Another Small Kingdom (17 page)

Chapter Thirty

K
itty held her knife by the handle with the blade reversed against her forearm, her shoulders and arms covered by a light shawl.She sat by the door of the covered carriage looking out of the window. Molly sat next to her. Neither spoke.

The carriage waited down the street from Macleod's rooms, ignored by the servants, tradesmen and other pedestrians who passed it.

‘How long since the carter came and took the trunk?'

Molly took out a small, gold watch.

‘Fifteen minutes. He won't be long now.'

As she put away the watch, Macleod came out into the street and walked away in the opposite direction from where the carriage stood. After walking briskly for about thirty yards he suddenly stopped.

‘We're off. I'll see you at the docks.'

Kitty opened the door and got out of the carriage and spoke to the driver.

‘To the docks.'

The driver touched his hat with his whip and flicked the horse with the reins. The carriage moved slowly off and Kitty stepped up on to the pavement and waited.

The door out of which Macleod had come opened again and Marie de Valois emerged dressed like a serving woman and carrying a large bundle tied together and slung over one arm. Kitty could see she was looking thoroughly sorry for herself.

Marie walked slowly for a few yards then stopped, moved the bundle awkwardly to her other arm and then set off again. After walking a short distance Marie stopped once more and moved the bundle back. It occurred to Kitty that if Marie de Valois travelled at that speed all the way to the docks she'd probably miss the boat by some margin. Macleod had watched Marie come out of the house and waited while she adjusted and re-adjusted her bundle but, apparently satisfied that all was well, set off, not looking back at Marie who struggled on frequently glancing up at Macleod's back as the distance between them increased.

This caused a problem for Kitty. She wanted them both in her sight but if she held back from Marie there would be a chance she could soon lose Macleod. Kitty walked and watched. Was it a clever ploy by Macleod in case he was followed? If he was indeed as sharp as Molly now thought, he certainly wouldn't think he could walk away from New Orleans with his pretty prize and expect no one to care one way or the other.

Suddenly Macleod stopped, turned and looked behind him. Marie was still unhappily struggling on and he waited until the gap between them was almost closed, then turned and walked on again. Marie stopped and flung her bundle to the floor as Macleod walked off. Obviously she had thought he would wait and help her and, equally obviously, she had been disappointed. Kitty was taken completely by surprise and nearly stopped walking, but caught herself and, as she almost came up to Marie, crossed the street, turned a corner and waited. Marie picked up her bundle and once more began her slow progress but Kitty noticed that the look on her face had changed. Clearly Kitty was not the only one heading to the docks with murder in her heart.

What's the clever bastard up to, thought Kitty, as the procession reconvened. Don't look at all, then tell the world you're looking? Well, my sharp bastard, we're on to your game now, so act the simpleton all you want because I'll soon be bringing the curtain down for good on your little pantomime.

And she gripped the handle of her knife a little harder.

As Macleod walked, his thoughts were not of being followed, they were a confused jumble amidst which he kept trying to tell himself that all that mattered was doing his duty, keeping Marie safe so she could give her information to the General. But he couldn't shake from himself a thrill of anticipation about them sharing a small cabin all the way to Charleston. They would have to pass as man and wife during the journey and that surely meant she would have to put on some sort of display of fondness. Who knew what might be the outcome by the time they got to Charleston?

He awoke from his daydream when he reached the streets leading on to the docks. There was no room for dreaming of any sort among the hustle and bustle, especially when he saw that the crowds soon became penned in among towering warehouses on one side and shops, taverns and counting houses on the other. Once the crowds had begun to thicken and the noise and jostling increased he decided there would now be no danger in them walking together. He waited until Marie came up to him. He smiled at her, oblivious of the look on her face.

‘From here I think we are safe to become man and wife.'

Marie dumped her bundle at his feet.

‘Animal! Cur! Pig!' Macleod almost recoiled in shock and surprise at her words and manner but Marie continued. ‘You walk on with your nose in the air and leave me to carry that, that thing, that detestable burden. You stand here and grin at me while I suffer. And I am forced to do it,' she gesticulated with her hands at her dress and mob-cap, ‘dressed like a common servant, a cook, worse, a washer-woman. I will carry the bundle no longer. I would rather die. Carry it yourself or leave me here. Either be a gentleman or get out of my sight.'

The crowd milling past them took no notice. Most had witnessed such a scene before. A husband and wife, the husband one of the weak sort and on the receiving end of a tongue lashing.

Only a pair of passing sailors who had lunched on a liquid diet stopped to offer comment.

‘Black her eye, mate, in fact black them both or that missus of yours will have you squashed under her thumb. Mark my words.'

But his fellow took a contrary view.

‘Too late, Tom. He's squashed already and I shouldn't wonder if maybe she's the one who's blacked an eye afore now.'

‘I think you have the truth of it, Billy.'

And with sorrowful looks at Macleod they passed on their way.

