“Them rumors about plots and such—they ain’t about George,” Bill said. “No one cares about them old grievances against the Sassenachs anymore. Leastways not enough to kill a tubby old king.”
“Then who and what are the rumors about?” Graeme asked.
“It’s about the Clearances,” Bill said. “It’s about them Scottish lords and ladies and who they’re kickin’ off their lands.” Then he pointed at Sabrina. “It’s about her. She’s the one I reckon’s got the target on her back, not the king.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Almost got it,” Grant muttered as he cut through the ropes around Graeme’s wrists.
Graeme could hardly feel his hands anymore. His legs had also been tightly lashed, and he hoped he didn’t topple over once he was free.
“I’m sorry, lad,” Royal said. “I’m ashamed we so thoroughly let you down.”
“Not your fault, brother. Besides, her ladyship was more than up to the task.”
Sabrina, who hovered right behind Royal, didn’t seem to notice Graeme’s sarcastic tone. “Are you sure you’re all right? That looks like a terribly nasty blow to the head.”
“My head is thankfully very hard.”
“Hardest head in the family,” Royal said.
Graeme ignored him to scowl at Sabrina. “You had no business putting yourself in danger. Have you no brains, woman? You could have been killed.”
When he thought of what could have happened, Graeme was torn between shaking Sabrina until her molars rattled and pulling her into his arms for the rest of eternity.
“I had everything perfectly under control,” she replied. “There is no need to starch up, sir.”
“Starch up? See here, you daft—”
“Got it,” Grant exclaimed, cutting through the last of the hemp.
Though Graeme had tried with everything he had, there had been no way he could free himself. And they’d bound him so tightly he’d had no chance of reaching any of his knives.
What a thoroughly embarrassing disaster.
“Thanks, lad,” he said to his twin. The blood rushed back into his hands, making them tingle and burn. He shook them out.
“You can’t really blame Lady Sabrina, old fellow,” Grant said. “She was simply following instructions.”
“Instructions that could have gotten her killed.”
“Instructions that, if not followed, could have gotten you killed,” she pointed out. “And you might try being a wee bit grateful. I am down a considerable sum of money and my garnet earbobs, you know.”
Graeme definitely wanted to shake her, but had the feeling he’d fall down in a heap if he tried. “I will pay you back the money,” he said as Grant steadied him. “But may I point out that toting a small fortune in your reticule is an open invitation to robbery.”
“Which I believe just happened, thanks to you,” she said in a snippy tone.
Emmy thrust a cloudy glass into his hand. “Drink this. It might help.”
Graeme managed to dredge up a smile. By all rights, the young woman should be clobbering him over the head for putting her at risk, not giving him a dram.
“Thank you.” He shot the whisky down.
It was a rough brew, but quickly sent heat to his limbs and helped dull the ache from his throbbing head.
“In all fairness to Sabrina,” Royal said, “we did construct a workable plan. But one can hardly fight one’s way through a gang of children.”
“Especially children with pistols,” Grant added in a gloomy tone.
Royal and Grant had burst in immediately after the departure of Bill and his henchmen. Although they’d found the back door easily enough, they’d encountered an unexpected obstacle—street urchins, armed to teeth. Graeme’s brothers had tried to wheedle, argue, and bribe their way into the coffeehouse, but the children had refused to budge. They’d faded away only when a whistle from the street, signaling Bill’s departure, had called them off.
By that point, there’d been nothing to do but cut Graeme free.
Graeme sighed. “Och, I didn’t exactly cover myself in glory. The clever brats fooled me, too.”
One, a girl of about eight, had lured him out of the theater lobby with a tale about some of the children needing his help to escape Bill’s clutches. When Graeme had taken the chance of slipping out to the side alley to talk to the child, he’d been promptly coshed from behind and shoved into a waiting hackney. By the time he’d come out of his daze, he’d been securely bound and under guard.
He shook his head in self-disgust, wincing when pain throbbed behind his temples. Emmy thrust another fortifying glass into his hand.
