“Unfortunately, before I could get out of town, I was ordered to return to the foreign office immediately. I looked around for someone I knew, someone dependable enough to reach the Drake and Cock and honorable enough to deliver your missives unread. My options were limited. I saw a few people I knew, but no one I considered both dependable and honorable. Then Duffy rounded the corner, and, in desperation, I hailed him. You know the rest.”
“I also know,” Justin informed him grimly, “that you must be the only man alive who considers Duffy Finch dependable.”
Michael grinned. “You got your messages, didn’t you?”
Justin returned the grin and slapped his friend on the arm. “I did. In time. And I appreciate all you’ve done, Michael. I’ve sent Tom on ahead to the farm you told me of, and I’m on my way there now.”
A sudden frown wiped the amusement from Michael’s face. His gaze was fixed on a man who appeared to be looking in their direction. “Wait for me Justin,” he said. “This could pertain to you, too.”
Michael quickly joined the stranger whose very demeanor marked him as a member of London’s notorious underworld. A few minutes of quiet conversation with the man deepened Michael’s frown, and when he returned to Justin’s side, he spoke softly.
“That fellow is one of the two men I had looking for your young woman. When they found her, one returned to London to tell me where she was and the other stayed at an inn near the Belcour farm to keep an eye on her. This morning my informant happened to see a private coach leaving the vicinity of the farm and traveling at an unusually fast pace toward London. He was afraid your young lady might be in that coach, so he followed it—all the way to the waterfront. Two people then got out and disappeared onto a ship that will be sailing for America soon. Your young woman was one of those people. My informant had never seen her companion before but describes him as a handsome devil. It appears, Justin, at least to my informant, that your young woman and her friend are leaving England together—and of their own accord.”
Justin shook his head. “I don’t think so, Michael. In case you don’t already know, I will tell you that the young woman is Charles’s sister. Charles hid her on that farm, and I don’t believe she would leave unless it were on his orders or in his company. What did her companion look like?”
“It wasn’t Charles, that’s for sure. My friend says the fellow was tall, blond, and had the face of an angel. Charles is as adept at disguises as you or I, my friend, but nobody has ever said he has the face of an angel.”
“Then who was it? And where the hell is Charles?”
“I wasn’t aware that Charles is missing.”
“I’ve been looking for him for days. I’m sure I know what business he’s been about, but I can’t understand what’s taking him so long.”
Michael frowned and rubbed his chin, a sure sign that he was deep in thought. “I think I’d better have my friend over there begin some inquiries about Charles. In the meanwhile, why don’t you and I wander down to the docks to see what we can learn there?”
“This isn’t your problem, Michael, and I’ve imposed on you enough, but I accept your offer anyway. That young woman’s life may be in danger. In fact, I’m positive of it. She has some very devious enemies.”
Michael grinned. “There’s nobody more devious than I, my friend. We’ll find out what’s going on, never fear.”
“I thank God for your deviousness, Michael,” Justin replied with an answering grin, “especially since you’re on my side!”
His friend laughed softly and then indicated that Justin should wait for him while he engaged in a quiet but emphatic conference with his acquaintance from the underworld. When that intense conversation ended, Michael’s unusual friend slid out of sight, while Michael returned to Justin’s side.
“I know the name of the ship Charles’s sister and her escort boarded. This particular ship is being unobtrusively but heavily guarded, I’ve been told. That, in itself, is unusual enough to cause me to fear that Charles’s sister is not on that ship of her own free will. Now, I suggest that you and I outfit ourselves in some less conspicuous clothing before we venture down to the docks. Have you ever disguised yourself as a sailor before, Justin?”
“More times than I care to think about. It won’t take me long. Do you have the appropriate clothing yourself, or would you like to borrow some from me?”
Michael grinned. “I may not be the master of disguise you are, but I think I can manage without your assistance. I’ll stop by your rooms in about half an hour and we’ll go from there to the waterfront.” He turned to leave, but Justin’s hurried question stopped him.
“Michael, when is this ship scheduled to leave port?”
Michael’s grin faded. “Tomorrow afternoon,” he said. “We will have to work quickly and carefully.
Justin nodded. “I’ll be ready when you come by for me,” he stated. “And we had better hurry.”
The two men arrived at the waterfront less than an hour later, each in a disguise that would have successfully hidden their identities from any but their closest friends. Justin, dressed in loose trousers and a leather vest with no shirt on under it, sported a large gold hoop in his left ear. A knitted cap covered his stylish haircut. Michael was attired in similar trousers, but he wore a patched shirt and a wig that was shoulder length and scraggly. Neither man looked at all unusual as they strolled past the ship that Merriana had boarded earlier in the day. An unobtrusive glance toward the ship indicated that what Michael had been told was correct—the ship was well guarded, much too well guarded for conditions to be normal.
Their next stop was a nearby tavern where Michael had arranged to meet another of his informants. That gentleman awaited them in a dark corner at a filthy table. He was dressed in clean, conservative clothing, and his speech was more nearly that of a gentleman than most of his ilk, but a single glance into the man’s icy eyes convinced Justin that he was as dangerous as any he had ever met. Justin waited until Michael introduced him before taking a chair at the man’s table.
