Pleasures of a Tempted Lady (29 page)

Jake frowned at her. “Why are you riding funny?”

She smiled at him. “I cannot ride like a man, Jake. I’m wearing a dress, so I must keep both my legs on one side of the saddle.”

“That’s crooked.” He frowned, clearly disapproving.

Meg sighed. “Yes, it’s quite crooked indeed.” She wished she could ride astride, but she didn’t want to draw any undue attention. With a nod at Benson, she turned
down the road leading west around the town of Prescot and from there to Liverpool.

Jake giggled. Leaning down, he hugged the horse, his little arms attempting to wrap around the mare’s powerful neck. He kissed the horse’s brown mane and said, “I missed you, but Meg said we can ride today!”

He turned to look at her over his shoulder as she concentrated, keeping one hand firmly wrapped around his torso while she worked the reins.

“Will we find Thomas?” he asked.

“Maybe,” she said. But they wouldn’t. He’d been too busy with his tantrum to notice that Thomas and the coachman had ridden in the opposite direction.

“I’ll look for him,” Jake said. “If I see him, I shall shout.”

“That is a good plan.” Meg glanced back in the direction of the house and watched it as they progressed along the gentle curve in the road and it disappeared from view.

She’d enjoyed their time there. The easy friendship that had developed between Thomas and Jake had made her feel like she was doing right by him. She’d liked watching Thomas and Will together—so obviously father and son in the shapes of their faces and the curves of their lips. Their temperaments were similar, too—serious, studious, and easygoing—which were some of the many reasons why Thomas had adapted to Jake’s idiosyncratic personality so easily.

Most of all, she’d enjoyed keeping house with Will. It was likely the closest to domestic bliss she’d ever come. The one night they’d slept together in her bed—she’d never forget it. It was etched in her mind alongside that final kiss they’d shared early this morning.

Thinking of the kiss, she almost missed the spot where she’d hidden the saddlebag. She stopped the horse with a jerk, nearly causing both her and Jake to topple.

“Sorry, Jake. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a horse.”

She jumped down and lifted Jake after her.

“What are you doing?”

“There’s something I need to fetch back here.” She led the horse off the road and to the outcropping. There the canvas bag lay tucked into a small crevasse, thankfully untouched. She strapped it onto the horse with Jake watching.

“Benson never picked up anything.”

She smiled at him. “Well, I’m not Benson, am I? I ride differently from him, and I retrieve bags for us to carry.”

“I like the way Benson rides better.”

She blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. Let’s ride again, all right? We’ll ride for a long time, and it will be fun.”

Jake gave her a doubtful look. “All right.”

It took several attempts—she wasn’t as agile as she’d been as a girl—but finally she hoisted herself up onto the horse then pulled Jake up behind her, tucking him tight against her body.

As they rode back onto the road, Meg wondered how she was going to break the news to him that they were leaving Will and Thomas, perhaps forever.

It was late afternoon when they reached Liverpool. Jake had been crying softly on and off for the last few miles—he was tired, he was hungry, his bum was sore—but now he was facing Meg and nodding off against her chest.

Her biggest fear had been the possibility of
encountering Will himself on the road home, but he’d stayed true to form and apparently didn’t plan on returning to the house until late tonight.

She stopped at horse stalls near the vast Liverpool Docks and sold the horse along with the sidesaddle for half their value, which was a good enough price considering she was a lone woman with a child.

The mare had been Lord Stratford’s. She’d pay him back, in full, once she obtained the money to do so.

Although, where she would obtain the money was a whole different problem, and one she couldn’t think about yet. She had bigger problems to deal with right now.

“One thing at a time,” she mumbled to herself as she slipped the coin from the horse into the saddlebag she now carried slung across her back. She grabbed Jake’s hand. “Come along, Jake.”

He trotted along beside her, forgetting his exhaustion and captivated by the sights of the docks and all the ships. “Are we going to go on that ship?” he asked Meg, pointing at a particularly enormous schooner.

“Probably not.”

