Page 75 of The Smuggler’s Escape

Chapter 17

The door at the front of the cottage slammed open, accompanied by grunts and curses. “Save yourself,” a voice growled. “You can break me out of jail later. Or mayhap Dicky will swear I was poaching.” Tommy Dalbey.

“Don’t be a fool,” said his brother Will. “You’ll bleed to death before they get you near the jail.”

“It’s the Dalbeys,” Noelle said unnecessarily. “Tommy’s hurt!” She tugged the sheet from under Richard’s leg and tried awkwardly to wrap it around herself.

Richard snatched it away. “Get dressed and stay here.” He tugged on his breeches, carried the lamp to the door and opened it.

“Sorry, Master Dicky,” Will said. “My lord, I mean. We thought we had it taken care of all right and tight, but they winged Tommy, and—” He broke off as Noelle ducked past Richard, wearing only her nightdress and wrapper, carrying a bunched-up sheet. He choked and stammered before recovering himself enough to say, “Evening, Miss Noelle,” but that didn’t stop him from gaping at her. Tommy simply stared.

“Get back in the bedroom, woman,” Richard snarled.

In low, furious French, Noelle told him exactly what she thought of that. Tommy was slumped in a chair, a hand pressed to his shoulder. Blood welled up through his fingers and made a rivulet down his wrist. “Give me your knife,” she told Will. “I’ll tear up the sheet to make bandages.” She spied two tubs of brandy in the middle of the floor. They hadn’t been there before. “How much more is there?”

“That’s the last of it for now,” Will said. “We’ve led them a merry chase, but there’s too many excisemen out tonight, so we had to leave the rest elsewhere.”

Tommy grunted. “Will, go dump a few where they can spot them. Maybe they won’t come in here and find the rest.” He didn’t sound convinced. Even without a sixth sense, Noelle knew there wasn’t much hope of that.

“That won’t fadge,” Will said. “A couple minutes more and they’ll be here.”

Noelle ripped strips off the sheet. “Richard, you can forbid them to enter. This house is your property.”

“And then what? Sit here all night with a cottage full of contraband and a wounded man, while Hale waits for me to leave so he can search it at his leisure? I’m willing to bet Hale would risk a reprimand for unauthorized search if it meant catching Will and Tommy and embarrassing me.”

So, they had to outwit him. There must be a way.

“Help me,” she said, thinking hard, and Will and Richard held Tommy while she eased his waistcoat off. She wound a strip of sheet around his shoulder.

There was only one way. Unfortunately, Richard would never agree.

She couldn’t let Hale win. She wound the second strip and tied it tight, then eased Tommy’s waistcoat gently up the injured arm. “If we can get you out of here and then keep their attention firmly on the cottage, you may win free.”

Noelle glanced at Richard, who was holding Tommy upright. To Will, she said, “Stow the brandy under the bed.”

Richard caught on immediately. “No.”

“Yes,” Noelle said. “All of it. They won’t dare search the bedroom if you and I are in there.”

Will gaped, his eyes traveling from Richard to Noelle to Richard again.

“God damn it, Noelle!” Richard said. “Even I find myself able to ignore the inevitable talk, you won’t be able to. You’ll regret it to the end of your days.”

“God damn you,” Noelle said. “I’m already ruined, so what does it matter? We have to get Tommy to safety. And we can’t let Hale win.” With shaking hands, she buttoned Tommy’s waistcoat.

“Very well.” Richard sighed. “Do as she says.” As Will reluctantly complied, Richard said to Noelle, “I agree to this charade, on one condition.”

“What condition?” Damn him. Damn him, but it was too late. Richard was already passing kegs to Will, who was shoving them far under the bed. A minute later, they were done.

Noelle returned the knife to Will and followed the men outdoors.

“Miss Noelle, this is a foolish plan,” Will said. “I’d best leave Tommy here and lead them astray again.”

“It’s a terrible plan, but it’s never any use arguing with Noelle.” Richard helped Will heft Tommy onto their pack pony.

“Get back inside, Miss Noelle,” Will whispered. “Any second now they’ll be on us. You don’t want them nasty fellows to see you like this.”

Noelle listened. Nothing but the wind in the trees. Reluctantly, she made for the cottage door.