Page 57 of Triumph at Pemberley

Apart from being a fool, yes. Now leave me alone. We are busy.

Busy with what? All she was supposed to do was to watch the Channel and report the number of boats.

And Frederica was supposed to do was to sit behind this grass-covered bank and watch…nothing.

Except something was happening. The grass was bending over, all of it at once. Then water began to spill over the top, pouring down the side.

Frederica jumped up and scurried backwards, just in time to keep her skirts dry. Across the dirt track and up onto the smaller bank on the opposite side. Wildly she looked around her, but there was no place higher that she could reach. If the water came up this far…

But the flow over the top was already stopping, leaving half a foot of water in the hollow behind the bank. Not enough to cause anything worse than a soaking, but if a wave had reached that far, what had happened on the other side? It must have been at least ten feet high, if not more!

The last time she had seen Richard and Jack, they were headed to the beach. Had the wave taken them? It must have been Jack’s work, but could even the King’s Bond keep them safe from a wall of water?

Fear pounded through her. Regardless of the danger, she picked up her skirts and raced through the deep puddle. Scrambling up the soggy bank was a struggle, but desperation kept her going.

When she finally reached the top, her jaw dropped. The only thing on the beach was three overturned barges. A few cannons were half-buried at the water’s edge. Everything else had been swept clean down to the shingle. Acid rose in her throat until three figures on horseback rounded the nearest barge.

She raced down the bank, almost tripping over her feet, and ran to meet them.

Richard reined in beside her. “Freddie, are you hurt?”

“No. What happened?”

Richard – brave, bold Richard – shivered. “Jack decided to play Moses, parting the waters and drowning the Egyptians.” His eyes flicked back towards Jack. “I am going to have nightmares about this. So is my horse. I barely kept my seat.”

The guard turned to the water and held a spyglass to his eye for a long minute. “Nothing except hulls and flotsam.” His voice shook a little.

Jack had said nothing all this time. He seemed to be studying his horse’s ears.

Frederica hurried to his side and grasped the hanging reins. “Jack, come back. We need you here.”

He raised haunted eyes to her. “I am not lost. But no one should have this power. No one.”

She tended to agree, but this was war. “I would not want it myself, but think of all the men who died and were wounded last time. Because of what you did, that will not happen here. You prevented enormous suffering.”

“I doubt the families of all the men I just drowned would agree with you.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to snap back that the Frenchmen should have stayed at home, then. But Jack was right; they were people, too. “The invasion forces us to make unpleasant choices.”

“I suppose.” He did not sound convinced. Then something beyond her seemed to catch his interest. “Good Lord!”

She turned to follow his gaze. There was Quickthorn, in her full sea-green glory, with a dripping form clutched in her talons. Behind her was a dark shadow that must be Gentiane, similarly burdened.

As her dragon coasted in for a landing, Frederica grabbed for her bonnet, knowing the wind that would come from her wings. Her hand landed on her hair instead. Bother! She must have lost it when she was running.

Quickthorn set down a man in a sopping blue French uniform at Frederica’s feet. “There will be more,” she said brusquely before taking flight.

Richard shook his head. “They ought to leave them there.”

Frederica rounded on him. “Dragons rescue people. They don’t decide whether they deserve to live. And good for them, I say.”

Richard glared at her as Gentiane set down his burden. The first man started babbling in French, begging for assistance.

This was going to be a challenge, dealing with wet prisoners in the middle of nowhere.

Richard waved the guard over. “Watch them. Take any weapons they have. And hope that the army is not far behind us now.” He paused, reflecting. “We need to find out what these men know, too.”

It was true, and an opportunity to mend fences with her brother. “If you allow me to ask the questions, they will not be able to lie.”