Where Seagulls Soar (29 page)

When she lifted her eyes to gaze at him, he saw they were filled with misery and despair. But fire still smouldered in their depths, and a faint wry smile was offered to him. She had still got
some fight left in her and that was a blessing, for she’d need it.

‘What happened to her?’ Constance said, her voice as hard as stone.

‘Mrs Morcant has met with a little accident, rather like you did, Mrs Charsford. It gave your husband quite a fright, I understand. Very unfortunate when a woman is damaged, since they
have such soft bodies compared to men. I’m sure the pain they experience is much worse as a result. Such delightful creatures, though.’

Constance bestowed on her husband an utterly disdainful glance. ‘You will not intimidate me into keeping quiet. Nor you, Lord Durrington. That woman has been ill used. How can you treat
her so badly?’

‘Joanna Morcant is a slut, who deserves nothing less. Now she dresses like one.’

Joanna made a protesting sound and Bisley’s hand tightened around her upper arm.

Seth’s muscles tensed. ‘I must insist that Mrs Morcant is allowed to leave with me, and now,’ he said to Lord Durrington.

‘She came here of her own free will, didn’t she, Bisley, my dear?’

Bisley giggled. ‘And she can leave with Mr Adams if she wishes. Aren’t you helping her to find her son?’ He gazed around at them all, his eyes half hooded. ‘She accused
Lord Durrington and myself of abducting him. We allowed her to search the house, of course. Then she said we had killed her little bastard. As if we’d wilfully hurt an infant.’ He
turned to smile at Joanna, his olive skin shining in the light ‘Do you want to go with Mr Adams, Joanna dearest?’

As Joanna shook her head in a befuddled manner, tears slid down her cheek.

Durrington dabbed them away with his napkin. ‘You’ve made our guest of honour cry, Mr Adams.’

Joanna’s eyelids began to droop, and she slumped in her chair.

‘What have you given her?’ Seth demanded to know.

Durrington chuckled as he gazed at him through eyes sunk in a web of wrinkles. ‘Just a little absinthe. She’s taken quite a liking to it. To my mind it’s a filthy brew.
Wormwood oil is addictive and it rots the brain, I hear. Though I believe it’s a strong aphrodisiac, as well. What do you say to that, Bisley?’

Bisley stroked Joanna’s arm. ‘A very strong aphrodisiac, My Lord. Isn’t it, Joanna?’

Her hand slowly curled and her head came up. With great difficulty she focused on Bisley and whispered distinctly, ‘
Pig!
’

Durrington smiled expansively at them all. ‘Such spirit our little island peasant possesses. Ah, here comes the soup. Perhaps you’d like to serve our guests, Joanna.’ A silver
tureen was set in front of her, a ladle placed in her hand. Joanna stared at it, as if she didn’t know what it was for.

Constance Charsford stood up, a determined look on her face. ‘Barnard, I don’t like this. I want to go home and I think we should take that young woman with us.’

‘Stop whining and sit down,’ Barnard barked at her.

Instead, Constance remained standing. ‘Do shut up, Barnard.’ She strolled sedately around the table, saying, ‘Mrs Morcant can’t handle that ladle. Allow me to serve the
soup.’ When Bisley leaned across to stop her, she nodded towards Seth, then calmly picked up the vessel and upended it over Bisley’s head before banging it down over his forehead. It
was a tight fit. ‘There’s your serve, you odious creature.’

Bisley’s scream became a gurgle as soup filled his nose and mouth.

Barnard’s mouth fell open and so did Durrington’s when Seth leaped across the table, scattering cutlery and flower arrangements. He dragged Joanna’s chair backwards.

‘Come along, my dear,’ Constance said to Joanna. Joanna managed to stagger to her feet and ambled unsteadily towards the hall with Constance for support.

Durrington had just brought his weapon up when Seth kicked it from his hand. He flicked his own pistol from the holster and backed away from the three men.

Barnard had scrambled under the table for shelter and gazed at him from under it, wide-eyed with terror. Durrington was red-faced with fury. Bisley was screaming curses as he tried to remove the
tureen from his head. The servants watched, open-mouthed. One of them sniggered and opened the door for Seth and the two women.

They gained the hall where, at Seth’s request, Constance hurriedly grabbed their outer garments and his umbrella.

‘Run across to the park, Constance,’ Seth whispered, grunting as he heaved Joanna over his shoulder. They made it out of the door and into the park unseen.

