The Blighted Cliffs (40 page)

Her
mouth turned up in a weak grin. 'If she's any conscience, she'll
repent of the depths she's driven me to.'

'Certainly
if she knows me.'

That
brought a full smile to her face, and she pushed my shoulder
playfully. I tried not to wince.

I
remember little of that day. Sometimes I slept, and sometimes I
thought I slept, and occasionally I would wake up and listen to
Isobel's rambling chatter. A surgeon came, with much tutting and
scolding, as if I had brought these afflictions upon myself. He
cleaned my wounds and wrapped me in so many bandages I believe I
could have leaped from the window and bounced off the ground, if I'd
had the strength to leave my bed. Crawley did not return, but Isaac
brought up a bottle of brandy, for the 'medicinal' price of four
shillings, and Isobel allowed me a short draught before removing it
beyond my abbreviated reach.

It
was dark when I next awoke, inside the room as well as out: the
candle was snuffed, and there was only a crack of orange light under
the door sill to give me my bearings. I felt hot, swathed in bandages
as I was, and I scrabbled on the floor for the water.

There
was a knock. I tensed, the smuggler's warning driving through my
brain, but almost immediately my fears were allayed by the sound of
Ducker's voice announcing a visitor. Swinging my legs out of bed, I
stumbled painfully to the door. The bolt, I saw, had been shut from
the inside.

'Who
is it?' I asked cautiously.

'Nevell.'
He sounded far more awake than I.

I
shot the bolt open.

'Were
you asleep?' asked Nevell. 'I do apologize. But I wanted to talk to
you. About Mazard.'

I
groaned. 'I'm glad someone does.'

Nevell
stepped into the room, holding his candle forward as he examined the
bandages that served as my nightshirt.

'The
man outside said you had been the victim of unfortunate circumstance.
You look as though you've gone head-on against a chaise and four.'

'All
it took was a pair of ruffians,' I explained. 'With a distaste for
the enquiries I was making. Enquiries which curiously all seemed to
be leading to that most respectable buttress of the Dover community,
Mr Mazard.' I sank down onto the edge of my bed, and motioned Nevell
to the adjacent stool. 'I'm ill equipped to receive at the moment,
but there's brandy somewhere behind you.'

Nevell
reached for the bottle and swigged it liberally.

'Much
required,' he said with satisfaction. 'I've hardly been out of the
saddle since I saw you two days ago.'

'Naturally
you heard of nay plight and raced to be at my bedside,'

I
suggested, taking my own draught from the bottle.

'Naturally,'
said Nevell, with a rather more sardonic laugh than I felt strictly
necessary. 'Actually, I was passing through on other business, but I
thought as I was here I might convey a curious piece of information I
have gleaned about Mr Mazard. But perhaps you are more intimately
acquainted with his affairs?'

'Quite
possibly. And if I am, I don't commend it to you.'

Speaking
quickly, I repeated the well-rehearsed gist of what I had proposed to
Crawley that morning. To my surprised satisfaction, it met with a far
warmer reception from Nevell.

'Mazard
and Cunningham,' he mused. 'An intriguing proposition. And, as you've
discovered, a dangerous one. But how much more dangerous if behind
them you have nobility coming down from London to personally invest
in their scheme?'

I
thought of Lord Arlington and his chest of golden guineas, and
groaned. 'I hope not. I doubt I could survive much more danger. But
for now it remains speculation, unless you've brought more decisive
news.'

Nevell
shook his head. 'Sadly not. My news is merely a titbit, a curiosity
which drew my attention. It seems that Mazard has written to his
broker in London--'

'Not
by the public post?' I interrupted.

'Careless,
I agree. But he has instructed this agent to sell large holdings of
stock, and of the government's debt, even if it be at a loss.'

'Is
that so curious?' I asked. 'Of all the activities that Mazard may
dabble in, I should have thought stock trading to be the least
reprehensible. Surely you are not so great a snob that you begrudge a
man a merchant's profit?'

'Not
at all. But it is strange that when the prospects for peace, and so
for the stocks to soar in value, are stronger than they have been in
ten years, when Mazard can see the correspondence being ferried
across outside his very window, he should choose this moment to
dispose of his holdings. Why would a man with a nose for invest ment
do that?'

'Why
indeed?'

'Who
can say?' Once again, Nevell retreated into enigma. 'But your Lord
Arlington obviously felt there was an opportunity for a large amount
of his money to be well invested in Dover. Perhaps Mazard too thinks
he can put his capital to better use.' He leaned forward earnestly.
'And if you are correct, and he is the smugglers' banker, then think
how big a haul of contraband you'd see it buy.'

'I
shall keep my eyes open,' I told him, and promptly belied that as a
powerful yawn overtook me.

Between
my aches and my fatigue, with perhaps a dash of the brandy thrown
over them, I confess I had not understood all I might have in
Nevell's tale, and my stiff limbs were starting to long for a return
to the warm bed. Nevell must have seen as much.

