Torsos and shoulders bumped Anne from every side, and
Anne heard the telltale rip of her hem. Unable to see above
anyone’s head, Anne held on to Sara and hoped the two of them
would not be separated. She had no idea what had caused the
chaos. She only wished she could find a way out of the crush.
“Miss Anne!” With a frightened shriek, Sara was torn from
Anne’s side, her eyes wide with fear.
Anne struggled to get back to the girl, but like a drop of
water fighting against a current, it was no use. She lost sight of Sara’s terrified face as more people pushed in around her.
Her own heart pounding, Anne fought a rising tide of panic.
Elbowing her way through the mob and gasping for breath,
it took her several minutes to reach the front stoop of a shop.
It was not her intended target, but at least she was situated
above the rest of the onlookers and had a clearer view of what
was going on.
Two sturdy horses pulled an open cart filled with five
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rough-looking men. It was clear they were some sort of prisoners, for their hands were tied with ropes.
People jockeyed for a better position to see the cart, and the
roar from the streets was thunderous. Anne couldn’t tell if the crowd jeered or saluted them, for some people threw produce,
while others threw flowers. Frantic to find Sara and get out of the city, Anne searched for any sign of the girl, but to no avail.
When the cart drew up in front of Anne, she couldn’t help
staring at the men contained inside. They weren’t men at all.
Beneath their scraggly facial hair and unkempt clothing, they
appeared to be only a few years older than Anne herself, and an unexpected twinge of sympathy pierced her heart. She didn’t
know what they’d done, but the hardened expressions on their
faces spoke of a world of adversity and suffering that far sur—
passed her own.
Raising her voice to be heard above the noise, Anne
addressed an elegant woman pressed alongside her. “Who are
they?” she asked.
The woman gave Anne an incredulous look. “Have you not
heard? They’re pirates. Caught stealing from several merchant
ships and bringing their wares here to sell.”
That was why so many people crowded the streets. No
doubt hoping for a glimpse of the bandits. “Where are they
taking them?”
“Back to a ship for transport. They’ve just been questioned
by the local constable.”
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Anne stared after the retreating cart, wondering what had driven the occupants to choose such a life. Had they done it to escape something, such as poverty and hunger? Or perhaps
they had longed for a better future and had done the only
thing they could think of to attain their goals. “What will
happen to them now?”
The elegant woman shrugged. “Most likely they’ll be taken
to Execution Dock in London and hanged,” she said, her voice
detached. “That’s where all pirates go to dance the Marshal’s
dance.”
Anne didn’t know what the Marshal’s dance was, but she
knew it couldn’t be good. The woman’s indifference upset her,
although she couldn’t explain exactly why. Anne had never met
those young men, nor did she know if they’d killed anyone. But
their wasted lives were surely worth grieving. Did they have
any family? Someone who would mourn their deaths once they
were gone? If they’d been born under different circumstances,
what could they have achieved?
Watching the progression of the prisoners, Anne and the
rest of the crowd waited until they disappeared from view.
Slowly the throng dispersed, allowing movement once again
along the busy street. Carriages proceeded with caution, and
pedestrians bustled about, the spectacle forgotten as they continued with their daily lives.
Anne remained where she was, trying to control her churning thoughts. Images of the five prisoners hanging from nooses
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taunted her, and she resolved to return Drummond’s items as soon as possible. If someone had caught her stealing, she would have found herself in their position.
“Anne? What the devil are you doing here?” a familiar voice
ground out beside her.
Anne’s mouth went dry, and her heart clenched painfully
in her chest.
Teach.
Turning, she met his thunderous green gaze, momentarily
caught off guard by his proximity. She willed her tight throat
to relax. “I . . . I, um, came into the city to do some shopping.
With Sara. Oh, I have to find Sara!”
“I just saw her and sent her home in my carriage. She was
beyond worried, but otherwise unharmed. Why did you choose
to come to the city, today of all days?”
Relieved to know that Sara was all right, but annoyed at
the criticism in Teach’s voice, Anne decided to launch her own
offensive. “I didn’t know I needed to report my whereabouts
to you. Your father doesn’t request it of me. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be with Miss Patience?”