To Catch A Fallen Spy (Brethren of the Coast Book 8) (20 page)

chapter fOURteen

A surly character
with black hair, a jagged scar on his left cheek, and a black leather eye patch revealed a pistol in the waistband of his breeches, as he loomed on the sidewalk, and Elaine descended the hired gig, with Caroline in tow, at St. Katharine Docks.

“Cavalier.” Caroline clutched Elaine’s hand. “Trevor was right, and we are in trouble.”

“You will be, if you shout the alarm.” The villain made no attempt to disguise his bold inspection, as he examined Elaine from head to toe. “Jean Marc Cavalier, most definitely at your service,
Ma Puce
.” Then he turned his scrutiny on Caroline and scowled. “A pleasure to see you again, Lady Lockwood. Now get in the jolly boat, without protest, else I will shoot you, right here, and avenge my brother’s death.”

“There is no need for violence, sir.” Myriad options occurred to Elaine, and she stepped in front of Caroline. “Lady Lockwood is with child. Would you harm an innocent babe in your thirst for vengeance? I will make you a bargain. Let her go free, and I will accompany you without complaint.”

“You talk too much.” The notorious pirate leered. “Now get aboard, else I will slit your throat, and then you will not be able to make a sound.”

“No need to make threats, as we will cooperate.” Elaine locked arms with Caroline, and they followed another irascible tar. In a low voice, she said, “Whatever happens, do not antagonize him, and let me direct our exchanges.”

“All right.” Caroline peered over her shoulder. “Elaine, I am frightened.”

“So am I.” In that moment, she thought of Ross and his repeated warnings. If she survived the ordeal, she owed him an apology. Of course, she supposed she had better odds of winning Ross’s heart than evading the band of buccaneers.

As the sun set on the horizon Cavalier rowed toward a ship at anchor, and Caroline gasped. “Oh, my god. It is the
Black Morass
.”

“Indeed.” Cavalier winked when he caught Elaine staring at him. “Lord Waddlington told me where to find her, and I stole her from the English thieves who took her from me. Once again, she hides in plain site.”

“So Waddlington hired you to kidnap me, Mr. Cavalier?” Elaine inquired, as she shuddered.

“No. The fancy lord paid me to kill you, and make it look like an accident, but you are a persistent little thing.” The blackguard smiled. “And call me Jean Marc, as I would become better acquainted with you,
Ma Puce
.”

The mere suggestion revolted her, and she cringed. “You will keep your distance, sir, as I am a married woman.”

“Yet I found you unguarded.” At the ship, which bore the name
Liberté
and reeked of a fresh coat of paint, Cavalier lifted Elaine and Caroline to his men, and they gathered on deck. “This way, ladies.”

So different from the Brethren vessels, the Morass appeared tattered and worn upon closer inspection. And the dirty and unshaven crew terrified Elaine, so in silence she acknowledged her fear and wondered how Ross might react under similar circumstances.

As they descended the companion ladder into the bowels of the craft, Cavalier pulled Elaine to his side. “Tyne, secure Lady Lockwood in the hold, and see to her comfort. If she is harmed, I will kill the man responsible.”

“Aye, sir.” The sea dog dipped his chin and grabbed Caroline.

“No.” Caroline struggled, but the sailor outmatched her. “I will not leave Elaine. Cavalier, do not touch her.”

“May I offer you my hospitality, Lady Elaine?” Cavalier ushered her into a relatively clean cabin. A red velvet counterpane covered a massive bunk, and on the wall hung two paintings that depicted nude models engaged in obscene activities no woman of character would willingly glimpse, so she averted her stare. “Have a seat,
Ma Puce
.”

“I prefer to stand.” While he poured two glasses of some unknown liquid, she searched for means of a possible escape.

“You will sit, or I will tie you to the chair, and I may not stop there.” He shoved a drink into her hands. “It is rum, and it will calm your nerves.”

For a few seconds, she studied the intoxicant before taking a sip, and she choked. “Oh, it tastes awful.”

“I wager you favor brandy, the rich man’s grog.” He slapped his thigh and laughed. “So tell me why Waddlington wants you dead?”

“Why does it matter?” She shrugged, as she pledged to meet her fate with courage. “If you intend to murder me, then have done with it. All I ask is that you grant me a quick and painless end, as I deserve it.”

