A Stranger's Touch (8 page)

‘It will be all over by now. I’ll go to the village, see if I can find Michael—or anyone else who saw anything—’ Jacques broke off as the door was flung open and his elder brother entered.

‘I thought the militia had taken you,’ Benjamin cried out.

‘A trooper had me, but I managed to break free. I think most of the others got to the caves—but I may have been recognised and the militia will be here before morning. We’d best go to the caves, too.’

‘Benjamin can’t walk,’ Morwenna objected. ‘Stay here and tell Captain Bird that you were helping the crew, as you always do.’

‘There’s a new man in charge,’ Michael said. ‘It wasn’t the local militia that came after us, but part of a different regiment. They seemed to know who they wanted and it was almost as if they expected something of the sort.’

‘You think we’ve been betrayed?’

‘I’ve thought for a while there might be an informer.’ Michael frowned. ‘Something important was meant to happen tonight, but because of the storm it didn’t—however, the wreckers were out to make trouble. If they try to blame us …’

‘I’ll come with you,’ Benjamin said. ‘You’ll have to help me, both of you, but it’s best we’re not here if they come.’

‘Be careful of his arm,’ Morwenna said as
the brothers hauled him to his feet and Michael took him over his shoulder.

‘We’d best go to our beds and take our time getting up if they come,’ Bess said as the door closed firmly behind the men and they were alone in the kitchen. Her gaze fell on the chest Morwenna had rescued. ‘What’s that?’

‘I found it floating in the sea,’ Morwenna said. ‘I should have left it, but I thought if there were survivors I would be able to return it. If the militia found it here, they would think the worst.’

‘Take it and throw it over the cliff.’

‘No, that’s foolish.’ Morwenna picked it up. ‘I’ll take it to my room. Captain Bird won’t try to search my room.’

‘Michael said there’s a new man in charge.’

‘On the beach, but he surely won’t come here.’ Morwenna was about to pick up the chest when she heard knocking at the door. She pushed the chest into a dark recess, hoping it would not be seen. Then, giving Bess a warning look she went to the door and opened it. A shock ran through her as she saw who stood there.

‘You …’ she said, the colour draining from her cheeks as she saw his cold expression. This was not the same man she had rescued and come
to love, but a stranger. What had happened to him? Had he deceived her all the time? ‘Why are you here?’

‘To warn you that the militia will be here within the hour. I came ahead of them, but your brothers should hide wherever they usually hide when the militia come looking.’

‘You’ve remembered who you are at last?’ Morwenna was shivering because he was no longer wearing the clothes she’d given him and he looked different—sterner and a man of some importance.

‘My name is Rupert Melford,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t matter who I am or what I am. Believe me, I would have no harm come to you from this, even though I know you for what you are. That ship was deliberately lured into the cove and to its doom.’

‘You can’t think that we …’ Her throat was tight as she saw the disdain in his eyes. This wasn’t the man who had made love to her in the caves and she knew with blinding clarity that she’d never truly known him. ‘You lied to me.’

‘No, I’d lost my memory, that much is true, Morwenna. When you rescued me I knew nothing.’

‘Your memory has returned fully now?’

‘Yes, earlier this evening.’

‘Why didn’t you come and tell me?’

‘I had more important things to do.’ Morwenna flinched as if he’d struck her. ‘I cannot explain, but it doesn’t matter now.’ His gaze narrowed. ‘I saw someone signal to a ship in your cove the first night I stayed here, Morwenna—and I saw you carry that chest back to the house this night. If your family weren’t involved, why was someone signalling from the cliffs near your house—and why did you bring that chest from the beach?’

‘I thought it might belong to a survivor and I wanted to keep it safe for him or her.’

‘I should like to believe you, but it is not easy.’ Rupert’s lips curved in a sneer. ‘So why was your brother signalling?’

‘Because it was too dangerous for the—’ She broke off, knowing that if she tried to clear her brothers of one crime she would brand them as smugglers and perhaps worse. ‘If Michael signaled, it would be to warn a ship the cove was not safe on such a night.’

‘I know your brothers are involved in smuggling and perhaps worse. If I could prove they were the traitors I believe them to be, I would show >no mercy—but I owe you something for
saving my life. Give me the chest and I’ll take it to the proper authorities. As for your brothers, they would do better to stick to fishing. You may tell Michael to take great care for he is venturing into dangerous waters.’

