A Scandalous Scot

Chapter 15

Boyd kicked up the horse, the stirrups ill-fitted, or perhaps what didn’t fit was his newly purchased boots.

Bought off the stablemaster, they were a size too small, and his toes curled painfully, but he paid the pain no mind. The wind bit through his damp shirt but he ignored that too. He needed to reach Upton by midnight. Gathering men, they’d make for the harbor before the next high tide.

With any luck, Fulton could attempt to come into shore again, pushing Winters between his boat and the land to create a two-sided attack.

It was the best they could do. With Annie safely tucked at Upton’s home, Boyd and Fulton could travel back to London…

And then Boyd would end this thing with Makem once and for all. Annie would never worry again.

He pushed on, through the dark, one hour turning into another until he finally reached Upton’s home.

Not a single candle burned, and he grimaced to know what he was about to do to his friend’s evening. But he kicked up his horse and made his way to the front door.

Dismounting, he climbed up the steps, ready to knock, when the door swung open, Upton appearing with a raised musket.

“Who goes there?”

Boyd almost laughed. Almost.

“Upton, for feck’s sake, don’t shoot.” He raised his hands. “It’s Boyd Lockton.”

Boyd had done this to Fulton just a few days ago, and it occurred to Boyd that he and his friends shared this in common. They got twitchy when it came to their women’s safety.

“Lockton?”

“We’re going to have to come up with a code word, so we don’t accidentally kill someone in our own ranks. I nearly took Fulton’s head off last week.”

Upton lowered the gun. “Fulton’s brought you here. What’s happened now?”

Boyd let out a long breath. “Any chance I can explain on the way? I need ye and whatever men ye can muster back at the harbor.”

“The harbor? Is Fulton in peril?”

“He’s fine for now.” His feet gave a painful pulse. “But we need to hurry. Though, I could use different boots. These are killing my feet.”

“What happened to yours?”

“Left them on the deck of Fulton’s ship when I swam in.”

“Now, I really am curious. What’s happened?”

Boyd pushed down his impatience. “I’ll tell ye two more details. There is now a Mrs. Lockton, and she is danger.”

Upton cocked his head, hesitating only for a moment. “Give me an hour and I’ll be ready with twenty men.”

“That works for me.” He finished climbing the steps. “Now about those boots…”

* * *

Annie finally fell asleep near dawn, her body too exhausted to fight off sleep any longer.

She woke to the sound of boots pounding above her on the deck.

Bolting up, she tried to clear her fogged mind. She pushed off the bunk and then stumbled into the wall.

What was happening?

Quickly splashing water onto her face, she opened her door, raced down the hall, tucking her skirts between her legs to climb up the hatch ladder. She should have put on her breeches. Sophie was right, the ladder in skirts was difficult at best.

But her head had no more cleared the deck when she cried out, her legs locking.

Standing by the rail was her soaking wet husband, his arms crossed over his chest, his legs spread wide.

“Boyd!”

He turned, his bare feet slapping over the wood of the deck as he crossed to the hatch. Kneeling, he grabbed her face in both hands, kissing her mouth with a hard kiss that had never been more welcome.

Did her cheeks have tears on them or was that him dripping? She couldn’t say but as he lifted his face from hers, she tried to catch her breath. “You came back.”

“Annie, my love,” he whispered. “I would never leave ye.”

“You did leave.” She could hear the raw sound in her own voice.

“No. I went for help to protect ye.”

There was a difference there. He was right. “I…I just get scared that…” She shook her head. “No man…”

He searched her eyes before he kissed her again. “I am never leaving ye. Not like that.”

“You’ve got about five minutes,” Fulton yelled. “Be quick.”

Boyd nudged her down the hatch and she did as he directed, climbing back down the ladder. He followed, only using one step before he jumped to the ground next to her, pulling her against his cold wet chest. “Annie.”

She wrapped her arms about his neck, threading her hands into his soaking hair.

“I know ye worry, but ye’re my wife, lass. Ye’re protection is my job for as long as I draw air into my lungs.”

Her chest tightened with emotion. “Really?”

“Really. If I leave again, it will be to keep ye safe and for no other reason. Do ye understand?”

“I do, I just get scared, and I don’t like being parted from you.”

He grimaced then. “I want ye to change into yer breeches and then I want ye to stay hidden. Yer uncle’s man Winters is laying chase and he’s going to attempt to board. Fulton baited him back out when he swung close to the shore to pick me up.”

“Pick you up? You look like you swam.”

“Sea boarding,” he said, swiping his thumb over her cheek. “We plan to let him get as close as possible so we can trap him between us and the shore.”

“Plan? When did you make this plan?”

“Yesterday.” He held her face in his large palm.

“Is it working?” She leaned into his touch wishing she could have even more of him.

“So far, so good. He’s on course to try to cut us off from the land and without realizing it, get caught between us and Upton’s men on the shore.”

“All right.” Her stomach swooped with far more pressing dangers. “But isn’t sailing this close to the shore bad in a boat this size?” She didn’t know much about boating, but she’d learn that in her short time on this vessel.

“It’s not good. If the boat is sinking, ye swim to shore.”

She stared at him, blood roaring in her ears as it drained from her face. “Swim? Boyd, I don’t?—”

He grimaced. “I’ll come for ye.” And then he kissed her again. “I love ye, Annie Lockton. I’ll love ye, forever.”

“I—”

But he was gone, striding away, the breadth of his back accentuated by the wet, clinging shirt.

Annie didn’t move for several seconds, watching him go. He loved her.

The boat might sink. They were going to war.

Her dress was soaked from his clothes, and she needed to change.

And Boyd Lockton loved her. She still couldn’t move, as everything she’d just heard.

They needed to live long enough for her to tell him that she loved him too.