Chapter 12
Alexander returned from the library with his mind still reeling from his conversation with Catherine, her words about trust echoing in his thoughts as his carriage pulled up to the familiar gates of Harrington House.
As he walked toward the main entrance, the sound of voices from the direction of the stables caught his attention.
Moving closer, he could see Anthony standing near the stable doors, engaged in what appeared to be an animated conversation with Jack, who was wiping his hands on a leather apron.
Even from a distance, Alexander could read the tension in both men's postures—Anthony's characteristic confidence tempered by curiosity, and Jack's careful wariness as he faced questions from someone he clearly recognized as nobility.
"Good afternoon," Alexander called out as he approached, noting how both men immediately turned toward him with obvious relief.
"Alexander!" Anthony exclaimed, his usual easy smile returning. "I was just getting acquainted with your new stable master. Quite an interesting fellow—he seems to know a remarkable amount about ship maintenance for someone working with horses."
Alexander felt his pulse quicken, but he kept his expression neutral.
"Mr. Morrison has extensive experience with all manner of repairs and construction.
That is precisely why I hired him to oversee the stable renovations.
" He turned to Jack with a look that he hoped conveyed both warning and reassurance. "How is the work progressing?"
"Very well, Your Grace," Jack replied with careful deference, though Alexander caught the glint of amusement in his eyes at the formal address. "The foundations are sound, but the stall doors need complete replacement, and the roof requires significant repair work."
"Excellent. Spare no expense—I want the finest facilities in London when you are finished." Alexander turned back to Anthony with studied casualness. "Was there something you needed, cousin?"
Anthony shrugged, though his sharp eyes continued to study Jack with obvious interest. "Nothing urgent. I thought I would pay a visit to Aunt Margaret—she mentioned wanting to discuss the arrangements for some festivities. I will go find her now."
"I will join you shortly," Alexander said. "I just want to review the renovation plans with Mr. Morrison first."
"Of course." Anthony sketched a polite bow toward Jack. "Mr. Morrison, a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to seeing your work when it is completed."
After Anthony's footsteps faded toward the main house, Alexander waited several moments before turning to Jack with raised eyebrows.
"Well?" Alexander asked quietly.
Jack set down his tools and leaned against the stable wall, his expression both amused and concerned.
"Your cousin started questioning me the moment I appeared this morning.
That boy is clever, Alex—his instincts are sharp as a blade.
He should be someone you trust to have your back, not someone you are hiding things from. "
Alexander ran a hand through his hair, feeling the familiar weight of secrets pressing down on him. "He knows nothing about any of this, Jack. Nothing about what we did, what I am planning, what I have seen."
"As expected," Jack replied with a knowing look. "I remember when you first joined our crew—you tried to do everything yourself, handle every problem alone, trust no one with anything important."
Alexander's mouth quirked in a rueful smile.
"Yes, I remember. Trying to do everything on my own and being mediocre at everything as a result.
" His expression grew more serious. "I felt such immense gratitude to you and the crew for saving me, for taking me in.
I wanted to pay you back, all of you, but I did not know how to let anyone help me. "
"And with time, you learned to trust us," Jack observed.
"With time," Alexander agreed. "Though it was not easy."
Jack straightened, fixing Alexander with the same steady look that had commanded respect aboard the Serpent's Kiss. "You cannot sail a ship alone, Alex. You need a crew. And from what I have observed today, your cousin could be valuable crewmember indeed."
Alexander smiled at the familiar maritime metaphor, feeling some of the tension in his shoulders ease. "You are the second person to tell me I need to trust others today."
Jack's weathered face broke into a knowing smirk. "I would bet my money that the first someone was at the library this afternoon."
Alexander's smile widened despite himself. "You always were too perceptive for your own good."
"It has kept me alive this long," Jack replied with a chuckle. "So, what is the verdict? Are you going to keep trying to navigate these treacherous waters alone, or are you finally going to trust your crew?"
