Chapter 18
Fox’s heart quaked and he pushed back the chair and stood.
MacEwen nodded at him. “If she be rattling chains again, go on.” He drew a pistol and laid it on the table, out of their reach. “Try anything, one’ll get shot, the other will go up to that cold room. Give us what we want, and you may just leave with what you came for.”
Fox took quick strides out of the room and up the stairs, Jenny at his heels.
He crashed through the door of Perry’s bedchamber and his heart skidded to a halt. On the table, next to the silver handled brush, lay a long, thick coil of wheat-colored hair.
What that implied crushed him.
Jenny’s indrawn breath shattered the silence.
“Where did she go, Jenny?”
“I don’t know.” The girl went to a clothes press and rummaged around. “She’s taken her breeches and coats.”
“Where did she go, Jenny?”
“She didn’t tell me, sir.” She studied the floor and worried her hands. “Nothing. Only, she seemed bothered about something when I took her up dinner.” She lifted her gaze, her lips trembling. “She had her coins out on the table and…on the journey here, she asked me how far I’d like to travel. If I’d like to see France. I didn’t think she’d leave without me.”
Perry, standing at the window in his chamber, observing that Jenny had a tendre for MacEwen. The fool girl had left on her own, and hieing off to the Continent dressed as a man would be just like her. No one, well, not any man with a keen pair of eyes, would mistake her as a boy for long.
Scarborough was closer and the bigger port. He’d have to chance that she’d gone there. “What else do you think she took?”
Jenny went to a case on the floor and searched it, lifting troubled eyes to him. “Her jewelry and all of her money, sir.”
“No note?”
She swept her gaze around the room, and went through the door to the dressing room, coming back with a folded paper, squinting at it. She handed it to him. “I’m still learnin’ to read.”
“Jenny, good luck with MacEwen. Go to one of my brothers’ wives if you are in trouble. I’ll send word to them when I reach safety and you can join me if you wish. I’ll keep my promise to you.”
Ice ran through his veins as he handed her back the note. The road to Scarborough would be crawling tonight with free traders, maybe even with dragoons and uncorrupted riding officers.
“You’ll stay here, in case she comes back.” And then he ran up the stairs to his room, arming himself to the teeth in the dark clothes of the night, and with every weapon he owned.
In the kitchen,MacEwen loomed over Gaz and Davy. He shot Fox a look that took in his change in apparel and grabbed Gaz’s throat.
“We don’t know who killed her,” Gaz said.
“It was Scruggs.” The table rattled and Davy winced. “Enough kicking, Gaz, and enough lies. Can’t live with this anymore, and you can go on and leave. I’ve had enough of the man’s whippings. Saw a big man stop the coach. It was Scruggs.”
Fox went to the storeroom and came out with the casks. “If you need help, you come here. If Pip needs help, you send him here.”
The mention of Pip made Davy pale.
“Lord Shaldon will protect you.” He nodded to MacEwen. “If on the other hand, Scruggs or the Dutchman shows up at my door on your telling, Lord Shaldon will not forget. Nor will the lady. Are you taking these barrels north or south?”
“We’re to take them to the inn,” Davy said. “They’ve cleared out the rest and will be taking them on to Scarborough.”
Gaz hissed. Davy glared back at him, looking sober.
“Enough, Gaz. They’re not with the revenuers. Rough water or no, the Dutchman’s men are offloading something big north of the point later tonight.”
“Davy—”
“No. I’m not shuttin’ up. You weren’t there. Bein’ drunk all the time, people think you’re gone deaf. Don’t like this Dutchman or the way he rattles Scruggs. Ain’t like Scruggs to be so shaken.”
