Chapter 47
THE REVELATION
The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on Alexandria’s harbor as Richard later walked beside Mrs. Bell toward their lodgings, both still shaken from the night’s events.
The rescue of Miss Bennet and the capture of Wickham should have provided satisfaction, but something about Captain Walker’s questioning nagged at Richard’s mind.
“Mrs. Bell,” he said, as they meandered in the shade of a warehouse after leaving the HMS Intrepid. “Did anything in Captain Walker’s conversation strike you as unusual?”
She considered the question. “He seemed well-informed about our travels. Most naval officers would not know the specific ports visited by civilian passengers unless…”
“Unless they had been tracking our movements,” Richard said. “His comment was too detailed, too specific for casual conversation.”
“He mentioned Messina.”
“Yes. None of us included Sicily in any of our accounts of recent travels, nor would it appear on any passenger manifests he might have access to.”
The implications struck them both simultaneously. Messina had been a brief, unscheduled stop where the Mary Catherine had unloaded gunpowder, information that was classified.
“Dear lord,” Mrs. Bell breathed. “We spoke of this before, but I did not truly believe it might be possible. Could Captain Walker be L’Ombre?”
Richard saw the whole picture in his mind. Each piece fits snuggly together except one. “The Shadow. If it is him, his reputation made him invisible to suspicion.”
“But why? Why could a man like him betray his own service?” Mrs. Bell asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer.
“Debt, blackmail, family held hostage—the French have numerous methods for turning loyal officers.” Richard’s jaw tightened in controlled fury.
“What matters is that we now have a piece of evidence that could be treachery. His knowledge of our Messina stop proves he has access to classified intelligence beyond his authority.”
Mrs. Bell placed her hand on his arm, her touch reassuring. “Colonel, we must be extremely careful. If Walker suspects that we have identified him…or that we believe he is selling information to the French…”
“He will either attempt to eliminate us or flee before we can present evidence to Admiral Whitmore,” Richard agreed. “We need to reach Gibraltar immediately after getting more proof.”
They had just taken another step when two rough-looking men emerged from between buildings, clearly intent on robbery or worse. Richard immediately positioned himself protectively in front of Mrs. Bell.
“Stand aside,” the larger man growled in broken English, brandishing a wicked-looking knife. “Give us your coin and the lady’s jewelry, and no one gets hurt.”
“I think not,” Richard replied with deadly calm.
What followed was brief but decisive. When the knife-wielding man lunged forward, Richard sidestepped, grabbed the man’s wrist, and delivered a crushing blow to his midsection that dropped him gasping to the ground.
The second attacker’s wild swing missed, allowing Richard to connect a devastating uppercut that sent him sprawling unconscious against the warehouse wall.
When the unconscious man hit the ground, a shiny item rolled from his pocket and caught the light—a golden coin that clinked distinctively as it spun to a stop near Richard’s feet.
Richard bent to examine it, his blood chilling as he recognized the unmistakable profile.
A French gold Napoleon, its surface gleaming with the emperor’s laurel-crowned portrait in sharp relief.
Such coins were not common currency outside of France, and certainly not the sort of payment honest dockworkers would possess.
The first attacker, still gasping for breath and clutching his stomach, noticed Richard pocketing the coin. He lunged forward desperately. “Give it back!” he wheezed. “We earned that coin.”
Richard positioned himself in front of Mrs. Bell. “Earned it how?” he demanded. “What does someone like you do to get paid in French gold?”
The man’s eyes darted between Richard and the pocket where the Napoleon had disappeared, his desperation evident. “Delivered papers from the ship to the import man, like always. Easy work for good money, nothing more!”
“Are you always paid in French gold?”
“Gold is gold. It does not matter where it comes from.”
“Which ship?” Richard pressed.
“The…the Intrepid,” the man stammered, apparently realizing too late that he had said too much. “British warship in the harbor. Captain pays well for simple errands, that’s all.”
The final piece.
“Run,” Richard said, his voice carrying deadly calm. “Both of you. And if I see either of you again, the outcome will be far less pleasant for you.”
The attacker helped his groaning companion to his feet, and they both limped away, leaving Richard with concrete evidence of treason in his pocket.
“Are you injured?” Richard turned to Mrs. Bell.
“Not at all, thanks to your quick action,” she replied.
Continuing to their lodgings to meet up with Darcy and the Bennets, Richard reflected on the fact that they were still in considerable danger. Walker’s position and reputation made him a formidable enemy. Their isolation in a foreign port left them vulnerable to retaliation.
“Mrs. Bell—Prudence,” he leaned close. “Do you agree that we make quite a team?”
Her smile, warm and full of promise, gave him all the answer he needed.
Now they simply had to survive long enough to claim their rewards.