Chalder dropped his arms. “You,” he said to Rob, “I want youwhere I can see you.” He jerked his head around the corner of the house, andRob started walking.
Mercer accompanied him. “Don’t do anything rash, my lord.Think of your sister. You would not want to give her another family member togrieve.”
Rob could have overpowered him in a moment, but one shoutwould bring the smugglers down on him anew, and he could not chance that theymight check the kitchen and find everyone else before the women and the otherswere ready.
“Let me go, Mercer,” he murmured, “and I promise I willplead for leniency.”
Mercer shook his head again. “We are far beyond leniency, mylord. But you won’t say a word against me, whatever happens. A shame you didn’tsign that lease for Captain Ruggins yesterday. That would have made all thisfar messier for you to bring to court. But I haven’t forgotten how many timesyour father had to pay a gambling debt or offer coin to keep someone frompressing charges with the magistrate after some ill-chosen actions following anight of drinking. That’s all in writing too,carefully saved. I could ruin you with a single article in the Times.”
“You’ve thought of everything, it seems,” Rob said as theyreached the rear yard. Both wagons had gone, and the stream of goods up fromthe pier had become a trickle.
But Hester’s plan was working. A smuggler stumbled here,yawned there. Another sank down onto the grass and did not rise.
Beside him, Mercer preened. “A shame you finally appreciatemy talents. I have a skill for enriching myself, one way or another.”
“Including selling England’s secrets to France,” Robaccused, stopping near the stables.
“They pay well,” Mercer said, as if they were discussing acounting house and not England’s greatest enemy. “And it’s not as if the Frenchcan ever beat our defenses. Why shouldn’t I make a little profit at theirexpense?”
“Why indeed,” Rob agreed. He edged toward the stable door.If he could just free Mr. Fitch and his men, Hester and Abigail might haveenough numbers to overwhelm the smugglers.
Mercer tsked. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Mr. Chalderis concerned enough for his future that it wouldn’t take much to convince himyou must go. I’ve already looked into your hereditary line. You are the lastmale Peverell. Should anything happen to you, your sister will keep the Londonhouse, but the estate in Wiltshire will default to the Crown with the title.Perhaps if she sells the hunting box in Scotland and this monstrosity, shemight be able to eke out an existence.”
He painted a bleak picture. All Rob had done to change, allthe duty he owed his sister, tenants, and staff, all could be undone if he madethe wrong choice now.
Chalder stalked back to their sides. “It’s all arranged.You’ll be sailing with the tide, Mr. Mercer.”
Mercer smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Chalder. Good day, my lord.”He minced off toward the path down to the pier.
“You’re aiding France in the war,” Rob accused the lander.“How can you live with that on your conscience?”
Chalder hitched up his breeches. “I sleep well enough atnight.” He glanced out at his men and frowned. “What’s wrong with you lot?Someone may come looking to see how the Peverells weathered the storm. Move!”
Smugglers stumbled and bumped into each other. Two more fellto the trampled grass.
Chalder rounded on Rob. “What have you done?”
“Me?” Rob asked. “I’m merely enjoying the farce.”
“Well, we’ll see if you enjoy it so much when I send you toFrance with Mr. Mercer.”
~~~
Hester paced the kitchen, until Bascom turned from thewindow to face the waiting group. “They’ve taken him around the back of thehouse,” he reported.
“What will they do with him?” Elizabeth asked, voicetrembling.
“More’s to the point, what should we do that won’t endangerhim?” Abigail asked.
Hester glanced around at them all, from the Women’s Militiawith their staves cut from broomsticks to her mother clutching a spiked ironball. They were so determined, so ready to act.
And every one of them looked to her for leadership.
“We will rescue Lord Peverell,” she vowed.
Elizabeth and Abigail nodded, but Hester could only blink asher vehement words echoed in the room. Where had they come from? Who was she tosay what might happen? Everything in her life had been happenstance.
Even Rob’s return to her life.
Yet, Rob didn’t expect her to be helpless. He had been quitewilling to have her call the tune, to follow where she’d led. He clearly sawsomething she hadn’t realized she possessed.
Fortitude.
Everything that had happened to her, everything she’dlearned, had built into a solid strength inside her. She wasn’t helpless. Shecould do this, for herself and for the man she loved.
Abigail, Elizabeth, and the others were waiting expectantly.Hester drew in a breath.
“How close are they to leaving, Ike?” she asked.
“They’re about done unloading, as far as I can tell,” hereplied. “It shouldn’t be long now, but I wouldn’t want to wait. I’m not surewhat they plan to do to his lordship.”
That was her fear as well. “And what about the two smugglerswe captured?” she asked. “Won’t someone come looking for them?”
“Taken care of,” one of the maids said. “We dosed them withlaudanum too, and Mr. Eckman managed to slip them down closer to the pier.”
Another maid swished her skirts back and forth. “And I put abottle of wine in each hand. With any luck, the others will think they wereovercome and bring them aboard to sleep it off, no one the wiser.”
“Well done,” Hester said, and the maid beamed. “The othersshould become groggy too, thanks to Monsieur Antoine.”
The chef inclined his head. “They will never know whathappened. You are an exceptional woman to recognize that I have the blood ofwarriors in my veins. This is my finest hour!”
“The men on the ship are another story,” Abigail predicted.“They’ll be eager to sail before a revenue cutter shows up. We can only hopeMaisy found Captain St. Claire, and the Siren’s Call is on its way.”
At the mention of the captain, many of the women exchangedglances, grinning.
“Make yourselves
