Page 57 of The Pirate and the Pagan
“I’ll return, Mr. Burke, but don’t expect me for hours and hours.”
Summer went home to Roseland. She sat dejectedly in the deserted kitchen, wondering what on earth she was going to do. It wasn’t in her nature to mope, as she had always preferred action. Soon a small core of anger deep inside started to spread through her blood. “Damn you to hellfire, Ruark bloody Helford!” she shouted. “You think I need you? You were right, I don’t need anybody! I’ll get the money for the mortgage on my home if it kills me,” she vowed, striking the table with her balled-up fist. First, though, was the problem of Spider. She went over the alternatives in her mind. She had a pistol. She had jewels … perhaps she could bribe someone.
She gasped in fear as the kitchen door swung open quietly. Gathering her courage, she challenged, “Who’s there? Speak up or I’ll shoot your blasted brains out!”
“It’s me, Cat, don’t shoot!” her brother cried out in alarm.
“Spider! Oh, thank the blessed St. Jude. Did Ruark get you released after all?” she asked, a tiny spark of hope kindling in her heart.
“Ruark my arse!” he swore, shutting the door carefully and coming into the room. “They took me to an interrogation room and the bloody window was open. Can you believe such incompetence?” he crowed.
“You’ve escaped? Ohmigod, they’ll come looking for you!”
“You forget, they don’t know who I am, Cat.” He grinned.
Her heart sank. “I told Lord Helford this morning.”
“But surely I don’t have to worry about that, you said you were his wife. Cat, were you lying to me?” he demanded.
“No,” she said angrily, “but he threatened to annul the marriage when I told him about you and the mortgage.”
“He can’t get an annulment unless there’s something wrong with him and he can’t perform sexually,” stated Spider.
“He’s the law, he can do what he damned well wants.”
“Did he fuck you or not?” Spider asked bluntly.
Summer closed her eyes, pressed her lips together tightly, and nodded.
“The rotten swine!” swore Spider. “Well, you’ve had a rude awakening.”
“Aye.” She laughed shortly. “One preceded by sweet slumber and seductive dreams, but I’m awake now thank God and have learned the most valuable lesson in life—to rely on myself in this world.” Her mind was like quicksilver, examining each option and swiftly rejecting it. “Since we’re smugglers, the first thing we have to do is smuggle you into Helford Hall, They won’t look for you there. You can stay in the attic until we come up with a plan. I’ll ride back now and await you at the French doors in the south wing. Let no one see you, least of all the servants.”
Spider managed to avoid the Helford gamekeeper as he’d done all his life, but the gardeners were weeding and trimming out by the fountain and they looked like they would stay until the afternoon light was gone. He went by stealth from tree to flowering bush, making very certain he avoided all eyes.
Summer was at the French doors when she saw him slip up to the window. She reached out her hand to the door handle and a sudden step behind her made her whirl guiltily.
“Oh, Daisy, just put the flowers on that table please. Would you go and tell Mr. Burke that I have returned?” The maid curtsied and left the room. Summer quickly opened the doors so Spider could slip inside, but they both heard voices just outside the far door. She pushed him behind the heavy drapes and walked to the room’s center. “Oh, Mr. Burke, I didn’t ask Daisy to fetch you, I just thought I’d let you know I was back,” she said lamely.
“While you were out, I took the opportunity to remove Lord Helford’s things from your chamber, my lady.”
“Oh,” she said, knowing Ruark had ordered it so. She had to get rid of him quickly. “Mr. Burke, I think you were right. I think I should try to eat something.”
He smiled gently. “I’ll get cook to fix you a tray.”
When the hall outside was clear, the brother and sister crept up the stairs to her room. Spider whistled low at the luxury of the chamber, but all Summer could see was the ghost of her husband lingering wherever she cast her eyes.
She lifted the lid on a beautifully carved sandalwood box and showed Spider her cache of gold. “I have almost six thousand pounds now. I’ve been thinking perhaps it’s a good idea for you to disappear for a while. Take the money to Auntie Lil in London and she can get it to Solomon Storm and promise that the rest is coming shortly. She should have been able to sell that Brussels lace by now. Too, I have some very expensive jewels I won at cards and I hope to win more, but I’ll have to find someone to sell them to.”
There was a low knock upon the door and Spider dropped to the floor and rolled under the bed. Mr. Burke set the food down upon the bedside table. “I brought you some wine, too, my lady.”
“You are always so thoughtful, Mr. Burke. Could you ask the servants to bring me water for my bath in about half an hour? Then I would appreciate it so very much if you’d tell them I want to be alone. Do you think you could keep them out of the south wing, Mr. Burke? I’m not used to having servants about every time I turn around. I feel I need some privacy the next few days.”
“I shall see that you are not disturbed in any way, my lady,” he said with a crease of concern between his heavy brows.
The moment the door closed Spider crawled out from under the bed. “I suppose that bloody bath you ordered is for me?” he objected.
“He may not have seen you, but by heaven ’tis a wonder to me he didn’t smell you. You stink of prison,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “When you’ve finished with the water, we’ll wash those clothes your wearing. In the meantime you can have a shirt and a pair of your breeches back.”
