Page 75 of The Swan Syndicate
“Tell him we’ll meet him back in Burry Port in order to avoid the viscount’s men.” He looked to Lando. “Take the best route to the pub. If Cheval is out there, I don’t want him to see Stella. If he’s with MacDuff, terminate the mission. I’ll have a note ready to be sent to MacDuff’s ship with our request to meet at Burry Port. If Cheval follows MacDuff there, then we’ll end the mission and return to Bristol. We have enough for Hensley.”
The men stood but waited for Stella.
She stood and faced Jamie. “Beckworth isn’t going to be happy about this, so I expect you to take responsibility for his anger.”
He didn’t smile, but his gaze was earnest as if he’d expected her request. “We have your back.”
Beckworth walked through the dark alleys on his way to MacDuff’s ship. He stopped long enough to pound his fist into a crate, then lowered his forehead to it. His emotions were in turmoil—fear, anger, pride. Everything had been working as planned until Cheval showed up.
Had MacDuff known? Had he been playing Stella for some reason? And why in all that’s holy had he walked away without giving her some assurance that everything would be alright? He’d wanted to hold her, to feel her body close to his. Somehow, the horrors of the world disappeared when she was in his arms.
But the other men were there, and he was too proud to show his weakness. He would have to have a long talk with Finn when they returned to Baywood. How did the man deal with his fear for AJ when she went off and did something mad?
He rubbed his fist, then wiped the blood on his pants. Stella would demand to know how he’d scraped his knuckles. He breathed deeply. The soft evening air did little to calm his anxiety, but he shook it off and focused on the mission. Stay focused. That was the key, even if he had to remind himself every five minutes.
MacDuff had moored his ship at port this time. Was that important? He’d moored it in the bay at the last port. There were dozens of reasons why that would be, and speculation waspointless. He reached the docks and stopped at the end of a building to peer around the corner.
TheGrey Ghostwas easy to spot. The crew were furling the sails in preparation for departure. He hated that he’d had Stella pulled out before she could gather more information. But it had been too dangerous, and if it had been any of the men, he would have had them pulled out as well.
The last thing they needed was to come between MacDuff and Cheval. It was too early in the mission for that. The two men might be working together, but was it a congenial partnership or one out of necessity? Or did they share other business more risky than smuggling?
He watched for several minutes, and when the crew began releasing the mooring lines, he had what he needed. After looking to his left and right, ensuring he didn’t spot anyone following him, he made his way back to theDaphne. He was whistling as he boarded the ship. Fitz had been watching Cheval’s ship, which was docked on the other end of the pier. Even in the shadows, Beckworth had seen the masts and knewThe Horsemanwas still in port.
He was eager to see Stella. His first thoughts were how to apologize. It was time for a long-overdue discussion. Did she understand his concerns? She always had before, but she’d been so mad at him. And his walking away like a coward wouldn’t have eased her temper.
The crew was busy, and while the sails remained tied down, he recognized the early signs of readiness to sail. With Cheval in port, he couldn’t blame Jamie for not wanting to stay. He ran down the stairs and strode directly to their cabin.
It was empty.
Everyone must still be with Jamie. No one had been in the galley, so he went to Jamie’s office. The door was open, and the only person there was the captain.
“Where’s Stella?” he asked after tapping lightly on the doorframe.
Jamie was writing a letter, and Beckworth assumed it was for Thomas to take back to Hensley. Although theDaphnewould be returning to Bristol soon, Jamie liked to keep the spymaster informed.
After another few scratches, Jamie set the quill aside and closed the inkpot. “She received a personal note from MacDuff asking for another meeting.” He must have caught Beckworth’s concern because he stood.
“TheGrey Ghostslipped its mooring lines. They’re departing.”
Jamie pulled on his jacket then picked up his pistol and sword. “I sent four men with her.”
They jogged up the stairs and across the deck to the gangplank. Jamie stopped long enough to give an order.
“Prepare for sail. Send a couple of men to round up anyone still in town.”
Once they were on the pier, Beckworth asked, “When was the note delivered?”
“About thirty minutes ago. He asked to meet at a pub on the far end of town towards where theGrey Ghostwas docked.”
They raced that way, and when they reached it, Jamie stopped him from going in. “Let me check.”
Beckworth knew it was for nothing. Not one of the men was there, and at least one of them would have remained outside.
Jamie was back in less than a minute. “They’re not here.”
They hadn’t seen anyone on their rush to the pub. Beckworth glanced at the people roaming the docks. Nothing. He went to kick a nearby post when he spotted the paper swan. He picked it up, and Jamie stepped next to him.
“Look for another one,” Beckworth said.
