Page 57 of The Swan Syndicate
The men glanced at each other, most of them turning their focus to their whiskey, holding back their own grins.
Jamie was the first one to laugh out loud. At first, she thought she’d said something stupid until he said, “You certainly know how to get to the heart of the matter. You’re absolutely correct.”
She straightened in her seat but held her tongue.
“Which only makes his problem worse.” Beckworth hadn’t taken a drink. He’d crossed a leg over a knee and balanced the glass on his leg, slowly turning it as he considered the situation. “He won’t change his plans, at least not until his next meeting with MacDuff. But he will tighten his security.”
“Aye, which makes it tougher to get close.” Fitz emptied his glass and leaned against the sideboard.
“The best answer would be to get a sailor onboard one of the ships.” Lando’s frown and scrunched brows suggested otherwise. “If we had more time that might work, but not now. Any new sailor brought on will be constantly watched.”
“We know his next three ports.” Jamie tapped his fingers on the desk, then fingered Hensley’s note again. “But spending time in pubs and inns won’t get us close enough.”
The men went silent, each seeming to consider their options.
“So, why not play into Cheval’s fear?” Stella asked.
The men turned to her, and Beckworth was the first to nod. “It’s not unheard of for a smuggler to take over someone else’s operations.”
Jamie glanced at Stella, who was folding a new swan but watched him out of the corner of her eye. He smiled. “Aye. But not take over Cheval’s operation. We need to convince MacDuff to work with us rather than him.”
Jamie ended the meeting with a request to meet again after dinner. Beckworth remained sitting as Stella rose and stepped toward him on her way out. He took her hand and kissed it.
“I’ll meet you in the cabin in a few minutes.” He held her gaze, though hers flickered to Jamie for an instant before she smiled.
“Of course.” She squeezed his hand and then turned it over to deposit the swan in his palm.
Then she strode out of the room ahead of the other men. Fitz was the last one out, and he turned back for a moment then shut the door behind him.
“Did you have something else to report?” Jamie asked, though his grin was back.
“You know that’s not why I’m still here.”
Jamie’s grin faded, though Beckworth doubted it had gone far. The man thought this was a joke. No. That wasn’t right. He, of all people, understood the dangers. But he had a mission. And while the crew of theDaphne, mostly Irishmen, had no particular love of England, they had no desire to live underNapoleon’s yoke. At the end of the day, they desired coin that could be sent home to family. If MacDuff and Cheval were making plans with France and using their smuggling operation as a ruse, it had to be uncovered.
Jamie, similar to what Hensley had once told him of Finn, never took a job that would hurt Ireland or its people. Break up a smuggling operation? Locate spies who weren’t good for Ireland? They were there—happy to oblige—for a decent payday.
And like his predecessor on theDaphne, Jamie’s crew wasn’t above a bit of smuggling themselves. They had even colluded with Sebastian, the French monk, who ran his own smuggling syndicate once their team had rid the monastery of the duke.
At the heart of it all, Jamie was above reproach when it came to a mission. And he would do whatever it took to keep his crew safe as well as his team. That included himself and Stella. But still.
“We have no other way in with MacDuff.” Jamie laid it out for him.
“She only had one run-in with the man. I doubt he’d even remember her.”
Jamie barked out a laugh. “A blind man would remember her.”
Beckworth growled. He had to put this in perspective. If it were Libby or any of the other women who worked with the London crews, he wouldn’t hesitate. The best decision would be to put her off the ship first thing in the morning. He should go with her. But this was an important mission.
God’s blood, why had he fallen in love?
“What would she have to do?”
“We need to plan another accidental meeting. From what Lando told me, MacDuff found Stella intriguing. I have no doubt he’d invite her to dinner if they crossed paths. She mentioned she was running cargo up the coast. He’s bound to ask what typeof cargo. She just needs to drop a few hints. Perhaps mention some important names.”
Beckworth nodded. “I can think of a few. And I suppose theDaphneis her ship.”
“Naturally. With any luck, she can entice him into a trade.” Jamie pointed to the swan Beckworth was holding. “Lando called her Lady Swan. I think we need a stash of those. They’ll be her calling card.”
