AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The confrontation was swift and easily managed, Roderick and his crew having the benefit of surprise. When one of the navy men dropped his lantern, it splashed into the waters below, and a shout rang up from the jetty. It was short-lived, for Gilhooly knew precisely when to turn on the officer at his side. With the exception of a few muffled exclamations of rage, Roderick and his men took down their opponents in seconds.
Clyde seemed to have more of a struggle with his quarry for Roderick heard the scuffle. It seemed they exchanged a few words in anger, but Clyde insisted he could deal with it when others stepped in.
Young Adam appeared with lengths of rope from the storeroom, and they bound the men hand and foot, gagged them with their own neckerchiefs and began to haul them across the deck to the hatch.
“Into the hold, Captain?”
“Aye. Take them with you. We’ll release them when we set sail from the agreed meeting point along the coast, beyond Broughty Castle. I’d prefer to let them loose in Dundee, but I don’t want them to raise the alarm before we fetch Gregor.”
While the crew busied themselves securing the navy watchmen below, Roderick did a quick pass through the ship. No one else was aboard. To his amusement, he found that their secret cargo of French wine had not yet been discovered.
When the men assembled on deck, he gave the
final instructions. “Bring up the anchor as soon as I am dockside.”
“I will stay with you, Captain,” Clyde said.
Roderick was surprised. The old man hated to be on land. But Roderick knew better than to argue with him. The sooner the ship pulled up anchor and left the harbor, the better. It was also several hours until dawn, when Roderick could make contact with Gregor Ramsay, and the company would be appreciated. Then he thought he saw a mischievous twinkle in the old man’s eye.
Trick of the moonlight, no more, he assumed.
Once they were back on shore, Clyde ran on ahead to alert the shipman who’d stayed with the rowboats to rejoin the ship. Then Clyde and Roderick disappeared into the streets of Dundee in search of a mug of ale and a comfortable seat until dawn broke and the notary’s office opened.
* * *
In the early morning light the two of them made their way to the notary’s office. The streets were no longer deserted. Carts were being wheeled to the marketplace, and Roderick and Clyde moved alongside them as much as possible, hoping their presence would not be noticed by anyone who might recognize them or know of their troubles with the navy.
Even though Roderick had to lurk about like a thief after stealing back his own ship, it was good to have his feet back on Scottish soil. It made him think of forgotten times, of his parents—both long gone to their graves—and of the smell of the bracken as he’d roamed the far hills as a child, hunting with his father. Roderick had to admit there was no place on earth where his feet felt as right as this, on Scottish ground.
They kept their hats pulled down low on their brows as they made their way to the notary’s office. It was there they’d agreed Gregor Ramsay would leave word of his whereabouts. On the one hand Roderick hoped that Gregor was ready to depart, and quickly. On the other, he hoped that his partner hadn’t witnessed the sorry sight of the Libertas sailing into Dundee with a navy flag hoisted aloft.
Once the bookkeeper arrived and unlocked the door, Roderick nodded at Clyde. “You’ll wait outside?”
“Aye, I’ll keep watch.”
Roderick had been expecting to be told the name of nearby lodgings. Instead, the bookkeeper handed him a letter written in Gregor’s own hand.
It was with some curiosity that Roderick opened it. Perhaps Gregor was requesting they wait a few days, which would be a problem because the navy would be on their trail soon enough. Frowning, he read the letter.
Roderick,
I hope that you and the men of the Libertas have fared well. If you are reading this, it means you did not receive the word I sent to France to notify you that I will not be rejoining the Libertas at this time. As you know, I suspected my task in Fife could take longer than the six months we had agreed. That was not the case. The task took very little time indeed to reach its natural conclusion. However, my life took on a very different direction shortly after I parted ways with you.
As you have so often pointed out to me, I needed to be more honest with myself and seek the truth, not revenge. I am not so clear-minded as you. It was in my search for justice that I discovered what I believed to be my true path. And you were correct when you joked it would be a lass that would change my manner of thinking on family matters.
We are headed to the Highlands, and if my calculations are correct and you have returned to Dundee by the agreed date in September, I will shortly be pledging myself to my bride. I would have done it weeks ago, but she insisted that we spend four seasons together in order to see if we were truly well matched. It is a Highland tradition amongst some of the clans. She is a stubborn sort, but I argued it down to two seasons and we will be wed before the old festival of Samhain, so you will see how well matched I think we are.
We have broken our journey north and lodge in rooms in Inverness. I’ve taken this opportunity to write you this second letter. Soon we will head onward to the far reach of the Highlands, to a village called Fingal, where my woman’s clan hails from. She has many kin there and we’ll be able to build a croft of our own. Finally, I will be able to honor my father—Hugh Ramsay—in a way he would have admired, by establishing a good smallholding for my family, just as he tried to do for me.
I will be wed and settled before winter comes, all being well. Raise a glass to cheer us on our way, old friend. Drink to me and my bride, Jessie Taskill.
Gregor
* * *
On his first reading of the letter Roderick was mighty amused at the information contained within. Gregor Ramsay had lost his heart to a woman, and he planned to make his home on dry land! Much like himself, Gregor had been entirely set against such a course, but apparently he’d changed his tune rapidly after spending a few days in Scotland.
Did it affect every man that way? Roderick wondered.
