Page 88 of The Gift of Patience
“What kind of trouble were you in? I heard you’d been captured.”
Ashley cursed under his breath. It could be much more difficult to fool this man than the gang. Devil had been instructed to stay as close to the truth as possible, because they did not know what the man knew.
“Let’s just say I had a little visit with a prison.”
“And you managed to escape?” Disbelief laced the man’s raspy voice.
“My gang ’eld up the caravan on the way to Newgate. It was a bit of a mess and one man was shot.”
“Now you’re a fugitive.”
“Something like that. I need this job to get away.”
“When is this shipment?”
“Tonight.”
The gent cursed rather loudly. “You are certain? My contacts have not mentioned the shipment going out tonight.”
“Shorty saw them being brought in secret like last time. Mebbe your sources missed ’em themselves. I suppose if they are wrong, then we wait longer. No ’arm in looking.”
There was a long pause and for a while, Ashley thought he was going to refuse. Until the goods were actually stolen, they could not act upon anything.
“Very well. Once the goods are on board, you and the boy can sail with it. The captain will have your payment.”
“We will see it done.” Devil slipped back into the tavern, and soon exited again with the gang.
Ashley thought their man would follow, but he did not leave the shadows.
Baines and Cholmely would be following along behind shortly. Did he suspect they were being followed?
Ashley should not have worried.
A large group of very drunk men poured from the door, Baines and Chum included in that number. Had he not been looking for them, he would never have known it was them.
Still, their man waited to leave. What was his hesitation? Did he sense their presence?
Hopefully, he did not intend to wait there until the job was completed. Was he too smart to be caught? Would he then simply claim his yacht had been commandeered unbeknownst to him?
It seemed he was waiting to finish his cigar. Ashley saw a few puffs of smoke over the minutes they waited, then the manfinally emerged. He went straight to where a horse was tied up and mounted before riding like the devil was on his heels.
Renforth was soon beside him. “We did not account for that.”
“He rode towards London.”
“Perhaps he went for reinforcements. I will hire a hack and go after him.”
“I will go with you.”
Renforth shook his head. “I know I always say to work in pairs, but I am only watching, not acting. You wait with the others at the yacht. I have a feeling our man will return before the night is over.”
“We can only hope.”
Ashley found his way down to whereLe Coquettewas moored. As he walked, there was a nagging feeling that he should have recognized their gentleman traitor. There was something distinctly familiar about him that Ashley could not quite nail down. When he reached the pier where the private yachts were docked, the place was eerie in its lack of humanity—the only sounds coming from the creaking ships and splash of the Thames against the shore.
It certainly did not look like a ship awaiting a long voyage to America. Was that why the gent had ridden hell-for-leather towards London? He needed to arrange for a crew? It had all seemed very odd, though he had been surprised by the news. Yet had he not told Devil the captain would be waiting with payment?
Ashley was not certain where Fielding and Manners were hiding, but he could make an educated guess from his own experiences with spying and covert locations.
