Company Of Rogues: A Shocking Delight Part 45

"Everything would be better if she'd followed a normal path. But as it turned out, I was the only one with the abilities and bloodline to take over."

"But you must be training a subst.i.tute now."

"They're not so easy to find. There are good, reliable men, but not ready for the role. I'm stuck with it for a while, Lucy, and you have to know that. It's a difficult and dangerous situation."

She squeezed his hand. "I think two dreadful inheritances very unfair."

"So do I, but I've had no choice."

"You're a hero, David Kerslake-Somerford."

"Devil a bit."

She kissed him. "My hero. And I'll be proud to be at your side."

"I shouldn't let you do it."

"Am I a child? And in all respects but love, I'm clever, levelheaded, and schooled to make shrewd bargains. Cease trying to protect me from myself."

His lips twitched. "A spiked mace."

"What does that mean?"

"That I adore you, G.o.ddess." He drew her in for a long, tender kiss. She snuggled against him, enjoying it, but wanting more. "The problem with our inside-outness is that courtship isn't quite enough anymore," she said.

"No, I am not going to ravish you beneath a cherry tree."

"No?"

"No," he said, capturing her wandering hand. "Or not yet. What am I saying?" he asked, standing and pulling her, laughing, to her feet. "Never. Not here. Aunt Miriam would turn gray on the spot."

"I'll go odds she wouldn't."

"Stop trying to corrupt me."

She went with him back toward the house, smiling. "Do you have a kite?"

"I did. It might still be around. Why?"

"I'd like to fly it with you on the headland."

"Why?"

"Do you remember helping a girl to fly a kite in the park?"

It clearly took him a moment. "Yes. I almost knocked her over."

"Or she ran into you. That might have been the moment when I realized that I loved you. I liked you in the bookshop. You annoyed me at Lady Charrington's ball. I felt the attraction, but I was determined to resist. But then, in the park, I saw the heart and soul of you, the part I later came to see as David."

"Remember the dragon," he said, but they had to kiss. "I was lost from the first, but I fought as hard as I could."

"You didn't really want to marry a stupid woman, did you?"

"No, but I felt honor bound."

"You'd have been miserable."

"When I formed the plan, I hadn't met you. . . ."

"Davy, there you are!"

Lucy blinked out of a magical world to see a stalwart gentleman walking toward them, round face beaming. "And here's your Lucy. Welcome, cousin."

Lucy realized this was addressed to her.

"Lucy," David said in a resigned tone, "this is my cousin Henry Kerslake."

Lucy curtsied, beginning to feel overwhelmed by good cheer.

"Dinner's served," Henry said, "so come on in. I heard there was trouble with some cows over Harcombe way."

David answered and Lucy walked with them, suppressing a smile. Henry Kerslake wasn't one for polite chitchat with the ladies, it would seem.

Henry took his father's place at the head of the table and carved the joint of pork when it came. He was certainly comfortable in his place in the world, a secure heir with no need to venture elsewhere, already knowing how his life would progress. She felt a touch of the old resentment that her life hadn't rolled out in a similarly smooth way, but the future delights would compensate.

After the meal Lady Kerslake suggested a game of cards, but David took his leave. "I've neglected my responsibilities too long." He merely smiled at Lucy. "After church tomorrow I'll show you round the villages."

Church tomorrow, in this community which would be her home. A delightful prospect.

When he'd left, Lucy could have played the heroine's part and pined, but she was drawn into clearing away the meal and then to a game of cards. After a supper Henry went off to some paperwork and Aunt Miriam went to bed.

Though late, it was only just dark on a June night and Lucy felt drawn out the back door to look up at Crag Wyvern. There was enough light lingering in the sky to show it as a solid dark shape. If David was in one of his rooms with candles lit, she couldn't see that from here.

Up above, stars were astonishingly bright.

"Lovely, isn't it?"

Lucy startled at Amelia's voice. "Yes."

"It's because there's hardly any moon."

"I've rarely seen such a night sky. There are too many buildings in London, and often the air isn't clear."

"Why not?"

"Coal fires. Even in summer there are many businesses that need fires. Bakeries, chophouses, forges and foundries."

"That sounds unpleasant."

"Perhaps. This seems uncomfortably quiet."

"Quiet? I can hear Peggy Brown and her sister arguing and the Muncotts need to train their dog not to bark at nothing."

"There's always traffic in London. More in the tonnish part than in the City. The City generally sleeps for a while, but in the west end, by the time the beau monde rolls home with the dawn, the hawkers and deliverymen are out."

Quiet was something else she was going to have to get used to. For the moment, it unsettled her. Despite the occasional voices and some singing, perhaps from the tavern, she felt uncomfortably isolated. Yes, this place could keep secrets. Things could happen here and never be heard of outside. It was another closed circle, perhaps with sinister aspects. She shivered slightly, but then a clear birdsong split the still air.

"The nightingale," Amelia said. "We only have a few here. Lovely, isn't it?"

"Delightful," Lucy said, smiling over a nighttime visit to her bedroom.

If she were a braver woman, she'd climb the path to the Crag and invade his bedchamber, but she had no need of foolhardiness. All was settled now and she merely had to be patient to progress in a normal manner to her happy end.

