Page 24 of The Swan Syndicate #1
Stella decided on the other plain day dress Beckworth had bought for her as he dressed beside her. They would have finished sooner but kept stopping to smooch, smiling and laughing as they leaned into each other when Beckworth lost his balance putting on his pants.
They would have still been in bed if Lando hadn’t pounded on their cabin door announcing the meeting in fifteen minutes.
She gave Beckworth a long perusal, then brushed back his hair, preferring his tangled locks, but it might give the men the wrong idea.
Well, not wrong, but she didn’t want the men passing him winks.
Satisfied he looked presentable, even with his goofy grin, she turned for the door.
He pulled her back and gave her a long kiss, his hands running through her own tangles. She held on tight before he stepped back, leaving her with a matching grin. He tugged on her hair with a quizzical stare. She raced to the washstand and grabbed the brush. After a few strokes, she turned around.
“Better?”
“I preferred you before the brushing, but that’s for my eyes only.”
Her cheeks heated. The man could still make her blush. She strolled out when he opened the door but not before slapping his backside.
He chuckled, patting hers as she made her way to the galley.
The men were in various conversations around a table filled with a pitcher of ale, mugs, and a platter of cheese, meats, and bread.
Her stomach growled at the sight. She found an open seat next to Lando, and Beckworth sat between Fitz and Jamie.
Michelson and Lane were also present, belaboring the benefits of mead over ale.
Jamie listened patiently, a twitch to his lips as they continued their personal assertions.
They were so involved in defending their positions that neither appeared to notice Stella and Beckworth arrive and jumped when Jamie landed a fist on the table.
“Now that everyone is here, Lando, tell us about your trip to shore.”
“There were two ships in the cove, The Horseman and the Tidewater . We believe the men from the inn and pub were from this second ship, but it’s only a guess.
We arrived in time to spot a jolly boat as it came alongside The Horseman , but all we could see were long crates being hauled onboard.
From our view, there didn’t appear to be any markings on the crates.
When Fitz spotted the other ship preparing for sale, we made a swift retreat. ”
Michelson laughed. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen men paddle so quickly.”
“I thought me arms were going to fall off.” Fitz shook his head as he grabbed a hunk of cheese, two slices of meat, and bread, but he was grinning.
The men had a chuckle until the seriousness of the situation returned.
“Why two ships?” Stella asked. “Had they already taken cargo to the first ship?”
Jamie shook his head after setting down his mug. “The first one is more likely a decoy. When you’re in a private cove, it can be dangerous sailing out without knowing what might be waiting for you. It’s not typically done, but with the war and the increase in British patrols, it’s more common.”
She nodded. “So, they board the first one, don’t find anything, and sail away. The second ship is safe.”
“It doesn’t always work,” Beckworth added. “The patrols are becoming wise to that, but they also can’t sit in front of the cove for days. If the first smuggler ship doesn’t go far and waits for the second one to leave, they could outflank the patrol, which puts them at great risk.”
Stella frowned. “A risky game indeed.”
“So, where does that leave us?” Lane asked.
“We continue on with our mission,” Jamie replied.
“I’ll send a message to Hensley at the next port with our speculations.
” When Fitz and Lando growled, he added, “We don’t know enough to change the mission we’ve been given.
As far as we know, they could be smuggling fine silks, laces, and china.
We know our route. With any luck, Hensley’s response will reach us at one of our next ports. ”
The men nodded, knowing Jamie’s decision made sense, but Stella guessed they all wanted to pursue Cheval—even Beckworth.
Jamie once told her he didn’t work for Hensley, but since he agreed to the paid mission, he had to follow the plan regardless of his own feelings.
If they weren’t on an assignment, she had no doubt the discussion would have gone differently.
“We should make port by evening.” Jamie stood. “That should give us time to run through the pubs. This is a larger port, so we’ll probably need one more two-man team to ensure we cover them all.”
“We should rotate the teams through the pubs every hour,” Fitz suggested. “It will be less suspicious.”
“Agreed.” Jamie turned to Beckworth. “I believe Michelson explained the rigging to Stella this morning. Why don’t you give her a full tour of the ship?
