“Did you help my father whilst I was away? Your father helped all his fortune disappear. Uncle Soulden let the creditors have at him, and he had to sell much to keep out of debtors’ prison.”
Wycliff tapped his nose, the one Soulden had broken in that brutal attack on him and Ruth.
“Very odd for my father to be in that position. He wasn’t poor. Makes one wonder who embezzled all his funds?”
“You know…that is terrible. My father should’ve helped, but you know how they warred. I wonder how you have money. Did you get part of a bounty?”
“Yes, you could say that. With the HMSLiverpoolretired, everyone is enjoying freedom. Go tell Uncle to enjoy his freedom while he can. He’ll get nothing from me.”
Lawden moved toward the door and opened it wide. He even made hand motions, waving them to leave.
Nicholas started to go, but the sweating captain caught his arm.
“Just wait. My lord, is there any way to persuade you. Higher terms? I don’t want to end up like Nacknel. I won’t be stoned by my men.”
“Stoned?” Wycliff forced his rough voice to sound surprised. “I heard Nacknel was beaten to death for his gambling. Shame that happened to Uncle Soulden’s dearest friend.”
His cousin’s face turned redder and redder. That mole was destined to explode like gun powder.
Nicholas stepped closer. “Are you behind the rumors, Adam? How did his men know he was out of money?”
From his cousin’s shifting stance, Wycliff knew the man was about to attack.
Wycliff wiggled his fingers, readying to wield his sjambok. “Were the rumors about Nacknel not being able to pay true? Sad.”
Rubbing his chin, Nicholas looked at the captain then back toward Wycliff. “Everything could be made right if you restored our credit. The bankers say you have plenty of money. A good word from you to back the financing would do it.”
“No, Nickie, my darling Nickie. No.”
“Cousin. Nacknel was savagely beaten. All our shipping captains face the same fate.”
“I remember savage. Nacknel was responsible for my voice.” Wycliff pulled at the collar of his nightshirt and exposed the scars, the gnarled skin scabbed over the lacerations from his near lynching. “You think Nacknel’s suffering was enough?”
The captain stepped back. His eyes glazed. Perhaps he now understood how bad the blood was between the camps.
Wycliff closed the distance. “Steward, tell all the captains of the shipping lanes to never gamble on payroll. Men protecting their families can be very dangerous. Men with reasons for revenge are deadly.”
Eyes darting, as if he could measure the nets closing in upon him, Nicholas shook his fists. “Somehow, you’re responsible for this. You were almost a vicar. How could you be so cruel?”
“Even vicars have to overturn tables every now and then. But me responsible?Hmmm.I don’t think so. But I may have mentioned the rumor to someone. Can’t remember who.”
Whack.Nicholas punched him, his knuckles connecting to the bone under Wycliff’s eye.
When he advanced again, Wycliff tripped him and dumped him onto the marble.
Then he drove his knee deep into the man’s chest and lodged his sjambok against the fool’s windpipe, crushing and choking.
Lawden blocked the captain from intervening.
“I think this is a fair fight, Nickie. The two of us, not a crowd of hired men. What do you say, Cousin? Can’t speak?”
“Get…off.” Nicholas kept struggling, swinging his arms.
“You want mercy, Nickie? You want me to think you’re my friend? You laughed pretty well knowing I’d have a slow death as a barnacle on a frigate.”
“I could’ve let them just kill you.”
“They were too scared of God’s wrath and the fear of killing a peer, from all the scriptures of judgement I coughed out. That’s why Nacknel did what he did to my throat. To stop me from telling the truth.”
