Miss Whittier Makes a List (36 page)

“
Oh, we have, sir,
”
she agreed.
“
More than thee knows.
”
She hesitated another moment, then held it out to him.

“
You can safely assume that I have the good of
England
in mind, Miss
Whittier
,
”
We
ll
ington
said as his hand closed over the dispatch.
We are waging a lonely battle against the Corsican tyrant, and we have few friends in the world. Unfortunately, your nation is not among them. Perhaps I should be suspicious of you?
”

She tur
ned shocked eyes on him, and then smiled to s
e
e that he was grinning at her.
“
Thee is a dreadful tease, sir,
”
she said, to the silent enjoyment of the officers around the viscount.
“
Go ahead and read it.
”

He did, leaning back on the step and propping himself up with his elbow. She could s
e
e how tired he was and could only wonder at the terrible responsibility he shouldered. And now he is di
gging trenches around this city,
and I am bothering him with one more little detail.

He looked up halfway through the dispatch and motioned to one of his officers to sit beside and read, too.
“
My God, sir,
”
said the officer,
his voice low, as he scanned the closely written page. They continued reading in silence, then
Wellington
folded the dispatch and handed it back.

“
Yes, you do have to get to
London
. Miss Whittier,
”
he said after another moment
’
s reflection.
“
And promptly, too. Beresford, what do you know of the
Navy? Are not court martials at
the Admiralty conducted the last week of each month?
”

“
I believe so, my lord,
”
the officer said.
“
That would give her two weeks, wouldn
’
t it?
”

Wellington
nodded.
“
My dear, do you have any objections to a prompt removal from
Lisbon
?
”

“
The more prompt, the better,
”
she replied.
“
We had to climb out of a second-story window at the American consulate this morning to get here, and I do not think the consul will want to see us again in this life.
spa

The viscount winced.
“
To the contrary, I strongly suspect he will be looking for you.
”

“
I should think he would be glad to be rid of her, sir.
”
Adam spoke up then, coming closer to the steps.
“
I am Adam Winslow. Ha
nna
h and I have known each other forever, and I was impressed from my ship by Captain Spark.
”

“
Worse and worse,
”
murmured
Wellington
.
“
And still you wish to help him?
”

“
No, I don
’
t.
”
Adam said bluntly.
“
But Hannah won
’
t let it alone until she does, and believe me, thee doesn
’
t wish to be nibbled to death by this particular duck.
”

“
Adam!
”
she exclaimed as the viscount laughed again.
“
He will think I am a pest.
”

“
Thee is.
”

They glowered at each other.
Wellington
shook his head.
“
Temper, temper,
”
he said, and got to his feet. He pulled up Hannah after him.
“
My dear, I know I can get you on board a fast packet to
Portsmouth
, if you don
’
t object to a bit of subterfuge.
”

“
Sir, I am well acquainted with subterfuge by now. Haven
’
t I been in close company with the
Royal
Navy these six weeks and more?
”

He clapped his hands together, his mind made up.
“
Very well, then, since the American consulate had probably alerted the waterfront, Miss Whittier, we will have to be a bit smarter. I would like to avoid an international incident, if I can, so would you mind terribly dressing as a cabin boy?
”

Hannah and Adam looked at each other, their eyes merry.
“
Sir, that was what she did on the
Dissuade
,
and do you know, Captain Spark even sent her into the lookout to spy for French cruisers?
”

Wellington
shook his head and lifted the reins from off the flowerpot. He mounted
Copenhagen
.
“
I am continually amazed at the resourcefulness of the
Royal
Navy, Miss
W
hitt
ier. I recommend that you remain here until Adam
can
find you some sui
ta
ble ki
t.
Then I expect to se
e the tw
o of you—and that infamous dispa
tch
——at the H.M.S.
Daun
t
less
in an hour or less. The navy is dashed particular about wind and tides.
”

He wheeled
Copenhagen
around and held h
is han
d out for Adam to mount behind h
im. The other officers found t
heir horses and mounted while sh
e stood on the steps of All Saints.
“
I must make a flying nip to
London
and a conference with the sma
ll
brains at
White
hall
. You can be my cabin boy, Miss Whittier, since you are so good at it. S
e
e you soon. And don
’
t murder anyone until Adam returns.
”

She watched them leave, then returned to the chapel, where she sat i
n a shadowy
corner
until Adam return
ed an
h
our
later with clothes draped over h
is
ar
m. He held them out to her.

“
Wellington
is a great gun, Hannah, for all that he is Brit,
”
he whispered.
“
Hurry now. We have to catch the tide.
”

She took the clothes and ducked into the na
r
r
o
w stairway leading up to the bell tower. It was only a moment
’
s work to pull off her dress and petticoat and get into sailor
’
s canvas pants and shi
rt
, wool this time. She balled up the dress and petticoat and wedged them under the lowest step, wondering what the priests of All Saints would think when a housecleaning eventually uncovered them.

Adam knocked on the door to h
urry her along.
“
I
’
m coming!
”
she hissed, and rebraided h
er hair down her back. Someday I will wear my own clothes again, she thought as she hurried from the chapel with Adam and ran with him, hand in hand, down the steps.

Wellington
stood on the dock waiting. She ran toward him, out of breath, and he thrust his valise into her hands, commanding her to follow closely by his side.
“
The American consul has been stalking up and down the docks for the past hour and more, Miss Whittier,
”
he whispered under his breath as they st
r
ode along to the jolly boat.
“
And I have been perjuring my soul and assuring him that the British would never be party to any deception regarding an American female of tender years.
”

He lifted her into the boat, luggage and all, and hurried to sit beside her, obscuring her from any view from the waterfront.
Adam scrambled in behind them as the
helmsman
cast off the rope and raised the sail for the
Dauntless.

“
O
f course,
we could
have simply given thee the dis
patch to take to the Admiralty,
”
Adam sa
id as the boat
skimmed over the water, outlined by the setting sun.

Wellington
nodded.
“
You could have tried, my youn
g
friend,
”
he said,
“
but whydo I have the feeling that woul
d
not have been good enough for Miss Whittier here?
”