‘What do you mean? What do you know that I do not?’ Her eyes flashed with pride. ‘It’s the reason you came here, isn’t it?’

‘I cannot tell you that, Morwenna.’

‘You lied to me. You’re a spy,’ Morwenna accused. ‘I loved—’ She broke off, turning away to pull out the small chest. ‘Take it. I never meant to keep it, whatever you think. Now go away. I never want to see you again.’

‘Morwenna …’ Rupert hesitated, then his expression hardened. ‘I’ve warned you this time; the debt is paid. Next time your brothers will hang for their crimes against the State.’

‘Go away,’ she said, her face pale. ‘I hate you, do you hear me? I wish I’d never seen you—never brought you here.’

‘Your brothers might already be dead if it were not for that,’ Rupert said harshly. ‘Michael is a fool if he thinks he can get away with being a traitor to his King and country. Tell him that because next time he won’t be allowed to slip away.’

Morwenna stared at him, but made no reply. Her throat was tight and her chest was hurting. She felt as if he had thrust a knife into her breast and it was all she could do to keep the tears from falling as he went out.

‘I warned you not to trust him,’ Bess said as the door closed behind him. ‘It’s him that’s sprung the trap on your brothers, girl.’

‘You do not know that for certain,’ Morwenna said. ‘He came here to warn us. You mustn’t tell Michael, please.’ Tears were trickling down her cheeks and into her mouth. She could taste their salt. ‘I think Michael knows he has a powerful enemy. He will lay low for a while. Besides, it isn’t the smuggling …’

‘Your brother is a law unto himself,’ Bess told her. ‘Be careful, my love, or you may lose everything.’

‘I’ll talk to Michael,’ Morwenna said. ‘But you mustn’t tell him that … Rupert was here this evening. Promise me.’

Rupert Melford! His name was Rupert. It suited him well, better than the name he’d chosen, which she’d known was false. Had he lied to her all the time? Could she believe him when he claimed to have lost his memory for a time?
Did what they’d shared in the caves mean nothing to him?

She wanted to howl and weep with her pain, but held it inside. ‘Promise me, Bess.’

‘I know when to keep my mouth shut. Michael would blame you for bringing him here. He’ll work things out for himself—but ‘tis you I’m concerned for. What have you done, girl?’

‘What do you mean? I’ve done nothing,’ Morwenna said. Her head was up, her expression proud, but she felt hot all over. Could her friend see the change in her?

Bess had warned her against the stranger, but she’d let her loneliness and her heart rule her head. She had allowed the stranger to seduce her and now he’d shown her what a fool she was to think he cared one jot for her. She’d thrown away her honour and her self-respect for a few hours in his arms.

Rupert Melford—the name was now burned into her mind in letters of fire. He’d known who he was all the time. Surely he must have. He’d lied to her and deceived her—and now she was ruined, but for the moment none of that mattered. She could only pray that Michael’s luck would hold and once again her brothers would escape a terrible fate.

* * *

The militiamen came about an hour or so later, hammering at the door as if they would waken the dead. Morwenna took her time getting dressed and went down to the kitchen just as Bess was pulling the bolts, her grey-streaked hair hanging down her back.

‘All right, all right,’ Bess grumbled. ‘It’s enough to waken the dead. I’m moving as fast as I can. Dragging a decent body from her bed at this hour of the night …’

‘We’ve come to arrest the Morgan brothers for the crime of wrecking,’ an officer Morwenna had never seen before announced. ‘They were seen on the beach earlier—and Michael Morgan was seen to signal to a ship in the bay.’

‘My brothers are away down the coast fishing,’ Morwenna replied, lifting her head high. ‘Besides, they would never do such a thing. If they returned to the cove and saw a ship in trouble, they would help save the crew.’

‘We intend to search the house, mistress.’

‘If that is your wish you may do so, but we are alone here. In case you think to take advantage, I must tell you that Captain Bird knows me and would not take kindly if you abused me or my home.’

‘Captain Bird has been relieved of his post. He has failed to stop the rampant smuggling that goes on in this cove. I am in charge here and my name is Captain Richmond.’

‘Well, Captain Richmond, you may search my home, but you will not find either contraband or my brothers.’

Morwenna knew that any smuggled brandy Michael might have brought in was well hidden in the deep cellars that ran beneath the house and were impossible for a stranger to find. She nodded to Bess as the old woman looked at her anxiously.

