Endure My Heart by Joan Smith

Author:Joan Smith [Smith, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1980-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

It was far and away the best thing that could happen to me, to be cut off from frequent visits with Williams. Best from a personal point of view, but for business reasons, it would be better to keep in touch. His having discovered my cave, for instance, was a vital piece of information, and only stumbled onto because of our relationship.

And how annoying it was to have to abandon my perfect Eyrie so early in the game. I had hoped to get at least a year’s service out of it—use up my lease. My mind was all in a whirl when I went home. I would keep firmly and constantly in mind that we were enemies, and not let my heart run away with my head, as it kept wanting to do.

It was war between us, no more, no less. My enemy was suspicious, and I must direct his suspicions from the Eyrie. Make him think some other spot was used. I scanned my mind, and found it going back to Aiken’s place. Lord Aiken had not remained long, just for a Christmas holiday. Williams had already been investigating there. He must be led back to it. There is a nice stretch of shingle beach just below Lord Aiken’s estate, actually a part of the estate, I believe, but not built on at all. We had used the dock, but that nice quiet length of beach, so open to prying eyes, beckoned me. I trifled with various ideas—landing a batch of empty barrels and making Williams look a perfect fool when he went dashing in to rescue barrels of air. But he would not do that. He would hang back in the dark, waiting to follow Jemmie to me. It was only Miss Sage he was after.

Still, for the next shipment fast approaching, he might be lured to that beach for a diversion, while we got the stuff up the stairs of the Eyrie. Yes, definitely that would be an amusing exercise. I would arrange through Jem, who had a dozen rascally gentlemen he met during the length of his higgling route, to pass along plans to have empty barrels landed at the beach, to distract Williams. Jemmie disliked my idea. Too many men involved—a crew at the beach, and another at the Eyrie. And what if Williams did not fall for it? The lugger could be burned off from the Eyrie, of course, but unless we had another landing spot, which we did not, it would mean losing the cargo.

“One coffin would take a deal less work and men than all them barrels,” Jem suggested with a cagey look.

“Williams would hardly be interested in a coffin,” I thought.

“He’d be interested enough if we tried to keep him away, wouldn’t he then?”

“It was not my intention to try to keep him away,” I pointed out.

“Aye, but the best way to get him there is to make him think it.”

It is lowering to have to confess Jemmie’s crooked mind had outpaced my own in this case.

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