Page 93 of Barbarous

It had been years since he’d last seen Calitain, but he knew the man frequented the West African coastline and made his money running slaves to the Americas. The profit for those willing to traffic in human misery was even greater since the United States had banned the importation of slaves several years earlier.

A light knock on the door interrupted his musings and Will entered, his hair sticking out in all directions and his face creased with sleep.

“I came as fast as I could, my lord.”

Hugh put aside his whetstone and sheathed his sword while the other man stared at the massive weapon, suddenly alert and awake.

Hugh gestured to a chair across from his desk. “Have a seat. Would you like a drink?”

“No, thank you, my lord.” Curiosity and worry were writ large on his face.

Hugh poured himself another brandy and sat back. “Martín came to London with some rather important information.”

“Aye, I saw him ride out.”

“Martín’s arrival was fortunate, as Hastings has seized Lady Davenport.”

Will’s pale blue eyes widened and bulged. “Good God! How? When?”

Before Hugh could answer, the door flew open hard enough to hit the wall. Martín and Delacroix entered, dragging a third man between them. It was clear his two men had already enjoyed some interaction with their captive. One of his eyes was swollen shut and his mouth was leaking blood.

Hugh got to his feet. “What have we here?”

Delacroix smiled, the vicious expression sliding over his battered face like oil on water.

“We found him riding away from Lessing Hall. It seems he’d just deposited this.” Delacroix held up a small square of paper with his free hand. “Evidently he did not want anyone to know he had done so.” He twitched his captive’s arm to elicit a response. “Tell His Majesty why you were in such a hurry to leave his lovely house.”

Hugh rolled his eyes at Delacroix’s mocking form of address. His crew had been very entertained upon learning One-Eyed Standish was actually an English peer. No doubt it was the source of much hilarity on his ship.

“I was jest to drop off the note, yer, eh, Yer Majesty,” the man croaked, deeming it prudent to stick with the accepted form of address. Delacroix and Martín exchanged amused looks and Hugh shook his head.

The pathetic creature coughed and sputtered, bringing up a mouthful of blood and mucus, which he spat on the rug.

“Damnation,” Hugh yelled, barely moving his foot in time to avoid the gelatinous mass. He glared down at the cowering man. “Do that again and I will remove your head from your neck.”

The man gaped and Hugh flicked open the note:

Ramsay,

We’ve got your wench. If you don’t show up with £50,000 after dark today, at the old cottage below the lighthouse, we’ll kill her or sell her, whichever is best for us. We know you have the money. Don’t come late and don’t try to come early and sneak up on us, we have people watching you and your house. Do what we say or the consequences are on your head.

Hugh looked at their captive. “I suppose you were the people who were to watch us?”

“Aye, Yer Majesty,” the man muttered, staring at the floor. “You have engaged in the kidnapping and attempted ransom of a peer. Do you realize what that means?” Hugh didn’t wait for an answer. “If you help me in this matter, I may decide to be kind. If you are lying to me, I will make the punishments of hanging or transportation seem like tea and crumpets by comparison. Do you understand me?”

“I’m tellin’ the trufe, Yer Majesty. The man what paid me an’ Jed says I was to deliver the notes and wait. I was to look fer a big bloke wiff only one eye.” He glanced nervously up at Hugh as he said this. “If you left, I was to foller you. When you went to meet up tonight I was to foller and then we’d get paid.”

“Where is your associate?”

“He went to London, Yer Majesty, to yer house to deliver the same note jest in case.”

The man’s simple story had the ring of truth. “Are any others watching the house?”

“No, Yer Majesty.”

“How many are at the cottage?”

“Jes’ the three blokes and the mort.” He contorted his face as he tried to open his swollen eye.