Jeannette shrugged. “According to Joshua, it seems these pirates only waylay ships that are carrying cargo meant for the royal estates.”
“But how would they know that?” Melanie asked.
Jeannette gave her a condescending look. “Perhaps because there is a traitor among us.”
Melanie gasped. “But who would do such a thing?”
“There have been rumors,” Jeannette said and lowered her voice conspiratorially, “about the Marquis of Kendrick.”
“That is vicious gossip,” Caroline said. “You should not—”
“Well, it is no secret that the marquis was almost born on the wrong side of the blanket. His father married the woman just hours before she gave birth,” Jeannette answered, unperturbed. “And no one really knows exactly how his brother—the rightful heir—died.”
“The magistrate ruled it a drowning,” Caroline answered.
“Yes, but was it accidental?” Jeannette asked.
Caroline felt herself growing irritated. “There is no reason to believe it was not.”
“Perhaps,” Jeannette said, “but both brothers were known to be expert sailors.”
“And,” Melanie added, “the present marquis owns a fleet of fishing vessels. He could have used those to attack the ship.”
Caroline stared at them, hardly believing they could be serious. “Fishing vessels are not fast-moving. I hardly think such a flotilla would not have been noticed.”
“That is true,” Melanie said, furrowing her brow. “Harry told me the French ship was attacked by men in small skiffs and they all looked like seamen.”
“Then that pretty much eliminates the Marquis of Kendrick, does it not?” Caroline asked, hoping to put an end to the discussion. “I think everyone can agree that he certainly does stand out in a crowd.”
Melanie giggled again. “He certainly does cut a dashing figure.”
So did the Midnight Marauder, Caroline thought as she excused herself to go prepare for dinner. She felt a little guilty that she had once told Alex that the marquis did look like a pirate with his dark coloring and confident air. She would have to watch her tongue in the future.
Then Caroline grew uneasy as she remembered her father saying something about how odd that only certain items were taken on these raids and not the entire cargo.
Just because Napoleon had been defeated—at least once—didn’t mean the French had necessarily given up. There was a possibility that someone on the French coast with access to bills of lading was sending messages ahead to a compatriot in England.
And the Midnight Marauder did have a French accent.
Chapter Five
Stephan maneuveredLady of Fortuneinto a slip along the waterfront dock at Brighton and hopped off to help Brice secure the lines. Not many boats had arrived yet, and he didn’t see any sign of Tisdale’s.
“It does not look likeSea Masterhas put in yet,” Brice said.
“Aye. She would be hard to miss,” Stephan replied. He’d seen the boat only once, but the cutter had long, sleek lines with a narrow hull that was built for speed. It was one of the newest designs to come out of the Bristol shipyards, and Stephan looked forward to pittingLady of Fortuneagainst it.
“Perhaps Tisdale is still trying to find his cognac,” Brice said. “I heard the pirates made off with all of it.”
Stephan gave him a sideways look. Did his friend suspect he had anything to do with the French merchant ship? That kind of information could be dangerous for Barclay, if not lethal. Stephan had taken great care to stay in the shadows and work behind the scenes. Only Eric knew his identity. Even Stephan’s own crews thought Eric ran the ring and that the marquis turned a blind eye to such activities. Unlike his marauder disguise, which he used for personal vengeance against theton’sarrogance, the layers of deception with the piracy operations were necessary to rout out whoever was transferring illegal gold to French coffers. He needed to make sure Brice was not implicated in any way.
“Tisdale’s cognac?” Stephan asked. “I was not aware he was trading in the French liquor market.”
“You really should spend more time at White’s,” Brice said. “I sometimes think the men gossip as much as ladies.”
“Which is one reason I try to stay away.”
Brice grinned. “I think of it as receiving an education. There is a lot to be learned when the aristos are foxed.”
