The seahawk's sanctuary

de Lynne Marie

This novel takes place in 1772, during the brief lull in American history when, for the most part, rebellion is still whispered and loyalties, while questioned, are not, as of yet, tested. The story opens on the high seas with American pirates swarming over the decks of a ship, while others are bashing down the door of the captain's quarters. Once they gain entry, the pirate captain is confronted with not only the British captain lying on the floor with a knife in his back, but an abused cabin boy. After offering the boy the opportunity to join his pirate crew, he soon discovers that the cabin boy is, in reality, a young woman fleeing a royal decree. Weeks later, when the pirate ship finally sets anchor outside the colonial Charles Town harbor, the captain, although intrigued, lets the mysterious woman go. Intertwined with deceptions on the part of the American pirate and the English woman is a love story in which these two strong-willed individuals, with similar convictions yet different perspectives, overcome their differences on a coastal South Carolina rice plantation. Synopsis - Wishing to escape the dull responsibilities of his rice plantation home, Grant Hawthorne sails the seas procuring boycotted goods for the American colonies. While plundering an British merchant ship, he discovers the captain's ill-treated cabin boy, Vic, and offers the youth the opportunity to join his crew. Grant quickly learns, however, that Vic is actually Victoria, a young woman who, for unknown reasons, is fleeing England. They try keeping her gender a secret from the crew, until a sailor exposes her deception, causing tensions to explode to mutinous proportions. After several weeks at sea, the ship sets anchor outside the Charles Town harbor and Grant, though intrigued by Victoria's spirit and beauty, lets her go. While in port, he is confronted with the fact that a tragic accident has placed all the Hawthorne properties and assets in jeopardy. He suddenly realizes both Victoria and his home, are too precious to lose. With a firm determination, Grant initiates a search to locate the mysterious Victoria while he prepares to fight for what is rightfully his.