“Shall we go?” Ridge asked, extending an arm to her.
She took a deep breath, slid her hand around the crook of his arm and allowed him to lead her into the foyer where Kavi and Udaya waited.
Moments later, they settled into Ridge’s town coach and started for the docks. Ridge had explained that the hack carried empty trunks, and those would be loaded onto the ship. The packed trunks would remain in his carriage and travel to Brighton with Kavi, Udaya and Robby.
He and India would board the ship and disembark when he felt it was safe to do so.
Seemingly simple.
So why did she feel like they were heading for certain doom? At the moment, fear was winning the war over guilt as being the dominating emotion.
Beside her, Ridge slipped his hand over hers and squeezed. Warmth shot up her arm with alarming speed. He was reading her distress. He’d have to be blind not to see it, but he acted as if he cared. And that warmed her more than his touch.
By the time they reached the shipyard, she was nearly in a full-scale panic. She sucked in several steadying breaths as the others disembarked and tried to calm her overwrought nerves. She could do this. She had spent years escaping some of the most dangerous situations imaginable. This was mild by comparison.
This is of your own doing.
“Thanks,” she muttered.
“I beg pardon?” Ridge asked as he helped her down from the carriage.
She shook her head. “It was nothing. Were we followed?” she asked, swiftly changing the topic.
“Not that I can determine, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t. We should hasten to board so the others are out of harm’s way.”
As planned, they made a show of bidding the others farewell. Udaya hugged her tightly and Robby slapped Ridge repeatedly on the back and wished him well in a loud voice.
Then Robby, Udaya and Kavi retreated into the carriage. India watched as it rolled away, praying Ridge was correct in his assumption that no one would pay their companions any heed.
Ridge’s hand gripped her elbow. “We should go.”
She quickened her step to keep in stride with him as they threaded their way through the throng of people milling about the shipyard. Behind them, several footmen carried the empty trunks. At the foot of the gangplank, Ridge paused to await the footmen.
After a short conversation with the men loading trunks and baggage onto the ship, he gestured for the footmen to leave the trunks and return to the hack.
“We can board now,” he said. “They’ll make sure our trunks are stowed.”
As they walked up the gangplank, she felt a prickle of unease skirt up her spine. She whirled around, surveying the people below.
“Is something wrong?” Ridge asked.
She scanned the crowd, but she didn’t see anyone that seemed to be paying her and Ridge any attention. And there was no sign of the man with the tattoo.
“No, I’m just being silly,” she muttered.
She followed Ridge the remaining way, her mind screaming at her the entire way. How many times had she boarded a ship bound for nowhere? It’s what it felt like each time. Only this time she wasn’t going to a place, she was traveling from her home.
Her feet were led-filled by the time she stepped onto the deck. She turned and stared at the busy dock, tempted to run back the way they’d came. It wasn’t too late. But it might be for her father if she didn’t arrive in Spain with all possible haste.
With a heavy sigh, she turned her back on her only way home.
“Let’s stand over there,” Ridge said, pointing to a spot that offered a prime view of the docks from behind several stacked trunks.
It was a good hiding place. They would not be in plain sight of anyone looking up from the docks, but they could see anyone who attempted to board.
They squeezed between two rows of crates stacked three high. Ridge pulled her up tight against him, his arm lingering round her waist. Her shoulder tucked perfectly under his arm, and she rested her head on his chest as they began their vigil.
For an hour they watched people pass up and down the gangplank. They watched teary goodbyes, cargo being loaded, passengers filing onto the ship, but still no sign of anything suspicious.