“I swear,” he muttered, “children are better at lying than spies are.”
Angus snorted. “Laddie, have ye talked to yer nieces and nephews lately? No one tells whoppers better than the little ones.”
“Except for you, Grandda,” Grant said.
“Aye, it’s a talent.”
Sabrina was once more studying Graeme with a worried frown. “Mr. Kendrick, do you think you can walk now? You must return to Heriot Row and call for the surgeon.”
Graeme touched his head. The bleeding had stopped. “I’m fine.”
“But you obviously took a terrible blow,” she said, tightly clutching her reticule.
Graeme couldn’t help but give her a reassuring smile. “There’s no need to worry, lass. They stunned me, but I never lost consciousness.”
Royal stepped closer to inspect Graeme’s cut and look at his eyes. “No dizziness or blurred vision? No nausea?”
“None.”
His brother nodded. “You’ll do, but we should get home before anything else can go wrong.”
Oh, things had gone wrong, all right, if what Old Bill had told them was remotely true. And Graeme’s instincts told him that Bill’s information was more right than wrong.
If so, Sabrina was in danger, and it meant that Graeme had to get her out of Scotland—for his sake, as well as hers. The very notion of anything happening to her all but incapacitated him.
Not a particularly effective condition for protecting anyone.
As if hearing his thoughts, Sabrina narrowed her gaze on him. It was amazing how well those innocent, peacock-blue eyes could read him.
“And we are going to have a full discussion of Old Bill’s warning,” she said. “I didn’t understand much other than the part in which I’m the likely target of a plot, not the king.”
Royal threw Graeme a startled glance. “What? Why?”
“Because of the Clearances, apparently,” Sabrina said before Graeme could answer. “And something murky about smuggling.”
Grant sighed. “Of course it was murky. Murky is all we do.”
“Let’s just get safely away, shall we?” Graeme said. “Grant, can you escort Emmy home and compensate her for any damages?”
The young woman waved a hand. “Och, ye’ve done enough by helping Tilly and Charlie.”
“I’ll see you home, just to be sure,” Grant said.
“And we’ll also make sure Bill doesn’t bother you again,” Graeme added.
“I reckon the old bastard will be clearin’ town. He’ll be wantin’ to avoid more trouble with the Kendricks,” Emmy said.
Grant flashed Graeme a quick smile. “I’ll take care of it. Just get yourself home in one piece, all right?”
Graeme nodded and reached for Sabrina. Instead, she took his arm and began steering him across the room.
He sighed. “Lass, just once do you think you could let me manage the rescuing?”
“Naturally, I would be happy to, if given the chance.”
“Happens she’s right,” Angus said as he followed them to the door. “Not much rescuin’ on yer end.”
“That is not the point, Grandda,” Graeme groused.
“I am sorry to disoblige you, sir,” Sabrina said as he extracted his arm from her surprisingly firm grip and nudged her up the stairs to the street. “But I’m not sure what e
lse I could have done to avoid the situation, other than let you get murdered.”
They stepped out onto the dark street. Graeme held her back for a moment, casting a swift glance in both directions. The north end of the alley, leading further into the tight warren of tenements and closes, was deserted. At the other end waited the Kendrick carriage, with their coachman and groom patiently standing guard.
Nonetheless, Graeme curled a protective arm around Sabrina’s shoulders and pulled her against his side. He would take no chances with her, not until she was safely out of harm’s way.
Which also meant safely out of his life.
And that was for the best. The sweet, wonderful girl was much too good for the likes of him.
She startled a bit before settling under his arm. Oddly enough, and despite the lingering danger, Graeme felt his tense body also begin to settle. It felt right, having her in his arms. The part of him that had always been restless suggested it had found what it needed to be at peace.
Sentimental twaddle.
He picked up the conversation in a quiet voice. “Sabrina, what you did was kind and brave, but also foolhardy. You should have stayed in your box at the theater, and let my brothers manage things.”
