“Perhaps,” she said slowly. “It would give you time to think. For clearly whenever a thought comes into your head, it simply flows out of your mouth.”
He laughed, which only seemed to agitate her further. “You sound like my family. They’ve become used to it.”
“Thankfully, I should not be around you long enough to have that opportunity,” she said, and he raised his eyebrows at her words.
“I suppose you are right,” he said and continued to chatter at her as they rode, if, for no other reason, than to keep annoying her, as it was proving rather fun.
Chapter 4
Gwen didn’t know whether to be apprehensive or relieved when the stone building came into view. It was obviously their destination, and she knew what fate awaited her. She would be put into a prison cell as they would attempt to coerce her into giving up the rest of her gang. Unfortunately, she had developed something of a reputation over the years, a woman in a gang of thieves being something of a rarity. They would know she was part of the Doc Malone Gang. What they didn’t know was that the gang had been disbanded, and despite the honor among thieves, as it were, she would have no qualms about giving them up. They would want her father, though, the leader who had thwarted the authorities for years, and she vowed she would never, ever, turn him in.
When they arrived, she would finally be free of the non-stop verbal barrage that came from the man in front of her. It wasn’t so much the fact that he didn’t stop talking that bothered her. He actually had a rather good sense of humor, and she had to force herself to keep from smiling at some of the stories he told. Her problem was that his words made her feel happy and homesick, and that made her want to stay as far away from him as possible. Besides that, she could hardly deny how good his hard-muscled back on her chest felt, or how she had enjoyed the heat that radiated off of him. For once in her life, she had felt protected and somehow safe, despite the fact that the man held her prisoner.
Perhaps it was because she had no choice at the moment but to let go and accept whatever might come before determining her next action.
“Here we are,” he said, dismounting before reaching up to lift her off the horse. She ignored his hands, however, and tried to swing her leg over the mount and jump down, but she nearly fell off the horse when her injured ankle twinged. He had apparently anticipated this and caught her. He said nothing, but simply smirked at her as he set her carefully on her feet and helped her toward the building. He gave her a bit of a nod, as if in appreciation of her capability, and put a hand at her back to lead her toward the building.
“Wait,” she said, surprising herself as much as him, and he turned to face her. “What’s your name?”
“Roderick. Corporal Roderick McDougall,” he said with a grin, and her cheeks warmed at the fact she had shown an interest in anything about him. She nodded slightly as if it was nothing of note, but she could feel his gaze on her as she began stalking away. He caught up with her at the door of the barracks, and when she turned to look at him, she saw that he had the bag of coins slung over his shoulder. Her stomach sank, knowing now that she had failed her father, in both her mission and her ability to provide for him and his final request of her.
She felt eyes on her as she entered the long room, and she saw two men — one a tall, angular man with a commanding air, and another who looked somewhat like Roderick, she thought, as she looked back and forth between them. The men approached, the taller one looking over her with a bit of disbelief before he turned to Roderick.
“Corporal McDougall,” he said, with his thick accent. Goodness, thought Gwen, is everyone in this area a Scot? “Where’s the rest of them?”
“It was just her, Sergeant,” he replied. “She acted alone.”
“Word is that there was quite the chase through town,” the man said, a thin eyebrow raised. “You were patrolling, McDougall. Could you not stop her in the act?”
“I didn’t realize the thief had entered,” Roderick said, stealing a look at her, an odd mix of anger and confusion on his face. “I never suspected it would be a woman.”
“You knew the gang had a female member. Why did you not suspect her?”
“I’m not sure, I just—”
“He didn’t suspect me because he was far too busy admiring me,” Gwen said with a bit of a grin, enjoying his discomfort.
“That’s enough,” Roderick said, trying to quiet her, but the other man — the one who resembled him — waved his words away.
“What was that?” he asked her, a twinkle in his eyes, and she saw Roderick sink his head into his hands.
“I said he did see me enter,” Gwen said, and her smile formed in earnest now. “He spoke to me. Watched me walk in, actually. I’m surprised he didn’t recognize me when I emerged with my goods.”
“You were wearing a skirt, with your hair around your shoulders!” Roderick shouted, apparently losing all patience as he stood and hovered over where she sat, and she smirked, her goal completed as she had gotten a rise out of him, finally making him as frustrated as he had made her on the ride here.
He gave a low growl as he sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
The sergeant’s emotionless face betrayed nothing, though one eyebrow slowly rose, as if he was interested in the words between them and perhaps slightly incredulous that a woman could plan a robbery alone. She bristled. She might not enjoy thievery, but she certainly did not want her capabilities questioned.
“Keep a close eye on her, Sergeant,” Roderick continued, glancing over at Gwen. “She’s a wily one.”
“I see,” the sergeant said, drawing the words out slowly, seeming not quite convinced. “Come with me.” He led her to a seat at the end of a long bench, Roderick following close behind. She wondered why he wasn’t in the same red uniform so favored by the police, but realized it was because he had been in wait for the gang. Of course, how stupid she had been. She had allowed her urgency to overcome what she should have known – that they would have been well aware of their movements and their patterns. She knew, however, that if she had to make the decision again to attempt the robbery, she would choose the same course of action.