” He smiled at Stella. “With Cheval out there, it’s best you know the workings of the ship.
I don’t expect trouble, but I would feel better if you can find your way around if you need to help Michelson with injured sailors. ”
B eckworth started the tour of the ship by walking Stella around the top deck, explaining how the sails worked, when they used the anchor, and the lines used to moor the ship when docking.
He’d been surprised when he stopped to explain the rigging, and she interrupted with what Michelson had taught her.
“So, you’ve already had a tour.” Beckworth leaned against the railing, squinting at the coastline in the far distance, but it was too far away to distinguish anything without the glasses.
“No tour.” She turned her head to see what he was looking at.
She had a beautiful profile. A shapely nose, not small nor large, and a graceful neckline.
“When you went off to check the cove, Michelson kept me occupied by explaining the lines and rigging. There are two types of rigging, right?” She turned to find him watching her. “What?”
He pulled her close but refrained from kissing her with the men around them.
“Nothing. I just like looking at you.” When she blushed, he grinned.
He liked that he could still make her blush, considering how bold of a woman she was, her demure side was a rarity.
“When would Jamie use a standing rigging?”
“Always. They’re used to support the masts.”
He nodded. “And the running rigging?”
“That’s what Michelson showed me. They’re used to control the sails.”
“And, of course, you know about the crow’s nest—AJ’s favorite job.”
She laughed. “It really is. It’s the climbing and being up high where she can be alone with the wind and the sky. She learned to rock climb after her father died.”
“His heart I believe.”
She nodded, then shielded her eyes as she glanced up to the nest. “The climbing focused her. He’d been a mentor and a good friend in addition to being her father.
It was a hard loss for her. But, as is her nature, she became obsessed with learning everything she could and now climbs several times a week.
” Her gaze fell on Beckworth with an impish grin.
“From the way Finn tells it, she’d gotten a sparkle in her eye the first time she glanced up and saw the ladder.
That’s what you call it right? The ropes they use to climb up? ”
“I think you have the basics.” He tapped the tip of her nose. “You’re getting too much sun. Let’s explore the lower decks.”
He kept a hand at her waist as he steered her below.
Although she was familiar with the galley, he pointed out where the first aid station was located next to the pantry.
“When you have time, you should probably review everything in here. From what I’ve been told, it usually holds sutures, bandages, and the like.
But when Maire spent time onboard, she added a fresh selection of various herbs and tinctures.
There should also be a few bottles of medicine that Bart supplies, mostly for pain and infections. ”
“I miss that old man. Does Jamie send someone out to his cabin in the woods and hope not to get shot?” There was humor in her question.
“Bart puts a package together every few months, and Lincoln delivers them to Hensley. Jamie picks them up whenever he’s in Bristol.
” He led her to the navigation table where Jamie kept his maps neatly stowed except for two that were currently spread across the surface.
Four small brass figurines of what looked like mermaids held down the corners.
A compass, pencils, an hourglass, and a journal lay on the topmost map.
He explained how the charts worked, and Stella followed along for a while, but he could tell when her interest waned. It wasn’t obvious. To most people, you’d assume she was still listening, but her fingers played at the edge of the map.
“I think that’s enough of that.” He clasped her fingers. “If I don’t stop, Jamie will discover his charts have turned into giant swans.”
“Sorry. I get the gist of it. This was another area AJ loved. It’s interesting, but I’m afraid I’ll never understand all the squiggles on the maps.”
They were alone at the table, so he took the opportunity for a sweet kiss—gentle but with lots of promise. Her hand ran along his thigh, and he stepped back. A wicked smile crossed her face, but she moved past him and turned right down a hall.
He cleared his throat. “That’s the way to the captain’s cabin.” He turned her left, past their cabin and the one next to it.
The lower deck contained cargo holds, extra stores for the galley, and the crew’s quarters that included a network of hammocks. When they worked their way up to the top deck, he walked her past the line of guns.
She pulled away from him, set her fists on her hips, and narrowed her eyes. “We’re not going to just walk through here without you explaining how the cannons work.”
He sighed. She’d probably been waiting through the entire tour for this moment.