“That one?”

“I doubt it.”

“That one? That one?”

She answered his questions patiently while she went to the packet office and found that a packet was sailing for New York first thing tomorrow.

New York.

Well, by all accounts, it was a burgeoning city. Surely Caversham would have a difficult time finding her and Jake there.

She bought them tickets. There was no way she could
afford the thirty-five-guinea price for a cabin, so she bought the much-cheaper steerage passage for them both.

When they left the office, Jake pointed to yet another ship. “Will we be sailing in that one?”

She nodded. “Yes, I think that might be it.” Their ship was the Liverpool Packet
William Thompson
. The pennant flying high atop its center mast—a black ball on a red background—matched the image on her passage receipt.

They had much to do before tomorrow, and twilight was coming on fast.

“A room first,” Meg muttered to herself. Then, they’d have to go purchase the supplies they’d need in steerage—bedding and food to last forty days, for the captain of the
William Thompson
did not provide anything but space on the ship to his steerage passengers. At least they’d have access to the galley—when the cabin passengers weren’t using it.

She went back into the office to ask about lodging for the night and was given the name of several inns near to their location at the Prince’s Docks. Meg selected the Angel Inn, about a half a mile away, mostly because of its name. They could use an angel looking over them tonight.

They trudged in the direction of the inn. Jake was growing tired and whiny again. Meg would carry him when they went shopping later, but for now it was too difficult with the saddlebag.

It had all been easy so far. Escaping from the house, the travel to Liverpool without encountering a soul until they were almost in town, buying the tickets, finding shelter for the night.

However, by now the servants had probably notified
Will that she and Jake were missing. Will would search for her, and Liverpool would be the first place he’d look.

Will. The thought of him made her insides clench tight. She missed him already.

She glanced around, and relieved to see no sign of him, or of anyone who looked remotely familiar, she tugged Jake along. Within a quarter of an hour, they’d reached the inn, and a few minutes after that, they had deposited the saddlebag safely in the room she’d secured for the evening.

Poor Jake was ready to sleep, but their work wasn’t done yet. She’d learned from the innkeeper that St. John’s Market was open late tonight since today was a market day. It was only a few blocks away, and he’d said there were merchants aplenty there who would be happy to provide them with bedding and all the sustenance they’d require on their forty-day journey to New York.

“It’s not very far, Jake,” she reassured the exhausted boy as they descended the inn’s stairs. “There will be so many fun things for you to look at. And if you’re very good, I’ll buy you a sweet.”

That perked his step, and some of the brightness returned to his eyes as they exited the inn and turned into Dale Street.

Meg had accomplished the most difficult parts of her plan—leaving Prescot, selling the horse, securing passage to somewhere that Caversham could not find them. She had only fifteen more hours in England—an hour to accomplish shopping for necessities in a busy marketplace; thirteen hours in a locked room, most of which would be spent asleep; and the final hour on the
William Thompson
before the ship sailed with the tide tomorrow morning.

In forty days, give or take a few, she’d be in America—in New York.

Would she ever see Will again?

On the evening of their third day at sea, Jessica decided it was time to reveal herself to David. Surely he’d agree it was too late to turn back. Besides, she was famished, and even though Captain Langley kept a few books in his quarters, they were utterly dull, and she was about to perish of boredom.

She waited for most of the ship’s sounds to die down. She knew there would be one or two men at watch on the deck, but beyond the creaks and groans of the
Freedom
as it swayed over the waves, she’d grown accustomed to the sounds of David preparing for bed.

Cracking open the door to Captain Langley’s quarters, she peeked outside. All was dark and quiet save the single lantern lashed to one of the stays that sent an uneasy flicker of light to sway across the deck.

No sign of life. She cracked the door open a bit more, and way up near the bow, she could see the shadow of a man walking away from her.

Perfect.

She rushed out, closing the door behind her, and rapped loudly on the door to David’s quarters.

“What is it?” he asked, rubbing his jaw with a towel as he opened the door.