“If you ask me,” she said, “the lesson from this evening’s adventures is to stay away from theatrical productions. I swear I am never going to the theater again.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “That’s your lesson from this debacle?”
“I was not the one who was tricked by a small child and kidnapped, after all.”
“Aye, our Graeme was not at his best this evening,” Angus said from behind them.
“Again, not the point, Grandda.”
“Then what is, sir?” Sabrina asked.
He’d rather lost the point, so he simply shut up and marched her to the carriage. Though young Bobby’s eyes went wide when he saw Graeme, the groom quickly let down the steps and opened the door.
“No trouble at this end?” Royal asked, joining them.
“Nae, Mr. Royal,” said Bobby. “Saw a bit of a scurry at the other end of the alley but thought it best to stay here, like ye said.”
“Good man.”
Angus clambered in, then reached down a hand to Sabrina. Royal followed them inside. Graeme again gave a quick but thorough perusal of the surrounding area, but all was quiet.
“All right, let’s be off,” he said, climbing in.
He took the seat next to Royal, across from Sabrina. She was still looking miffed. Well, hurt, actually. He could read her, too, and he saw the hurt in her blue gaze. She’d risked her life for him. However foolish, her actions had been courageous and selfless.
“Sabrina, it practically kills me that you put yourself in harm’s way for me,” he bluntly said.
She blinked. “Was that an apology for biting my head off?”
Graeme sighed. “Probably.”
“And likely the best you’ll get from him, I’m afraid,” Royal said, amused.
“He’s embarrassed, ye ken.” Angus reached over and patted his knee. “Ye’ve been under a strain, lately, what with the plotting and such. It’s nae wonder yer a mite off yer game.”
“I am not off my game,” Graeme growled.
“That bump on your forehead states otherwise,” Royal said.
“As for you,” Graeme said, rounding on his brother, “did you and Grant lose your bloody minds? How in God’s name could you allow Sabrina to walk into that rolling disaster? What if something had happened? The king would have seen us all hang, as would her father.”
Royal held up his hands. “Grant and I tried to talk her out of it.”
“Happens the lass didna give us much of a choice,” Angus added. “Plus, she was the one with the blunt, laddie.”
“The lass is well able to speak for herself,” Sabrina said. “And it’s true that I did not give them a choice. It was clear from Old Bill’s note.... And really, I am so tired of calling him Old Bill—”
“Since you’re never going to see him again, it doesn’t matter what you call the bastard,” Graeme interrupted.
“Now, children,” Royal said. “No fighting in the carriage.”
“Oh, sod off,” Graeme snapped.
Sabrina bristled like a hedgehog, which he found rather adorable.
“Everyone was doing their best under trying circumstances,” she said in a frosty tone. “Bill had threatened to kill you, and I was the only one with enough money on hand to provide a ransom.”
“Och, he wasn’t going to kill me.”
She lifted a challenging eyebrow. “Do you wish we’d taken that chance?”
“When it comes to you, yes,” Graeme snapped. “My brothers and my grandfather know how to take care of themselves. You, however, have no experience in dealing with the criminal underworld, despite your demented insistence otherwise. You have put yourself in danger, time and again. It’s got to stop, Sabrina, before things truly go wrong.”
Rather than accepting his entirely justified reprimand, Sabrina leaned across the gap, her eyes glittering with blue fire. She wagged a finger at him, mere inches from his nose.
“You are not my father, sir, so you may keep your lectures to yourself. In fact, I suggest you keep your interfering opinions to yourself from now on. Furthermore—”
Graeme clamped his hands around her slender shoulders and dragged her closer, until they were all but nose to nose. “Do you not understand, you daft lass? You could have been killed. Killed. Can you even begin to comprehend what that would mean to me? To anyone who loves you?”
Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes actually crossed as she tried to focus on him. For a long moment, they stared at each other, both panting as if they’d raced up the hill to Heriot Row on foot.
Royal broke the charged silence. “There’s no need to roar, Graeme. You all but blew the ribbons out of the poor girl’s hair.”
