Stormy Persuasion (25 page)

Chapter Forty-One

J
udith joined Georgina, Amy, and Gabrielle, who were standing near the entrance. There
might be a few more waltzes, but most of the guests had already departed, and Judith
had had quite enough dancing for one night.

“Well, how was it, your first official ball?” Georgina asked, putting an arm around
her.

“I’ll probably have sore feet in the morning.” Judith grinned. “And where’s Jack gone
off to? Surely not to bed yet?”

“Not without telling me, she wouldn’t.”

“Like you, she was dancing most of the night,” Gabrielle said. “But I haven’t seen
her lately, now that you mention it.”

“The last I saw her, she was with Catherine at the refreshment tables, but that was
quite some time ago,” Amy replied.

Judith glanced about the room again. “I don’t see Catherine, either.”

“Nor Andrássy, for that matter,” Georgina said, beginning to frown.

“Those two wouldn’t sneak off tonight without saying their good-byes, would they?”
Amy asked,

But Georgina was a little more than concerned now. “Never mind them, start looking
for Jack. I’ll send the men to search the grounds.”

Judith groaned and hurried upstairs with Gabby to check the bedrooms. Jack was probably
in the garden getting the kiss she’d wanted from Quintin, and she would be mortified
when their fathers found her there. And it would be Judith’s fault. She should have
looked for Jack there first.

Jack’s bedroom was empty, as Judith figured it would be. Gabrielle met her in the
corridor to say Catherine’s belongings were all still in her room, and Gabby hurried
downstairs to report that. Judith started to follow her, but thought she better check
on Andrássy first. As fond of Jack as he was, he might know where she was or at least
where his stepsister was. Catherine’s absence might be a matter of concern after Jack
was found.

But Andrássy’s room was empty, too, his trunks still there. An envelope propped up
on his bureau was odd enough for her to grab it along with the little velvet pouch
pushed against it that was holding it upright. James’s name was on the envelope. Perhaps
Andrássy and his sister did sneak off, after all, and this was their farewell note?
But without their belongings?

She hurried downstairs just as her father and uncle were coming in from the garden—without
Jack. She felt a pang of fear, seeing how worried they looked. Clinton was informing
them, “I’ve sent for the militia, James. We’ll search the entire town and beyond if
we have to, but we’ll find her.”

“You might want to read this first, Uncle James.” Judith handed him the envelope.
“I thought it was only a farewell note from Andrássy that he left in his room for
us to find tomorrow morning, but it could be more than that.”

James opened the letter and started reading it.

Anthony complained, “Blister it, James, don’t keep us in suspense. Read the bloody
thing out loud.”

James ignored Anthony until he finished reading. His rage was apparent, the more so
because he said not a word, but he handed the letter to his brother. Anthony was about
to simply read it silently, too, but Georgina snatched it out of his hand and read
it aloud to everyone:

The only reason you are reading this is because I have failed to stop my former lover
Catherine’s plot to abduct Jacqueline. I never wanted this to happen, but she and
her accomplices are determined to commit this foul deed to please her father. You
will receive a ransom note tomorrow by post. No, I am not who I said I am. I am a
professional actor who foolishly fell under her spell. She hired me to aid her in
her plot because I do actually have Gypsy blood and she wanted me to pass myself off
as your relative. I helped her steal the jewelry, but I am leaving my portion of it
here to prove I am a man of honor. No harm will come to Jacqueline. I will see to
that and to making my amends to the Malory family the next time we meet.

Georgina had started crying before she finished.

Anthony was the first to respond; “Dead men can’t make amends.”

A round of angry agreement followed that statement.

“This must be what I had a premonition about,” Amy said miserably. “I knew something
bad was going to happen, but I thought it was the theft when you told me about it.
I should have known it would be something worse than that.”

Judith was so shocked by Andrássy’s revelations, she almost forgot about the pouch,
but she handed it to James now. “This was with the letter.”

He opened it and emptied the contents into his hand. No more than a few pieces of
cheap costume jewelry rolled out along with a lot of stones added for weight.

Anthony snorted, “Of course he’s not a Malory. He’s too stupid. She gave him little
more than a pile of rocks in payment.”

“And he has stunningly bad taste in women,” James added, referring to Catherine.

Judith felt hollow inside. She’d befriended Catherine, defended Andrássy! “I believed
them without question, but you didn’t, Uncle James. You had doubts from the beginning.”

“His only proof of being related to us having been destroyed in a fire was too convenient,
leaving just his word, and a stranger’s word isn’t good enough when it comes to my
family. It would have been easy enough to learn about the Stephanoff side of the family,
particularly in Haverston, where people still remember Anastasia.”

“Can we even trust what he’s written?” Katey asked. “After all, he’s a Gypsy.”