In a doorway across the street, Kitty waited and watched. What the hell are they up to now? Standing and making a show of themselves. She watched as Macleod stooped and picked up the bundle and the two of them walked on.

Kitty came out of the doorway. She knew where the Charleston vessel was berthed so there was no need to get too close so long as she kept them in view. As they all approached the entrance to the quay where their ship waited, the crowds thinned out. Neither Macleod nor Marie looked back and Kitty adjusted her fingers on the knife handle and moved the shawl slightly so it would be clear when the knife was needed. She saw Molly standing beyond the warehouse walls on the wooden quay with the moored ships beyond her. Kitty began to close rapidly, the knife turned now, blade out in her hand and just covered by the shawl. She was almost on them and had the knife clear when her head exploded, everything went black and she fell to the ground.

Marie and Macleod both heard the cry. They stopped and looked round. Behind them there was a slight commotion. A group of workers had gathered round a figure lying on the ground. Macleod dropped the bundle and made as if to go and give assistance, but Marie grabbed his arm.

‘What are you doing? It is nothing to do with us. A woman has fainted or had a fit or dropped dead. It happens all the time. We must go on, we must get on board the ship. There I will be safe. Leave her, whoever she is. Someone will take care of her.'

Macleod hesitated, then bent down to pick up the bundle and as he did so Marie gave a small gasp. He looked up and saw Madame de Metz hurry past. Macleod straightened up, holding the bundle.

‘My God, did you see who that was?'

‘It was Madame de Metz. What is she doing ….'

But Macleod wasn't listening. He watched as Madame de Metz arrived at the group and fell to her knees beside the woman lying on the floor.

Macleod turned back to Marie.

‘What in God's name is she doing here?'

But he didn't wait for an answer. He grabbed Marie's arm and hurried them forward. He had no idea why the de Metz woman should be on this particular quay at this particular time and he had no intention of waiting to find out. He had planned their departure as a carefully guarded secret and was sure he had left nothing to chance, yet here was someone who never set foot outside the best salons waiting almost beside the very ship which would get them out of New Orleans.

Once safely on the deck they looked back. In the small crowd that had gathered around the inert form, Madame de Metz was kneeling beside the body, but her head was turned to the ship and her eyes fixed on Marie.

Chapter Thirty-one

M
olly had seen the knife almost under Kitty's body as soon as she had knelt down.She picked it up and slipped it away, then looked at the ring of dirty, curious faces looking down at them.

‘Clear a space. She has fainted, she needs air. A space I say, get back.' The small crowd shuffled back at her words of command and she was able to look past them and watch Macleod and Marie hurry up the gangplank and Marie stop and look at her.

Well, nothing could be done there now, so she turned her attention once again to the crowd.

‘You and you,' she pointed at two burly men, ‘lift her carefully and take her to the nearest tavern.'

The two men moved forward and did as they were told. Molly followed and once they had Kitty in a chair in the tavern took her purse and gave each man a few coins. The men touched their foreheads with a knuckle, took the money and went off to the bar. Molly crouched down next to Kitty who had begun to come round. Molly looked across to the bar. The barman was staring at her, understandably curious that someone of such class should come into his tavern following two men carrying a woman's body.

Molly called to him.

‘Brandy and quick about it.'

The barman busied himself for a moment and then came over carrying a tray. He put a glass and a flask on the table then stood back but didn't leave. Now he had a ringside seat, he was keen to see what would develop.

Molly turned and gave him the full blast of a Madame de Metz look. He took a step back, murmured something suitably apologetic, turned and went back behind the bar.

Molly gave her attention to Kitty.

‘What happened? One minute you were right behind them then you were down.'

‘You tell me. I saw you and was almost up close enough to stick him when the sky fell in. Next thing I know I'm in here with you.'

Molly reached up and felt the back of Kitty's head. Kitty winced.

‘Shit, that hurts.'

Molly looked at her fingers then showed them to Kitty. They were smeared with blood.

‘Christ, Kitty, he had someone on you all the time. As soon as whoever it was saw you make your move, he laid you out cold.'

‘The bastard, we should have known he wouldn't let us take her so easily. Now I see why he was playing the fool all the way to the docks. It was so I wouldn't notice he'd got someone behind me.'

‘He's good, Kitty, up to now too bleedin' good and I don't mind admitting it. He took me in with everyone else about Marie de Valois and now he's done us down again. They're on the ship now and no way we can get at them.' Molly sat down and poured a brandy which she lifted to her mouth and drank off. She put the empty glass on the table. ‘Help yourself, girl, we'll need to do some thinking about this.'

Kitty needed no second invitation. She also poured a glass and swallowed it off.

‘You saw no one, Molly?'

‘I caught a glimpse maybe, just the back of a man walking away from where you were lying as I got down beside you. Just a glimpse before he was away but I noticed one thing. He limped.'