‘I think we shall warm a little ale and drink it. Perhaps the men would like a drink, too, for ‘tis a cold night?’

‘My men do not consort with smugglers and wreckers.’

‘You accuse us, but what proof have you?’

‘Your brothers were seen at the scene. They were pulling a line in before we arrived.’

‘Whoever told you that must know that if they were there they were saving lives. You have only to ask the many men and women we have saved from the sea. I’m sure Sir George Arnley will vouch for us as a family. We saved his son from a shipwreck last winter and there
are others who will testify that we do not condone wrecking here. My brothers are fishermen, nothing more.’

Captain Richmond looked uncertain, then glared at her. ‘I know my duty, Mistress Morgan. I intend to make a thorough search of the house and if I find anything I shall arrest both you and your brothers.’

‘Please search as much as you wish,’ Morwenna replied. ‘I have nothing to hide.’

He inclined his head and then detailed his men to search the house thoroughly. Morwenna busied herself making hot spiced ale. She saw his men look at it, their faces revealing the longing the aroma set up on their tastebuds. Captain Bird would have let her serve them all warm ale and gone away after a perfunctory search, but she understood that their new captain intended to turn the house upside down.

Ignoring the sounds of the rooms upstairs being turned over, Morwenna concentrated on making the warming drink. She had filled a jug and set out beakers on the table, then she and Bess sat down to drink their own ale. One by one the men drifted back to the kitchen, and after looking over their shoulders, to make
sure their zealous captain was not watching, accepted a cup of ale and drank it.

‘Tis well known your family are not wreckers,’ one of them told her. ‘But there were wreckers in the bay this night—strangers, so I’ve heard, and a French ship out in the bay. I think they may have got away, but the Revenue went after them and the night was too dark to see the outcome.’

‘It is surely no crime for a French merchantman to visit these shores?’ Morwenna said. ‘I fear your information was false and you may be reprimanded from London for causing an incident with a friendly ship.’

‘We just obey orders, mistress,’ the soldier said and hid his cup behind a pot as Captain Richmond returned.

‘There is ale still warming if you’ve a mind for it, sir.’

The young captain scowled at her. ‘You’ll go too far one of these days, Mistress Morgan. We know what your brothers get up to and we shall be watching closely in future.’

‘I did not know it was a crime to go fishing, sir.’

‘Fishing be damned. That Frenchie was bringing in silk and brandywine and if they
catch the vessel, we’ll have the proof we need. Then we shall be back and we’ll arrest the lot of you.’

‘I hope you discover your mistake, sir. My brothers are merely fishermen. Occasionally they take their wares and the catch of others to the markets and they may purchase produce to bring back for others, but they are honest men.’

‘You’re as bad as the rest of them,’ the captain said. ‘Take care, Mistress Morgan. I do not think you would like a taste of his Majesty’s prison.’

Morwenna resisted replying again. She had defended her brothers, as always, but this man was very different from Captain Bird. Instead of admiration there was only scorn in his eyes—the scorn she’d seen earlier in the eyes of Rupert Melford.

Her pain almost overwhelmed her, but she kept her head high until the soldiers had gone. Sitting down at the table, she discovered that she was shaking.

‘‘Tis time Michael changed his arrangements,’ Bess said. ‘If he continues, he will bring ruin on this family.’

‘I do not think it is just the smuggling,’ Morwenna said. ‘He is mixed up in something
worse. I do not know what it may be, but he will not tell me more if I ask.’

She blinked back her tears. Her life here was almost impossible. She would have to go to her aunt’s house in London.

‘You did well, as always,’ Michael said and frowned. ‘If they’ve replaced Captain Bird, they mean business, which means I shall have to be more careful. I intended to change the venue and this makes it imperative.’

‘Why do you need to continue with the smuggling?’ Morwenna asked. ‘You have your ship and could use it for honest trading and Jacques might find other employment if he tried.’

‘What of you if we go our separate ways?’

‘Perhaps I shall go to my mother’s sister.’

‘You visited once and came home within a week. What makes you think you would do better this time?’ His gaze hardened. ‘Bird helped delay them last night to give us time to get away. He met me in the village this morning and told me to be careful for a while. He wants to pay his respects to you, Morwenna. He would marry you if you threw him the occasional smile.’