The man wasted no time. “You owe me five pounds,” he informed Michael.
Michael’s lips twitched as though he found something a bit humorous. “I owe you five pounds,” he agreed, “if you have information for me that’s worth five pounds.”
The man’s scowl didn’t lighten, but he didn’t disagree. “That ship you’re interested in,” he began. “Two people are on it against their will—a dark man and the blonde girl you’ve been seeking. The man was the first taken on board, and he hasn’t been treated kindly. The girl seemed to go of her own accord, but she’s locked up now with the other. They’re both in the first mate’s cabin, next door to the captain’s cabin.”
Michael nodded solemnly. “What’s to become of them?”
“Nobody knows unless it’s the captain or the golden-haired bastard who seems to be the one responsible for them being there. He’s a stranger to this area, but I’ve seen his kind before. Whatever he means to happen to them, it don’t bode well for their health.”
Michael rubbed his chin. “If you took two people onto a ship against their will, what would you have in mind for them?”
The man didn’t hesitate. “Selling them as indentured servants in America or drowning them in the Atlantic.”
“If you planned to drown them, why not do it in the Thames?”
A hint of a cold smile touched the man’s thin lips. “A thousand reasons, or none. There might be good rationale for it, or it might be a whim.”
Michael raised his brows. “You,” he said, “would have a reason.”
“I would,” the man agreed. “Acting on whims isn’t my way.”
Michael shrugged. He seemed to have decided that he would get no more information from the man. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some gold coins and handed them to his informant. The man’s face showed no emotion as he stood and then crammed the money into his pocket. He had taken two steps away from the table before he tur
ned once more to address Michael. “If I cared whether those two people lived or died—which I wouldn’t be likely to do—but if I did, I’d get them off that ship tonight.”
Michael’s eyes widened. “I know it’s scheduled to sail tomorrow afternoon,” he noted, watching his informant closely.
“Or before,” the man replied, a slight smile touching his lips.
“Do you know when?” Michael asked.
The man stood silently, pondering for a moment. His expression was almost cheerful. He had obviously scored a few points in a game for which only he knew the rules. His decision, when it came, was swift. “With the tide tonight,” he said as he turned and disappeared into the dim and smoky recesses of the tavern.
“Damnation,” Justin exclaimed. “That doesn’t give us much time. I’ve got to get onto that ship.”
“Do,” Michael informed him tersely, “and I’ll have three to rescue instead of two. You saw how closely guarded that ship is.”
“So what’s your plan? Are the two of us going to surround it and demand the crew throw down their weapons?”
“You have a point. There’s not enough time to round up an army, even if we had a valid excuse for attacking a neutral ship lying in harbor. My sources of information are, in my opinion, excellent, but for some inexplicable reason, the authorities have never shared my views. Let me think a few minutes.”
On edge, Justin bit his lip while Michael sat, absentmindedly rubbing his chin and occasionally grimacing. His expression did little to relieve Justin’s mind, and at last he could contain himself no longer.
“We haven’t got all day for you to think, Michael. I’m going out to take a look around. Maybe I can get myself hired on that ship as a sailor. Then I can watch for the best chance to free Merriana and Charles.”
“Justin,” his friend replied with a scowl. “You are thinking with your heart instead of your head. You know as well as I do that plans have to be laid—and laid carefully—to carry out a successful rescue mission. If you jump in without looking, you’ll end up dead. And in case you haven’t noticed, my friend, dead men are notoriously unhelpful in assisting those they once loved.”
Justin sighed. “You’re right, but I just can’t see any way to lay careful plans in this case. For one thing, there isn’t time. And for another—”
“Do your name be Justin?” The voice that interrupted Justin came from somewhere in the neighborhood of his elbow. He looked down into the grimy face of one of the street urchins who, by the age of five or six, had learned to steal, lie, and cheat in order to survive.
The boy’s eyes were angelic, but Justin had no reason to believe his heart was likewise. “Who wants to know?” he asked.
“A toff by the name of Tom,” the urchin replied. “He promised a shilling to whoever found some earl by the name of Justin. Do you be he?”
“Do I look like an earl?” Justin growled.
The boy grinned. “You looks like a seadog but you talks like an earl,” he announced. “If you be he, I’m to bring Tom to you. He’s lookin’ for somebody else, too, and he said to tell you he may have a way of helpin’ her.”
“Where is this Tom?” Michael asked the boy, and the urchin quickly pointed to the door. “I can have them here in a jiffy,” he announced hopefully.
“Them?” Justin inquired.
“He’s got another man with him,” the boy replied. “I’ve seen the other toff before. His name’s Weston. He’s the captain of the Diamond Queen.”
“Bring them in now,” Michael commanded.
The boy turned and ran.
“Do you suppose he’ll be back?” Justin asked.
“I’m sure of it. It just may be, my compatriot, that you and I have been bested in this game by our old friend Tom, who has never had a moment’s training for the pursuits in which we engage.”
