“Any particular ones?”
“All of them,” said Elisa. “What are you doing?”
“We were, um, watching for ships.”
Elisa nodded. “I saw eleven of them yesterday.”
“Did you happen to notice if any had a string of small red and white flags between the masts?” Carlos asked, leaning forward.
“No.” Elisa shook her head firmly.
Poppy sighed. “I wouldn’t expect you to have noticed, of course. It’s an odd thing to look for.”
“I did notice,” Elisa corrected. “None of the ships had flags like that.”
Poppy looked at Elisa in real surprise. “You mean to say you can remember seeing the flags on all the ships?”
“I watch things,” Elisa said, and then pointed. “See? The big gull with the grey head? That’s the gull who took my cucumber sandwich Tuesday last.”
Poppy stared upward at the gull. “Did he? How greedy!”
“I wasn’t hungry. And I don’t care for cucumber all that much.”
Before Poppy could reply to that, Blanche emerged. She gave a passing glance to Poppy and Elisa, focusing her smile on Carlos. She said, “Why Mr. de la Guerra, there you are. Whatever caused you to come out here instead of enjoying the conversation in the breakfast room? I do hope you’re ready to go. It’s such a perfect day, and I can’t wait to enjoy the drive there with you.”
Carlos stood up, and Poppy couldn’t help but notice how everything he did was graceful. “Please excuse me,” he said to Poppy and Elisa.
And then he left, Blanche hanging on his arm.
Poppy glared after them. “Perfect day, my foot.”
* * * *
Carlos wished he hadn’t agreed to take Blanche into town last night, but he was stuck now. Blanche chattered as they walked to the house. She was dressed for a day out, in a jade green jacket over a lighter green gown. Her dark hair was braided rather than curled, but it was still elaborate enough to make him wonder how early she’d gotten up to make the carriage ride into town.
“You’re sure you don’t need more to eat?” she asked.
“I only have coffee in the mornings,” Carlos explained. Perhaps because he so often woke up on board a ship, he usually wasn’t hungry for a few hours. “Are you ready to go?”
“But of course! I would never keep a gentleman waiting. And I gave instructions for the gig to be brought up to the door for us.”
She donned a white hat before stepping outside, and when she pulled down a little veil to protect her face from the sun and wind, she looked almost as if she were hiding.
The gig was very open, without even a canopy. The seat accommodated only two people, and it was assumed that those two people got along very well. Blanche was practically sitting in his lap. Two horses pulled the vehicle, ensuring a speedy ride.
“It’s quite all right that you’re going into town alone?” he asked as he flicked the reins to get the horses moving.
“Why, I’m not alone. I’m with you!”
“Unchaperoned, I meant.”
She giggled. “Oh, Mr. de la Guerra. We’re practically engaged.”
“But not actually engaged,” he said flatly. Nor would they ever be—though he’d play along for a bit longer if it helped him understand Mr. Ainsworth’s role in the local smuggling operations.
She smiled at him. “I know what a proper gentleman you are. Not at all like your roguish friend you mentioned yesterday. Viscount Norbury, was it?”
“Yes.”