“We know you are part of the Doc Malone Gang,” the sergeant began. “You have become somewhat notorious in these parts, as it is not particularly common for a red-haired woman to live a life as you have.”
Gwen looked down at the table, running her fingernail over the cracks in the wood. No, of course, it wasn’t common. She hadn’t had much of a choice, however. This had been her life, had been all she had known since she was a girl. A desire was growing within her to choose a different path, but she had promised her father she would do this one last job.
“We will let you go,” the sergeant said, and Gwen lifted her head at that, looking him in the eye with surprise and a bit of hesitancy. She knew there would be a catch — there always was. “But you must lead us to the other members of the gang, or at least tell us where they are. We are particularly interested in their leader.”
Their leader. Her father.
“Never,” she said vehemently, shaking her head, and she felt her hair around her shoulders, it all having escaped its pins hours ago in the woods.
“There is something you should know,” said the man, his face not betraying any emotion. “Earlier today, one of our men came upon a campsite and a makeshift shelter. The fire had been left untended for some time, but it was apparent there was still an occupant inside. They raided the shelter, and you’ll never guess who they found.”
Gwen’s heart beat rapidly as she took in the man’s words, everything happening far too quickly. Doc. No, she thought, shaking her head again as she tried to deny his words, but she could tell from the smug look of satisfaction on the faces of the other men that what he said was true.
“Where is he?” she choked out, but the man only shrugged. “He is safe, for now. He refuses to speak with us, to admit who he is or anything he has done. And, as you must know, he
is not well. He needs a doctor. We’ll provide one for you, and keep both of you from prison or the noose. All we need to know is where we can find the rest of your gang, and what has happened to all you have looted over the years.”
Her gaze flickered over the men who stared at her, and emotions whirled through her as she tried to decide the best course of action. Would these men help her? She thought of her father, how sick he had been when she’d left him, how he had demanded but one thing of her. With so little time left, she had made a promise to him that she would do as he asked. It would not only finally repay him for taking her in and looking after her all these years, but she would also be free. Perhaps now, despite her failure, there was another way. She knew Doc would hate her for it, but she hoped he would eventually understand her decision.
“He is dying,” she finally said, her gaze down on the roughly hewn table in front of her, as she refused to let any of them see the emotion in her eyes. “He might have a few months, but likely weeks at the most. He has seen a doctor. There is not much that can help him, now. Herbs and medications numb the pain. We need more of them.”
“We can provide them to you if you help us.”
She nodded, resolved now in her decision. Not only would this get her what she wanted but, in a backward, honorable way, it would also solve another problem for her. She had something their former gang wanted, and they would be closing in soon. So what if she gave them up? True, it was going against all they stood for, to give another thief away to the authorities, but she owed them nothing. All they had done was try to strip her of her dignity, to make her into nothing more than a whore. But she had made things even worse when she had taken something from them that was more valuable than any of them could have imagined — and they knew where she was going with it. She had no choice but to be rid of them.
She looked up and caught Roderick’s eye. He gave her a bit of a nod of encouragement, and she forced her gaze away from him. She didn’t rely on him more than she did any other man, and she did not want him to believe she was making the decision based on his encouragement, as much as it did somewhat bolster her resolve.
“Fine. I will give you what you want,” she said, and the sergeant finally allowed himself a smile so slight that she almost missed it. “But I have one other condition.”
The corners of his lips straightened. “And that would be?”
“You must help me return Doc to Scotland,” she said, and she saw the look of surprise on the officers’ faces. “That’s all he wants, to die at home on the lands he loves so much, that he has missed ever since he left. That is what the money I stole was for — to buy us passage back across the ocean.”
“If he is as ill as you say, he might not make the journey alive,” said the sergeant, his face now as grim as ever.
“I know,” she said, trying not to let her emotion show, “but I must try.”
Her adopted father had always been a bastard, she had to admit. He was not a gentle soul, had not cared about the people he stole from, nor those he hurt. And yet, he was still her father. He might not have bothered himself about the feelings of others, but he had always cared for her, even if it was not in the typical way of a parent. She would miss him when he was gone. He had done enough for her that she owed him this last favor.
“We will return in a moment with an answer for you,” the sergeant said and motioned to his men to follow him out of the room. Roderick gave her one last long look, as if he saw through the facade she had presented them but saw no way of proving her lies, before following the rest of them.
Chapter 5
Roderick refused to look at his brother, but he could feel Callum’s stare upon him.
“Roderick,” Callum called to him, but Roderick continued to stoically stew. The girl had made a mockery out of him. He supposed he deserved it, but it smarted nonetheless.
“Roderick,” Callum said again, “what was going on in there?”
He sighed and finally turned to look at his brother. “I am not sure what you are talking about.”
