‘In truth, you were lucky today, Finn. It could easily have ended with you dead on the floor next to that sailor - and I doubt very much we’d have known your fate.’ He held up his hand as Finn opened his mouth to protest. ‘We will undoubtedly continue to need your help, young man. However, in the future, I must insist that you never lie, never act on impulse, andneverdo anything without first gaining the approval of your father.’
‘Well, you can’t argue with that, Finn, my boy,’ the Reverend commented cheerfully. ‘You’ve only got to look at me – following the rules has never done me any harm…’
The identity of their traitor hadn’t been difficult to discover, since only one Welshman had been recruited in recent months. However, by the time everyone in their party had been informed,Faith and Fortunewas under sail. Each person had been issued strict instructions to observe, nothing more, while Tristan was strongly advised to avoid going up on deck alone or giving any noticeable attention to his fiancée in the event it should be noticed.
Henrietta was especially confused. Though she couldn’t be entirely certain, she was reasonably sure that Taffy wasn’t theman she’d seen in the garden at Redstone House. Did that mean there might still be more than one traitor on board? Despite keeping a sharp lookout, she’d failed to spot him amongst the crew. She gnawed anxiously at her bottom lip. She hadn’t mentioned the incident to her father, having assumed Raphael had done so. But then why had neither of them mentioned it?
After a few minutes, she sighed and determinedly put her concerns aside. There was undoubtedly a very good reason why it hadn’t been brought up. Raphael had asked her to be vigilant, and she would continue to be so. If she caught sight of the man, she would inform the agent, but otherwise there were other, more urgent matters that required her attention – primarily tending to Roseanna, who’d unfortunately been struck down with the dreadedmal de mer.Percy too had been similarly afflicted and was being tended to by her mother and Aunt Hope.
Fortunately, by the time dinner was served in the Captain’s private dining room, both patients had recovered sufficiently to be left alone.
‘If the wind remains consistent, we should reach Perros-Guirec in under three days,’ Roan stated after their plates had finally been taken away. He took a sip of his wine before lowering his voice. ‘I understand that Lannion is roughly twenty miles inland, and Chateau Montclair is about three miles from the town. God willing, we’ll reach it while Fontaine is still waiting at St. Malo. Hopefully, our traitor will try his luck tomorrow before we get close enough for him to swim to shore.’
‘Hope is not quite the word I would use,’ Tristan commented drily.
‘My sympathies,’ Rafe answered wryly, ‘but if we can catch him in the act, we are more likely to get something useful out of him.He must realise that something untoward has happened to his shipmate by now, so with any luck he’ll already be anxious and more likely to do something rash.’
‘Again, I would argue there’s nothing remotelyluckyabout either having one’s throat cut or being thrown overboard,’ Tristan disputed, ‘even if one’s murderer is excellent at improvisation.’
‘Well, at least ye ken it be coming.’ Dougal countered. ‘Ah mean there must be a wee bit o’ comfort in haein an idea o’ the actual day someone be gaunnae kill ye. Mebbe we should toast tae that.’ The Scot looked at his empty glass meaningfully.
Tristan thought for a moment before shaking his head. ‘No, none,’ he announced. ‘In fact, I’ll go further and state categorically that there is not one shred of comfort in knowing that tomorrow is the day I could well be departing this mortal coil.’
‘The people you have around you will not allow you to depart anywhere,’ Henrietta reassured him. ‘Though if you do manage to get yourself murdered before the wedding ceremony, I’ve no doubt my cousin will kill you.’
‘No one is being murdered tomorrow, or any other day,’ Raphael avowed, looking at his fellow Frenchman. ‘Though, once this is all over, I am expecting an invitation to the wedding.’
‘If we succeed, you can be the bloody guest of honour,’ Tristan quipped. Then, looking over at Dougal, he added, ‘I think we can drink to that.’
Well aware she was probably being foolish, Henrietta nevertheless decided to take a stroll around the deck before retiring to her bed. Rosie had fallen into a fitful sleep after spending most of the day vomiting into a bucket, and Henri was loath to disturb her until she absolutely had to. It didn’t help that the cabin had a foetid smell of sickness.
Putting on her warmest pelisse, Henrietta made her way to the foredeck. It was full dark, the sky completely clear and filled with so many stars it was though it was studded with diamonds. Shivering, she tucked her hands under her arms and made her way towards a small, makeshift seat she spied almost hidden under the foresail. Sitting down gingerly, she looked up at the heaving cloth propelling them along.
Her father had spent so much of his life aboard a ship, and she well knew that the ocean was as much a part of him as his own body. He might have left the Royal Navy, but he could no more have abandoned the sea than he could his own family. Her mother joked that the waves were his watery mistresses, but Henri knew Faith had long since come to accept that her husband would always have another life.
And sitting here staring up at the billowing sails, and the stars beyond, Henrietta thought she understood it. Until suddenly the stars were blotted out…
‘May I join you, or would you prefer to be alone?’ Raphael’s deep voice brought her back to herself. Blinking, she looked up at the King’s agent. To her surprise, she felt no sudden anxiety at his presence. It was as if he were as much a part of the fabric ofnowas she was. Somehow, they had both stepped out of the world – if only briefly.
She patted the space beside her and without saying anything further, he sat.
A comfortable silence reigned between them until at length, Henrietta glanced towards him and asked the question she’d been longing to pose since she first laid eyes on him.
‘Why do you do it?’
Rafe looked down at his hands, resting against his knees. ‘You want the truth?’ he murmured without lifting his head.
‘Yes.’ Her voice was a whisper.
He did look at her then, his lips quirking in the enigmatic smile she’d seen him wear on so many occasions. Laughing at himself, she knew. She waited without speaking, and at first, she thought he wasn’t going to answer.
And then…‘I don’t know.’ His murmured response was the last thing she expected, and for a second, she was taken aback until he added, ‘My father raised me to oppose the terror he believed had overtaken his country. From a boy, I understood what I was destined to do…’ He paused, looked back down with a shrug. ‘He never questioned whether it was what I wanted to do with my life, and neither did I. Until now.’
His last two words were almost inaudible, but Henrietta heard them, and after a moment, as though it was the most natural thing in the world, she slid closer. She could feel the welcoming,familiarwarmth of his body as he wordlessly lifted his arm and pulled her to him and, without hesitation, she laid her head on his shoulder. They said nothing further about what hadgone before. It was as though they were two souls adrift. No guarantees, no promises.
They simply sat and watched the horizon, empty except for stars filling the sky like a sparkling blanket. The murmurs of the crew on watch, and the ringing of the ship’s bell every half hour faded until there was only the two of them. Finally, she felt him look down at her, his lips sliding against her hair, and she lifted her eyes to his. Slowly, unhurriedly, he bent his head until his lips were barely touching hers, then he waited – for her permission. Wordlessly, she lifted her arm and slid her hand around the nape of his neck.
It was all the encouragement he needed, and with a low groan, his lips finally took hers fully. Unlike the last time, the kiss was soft as he teased open her mouth, sliding his lips along hers, lingering, savouring the taste of her. Gradually, the kiss intensified, until she could feel him trembling with the effort of holding himself back.
