When they gathered their belongings and prepared to part ways, Richard raised his hand in farewell. “Fair winds and smooth sailing to you both. Until Gibraltar.”
“And to you,” Mr. Bennet responded with a wave of his own. “May we all arrive safely at our next destination.”
As Elizabeth and her father made their way back toward the harbor, Darcy stared at her retreating figure through the window. He was already counting the days until he would see her again.
On the bowof theHenry Sr.,George Wickham observed as the coastline of Portugal and then Spain slid past in the morning haze. The ship was making excellent timefrom London to Gibraltar, putting Wickham there well ahead of Darcy.
His lips curved in a cold smile as he contemplated the beauty of his strategy. Let his nemesis do the difficult work of solving puzzles and deciphering clues. During these days at sea, Wickham had learned patience, which was bound to serve him well. Once he secured his fortune from this quest, he intended to return to London in style and then act to secure his future permanently. There were too many ways to spend gold. What he needed was a continuous source of wealth and position.
Sweet Georgiana Darcy, with her thirty thousand pounds and her trusting nature, offered that lifelong security. Wickham would complete the plan that had been rudely interrupted at Ramsgate. His smile widened at the thought of the naïve girl who had nearly run away with him almost a year ago. She had been so easy to charm into believing his claims of love and his tales of ill-treatment at her brother’s instigation.
Just like Elizabeth Bennet. Wickham knew his strengths. He would seek out Miss Elizabeth and charm her into becoming his ally on this quest, using her dislike of Darcy to his advantage.
Rubbing his palms together, he reveled in his plans. Accidents could be easily arranged in foreign ports. It would be a shame if something happened to Darcy and the colonel, leaving Miss Darcy to inherit Pemberley.
Yes, poor Miss Darcy! He was the perfect man who could comfort her in her grief. And Miss Elizabeth could comfort and soothe him on the return trip home.
The next morning,Colonel Fitzwilliam entered the inn’s small parlor and found Darcy again studying their charts. Richard settled into the chair across from him, his notebook filled with observations from the morning’s intelligence gathering.
“Well?” Darcy asked, setting aside his maps. “What did you discover about the conditions ahead?”
Richard consulted his notes, organizing the information he had gathered from conversations with Portuguese fishermen, the few British naval officers he encountered, and local merchants. “The French are more active than Colonel Sir David Buckworth at the War Office indicated. Five separate fishing captains reported encounters with French patrols between here and Gibraltar, all within the past month.”
“Hostile encounters?”
“Aggressive questioning about British shipping schedules and cargo manifests. The French are monitoring our supply lines more closely than our intelligence suggested.” Richard turned a page in his notebook. “More concerning, there have been at least two documented attacks on British merchant vessels in the past six weeks, and both were flying flags of convenience to avoid confrontation.”
Darcy absorbed the implications. “What of piracy?”
“Increasing. Particularly around the Balearic Islands and the waters between Sardinia and the North African coast. The Portuguese captains are avoiding those routes, which is forcing longer passages.” Richard thought of the morning’s most productive conversation. “I must credit Mrs. Bell with much of this intelligence. Her ability to translate proved invaluable when speaking with the localfishermen. She has made a name for herself here for being friendly but firm. Without her assistance, I would have gathered half of what we now know. Or even less.”
“It is good that she was able to assist you before theMary Catherinedeparts.” He looked out of the window toward the Douro River, where the ship’s crew was busy storing the last of their provisions.
Richard nodded slowly. “When Buckworth briefed me in London, he expressed fear that there may be a turncoat placed high enough in the navy to be privy to classified military intelligence.”
“A traitor? In our navy?”
Richard had been as shocked as Darcy was when he was first informed. “Yes. There have been too many ‘incidents’ to be coincidental.”
Darcy shook his head. “Why would the French be so interested in merchant ships?”
“What I am about to tell you is classified.” Richard sipped his tea. “The demand for military supplies in the Mediterranean has been more than the navy can provide. Consequently, merchant ships manned by savvy crews are sailing with holds filled with munitions and powder. These are being singled out for attack.”
“What?” Darcy’s mouth gaped open. Snapping it shut, he sat up straighter in his chair. “Is theMeridiancarrying gunpowder?”
“No.” Richard hesitated. “However, Mrs. Bell confirmed that theMary Catherinehas a secret bottom with military goods buried in its hull.”
“Merciful heavens!” Darcy ran his hands over his face. “Elizabeth!”
“Yes, and her father.”
“Mrs. Bell knew this?”
This time, it was Richard who ran his hands over his face. “She knows. In fact, Mr. Gardiner is well known by Buckworth and his superiors, as is Mrs. Bell. Her knowledge of ship operations, her language skills, and her friendly personality make her the perfect spy for the British, although she did not refer to herself as such. Instead, she merely stated that she is a loyal citizen willing to do her part to protect those whom she loves.”
“And Mr. Gardiner?” Darcy stood so quickly that his chair toppled over. “What sort of uncle would risk his niece for a little extra profit?”
“I asked the same. Mrs. Bell explained that Captain Morrison has good reason to believe theMary Catherinewill be left undisturbed in these waters. The good captain picked up the crew ofIndomptable?the Indomitable?two years ago when it ran against the rocks off the Cantabrian coast. The Frenchmen were delivered safely to Santander at great risk to theMary Catherine.The only reward the captain requested was safe passage for himself and his crew, and the French authorities agreed.”