“Whatever was between you and that woman — the thief.”
“Nothing,” he said with a shrug as if there truly was nothing to speak of. “She led me on a merry chase. Wounded my pride, I suppose you could say. What else do ye need to know?”
Callum frowned, his brows coming together. “It seemed there was something more. Some underlying … tension.”
Roderick knew exactly what it was. The woman stirred something inside him, and he wanted her with an intensity he could not describe. And yet in the same breath, she drove him mad with her stoic silence, her resistance to his charms, and by the very fact that she was everything he stood against. Not that he was going to tell his brother any of that.
Angus McLaren walked into the room after them, shutting the door between the outer room and where the woman — Gwen, he reminded himself — sat waiting.
McLaren crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Roderick with a bit of animosity, but said not a word. “What do you think?” He looked back and forth between the brothers, although Roderick had a feeling he was more interested in what Callum had to say than himself. McLaren respected Callum, and Roderick knew one of the reasons McLaren tolerated him was because of his brother.
“I think we should make the deal,” said Callum. “If her father is dying — and we know she likely isn’t lying about that, as we have the man in custody and we have been told that he is clearly not well — then why not capture the remainder of the gang if we can? So she returns to Scotland. I’m sure she willna get far thieving on her own, and it would look in bad form to hang a woman who looks as she does.”
McLaren nodded thoughtfully. “What is to say once we release her she won’t go back on her word and remain here?”
“She wants to go back,” Roderick said, interjecting, and McLaren gave him a withering gaze as if admonishing him for interrupting. “She does — she said so herself. ’Tis why she robbed the Bay in the first place, to make passage home. The only downside I see is that it will be a slight cost to pay for the travel, but it will be well worth the trouble if we capture the rest of them.”
McLaren stood and began pacing the room, rubbing his chin. He finally stopped and looked at them both. “Very well. We’ll do it. We’ll make the deal, but we will have to ensure she makes good on her promise and travels home to Scotland.”
“How do you determine we do that?” asked Callum.
“We send someone with them.”
“Send an officer overseas?” Roderick asked, shocked at McLaren’s words. He didn’t think it was something that could be done. They wouldn’t have jurisdiction past their own territory, so why would they do so?
“Aye,” said McLaren, nodding. “’Tis not exactly something that would be… approved, so we must be careful. Perhaps we have an officer return to his home for a visit, and that officer just happens to be traveling on the same ship.”
He looked at the brothers, apparently seeing their shock. McLaren shrugged. “I’ve been chasing this gang for years. I’ll do what I have to in order to see that they do not continue to create discord on my land.”
Roderick smiled, enjoying the fact that McLaren was willing to break the rules this time in order to get what he wanted. This was the way Roderick liked to operate.
“Who are you going to send?” Callum asked with a bit of hesitation, and Roderick knew what he was afraid of. Callum had a wife and child he would not want to leave, and yet, he was McLaren’s most trusted officer.
“I was hoping you would go,” said McLaren, confirming what both brothers had guessed. “Your family is still in Scotland. You could make the case you are going to visit. I’m sure you have one sibling or other getting married or having a child you must see.”
Callum’s face fell. “My wife is with child,” he said softly. “She is not due for some time, but all the same I shouldna like to leave her.”
McLaren sighed. “I understand that, McDougall, but whe
n ye agreed to this job, you agreed to —”
“I’ll do it.”
Both heads swiveled toward him, and Roderick cringed at the words that had come out of his mouth. He had hated being on the boat, the rough waters causing some queasiness, the confined cabins making him yearn for the open air. While he missed home, he also wasn’t thrilled about facing his father, as he had not left on the best of terms. And— most of all — he truly wanted to avoid spending any more time with the hellion who caused all kinds of desires to rise up within him. But he couldn’t let Callum leave, not when it would tear him apart to be separated from his family for so long.
“You?” McLaren said, his eyebrows raised.
“Why not?” he asked with some indignance. “I have the same family as Callum and no one to keep me here. In fact, I should like to see my family again.”
“Aye, but…” McLaren trailed off, clearly not sure how to put into words what Roderick already knew.
“You do not trust me, I know,” Roderick said, and McLaren started pacing once more, his frustration apparent.
“McDougall, you never listen to any command you are given, you go around the law, always trying to mete out justice your own way. You disregard orders, you are late, you make a jest of serious matters—”
“So then, take this as your opportunity to be rid of me,” he said, raising his hands up to the man. McLaren sighed and rubbed at his temple, and Callum finally interceded.
“Angus, I know Roderick is not the officer you favor,” he said. “But I think this is a task he would do well at. There is not much question as to what the job is, and I believe he should be able to escort a girl and a dying man. They will be on a train and then a ship so they should be closely contained. If there are any problems along the way, he can summon the police wherever he is for assistance.” He looked at Roderick. “And, brother, if you get home and decide you want to stay, you have that option as well — and an excuse as to why you went back.”
Roderick’s Purpose: The Victorian Highlanders Book 4 Page 3