The Hawk and the Dove by Virginia Henley Read Free Book Online

crown would not foot all the bills. Hawk told Matthew to take half the armor, muskets, and ammunition from each cargo and store them in their own warehouses. The space on the ships was then filled with food, uniforms, blankets, and much-needed horses. The horses came from Ireland and Hawk exchanged the stolen weapons for horses through the O’Neill.
    “How’s Father?” Matt asked anxiously.
    Hawk shook his head unhappily. “Worse each day, but he’ll be better for your company, I’ll wager.”
    Matthew nodded his head toward the Spanish prize. “Are we keeping that in our fleet?”
    Hawk ran his fingers through his mane of hair. “She’s a bit toplofty. I’m having the men take off four brass cannons to mount on our ships, then I think England can have her. Tomorrow you can help me select some cargo to take up to London.”
    Matthew grinned, knowing his brother’s tactics. “What did you smuggle?”
    Hawk rubbed his nose. “Enough! God’s cock, why don’t ye shout it from the topdeck? You’re getting too big for your breeches!”
    “That’s what the ladies tell me,” Matt said with a suggestive leer. Hawk threw his arm about his younger brother and they went up to the big house.
    After supper, when Hawk visited his father, he found him and Matt laughing together. He held his tonguewhen he saw that Matt had somehow concealed a bottle of brandy from his mother’s sharp eyes and joined them in a toast to Sebastian’s return to health, although both knew this was unlikely. Their father then proposed a toast.
    “We’ll drink to the upcoming nuptials.”
    Matt was so amused, he sprayed a mouthful of brandy across the room as he guffawed at the jest. Hawk scowled darkly, which told Matt there was perhaps a grain of truth in what their father had said. “Who’s the bride?” he asked, trying to keep his face straight.
    Sebastian said, “Matthew, I’m serious. Your brother has given me his word that he will marry before he comes into the title.”
    “Poor bitch!” said Hawk mockingly, and the two brothers bent double at the dark humor of it all.
    In the morning they gravely doubted the wisdom of their revelry, for Sebastian had slipped into a comalike state from which he could hardly be roused. After a quick consultation with Matt and Georgiana, Hawk decided to leave for London immediately so that he could return before anything worse happened. It was plain that death was inevitable; only the timing remained unknown.
    The Hawkhursts loaded jars of powdery red cochineal and chests of indigo balls with which to dye good English cloth. They set jars of olives and bottles of olive oil carefully in the hold. Hawk chose some fine Oriental porcelain and bolts of silk that had probably come all the way from the Philippines and been hauled across Mexico before he had taken it as contraband off the Azores.
    Georgiana spoke privately with him before the flood tide once more took him away from her. “I know Sebastian has extracted a promise of marriage from you, but if youwait until you are Lord Devonport you will probably do better in the marriage market. There will be dozens of titled heiresses to chose from at court.”
    “Mother, you are deluding yourself if you think Elizabeth will let me marry one of her ladies. She flies into a jealous rage at the merest hint of marriage. When I wed I’ll likely have to keep it secret or spend time in the Tower.”
    “Then marry a Devon girl and let her stay here with me. Every single friend I have has a daughter who has tried to wangle an invitation to meet you. Shane, darling, you are a legend!”
    He gave her a short, deprecating laugh. “Legends pick their own women, surely?”
    Contrite, she knew she had stepped over the boundary line by suggesting she choose a wife for him. “Good-bye, darling, hurry back.”
    The two galleons sailed through the Straits of Dover, rounded Margate, headed for Southend and up the River Thames toward the London Pool. As soon as his ship