entire Royal Navy.
    She could not help but think of the great Lord Admiral Nelson, who when asked by a reporter what he wanted for the Royal Navy, replied, “More frigates, sir! More frigates! If I were to die this moment, ‘want of frigates’ would be found engraved upon my heart.”
    And here she was, a simple, wise woman from Ireland, standing on the quarter-deck of one of the finest warships ever built. It was truly an honor.
     
    *    *    *
     
    He led her down to his first mate’s living quarters located on the lower middle deck. It was a small room situated next to what the seamen called “the captain’s great cabin.” The cabin was built in the stern at the frigate’s protruding end. Robert had not felt comfortable taking over Captain Jackson’s living quarters. It remained unoccupied.
    The first mate’s cabin next door was tight and cramped. However, it was spacious and private by comparison to the noncommissioned seamen’s. The crew’s dormitory styled quarters were situated on the opposite end of the deck.
    He intended on installing her in his quarters. He would rig a hammock tonight in the nearby wardroom where the lower ranking officers slept. Not a finger’s breadth of space was wasted on the frigate.
    Upon entering the small first mate’s cabin, she tried to squeeze past Robert to hang up her bonnet on a nearby hook. He turned with his hands full of his own belongings, but a sudden swell from the ocean caught her off balance. Before anyone could say, “Redcoats are red roosters,” Sarah stumbled against him, pushing him backwards onto the narrow cabin bed.
    “Oh,” she murmured under her breath as she landed safely on top of him, his firm hands went around her waist as he dropped his belongings in a futile effort to keep her steady.
    Her breasts were pressed up against his chest as she found herself mere inches from his mouth. She could feel his warm breath upon her skin. Looking into his dark eyes, she saw her reflection and with some embarrassment realized her ample bosom now took up a good portion of his view. As if mesmerized, they continued to stare into each other’s eyes.
    For a brief moment, Sarah wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him. Would his lips be soft against hers or hard and demanding? And the very thought of such a kiss set her heart pounding.
    “Um . . . ,” said Robert with some belabored breathing. “I do believe it would be for the best if you got off me now, Mistress .”
    “Oh, of course,” she said, her eyes never leaving his. Cheeks flaming, she pulled herself up to a sitting position next to him. Her hands shook a little as she patted a loose hair back into place.
    It’d been over a year since she’d been this close to a man. She’d loved her late fiancé, the burly John Maxwell, and they had planned to marry upon