Page 121 of Feathers in the Wind
“It’s late,” he said, a noticeable crack in his voice. “Get some rest while you can, Deliverance. I fear tomorrow may be a difficult day.”
She straightened, her chin coming up in that slight gesture of defiance he now knew so well. “You’re right. Nothing is served by standing here in the cold worrying about what might be. Good night, Captain Collyer.”
Without a backward glance, she turned for the stairs, leaving him alone. The cold wind whipped the Felton standard above his head. He leaned against the ramparts looking out at the twinkling lights of the watch fires. He didn’t need the distraction of entertaining feelings for Deliverance Felton. Of all the women he had ever met, why this small, determined virago should have wakened this hitherto unknown emotion in him, he had no idea.
God really did move in mysterious ways.
Chapter 10
Amassive explosion, followed by a jolting crash of stone, rocked the residence. Deliverance sat bolt upright in bed, her heart hammering as the drum within the castle grounds beatStand To.
Beside her Penitence sat up and Meg, who like Lovedie, slept on a pallet in the bedchamber, began to scream, “We'll be murdered in our beds.”
“Don't be a fool, Meg.” Deliverance swung her feet out of bed. “That is just the Thunderer roaring her disapproval and I am afraid this is how it will be while Farrington sits at our gates. Find my clothes.”
Resisting the temptation to don her breeches, Deliverance fretted while Meg dressed her. She looked around for the musket and remembered Luke had confiscated it on the first day.
“That man,” she muttered as she raced down the stairs and out into the courtyard.
In the grey light of the early morning she could see that the garrison already lined the east wall at the action position. Behind them, Luke stood in conversation with Ned Barrett and Sergeant Hale. As another explosion rocked the castle, she saw him instinctively duck, one hand going to the hat on his head. As the massive cannon ball crashed into the Hawk Tower, spraying the courtyard with bits of stone, he straightened.
Deliverance raced across the courtyard. “Don't just stand there,” she screamed. “Do something!”
He looked at her. “What, exactly, do you think I should be doing? Calm yourself, Mistress Felton. They are just softening us up but please ready yourself for casualties. I expect a full-scale assault shortly.”
Deliverance snorted with exasperation and turned for the curtain wall. Even as she reached the stairs, from beyond the walls came the crackle of musket fire and bellowed orders. Above her Sergeant Hale shouted the order to fire and the Kinton Lacey muskets flared, the smoke bathing the soldiers in a ghostly light.
She started up the stairs, only to be dragged back by Luke. “Where do you think you're going?”
“I need to see what is happening.”
“I don't want you getting shot. We have everything under control, Deliverance Felton. Go back to the house.”
She shook his hand free and bolted up the stairs to her familiar vantage point. As she peered over the wall, a musket ball hit the stonework just inches from her. She sank down with her back against the wall.
A shadow loomed up behind her. “I told you to leave the battlements, Deliverance. Do I have to carry you down myself?”
She glared up at Luke. “You cannot tell me what to do and I would appreciate the return of my musket. I am as good a shot as any man on this wall. I took my turn on the last occasion.”
“Were you standing here the night we relieved the siege?” Luke’s eyes narrowed and as a musket ball sang over his head he ducked, crouching to bring himself down to her level.
Deliverance glanced away. There could be no denying it. “Yes, what of it?” she said with a careless shrug of her shoulder.
Luke whipped his hat from his head and put his finger through a hole in the crown. “You are responsible for this?
Deliverance swallowed. “How was I to know who you were?”
Luke stared at her “You could have killed me!”
“I did point out her error, sir.” Melchior had come up behind Luke during the exchange, making her mortification complete.
Et tu, Melchior, she thought.
To her surprise Luke began to laugh. “God save me.” He stood up and replaced the hat on his head. He threw his hands in the air. “I give up. Stay if you must, Mistress Felton. If you can knock the hat from my head at that distance, then you are as good a shot as any man here but we don’t have time to go looking for your weapon. Just stay down and out of the way.”
He turned away from her and glanced over the battlements. He turned to Melchior. “Blakelocke, bring fire to bear on that party of men. They are carrying petards.”
“What's a petard?” Deliverance asked, cautiously rising to her feet again.
