The Notorious Bridegroom (8 page)

Red Tattoo lay hidden behind the cliff’s low hedges, spying on the dark shadows appearing and disappearing near the tall white beacon, Parson’s Down, high above. His lordship had mentioned earlier that a small unit of five men who served as sea fencibles kept surveillance for enemy ships crossing the Channel. Rumors abounded that the Frenchmen planned to overtake control of the beacon, but why and when?

His lordship and the captain should arrive any minute. What could be keeping them? A movement from the beach distracted Red from the beacon. He counted two figures by the shore watching the Channel waters. Most likely smugglers.

Perhaps the master and his friend had been delayed, and with this thought Red decided to search for them on the path. It had grown quite late, over an hour since his lordship had sent him up the cliffs. His small, thin figure made no blot on the landscape as he crawled on his belly to a thick copse of trees. Finding the path’s hidden entrance, he scurried downward. Halfway down the cliff, the sure-footed Red braked before the surprised earl with the captain right behind him.

“What do you here, Red?” Londringham demanded. “Thought I told you to remain above.”

“Yes, what’s happening?” Kilkennen chimed in from behind Londringham’s tall form.

“Sir, I was…”

They heard a sudden, high-pitched woman’s scream followed by an animal’s bellow.

The commotion froze the men before they leapt into action. Bryce ordered Red back up the cliff to follow anyone that leaves the beacon.

“C’mon, Kilkennen, those sounds came from below!”

“But what about our French spy?” Kilkennen gasped while hurtling himself behind his friend’s running form down the twisted path to the shore.

“Our spy could be on the cliffs or below on the shore. But someone is in trouble.”

Their conversation could not continue at their frantic pace were they to find the woman whose terror-filled voice had broken the still night.

Patience landed on her side with a thump. The wind knocked out of her, she remained still in order to check injuries she sustained from the fall. She slowly eased into a sitting position, her shaking body throbbed from the jolt. A quick check of her vital parts came up with a suspected sprained wrist and further injury to her still-mending left arm.

Before she could take one step, she found herself scooped up and thrown over a stranger’s huge, burly shoulder. The ragged-clothed man, for that was all she could see upside down, rounded the huge rock at a quick pace and proceeded several feet before halting at the side of the cliffs covered with climbing moss and a latticework of branches. The pain in her wrist throbbed in time with her rapidly beating heart.
Oh, why do I have to have such a curious streak?
she remonstrated herself.

Breathing heavily and too weak to summon her vocal cords into working order, fear alone kept her silent.
Where was he taking her? Was he one of the spies? Did he plan to do away with her?
She hoped to learn all of the answers soon, except for the question regarding life and death. Perhaps if she appealed to this misguided man, he might have a merciful nature.

The stranger grasped several branches and pulled open a large-enough hole to sidle through with his burden.

“Where’d ye find a woman ’ere, Bear? Bloody trouble. Cover ’er mouth. We don’t want ’er screamin’ ’er bloody ’ead off and givin’ us away.” The hard, nasal voice echoed in the small chamber of the dark enclosure.

Her captor, well-named Bear, slipped Patience down from his shoulder and pulled her back against him, smacking a dirty, foul-smelling hand over her mouth. She noticed a smaller man pulling a curtain of heavy branches together at the cave’s opening.

She struggled with her captor, anxious to get away from the man’s implacable grip and repulsive smell. He obviously had not washed lately, if ever, judging from the strong, putrid odor emanating from his body which threatened to gag her—or else she would surely gag once she was free of his large hand.

Suddenly, another man pulled her roughly out of Bear’s clamped embrace. She cried out in pain as a tall, thin man put pressure on her sore wrist, dazedly wondering how many men were in this tiny cave. Slowly closing her eyes, she had an overwhelming feeling that she would either swoon or vomit. Still deciding what to do first, the thin man thankfully released her wrist and stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth, a surprisingly clean one. He made quick work of tying her hands and feet with a slip of frazzled rope before shoving her in a corner. Obviously, this villain had very little practice with tying up hostages, for the loose knots would be easy to untie. Quicker than a sneeze, she could remove the rag and scream—but didn’t.