Bart greeted them. Taking half of the burden of Joanna, they carried her swiftly to a seat in the most densely foliaged part of the park.

‘I’ll keep watch while you sort yourselves out.’

‘I don’t think we’ll be followed.’ Thank God he hadn’t had to shoot anyone, Seth thought, wrapping Joanna in his coat.

That done, he turned to Mrs Charsford and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Thank you, Constance. You’re a brave woman. Do you have anywhere safe to go?’

She shook her head, panting a little for she was out of breath as she whispered, ‘I shall have to go home.’

‘If you wish, I have some rooms you can use for now. Keep out of sight and we’ll sort something out when I come back to London. I’ll be seeing your husband shortly. Is there
any message you want me to convey to him?’

‘Tell him that if I never set eyes on him again, that will be soon enough.’

Joanna gave a slurred chuckle.

He grinned and called Bart over. ‘Escort my sister-in-law to my accommodation address, would you, Bart? Perhaps you’d ask Mr Geevers to see to her needs until I get back. I
don’t know how long I’ll be. Take my umbrella, my dear. It’s quite a step and it’ll keep you dry.’

Seth kissed Joanna when the others left. There was nothing sexual about it. He grimaced at the smell and taste of her breath. Apart from the bitter taste of the absinthe, she’d been fed a
mixture of opium and brandy. Her head would feel like the inside of a tar barrel when she came out of it.

‘’S’nice kiss,’ she said with a sigh. ‘More.’

‘Certainly not. It was a scientific test. If I held a flame to your breath you’d ignite like a bonfire. I’m taking you on board the
Joanna Rose
to sleep it
off.’

Hope flared in her voice. ‘’S Toby there?’

‘No, but I have a good idea where he is. I’ve just got to get it confirmed. Edward Staines will look after you for now.’

She gulped. ‘I feel sick.’

‘I’m not surprised.’ The brew she’d been given was best out of her. To help the process along, Seth placed her on her hands and knees then thrust his fingers down her
throat. After she’d finished he hauled her upright and wiped her mouth with his handkerchief. ‘Is that better.’

She whimpered when she nodded. ‘I was a fool.’

Sliding her arms into his overcoat he did the buttons up. ‘We’ll talk about that when you’re more yourself. You’re not thinking straight at the moment. Can you
walk?’

‘I’ll try, but the ground keeps shifting sideways.’

He slipped his arm around her waist and they made their way across the park, looking for all the world like a man on the town with a drunken doxy. Rain began to fall from the sky in a steady
deluge. ‘Wait, I’m thirsty.’ She turned her face up to the sky and hung her tongue out of her mouth, lapping at the rain as it came down.

Cold as he was, Seth smiled at the sight. ‘I love you,’ he said quietly, but she didn’t seem to hear him, for the next moment she chuckled. ‘Didn’t Slisby look
funny with the soup bowl on his head?’ Her next chuckle turned into laughter, which then became a series of hysterical gulps and sobs. ‘I hate myself,’ she wailed.

He drew her into his arms. ‘Joanna, my love, don’t cry. Everything will be all right.’

‘But I love Toby so much, and I miss him. What if he’s dead?’

‘He’s not dead,’ Seth said fiercely. He stood there, growing colder and wetter while Joanna sobbed her heart out in his arms. Then she stopped, blew her nose on the
handkerchief she found in the pocket of his overcoat, and stuffed it back where she got it from. ‘My head’s a bit clearer now. Where did you say we were going?’

‘On board the
Joanna Rose
.

‘My legs feel all wobbly.’

‘I’ll carry you.’

She fell asleep against his shoulder and as her breath warmed his ear he prayed he wouldn’t die from the fumes. He was lucky to pick up a Hackney carriage on the other side of the
park.

It was a relief to deposit the sleeping woman with Edward Staines. After quickly explaining what had happened, Seth told him, ‘I’ll bring her something decent to wear. Whatever you
do, don’t sail without me. Tide or no tide.’

‘What happened to her?’

‘Apart from filling her to the gills with laudanum, absinthe and brandy, I don’t know. Joanna wasn’t in a state to answer questions, and neither did I want to ask. She’ll
tell me, if and when she wants to. I’m just happy to get her back in one piece.’ He chuckled. ‘The best thing for Joanna is to sleep it off, and I’m praying that takes as
long as possible. Having a woman like her around is distracting to a man with a mission, especially when she does the opposite of what you tell her. Clap her in irons if she shows signs of
rebellion.’