Chapter 34.

David heard the nightingale through the open window of his parlor. He was going over plans on his desk, but his mind wandered too often to Lucy in the valley below.

His beloved, his treasure, his G.o.ddess, thought she had all the pieces, but he'd neglected to provide one. The threat posed by her father. Perhaps he should have told her; perhaps he would still have to. But he couldn't help hoping that she would never have to know, that he could foil Potter in some way.

For instance, with luck, Potter wouldn't ever know she'd left, and she could return home for the wedding without problem. Perhaps when faced with her happiness and resolution, Potter would give up his opposition.

However, Lucy a.s.sumed he'd return with her to get her father's blessing, which would be oil on the fire. Heaven help them both! Better by far to return already married, but she wanted banns and a wedding with friends and family around her, and she deserved it all.

He threw down his quill and went to stare out at the moonless night. A thousand stars, and none with an answer.

Lucy was a resolute woman. Could she convince her father of their love?

Daniel Potter struck David as a man who believed his way was always right. The kind of man who would think the more it seemed she loved, the more she was demented by it. And then he would strive all the harder to prevent the marriage.

David didn't see the way, and going round and round it wasn't helping. He forced his mind back to the matter in hand: the run of gin and snuff tomorrow night. Despite Lloyd's alertness, it could be done as long as the Taurus was elsewhere. Previously the navy and the excise service had kept a distance, because the navy saw itself as superior. Now that Lloyd and the captain of the Taurus were working together everything was more difficult. The two had to be separated.

David had offered the Blackstock Gang a percentage of the profits to set up a dummy run tomorrow night and make sure Lloyd knew. If Lloyd knew, the Taurus would know. Finally, this evening, the Taurus had taken the bait and sailed west. He'd sent men to act as lookouts for miles along the cliffs, to report if she turned back.

It was time to send the message to the Guernsey ship that all was set for tomorrow. He'd delayed because of Lucy's arrival. Her knowing he was Captain Drake didn't make things better. She wouldn't be in danger-she'd be fast asleep at two in the morning, along with all the family at the manor-but it felt wrong. That showed how wrong it would be when they were married and he had to leave their bed to continue doing this.

"Ah, h.e.l.l," he muttered, and went to send Aaron out in his lugger to carry the message to the Marianne and set the whole thing in motion.

Daniel Potter unwound the message his pigeon keeper had brought him. Tiny writing on thin paper, but clear.

Yr dgt pa.s.sed today en route to CW. FTR soon.

Lucy had somehow traveled to Devon, and there was to be a Freetrade run soon.

How the devil! His first impulse was to go to Lady Caldross's house to prove that Lucy was safely there, but that could create alarm where there clearly was none now. Thomas Forbes was one of his best men, sent to find ammunition and to report back anything of interest. Forbes had been able to take only two pigeons and keep them concealed, but he'd known this was crucial news.

Wyvern was behind this. He'd appeared to bow to force, but he'd known all along that Lucy was in his pocket, along with her dowry, and would go to him when summoned. He regretted increasing her dowry now, and giving her free control of it when she came of age. He'd been fooled by her apparent good sense, and so had Alice, for she'd been in favor of it. But they both should have remembered how infatuation could scramble a person's mind.

If they'd obtained a license, Lucy and Wyvern could already be married. If so he'd deal with that later. Now he had to act as if there was time to prevent a wedding, for that was the best hope.

FTR soon. A run soon, was there? Not surprising. Captain Drake had been away and all had been quiet. The smugglers would want action, and action would help him. In the middle of that, he could capture Lucy and bring her safely home.

He looked up at Alice's smiling face, so like their beloved daughter's. "She's addled at the moment, love, but never fear. I'll keep her safe."

He tossed the sc.r.a.p of paper on the fire and left his house to call on his bride-to-be.

She met him at her door with pleased surprise. "Come in, Daniel."

Once in her simple parlor he said, "I have to go on a short business trip, my dear."

"So close to the wedding?"

"Because it's so close to the wedding. A minor business tangle, but if I don't untangle it now, it could interfere with our honeymoon, and we don't want that."

"No, of course not."

He took her hand. "I know it will be an inconvenience to you, but you have all the wedding arrangements so well in hand that I know I can rely on you."

She blushed with pleasure. "Of course you can, dear, so be on about your business and G.o.dspeed."

He kissed her cheek. "Don't fear I'll linger overlong."

He returned to his house, giving thanks that Charlotte was a sensible woman. He packed the essentials himself, took money from his safe, left simple instructions for his clerks and managers, and departed to hire the fastest possible post chaise for Devon.

Chapter 35.

Lucy awoke early to an excess of birdsong. She wouldn't have imagined that there could be an excess of song, but it was as if every bird in England had come to surround the house and compete. She shook her head, considering the fact that if the birds were chorusing the dawn, it could not be much after four in the morning. In Mayfair people would be rolling home to bed.

To her surprise, despite the hectic excitement of the past two days she'd slept well. Perhaps because of it, and from having her problems cleared away.

She sat up, arms around her knees, smiling over memories of yesterday and with pure antic.i.p.ation of today. She might not manage much time alone with David, but he was to show her around the area, which would soon be her home. They would be together, perhaps all day long.