“Indeed?” Cavalier leaned forward and arched a brow. “Brave words for one so young. Let me guess, you spurned his son.”

“Hardly.” Adopting a refined pose, she considered her response and opted for blunt honesty. “I witnessed Lord Waddlington murdering his bastard and am to testify against him at trial.” In great detail, she explained Cornelius Sheldon’s plot to kidnap Lenore and Lucilla and steal their inheritance, after poisoning their father. “And I have never spurned anyone, because only one suitor ever expressed any interest in wedding me, and I married him.”

“Ah, I should be on guard for an angry husband in my wake.” The pirate scratched his chin. “Perhaps I should betray Waddlington and ransom you.”

“Oh, you need not worry, as I doubt Ross knows I am gone.” The pain of the past shot to the fore, and she revisited countless lonely nights. “He does not love me.”

“But you are quite beautiful,
Ma Puce
.” Cavalier snorted. “Does he beat you?”

“No. It is worse than that.” Without shame, Elaine admitted the truth aloud. “He ignores me. And I am surprised that you snared me, as no one ever sees me.”

“There is a poignant appeal to your sadness, Lady Elaine.” Cavalier inclined his head. “I could tell Waddlington that I threw you into the river, and you would be free to make a new life with me. We could sail for Jamaica, where the water is warm, and we could swim naked in the ocean.”

“That is a generous proposal, but I am already married, sir.” In shock, she took a healthy gulp of rum. “And I love Ross, despite his indifference.”

“You mistake me,
Ma Puce
, as I said nothing of marriage.” The pirate, handsome in his own way, appeared amused. “And women do not wed men like me.”

“Why not?” She blinked.

“You are serious in your query.” Cavalier reclined in his chair and folded his arms. “Do you really believe someone could love me?”

“Of course.” It was then Elaine realized she confronted a person with whom she shared much in common. “Everyone deserves to be loved—even you. I suppose you have not found the right lady, but she exists. And when you meet her, you will know it.”

“You sound so sure of yourself, for someone who confessed her husband loves her not.” The pirate captain smirked. “Why should I listen to you, when you do not follow your own advice?”

And there it was, the source of her heartbreak, and she could no longer deny her reality. Ross carried grievous wounds, and she failed in her attempts to heal him. Although he had been frank in his position, she disregarded his warnings to her detriment. “I should set him free, and if I have the chance, you have my word as a lady that I will do so.”

A knock at the door had her glancing over her shoulder.

“Cap’n, Lord Waddlington just arrived, and he demands to see you.” Tyne stumbled aside, as the true scoundrel forced his way into the cabin. “And whatever you are going to do, you had better do it fast, because I believe Lord Fancy Pants was followed.”

“Mrs. Logan.” Waddlington scowled. “Cavalier, we had an agreement. You have your ship, so why is she still alive?”

“It is a curious thing, that sentiment you English call honor.” Standing, Cavalier laughed, and the ominous cackle made her skin crawl as she abandoned her seat. “I suspect you think yourself my superior, given your lofty title, but you are just as unscrupulous as the worst pirate.”

“How dare you insult me.” Waddlington moved toward her, but the pirate captain yanked her to his side. “I want her dead—now. Else I shall summon the Marine Police, have you arrested, and then I will have your beloved
Black Morass
broken down into kindling for my fire.”

Without warning, Cavalier pulled his pistol and shot Waddlington between the eyes, and Elaine screamed and fainted.

#

After searching the Waddlington’s and questioning Lady Waddlington concerning her husband’s whereabouts, only to yield nothing for his efforts, Ross returned to the Ministry, with Trevor in tow, and enlisted additional agents. Despite years of experience in investigation and espionage, in the deep recesses of his mind doubt festered, and he wrestled with indecision and distraction as he envisioned all manner of terrible fates Elaine might be suffering at that moment.

“What can I do to help?” Lord Lockwood paced before the window in Ross’s office at the Corps. “Give me an assignment, else I shall go mad and run amok.”

“There is naught you can do, Lockwood.” And it killed Ross to admit it. “I am no oracle. I possess no powers of divination that might reveal the location of our wives. The best we can do is focus our efforts to find them.” He flipped through his notes and checked his strategy. “Along with Woverton and Raynesford, Agent Barrett follows Waddlington, and I wager the bastard will make a mistake and show his hand. When he does, we will strike.”

