Sutton saluted the small, ginger hairedman. He had a supporter.
The ginger haired man began changingbets.
Sutton wondered how much his life wasworth in Port Elizabeth. Several pounds, at least.
Bull ran, hitting Sutton square in thestomach.
The stones of the alley laceratedSutton’s back as he slid across them. His hands tried to grasp something,anything he could use to defend himself, but found only garbage and somethingsquishy Sutton didn’t wish to contemplate. Sutton’s hand closed over abrick. He closed his eyes into slits, pretending to be too stunned tomove.
Bull thundered towards Sutton.
The crowd roared. “Finish him off,Bull!”
Bull grinned. His upper teeth weremissing. The big man loomed over Sutton. Bull turned to the crowd.“Always put yer bets on Bull!” He reached towards Sutton’s head, meaningto pull him up by his hair.
The brick hit Bull on the side of histemple. Bull looked shocked for an instant before his eyes rolled up intohis head and he went down, landing in a pile of refuse.
The crowd stood in silence, shocked atthe loss of their champion. Then the yelling began. A scufflebroke out. A man spit on the unconscious Bull. Theginger-haired man collected his winnings, winking at Sutton in the process.
Sutton backed away from the melee.He pushed aside an urchin who was making for Sutton’s discarded shirt, and tookthe cloth from him. The shirt was filthy and torn, but since he had losthis jacket, the shirt was all he had left. Blood trickled down his back,stinging the wounds made by the sharp stones of the alley. A good fight,one with fists, cleared a man’s mind, he mused. He needed someone topunch him.
Alex.
He could imagine the Badger rainingpunches and kicks upon him. He deserved it. He’d left her.Abandoned her. All because of Jeanette. His stepmother had a way oftwisting things around, of manipulating his emotions while poisoning thosearound him. His very existence was at odds with Jeanette. She hatedhim. She’d tried to have him killed. Once again, he’dallowed her to drive him away from Cambourne and his family. He wasashamed at how easily she’d achieved it.
“I’m a fool,” he said as he rounded thecorner towards the docks. Ships lined up as far as the eye couldsee. Port Elizabeth was the last port of call for those rounding the tipof Africa, headed to Asia. ThePersephonewould take on supplies andadditional crew before heading first to Madagascar, then on toMacao. ThePersephone, however, was going to be leavingwithout Sutton. Lord Bishop would need to lead his own expedition. Theidea of wandering through the jungle, cataloging exotic animals and fightingoff the natives didn’t hold the same appeal for Sutton as it once did.Nor did almost being beaten to death in an alley. He wanted to go home.
Another of Nicholas’s ships docked justthis morning to take on supplies before heading to England. Suttonapproached the captain, a man he’d met previously on the docks in London.A berth for Sutton was secured with little fanfare.
He planned to approach his prickly Badgercarefully. First he would bribe her with trips to Thrumbadge’s. Make loveto her until she was so exhausted from pleasure she lacked the strength to denyhim forgiveness. Lastly, he would hold her to his heart and tell her whatwas in his soul. That he loved her and prayed that she could love him inreturn. He would never leave England again unless she was at his side.Sutton winced and touched his swollen lip. He would tell the Badger heloved her as he loved nothing else in his life.
As he approached thePersephone,astone rattled on the dock behind him. The back of his neck tingled.Absorbed as he was on thoughts of Alex, he neglected to pay attention to his surroundings,a mistake he hadn’t made in years. Someone followed him. “Damn,” he saidsoftly.
He ducked just in time to avoid a blow tothe head. The man came at him from the side and Sutton pivoted, but hisfoot slipped on the wet street. A knife nicked his ribs. He spun andkicked, his foot catching the man on his stomach.
The man went down to one knee, trying tocatch his breath.
Sutton clenched his fists, ready for hisattacker to get up. “Who sent you?”
A shadow fell across Sutton’s shoulders whilehe focused on the man before him. The rough feel of a rope draped aroundhis neck, forming a noose. Immediately he reached up, sticking hisfingers between neck and rope, to keep from strangling. The heavy corddrew tighter making his fingers bleed.
Sutton swung from side to side, desperatelytrying to dislodge the man who stood behind him holding the rope. Heswung one arm wide, attempting to strike a blow. His fist hit nothing butair.
The man behind him snickered.“Archie says hello.”
The rope continued to cut off hisair supply. He saw stars. He saw Alex’s face.
The rope tightened until Sutton stoppedthrashing. Light faded from around his eyes. The toe of a bootkicked his ribs as he fell to the dock. Hands picked him up and carried him tothe water’s edge, then flung him in the air. The shock of the icy watermade him gasp for breath against the wrench of the rope. His body waspulled rapidly down through dark water. The assassins took no chances. A largeweight attached to the other end of the rope hastened his descent intodarkness. His last conscious thought was of Alex and how incredibly angryshe would be with him if he died.
THIRTY-ONE
Alexandra helped herself to anothermuffin. Mrs. Cowries adored baking and Alexandra was a willing testsubject for her housekeeper’s new recipes. These particular muffins were filledwith berries and held a hint of vanilla. Alexandra liberally appliedbutter to the still steaming muffin and turned her attention to the letter onthe breakfast table. Alexandra addressed her swollen stomach.
“Your Aunt Miranda is most upset that weare still here and not at Blackburn Heath.” She chuckled and patted the moundagain. “Now I fear it is too late. But she is making plans to joinus here.”
Miranda and the Dowager still resided atBlackburn Heath. At first shocked that Alexandra would leave themto return to Helmsby Abbey, the Dowager gave into Alexandra’sstubbornness. She’d agreed to maintain the charade that Alexandra was atBlackburn Heath. Now that Alexandra admitted she carried the heir toCambourne, the Dowager and Miranda were determined to bring her to them.Alexandra refused to budge. Now it didn’t matter. She was simplytoo large to travel. Her child would be born at Helmsby Abbey.
She put down Miranda’s letter and stood,wobbling a bit. Her enlarged size amazed Alexandra. Mrs. Cowriessuspected twins but Alexandra claimed her size was due to the enormous amountof food Mrs. Cowries continued to tempt her with. She patted her stomach incontentment. If not for Sutton, Alexandra would be blissfully happy.
