Page 22 of The Swan Syndicate
“If you’ve come about Stella, the decision has already been made.” Jamie reached out a hand, and the foal sniffed it before running for the mare. The young captain had a way with horses.
“Why?” There was no point in explaining what he was asking; Jamie understood.
“She came to me and raised a good point.” Jamie pet the mare’s neck, then left the stall to meet Beckworth in the aisle. “And before you get any angrier, let me just say this. I once asked Finn why he allowed AJ to learn the proper use of the dagger and bow and then gave her roles in our missions.” He steered Beckworth outside, then lifted his face to the sun. “His answer was that AJ was a woman from the future—independent and strong-willed. He said women were equal to men, for the most part.
“Stella doesn’t see you going off on this mission as the lord of the manor or one of Hensley’s spies…I’m not saying this right. She understands your desire to go. When she came to me, it wasn’t to talk you out of going. She thinks of herself as your partner. Where you go, she goes. And quite frankly, she had a point. Women in this century go mostly unseen. She can be eyes and ears for us. And before you say anything, yes,Fitz is excellent at collecting information. But, honestly, we’ll be looking for a needle in a haystack. We could use all the help we can get. And if she gets seasick, we can drop her off at a port with one of my men, who will see her back to Waverly.”
Well, damn. It would be a waste of a man if Jamie had to do that. But he wouldn’t have a problem finding a sailor willing to escort her, giving them time for the pubs in Bristol while waiting for theDaphne’sreturn.
“She’s thought it all through.” Beckworth stared at the manor. She no doubt finished her packing and had the trunk delivered to the foyer while he was down here on a fool’s mission.
“Did you expect anything less?” Jamie patted his back. “She’s proven herself. And if I thought she’d be at risk, I wouldn’t have agreed. But this is a simple find mission. Nothing more. If we can learn where MacDuff has been and the direction he’s traveling, it will make Hensley’s next move easier.” Then he gave Beckworth a side glance and a wicked smile. “But it’s up to you to keep her out of the way while she’s onboard.”
Then he strolled off, whistling some Irish ditty. And to think, not an hour ago, Beckworth had been whistling as well, not prepared for the storm Stella had kicked up.
Resigned that he’d done everything he could, he decided on one last effort and headed for the manor. Stella was no longer in the bedroom, the solarium, or the library. Barrington found Beckworth heading for the kitchen.
“She went out to feed the ducks in the pond.” Barrington continued on his way but called over his shoulder, “And she’ll be fine.”
“You’re only saying that because you won’t have to deal with her stomping around the halls while I’m gone.”
The butler’s chortle made him shake his head. Did no one agree with him?
She was sitting on a bench with her gray cape wrapped around her. A raft of ducks swarmed in a constantly moving circle as she tossed breadcrumbs into the water.
He sat next to her, and she dumped the rest of the treats in before turning to him.
“You’re still mad.”
He ran a hand over his face. “It’s not that I’m mad. I’m worried. This isn’t the same as before. We were on the run from Gemini and her men. You’d been dragged into a dangerous situation and had no choice.” He had to make her see the difference.
“You didn’t have a problem letting me go to Ipswich. You said it was my choice.”
“And look where that got us,” he muttered.
She leaned back. “I’ll never forget my mistake and where that got us.”
He grabbed her hands and squeezed hard. “Don’t ever say you made a mistake. What happened in Ipswich wasn’t your fault. I only mentioned it to point out how badly a mission can go. And because you frustrate me.”
“The team trusted me to go on the mission to rescue you on thePhoenix.” She gently removed her hands from his grip. “You trusted me to go with Chester in search of the illegal real estate transactions.”
“That was different.” He hated that his voice sounded petulant. “Besides, you get seasick. Most of our time will be onboard theDaphne.”
“I brought seasick medicine from home, and Eleanor gave me fresh herbs. You know, like the ones you bought me before.”
Bloody hell. She’d even turned his closest friends against him. She squeezed his knee and trailed a finger up his leg before stopping just below his manhood, which couldn’t help but twitch.
“It’s up to you on whether we share a cabin or we each get our own.” She kissed his cheek, then stood and walked back to the manor, leaving a floral scent trailing behind her.
Love. It was going to be the death of him.
9
The carriage arrived in Bristol and stopped on the pier alongside theDaphne Marie. Beckworth immediately jumped out, said something about returning the horses but most likely wanted to put some distance between himself and Stella. Jamie had ridden inside with them while Fitz rode on the bench with the coachman. Lando had ridden ahead to ensure the ship was prepared for sail.
Jamie grinned as he watched Beckworth stride off before helping Stella out of the carriage. He’d engaged Stella in conversation the entire way, ignoring the frosty air between her and Beckworth during the several-hour-long ride from Waverly.
Once her feet were on the ground, she took a deep whiff of sea air and ignored the more unpleasant smells coming from the busy port. She reached for the opal necklace Beckworth had given her the first time she’d been in London, but her neck was bare. Concerned about losing it, she’d left it at Waverly, carefully tucked away with the Mórdha stone rings in one of Beckworth’s hidden compartments.
