“A pleasure,” Snell said, offering a courtly bow. “And to answer your question, Mr. Armitage acted as circumspectly as he could to bring closure to the issue of opium smuggling.”
“So he wasn’t in league with Spargo like Rowe was?”
“Not at all. He was chosen for the post precisely because he could be trusted not to join up with the smugglers. You see, Mr. de la Guerra, you actually wandered into an operation we’ve been monitoring since last year. Mr. Armitage first warned you off so you wouldn’t muck anything up. Though in the end, it has all worked out. Now we have the smugglers and the contraband. All that remains is to identify the ringleader. Peter Spargo isn’t the end of the chain.”
“The one in charge is Dr. Burton Drake,” Poppy blurted out. “And Mr. Ainsworth is their London contact for goods.”
Snell’s gaze leveled on her. “How might you know that?”
“Mr. Rowe, that deputy magistrate who kidnapped me, was quite talkative. Probably to show off.”
“Very unwise of him, but helpful for us.” Snell looked beyond them, and Carlos turned to see the remains of Spargo being hauled out of the cave. It really was all over.
“Ah, if it’s all right with you, sir, I should take Miss St George back to the house,” Carlos said. “It’s been a very long night.”
At the officer’s assent, they walked quickly past the now-bound smugglers on the beach. Carlos led Poppy up the steps to the lawn of Pencliff House, where the first hints of dawn were coloring the sky.
Chapter 24
Poppy sighed as they climbed—all. the. way.— up the cliff stairs, and crossed the lawn to approach the house. “I don’t think we’re escaping detection this time.”
“I do not intend to try,” Carlos said. “After all, we’re properly betrothed and we have nothing to hide.”
“Properly betrothed might be a bit of an exaggeration,” she said. “I do hope Blanche won’t be too terribly disappointed that you’re no longer on the marriage mart.”
“She never had a chance.” He stopped and turned to her, taking her hands in his. “I thought I’d lost any chance to win you after last year. Can you imagine how shocked I was to see you appear at this house?”
“As shocked as I was,” she guessed, with a laugh.
“I told myself it was a sign. You’re singular and rather sharp, but I need that. And I think it possible you might find me tolerable.”
“Not the word I’d pick,” Poppy said, looking at him. “But I don’t want to flatter you.”
He laughed. “We can discuss that later. For now, just admit you rescued me.”
“I rescued you?”
“In more ways than one.”
“Do you want to marry me?” she asked. “I mean, truly?”
“Ever since you first threatened me at that party in London.”
“Oh,” Poppy said. “Well, all right then. I suppose I’ll marry you after all.” She tried to keep her tone careless and casual, but her foolish smile destroyed the illusion.
“You know, it occurs to me that I’ve got a cousin in Santo Domingo with a printing press, and he’s always complaining that he can’t get enough intelligent discourse to print steady issues of his newspaper, or the pamphlets advocating for independence. So what do you say? Want to join a revolution?”
“Your revolution? I’m not Dominican.”
“Once you marry me, you will be, amor. All it really requires is fearsome intelligence, a love of justice, and the desire to defend people who cannot always speak up for themselves. And you have all of those.”
She felt the warmth of his regard down to her toes. “Well, when you put it that way…”
“Good. That’s settled,” he said with a smile. “Now we just have to explain everything to everyone.”
Not surprisingly, they were spotted well before they got to the door. Mr. Towers opened one pair of French doors and rushed out to the lawn, still in his dressing robe. “What in heaven’s name has been going on? Millie woke me up with a mad tale of kidnapping and pirates and I told her not to read any more novels before bed. But she kept insisting and I got up to send for the magistrate. And did I just hear cannon?”
“You did,” Carlos said cheerfully. “Smugglers were making use of your beach, but they have been captured, in no small part to the bravery of Miss St George here.”
