Where Seagulls Soar

by Janet Woods

  ‘Going to what?’

  Her eyes flickered away from his. ‘Wish him a safe journey.’

  She was lying, and that saddened him. ‘Is that why you’re so interested in whether the ship has departed or not?’

  Placing her hands on her hips she gave him a look that could only be described as frustrated. ‘Do you always talk so much? I’m not interested in whether the ship sails or not, I’m only interested in finding Toby.’

  ‘Then you won’t object if I go on board and question Staines?’

  She gave a short laugh. ‘Do what you like. If you accuse Edward of anything underhand, like as not you’ll be thrown overboard.’

  Seth raised an eyebrow. The man could only try.

  ‘Why can’t we just call in the constables and demand to search Durrington’s house?’

  ‘It would reveal our hand. Besides, I’m almost certain Toby isn’t being kept there.’

  ‘And I’m almost certain he wouldn’t be on the Joanna Rose.’

  ‘I just want to look at the passenger list to see if there are any children on it, in case Toby is one of them. All the better if he knows what Toby looks like. Has Captain Staines met him?’

  ‘Yes, he came to the house not long ago, with Captain Scott and James Stark.’

  Seth’s nostrils narrowed as he drew in a deep breath. Why would the master of the Joanna Rose visit her in Portland? Why would James Stark, who’d been the legal representative for the Darsham and Morcant shipping company, visit with him. Seth smelled a conspiracy.

  ‘What are you keeping from me, Joanna?’

  Her shrug was too casual.

  A remark she’d made was unleashed from the depths of his memory. You should take her abroad, where she can grow up without fear. Slowly, he said, ‘You were going to sail on the Joanna Rose, weren’t you?’

  There was something bruised about the eyes that engaged his. She was nearly at the end of her tether.

  ‘Yes . . . what of it?’

  He turned away, trying to ignore the hollowness inside him at the thought of losing her. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘I thought you were working for Lord Durrington.’

  ‘And you didn’t trust me?’

  ‘How could I allow myself to trust you when Toby is so precious to me?’

  She was entitled to think that, God knew; under the same circumstances he’d have thought the same. But even while he was able to rationalize it, it didn’t lessen the size of the wound she’d inflicted on him. ‘So why did you come to me?’

  ‘I couldn’t think of anyone else who was likely to know Lord Durrington’s business better than you, and there was a possibility that you were involved and might lead me to Toby.’

  Joanna Morcant could crush a man without even trying. More fool him for falling in love with her, Seth thought bitterly. He should walk away from this now, before he got in any deeper. But Seth knew his pride would keep him there, if nothing else. He’d find her son for her, then he’d watch her sail off and leave him broken-hearted. And he’d love her for ever.

  A thought shot into his head, removing the self-pity that had tried to take root there. Like hell he would! He wasn’t giving the woman up that easily.

  ‘Please feel free to search my home in my absence.’ He walked away, only to be arrested at the front door by her voice, as soft and regretful as a sigh. ‘I’ve already searched it.’

  He turned, saying without heat, ‘Damn you, Joanna Morcant.’

  Tears filled her eyes. ‘I don’t think you understand, Seth. Without Toby, I’m already damned.’

  Halfway between his home and the Joanna Rose an idea suddenly hit Seth. No . . . it was too preposterous. But the more he thought about it the more feasible it became. He grinned, and his stride lengthened.

  ‘Someone wishes to see you, sir.’

  Edward Staines looked up from the passenger list he’d been checking. ‘Who is it?’

  ‘His name is Seth Adams.’

  ‘What does he want?’

  ‘The gentleman asked me to present his card and tell you he’s a friend of Mrs Morcant.’

  Seth Adams. Agent of enquiry. Edward’s eyes sharpened as he remembered Joanna Morcant mentioning an investigator. ‘Show him in, would you.’

  When Seth presented himself, Edward waved him to the chair opposite. ‘Are you here on Joanna’s behalf ? Where the devil is she? The passengers are coming on board in three days and I’ll have to set sail, even though we’re short of cargo. I’ll be berthing at Portland before going on to Ireland. Will she be coming on board there?’

