Bobbi Smith - Captive Pride

“Smuggling’s no good. Demorest already knows that the Pride is due in port at any time and that she’s carrying arms. I thought it would be more convincing if the goods were to be stolen off the ship while it’s in the harbor. If the rebels were brazen enough to dump the tea, certainly they’d be willing to board a merchant ship carrying arms, don’t you think?”

Matt nodded thoughtfully. “We’ll just have to be very careful. Violence was avoided when we dumped the tea, and I want to make sure there’s not any trouble when the arms are taken.”

“I don’t foresee any problems.” Noah was confident that his idea would work. When all was said and done, he and Matthew would come out of it looking the innocent victims. “Just tell them to get the money to me, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

The women rejoined them then, and the conversation drifted to other things. Noah brought up the subject of the party to be held the following evening at Major Winthrop’s home.

“We received the invitation before your elopement. Do you plan on attending?” Noah asked.

Matthew stiffened perceptibly at the thought of attending a ball in the home of the man who’d made so light of the attack on Faith. “Please extend our regrets.”

“You won’t be going?”

“I wouldn’t grace Winthrop’s funeral with my presence,” Matt disdained. “I have little use for the man. He’s an ass.”

“I find your assessment most accurate,” Noah commented dryly, “and would prefer to beg off myself, but image is everything at this point. I must show my loyalty to the Crown at every opportunity if the arrangement with the rebels is to come off smoothly. I certainly can’t give the authorities any reason to doubt me, especially since we still don’t know who it is who’s having me followed.”

“I’m sure you haven’t given them any reason to worry. I can’t help but wish you had.”

Sensing another confrontation, Noah cut him off curtly. “Matthew!”

“Think about all I’ve said, Noah. My life will be here now.” He gazed fondly at Faith before looking back up at his brother. “I’d like yours to be, too.”

Noah stood up, “You know my plans. I don’t intend to change them. If you’ll excuse me? It’s getting late.”

“Of course.” Matt realized that he had pushed him too far.

“I’ll bid you all good night. Ladies…”

Matt did not regret his attempt to reconcile Noah to his own way of thinking, but he knew that he should say no more at this time. He walked with him to the door and watched as his brother pulled on his greatcoat.

“I’m glad you came to dinner, Noah.” It was a heartfelt statement.

“Thank you for the invitation.” His answer was brusque, the pressure he’d felt at Matt’s effort to convert him from his own goals having taken the comfortable glow from the evening. “You’ll be in touch?”

Matt nodded. “I’ll give Graves the information as soon as possible and then get back to you with his reply.”

“I’ll be waiting. Be sure he understands that time is of the essence. We have to work this right or all could be lost.”

“I’ll tell him.”

Ryan Graves looked at Joshua Smith, his expression strained. “There’s no way we can do it.”

Smith stared blankly at the closed door through which Matthew had just exited. “I know. I had thought there would be more time… What can we do?”

“There’s only one thing we can do, and that’s ask him to let us take delivery on the arms and then trust us to come up with the rest of the money later.” Graves was desperate.

“Kincade’s a hard one,” Smith observed. “He’s not going to give a damn about our motives or our promises. He’s already threatened to sell to the redcoats, and I don’t doubt for a minute that he would.”

“If he does, we’ve lost everything…including the first half of our payment.”

“It was a dangerous agreement from the start.”

“I know, but I was so positive that we’d have the funds by the time the materials arrived.”

“What are you going to do?”

“There’s only one thing I can do. I’ve got to go to him and ask him for an extension in the payback.”

“And if he says no?”

Graves looked defeated. “I’ll worry about that when it happens.”

It was late, and the taproom of the Green Dragon Inn was almost deserted. Seated at a table in a secluded, dark corner, Noah faced Ryan Graves. His expression was stony as he regarded the rebel leader.

“Graves.” His tone was deadly. “We had an agreement. The balance was to be due and payable upon the delivery of the merchandise.”

“Yes, we did, Lord Kincade,” Graves agreed miserably.

“And now you’re telling me that you can’t meet those terms?”

“Not exactly…” he hedged.

“What, then, are you telling me exactly?”

“When we made the agreement, I thought there would be more time to get the money together.”

Noah was cold and indifferent to his problems. He wanted the cash due him, and he wanted it now. He had made the deal in good faith. “I’m sorry if I’m not particularly sympathetic to your problem, Graves.”

Graves paled at his statement. “Lord Kincade,” he began earnestly, “we will pay you the full amount due. You have my word on it.”

“I had your word before that you would have the money by the time the merchandise arrived,” Noah told him. “I’m afraid there isn’t any reason to continue our discussion. The Pride will probably make port late tomorrow or Sunday. Have the money to me by then, or the deal is off.”

“But Lord Kincade…!”

Noah got to his feet, his gaze dispassionate upon the other man. “I expect to be hearing from you soon.”

Girding himself, Graves looked up. His eyes locked with Kincade’s silver ones and he thought the nobleman’s eyes the coldest he’d ever seen. “I’ll do my best.”

With a curt nod, Noah left him.

Graves was a defeated man as he faced those gathered in the back room of the Green Dragon’s stables the next day. “I have news for you, and I’m afraid it’s not encouraging.”

Everyone turned their attention to him, wondering what terrible thing had happened.

“What’s wrong?” John asked worriedly.

“It looks as if our deal with Lord Kincade is going to fall through,” he answered succinctly.

“Why?” CC couldn’t stop herself from inquiring.

“The Kincade ship carrying the arms we needed is due in port in a matter of hours. According to our agreement, we were to pay him in full upon taking delivery of the goods.”

“Yes. So?” another member wondered.

“So we’re short. We don’t have the full amount we agreed to, and Lord Kincade has threatened to call off the arrangement if he doesn’t receive payment in time.”

“Did you tell him we were good for it?” CC spoke up again.

“Of course, but he wasn’t buying. It’s cash before delivery or nothing. Does anyone have any ideas?”

CC’s thoughts strayed from the conversation at hand. She could imagine Noah’s mercenary attitude. He cared only for his own pleasure and profit. Obviously Noah wanted money, and just as obviously, he intended to get it. Nothing else mattered to him. Nothing else except…A shiver shook her as she remembered their last encounter. There was one thing Noah had wanted that he hadn’t gotten. Her.

From the very beginning, he had accused her of trading her favors for the rebel cause. He had been wrong those times, but maybe this time it would be a risk worth taking. CC’s mind was racing as she began to plan.

CC said no more as Graves continued to discuss the issue with those present. Tonight Noah would be at the Winthrop ball, as she would be, and she was going to make him an offer. It was an offer she felt reasonably confident that he wouldn’t refuse. Surely, as much as Noah had said he wanted her, he would not turn her down.