Alexander was quiet for a moment, weighing Catherine's words about sanctuary and trust against his own instincts for secrecy and caution. Finally, he straightened his shoulders with the decisive air that Jack remembered from their most dangerous missions.
"Come on," Alexander said, gesturing toward the main house. "I want you to meet Anthony properly. And I think it is time we had a conversation about expanding our crew."
Jack's grin was fierce with approval. "Now you are talking like a proper captain."
As they walked toward Harrington House together, Alexander felt something he had not experienced since his return to London—the possibility that he might not have to face the challenges ahead entirely alone.
Catherine had offered him sanctuary and partnership, Jack had reminded him of the value of trusted allies, and perhaps it was time to test whether Anthony could be the kind of crew member their mission truly needed.
◆◆◆
Alexander and Jack found Anthony waiting in the study, comfortably settled in one of the leather chairs with a glass of brandy in hand.
He looked up as they entered, his eyebrows rising slightly at the sight of the stable master accompanying his ducal cousin into what was clearly meant to be a private conversation.
"Please, sit down," Alexander said, gesturing to the chairs arranged before the fireplace. Jack hesitated for a moment, clearly uncertain about the propriety of sitting as an equal with nobility, but Alexander's firm nod convinced him to take a seat.
Anthony looked between them with obvious confusion. "Alexander, forgive me, but why is the stable master here? I thought we were having a family conversation."
Alexander exchanged a glance with Jack, then turned to his cousin. "Because it is time I stopped insulting your intelligence."
Anthony's mouth curved, though his eyes stayed sharp.
"Well. It is about time. You think I am still the boy who believed your tales of business trips and estate matters?
" He leaned forward. "I know you are about something, Alex.
The pointed questions about particular men.
The hours you vanish without account. And then a new stable master appears overnight — one with remarkably educated speech, and hands that have plainly seen far more rope than horse-leather.
" He glanced at Jack. "I have been waiting a fortnight for one of you to insult me with a lie I could catch. "
Jack laughed outright and slapped his knee. "I told you he saw everything."
Alexander could not help but smile at his cousin's perceptiveness. "Anthony, do you remember when we were children, how we used to play pirates?"
"Of course," Anthony replied immediately, his expression growing nostalgic.
"We would sail our makeshift raft down the Thames, you would be the captain, and I would be your first mate.
We would pretend to capture merchant ships and search for buried treasure.
" His smile widened. "I will never forget the scolding we got from Aunt Margaret after she found us trying to steal one of the garden statues. "
"Well," Alexander said, his voice growing serious, "now I want you to meet a true pirate. Anthony, this is Captain Jack Morrison."
Anthony's smile froze on his face as the words sank in. He turned to stare at Jack with wide eyes, taking in the weathered features, the diagonal scar, the hands that suddenly made perfect sense given this revelation.
Jack extended his hand with a grin that was both charming and slightly dangerous. "Nice to properly meet you, lad."
"Likewise," Anthony managed, shaking Jack's hand automatically while his mind clearly raced to process this information. "You are... you are actually a pirate?"
"Was a pirate," Jack corrected. "Mostly retired now, thanks to your cousin here."
Alexander leaned forward, his expression growing grave. "Anthony, Jack and his crew rescued me when the Valiant went down. I was drowning, half-dead, when they pulled me from the water. I joined their crew afterward."
"You... joined them?" Anthony's voice was barely above a whisper.
"For four years," Alexander confirmed. "I was a pirate, Anthony. I stole, I fought, I killed when I had to." He paused, letting the weight of those words settle. "It was not the noble adventure we used to pretend it was."
Anthony stared at him, the easy humor gone entirely from his face. "You killed people," he said quietly — not quite a question.
Alexander did not look away. He did not reach for an explanation or a softening word.
He nodded.
The silence that followed had weight. Anthony looked at his cousin as though the floor had shifted beneath the familiar shape of him and revealed something underneath he had never suspected.