Lorenzo and the Turncoat by Lila Guzmán Read Free Book Online

people will not interfere with an official in the performance of his duty.”
    â€œI understand my position perfectly,” she snapped.
    â€œAnother thing. Never speak to me in that tone again. Keep a civil tongue in your head.” He bounded down. As he helped her from her horse, three barefoot, shirtless boys in homespun trousers gathered around gawking at his prisoner. Their eyes fixed on her hands tied in front of her.
    â€œWhat’d she do,
m’sieur
?” one of them asked.
    Hawthorne decided to have a little fun. “Sliced a man’s throat from ear to ear.” He ran his finger over his neck and punctuated the gesture with a slurping sound.
    Duly impressed, their eyes grew as large as shillings. No doubt, they had heard tales of notorious female pirates like Anne Bonney and Mary Read.
    Keeping Madame De Gálvez at his side, he swapped their horses for fresh ones. He had to get out of Spanish territory as fast as possible. Once they crossed into British territory, they would be under English law where her husband had no jurisdiction. He had to lead herhorse by the reins because Madame De Gálvez’s hands were bound in front of her. That slowed them down.
    Had his original plan worked and he had captured Gálvez, he would have taken him directly to the Baton Rouge fort. The commander there would have welcomed the colonel as a valuable prisoner. The kidnapped wife of the Spanish governor, however, was another matter. Hawthorne didn’t like this unexpected development, but circumstances had forced him to strike while the iron was hot. Success or failure often depended on the ability to be flexible.
    No, he couldn’t take her to the fort. Kidnapping was a crime and the commander would want no part of it.
    That left only one place: his dead brother’s house. It wasn’t a perfect solution and he would have to watch Madame De Gálvez night and day until her husband agreed to switch places with her.
    With his hostage by his side, he went inside the trading post and bought supplies, including a French Charleville musket and powder. He felt more comfortable with a Brown Bess, but this would serve his purpose. He purchased a pistol as well.
    Hawthorne helped her onto a horse and they set out again.

    Lorenzo had never felt so scared. Not when he was spying in Philadelphia and was very nearly discovered. Not when he lay wounded, hoping someone would find him before he bled to death. Not when he found himself in the middle of stampeding cattle.
    Nothing had scared him half as much as this. Where was Eugenie?
    He and the colonel decided to check every place she could possibly have gone. They went in different directions. Lorenzo visited her girlfriends, one by one, whilethe colonel called on other acquaintances. Lorenzo checked out the cottage he and Eugenie would move into on their wedding night, hoping she had gone there on an errand of some sort.
    There was no trace of her. Lorenzo leaned his forehead against the wall. He had to find her, even if that meant knocking on every door in New Orleans. And then he recalled how pale she looked at lunch.
    The hospital. That was it. She had fallen ill and had been taken to the hospital. Lorenzo dashed away.
    The nun on duty at King’s Hospital took one look at Lorenzo and her eyes spread wide open. “Dr. Bannister … What’s the problem?”
    â€œHave you seen Eugenie Dubreton? Is she here?”
    â€œNo. Why?”
    This had been his final hope. Stunned, he walked away, not knowing what to do next.

Chapter Ten
    Hawthorne opened his pocket watch and tilted it toward the fading light. It was seven o’clock. They had traveled up the river road for hours and were lucky to have found an inn, although he wished it were further from New Orleans and a bit more elegant. The weather had turned nasty and it was impossible to travel further that night.
    He helped Madame De Gálvez dismount. Holding her elbow, he led