The Duke's Daughter -Wattys2014 Collector's Dream Award Winner-

Chapter Twenty Eight

Frank Miser watched from his carriage, as Buckley carried the unconscious Lady Kent towards him. The carriage sat half way down the block, awaiting the lady. Buckley was not the smartest man Miser could have sent, but he was the quickest and the most frightening. His teeth were missing almost exactly oppositely, on top and bottom, leaving one guessing exactly how the man was able to eat. Miser knew he ate with gusto though, no matter what was served to him.

In Buckley's defense, he was a useful fool. He served as Miser's personal runner when they made port, he usually managed to get things to their correct recipients in a timely fashion. But the damned fool needed to hurry!

Miser knew that if he failed to get Lady Kent away from Trent now, then all of his work over the last fifteen years, was for naught. And that was something that Frank Miser simply could not tolerate. His lordship wanted the girl, and when he delivered her, Miser would be rich enough to finally retire from the navy and sail under his own direction. With ties, to the soon to be new owner of Isla de Cabellete, of course.

Miser had not been fortunate enough to have the money to purchase a privateer commission fifteen years ago, at the age of sixteen. Much less; his own ship, or the initial start up cost of a voyage, or even an initial hull full of goods that France or Spain may have been interested in. He had scraped by for four years, forming and running his band of footpads to fatten his income, before he was finally able to afford an officer's commission in the Royal Navy.

Through the deaths of the officers above him, in a series of battles with rogue pirates, he had been promoted to Admiral seven years ago. Along with the title, came command of his brigantine, and supervision of nine more.

Lady Kent was his ticket out. And here Lady Kent was, limp as a rag doll in Buckley's arms, headed to him. Only a hundred feet away and not putting up a single protest.

Trent broke around the building at a dead run headed straight for Buckley and his burden. A growl sounded from Miser's throat.

"Sir?" Thomas asked. He was seated across from the Admiral, facing straight towards the trio headed their way. Miser nodded to Thomas and Bell lifted his musket, aimed and pulled the trigger.
The shot went wide and lodged itself in the back of the privy.

"Give me that damn firearm!" Miser barked, as he pulled the weapon from Thomas's hand. He quickly reloaded the musket, and then, once again the barrel pointed from the carriage window.

Whitmore sneezed next to the Admiral, causing the carriage to rock, and Miser's bullet landed wide as well.

"Damn you, old man!" Miser yelled as he leapt down from the carriage and pulled his pistol. He fired the next shot and clipped Derek's arm. Trent did not even break stride as he continued to barrel towards them.

Buckley was only ten feet from Miser when the Admiral fired another shot.

This bullet hit Derek more fully, and he fell to his knees in the dirt, a hand over the wound. His jaw clenched and he howled in pain. That same pain still in his voice, he made an oath that Miser would have feared more, had it not been the man's dying breath. "I will have your head, you son of a whore!" Trent then fell face first into the dirt, and laid there, completely still.

The Spaniard came rushing in Trent's footsteps, but Miser dismissed him. Instead, he helped Buckley lift his burden into the carriage. He shoved Buckley inside, and then stepped up behind him.

He whistled up to the driver, who then snapped the reins over the horses heads, and they were quickly in motion. Miser glanced out the window as they rounded the corner, he was pleased to see that the Spaniard's attention was not pointed their way, but lay down in the dirt with his fallen captain.

*****

Alejandro fell to his knees in the dirt next to his captain as the carriage sped out of sight. He turned Derek over so that he could inspect the wounds. The graze on Derek's arm was only a flesh wound. It was a very open flesh wound that depicted the bullets path of travel rather vividly, but the bullet had not entered his body. It bled, but 'twas nothing life threatening.

The other wound was through Derek's shoulder and it was bleeding profusely. Luckily the wound was too high to have hit anything vital. Alejandro ran his fingers over Derek's collarbone but it did not seem to be broken. Alejandro sent a prayer to the heavens as he slipped his arms under Derek's shoulders, lifting his unconscious captain, and best friend from the ground. He knew it was shock that knocked him out cold. He slowly dragged him backwards towards the tavern. He was alive and, with medical attention, would remain so.

Betsy was waiting around the privy when he rounded it, the girl took one look at the captain's wounds and his blood stained shirt before she swooned, dropping into a heap upon the ground.
Alejandro looked to the girl and then back at his captain. Common sense dictated that he get his captain inside and a surgeon on the way before retrieving the unconscious, but uninjured, girl. His gentleman's honor protested violently with the thought of leaving her where she lie at all. Even the mere minutes it would take him to get Derek inside.

Alejandro continued to drag his captain to the tavern. Hesitation would only see her lying there even longer.

Once he reached the back hallway, he called out for the bar maid. She came running at the urgency in his voice, her face whitened when she saw Derek, but she remained on her feet.

"Where can I take him?"

The petite blonde shook her head bringing her hand to her forehead, seeming to focus her mind.

"Um.. there's a room upstairs.."

"I need to lie him down now, before he loses much more blood. He needs a bullet removed and sewn up. Is there somewhere downstairs where a physician can see him?"

"Aye, this way." She led him behind the bar and to a store room that had a large wooden table in it's center. The table was stacked high with clean linens. She began to quickly clear the table by moving the stacked linens onto the chairs, once the table was clear, she spread one of the sheets over it. Alejandro moved to lift Derek upon it.

"Wait, we eat here. The blood.." She took deep breath. "Let me spread another linen.

She did not wait for a reply and once she was satisfied, she helped to lift Derek's feet onto the table. Alejandro arranged his captain more comfortably and pressed a linen to the wound on his chest. He tore a strip from another, tying it around Derek's chest and under his arm to keep pressure on the wound. He then turned back to the maid.

"Send for a surgeon, and your employer. There is a girl outside I must retrieve."
The maid looked horrified. "Is she injured as well?"

"Nay, she swooned." Alejandro replied, already retracing his steps back outside.

He lifted Betsy in his arms and carried her to the back room where Derek lay. He settled the girl into a chair as her eyes began to flutter open.

"Easy, Chiquita. You are safe."

She glanced about her but did not make a sound. A stout man entered the storeroom and made his way to Derek. He inspected the wounds for a few moments.

"He'll live." Was all the man said.

"Si, I know." Alejandro replied. "Are there a couple of rooms here that we might rent, or an inn nearby, that we might stay for the night?"

The man looked Alejandro over. "You got the money for it?"

Alejandro reached inside his coat pulling a purse heavily laden with coin from a pocket. He set the purse on the table next to Derek, letting the coins clink rather loudly for further emphasis. "Should that not be enough, this man here is the Earl of Trent."

The man nodded, "Alright. We got two rooms upstairs. If you need anything, just ask Lottie. She'll see ya taken care of after she cleans the blood your mate trailed across the floor." The man turned back the way he came. "Taint even dark out and there's already blood on the floor.."

"Where is Lady Kent?" Betsy spoke from her chair.

Alejandro faced her fully. The color had still not returned to her face.

"They took her."

She broke into sobs.

"Do not fret, we will get her back."

Her sobs simply increased in intensity.
Alejandro did not have time for this.