By late afternoon the next day, they met up with William and Philip in the woods.
“We found the fellow,” Philip informed them. “He claims he has the information we need for a price.”
Storm nodded. “I imagine it will verify what Burke and I have learned.”
Philip and William listened to Storm and Burke detail their findings about Lady Alaina and Cullen.
“It would make sense,” Philip said.
William scratched his head. “Wouldn’t it be easier if Burke just offered to settle an amount on the earl and take his brother back to America?”
“I thought the same,” Burke said. “But Storm suggested that if Cullen is in love with Lady Alaina, he would refuse to leave Scotland, even on threat of his life.”
“Foolish,” William said with a shake of his head.
Burke slapped the man on the back. “You’ve never been in love, have you?”
“Thank the heavens,” William declared.
Once the laughter settled down, Philip asked, “What else can this man tell us?”
“If we’re lucky, where to find Cullen,” Storm said.
“Did it seem that he might possess such information?” Burke asked.
“He was hesitant,” Philip said.
“Hesitant or cautious?” Storm queried.
William nodded. “Cautious, definitely cautious. The fellow kept in the shadows, his back to the building so no one could sneak up behind him, and he kept his voice low. We had to strain to hear what he said.”
“It’s curious that there should be so much secrecy involved in it all,” Philip said.
“The earl isn’t going to want the world to know that his daughter fell in love with a common man of no title or importance and that he loves her,” Storm said. “It just would not be acceptable.”
Storm noticed that Burke had remained silent listening to the exchange. His eyes narrowed and he appeared to drift off in thought. Something weighed on his mind, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it was.
“When do we meet this man?” Storm asked, her question bringing Burke out of his musing.
“Tomorrow at dawn at the fork in the river,” Philip said.
“A safe place?” Storm asked.
“Secure enough,” Philip said. “William and I have already found the vantage points. I thought it best if William and Burke take points while you and I speak with the man.”
“I want to be there,” Burke insisted.
“I think you should,” Storm said to everyone’s surprise. “This man sells information for a price. If he meets with me and recognizes my identity, then he will certainly tell, for a goodly sum, my general location. Burke offers no such appeal to him, so therefore Burke and Philip would be the logical men to meet with him. William and I will take the points.”
“You are a wise leader,” Burke said with a smile.
“You’re just discovering that, Mr. Longton?”
“Admitting it, Storm, for all to know.”
Storm ordered that they make camp near the meeting place. She wanted to be sure that the fellow arrived alone. It took a couple of hours to cover the area and make certain all was in readiness for tomorrow’s meeting.
Food taken from the ship provided supper for the evening. Storm wanted no campfire or scents to drift in the air and attract unwanted visitors or alert anyone to their location.
