Page 69 of His Wicked Secret
“Someone say my name?” Ashton stood in the doorway like a magician had conjured him, his eyes glinting with amusement.
“Thank God you’re here.” Emily rushed over to hug the tall baron.
Ashton patted Emily’s back and looked over at Godric, waiting for someone to explain. “Rosalind and I arrived early, and I came to see if you wished to have dinner with us, but it seems something else must take priority.”
“Audrey has run off to France with Avery, and Jonathan has gone after her.”
“Avery? What the devil is she…?”
“He is sailing to Calais, hiding aboard their ship.”
Ashton frowned. “Hiding?”
“Not from the crew, from Audrey.”
“This is all terribly confusing.” Ashton glanced between them, baffled.
“I’ll explain while we pack. Do you have any vessels that get us to Calais in a hurry?”
Ashton’s lips twisted into a grin. “You have to ask? I have a cutter that flies like the wind itself. She only just returned yesterday. We could leave in two hours.”
“Excellent.” Godric nodded to his friend. If there was one thing the League could do well, it was rally to a friend’s assistance, or in this case, a brother’s.
Lord, Jonathan. You need to marry this woman if only so she’ll stop getting into trouble.
20
Audrey knelt over her chamber pot, retching violently for what felt like the hundredth time since their ship left port. Avery had warned her that the Channel would be choppy, but she hadn’t realized just how much it would affect her. She’d glanced toward the cabin window and had seen towering, rolling waves. The ship would sometimes drop as much as twenty feet, and it made her stomach plummet right to her toes.
She wiped her mouth and sat back on the floor of her cabin. Cold sweat dewed on her brow, and she winced as her stomach cramped. She felt like such a failure. What kind of spy became seasick? Or became faint at the sight of blood?
Not a good one.
A knock sounded on her cabin door. She looked toward it, watching the curtains of her bunk sway.
“Yes?” She tried to stand, but her legs shook so hard she fell back down to the floor.
“It’s Avery. I wanted to see how you were feeling. The waves have eased a bit, and I thought you could use some fresh air.”
The waves hadeaseda bit? Given the way her stomach knotted in fresh pain, the waves seemed as large as ever.
“I’m…I’m afraid I’m not up to it.” Shame smothered her at the admission, but she couldn’t lie, not when her body was bound to send her crashing back to the floor with dizziness and nausea.
“Is there anything I can do?” Avery’s concern almost made her smile, but she knew there wasn’t anything he could do. Her body simply needed to deal with this on its own.
“No, I’m quite fine. But thank you. How soon until we reach France?”
“Another three hours. The captain said the wind was against us.”
“Lovely,” Audrey muttered and swallowed, trying her best to ignore the sour taste in her mouth.
“Shall I come for you once land is in sight?” Avery asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
Audrey waited for him to leave and shut her eyes. So much for a grand start to her career in espionage. She settled down on the floor, finding the cool wood more of a comfort than the small bed at this moment. Audrey remained like that for at least another half hour, possibly more, focusing on calming her stomach.
She tensed at the sound of more knocking. “Have we reached land already?”
