The Raider Read online

  Jessica was beginning to actually hear Eleanor’s words. “All this has happened in one short day?”

  Eleanor raised one eyebrow at her sister. Jessica had no idea of the havoc she’d caused this morning. “Jess, there have been fourteen eligible and two ineligible men come to the Montgomery house today, most of them bearing gifts for you.”

  Jess began to smile. “What sort of gifts? We could use a pig. Anybody brings a pregnant sow, I’m his.”

  “Jess, this is serious.”

  Jessica sat down by her sister. “The admiral was sent here to find the Raider and that’s all. He doesn’t have the power to force a marriage.”

  Eleanor took her sister’s hand. “He burned your boat; he can burn our house. I think he spoke without thinking this morning, but now he has to stand behind what he said. And, besides, I don’t think the men of this town will allow him to back down. Too many of them want a chance to be your husband.”

  “Really?” Jess said, smiling. “Anyone interesting? What about Mr. Lawrence’s youngest boy?”

  “He’s seventeen years old!”

  “Get them young and they’re easier to train. All right,” she said when Eleanor started to yell again. “We’ll straighten this out. I still think Alexander is the one to fix this.”

  “He certainly does rescue you often enough.”

  “He’s just a nosy old maid, that’s all. He can’t do anything else, so at least he can talk. Here, help me with these fish and let’s go home. We’ll worry about this tomorrow.”

  “When there are only thirteen days left,” Eleanor said heavily.

  Jess, bending over the nets, looked at her sister. “I guess I could marry that big Russian of Alex’s.”

  “Over my dead body,” Eleanor snapped then put her hand to her mouth. “I mean…Of course…”

  Jessica started whistling as she emptied her nets.

  It was later, as they neared the path to their leaky little house, that Jessica began to understand what Eleanor was talking about. Men lined the path home, some holding wilted flowers, some molded maple sugar candy, some just standing there, their caps in their hands.

  “I own six acres of good farmland, Mistress Jessica, and I’d be pleased to have you for a wife.”

  “I own the Molly D and you could sail with me. I’ll hang you a clothesline wherever you want.”

  “I own the depot twenty miles north of New Sussex and I’ll buy you a mule for plowing.”

  “I own six mules, three oxen and eight cooking pots. I’d like to marry you, Mistress Jessica.”

  Her mouth open, Jessica stared at the men as Eleanor pulled her through the gauntlet. She jerked hard on Jessica’s arm when she nearly stopped in front of a man holding a fat pig by a string.

  “You’re no help at all,” Eleanor hissed as she slammed the door behind them.

  “I had no idea I was so popular,” Jess said, smiling. “Maybe I should just stand on the wharf and let them bid for me. Although that man with the pig was very good-looking.”

  Eleanor slammed a bag of corn meal on the table. “I ought to sell you, just outright sell you. Then maybe the kids and I could have some peace.”

  “No food, but peace,” Jess said complaisantly. “Eleanor, don’t be so upset. This will blow over. I have no intention of marrying anyone right now. You’ll see, Alex will use his silver tongue to reason with the admiral and the old man will forget all about me. You’ll see.” She leaned back in the chair and thought that she had no intention of marrying any man except the Raider. All she had to do was wait until he could reveal himself to her and then she’d proudly walk down the aisle to him.

  * * *

  Jessica was trying to concentrate on her fishing but she kept looking over her shoulder. The last week and a half of her life could only be described as hell. There seemed to be men everywhere: men reaching for her, men with bowed heads, men offering her their worldly goods. They came from as far south as Boston and there was one French fur trader who had come in from the northern woods. He’d heard there was a shipload of beautiful women for sale. He seemed rather disappointed to find only one woman. He thought Jessica was “real pretty,” but there just wasn’t enough of her.

  Jess had had an awful time escaping the men to make her way to her private little cove.

  It had taken most of the first week, but Eleanor and Alex had just about persuaded her that the admiral meant what he said when he’d commanded Jessica to get married. He’d made some threats against her home, her family and her way of earning a living if she didn’t obey him—and keep him from looking like a fool. He’d even introduced her to the man he said he’d force her to marry if she disobeyed him: a big dullard with a heavy lower lip that was constantly wet. The admiral had laughed at Jess’s involuntary shudder.

  But now, doing something familiar like hauling nets made Jess think of how her life would change if she married. So far, no man in his proposal had even mentioned her young brothers and sisters. And some of them had taken an active dislike to Nathaniel.

  Jess smiled. Of course Nate didn’t help any. He loved making the men look like fools. He asked one old man how old he was, then laughed uproariously at the answer. He insisted one scrawny chicken farmer show his bicep, then told Jess the man wasn’t strong enough for her. He swatted a man’s head, saying he saw lice in the ancient wig the man wore. Nate weeded out the worst of them.

  But even the best of them didn’t interest Jessica. There was only one man who interested her and he was the Raider. She had only to close her eyes and she could feel his hands on her body. Why didn’t he come forward? Why didn’t he ask to marry her? Why wasn’t he rescuing her from these lecherous men?

  At the sound of a falling rock, she opened her eyes and turned sharply to see old man Clymer inches away from her, his grubby little hands outstretched and reaching for her. She took a step backward and almost tripped over her net.

  His eyes were on her nearly bare bosom, then his gaze moved down to her bare legs. Up and down, his eyes couldn’t rest.

  Jess put her hands up to cover herself. “Mr. Clymer, you shouldn’t be here.” She was backing away from him.

  “Why not?” he rasped, advancing on her. “You are here. Jessica, I have loved you for years. Marry me. I’ll give you anything.”

  She was looking about for a weapon but saw only fish at her feet. She bent, grabbed a twenty-pound haddock by the tail and hit Mr. Clymer on the side of the head.

  He was stunned only momentarily before he grabbed her, pulled her to him and tried to kiss her mouth.

  Jess pushed at his face while turning away. He was amazingly strong for a man his age.

  “Jessica,” he murmured and buried his face in her breasts.

  “Let go of me, you old piece of fish bait!” she yelled, but he ignored her.

  “I mean to make you my wife! To have you always! Mine, Jessica, mine for all eternity.”

  Twisting about, she saw Alexander standing on the cliff above the cove. “Help me!” she screamed. “Get this squid off of me. Mr. Clymer,” she begged, “remember yourself.”

  Alexander took an infuriatingly long time getting down into the cove. Jess struggled while the fat old man slathered her breasts with his wet kisses. She thought she might be sick.

  Alex minced his way across the rocks, making sure his shoes didn’t get wet. Delicately, he kicked a fish aside as he made his way to Jess. He tapped Mr. Clymer on the shoulder.

  At first the man didn’t respond. Alex had to tap him three times before he looked up. His red, glazed eyes bugged when he saw Alex. He straightened and pulled away from Jessica.

  “Might I suggest that you’ll find your own home more comfortable?”

  “Why yes…I was just…Yes, I’ll…” Mr. Clymer released Jessica, then scrambled up the cliff bank. They could hear him running through the forest.

  “Well!” Jess said, straightening her dress and then looking around for her fish that had flopped all over the cove. “Some r