Page 82 of The Cornish Mermaid

She bridled. “Is that all you can say when I’ve told you I’m from two hundred years in the future?”

He sighed. “That’s a lot for me to take in, even if I weren’t addlepated from the brandy Jago poured down me last night, and from this arm.” He smiled, a soft, gentle smile. “But I do believe you, Morvoren. I think I knew from the moment I pulled you out of the sea that you were something different.” He managed a light laugh, a sound Morvoren was glad to hear. “Maybe that’s why I thought at first I’d caught me a mermaid. After all, your name does mean mermaid in Cornish.”

They fell silent. A companionable silence where neither of them needed to speak. Morvoren’s head began to nod and she thought Kit too had fallen asleep, when he spoke again. “Does your inside knowledge give you the name of the traitor in our midst?”

She jerked awake again, pulling herself together and yawning. “No. I’m sorry. The captain of our fishing boat said the traitor was thrown off the cliffs east of Nanpean, but he didn’t say his name, and I don’t remember what the museum said. It must be possible to find him.” She paused. “Or her—I suppose it could be a woman just as much as a man. But I think you should stop your men from throwing him off a cliff. For a start, they might be accusing the wrong person.”

Kit shook his head. “No. I think I know who did it, all right. Although I can scarce believe it of him. I need to speak with him before the others get there. Ask him why he did it.” He made as if to rise, but Morvoren put her hand on his bare shoulder and held him down. Easy. He was still weak from loss of blood.

“No. You lie still. There’s nothing you can do about it right now. You’re going to have to leave it to Jago. And Sam. Whether you like it or not.” She kept her hand on him, enjoying the warmth under her touch, the feel of his skin against her fingers. “That bullet’s made a nasty mess of your arm and if the stitches don’t hold, it’ll be worse.” Best not to hold back. “If you get an infection, you might at best lose your arm, at worst, your life.”

He frowned. “I can’t just lie here in bed like a baby while they’re out after the man who betrayed us.” His voice rose. “Clemo’s lying dead on the beach because of what he’s done. I could’ve been dead as well. We all could’ve been. Or destined to be transported. You as well. The man who did this to us has a debt to pay.”

“Not tonight though,” Morvoren said, pushing him down more firmly. “Although judging by the sky outside I’d say morning’s approaching fast. You need to sleep and let your body mend. You need to appreciate how lucky you’ve been. And know that if you get up now, your luck won’t hold.”

He shifted as though uncomfortable. “I’m not used to lying idle.”

“It’ll only get worse if you try to do anything. You have to learn to delegate. I’m sure if you think you know the traitor then Jago will already be on to whoever it is. And he’s got Sam to help him. Sam won’t let them throw anyone off the cliffs.”

But would he be able to stop them? The thought of someone, even the man whose actions had led to Kit lying here badly wounded, being hurled onto those unforgiving rocks left Morvoren’s stomach queasy. If she’d changed the outcome of the raid, then surely she could prevent a kangaroo court trying and condemning the perpetrator of the betrayal?

Under her hand, Kit relaxed, his eyes closing as he lay back on the pillows. But not for long. A deep chuckle emerged and his eyes flicked open. “I can’t believe you managed to get strait-laced, upright, law-abiding Sam involved in smuggling. You must have some good powers of persuasion.” His face softened, his gaze suddenly serious, and his hand sought hers. “And you must have had good reason to come rushing down here the way you did.”

He had her there. She pressed her lips together and nodded. “I did.”

“To save my life.”

She nodded again. “I had to.”

He sighed. “And why did you have to?”

The early morning twilight of the room pressed in, her breathing loud in the silence. “I think you know the reason,” she said, the blood pounding in her ears.

He smiled. “But I want to hear it from your own lips.”

Morvoren’s heart was going to come leaping out of her mouth if she opened it again. She’d have to take the risk. “Because I love you.” Her stomach had knotted itself into something even Alexander with his sword would have found difficulty dealing with.

He gazed into her eyes for a long moment. “And I love you.”

Her overactive heart did a great leap of joy and the knot untwisted itself.

He tugged her hand. “Can a nurse kiss her patient or is that not allowed?”

“She can.” She bent forward and their lips met, his a little dry still and tasting of brandy. They didn’t kiss long and hard and passionately, as they’d done on the terrace at Denby, but it was a kiss of understanding, of coming home, of pent-up promise.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Kit

Bright sunlight streaming in through the open window woke Kit from a deep and dreamless sleep. And with dawning consciousness, the throbbing in his arm made itself known with a vengeance. For a moment he struggled, his brain a fog, before everything came rushing back. Morvoren. Where was she? Someone else was in the room, moving just out of his line of vision. With what felt like an immense effort, he turned his head. Jenifry.

She glanced his way. “I see you’re awake then.”

He didn’t grace that with a reply. “Where’s Morvoren?” The words came out as a croak, damn it.

Jenifry, who had been folding clothing—perhaps his own from last night—stomped over to the bed and stood looking down on him from what seemed a great height. “Asleep in bed, as she should be. After sittin’ up all night wi’ you.”

He licked his lips. “She shouldn’t have.”