He froze, his jaw slack as he stared at her, his hand dropping to his side and the forgotten towel falling to the floor.

“Well, that’s a polite greeting,” she said, pushing herself past him and closing the door behind her. She strode
two steps into the room before the table stopped her from progressing any farther, and then she turned. “How about a ‘good evening, Jessica’?”

He gaped at her for a moment longer, and finally found his voice, croaking and broken as it was. “Are you mad?”

“Mad?” She tilted her head as if considering his question for a few seconds, then she shrugged. “No, I don’t think so.”

His eyes narrowed, and the step he took forward brought him within easy reach of her. She held her ground, though. “What the hell are you doing on my ship?”

“I believe it’s Captain Langley’s ship… and I believe we’ve been over this before.”

“Although this time the answer is different, no doubt.”

He looked brilliant when he was angry, Jessica thought. So utterly handsome with his mouth compressed in a tight line and his eyes narrowed. It made her want to kiss those lips until they became soft and pliant under her own.

She gave him a game smile. “I thought I’d join you. You need my help to find the evidence you’re looking for. And I want to be there when you meet with Meg and Captain Langley, to be sure everyone’s actions remain in my sister’s best interests.”

He blinked at her, then scrubbed a hand over his face. His shirt was open at the chest, exposing a bit of tantalizing flesh. Ooh, but he was lovely.

“You believe you can help me find evidence? In the violent, piratical caves of Cornwall?”

“Absolutely.”

“And you believe that Captain Langley and I will fail to make decisions in your sister’s best interests?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not sure about that. You see, Captain Langley is throwing Meg directly into the lion’s den by bringing her to Cornwall. And you—well, you seem to take on a sneer every time you mention her name.”

“I’m rather more concerned about her leading my captain into danger.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“How can you be so certain? Perhaps she has suggested that they travel to Cornwall in order to lead him into a trap.”

“Surely you cannot believe such a thing! I’m disgusted that the thought would even cross your mind.”

“Well, it has,” David said tightly. “Countless times.”

She tightened her grip on her arms and glared at him. “Well, even better that I’m here, then. You don’t trust my sister, and I don’t trust your captain.”

He took a menacing step forward. “Women don’t belong at sea.”

She tossed her head. “Oh, what rubbish. I’ve crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice. Don’t tell me I don’t belong at sea.”

“This is no passenger ship… there are no cabins…” He cocked his head, his brows drawing together in a frown. “Where have you been stowing yourself, anyhow?”

“In your captain’s quarters.”

He breathed out through pursed lips, studied her for a moment longer, and then he began to turn away. “Excuse me. I’m going to order a change of course.”

She lunged forward, just one step, and grabbed his arm. “Where to?”

“Portsmouth. I’ll hire someone from there to take you to London.”

“You cannot do that.”

“Why not? Your family will be furious. Your reputation will be in tatters—”

“My family will manage itself. It has been through worse scandals than this could ever be. And as for my reputation… Well, it doesn’t matter overmuch.”

“ ‘Overmuch’?”

She simply shrugged. She’d decided to forgo a life in London society. She didn’t want that now. She wanted more. She wanted
him
.

He didn’t look too receptive to those ideas at the moment, so she kept her mouth shut.

“I must take you home.”

“If you send me to London, no one will be there. My family has gone to Stratford House in Sussex. You know that.”

He didn’t look at all convinced. “With you missing?”

She waved her hand. “Oh, I’m not missing. I left them a letter.”

“A letter will prevent them from changing their plans?”

“Yes. I have explained to them where I am and what I have planned. I told them they must continue on to Sussex.”

“And you believe they’ll agree?”

“Of course.”

“Why wouldn’t they think I’d bring you straight back to London?”

She gave him a half smile. “I told them I didn’t intend to reveal myself to you or the crew for several days, and then once I did, it would be too late for you to turn back to London. And if you didn’t believe that, I’d convince you. My family knows I have extreme powers of persuasion.”

He leaned back against the door. “So.”

“So?”