Читать книгу To Defy a Duke - A. Mervyn Smith - Страница 10

Chapter Six

Plucking the last of the herbs from the garden that the cook would need for the evening meal, she tucked them into her basket. Walking through the kitchen door, she set her basket on the table. “Is that all you will need, Nettie?”

The cook looked over and nodded. “That oughta do it, milady.” She turned her attention back to kneading the bread.

As she was removing her gardening gloves, Jinx walked in. He took her gloves and said, “I took the liberty of having a bath prepared for you, milady. Your maid will be up directly to attend you.” He glanced over at the cook then back. “If there is no immediate need of my services, I would like to attend to some personal matters for an hour, if that is acceptable.”

“Do what you must, Jinx. I can manage for an hour.” She smiled as she brushed past him.

Up in her room, she sank into the steaming hot bath, relaxing her stiff muscles. She heard her door open and close then the click as it was locked.

“I’m getting old, love.”

A hand rested on her shoulder. “You are still as young and beautiful today as the first time I laid eyes on you.” The hand caressed her shoulder, sliding down to massage her back.

“Mm, that feels good. You would make an excellent personal maid.”

“I have on many, many occasions.”

Clara giggled. “You do my heart good, love.” She turned in the tub, exposing the top of her breasts. “I know you are anxious, but it will not be much longer now. Then we will set sail for parts unknown, never to set foot on English soil again.”

“I am quite partial to English soil, dear. It is London that is smothering.” He kissed her on the nose. “Always the fear of being discovered. Such prigs. Judging others for the same transgressions they commit on a daily basis.”

“You are right, as always.” Turning back in the water, she asked, “Did you book our passage?”

“Of course. We are due to depart three months hence, if not before. It is open should circumstances dictate an earlier departure.” His head whipped around as he heard a familiar sound. “Mary has returned. She will be up here momentarily.” He sighed and kissed her cheek. “Enjoy yourself this evening, love.” He walked to the door and unlocked it.

“Oh, Jinx!” she whispered.

He turned as he opened the door.

“I love you!”

He smiled and winked then slipped out.

*****

Clara sat at her table, looking over her guests. It was everything she could do to feign interest. But this was a necessary evil, one that she would perform a thousand times over on the chance she might obtain a tidbit of information.

One day he would slip up. She just had to bide her time and sit through countless dinner parties, soirées, musicals, theatre performances, and…what was that?

She leaned into her dinner partner, brushing her chest against his arm. “My apologies, Julian. My earbob was loose, and I missed what you were saying.” She gave him a brilliant smile, secure in the knowledge that he did not know an earbob was not required to hear. His eyes and mind were too full of her, er, assets.

“What? Oh, the captain of that boat! What is its name again?” He addressed her breast.

“You mean the ship, the Tiger’s Eye?” You could lead them to water, but to get them to…

“Yes! That is the one! Franklin told me they arrested him.” Her heart beat rapidly. “Then they found out he really was not the captain, just dressed like one.”

Drat. This boy was trying her nerves! Her smile never wavered. “So, did he know where the captain could be found?”

He frowned. “Odd that. He was one of the crew on that boat. He agreed to show them where the captain was hiding though.”

Maybe if she smacked him in the head. “Well, that is certainly exciting. They must have been thrilled when they apprehended him!”

“Uh, no. While he was leading them to the real captain, they lost him.”

Clara blinked. “Lost? Him?” She was going to have to kill him, there was nothing for it.

“Well, I believe he escaped. Either way, they claim he ran and disappeared in the fog. Like a ghost.”

No, death was too quick for this baboon. Chain him up by his…

He tittered. Actually tittered. “So when they found him floating face down in the Thames this morning…”

“He was dead? The captain is dead?” Now they were getting somewhere!

“Uh, no. Like I said a few moments ago. The man impersonating the captain was found floating face down…”

“Oh, Julian! Surely you were not there to witness such an abominable sight!” Another five minutes with this idiot and she would be slitting her own wrist.

“Thank goodness, no!” He shuddered. “My cousin, Franklin, who works at Scotland Yard…”

“Oh, the next course has arrived! I do hope you like salmon!”

Julian smiled. “One of my absolute favorites!” That quickly he had lost interest in the gruesome subject.

Clara’s head was beginning to pound. At least another two hours to go.

She had to find another line of work.

*****

She lay on her bed, a wet cloth covering her eyes. The pounding was finally starting to abate when she heard her door open. She felt the bed tip as he sat down.

“How bad was it?”

“It was positively dreadful! One more pawing little boy, one more groping old man and I will be forced to shove a fork through his eye!”

“Now, now, dear. It could not have been that bad.”

“Oh, you were not there, Jinx!” She jerked off the cloth to glare at him. “Trying to get any information out of them is exasperating! I no longer have the patience for this!” She flopped back down and replaced the cloth.

Jinx lifted the cloth and peeked at her. “Did you discover anything?”

Clara sighed and sat up. “Do you know anything about a crew member impersonating the captain?”

He shook his head. “I have heard nothing other than the captain could not be located.”

“There is something strange going on, Jinx. He knew of the inspection beforehand. He had a member of his crew impersonate him, either as a jest or a ruse, to allow the real captain to elude the authorities. The impersonator, possibly fearing incarceration, fled the authorities. Two days later he is found dead.”

“That is a lot of speculation, my love. Tell me the facts as you know them and together we will sort this out.”

“Fact, I discovered information regarding the secret compartments which contained, in part, detailed ledgers. Fact, I relayed this information to someone I trust with my life.”

“Who tried to kill you.”

“Only threatened to, dear. On several occasions. Now follow the story. Fact, the authorities boarded the ship and located the compartments.”

“Did they really locate them?”

“They must have. They have confiscated the ship. All right, fact, the captain was not onboard but had a member of his crew pretending to be him.”

“Are you sure?”

“He was dressed as the captain. Therefore I am fairly certain he was impersonating him, yes.”

“No, love. I meant that the captain was not onboard or that he was not, in fact, the captain.”

“Of course. What other reason…” Clara stiffened. “Or was he?”

“So we cannot consider that fact. And what of the rest of the crew? And were there passengers?”

Clara grabbed him around the waist, hugging him tight. “Jinx! You are a genius!” She pulled back. “I will run through the rest that is considered fact and see if we can find any other discrepancies!”

“Then, please, continue, my dear.”

“Fact, he was expecting to be searched. What other reason would he to have someone impersonating him? Therefore someone had tipped him off.”

“Are either of those fact? Had he been forewarned, he would have cleared out the compartments and the authorities would not have found anything incriminating. As for the impersonator, maybe he was not impersonating.”

“What do you mean? That does not make sense, Jinx. If he were not pretending to be the captain, then that would mean he was the captain. Oh!” She grabbed her head. “Now you have me doing it!”

He removed her hand and held it. “Not necessarily. What I mean is he could have been the authoritarian figure on the ship, and everyone answered to him. But he, himself, answered to the captain.”

“No, not following you, Jinx.” She shook her head. “Either that made absolutely no sense or I am too exhausted to comprehend basic English.”

His laughter shook the bed. “All right, love. You have had a long evening and deserve your rest.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Good night, dearest. Sleep well.” He stood and walked to the door. He turned just before exiting. “By the way, I love you too.”

Clara sighed. The sooner they solved this mystery, the sooner she and Jinx could leave this bloody country behind and start a new life, together.