“She was beside herself when he arrived covered in blood, most of which wasn’t his. Now she’s livid he took such a risk traveling at night. She tends to him as a doting sister, but she’s barely said a word since it became clear he would recover with ease.”
“And how are you?”
“In the middle and frustrated. But not by them. They sound just like Arjun and I did. It’s realizing just how close the Company is to closing in on us. Ben won’t be able to continue transporting the goods. He’s too recognizable. That means sailing, which makes us vulnerable to pirates. There’s no good solution.”
“What do you need from me?” Keith didn’t want to ask because he didn’t want to be there. But Rajesh had saved his life more than once while they were privateers. He felt obligated.
“I know you wish you were home. I saw how you and Lydia were. I suspect more has progressed since I left.”
“She accepted my betrothal, but my cousin refuses to relent.”
“Cousin?”
“Oliver. Turns out he started courting her while I was away. We were caught kissing and half the village saw us. He still demands he’s entitled to her hand.”
“Sackville?” Rajesh looked past Keith to the docked ship. “He was a friend of Zachary Windsor-Clive. I had a missive from a business partner in London. Both men invested heavily in the Company. Apparently, he went on a tear when word reached him Windsor-Clive died.”
“And he happens to show up on the Abbingtons’ doorstep right after it happened. He must know about Will.”
“I don’t doubt it. If Windsor-Clive shared his suspicions, which I’m sure he did, then your cousin knows about the gunpowder and saltpeter. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s blackmailing Will into letting him marry Lydia.”
“I never imagined Will would be so weak.”
“We don’t know for sure. And if Sackville is pressuring Will, we don’t know what he’s using to force my uncle’s hand. It could be Lydia’s or Sarla’s lives. It might even be Lydia’s sister and her family. She has a newborn.”
“True.” Keith raked his hand through his hair and turned toward his ship. “I want to help, but now I don’t trust Lydia and her family are safe.”
“Go back. We’ll sort things here.”
“I feel badly.”
“Don’t. The gunpowder is important, but not more important than my family’s lives. No one will fault you.”
“If I leave now, I can catch the tide.” Keith said his farewells before returning to his ship and a confused crew. He was curt as he explained why they would return to Forde Abbey. He stood at the prow as they sailed away from Powderham. He paced the deck throughout the night when he didn’t take his turn at the helm. His first mate finally convinced him to retire to his cabin for a few hours. He woke to bellowing and cannon fire.
“What the bloody hell is happening?” Keith roared as he came on deck. His first mate pointed to a nearby ship with smoking cannons jutting out from its side. He squinted until he was certain of what he saw. “He has Lydia.”
“We know, Captain. He’s making ready to board us. We didn’t dare fire back with the lady aboard.”
“Let them come. I want the fight on this ship and away from Lydia.” Keith spun to a crate that held weapons and loaded as many pistols as he could carry, ordering his men to do the same. He dashed to his cabin and retrieved his sword, which he sheathed at his left hip. He returned to the deck as the first grappling hook dragged along the planks.
“Ahoy, Marauder!”
Keith couldn’t believe who stood with Lydia pinned to his side. The pirate had been the bane of his existence for years, often trying to plunder Keith’s pillaged cargo. He trained his eyes on the man, his face a thundercloud. Nicholas La Grange, more often known asLe Sabordeuror The Scuttler, grinned at him. La Grange sank every ship he didn’t bring into his armada, and he usually did it with the surviving crew tied to the gunwales. Keith refused to consider that as his fate.
“How much did he pay you?” Keith wouldn’t prevaricate.
“One hundred pounds silver. How much will you pay me?”
Keith met Lydia’s eyes, assessing how she appeared. She had a visible bruise on her cheek, and her clothes were crumpled. But she looked better than he’d feared. He darted his eyes away from La Grange, praying she understood. She stomped on the pirate’s foot and lurched away. Keith seized the moment and fired his gun. The bullet landed in the center of his enemy’s throat.
All hell broke loose as The Scuttler’s crew realized their leader was dead. They poured over the rails and onto Keith’s boat. Some swung from ropes, others used boards to cross, and a few jumped. Keith did his best to know where Lydia was throughout the sea battle, but there were times when he had to turn away. His men maintained control and slowly plowed their way through their attackers. When a bullet whizzed past him, perforating his sleeve, he had no time to react before the culprit’s head exploded from a bullet to the back of his skull. As the dead man collapsed, he found Lydia standing with a smoking gun. She raised another and shot again without hesitation, killing a man who ran toward her. Keith was agog that she hesitated not at all and appeared unfazed by the battle or her actions.
He had little time to remain in his stupor as his enemy continued to fight his crew. He swung his sword as he fought to reach his enemy’s ship and Lydia, but each time he advanced, another one of The Scuttler’s crew surged toward him. Fortified by the knowledge that Lydia defended herself and him, he kept her in his sights but continued to battle the men seeking to avenge their dead captain. Sweat dripped from his brow, and it relieved him to watch Lydia scurry to hide behind a stack of crates and barrels. It placed her back to the far rail, so no one could slip behind her. Once he knew she was better protected, he focused entirely on the fight. He cut through one after another alongside his men.
Keith and his men prevailed. As his men cheered their victory, Keith dashed across a plank and swept Lydia into his arms. Their kiss was frantic as their hands roamed, reassuring one another they were each in one piece. Fear still hammered their hearts, but the moments spent in each other’s arms quietened their panic. When they could no longer go without drawing air deep into their lungs, they pulled apart.
“Lyddie, my love.” Keith kissed her cheeks, her jaw, her forehead, her lips, and her cheeks again. Never had he felt so relieved to see anyone.