“Perhaps not even that is true,” Boyd said to his wife.

But just then someone ran in and yelled that the ships in Bridgeport harbor were under
attack. James left immediately, everyone else following as quickly as the horses could
be saddled or hitched, the ladies in the carriage, the rest on horseback. What they
found in the harbor defied description.
The Maiden George
was tilted on her side, the wharf she’d been tied to demolished under her as she
sank into it. The ship on the other side of that wharf was also starting to tilt in
the other direction. There didn’t appear to be a single ship along the docks that
wasn’t sinking. It was as if the entire area had been fired upon, yet there were no
fires and no ships out in the harbor to account for so much destruction.

James was actually walking on the side of his ship, looking for the hole that had
sunk her. One of his crew swam out of the hold to report, “A sawed and pried-loose
plank, Cap’n, just as you suspected. Had to be done earlier tonight and underwater,
which is why the watch saw nothing amiss until it was too late.”

James leapt ashore and told Anthony, “I sent Artie to wake the postmaster. If Catherine
and her cronies didn’t want us to get their ransom note until tomorrow, it could have
a clue in it about where they’re taking Jack.”

“Out to sea, obviously, or they wouldn’t have sunk our means to give quick chase,”
Boyd said.

“Possibly,” Warren replied, “or that’s just what they want us to think.”

But someone suddenly yelled, “Look there!”

A ship was coming into view, moving out from behind a bend just beyond the outskirts
of town. It was heading out to the middle of the Sound—and the ocean beyond. James
started swearing. Judith thought she saw a woman on the deck, but it was too dark
to be sure.

But Henry was on hand and had his spyglass. He handed it to James. “That’s Catherine.”

It was infuriating to just watch them sail away with no way to stop them. James wasn’t
the only one swearing now. Then Artie returned with the ransom note. James read it
aloud this time:

Come to St. Kitts if you want to obtain your daughter’s release. You will be contacted
there with further instructions. It will be a simple exchange, you for your daughter.

James snarled to no one in particular, “They want me, why the bloody hell didn’t they
just take me?”

“Speaking from experience,” Warren said cautiously, “you’re not an easy target to
take by any means. Whoever wants you apparently knows that.”

“But why make Uncle James travel so far for this?” Judith exclaimed. “Why not do the
exchange right here?”

“Because James can gather an army here,” Georgina said, quietly crying again. “They
obviously want him isolated, which means—”

Georgina couldn’t finish that thought, but Judith could fill in the blanks. Money
wasn’t being demanded as it had been when she’d been kidnapped as a child. They wanted
James specifically, which could only mean one thing. They planned to kill him.

“But this makes no sense,” Boyd put in. “They want you to follow but take away your
means to?”

“They obviously don’t want a sea battle, likely aren’t prepared for one.”

“Neither were you,” Boyd replied.

“But that wouldn’t stop me from ramming them out of the bloody water.”

“Not with Jack on board you won’t,” Georgina admonished even as she put her arms around
James.

James conceded that point, correcting, “Or from boarding them.”

Judith couldn’t bear it, knowing how frightened Jack must be, remembering her own
terror when she’d been abducted right out of Hyde Park. Watching her aunt and uncle,
she knew they were just as frightened. James just dealt with it differently from most
people. He’d move heaven and earth to get his daughter back—and demolish anything
that stood in his way. She
knew
he’d rescue Jack. But at what cost to himself? His only real chance was to get to
Jack before her abductors reached their destination.

She moved over to speak with Artie for a few moments before Clinton approached James
to assure him, “We might be able to find you a ship before yours is seaworthy again.
I’ll send men tonight to the other harbors along the Sound. We probably won’t find
a new one, but I’m sure we can locate a captain willing to sell his. It still won’t
be soon enough for you to catch up to them.”

“I can’t count on that,” James said. “I bloody well wouldn’t sell my ship for a rescue
that means nothing to me, so I don’t expect anyone else to.”

“No, but you’d help,” Georgina said. “You’ve done it before.”

“In either case, I’ll rouse our shipyard employees to get to work immediately on your
ship,” Thomas offered. The calmest of all the Anderson brothers, even he looked grim
tonight.

James nodded, but Warren added as Thomas left, “It’s still going to take several days
or more. It won’t be the first time I’ve assisted in dry-docking a ship, though it’s
much easier to do at our shipyard. Everything needed will have to be hauled here.
We’ll just need to dismantle the wharf to make room. As soon as the tools get here,
we can get started on that.”

Drew remarked, “You instead of money, James? You know who that sounds like, don’t
you?”

James shook his head. “Lacross is in prison for life. It’s not him.”

