A tremor passed through Gaz’s face.
“We met at the inn.”
That settled him a bit.
“You’ve got summat of ours.” Gaz said.
He opened the door wider. “Come in. Have a tot of brandy.”
Gaz eyed him warily. “We’ll just have them tubs and be on our way.”
“Two tubs? You’ll have to come in and look for them.”
Gaz took a step, and Davy pulled him back.
“There’s naught for it, Davy.” Gaz shook him off. “Stay out if you will. Run if you will. Won’t get far either way with the load going from Robin Hood’s Bay and the other to Scarborough. His men be out everywhere.” Gaz stepped through the door. Davy swayed in behind him.
Fox led them in and turned to face Gaz’s pistol. The door snicked closed.
“I’ll have them now and be on my way.”
Fox raised his hands. “There’s no need for pistols.”
Davy wheezed. “He’s right, cousin.”
“Shut up,” Gaz said.
Davy gave another sharp gasp.
“Get outside if you can’t stomach this,” Gaz said. “I’ll have those casks.”
The man gripped the pistol so firmly his hand was beginning to shake. He’d shake that trigger into firing if they didn’t distract him.
Fox sighed. “Do what you must, Mac.”
Davy squealed, Gaz turned, and Fox knocked his gun hand away. A shot rang, rattling metal, crashing into masonry, sending a puff of plaster into the air. In moments they had both men disarmed and settled on chairs. Jenny came out of the pantry bearing a hank of rope.
“Want me to tie them, sir?” she asked.
MacEwen rolled his eyes and took the rope. “Wist, girl.”
“Get two more glasses,” Fox said. “If you’re finished with trying to kill us, will you have that brandy with us?”
The two cousins shared a look and nodded.
“Or…” he pulled out a chair, “would you prefer a glass of gin?”
Gaz’s eyes flashed. “See here—”
MacEwen gripped the man’s collar. “You’re the ones seein’ here. Invited into a man’s home and you pull a gun on him?”
“We need the casks sir,” Davy said. “Scruggs’ll—”
“Shut up,” Gaz snapped.
“How do you know I have anything?” Fox poured the brandy and slid the glasses over to them.
Gaz sucked on his lip for a moment. “Yer were seen leavin’ the cove with them.”
