Page 95 of Never a Duke
“That’s it then,” an armed guard said. “Over to the quay with you lot. Make your farewells, and don’t try anything stupid.”
The prisoners shuffled forth, a few in chains, most appearing weighed down by despair rather than cold iron.
“Watch the women,” Rosalind said. “Watch that last group of women.” The little clutch of females moved more slowly than the others and included two small girls and several ladies bent over with age. One woman used a crutch. Another appeared to be without sight because she leaned heavily on a companion and moved in a cautious, sliding gait.
“That group,” Rosalind said, “will be set free, and the kidnapped women substituted for them.”
The guards were in on the scheme, clearly, for they kept glancing about as if expecting trouble—or another signal.
“I know how we can do this,” Rosalind said, “but we have to hurry.”
“Smack me,” Arthur said. “Smack me. I’ll pike off and you take off after me.”
“I’ll not strike a child.”
“Ouch!” Arthur yelled, backing away on nimble feet. “Mama, ye oughtn’t to treat me so cruel!” He darted off, and Rosalind chased after him.
“Get back here, you naughty boy! Get back here, and I will show you how such a mischievous whelp deserves to be treated!”
They kept it up all the way back to the coach, by which time Rosalind was out of breath.
“The women are being led to the quay now,” Rosalind panted. “The guilty women. I know how we can bring this off without violence. We need a boat and two men to row it, and we need them now.”
Ned stared at her hard in the waning light. “You think to effect a substitution?”
“The guilty women will be rowed halfway out to the ship,” Rosalind said, “and at the same time, the kidnapped women will be rowed out from a different pier. The guilty women won’t reach the ship, the kidnapped women will.”
“So we intercept the boatload of kidnapped women,” Ned said, “and then tell the tars there’s been a change of plans. Trade them the empty boat for ours. The kidnappers row away with an empty boat, thinking their part of the job complete. We row the kidnapped women to safety.”
Lord Stephen was frowning mightily. “What happens to the guilty women?”
“They very likely end up going free,” Bob said. “At worst, they end up being transported when it becomes apparent nobody will intercept them. I’m off to find a boat. Does anybody have coin?”
Lord Stephen produced a shiny gold sovereign. “This ought to suffice.”
“Walden and I will row,” Ned said, unknotting his cravat. “Bob, you have the hard part.”
Rosalind collected neckcloths and pocket watches, while the transportees and their families were permitted a final farewell on the quay.
“Rosalind?” Ned said, when Bob and His Grace had moved away in search of a boat.
“Hurry,” Rosalind said. “And I know: I will not put myself in harm’s way. I will not allow harm to come to Arthur if I can avoid it. I will create a distraction if I see that matters out on the water aren’t going well for you, but Ned, if you don’t find that boat immediately, there won’t be enough light to see—”
Ned hauled her into his arms and kissed her. “I love you too. Madly.”
He strode off, an impressive figure of a man determined to see justice done, while Rosalind stood by the coach, clutching a wad of very fine cravats and grinning like an utter goose.
***
Old skills stirred back to life as Ned trailed after Bob and Walden.
The ability to add a little swagger to a casual stroll, signaling to passersby thatthis is my patch,andyou’d best watch your step around a canny lad like me.
The ability to take in details with a glance, such as the slight unsteadiness of one guard’s gait, the woman in the trailing group whose dress was styled with an out-of-date high waist. An elderly man who stood not far from the possibly expecting woman, jingling a few coins in his pocket.
Bob approached a pair of fellows loading crates of clucking chickens into a skiff. The boat was large enough to hold a dozen women, and nondescript enough to approach theTantaluswithout causing comment.
“We’re in luck,” Bob said, a few moments later. “This load of fowl is marked for theTantalus. Ship oars, me hearties, and look lively.”