“Are you sure? How do you know he didn’t scheme his way out? And don’t forget a few
of his men escaped that night we rescued Gabby’s father. One might be trying to get
revenge for Lacross.”

James snorted. “That was too many years ago, Drew. Besides, you really think that
pirate had any friends? Most of his men were coerced to work for him toward the end,
your father-in-law included. This was Catherine’s doing, for
her
father, whoever he is.”

Drew conceded with some exasperation, “It was just a thought. I don’t like not knowing
exactly what we’re up against.”

“Neither do I,” James said, then peered at Drew’s wife. “I don’t suppose your father
was planning to attend this reunion and is just late getting here?”

“I’m sorry, James, no,” Gabrielle replied. “He got his hands on a new treasure map
recently, which means we won’t see him for months.”

James was reaching an explosive point, being foiled at every turn. He started ripping
up the wharf with his bare hands long before the workers got there. It was painful
watching him as the hours passed, because he knew—they all did—that tomorrow would
be too late for him to catch up with Catherine and her cohorts before they reached
St. Kitts. Even if a ship
could
be bought, it wouldn’t happen soon enough.

And then
The Pearl
sailed into the harbor.

Chapter Forty-Two

“O
f all the bloody nerve,” Anthony was saying while he held Judith protectively close
to him. “Sail in as bold as you please when he expects a noose to be waiting for him
here?”

At least half of them had moved down the dock to where
The Pearl
was being directed to an empty slip. James had confirmed Nathan was on the ship after
he put his spyglass away, but he said to his brother, “Kindly remember that’s no longer
the case. Stop grousing about one thing when it’s another thing that’s got your dander
up. And do
not
antagonize him. I need that ship, preferably with his cooperation.”

Judith didn’t understand why Nathan was even here. She’d sent Artie to find him up
the coast, hoping Nathan would be willing to help with Jack’s rescue. But Artie had
returned just as
The Pearl
was sighted to tell her that he hadn’t been in time, that Nathan had already sailed.

She searched for Nathan on the decks, but all she could see were men in unusual uniforms
who looked nothing like sailors. “He’s brought the military with him?”

“Looks like some of our local militia boys,” Clinton confirmed, recognizing one of
them.

“Ha!” Anthony crowed. “So he’s spent the last few days in chains after all.”

“You better hope not—for James’s sake.”

“Why?”

“Because right now your brother has a ship
and
a captain on hand to negotiate with, which is much more than he had a few minutes
ago. But if this captain is under arrest, then his ship will be locked down until
after a trial.”

“That won’t stop my brother, Yank.”

“You might want to remember this is Georgina’s hometown. He won’t want to be outlawed
from it.”

With a hard stare from James, Anthony held his tongue for the moment. One of the militiamen
jumped down to the dock to tie off the ship. James and Boyd went to help him when
it appeared he wasn’t sure how to do it. A wide ramp was dropped for debarking. But
before any of them could board the ship, a few horses were led off, already saddled,
then the militia followed.

Anthony stopped one of them. “Is Nathan Tremayne under arrest?”

The man actually laughed. “Arrest? The man’s a hero. He helped New London take down
a band of thieves who were operating right under their noses for a damned decade.”

Well, that explained why Nathan was bold enough to sail into Bridgeport, Judith thought.
He didn’t just have the local militia on his side, he had them with him!

“Tony, for the
last
time . . .”

That’s all James said, but it had Anthony snarling, “I get it. So he told the truth
about his ship being stolen. That changes nothing—”

“Then give it a little more thought, because it does.”

“A welcoming committee? I’m touched.”

They turned. Nathan was standing at the top of the ramp, arms crossed, tone icy. He
looked ready for a fight. And Judith couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“I’d like a word, Tremayne,” James said as he moved halfway up the ramp.

Nathan didn’t change his stance or step aside from blocking the way onto
The Pearl
, didn’t even acknowledge that he’d heard James. But he was staring at Judith now,
who still stood with Anthony’s arm tight around her.

James, glancing between them, asked, “What did you come here for?”

Nathan’s eyes moved back to James. “New London is full of whalers. Hard to get a full
crew there that doesn’t want to be off chasing whales instead and I’ve been trying
for two days. These militiamen figured I’d have better luck in their town, getting
the last few men I need, even offered to help get us this far by way of thanks.”

“So you’re just here for a crew?”

“Just that. Disappointed I’m not in chains instead?”

“Not a’tall. We found out who stole the jewelry tonight, but that’s not all she’s
guilty of. I need your ship to take us to the Caribbean. I’ll—”

Nathan’s harsh laugh cut him off. “I’m not helping you bleedin’ Malorys after what
you did to me.”

“That’s—unfortunate—considering you were assisted out of that predicament by someone
on my ship.”