“Keep still, don’t move,” the tall one ordered in a raspy voice.

Patience, too frightened and shaken, only nodded. She shook her head to remove several long strands of hair which blocked her view. When she could finally look around the small, cramped area, Bear stood on the opposite wall staring at her. His was the face that had terrified her on the rock. Not that his face was utterly gruesome, but he did show more hair than skin on his face, which must have been the reason for his name. Her scream had been more in surprise than fear of this man. His large eyes watched thoughtfully, but she could not guess what lay behind his hairy mask.

The tall, thin man who had tied her up hunkered down near the entrance, peering through a small hole. Yet another man, rather short and energetic, paced up and down in front of her, every few minutes stopping to stare at her and shake his head in disgust.

The guard quickly turned and motioned for everyone to be quiet.

Her heart pounded in her ears. Along with her captors, she heard the sound of footsteps and voices.

The earl and his friend. She recognized them but could not distinguish their conversation. She shivered uncontrollably.

No way out. Even if she wanted to call out to the earl, how would she explain her presence on the beach? And she was not about to let these men know how frightened she was. She had to figure a way out of this mess without the earl’s help, nothing else would do.

“She must be here somewhere.” Londringham spoke distinctly from only a few feet away. The cave’s occupants heard sand squashed under boots in front of the hidden entrance.

“There is nothing here, Londringham. Besides, with no moon or light, we could not find a tree unless we bumped into it. Let us return tomorrow.” Kilkennen’s growing frustration was evident.

A few minutes of silence, then farther away, Londringham’s response: “By then it may be too late.”

Patience lost track of time as she tried to surreptitiously wiggle her hands free. She ignored her wrist throbbing in pain so she could focus on any information she could use to assist in her escape. She heaved a hesitant sigh through the handkerchief when the thin man motioned that they were alone again.

He then beckoned the short man to his side, and the two of them crept from the cave after instructing Bear to watch Patience.

The giant man remained on the opposite wall, only a few feet separating them. Angry, harsh voices sounded outside the cave.
Apparently something had not gone well for these spies. But if they were the French spies, why would they hide from the earl, one of their own? Were they not in league together?
Listening more intently, she heard one of them mention a ship and lost bounty.

Oh, how utterly stupid of me. These men were smugglers, not spies. Will they harm me?
Sitting on the dirty pebbly floor of the cave, she had to keep her wits about her. What could she offer them that might help to win her release?

Suddenly, Bear made a move toward her. She stilled her heart and offered many prayers but felt no final blow. With two quick slices, he severed the ropes that bound her legs and pulled her gently to her feet.

She moaned again through the handkerchief, still feeling a bit woozy as Bear led her outside the cave and onto the beach where his two companions held forth a furious argument.

“’ow could you let this ’appen?” the shorter man remonstrated the tall man sitting on one of the smaller rocks dotting the sands. “’enry, can you ’ear me? This was our first chance with Ledeaux’s ship. I promised ’im a safe delivery. What went wrong?”

Tall, thin, pockmarked Henry sat motionless, ignoring the man they called the General, when just then the General caught sight of Bear holding Patience. “And ye.” He stalked toward them. “Ye were to watch for trouble. “’ow did you miss ’er? And just what are we to do with ’er? Do I ’ave to do everythin’?” The General then paraded up and down the small strip of beach, berating Bear and Henry at their incompetence to see a plan through. “Remember, I am the brains, yer leader. If ye do as I say, then a little lick of work and we’re livin’ like Prinny. Perhaps I should search for comrades of higher intelligence.”

Bear watched the General continue his tirade, all the while keeping a firm hold on Patience. Finally, the General walked over to them. “Did I tell ye to leave the cave? Did I tell ye to untie her feet? Bear, do ye realize if ye make the rules and not me, then ye see, we ’a’ to change the plan. And with ye makin’ the decisions, we’ll be strung on Tyburn before the next full moon.”

If Bear was insulted by the General’s last remark, he moved not a muscle nor offered a defense. But then, Patience was becoming accustomed to the idea that he was a man of few or no words.