He’d understood when two days after they met she’d demanded to learn about flintlocks.
They’d been running for their lives, and she required a way to defend herself, especially if something happened to him.
But guns were a different matter entirely.
He quirked a patient smile. “Is this just general curiosity, or do you imagine Jamie asking you to run down here in the middle of a sea battle to help the master gunner?”
She smirked. “General curiosity. AJ says it’s pretty loud when they’re fired.”
It hadn’t taken him long to learn that it was easier to satisfy her curiosity or else she’d nag him to death. Or, as he’d discovered on other occasions, rather than bargain or fight with him, she’d find someone else to answer her questions. That didn’t always work in his favor.
“First, they’re called guns, not cannons.
” He stepped next to the first one in the line of four port-side guns.
“These appear to be what they call twelve-pound guns, which is the weight of the shot—or balls. The process is the same as loading a rifle—load the gunpowder, add the ball, tamp it down, add wadding, then add serpentine powder to the gunlock on top, which is nothing more than another term for a flintlock. Once they fire the gun, it will recoil backward—and if anyone is behind it, serious injuries can occur. They use the rope to run the gun forward when it’s time to fire again. ”
“What’s serpentine powder?”
“A finer grade of gunpowder. It ignites quickly.” He nodded to a flask hanging on a nail in a post.
She nodded. “I understand. So, this is all like loading my flintlock times a hundred.”
“Exactly.” He took her arm and guided her out of the room and back toward the galley. “Shall we see if they left us anything for lunch?”
“Perhaps a picnic in our cabin?”
“Do you need to help in the galley?”
She shook her head. “I arranged to take care of dinner and clean up.”
“Then a picnic it is.” He stopped her in the hallway. “Whatever shall we do with the rest of our afternoon?”
She leaned in for a kiss then ran a hand up his thigh and squeezed his ass. “I have a thought or two.”
T he next morning, Stella rolled over and ran a hand along Beckworth’s chest. “Morning, Teddy.”
He groaned but managed to grab her hand before it reached his lower extremities. “It can’t be.”
She raised up to an elbow and stared down at him. His eyes were closed, and she marveled at the length of his lashes. Something she’d never paid that much attention to. When his eyes were open, his sultry blue gaze always took her breath away.
It wasn’t often she woke before him. He’d always been an early riser, even in Baywood.
“I told you not to drink any more whiskey. You shouldn’t let Fitz encourage you.”
He threw an arm across his forehead. “I think I have—what do you call it? A drunk over?”
She chuckled. “A hangover. And fortunately for you, I have something that might help.” She shoved the covers off her, and without bothering to grab her robe, dug through her duffel and pulled out the first aid kit. “I blame it on Jamie and Lando for starting the game of hazards in the first place.”
“It was a way to burn off our frustration. Four hours of pubs and inns and not a single sighting or mention of either MacDuff or Cheval.” He pushed himself up and grabbed his head.
She pulled out a single tablet and poured a glass of water from the pitcher. She handed him both before climbing back into bed.
“This should relieve your headache.”
He stared at the pill.
She sighed. “It’s just an aspirin.”
“Bart usually crushed up his pills and put them in water.”
“I’m afraid I left my pestle and mortar back in Baywood. Just put the pill on your tongue and swallow it down with water. All the grown men from my time do it.”
He growled but did as he was told, and she shook her head. Men acting like children when they didn’t feel well must have begun at the beginning of time.
She took the glass of water and set it on the table. “Now, what can Stella do to make it all better?” She climbed into bed and stroked his body until it went limp as his headache receded. “Just lay back and let the medicine work.”
She massaged his arms and legs, but when her hands slid to his chest, he rolled her over against her protests.
His gaze was heated, with no sign of his earlier pain.
She didn’t think it had anything to do with the medicine.
She’d wanted to be the seducer, and she tried to push him off so she could get on top, but he pinned her down.
“Hush, woman. I’ve discovered a better cure for hangovers.”
Her laughter was throaty, which only encouraged him. He was always a generous lover, and this time was no different. And when his thrusts increased, he smothered her screams with a heated kiss.
There was no question about it. This was turning out to be a fantastic holiday after all.