Page 85 of The Smuggler’s Escape

“God knows,” Hale said, swinging. “Intimidate her into informing on the others, I suppose.”

“It wouldn’t have worked.” Richard slipped on the wet boards and narrowly missed landing on his rear end. “Where in hell is that useless landlord?”

“I wouldn’t have pushed it.” Hale stood away now. “I just wanted her out of the way. She was masterminding the whole operation, you know. Decoys upon decoys, and she had the farmers tethering their cows in conflicting patterns just to confuse me, while as for the sketches in the Pig in a Poke . . .”

The landlord burst in. “Hey there, none of that!”

Richard rolled his eyes. “It took you long enough.”

Hale chuckled. Richard put out a hand, and after a second’s hesitation, Hale grasped it.

Richard tossed a fourth guinea at the landlord. “That will cover the broken chair. Bring us more ale and a comfortable settle.” A few minutes later, seated by the fire, he asked, “Sketches?”

Hale grinned. “Two sets of pen-and-ink drawings, a dozen on the wall of the taproom and several more in the kitchen. I never would have worked it out, except that too many fellows seemed to have business in the kitchen, and occasionally a drawing would disappear and another take its place. The first few times I thought the frame had broken.”

“Ah,” Richard said. “Instructions for the next run, because most of the smugglers are illiterate. That’s why she looked so dismayed in the print shop. She knew you’d smoked her.” He took a long swallow of ale. “She’s a clever woman, my Noelle. She will make an entertaining wife.” He paused. “I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

Hale stared.

“For standing up to Sir Frederick. For sticking up for Noelle.”

Hale reddened. “She’s no traitor. With all due respect, though, I suggest you marry her as quickly as may be. That should provide her with a measure of protection, if we don’t find the real culprit quickly.”

“I’ve sent for a special license,” Richard said. Hopefully, it would arrive promptly. Hopefully too, Noelle would agree to a speedy wedding before they went wherever they were going. In the meantime . . . “We will catch the traitor. Here’s what I want you to do.”