  ‘Joanna’s son was abducted over a week ago. I’m working on her behalf to find him. So far nothing of use has turned up and I wondered if I could look over your passenger list.’

  ‘There’s no child of Toby’s age coming on board if that’s what you’re getting at.’ The captain pushed a sheaf of paper towards him, then lifted a brandy decanter and raised an eyebrow.

  Seth shook his head before allowing his glance to skim over the list of passengers. He wanted to keep his wits about him. ‘Thanks, but too early in the day for me.’

  ‘Likewise.’ Staines placed it back on the tray. ‘Mrs Morcant has been through enough of late, without losing her son. How’s she taking it?’

  ‘Badly, as you’d expect. I think she’d kill Durrington with her bare hands if she could.’

  ‘She’s a plucky young woman.’

  ‘And too passionate for her own good. Sometimes she acts without thinking.’ Seth gazed around the cabin, appreciating the brass fittings and wood panelling. ‘Nice quarters. They do well by you.’

  ‘She’s a good ship, the best I’ve ever sailed in. Tobias Darsham of the Darsham and Morcant Shipping Line commissioned her.’

  ‘Joanna’s father? I imagine he’d have been pleased to see her after all those years.’

  The captain’s eyes washed over him for a few moments, then they suddenly narrowed. He frowned, changing tack. ‘Aren’t you Barnard Charsford’s half-brother?’

  ‘Something I’m reluctant to admit to.’

  ‘I imagine it would be. And isn’t Lord Durrington your client?’

  ‘Past tense. Durrington was my client. What of it?’

  ‘I’m surprised Mrs Morcant trusts you.’

  Seth smiled mirthlessly. ‘Joanna doesn’t trust me yet, even though she wants to. But she will, eventually. She trusts you, though. She described you as being loyal to the Darsham and Morcant Shipping Company – yet you still work for Durrington.’

  ‘A different thing altogether. The Darsham and Morcant families always treated me fairly. They were my friends. Durrington, on the other hand, is a scoundrel who conspired with Barnard Charsford to rob that young woman of everything she had, including the roof over her head. Not content with that, he’s now stolen her son. And you expect people to trust you?’

  ‘I’d be obliged if you didn’t hold me accountable for my half-brother’s actions, Captain Staines. What name does Tobias Darsham go under now?’

  The man shot to his feet. ‘I don’t know what you’re getting at, mister.’

  ‘Of course you do. Tobias Darsham is still alive and kicking, and living in Australia, isn’t he?’

  Seth thought it prudent to rise to his feet too, but he didn’t see the captain’s fist coming. The next moment he found himself sprawling on his back, gasping for breath and hugging his stomach. ‘That’s for your trickery,’ Staines said.

  ‘You’ve demonstrated that you pack a mean punch, but don’t try it again, because I’m capable of taking you apart,’ Seth gasped, when Edward Staines bent over him.

  The man grinned. ‘You don’t look it. I’m of a mind to drop you overboard.’

  ‘A premature action, and one fraught with peril for me,’ Seth drawled. ‘I suggest you allow me to regain my feet so we can talk rationally. Believe it or not, we’re on the same side.’

  His jacket grabbed roughly in Edward’s large fists, Seth was hauled unceremo
niously to his feet and then let go. Calmly he straightened his jacket, satisfied that the man seemed to have finished flexing his muscles. ‘You mentioned berthing at Portland, Captain. May I ask why? Do you have cargo to pick up?’

  ‘Durrington has business there before going on to his estate in Ireland. From there I’ll be picking up settlers and migrants heading for the Victorian goldfields.’

  Everything fell into place for Seth then. ‘Ah, yes . . . I see.’ He smiled cautiously, when really he wanted to whoop with joy. ‘It sounds to me as though the boy is still in Portland. My guess is that Durrington intends to pick Toby up there, then take him on to his Irish estate.’

  Staines’s eyes sharpened. ‘Durrington has reserved the stateroom for himself, and two cabins for a manservant and maid.’

  ‘How far does your loyalty to Joanna Morcant stretch, Captain Staines?’

  ‘To the limit. But I’ll need to consult with the lawyer, James Stark, on this before I set sail. Will you come with me?’

  ‘Only if you feel you can trust me, and I’m told the whole story.’

