Stephan frowned. “I do not give a wit about her dowry.”
Eric looked heavenward. “Not you. Tisdale.”
“Oh,” Stephan said, feeling somewhat of a dimwit.
“Think about it,” Eric said. “The man is so desperate to win the regatta he’s willing to sabotage your boat. Maybe it’s not about winning Caroline so much as it is her dowry and the regatta’s purse.”
“That thought has crossed my mind,” Stephan answered. “I already sent a post to my solicitor in London to find out what he could. I have not heard back yet.”
They both turned at the sound of running footsteps. Stephan shaded his eyes. “Is that John?”
“I think so,” Eric said, “although I have never seen himrun. His gait is a bit lopsided—”
“Forget that,” Stephan replied and barely waited for John to get on the boat before he asked what had happened. “What did you find out?”
John placed his hands on his knees and leaned over to draw a deep breath and then straightened. “The ship came in with no mishap—”
“Which is what we expected since we didn’t raid it,” Eric interrupted.
“Right.” John took another breath. “There were three large wagons waiting to take the goods into town.”
“Any special markings on them? Or fancy horses?”
John shook his head. “Just the usual stable stock. I hired on as a dockhand to help unload. The silks were put on the wagon headed for a modiste shop, the spices and liquor were designated to three or four lords in the area. Nothing unusual.”
Stephan frowned. “Then why were you running as though the hounds of hell were on your heels?”
“I’m not finished.” John looked from Eric to Stephan. “There was also a fancy landau with four matched horses parked about a hundred feet away from the harbour master’s office. There was a lot of dust on the carriage and the horses looked a bit winded, so I thought whoever it was had come a ways.”
“Did you see who it was?”
John nodded. “A portly gentleman, dressed fine as you please with a top hat and carrying a walking stick. Had a snooty accent, too.”
“Did you recognize him?” Stephan asked.
“No. Never laid eyes on him before.”
“Well, that is not going to help us much.” Stephan tried not to let his disappointment show. “You just described half the men in London’s business district.”
“That might be.” John paused. “But I did recognize the gent who was with him.”
“Who?” Stephan and Eric asked in unison.
John gave them a wide-toothed smile. “Lord Tisdale.”
Stephan hardly dared to breathe, hoping he’d heard correctly. The earl had said he was going to London. Had he lied? “Tisdale? Are you sure?”
John nodded. ‘Oh, it was him all right. I saw him put a leather pouch inside his coat and then he climbed on his horse and rode hell-bent-for-leather out of town.”
…
“I see you did not make any progress while I was gone.” The earl gave his daughter a disgruntled look while they strolled in the gardens far from prying ears. “Kendrick bolted for his boat the minute Prinny rose from the table.” Even worse, Caroline had left the table in an equal hurry, but Alfred would think about that later. “Can you not hold the man’s interest at all?”
“I tried, Papa. Did you not see how I hung onto his arm?” Ann asked.
“Bah! You need to do more than that.”
“I… It is hard, Papa, especially after Lord Kendrick made his lack of interest quite clear Sunday night.”