“What makes you think that? Do you know this captain who’s with him?”
“I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard a great deal about him. Some of the rumors I’ve heard don’t speak highly of the way he chooses to make his living. On the other hand, there seems little doubt that he’s one of the best seamen in the world. If he’s willing, he may be the very man we need.”
“In what way?” Justin asked, but there was no time for Michael to answer his question. Tom was approaching their table. He stopped briefly to press a coin into the small dirty hand that was tugging at his coat and then thanked the urchin before sending him on his way.
Tom’s face was lined with worry, but he wasted no time in small talk. “Justin. Michael.” He nodded to each as he motioned a young man toward the table. “This is the captain of the Diamond Queen. He knows what our problem is, and he’s willing to help us.”
Michael was the first to extend his hand. “Captain Weston. I’ve heard of you of course. I’m pleased to meet you.”
The man who grasped Michael’s hand looked far too young to be captain of a ship. In fact, Justin was thinking, he looked barely out of the schoolroom, with his clean-shaven, boyish face and his rather small frame. Beside Tom, he was almost dwarfed. But there was something in the man’s eyes that warned a careful observer not to underestimate him. The eyes reflected a high degree of intelligence, while the fine lines surrounding them told of days spent squinting against the harsh glare of sun and water. He was grinning now as he shook Michael’s hand.
“If you’ve heard of me, sir, I’m surprised you’re also pleased to make my acquaintance. I, in turn, have heard of you, and I assure you that the pleasure is all mine.”
He turned quickly to Justin and extended his hand. “I’ve heard a great deal of you too, my lord, but only in the past few minutes. Tom has told me much about you.”
Justin returned the firm handshake while trying unobtrusively to study the sea captain. The young man was American, as was obvious from his accent. But why in the world had Tom taken a stranger into his confidence?
“The captain has been a lot of help to me, Justin,” Tom answered the unspoken question as the new arrivals seated themselves at the table. “As you’ve already guessed, Merriana was missing when I arrived at the farm. Everybody there was frantic because she had disappeared almost from under their noses. But as I had been riding toward the Belcour farm, a man passed me riding toward London. It struck me as strange, because the man didn’t look like he was used to riding at all, let alone riding like old Satan hisself was nipping at his heels. So after learning that Merriana had gone missing, I decided to turn around fast and try to catch up with that man, which I was able to do, him being on such a slug and riding so poorly to boot. I trailed him straight to the waterfront, but I was too far behind him to see where he went. So I began asking questions and soon found out that a beautiful blonde girl had been led onto one of the ships, and I figured it was Merriana and that she was back in the hands of that blasted uncle of hers.
“The captain here heard about my questions and approached me with a few of his own. When he found out what was going on, he offered—for a price—to help get Merriana off that ship, but I told him we’d have to talk to you. He suggested we send some urchins looking for you, which we did. I was sure surprised when that little one come back saying he had found you here.”
Justin merely nodded his head. “You’ve done well, Tom.” Then he turned to the stranger at the table. “And I appreciate your desire to help, captain. Perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me what you know of this affair and why you’re willing to interest yourself in the troubles of someone with whom you’re not acquainted.”
The young man shrugged. “I don’t blame you for mistrusting me. I’d feel the same were I in your boots. You see, there’s little on the docks that goes unnoticed, and I’d heard that a very lovely girl had boarded one of the most disreputable ships in port, but that was none of my business. Then I heard that Tom here was asking questions about her, and my own curiosity was aroused, so I approached Tom with a few questions of my own. When he told me a little more about the si
tuation, I became even more interested. I’m a man who likes a challenge, and from what I know of the ship that young woman is on and of the man who took her there, I realize that getting her off that ship alive will be quite a challenge. I’d like to help.”
“What do you know of the man who took her there?” Michael asked softly, so softly that the sea captain raised his eyebrows and allowed the hint of a smile to touch his lips.
“I know enough about him to respect him—the way one respects a poisonous viper. He’s very dangerous and very clever. If the girl’s his enemy, he means for her to die.”
“And her brother too?” Justin asked, watching the younger man carefully.
Something flickered in the sea captain’s eyes, but it was gone before Justin could identify it. The captain frowned. “I know nothing of a brother,” he said. “Is he on the ship with the young woman?”
“We believe so,” Justin replied.
“That makes the task doubly difficult,” the captain noted as he grasped his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “And we have only a few hours. The Charlestown Belle is scheduled to sail tomorrow.”
“But their plans have changed,” Michael interjected. “I have it on excellent authority that the ship will sail on this evening’s tide.”
The captain grimaced but didn’t question Michael’s statement. “In that case, I’ll have to begin rounding up my crew right away. I’ve given them shore leave for a few days, and I’ll be hard pressed to get a skeleton crew together in time to follow the Belle.”
“Follow?” Justin repeated. “Why would you want to follow the ship? What we must do is to free Merriana and Charles before it ever leaves port.”
“Well,” the sea captain answered calmly, “if you can think of a way to do that without getting both of them killed, I’ll be glad to listen to your plans.”
The Mysterious Merriana Page 24