  ‘Mrs Morcant has advised us all of your involvement in this matter. She’s not sure she can entirely trust you.’

  ‘She can.’ The thought that Joanna trusted him even a little made Seth’s spirits soar. He held out his hand. After a brief moment of hesitation, the captain took it.

  Constance Charsford heard voices coming from her husband’s study. Nervously, she looked about her, then, observing that there were no servants hovering about, she crept to the study door and placed her ear against the panel.

  ‘How was the couple, Charles?’

  ‘They performed well. You should have come to watch the show, you would have enjoyed it.’

  ‘I was breaking in my new little whore.’

  ‘You should leave the younger ones alone, Barnard. They’re trouble, and they leave a man open to blackmail.’

  Constance grimaced, for she remembered how brutally her husband had treated her on their wedding night.

  ‘Have you got the boy yet?’

  ‘Yes, it all went quite smoothly. Rushmore did his job, and I’ve come to pay . . .’

  There came the sound of servants talking together and a rattle of china on a tray from the kitchen. They’d be bringing her husband his afternoon tea. The clock chimed four. Constance hadn’t been outside for over a week. Red and suffocating, the house pressed in on her.

  She backed away from the study door. Taking her warm cape from the hallstand she secured it about her shoulders. They shouldn’t part a child from its mother and she wasn’t going to allow them to get away with it. Letting herself out, Constance closed the front door quietly behind her.

  The sky was beginning to darken, the air had a damp chill to it, yet it was invigorating after the atmosphere in the house. She decided not to go to Seth Adams’s office, for the district it was situated in was unsafe for an unaccompanied woman, especially when darkness had fallen. Besides, he had given her his card and told her to call on him if she needed help, and his house was closer.

  Constance hurried through the cold and damp streets, hoping she’d find him at home and could get her business over with quickly. A clammy fog was creeping in from the river. She must get back before her husband discovered she was missing, for she was not allowed out without his permission.

  Joanna happened to be crossing the hall when Constance arrived on the doorstep. She waved the servant away and opened the door herself.

  The woman standing there seemed agitated. ‘I must see Mr Adams. I can’t wait. If my husband discovers I’m not at home he’ll be furious.’

  ‘I’m afraid Mr Adams is out.’ After satisfying herself that the woman looked respectable, Joanna allowed her into the hall. ‘I’m Joanna Morcant. And you are . . .?’

  ‘Constance Charsford. I’m married to Barnard Charsford, who is Mr Adams’s brother.’ Her eyes suddenly widened. ‘You’re her, aren’t you . . . the boy’s mother?’

  Joanna only just stopped herself from grabbing the woman by the throat and shaking her. ‘You know where my son is?’

  ‘I overheard Lord Durrington talking to my husband. He said he had the boy.’

  Joanna stared at her, her blood running cold. ‘Your husband is involved in his disappearance? Does Mr Adams know?’

  ‘Of course he does.’ She jumped when a door closed upstairs. ‘I must go. My husband will be incensed if he discovers I’m not home, especially since it’s dark.’

  The woman was as nervous as a cat, and Joanna could sympathize with her. ‘I’ll ask one of the manservants to accompany you. Thank you for coming. I’ll make sure Mr Adams gets your message.’

  Constance Charsford stepped forward and did something totally unexpected. She hugged her. ‘I’m so sorry, my dear. I do hope your son is found safely. My husband sent mine away when they were very small, to be looked after by servants in the country. I rarely see them.’

  A man appeared, seemingly out of the shadows. Powerful looking, he was dressed in street clothes. Joanna didn’t know what his role in the household was.

  ‘Are you going somewhere, Bart? Would you escort Mrs Charsford home?’

  ‘I’d be pleased to, since it’s on my way.’ He gazed at her, a warning in his eyes. ‘I advise you to stay indoors, Mrs Morcant. Make sure you lock the door after us. I’ll be back before too long, most likely with Mr Adams.’

  After the door closed behind them, Joanna pulled her shawl around her. She wasn’t going to wait for Seth, since he’d only prevent her from doing what she was about to do – go to Durrington’s house and demand her son back.