'I
may be back soon,' he said, adjusting his hat as he made for the
door. 'I shall leave you to convalesce until then. But don't drop
your guard. Particularly in dark churchyards late at night.'

I
locked the door after him and returned to bed, pulling the covers
over my shivering body.

'You're
back, are you?' asked Isobel sleepily, wrapping an arm around me.
'Ooh, you are cold.'

'I
had a visitor,' I said, letting her press against me. Her warmth was
pleasant. 'Who may be able to tar Mazard with something more than
suspicions and coincidences.' I grunted, remembering how meagre his
information was. 'Or who may be unable to prove so much as the
weather.'

'Still,'
murmured Isobel, sliding a slender leg between my own, 'anything to
get to that bastard.'

I
was finding the heat against my thigh most distracting. 'Well, I hope
it proves worth being tanned to a leather,' I said, 'because I shall
be in no condition to undertake any more dangerous exploits in the
immediate future.'

Isobel
laughed lightly, and sat up. The covers cascaded off her back; she
raised her arms, and pulled the thin shift over her head.

She
was naked beneath it. Her fingers trailed over my bandaged chest,
down across my stomach, and onto my hips.

'Well,'
she giggled. 'Let's see what exploits your condition does allow.'

Much
to my surprise, no-one knocked on the door. No-one shouted from the
hallway, and nobody leaped through the window brandishing a wicked
knife. Maybe the guards outside heard something, but if so, they took
it with discretion and kept silent. Even the cockerels seemed to
delay their fanfare as late as was decent. For once, against all
precedent, we were left to enjoy ourselves alone. In peace. And with
only a little aching.

17

IT
SEEMS FAIR TO SAY THAT MY WAKING THE NEXT MORNING WAS THE happiest of
all my time in Dover. Isobel and I and the sheets were all tangled
together, soft and warm and tousled, and when I made to extricate
myself it took little more than the tightening of her thin arms about
my chest to dissuade me. She kissed the nape of my neck and tickled
me behind my ears, and I hugged myself back against her. The small
swell of her breasts pushed at the bruises and bandages on my back,
but I was happy to allow the dull throbbing they antagonized and let
her nestle there in contented silence.

Inevitably,
there came a knock on the door.

'Lieutenant
Jerrold, sir.' It was Ducker. 'Cap'n Crawley's respects, and if you'd
like to come down to the 'arbour we'll be away afore long. If you're
feelin' well enough, 'e said.'

Miraculously,
the gentle exertions of the night seemed to have teased out much of
the pain, but I debated a moment whether this was my public position.
The temptation to stay all morning in bed with Isobel was
overwhelming, but I could not forget that it was Thursday, and by the
Monday I would need to demonstrate to my uncle some evidence at least
of my innocence. Evidence that might be found if we managed to bring
some smugglers to account, if they and Mazard and Vitos proved to be
all bound up together. And it would be pleasant, I thought, to play
the role of the suffering hero with Crawley for once, rather than the
wastrel, to reap some reward from my ordeal. Besides, I would be far
safer at sea from the attentions of those who meant me harm.

'I
shall be out presently,' I called. 'I suggest you wait downstairs. I
shall of course require some protection for the journey.' I would
leave nothing to chance. 'I recommend you avoid the coffee.'

Pulling
free of Isobel, reluctantly, I tried to dress myself. It was an
effort, for I could scarcely bend enough to look in the mirror, and
after a few theatrical harumphs Isobel took mercy on me, and helped
me into my shirt, breeches and coat. I doubt she would have made much
of a valet, though, for her fingers had a pleasing tendency to stray
from the buttons at hand; even allowing for my immobility, my toilet
seemed to take far longer than was absolutely necessary. In my
magnanimity, I made no complaint.

'And
what does the day hold for you?' I asked, as she adjusted my
neck-cloth. I had decided not to shave, for my face was still tender.

'I'll
try to find some work.' She was still entirely naked, her small body
drawn tighter than ever as she stretched up to reach my neck.

'You
can hardly fail to impress if you go attired like that.' I gazed on
her with frank admiration. 'But perhaps not for the sort of
occupation you seek.'

'I'll
wear my maid's dress,' she said wickedly. 'Most men seem to like it.
And more, when I let the neck down just enough so they think they've
a chance.'

'What
an unprincipled little cat you are.' I affected righteous shock, then
laughed. 'No wonder I'm so fond of you.'

'Better
to allow men ideas for nothing that they'd probably have anyhow, than
let them pay to put their hands on you,' retorted Isobel. She stepped
back, squinting at my tout ensemble, and smiled.

"Specially
when there's only one pair of hands I want about me for the moment.'

I
took her meaning and was happy to indulge her, putting my arms about
the curve of her waist and drawing her close. An involuntary grimace
warned her not to reciprocate too enthusiastically.

'Good
luck,' I said, pulling my lips away from hers. 'I had better not
delay Ducker any further. I do not know how long we will be at sea,
but I suppose I may return this evening. Will you be here?' To my
surprise, I found it was suddenly very important to me that she
should be.