Page 62 of The Rogue

Chapter 35

“Wherein the past must be consigned to Davy Jones.”

Henri looked around the barn which had been chosen for the scene of this debate and found it hard to believe her eyes. There were more than a hundred men crammed into the space which had seemed quite vast before all of them had arrived.

At first there had been a good deal of sizing up and suspicious looks between the two groups which comprised Lawrence’s men of The Wicked Wench and Alex’s crews of the three cutters which made regular runs between France and the Cornish coast. But both Alex and Lawrence had spent some time moving between the men, making introductions and sharing stories, and there seemed to be the beginnings of an accord between them.

Henri had laughed when she had heard the names of the cutters, which were Bold Bessie, Jenny’s Prize and The Flighty Susan. The names had bemused her rather and she wondered why the men insisted on calling their ships after women of questionable morals. She posed this query to Lawrence who chuckled and squeezed her waist.

“Because their wicked wiles cause us to stray into the dark, but even though they lead us into trouble and storms ... we love them just the same.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes before frowning at Alex who had been listening in and nodding in accord.

“And what about The Revenge, sir, how do you account for that?”

Alex pursed his lips before answering. “I decided the men who forced the people of our coastline to break the laws by allowing them to starve were guilty for the death of my brother,” he said. “And though the smaller ships are the ones who run between France and Cornwall, it is The Revenge who covers their tracks. My high-profile merchant trade takes the eyes of the militia from the smaller ships and holds their attention by sailing at times and with the kind of cargo that will help keep those men occupied. And as I am rather heavily involved with the militia myself,” he added with a smug grin at Lawrence’s scandalised expression. “I have rather a lot of inside knowledge as to who and what they suspect, and where exactly they will be searching for it.”

“My God,” Lawrence said, shaking his head, and Henri wasn’t sure if it was admiration or despair at his brother’s antics that shone in his eyes. “And they call me The Rogue.”

“Ah, yes,” Alex said with a characteristically cool smile. “But they call me Le Loup de Mer.”

Henri gasped and looked at him with astonishment. “You’re the Sea Wolf?”

“Guilty as charged, Miss Morton,” he replied with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Goodness, how stupid of me not to have realised. Why, my Lord Falmouth, you are famous,” she said, wondering just what kind of future awaited her with a pirate for a husband and a brother-in-law who was a notorious smuggler.

Alex looked at Lawrence and shrugged, giving him a wry smile. “Yes, which is not always a good thing as we are discovering.”

“Well we can’t drown both of you at once!” Henri said, suddenly feeling rather flustered.

“Now, wait a moment, I still haven’t agreed to this,” Lawrence put in and Henri turned to scowl at him.

“Oh, Lawrence,” she raged, fury boiling at her plan being pushed aside after rowing over it all the previous day. She raised her voice at him louder than she would usually have done in company. “You know it’s the only way, Savage has to die so that you can come back and live! Don’t you dare back out now, or I shall have something to say on the matter!”

She saw some of the men around them look to their captain as he was berated by the young woman who they had no doubt dismissed as a timid little thing up until that moment.

Lawrence held up his hands to her. “I didn’t say that, love,” he replied, shaking his head. “I don’t disagree with you, it’s only ...” He sighed and folded his arms looking mutinous. “I won’t sink my ship.”

Henri folded her arms in return, glaring at him. “You would choose your ship over me?” she demanded, a dangerous note in her voice she knew he couldn’t possibly miss. Damn the man, he had better make the right decision here or she might shoot him herself.

Lawrence opened his mouth and then seemed to think better of it. He sighed and scowled at her. “Damn it, Henri,” he began only to pause as Mousy stepped up to them.

“Beggin’ ye pardon, Cap’n, Miss Morton.” He nodded to Henri who smiled back at him. “But I couldn’t help but overhear, an’ well, his lordship ran me through the plan an’ ...” He glanced at Henri, an anxious look in his eyes. “Well, miss, it’s jus’. It don’ sit right, scuttling a fine ship like The Wench.”

Henri groaned and rolled her eyes at him and Mousy hurried on.

“But ... I think maybe I’ve an idea, how we migh’ make people believe she’s sunk an’ the Cap’n drown’d but ... manage to keep ‘er. I mean with a bit o’ work an’ a new name, no one w’uld be any the wiser.”

Lawrence looked at Mousy with real affection. “My man, I am all ears, let’s have it!”

Mousy grinned, looking pleased and Henri sighed and nodded. “Very well, let us hear your plan and see if we can’t save his beloved ship.”

Lawrence beamed at her, and she smiled, shaking her head as he pulled her to him for a kiss.

***

By the time the plan had been thrashed out and all aspects of it considered, the men had other concerns, as Lawrence had known they would.