Edward grinned as Seth loped off.

Seth found James still at his desk and pounded on the door until he came to see who it was.

He filled him in on what had occurred, then said, ‘I need a credible witness to all that is about to take place. Will you be it?’

‘You could have picked a better night,’ James grumbled, and fetched his overcoat. Taking a look at Seth’s sodden clothes, he pulled a shabby coat belonging to his clerk from a
hook. ‘Here, wear this, it’s better than nothing. Where are we going?’

‘To visit Barnard Charsford. He’s going to tell me where Toby is being held.’

The tone in Seth’s voice told James that Barnard would do exactly that.

When they reached the Charsford residence, there were signs that Seth’s brother was making a hurried departure. There was a carriage outside and the servants were piling luggage into
it.

They found Barnard skulking in his study. Grabbing him by the lapels Seth dragged him to his feet. ‘Where the hell do you think you’re going?’

‘Out of the country. I want nothing to do with what’s going on.’

‘It’s too late for that, since you’re part of it.’ Seth shook him ‘Where’s the boy being kept?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You’d better remember, else I’m going to take Joanna Morcant to a magistrate and swear out a warrant for the arrest of all of you.’

Barnard looked terrified. ‘The child is in Portland. Joanna Morcant’s cousin has him.’

Seth couldn’t believe his ears. ‘Which cousin? Tilda or Leonard?’

‘Someone called Brian Rushmore. Durrington bribed a guard to help him escape from Newgate.’

‘So the plan is . . .?’

‘Durrington will pick the boy up in Portland and take him on to Ireland.’

‘As I suspected,’ Seth said to James before turning back to his brother. ‘What about Brian Rushmore? What does he get out of it?’

Barnard’s eyes shifted. ‘I imagine he’ll be paid off.’

‘To blab to the authorities when he’s caught. I think not, Barnard. You know, if Rushmore is murdered, that will make you an accessory.’

‘A hanging offence,’ James said casually.

Seth was just as casual. ‘Have you thought that Durrington might send Bisley after
you
before they leave?’

Barnard’s face turned to clay. Fear rose from him in waves and his eyes darted to the dark corners of his study. ‘I don’t know anything about plans to murder Rushmore, I
swear.’

Seth felt no sympathy for him as he shoved him back into his chair. ‘How much did you say you’d loaned Durrington?’

‘Almost everything I have. But I have the ships as collateral.’

‘No you don’t. Two have already been sold to fund his purchase of the steamship company, and the proceeds have been used for progress payments of the new steamship under
construction. The city is talking about the pair of you. They don’t like the way you do business. Cargo and passenger bookings are drying up. When tonight’s little affair becomes common
knowledge, Durrington’s business will be in ruins, and so will yours.’

Barnard was beginning to sweat. ‘The
Joanna Rose
is worth a bit. She’s mine, on lease back to Durrington. I have her papers in my safe.’

‘Did you know there are plans to sell her off after her next voyage? I wouldn’t be surprised if Durrington hasn’t got a second set of papers naming him as owner. And the
outward cargo won’t cover the cost of the crew’s wages.’

‘Durrington can’t do that. He promised me she’d pay me twice what she cost me within three years.’

James laughed. ‘You’re a fool if you think that. Steam is taking over, and once the Suez canal is completed shipping costs will drop.
Joanna Rose
was only just beginning to
pay her way. Believe me, the vultures are already beginning to gather around the corpse.’

‘Nobody will buy the
Joanna Rose
, since a claim is about to be lodged by Joanna Morcant, on the grounds that the
Joanna Rose
was a legacy, and you seized the ship
illegally,’ Seth announced. ‘The ship will be laid up until the mess is sorted out and the dispute is resolved.’

James raised a surprised eyebrow and turned away to hide his grin.

‘I’ll lose everything,’ Barnard whimpered.

‘Including what remains of your reputation. I can’t imagine what the Earl of Alsonbury will say. He’ll be furious, I imagine, and will probably withdraw patronage of your sons.
You know how vitriolic he can be.’

Barnard placed his head in his hands and whispered, ‘Oh, God! Help me, Seth. What shall I do?’

Seth winked at James, and took a hasty step backwards when fear forced flatulence to gust from Barnard. He fanned a handkerchief under his nose. ‘I’m willing to make you an offer for
the ship. I had an arrangement with Joanna Morcant to buy it from her anyway, once she’d gained possession.’