Nathan gave James a long, hard look. Whether he read anything into that statement
was unclear. Judith did. So did Anthony, who was swearing under his breath now.

But Nathan’s next question wasn’t odd, since they were all still wearing their evening
apparel. “You’re having a ball on the docks tonight?” A glance down the pier. “Or
a war? What happened here?”

“My daughter has been abducted. The bastards went out of their way to make sure I
couldn’t follow immediately.”

“Judy’s cousin Jack?”

James again glanced between the Nathan and Judith who were staring at each other,
before he made the decision easier for Nathan by saying, “I’ll pay you thrice what
your ship is even worth.”

“Some things don’t have a price,” Nathan said angrily.

James took another step forward. “You really don’t want to know the extent I will
go to, to get my daughter back. Take my offer, Tremayne. It’s more than fair, and
it even leaves you to captain your ship, which isn’t actually how I’d prefer it, but
I can be reasonable.”

“As long as you get what you want?”

“Quite right.”

Nathan didn’t answer for a moment, which was better than another outright refusal.
But Boyd came forward to sweeten the offer, saying, “I’ll even throw in a full cargo,
once you return us here. Give you a taste of the trader’s life—if you haven’t tried
that yet.”

“Us?”

“My brothers and I. Jacqueline is our niece. While we’re not incredibly fond of our
brother-in-law, we’d rather he not be exchanged for Jack. So we need to recover her
before that happens.”

“
You’re
the ransom?” Nathan said to James.

“Yes.”

“Our—your mystery ship?”

“Undetermined, but possible.”

Nathan glanced down at the dock at so many expectant faces staring back at him. His
eyes lingered the longest on Judith, again, but he stiffened when he stared at Anthony.

Yet he told James, “Come aboard, alone, if you want to hear
my
terms.”

Judith let out her breath in relief. Nathan was agreeing, just with stipulations.
Which was fine. At least he was going to help! But of course he was. He had his own
agenda, might still be furious with all of them, but he had a good heart. And as long
as
The Pearl
got under way soon, it still had a chance to catch up with that ship before it even
reached the Caribbean, so both Jack
and
James could come out of this unscathed.

On the ship, Nathan led James to the center of the deck, where they couldn’t be seen
from the dock. James had already guessed: “I suppose you don’t want my brother to
come along?”

“Correct. He isn’t setting foot on my ship—ever.”

“If that’s all it takes—”

“That’s not all. You can bring only three Andersons with you. Counting you, that’s
the number of men I still need to round out my crew. You can choose, but you might
want to check if one of them can cook.”

James rolled his eyes. “So we’re agreed?”

“If you can supply my new cabin boy—Judith.”

James went very still. “And I was so hoping I wouldn’t have to kill you.”

“That’s not negotiable. And don’t be a hypocrite. I overheard Artie teasing your wife
about the time she acted as
your
cabin boy, when you knew she was a female but she thought you weren’t aware of it.”

“I ended up
marrying
her,” James growled.

“Beside the bleedin’ point. Those are my terms, Viscount Ryding.”

James didn’t answer for a long moment. He finally said, “You have a cabin for her?”

“Yes, one. The rest of you will have to sleep with the crew.”

“Then let’s be clear. If she agrees to this nonsense, and the decision must be hers,
you don’t touch her, not even by accident. I’ll need your word on that.”

“Agreed. But if you’re leaving it up to her, you might remind her of the Bargain she
struck with me—tit for tat is owed.”

James just narrowed his eyes before he left the ship. He pulled Judith aside to explain
Nathan’s demands and what he’d said about their Bargain. Anthony joined them before
she could give her answer.

“Well?” Anthony asked. “Are we going or is he still sulking over a few hours in your
brig?”

“His terms are, you don’t go—but Judy does.”

“Like hell she does!” Anthony snarled. “This isn’t a bloody pleasure jaunt. She stays
here with the rest of the women.”

“I’ve already accepted his terms.”

Judith put her hand on her father’s arm. “I was going to insist on it myself,” she
said, not even sure if that was a lie. “This is Jack we’re talking about. I’m going.
I’ll just gather a few things and be back before the supplies are loaded.”

She started to leave, but heard behind her, “Damnit, James, why didn’t you just toss
him in the water and take his bloody ship?”

“Because his chums are still here, who hail him a hero and have the authority to gather
the entire town against us. We aren’t getting Jack back if we’re tossed in jail instead.
Judy will be fine under my protection.”

Would she? She’d seen the anger in Nathan’s eyes. He might have kissed her earlier
tonight, given her such hope because of it, but he was still so furious with her.
And she couldn’t see that ending, not when he’d just included
her
in his terms to help them. Tit for tat? Or just payback for her and her family’s
accusing him of something he didn’t do?