Bobbi Smith - Captive Pride

“Very good, sir. I shall check with you then. Shall I clean up?”

“Leave it,” Geoffrey ordered. “I need to be alone right now.”

“Yes, sir.”

When the servant had backed from the room and he was once again enveloped in darkness, Geoffrey smiled thinly. Somehow, some way, he was going to destroy Noah Kincade. He wasn’t sure how just yet, but he knew he would. No one took what was his and got away with it. No one. And Geoffrey firmly believed that Eve was his.

“Lord Kincade…” The sound of Polly’s voice and her sharp knock at his door woke Noah to the blinding brilliance of the early morning, and he almost groaned aloud as he struggled to sit up.

“What is it, Polly?” he growled.

“A note, m’lord,” she replied hastily. “The gent who dropped it off said it was important you get it right away.”

“A note?” Noah ran a hand through his dark, tousled hair as he stared blankly at the closed door. “Just slip it under the door, Polly.”

Polly had been hoping to see him this morning, but she did as she was bid. “Yes, m’lord.”

After a moment Noah made his way to where the sealed envelope lay just within his room and bent down to pick it up. The motion aggravated the throbbing in his temples, and he returned to the bed to sit back down, tearing open the envelope and drawing out the missive within.

Lord Kincade,

Would like to meet with you at nine o’clock this morning at the Green Dragon Inn. Have important news for you.

Graves

Despite his self-inflicted state of misery, Noah felt a surge of excitement. This was the contact he’d been waiting for. Graves had told him after the first meeting that he would be in touch as soon as they’d reached an agreement. Evidently they finally had.

Hastily Noah selected fresh clothing and set about getting ready to leave. He thought of asking Matt to accompany him, but remembering their conversation of the night before, he decided against it. As ardent as Matt had been, Noah knew it might be a devastating mistake to introduce him to any of the rebels. He did not want him getting involved.

Within the hour Noah had dressed, breakfasted alone in his room, and was ready to leave for his rendezvous. As he descended the stairs, he caught sight of Polly and motioned for her to join him.

“Yes, Lord Kincade?” Her eyes were sparkling as she hurried to his side.

“I’d like you to relay a message to my brother when he arises.”

“Yes, m’lord?”

“Tell him that I was called away on business this morning and that I have a luncheon appointment with Edward Demorest at noon. I shall be returning here after lunch.”

“I’ll tell him,” she promised, staring up at him with open adoration.

“Thank you, Polly. This is for your trouble.” He handed her a coin.

“Oh, m’lord, it’s no trouble at all…” Polly was thrilled. “But thank you, just the same.”

“You’re welcome.”

Eagerly anticipating the news he was about to receive, Noah left the inn and hired a conveyance to take him the distance to the Green Dragon.

Only a few men were gathered at the Green Dragon Inn on Union Street that morning. Looking as unkempt as always, Sam Adams sat with his ardent supporter Ryan Graves, discussing what was for them the burning issue of the day-the decision to purchase the arms from Lord Kincade.

“You’re prepared to meet his price then, Ryan?” Sam asked, his interest in the matter keen. Though Sam would never take an active part in any of the unrest, he was a great orator and would be a main motivating factor behind it.

“We’re going to do our best to meet it,” Ryan answered somewhat grimly.

Sam nodded. “That’s all you can do.”

“I just hope we have enough time to raise the funds.” He looked up as the door opened and Noah entered the tavern. “Lord Kincade…”

Noah recognized Graves and Adams right away and moved purposefully in their direction.

“Good morning, gentlemen.” He shook both their hands as they stood to greet him.

“Good morning.” They were businesslike in purpose and wasted no time on pleasantries.

“I presume you have an answer for me regarding the shipment?” Noah began immediately.

“Indeed I do,” Ryan said. “And I hope you will find it acceptable.”

Noah nodded slightly as he glanced about the sparsely populated room. “Is this a safe place to discuss our dealings?”

“It is,” Adams put in with assurance. The Green Dragon had long been the central meeting place of their cause and he knew everyone in the room. It was safe.

“Go on.”

“We do not have the entire amount you’ve demanded…” Ryan began.

“Then there is no point in our continuing this discussion,” Noah said coldly as he rose to his feet. He was annoyed at having come all this way for nothing. Surely Graves could have just sent a message to that point and saved him the trip across town.

“Lord Kincade, please, sit down. I haven’t finished.”

Noah eyed him disdainfully. “I am a busy man, sir. If you cannot meet my terms, then we have no further business to discuss. I told you in the beginning that my price was firm.”

Ryan held on to his temper with an effort. “If you will allow me to finish…”

Noah stiffly resumed his seat, wondering what else the man could have to say.

“While we have not yet raised the entire amount you’re asking, we do have a substantial portion of it. If it is agreeable to you, we would be willing to pay you half now and half when the shipment arrives.”

“How can I be sure that you will have the other half of the money by the time the materials reach port?”

“We only need a few more weeks.”

Noah considered him silently. He had had no word of any sightings of the Pride, and he estimated that it could be as long as a month before the merchant ship made landfall.

“All right.”

“I appreciate your understanding in this matter.”

“You can contact me at the Red Lion regarding delivery of the sum you indicated. I expect to hear from you within the next few days.”

“There will be no problem, I assure you.”

“Good.”

“An ale, or perhaps a glass of rum?” Ryan offered.

“Ale, please. It’s a little early for anything stronger.”

“Sam, can I get you anything?”

“No, Ryan, but I’m afraid I must leave now. I have to speak with the gentlemen who just came in. If you’ll both excuse me?” Adams left the table and crossed the room to where the two newly arrived men stood as Ryan went to get their ales.

When Ryan returned with the tankards, they spoke of inconsequential things until the sound of Sam’s sharp protest interrupted them.

“You mean they still aren’t willing to come around to our way of thinking?”

“No, Sam, I’m sorry.”

“But we told them several weeks ago how important this was… Why, we even sent out committees to impress upon them the strength of our convictions…”

“It doesn’t make any difference. They’re refusing to go along with us.”

Noah looked at Ryan questioningly. “There’s trouble?”

“It’s as we were saying at the meeting you attended. We are a nation of shopkeepers, and the British tea that is due in port soon represents a devastating attack against our own merchants. That tea cannot be allowed to come ashore and be sold only through British agents.”

“Why is Adams so upset?”

“We’ve sent out committees to the agents to try to convince them of the error of their ways and to stop the tea from being delivered, but they’ve all refused to listen. I’m afraid something terrible may happen soon if any of the tea makes port and an attempt is made to unload it.”