Forever Yours

Chapter Fourteen:

William glanced over in the direction where his beloved was sent. She still failed to emerge. The enemy was closing in. Hornblower had found the Captain he was looking for. No other survivors." Move out!" Called Mr. Orik.

" Wait!" William called." Midshipman Pellew..."

" We can come back later for her!" Called Hornblower.

William was hesitant. He knew this would happen. Somehow he knew. " Mr. Bush!" Hornblower called. William closed his eyes and ran to join the others in the long boats. Knowing to just leave her behind was wrong. But once a Navel Officer. Always a Navel Officer. And he hated it.

" I'll come back for you. My love." He muttered and slid his face in his hands and felt the guilt eating away at him as the long boat rowed for the Hot Spur.

" William...William..." Penelope muttered.

" No. " An Irish male voice made her eyes snap open. She threw herself up in a sitting posistion. She noticed her surroundings. She was in a barn of somesort with canons. She had shackles on her wrists and her ankles. Her head bleed slightly from the bash that knocked her out.

She glared at the Irish man who fought for the French." What did you do to me?!" She asked firmly.

This brought a chuckle from the man." Nothing. I'd rather not touch an English woman. You mentioned William. Could that be William Bush. Leftenant William Bush?"

" I don't know." She said with an innocent smile.

Glaring at her the man roughly grabbed her shackled hand and forced it to his gaze. He saw her ring." Ah, so he is your beloved. I never would have guessed that he had one."

" How do you know that the man I am to marry is Mr. Bush?" She asked with a smug smirk.

" If I am not mistaken you are Penelope Pellew. He had spoken quite frequently of you. While I served with him on the Hot Spur. And if I did not know better you are the admiral's daughter." he mused.

" Ah, so you're Wolfe huh. Father called you a fool if he'd ever seen one." She said with a smile. Immedaitely, he back hand slapped her across the face. Which did not seem to faze her at all. She smirked and looked fearlessly upon him.

" Do you think your lover is worried about you?" He asked.

Again she innocently smiled and shrugged." Can't say. Don't care. So, Wolfe what do you plan on doing with me...now that you've got me?" She asked.

The Colonel smiled and inched closer to her." Let you go." He said and took up a blindfold and tied it around her head.

" Why?" She asked as he unshalked her and tied her hands behind her back.

" Because I was once in love with a woman myself." He explained while he lead her down to the dark shore. Where there was a boat waiting. Before he let her into the boat he turned her around so he could see her face. There he lowered the blind fold." She once had a fighter spirit too. You remind me of her. It is a damn shame your beloved might be dead." With that he put the blind fold back over her eyes then placed her upon her butt in the boat. And let the rain pour hard upon her.

The Hot Spur was not far. William kept his telescope out. Just in case." Are you not surprised?" Hornblower came and leaned beside him on the railing.

" No I am not. But Captian. I did not want to..."

" Neither did I. She is a dear friend to me. Tomorrow we'll search the island for her." He said.

"Sir. With all do respect...let me go and seek her out myself. I can't...imagine...what..." He paused. Just the thought of what could happen to her was enough to make him feel the vomitt rise in his throat.

" Sir!" Came a call from the crow's nest." There's a boat adrift sir!"

" Where away!" ( I think that is the term.) Called Bush.

" On the Starboard bow!"

Quickly, William and Hornblower ran over and looked out below the ship. " Shine the lantern over!" Called Bush. right away William's heart lept. Penelope's boat floated below them.

Without another thought. Iggnoring his fear of water and that he could not swim. He dove in, right along side the boat. And climb in." Penelope!" he called.

" Will!" She called back. Looking around for her beloved. But her blindfold made that damn near impossible. He slid her blind fold off her and stared into her eyes. With relief. His hands running up and down her cheeks. " Are you alright? Have you been hurt? Touched in anyway?" He asked in near frantic.

She smiled at him and let him cut her of her binds. She thew herself into him and sobbed in his shoulder. More then anything relieved he was still alive. She was a fool to have believed that Wolfe.

Immedaitely. William smelled the blood on her temple. He gripped her shoulders and inched her, where he could inspect it." I'm alright." She muttered. " He said that he wouldn't touch an Englishwoman."

" Thank God." He uttered softly and drew her into his arms. Thightly and rocked her to and fro.