Page 15

H e’d come to several conclusions. First, Marjorie had hidden the map with the rendezvous point marked in the cave without telling him.

Secondly, she had gone in the middle of the night to fetch it so she would have it at the ready when they met with the smugglers.

She’d been attacked on that foray. His third conclusion was that she was right to hide the map because someone was obviously watching them and waiting for the opportunity to steal the map or kill them or both.

What he didn’t know was whether whoever had attacked her had done so before she’d collected the map or after.

If she’d had the map in her possession before she’d been struck, then the map was in enemy hands, and he had to warn Melbourne as soon as possible.

It was probably too late to stop the British troops from journeying to the rendezvous point on the Continent, but if there was any chance of warning them, he had to take it.

If the map was not compromised, however, then they had mere hours to find it and send the ships with the arms on their way.

Simon glanced down at Marjorie. A little color had come back to her cheeks, but she still looked wan and surprisingly small.

He’d looked up to her as an agent and, at times, a mentor.

In his mind, she’d always been impossibly robust, staggeringly beautiful, and unbelievably competent.

Now she looked frail and delicate, her skin almost translucent so he could see a blue vein in her temple.

He wanted to let her sleep. His conscience told him to carry her to the bed and sit by her side all night, watching over her. If men’s lives and the fate of the country didn’t hang in the balance, he would have wanted nothing more than to watch her sleep.

But neither of them had that luxury. He couldn’t give her more than an hour or two at most. Then they’d have to return to that cave.

He allowed himself to enjoy holding her, hearing her breathe, feeling her skin thaw until they were both pleasantly warm.

And then he set her down and went to the kitchen, returning with tea and toast. She hadn’t moved, and he hated himself when he shook her gently. “Marjorie.”

“Hmm.” Her eyes fluttered but she didn’t open them.

“You must wake. I need you to sit, drink this tea, and eat a few bites of toast.”

She pushed his hand off her cheek. “Not hungry.”

“I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry, but it will be dawn in a couple of hours. Time is running out, and I need you to take me to that cave and show me where you hid the map.”

Her eyes fluttered open, her pupils large and the irises more amber than brown in this light. “We should go the cave.”

He offered his arm, supporting her as she rose. “Sit at the table and take tea and toast.”

“What time is it?”

“Quarter past two.”

“There’s no time—”

“I won’t have you faint on the walk to the beach. You must eat something.”

She scowled at him. “I have never fainted in my life.”

There was the Marjorie he knew. The steel in her voice heartened him and made him a bit sad. Now that her memories were returning, would she remember how she hated him? Would she treat him with scorn and disgust again?

“But you’re right. I’ll eat.” Her gaze swept over his bare chest. “You should dress.”

“I will.” Once she was seated at the table, he pulled his shirt over his head and donned his boots and a coat. She rose when he offered her his greatcoat. Already, she looked steadier on her feet. When she was ready, he took the lamp from the table.

“Keep it shuttered until we’re in the cave,” she said.

“Can you make it down the path without any light?”

“I’ll have to. We can’t risk someone who’s watching the house seeing a light.”

“Let me go first then.” To his surprise, she nodded her agreement and took his hand.

He led them out of the house, along the path to the beach, and then picked his way carefully down the rocky path to the beach below.

The way was wide and worn and allowed those who traversed it to make a gradual descent.

Still, all it took was one loose rock to twist an ankle or cause a fall, and they might both tumble down.

It was just like her to make this trek down by herself under cover of darkness to hide the map in the first place.

She was lucky she hadn’t broken her neck.

When they finally reached the beach, the crescent moon was high overhead.

The weak light was enough to see the rocky outcrop where he’d found her.

Still holding hands, they trudged over the sand until they reached the spot where large rocks jutted from the soft ground.

“The cave is just there,” she said, pointing to the rocks.

“The entrance is on the other side of that arch.”

“How did you find it?” he asked.

Her eyes narrowed, and he saw the pain that came from remembering flood into them. “Another agent told me about it. He said it was an old pirate cave. They could hide contraband here before coming ashore.”

“Can you show me the way in the dark?”

“I’ll try. I want the lamp dark as long as possible.”

He agreed. Anyone looking out from the bluffs above would spot the lamp even from a great distance.

She started for the arch, a rocky structure that must have been hollowed out from centuries or perhaps millennia of waves washing through it.

The large boulders at the base were slippery and jagged.

Ahead of him, Marjorie had one hand on the interior walls of the arch to keep her balance.

Despite everything, she moved gracefully, and he felt like a lumbering giant following her.

Then they were on the other side, and he saw the opening that was hidden from the beach, but which was visible from the ocean.

“I can see why this cave would be popular with pirates and smugglers,” he said, following her inside.

“The only problem is it floods at high tide. No good for hiding arms or anything sensitive to water.”

He opened a shutter on the lamp until he could see her clearly.

Her cheeks were pink with the brisk ocean air, and her eyes were wide with—if he was not mistaken—excitement.

He felt it too. This was why he’d gone into the service.

He’d wanted these clandestine moments, and to have them with her was icing on the cake.

She smiled at him, and he dared to hope she felt the same way he did.

“The moment of truth,” she said, indicating the dark cave beyond.

“You remember where you hid the map?”

“Yes. I slid it in a corked bottle and put that high atop an outcrop. It’s just back here. Hand me the lamp.”

He did so, and she led him the first few steps.

He heard her gasp and then the lantern swayed as she braced herself with a hand on the wall of the cave.

The space they occupied was narrow and compact.

They were both slightly hunched to keep from hitting their heads.

Simon put a hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”

“Take the lamp,” she said through what sounded like clenched teeth. He took it and lifted it to see her face. Her eyes were scrunched closed in pain. He started to ask if she had remembered something else, but decided against it and kept quiet until she put a hand on his arm.

“I knew I recognized him,” she said.

“Who?”

“That smuggler. The one who didn’t speak when he was at the house.”

Simon shook his head, wishing for the first time he’d been able to take the men’s names. Obviously, the use of names was forbidden. Anonymity was best. “Which one was that?”

“He was a bit heavier than the others and wore a blue coat that reminded me of a naval officer. I didn’t like him, and I didn’t know why until now.”

Simon’s belly tightened. “Go on.”

“I’d seen him before.” She pointed at the ground. “Here. He confronted me with a knife and demanded the map. I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about, and he slapped me across the face.”

“I will kill him.”

“If anyone kills him, it will be me, but we need him. We need to find out who he’s working for and how he discovered our plan.”

“What happened after he slapped you?”

“I’m not sure. I think he hit me with a rock or the handle of the knife.

I don’t remember, but if I had to guess he hadn’t meant to knock me unconscious.

He probably thought I was either dead or he’d make sure I didn’t survive to reveal he was a traitor.

I woke up in the back of the cave with the water rising fast.”

Simon took a breath and tried to calm his thudding heart by letting it out slowly. If she hadn’t awakened when she had...

“He found me. Now we see if he also found the map,” she said. “I have to think not or he would have gone back to whoever hired him with it. Can you lift the lamp?”

He held it higher as she looked up toward the roof of the cave. They moved deeper into it, and then she whispered, “Here.”

Simon stepped toward the wall of the cave and spotted a slight natural ledge in the rock at about the height of his eyes. Marjorie reached up on tiptoe and felt behind the ledge.

“There you are!” she whispered as she pulled down an old brown bottle. She removed the cork and dipped a finger inside, pulling it out along with a rolled paper. “The rendezvous point,” she said.

“I’ll take that.”

They both whirled in the direction of the voice behind them.