Page 60 of The Swan Syndicate
“Are we sure MacDuff will show up?”
“No. But it’s best not to second guess what Cheval has planned. And, as you stated before, unless Cheval has some way of contacting MacDuff when not in port, this is Cheval’s next stop. Whether MacDuff was to meet him here is the only thing we don’t know for sure.” He took her elbow and steered her out the door and up the stairs to the gangplank where Lando waited.
“Who’s going to be my messenger?” she asked.
“Billy.” Lando looked around, searching for him.
A small lad poked him from behind. “I’m here, sir.”
Lando spun around and made a grab for the boy, but Billy had been expecting it, and he jumped back, his laughter causing the sailors around them to join in.
“Keep it up, lad, and you’ll wake up tied upside down in the lines for your trouble.” Lando grinned as he swatted at the boy. “Now, what’s your assignment?”
“Stay close but out of sight until you give the signal.” Billy tugged at his ear, which Stella assumed was their sign. “Then I come to meet Lady Stella, I mean Lady Swan, who’ll hand me a paper swan. Then I’ll run off and get lost in the crowd so no one can see where I went. I’ll hide for a bit then sneak back to the ship.”
“Good lad.” Lando held out an arm for Stella and led her to the dock.
She glanced over her shoulder. Beckworth fussed with the knit cap, but his gaze followed her. In addition to him, Fitz, Lane, and Mickelson would take various positions around the village while keeping her and Lando within sight as they watched for any sign of MacDuff.
Beckworth had shown the team hand signals he used with the London crews that would allow them to stay in communication should anyone spot MacDuff or any other trouble. Stella understood the signs but would rely on Lando to watch for them then steer her in the right direction that might cross the smuggler’s path.
They spent an hour walking around town before they stopped at a pub to rest. They ate a simple meal and were finishing their ale when Lane worked his way through the crowd. He bumped Stella’s chair and his hat fell off.
When Lane stooped to pick it up, he said, “MacDuff’s ship just arrived but is still mooring. You should return to theship.” Then he disappeared, pushing his way past newly arriving sailors.
“Why are we returning?” Stella asked.
“It will take time to moor the ship. We’ll come back this evening.”
“Then I’d like to stop at the mercantile and the apothecary on our way back.”
“Do you need more herbs already?” Lando asked. It was a reasonable question since she’d just bought some a few days ago and they’d spent more time at port than at sea.
“No.” She stood and arranged her dress, reassured that she had two swans in one pocket and her dagger in the other. “Let’s go.”
Without another word and not waiting for Lando, she strode from the pub. Whether it was the fact she was a woman or was followed by a large imposing man, the crowd parted for her like the Red Sea. She flashed the men her broker smile as she passed, pleased by the returned grins.
A girl had to have some fun.
Once outside, she glanced up at the parting clouds and paused for a moment as the cool air from the sea washed the scent of the crowded pub away while the sun warmed her cheeks. Lando, staying in character, waited next to her.
She caught sight of Michelson near a stack of crates by the side of a building but no one else. They were out there—she sensed them. Confidence with a dash of independence emboldened her, knowing she was aggravating Beckworth, if not the others, by ignoring the order to return to the ship. She turned toward the pier where she remembered spotting the mercantile and apothecary.
“We’ve been given an order.” Lando had to lean down to whisper as she briskly worked her way through milling sailors and locals.
“This won’t take long. If we don’t expect anyone until later, what can it hurt? Besides, I’ve been locked onboard that ship for too long. As long as we stay in character, no one will be the wiser.”
The harumph sound only made her smile as she ducked into the apothecary. She purchased ginger though she still had a good supply. Better safe than sorry her mother as well as millions of others had advised their children. It was one of the few words of wisdom her mother had imparted that she found to be of any value. She also procured two different remedies for headaches.
When they exited the shop, she noticed Beckworth and Fitz at the blacksmith across a narrow alley from the mercantile. Fitz was speaking with the smithy, his arms held out as if explaining the size of something. Whether he was planning to buy something or not, the blacksmith was fully engaged.
Beckworth on the other hand, was hunched next to a post, his body facing toward Fitz, but his head had turned to watch her. He was too far away to catch the nuances in his expression, but he would be irritated by her refusal to follow Jamie’s command. One more stop and they could all go back to the ship.
The mercantile was cool inside, and a handful of customers wandered about the place. The clerk was busy with a customer, and another man helped a woman pick through a bin of root vegetables.
Stella strode to the back of the store where she spotted a bookcase. After glancing through the titles, she picked one up to review. She hadn’t heard of the author or the title, but what had she expected? An entire stack of classics? She’d read a couple of books Jamie had lent them to pass the time, but one could only read so many sailing adventures. She suspected he kept the good stuff in his cabin, maybe not wanting to show off how smart he was.
Halfway through the bookshelf, she glanced back. Lando had moved off to the right, staying close to the door, either doing some shopping of his own or remaining in character. She would have to tell Jamie she refused to follow his order. The last thing she wanted was to get Lando in trouble.
