"There's a fair chance." He was holding the whipstaff on a steady course. "But they've not got all their canvas on yet. They know it's risky." He turned to study the warship and she saw the glimmer of hope in his eyes, but he quickly masked it. "In good weather, they could manage it. But with a storm like this, maybe not." He paused as the lightning flared again. "Still, if they decide to chance the rest of their sail . . ."
She settled herself against the binnacle to watch the Gloucester. Then she noticed the warship's tops'ls being unfurled. Winston saw it too. The next lightning flash revealed that the Gloucester had now begun to run out her upper row of guns, as the distance between them slowly began to narrow once more.
"Looks as if they're going to gamble what's left of their running rigging, Katy. I think you'd best be below."
"No, I . . ."
Winston turned and yelled toward the main deck, "John, pass the order. If they pull in range, tell Canninge to just fire at will whenever the portside guns bear. Same as when that revenue frigate Royale once tried to board us. Maybe he can cripple their gun deck long enough to try and lose them in the dark."
"Aye." A muted cry drifted back through the howl of rain.
"Hugh, I love you." She touched the sleeve of his jerkin. "I think I even know what it means now."
He looked at her, her hair tangled in the rain. "Katy, I love you enough to want you below. Besides, it's not quite time to say our farewells yet."
"I know what's next. They'll pull to windward of us and just fire away. They'll shoot away our rigging till we're helpless, and then they'll hole us till we take on enough water to go down."
"It's not going to be that easy. Don't forget we've got some ordnance of our own. Just pray they can't set theirs in this sea."