  Yellow fog crept around her feet as she hurried through the dark streets, her anger keeping her warm. Seth had forgotten to tell her that his brother was involved in the kidnapping of her son. Damn him to hell! He’d deceived her.

  She lost her way twice as the fog thickened, but eventually found herself standing outside Lord Durrington’s imposing residence. That her own safety might be jeopardized didn’t even occur to her.

  Marching up the front steps she pounded her fists on the door. It was opened almost immediately. ‘Where’s Lord Durrington?’ she shouted at the hall servant, and pushed past him into the hallway. ‘Tell him I’m here to collect my son.’

  A hand closed around her arm. ‘Hey, you can’t come marching in here like this. Get out before I throw you down the steps.’

  A door opened and somebody asked, ‘What’s all the fuss about?’

  ‘There’s a woman here, demanding to see Lord Durrington.’

  ‘Is there, by God?’ Bisley’s head appeared and he smiled. ‘Ah, it’s Mrs Morcant. Lord Durrington is out at the moment. Would you like to wait? You can keep me company.’

  ‘I’d prefer not to. I’m here for my son, and I’m not leaving without him.’

  ‘You seem distraught, my dear. Is there anyone I can inform of your whereabouts?’

  Remembering Seth telling her his address was to be kept secret, she bit down on her tongue. Not that he deserved any consideration, but there was dear little Kate to think of.

  ‘Nobody knows I’m here.’

  Bisley dismissed the servant and came towards her, his perfect features moulding his smooth, dark skin. It was somehow sinister, that fine-boned, cruelly feline face with its barbarian nose. He gazed down at her, unblinking. ‘You really shouldn’t have come here, Joanna.’

  ‘I’m not frightened of you,’ she lied, aware of the tremor in her voice.

  ‘That’s something I must rectify.’ His hand gripped her elbow and he propelled her towards the room he’d just emerged from. ‘Come, take a glass of absinthe with me and we’ll discuss the situation. Tell me, is Seth Adams advising you in this matter?’

  ‘I’m not telling you anything. I’ll wait for Lord Durrington.’

  ‘I think not, my dear.’ He closed the door and locked it, coming towards her with a smile on his face. Then his hand whipped up and he backhanded her. The force of it sent J
oanna staggering sideways to the floor.

  13

  Seth was furious. Just as everything was falling into place, Joanna Morcant had disappeared from his house.

  ‘What did Mrs Charsford tell her?’ he asked Bart Seager, a colleague whose services he used on occasions when he needed an extra pair of ears and hands.

  ‘That Durrington has the boy. I tried to discover a little more as I was taking Mrs Charsford home, but she was too frightened of getting caught and she clammed up.’

  ‘Constance is a brave woman. A pity she’s married to Barnard, who is too grasping for his own good. He’s always been a bully and a boor but I’m surprised to discover how dishonest he’s become in his pursuit of money. If anything untoward happens to Joanna or her child he’ll be brought to account, by hell he will.’

  ‘I should have kept a better eye on her.’

  ‘Neither of us can be in two places at once, Bart. My guess is she’s gone to confront Durrington with all guns blazing. In this fog she could have walked straight into the river. I suppose I’ll have to go looking for her.’

  ‘You won’t get very far, since you can’t see your hand in front of your face out there.’

  ‘I’ll have to wait until morning, then. I swear, Bart. When I get her back I’m going to beat her backside until she can’t sit on it for a week.’

  ‘You wouldn’t beat dust from a carpet, and I’m damned sure you could think of better things do with a backside like Joanna Morcant’s,’ Bart said, and grinned.

  Constance had left her escort at the end of the road. Too frightened to go inside, she stood in the fog for a while. Relieved to find the hallway unoccupied when she finally ventured into her own home, she gave a sigh of relief as she shed her cape and bonnet. Thinking that her little escapade had gone undetected, she smiled to herself as she hurried upstairs to ready herself for dinner.

  There she found Barnard waiting, his knees slightly apart, his bulging stomach resting on his thighs. There was an unpleasant smile on his face. ‘Where have you been, Mrs Charsford?’

  How she loathed him. The thought swelled up inside her, overriding her fright, and giving her courage. She’d never felt so powerful before and spoke without caution. ‘I needed some fresh air.’