“And Neal has been bent on revenge ever since,” Gavin added.
Alasdair felt another chill slide down his spine. “Ye think Erik kens about it?”
“Likely. The parents live in Ireland near Larne. His uncle is a bloody baron—”
“That explains why he has been accepted into Society then,” Louisa said.
“Yes, and I remember Laird Cameron mentioning more than once that his sons spent summers in Larne.”
His nape prickled. “That means they knew each other well.”
Gavin nodded grimly. “There is more.”
“More?”
“It seems there was some gossip several years ago that Taylor had gotten into slave trafficking after he was discharged from the Navy.”
“That is awful,” Louisa said. “It seems Captain Taylor is quite deceitful.”
“Aye, ’tis likely,” Gavin replied, lapsing into Scots for a moment. “I just came from the harbormaster’s office at Billingsgate. He’s going to check into where Taylor’s ships have gone recently. I told him to send word here as soon as he found out. Meanwhile, since the ladies are not back, I suggest we go down to the docks.”
“For once, I couldna agree with ye more.” Alasdair rose. “I—”
“Excuse me.” The Bute’s butler stood in the doorway holding an envelope. “This just came by messenger addressed to Mr. Campbell.”
“Ah, the information I asked for probably.” Gavin took it from the man, broke the seal and scanned the contents. “Dh’fhaodadh a blith ro fhadalach!”
A chill went down Alasdair’s spine. “Too late for what?”
Gavin looked up, his normally tanned face pale. “The harbormaster says thatSea Roverwas scheduled for departure today—”
“Departure?” he asked.
“Aye.” Gavin’s jaw clenched. “To Tripoli.”
Alasdair’s blood turned to ice. The Barbary Coast was known for an entirely different kind of slave trafficking.
“I’ll get my pistol.”
“Aye.” Gavin turned to Louisa. “If Lord Bute has one here, I’d like to borrow it. It will save me the time to go home.”
She nodded shakily to Belton. “Please bring Father’s guns.”
“Right away, my lady.”
“Dh’fhaodadh a blith ro fhadalach!”This time it was Alasdair who said the words while they waited for Lord Bute’s weapons and his own horse to be saddled.
It seemed half an eternity passed by before they finally reached the dock and reined in. Neither of them said a word as they stared at the dock lines lying on the quay whereSea Roverhad been tied. The slip was empty.
The ship was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
1:00 p.m., Monday, Lambeth Pier, River Thames
“There he is!” Fiona exclaimed as they exited the coach on the quay next toSea Rover. Erik was standing near the boat and now walked to them.
“Right on time, ladies. The tide is just beginning to turn.” He looked at Fiona. “Did you have any trouble leaving the house?”