“And ye’d best put her back down on the seat,” Angus said. “Unless ye’ll be puttin’ her on yer lap, instead.”
Graeme blinked, and Sabrina flushed a fiery red that was visible even in the dim light of the carriage lamps. Since he had practically yanked her onto his lap, he carefully eased her back onto the opposite bench, smoothing the folds of her opera cloak down over her arms.
“Sorry,” he muttered, feeling like ten times a moron.
“It’s fine,” she replied in a breathless tone. “It’s been an upsetting evening for all of us. You’re a little . . .”
“Fashed?” Royal dryly finished.
Graeme cut him another dirty look but refrained from rising to the bait.
“It was distressing for all of us, ye ken. But ye have to admit her ladyship did well.” Angus beamed at Sabrina. “Yer a born negotiator, lassie. Ye had Old Bill on the ropes, ye did.”
Graeme made a concerted effort to remain calm—not easy, since his family was driving him crazy. “Yes, but you also lost a considerable sum of money and your earrings. I’m truly sorry for that.”
Although obviously still rattled, Sabrina gave him a shy little smile. It made him long to pull her onto his lap and kiss her into melting submission. Thank God he wasn’t alone with her, because he probably wouldn’t have been able to resist the temptation.
“The money is nothing,” she said, “and the earrings were not particularly special. Certainly not compared to securing your safety.”
“Still, I’ll pay you back.”
“It’s not necessary—”
“A Kendrick always pays his debts,” Angus interrupted. “It’s part of the code.”
She frowned. “What code?”
Graeme rolled his eyes. “I haven’t a clue.”
“Ainsley will see to replacing your earbobs,” Royal added. “And we won’t take no for an answer. As annoying as my little brother is, my family would have been quite distraught if he had been injured. We owe you an enormous debt of gratitude.”
Her smile turned wry. “When you put it like
that, I cannot refuse, can I?”
“You cannot,” said Graeme, “so don’t even try.”
“Grand,” said Angus. “So, just like Robbie Burns said, all’s well that ends well.”
Sabrina pressed a hand to her lips.
“That wasn’t Robbie Burns, Grandda,” Royal said.
“Aye, it was. In fact—”
“It doesn’t matter who said it,” Graeme interrupted, “because it’s not ended yet. There’s still the issue of Sabrina’s safety.”
Royal sighed. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“I certainly haven’t.” Keeping Sabrina safe was all Graeme could think about.
Angus patted his knee again. “Laddie, ye’ve got to relax and let us help ye, or yer poor head will explode from the strain.”
Fortunately, before the contents of Graeme’s brain could splatter all over the inside of the family town coach, they pulled up in front of Heriot Row. The groom opened the door, and Angus clambered out, followed by Royal.
“After you, my lady,” Graeme said.
Sabrina hesitated and then touched his hand. “All jesting aside, we need to discuss what Bill told us.”
“I’m aware,” he grimly said. “And what he said was no jest, I’m sorry to say.”
She sighed. “How annoying. Well, I suppose we’ll just have to deal with it.”
“We are not dealing—”
Royal stuck his head in. “Are you two coming?”
Graeme followed Sabrina out, trying to ignore the throbbing behind his temples. The lass would surely be the death of him. For such a sunny, sweet-tempered woman, she could be insanely stubborn. And much too fearless. Over the years, he’d learned that a wee dose of fear was just the ticket for staying alive.
Lady Sabrina Bell? She didn’t know the meaning of the word.
The door to the house flew open. Nick loomed in the doorway, fists propped on his hips. He scowled over the heads of everyone, directing his ire right at Graeme.
“You’d best have a good explanation, laddie boy,” Nick barked. “Victoria and I had the devil of a time trying to explain to the king why you’d all disappeared. Especially Lady Sabrina.”
Ainsley appeared a moment later and shoved him aside. “Move, Nicholas.” She took Sabrina’s hand and drew her into the hall. “Are you all right, dearest?”
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