‘The pistol who did for de Valois and St Clair?'

‘It has to be.'

‘And we should have been ready for it. We knew his man did the killing and we left him out of the picture. We should have been ready.'

‘Well we weren't and there's no point in crying into our brandy about it. What's done is done. The point is we'll make no more mistakes. Next time we'll be ready for him.'

‘Next time?'

‘Oh yes. He's bested us today but there'll be a next time. And when there is we'll settle accounts with our clever Mr Macleod. Settle and close them.'

‘Well, Kitty, Mr Macleod has our pretty bird safe on a ship bound for Charleston. If he's gone to all this trouble to take her along my guess would be that he hasn't been able to pump her for the information. She hasn't told him what he wants yet.'

‘How do you figure that?'

‘If she had told him then why take her along?'

Kitty thought of the late Jack Doran.

‘Because now she's his doxy. He's snared the bird, got under her skirts and she likes it. He's got a journey ahead so he takes her along as company. Plenty of time to slit her throat and ditch her once he's in Charleston.'

‘No. I told you, no more mistakes. We know to our cost he's thorough and doesn't take chances. If he'd got the information he'd have got shot of her the same way they got shot of the maid. Travel alone, travel fast and leave no traces.'

‘All right, then why hasn't he beaten it out of her?'

‘Because, like you say, he's got under her skirts and he wants her to trust him. That way he has a better chance to get it all. Beat it out of her and he couldn't be sure, not in the time that was available to him. With St Clair dead we wouldn't be the only ones who might come looking. He had to run and he had to take her with him. I think he plans to ship her somewhere he can park her safely until he sells her on. It's what I'd do. Either he'll sell her to whoever sent him or, if someone makes him a better offer …'

Kitty saw where Molly was going.

‘And you want that bid to come from us?'

‘Got it in one.'

‘So where do you think he'll go?'

‘My guess would be that from Charleston he'll take her to Boston.'

‘He's a homing bird you think?'

‘Like I said, he's got her and he wants to sell her on or get her information. Either way he needs a safe haven to hold her. If she trusts him then why not take her to his home?'

Kitty felt the back of her head and Molly poured another brandy, took a drink and passed the glass to Kitty.

‘What if he holds on at Charleston or heads elsewhere?'

‘Then we're beaten and I might give thought to taking what's left of Trent's money and running.' Her words, however, carried little conviction, running to where Jasper Trent might not be able to reach her to exact his vengeance was not a happy thought. ‘We've got to play a better game than we have up to now if we're to come alongside him and lift the bird from him.'

‘Well, he's made no mistakes yet, so I don't fancy him for making one any time soon and Boston seems too obvious to me.'

‘Ah, but there you're wrong. They ship out for Charleston today. From Charleston they'll go further north pretty quick I imagine. He thinks he'll be home safe and get his business done before anyone can come after him from New Orleans.'

‘And he's right, isn't he? It could be days before we could get on something that would take us north and then we'd still have to get to Boston.'

‘Not so, girl. I've been given a trump card that might get us there sooner than he thinks. With good luck and a fair wind we may even get there before him.'

‘How, sprout wings and fly?'

‘Not quite. I find us a friendly sailor and wave a bit of paper at him and tell him to get us to Boston as fast as he can.'

‘You're making no sense.'

‘Oh yes I am. If we can find a certain ship in the next two or three days we'll beat the clever bastard and be ready and waiting when he gets there. This time they won't see us coming and there'll be no one to cover his back.' Molly pulled the knife out of the recesses of her costume. ‘Here, I picked this up outside. Take it.'

Kitty took the knife and slipped it away and managed a small smile.

‘If he won't do as we want the easy way it'll be a pleasure to get another chance to use it and if I do I won't miss.'

Molly poured another drink which she held up.

‘To our Gracious Majesty's Royal Navy, may they be there when you need them.' And she drank the glass off and handed it to Kitty. ‘Drink up, girl, we've work to do.'

Kitty poured a glass and swallowed it.

‘I don't know what I just drank to, but whatever it is I hope it works.'

Molly took out her purse and handed it to Kitty.

‘Go and pay for the brandy then let's get out of here.'

Kitty stood up and went to the bar and paid. The barman and the two men who had carried Kitty in, and who were enjoying the fruits of their labour, watched them leave.

‘Queer doings, mates.'

The sailors nodded.

‘Ah, very rum.'

‘And they didn't behave like a fine lady and her maid. More like shipmates on shore-leave.'

The men nodded once more.

‘True, friend. Very strange.'

‘I'll tell you another queer thing as happened. They fished a body out of the docks only the other morning. Young woman, dressed like a fine lady's maid. Probably from one of the big houses.'

‘Ah, got herself into trouble no doubt?'

‘In a manner of speaking. Her throat was cut. Murdered and dumped in the river somewhere, and fetched up among the boats. Nasty business.'

‘True, friend, very nasty business.'