To Tame the Wind (Agents of the Crown Book 0) Read Online Free

She held up one hand. “You have a strong will, Claire. And courage.”
She could not resist a smile. “On my better days, I pictured you one day taking
your place at the side of a man intended for greatness in the eyes of God,
bearing him children who would do much good. I have never imagined you in the
cloistered life.”
    “But—”
    “If Élise had lived, there is no certainty she would have
been accepted into the Order.”
    Claire frowned. “But her dream was to become a teaching
sister.”
    As gently as she could, Sister Augustin said, “Wanting
something is not the same as getting it, Claire.” Her nerves tightened a little
as something like disapproval clouded Claire’s face.
    “Surely you would not have refused her because she was not
from a noble family?”
    The question was not unexpected so Sister Augustin took no
offense. “Of course not.” Claire’s expression eased a little. “It had occurred
to me that Élise might have entertained the hope of joining us. Sadly, she did
not broach the subject with me or the sisters, so we had no opportunity to
counsel her.” She hesitated. “The truth of the matter is her health alone would
have made it impossible. She would not have been physically able to endure the
convent’s routine. Nor did she have the inner strength for this life.”
    Claire lifted her chin. For a moment, Sister Augustin
thought she saw a flicker of the old defiance.
    “Unlike me ?”
    Refusing to be drawn into an argument, Sister Augustin
placed her rosary on the desk and rose from her chair. The young woman also
rose.
    “Think about it, Claire. In your evening prayers tonight,
ask God what he would have you do. Tomorrow morning, after Lauds, come and see
me. If, after prayer and contemplation, you are still of this mind, I will
write to your father. But I cannot predict his thoughts on the matter.”
    Claire bowed her head, then turned and left the room.
    Sister Augustin stared after her. That young woman is special .
She was tempted to tell Claire’s father the girl should be allowed to join the
Order, but she hesitated, and then dismissed the thought, knowing in her heart
it was not the right thing. Claire would be a fierce defender of the
downtrodden and an intelligent and creative teacher, yet Sister Augustin could
not escape her inner conviction that Claire Donet was meant for something a
world away from the convent in Saint-Denis.
    She settled into her chair and stared out the window,
fearing the answer she would receive the next morning would not be the one she
hoped to hear.
     

Chapter 3
     
    Rye Harbor, England
     
    A pounding on his cabin door interrupted Simon Powell’s
examination of the chart of the English Channel spread upon his desk. “Enter!”
    The door burst open and Amos Busby, the burly first mate on
Simon’s second ship, the Abundance , erupted into the cabin, his wiry
brown hair clinging to the sweat on his forehead. “Captain,” he rasped. His
chest heaved as he hunched over, hands on his knees, wheezing.
    Surprised to see Amos in Rye, Simon snapped his fingers at
his cabin boy who stood open-mouthed beside the desk. “Pour the man some ale,
Nate.”
    “Yes, sir.” The lad snatched up the pewter flagon, splashed
some of the amber liquid into a mug and pushed it toward the first mate’s
outstretched hand.
    Amos straightened, took a long swig and wiped his mouth with
the back of his hand. “Aye, that’s better.” He stepped forward and set the mug
on the desk. “’Twas this morning before dawn, sir. The damned Frenchie Donet
seized the Abundance .”
    Simon surged out of his chair, the legs screeching across
the timbered deck in protest, as his mind tried to take in the words. “ What? ”
Fury raced like a firestorm through his veins. “That heathen frog has my ship?”
    Amos backed away from the desk in the face of Simon’s wrath.
“We were anchored off Dover in heavy fog, sir. I had just come on shore with
some of the crew, fixing to