But… Amelia narrowed her eyes. Itwasreal. And although he was wrong, she couldn’t help but believe Mr. Beckworth was trying to protect her.
Not only from some unknown danger he refused to explain, but from… himself.
He thought that by protecting her from him, he was protecting her from herself. Something she’d experienced enough of to recognize as something she’d no longer allow.
Not from her father. Not from her brother. And definitely not from Mr. Beckworth.
“Do not pretend to know my feelings.” She ignored the food on her plate. “I followed your rules because I wanted to. And it’s true, you aren’t like any of the gentlemen my parents have in mind for me. You aren’t pretentious or fawning. You have purpose. You’ve given meaning to your life. I’ve never really liked any of the men who have been courting me. None of them were… genuine.”
He grunted, still looking unconvinced, but Amelia wasn’t finished.
“I kissed you because… Ilikeyou.”
It was a grand and forward admission.
He deliberately lowered his fork. “And you stopped because deep down, you knew it would be a mistake.”
“It wouldn’t be!”
He shook his head. “Then you are a fool.”
Before she could defend herself or argue anymore, footsteps sounded outside the door and it creaked open, albeit only a few inches. She could see Mr. Fitzgerald peering through the opening.
“My apologies, Boss.” He awkwardly pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose using only one finger. “I’ve an important matter to discuss with you. It is imperative.”
“Of course. Give me one moment.” Mr. Beckworth held up a finger, and his assistant disappeared as quietly as he’d come.
“I am not a fool.” Amelia felt it necessary to reassure him of this.
“Perhaps.” He glowered across the table. “But neither am I.”
SO CLOSE!
Leopold had been hoping to hear something new about Crossings’ ship for a while. Waiting for it to begin the process of shuttling in its cargo, knowing that it was lingering just off the coast, ready to make a move as soon as the wind let up, it had been a nuisance in the back of his mind for days now. So when Fitz interrupted his dinner with important news, Leopold hadn’t minded in the slightest.
And he was not disappointed.
I like you, she had said.
You have purpose,she had said.
He shook his head.
As soon as they were out in the hall, Fitz told him that the rogue ship had gone dark—an obvious sign of activity.
It was perfect.
As the boss, Leopold could just as easily observe his plan unfold from the tower—leave the heavy lifting, the danger, to his team. But he wasn’t that kind of man. Besides, following that rather chaotic conversation with Amelia, he felt… itchy. Unsettled. There was just enough moonlight to see Crossings’ hired crew loading their rowboats. A nice little ambush was just what he needed to exorcise his devils.
“Tell Snipes to apprehend Crossings’ rendezvous vehicles now, and have Ace ready our boats,” Leopold said, drawing away from the viewing glass with a grim laugh. “Looks like the duke is about to lose another shipment.” They all had been anticipating this moment and needed to be quick to get into their positions.
Less than half an hour later, Leopold and half a dozen of his team silently rowed out from behind the rocks that bracketed Treasure Cove. Another of his team did the same from the opposite side to converge on separate targets.
Roughly twenty yards further out, two boats approached—both loaded with barrels of tea—obviously aiming for Smuggler’s Cove.
But they wouldn’t land.
Not in the way they expected to, anyway.