“How can you remain calm when our women are in peril?” Trevor emitted a strangled groan of frustration. “Why are we not out there looking for them?”

“And where would we go? Where would you have me begin?” That was the problem. In a city the size of London, there were an infinite number of hiding places for criminals bent on mischief and mayhem, and Ross could not even begin to pinpoint a probable destination. “Patience, Lockwood. In all my years of service, I can attest to the singular observation that more often than not, our targets are captured not because of blind luck or thorough inquiries. Rather, we catch the blackguards and traitors because they get careless in their offenses, or they cannot keep their secrets.”

“And in that time, Caroline and Elaine could be killed.” Bowing his head, Lockwood dropped to a chair. “What would I do without my Caroline? How could I live without her? For these five years, I have been blessed with her presence in my world, and I cannot conceive of a future without her in it. And what of our babes? How will I tell them their mother is gone?”

“It will not come to that.” At least, Ross prayed it would not come to that. “I swear we will rescue them.”

And he would make his declaration without delay.

For too long, he had allowed his past to define his present, and Elaine manifested his destiny. While he perused the surveillance notes, hoping to seize on something—anything of significance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he returned to the first page.

As agents trailed Waddlington, he maintained a fairly routine schedule. Making notations, and marking various hours, a pattern emerged that did not deviate until a fortnight ago. On a separate sheet of parchment, he wrote down the unusual entries but could make no sense of them.

“Lockwood, is Waddlington a mariner of some sort?” Ross rubbed the back of his neck and mulled the possible conclusions. “Is he in trade?”

“Waddlington?” Trevor snorted. “That lazy bastard inherited his wealth, and he has done nothing to increase his holdings. Why?”

“Then what would he be doing at St. Katharine Docks on eleven separate occasions?” Ross inquired, as his instincts piqued.

Just then, Agent Barrett sprinted into the office. “Sir Ross, we picked up Waddlington’s trail, and you will never guess where he led us.”

“St. Katharine Docks?” Ross replied, as he stood and donned his coat.

“How did you know?” Barrett shifted his weight.

“You told me, in your intelligence reports.” After gathering his bulls-eye lantern, the notes, and additional tools, which he placed in a bag, Ross collected a pair of flintlock pistols. “Let us take my carriage and make haste.”

On the steps of the Corps, Ross waved to his coachman, as Lockwood and Barrett leaped into the rig. “To St. Katharine Docks, and be quick about it.”

Rife with tension, he made no attempt at conversation, but his imagination conjured an endless stream of torments, and Ross found himself engaging in activity he eschewed when Caridad died. He prayed. And in his thoughtful reflection, he vowed to make Elaine happy, and he knew just how to go about it.

First, he would tell her of his unrelenting love and affection. Second, he would renovate their townhome to increase the size of the master suite, which he would share with his wife. And third, he would relinquish full-time command of the Corps, so he could spend more time creating a family with his bride.

If only he got the chance.

An odd ensemble of high-pitched whistles greeted Ross, as they arrived at the docks, and the Marine Police scrambled to launch their skiffs. Near a stack of cargo containers, Everett and Lance motioned to the Thames, as two officers nodded, and Ross joined them. In the background, yellow tufts of light from a collection of lanterns danced as ethereal creatures in the indigo of twilight.

“What happened?” He displayed his credentials. “Is there any sign of the Countess of Lockwood or Mrs. Logan?”

“No, sir.” The young law officer raised a torch. “But a compliment of our best men are surveying the harbor.”

“We waited for Barrett to collect you,” Everett explained. “But we sounded the alarm when we overheard pistol shots coming from the direction of the river.”

“It could have been from aboard a moored ship, but it is too dark to tell.” Lance glanced over his shoulder. “Some rather menacing characters rowed Waddlington from the pier, and we lost sight of him, but neither Caroline nor Elaine were with him.”

A long whistle blast followed by two short bursts echoed off the adjacent buildings, and an officer snapped to attention. “We have found something.”

Again the combination pierced the air, and then everything quieted. The group perched at the wharf’s edge, and an armada of tiny boats cast an eerie reflection on the water as it neared.