Chapter 38
Mary worried the inside of her cheek as she leaned against the cool brick of the dockside building. She turned her gaze to Gabriel, whose jaw was clenched tight.
Was he well? Was he worried for his cousin? She wished she could ask him how he felt, but now was certainly not an appropriate time for such an interrogation.
A low fog tumbled its way over the cobblestones to seep through her boots to her feet, sending a chill through her.
Gabe leaned toward her. “Lady Kerr is handing over the documents.”
Indeed. Mary looked toward the frigate and the petite, womanly figure had an arm outstretched toward a tall, slender man that Mary assumed was their leader, the forged documents clutched within her hand.
The tall man, whose face Mary had yet to see, accepted the documents and began to examine them.
“Oh dear.” Mary cringed as the man began to shout, waving the pieces of parchment around.
He tossed the documents over the ship’s rail, their cream colour rippling like waving leaves as they fluttered to rest upon the surface of the water.
Lady Kerr cowered from the man, and from her waving hand gestures, Mary assumed that she was giving excuses and spouting her innocence.
The apparent leader of their group withdrew a pistol and aimed it at Lady Kerr. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. An echoingboomreached their ears and rippling far beyond.
Both Colin and Gabe cursed soundly under their breath, and Mary gasped, one hand covering her mouth as Lady Kerr crumpled.
A loud shout carried its way to them, drawing Mary’s attention.
“Frederick, ye demmed fool!” Gabe muttered. “Leave well enough alone and keep yer mouth shut!”
Mary was riveted on the scene unfolding on the frigate. An incensed Lord Winning charged at the tall, slender man as another of the traitors lifted Lady Kerr bodily and tossed her into the Thames. A scuffle ensued. The leader stood calm and collected as Gabe’s cousin threw punches and curses at the man.
“Leave off, Frederick,leave off, Frederick!” Gabe chanted, apparently trying to will his cousin to halt this foolishness.
Boom!
“Nae!” Gabe shouted hoarsely.
Gabe rose, but Mary gripped his sleeve. Frederick’s lifeless body followed Lady Kerr’s into the Thames, the hollow splash loud as a death knoll. As sorry as she was for the death of Lord Winning, she feared Gabe’s reaction most.
“Nae,” Gabe whispered, his voice rough as gravel.
Colin shifted beside her. “My sincerest condolences on the loss of your cousin, my lord.”
Gabe cut a sharp glance at Colin. “I donnae wish te be a Baron. Donnae call melord.”
“Hush.” Mary’s stomach clenched with worry. “They are returning.”
Indeed, their boat crossed the channel and was approaching the dock.
Mary watched with her heart in her throat as the traitors—once seven turned five—clambered from the small rowboat.
They could hear the traitors’ voices now.
“Your men have yet to find him?” one man asked.
“Not the man, no. Quite tricky to get their hands on, eh wot?” Mr. Piper replied. “But they discovered that he is to take passage on a ship bound for the Americas, set to sail tomorrow at first light.”
“Have a man on it. Do not let Spencer out of your man’s sight while aboard. Have him follow the devil home to his uncle and kill the both of them.”
Mary glanced at Gabe’s taut features. She could not let his cousin’s murder go without a suspect, and she knew that the witnesses would not speak of it to anyone. There must be something Mary could do…
