Page 71 of His Wicked Secret
“We must go to a small inn at the edge of town. Daniel and I are to meet with a member of the reformist group, show him our credentials. Once we gain his trust, he will take us to the others. You and Daniel will be presented as exiled aristocrats. I’m your friend and fellow French sympathizer. I’ll do my best to insert myself into their group. You are to do what you do best…Lady Society.”
“How did you…?”
“I’ve known for as long as you’ve been hounding me about being a spy. Your writing style is distinct, and you made no attempt to hide your mannerisms. I’m surprised no one else has noticed. But then, my skills have always lain in deciphering letters.”
Audrey nodded, thinking. They would have to gather names and meeting places and learn if these men would be returning to England to incite a rebellion. But even loose gossip between comrades could yield insight as to their intentions.
Avery turned to face her. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you.” She touched her cheek with one hand. She was still pale, but she felt better. Oddly enough, being attacked by those brutes had given her some of her fire back. If she could fight off one brutish man and intimidate another, she had to be capable enough for the task at hand. “Should we see our luggage is packed and ready for shore?”
“I believe we should.” Avery escorted her back to her cabin. As he walked away, she had a suspicion that someone was watching her, but she could see no one in the hall.
One of those cads, no doubt,she thought.
* * *
Jonathan was rousedby the sound of a scuffle somewhere nearby. By the time he got up and into the hall, he saw the two men from before cursing and fleeing down the corridor from Audrey’s room. Before he could go into her room to check on her, he had to duck back into his own—Sheffield was coming.
He listened to her tell Sheffield the whole story. She handled it so casually he couldn’t help but swell with pride, but he was furious that those two men had tried to harm her and that he hadn’t acted in time to stop them. He waited for Sheffield to pass by his cabin, then slipped outside and walked to the steps that led down into the crew quarters.
He glanced through the gloom of the dim interior deck, studying the hanging hammocks that filled the area, and then he froze. There at the back, a man was huddled on a stool, clutching a hand to his chest and muttering curses.
“Bloody little bitch!” he snapped, holding his wrist tenderly. It was clearly broken.
Bloody hell, Audrey, you did it. You used the move I showed you. Seeing the proof of her defense made him want to grin, but the fury within him was still too strong. He strode over to the man.
“Crewman.”
“Aye, what do ya want?” he grumbled.
“I’m told we are almost to Calais. I’m just seeing to the crew and thanking them for their service.”
Without warning, he gripped the man’s hand. The crewman screamed.
“Thank you.” He shook the man’s hand hard. “Thank you for being so attentive to the passengers.” He shook it again. “Especiallythe lady on board.”
By this point the man was on his knees, openly weeping.
He dropped the man’s hand in disgust and walked off, returning to his berth to await their arrival in port.
* * *
Half an hour later,theLady’s Splendordocked. Avery, Daniel, and Audrey walked down the gangplank and stepped onto the docks of Calais’s main port. Audrey tried to take in everything she saw as they left and hired a coach to take them out of town. Something she saw might matter later.
Daniel and Avery were silent, but neither appeared tense. They chose to answer her questions as politely but as briefly as they could. Once Audrey realized neither man was interested in conversation, she focused her thoughts on the view outside the window.
By the time they reached their destination, it was evening. The setting sun washed the residences and shops with a dark red hue, and it made Audrey’s stomach turn with a deep sense of unease. The coachman helped them unload their trunks and escorted them inside the inn.
A wooden sign readLe Lys Blanc. This was the place. Audrey followed Daniel and Avery into the main taproom. There were plenty of people already present eating dinner. Audrey took in the occupants of the room, surreptitiously watching them all as they moved toward the back of the inn.
There was a couple in the corner who caught her attention, not for any reason that would give her concern, but mainly because she’d never seen such a tall and broad-shouldered woman before. The man with her was smaller than she was, yet they were eating dinner and holding hands, speaking softly and smiling. It was rather sweet, though the woman’s taste in clothes did leave much to be desired. Still, it was obvious the couple were happy. She couldn’t help but overhear their conversation as they passed. They spoke in French, but not Parisian French. The dialect was more provincial.
“Benjamin, we must bring the children here to the seaside.” The woman blushed. “Once we have children.”
“But of course,my love.” The man’s eyes twinkled. “Lovely place for children. Lovely, like you.”
They were quite in love, and Audrey’s heart twisted with painful longing.If they can find love, why can’t Jonathan and I?
