Vaughan snatched a length of rope from the crates by the door.“You first, Dyer.Come here and put your hands behind your back.Bothwell, if he makes any sudden moves, run him through.”
“Hugo,” a voice said from the corridor, and Vaughan spun around.It was Wallace, standing in the doorway.
Jed stared.He heard Solomon’s gasp, and the two of them exchanged alarmed glances.
“Wallace!”Vaughan’s voice held a tremor.Was it genuine joy?“I knew you’d come.”
Wallace stood there, pale but steady.He was unsmiling.
“My dear boy—” Vaughan took a step towards him, then stopped, frowning sideways at the ganger.“Wallace, come downstairs with me.Bothwell, keep these men under guard in here.”
“You’re outnumbered, Hugo,” Wallace said.“There are five of us and two of you.Let the others leave, and I’ll stay and talk.”
He and Vaughan faced each other.Some deep undercurrent was flowing between them.
The ganger eyed Wallace with suspicion, clearly wondering what effect his arrival had on the balance of power.His cutlass wavered.
They could rush him and take the cutlass.Jed flexed the fingers of his right hand.It had been months since he had held a weapon, and he didn’t want to.But needs must.It would be suicidal, however, to just throw themselves on the blade.He considered the empty hemp sack lying crumpled in one corner… But it was too far away to grab easily.
Jed glanced sideways at the three others alongside of him.The longshoreman was tense, on the balls of his feet.Emma too was looking sharply around the room.Solomon caught Jed’s eye and nodded.Emma hitched up her skirts.
“Bothwell, watch the prisoners,” Vaughan snapped, and the ganger turned to face the four of them head on, confounding them.
“Who’s this new fellow, sir?”he asked without taking his eyes off the others.“Friend or foe?”
“Never you mind.”
It was clear that Vaughan was in a quandary.Reluctant to mistreat Wallace’s friends in Wallace’s presence.Reluctant to let go of prisoners that might make all the difference for his court martial.Unable to speak freely to Wallace in the presence of so many strangers.
Vaughan said, “Bothwell, give me your cutlass and go fetch reinforcements from the harbour.”
The man looked doubtful.
“Do it!”
Bothwell obeyed, and the longshoreman took advantage of this exchange to slip out the door.Vaughan didn’t try to stop him.
“You too, woman,” he said to Emma, his gaze and cutlass trained on Jed and Solomon.He jerked his head towards the door.“Get out of here.”
Emma looked back at him coldly.She didn’t move.
“That’s the woman I love,” Wallace said.“My betrothed.Don’t talk to her like that.”
Vaughan spun around, shocked.It was perhaps the first genuine, open emotion Jed had ever seen on his face.“Wallace, what is this nonsense?”
Wallace looked squarely at him.
Vaughan collected himself.He turned to Emma, saying smoothly, “My felicitations.I’m an old friend of your betrothed’s.Lieutenant Hugo Vaughan.”He made her a bow.“And whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?”
“I’ve already told her everything,” Wallace said.“So you needn’t bother thinking you’re going to befriend her and then poison her mind against me.”
Vaughan’s lips thinned, as Emma flashed him a grim smile.
“Won’t you excuse me, madam?”he said, turning back to Wallace.He stepped closer, lowering his voice.“Wallace, let me speak to you alone.Surely you owe me that much?”
“I don’t ever want to see you again.I just came to”—Wallace swallowed, his voice wavering—“to tell you that.And to fetch my friends.”
“Wallace, please.I’ve missed you dreadfully.Won’t you let me speak to you alone for a moment?”