“I will simply ’a’ to locate Ledeaux in the morning and try to explain our little mishap that we were unable to greet ’is ship. Perhaps ’e’ll understand, I surely don’t.”

He turned toward Patience. “And what should be done with ye? And what might ye be doing down ’ere? ’oo do ye work for?” The questions tumbled out of him as he stared at Patience in her plain gray dress.

He waved his hand in indifference. His small, round face scrunched up in consideration. “Of course, we can’t take ye with us, and if we let ye go, ye’ll report us to the constable. That does not leave us with many alternatives, now, does it, ducky?” He leaned his oily face closer to hers.

Patience decided she had had enough of the little General, as bad as Napoleon, was he! She lifted her tied hands and to the amazement of the onlookers removed her gag.

“Ye could ’a’ removed the handkerchief when those men were ’ere, why didn’t ye?” asked the General.

“Quite simply, it did not suit my purpose for those men to find me here,” she replied tiredly before settling on a nearby stump. “I work at the house, and if the earl were to find me here, I would lose my position.”

The three men gathered around Patience looking at her curiously.

She shrugged. “I was taking a walk when I heard noises and thought to investigate.” She thought to herself,
I have been taking a lot of walks lately.

Continuing in her most earnest manner, she assured them, “I will not tell the constable about your presence here tonight, if you do not tell the earl where you found me.”

The General considered her bargain. He and his men had never killed anyone before, leastways not a young woman. Truth be told, he became slightly nauseous around blood. He beckoned Henry to the side to discuss a plan of action.

She observed the men for a few minutes as they talked animatedly, looked at her, and then back to each other. So immersed in their conversation, they did not hear her approach. They sprang apart at the sound of her voice.

“Please keep in mind, gentlemen, that since the ship did not land, no smuggling was committed by you. And I have no proof that would convince a constable of your intent.” She enjoyed explaining that bit of news to them.

Henry scratched his chin as the General weighed her words. “She does ’a’ a point there, ’enry.” A pause. “Done. Yer free. Bear, untie her hands. Little lady, just don’t be in-terferin’ in our business, again,” the General instructed a little less harshly.

After Bear cut away the ribbons of rope, she rubbed her wrists and hands as she studied the men. They actually reminded her a little of her brothers waiting at home. The giant was like her brother Benjamin, and the General like James.

“Our lookout! We forgot about ’im!” Henry shouted, pointing to the top of the cliff.

“’enry, signal him to meet us,” the General barked as he walked toward the cave.

Patience started to the entrance of the hidden passage, and then turned to the would-be smugglers and the General once more. “Have you ever thought of another line of work? Gainful employment and one with less likelihood of swinging by the end of a rope? Perhaps you three could easily find work, in the militia or on a ship? Smuggling seems a rather dangerous profession.”

The General smiled condescendingly to Patience. “’Tis true, perhaps. But where is the excitement in such jobs as ye mention? And we ’a’ never actually smuggled anything. This was our first opportunity. And I thought my plan foolproof. I guess it would ’a’ been if I didn’t ’a’ to depend on a couple of fools.” He laughed at his own joke.

When the General had finished snickering, he grew sober. “Perhaps it ain’t smuggling what will bring us fortune. I will have to review our future endeavors.” He nodded thoughtfully while stroking his chin.

Patience shrugged, giving up persuasion for the other thoughts on her mind. She waved to Bear as she hurried down the beach, and, much to her surprise, he returned the wave.

Meeting with no difficulty in the passageway, she slipped silently through the study and up the stairs. Her hands trembled from exhaustion and fright after her adventure on the beach. She did hope those men would listen to her and pursue more honorable goals than smuggling. She smiled when she thought of Bear. He seemed such a gentle soul for his great strength.

She entered her room exhausted beyond measure, needing to rest and plan how to proceed. Stepping out of her shoes, she fell onto the bed, careful of her wounded arm. Anything else was simply too much trouble.

She felt lost, unsure how to continue. Tonight had been a narrow escape from those smugglers-to-be. Patience needed someone to confide in, someone who could understand. Her thoughts rested briefly on the earl, and she grimaced. Her enemy certainly would not be willing to help her.