Dawn on a Distant Shore
Page 129

"Madam." He bowed from the shoulders.
Elizabeth drew her shawl more tightly around herself. Some part of her mind marveled at her own calm in these strange circumstances. She stood barefoot in her nightdress before Alasdair Scott, the fourth Earl of Carryck. This man had caused her children to be taken from her, and now she faced him while behind her the twins slept, at peace and unaware.
"Ye ken who I am?" His voice was familiar and strange all at once: deep and melodious and Scots, with a rough edge to it.
"I do."
Elizabeth studied the earl as he studied her. He was perhaps two inches shorter and a little broader in the shoulder than Hawkeye, and the line of his nose was slightly out of kilter, as if it had been broken more than once. Certainly the resemblance was very strong, but she would never mistake this man for her father-in-law again. This realization gave her new calm.
"My lord Earl. My husband is not in."
He inclined his head. "Aye, I can see that."
"Then perhaps you would care to call again in the morning."
The earl walked to the windows and looked down into the square. "He's aff lookin' for his faither, I take it."
Elizabeth chose not to reply.
"How lang has he been awa'?"
She did not answer.
Carryck turned. She could no longer make out his face where he stood in shadow.
"Ye understan' Scots, d'ye no'?"
"I understand you well enough, my lord."
He made a deep sound in his throat; it might have been amusement, or derision.
"He willna find his faither, nor MacLachlan. The Jackdaw came intae the firth yestere'en, but they werena on board."
And still he studied her, as if he had set her a test and was curious how she would meet the challenge. In the coolest tone she could muster, she said, "The exciseman lied, then. I suppose I should not be surprised. I gather that Mr. Pickering and Mr. Moncrieff knew about the Jackdaw, but chose to keep that information from us."
"Aye. He's owercautious at times, is Angus."
She could not help but laugh: a short, sharp sound. "His cautiousness, as you put it, has sent my husband out on a futile search. Let us hope that Mr. Moncrieff has wasted only his time."
If Carryck was worried about Nathaniel's welfare, he hid it well.
Elizabeth's throat was tight with anger. "Do you know where my father-in-law and his friend are, if they are not with Mac Stoker?"
He nodded. "A navy frigate boarded the Jackdaw ten days syne."
She dug her nails into the palm of her hand and forced herself to focus on the candle flame. Pressed into the service of the Royal Navy. When she had control of her voice she said, "The entire crew?"
The Earl of Carryck glanced out the window again. "Just Bonner and MacLachlan. The rest o' Stoker's crew sits in yon tollbooth for smugglin'."
Elizabeth's thoughts raced so frantically that she must turn her face away so that Carryck could not see her distress. Nathaniel had gone out to find word of Stoker and his ship. He had taken enough coin with him to buy that information, and more. If he had learned that the dragoons had arrested the whole crew of the Jackdaw, he might well believe Hawkeye and Robbie to be in gaol. Again.
In his current state of mind, he would risk everything to free them. A small sound escaped her, and she pressed her hand to her mouth.
The earl was watching her. Elizabeth raised her head and swallowed.
"And the frigate?" Her voice came hoarse.
"I've made inquiries, but there's nae word o' her as yet." Carryck stood with his arms crossed, at his ease.
If they are dead, it is your doing. She did not speak the words; could not say out loud what she feared most, even to make clear to this man what he must know and acknowledge.
She drew herself up as tall as she could. "Sir, I will ask you again to leave and return in the morning."
"That I canna do, and should ye ask a hundred times. We must awa' tae Carryckcastle, for ye're in danger here."
"There is nothing new in that," Elizabeth said. "We have been in one kind of danger or another these many weeks."
"For the bairns' sake, then."
Elizabeth closed her eyes to rein in her temper. "If you were truly worried about my children, my lord, then they would be safe at home in New-York."
He rubbed a thumb alongside his mouth as he considered. "Ye dinna trust me."
"And does that surprise you?"
"No' in the least," said Carryck. "A sensible woman wad nivver entrust hersel' and her bairns tae a stranger."
"I see. You intrude in the middle of the night to test not only my composure, but also my character."
"I came tae see ye safely hame," he corrected her. "Moncrieff has been celebratin' aa night and canna be trusted wi' the job. Ma men are waitin' on the green wi' fresh horses."
Elizabeth crossed her arms. "And if a thousand men waited with a thousand horses, it would make no difference to me. Once again I will tell you, my lord. I will not leave this place without my husband. Have I not made myself clear?"
"Och, aye, woman." Carryck came away from the window. "Ye talk weel enough in yer strange English way, but ye canna hear." And he pointed with his chin to the hall.
Elizabeth spun around. The sound of a familiar step and then the door flew open, and Nathaniel came through with a pistol cocked and aimed at the Earl of Carryck.