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“I’ll go,” First Officer Surrey called, stepping from the ranks

“I’ll go too,” Ship’s Master Hennessey said

Ten men volunteered in all and they set off in five rowboats, struggling through the surf toward the sinking ship

It took theainst the tide and the waves to reach the boat Only the bow stuck out of the water, a crowd of ten or fifteen people clinging to the rails and crowded together

“You’ll have to ju as close as he dared with his row boat “We’ll fish you out of the water”

Three men jumped without a look back and the boat behind him picked them up “Head back,” Matt called to the vessel “Come on,” he called to those who remained on the deck Four more hit the water and two other boats scooped them up

Only three people remained on the bow, the captain and what he could now see were toan to tentatively cli to the wood “I can’t,” she shouted “I can’t swim”

“Then you’ll drown,” he yelled back Hoas he supposed to save someone ouldn’t even try to save herself?

She clutched tighter to the rail as the revessel, if you stay then I have to stay,” the captain hollered over the wind

Releasing a rumble of frustration, Matt looked over at the other oar man, Surrey “Get me closer” Damn his Sinclair sensibilities He should just leave her

Surrey et within a foot of the ship and Matt didn’t hesitate In a ain So he juht the rail, the woman above hiht have rolled his eyes Surrey caain and he didn’t hesitate He plucked the wohtened doe The captain heaved as he pulled and then just as the row boat ca her in his ar with his feet planted in the sht as a feather and he kept his balance despite the tossing waves

“Bloody hell that was impressive,” the Captain called as he too scaled the rail and then, grabbing the other woman, jumped into the water Matt shoved the woman in his arms toward Surrey as he fished the other two froet you to the ship in no time,” he called over the wind as he took an oar and started for his boat

Lady Bridget McDougal sat shivering in the bottohy Poor Mary h with the rain but Mary had sub to that rail for what seehies slowly h the tumultuous water At least when her eyes hadn’t been squeezed tightly shut Bridget had never prayed so hard in her life that they’d make it on time

She hadn’t considered as she watched and prayed how she’d get into that dingy but she had silently cursed her father for sending her on this journey in the first place Theuntil spring to ship her off so he could enjoy his new bride Who was her age, by the by Did the man have no shame? The neas a nice Scottish

lass Not like her lish Her father hated anyone asn’t Scottish and had only married her mother to collect her dowry Of course, he’d only been proven right when her hter