by Lori Bond
Jerry crossed to the table. The canister turned out to be similar to an apothecary’s flask but made of metal with a cap that screwed on instead of a cork. Jerry rolled up the plans and crammed them into the container. He screwed the lid back up and then held the canister up for Bryce to see.
“Toss it over here, my lord. No funny business. If it goes over the side, so will your bride.”
Jerry tensed at the mention of the threat to Caroline, but he knew the man’s threat was futile. Out of the corner of his eye, he had caught a glimpse of her gown creeping their way. She was masked by shadow again, but he knew she was coming. To make sure the agent didn’t notice her approach, he threw the canister as asked. The man reached out and caught it with one hand.
He made small disapproving noises as if he disliked the toss, but he didn’t make any more threats. The agent began to straighten himself in a slow lazy manner as if he had nothing to do or worry about. He stood next to the railing and tucked the canister into his coat pocket.
“My wife?” Jerry’s voice was tight with emotion, just like it would be if he still worried over a missing Caroline. The agitation that clipped his words was not feigned. Knowing she was creeping, armed only with a sword, towards a trained agent was not calming to the nerves. However, he had promised not to cut her out of his missions. He had promised not to jeopardize the mission by jumping to her protection, and he planned to honor these vows as conscientiously as the ones they would soon be making in the first available church.
The agent made that snorting sound again. “You’ll find her in the cargo compartment closest to the engines. I have kept her nice and warm for you.”
Behind him, Wellburn cursed as if he still believed Caroline to be trapped down there. “You fiend. The temperature in that compartment must be unbearable.”
“Then you will want to hurry to save your little lady.” The man gave a short bow that even in silhouette managed to appear ironic. “I must be on my way.”
“I think not.” Caroline stepped into the light, the sword from her parasol drawn. She held it before her in a classic fighting stance as if she were an experienced fighter even though Jerry suspected she had never held a sword before. She had probably studied illustrations of proper swordplay in some book.
In her other hand she held the parasol with its sharp tip pointed at the area a man would most like to avoid having struck.
“So, the little mouse is more resourceful than I suspected.” The man stepped into the light. Bryce’s lips had curled into a sneer that he directed at Caroline. “It doesn’t matter. Your presence affects nothing.”
“We have you surrounded,” Caroline informed him. Olive, who had farther to run, reached them in the moment. She also had her sword drawn.
“Be reasonable,” said Jerry. “We have you outmanned and outgunned. You might shoot one of us, but you’ll never get us all. And even if you do break through, you’re stranded on a boat in the middle of the ocean. There’s nowhere to go.”
Bryce laughed. “Except the ocean.” Before anyone could stop him, he turned and vaulted over the edge of the railing.
Olive screamed, and Jerry and Caroline raced to the spot where Bryce had gone over the edge. They were too far up to hear him splash into the ocean, and their ship was moving so quickly, they couldn’t discern him in the dark seas below.
They could though, see a small boat bobbing in the wake of their larger ship. It was a small steam powered ship, similar to the boats that could be seen piloting the Thames, but a more ocean worthy vessel. The little craft was lit up, and they could see men scrambling around on it like ants over a crumb of dropped food. They seemed to be fishing something out of the water. They dragged the thing on board, and a moment later it stood and gave them a small wave before the vessel started to turn and head away from their ship.
“We must alert the captain,” Jerry started to say, but Caroline shook her head. Wellburn sat a hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t make a move towards the bridge. Jerry realized how futile such a move would be. They would have trouble finding, let alone overtaking, the smaller vessel. Turning around would be hard enough in a ship the size of theirs. Besides, the vessel was a commercial liner for a neutral country. They would risk neither their profits nor an international incident on a distant European war.
“We didn’t get the spy.” Jerry wanted to pound his fists on the rails, but he squeezed Caroline’s hand instead. She squeezed it back in support.
“But we saved the plans,” Caroline reminded him.
Wellburn squeezed Jerry’s shoulder again. “He will be proud.” He didn’t say anything else, but Jerry knew who he meant, and Jerry knew that Wellburn was right. Jerry’s mood began to lighten.
Mrs. Turnton stood on Wellburn’s other side staring after the departing boat. If the two held hands, Jerry couldn’t see, and he wouldn’t have commented on it even if he could. “How did they manage it?” she wondered aloud. “Even assuming they had planned this before leaving England, how would Bryce have known when the ship would be in position? Any number of things could have gone wrong with the plan.
“The lights,” Caroline said. She turned to Jerry. “Remember them earlier? We were out on deck this evening and a ship seemed to be sending a coded message using a light,” she explained to the others.
“And we heard a sound like someone had overheard us talking,” Jerry said. “That must have been how Bryce knew we were on to him and why he decided to kidnap Caroline. When he found the plans missing, he assumed we had them.”
Caroline shivered instead of agreeing with him, forcing Jerry to take notice of their surroundings again. Tucking her arm in his, he turned and led the group back inside. The Russian was gone, and there was no point in anyone taking a chill because of it.
Besides, this wasn’t Jerry’s last mission by a long shot. He grinned at his future wife who would no doubt be by his side when the next target came around. They would get their objective next time.
Epilogue
Caroline stood next to Jerry on deck, both of them bundled against the weather. On her other side, Olive leaned against her. The city of New York loomed before them as their ship glided into port. Back inside, Wellburn fussed with the stewards ensuring that their trunks were delivered to the correct places. Jerry and Wellburn’s things would be sent to the St. Nicholas Hotel while the girl’s trunks were destined for the Turnton’s Manhattan home.
Mrs. Turnton had overridden any other suggestion and had decided that Lady Caroline would come as herself to stay at her home. Then as soon as could be seemly arranged, she would be wed to Jerry from there. Caroline had done nothing more than half-heartedly object to the plan, especially when Mrs. Turnton proposed to write and notify Caroline’s mother herself.
Whether or not Mr. Bickle had ever guessed at the deception, he had still presented himself earlier that morning to give them his goodbyes. He planned to sail back to England, that same day if possible, and he now carried a letter of introduction from Jerry that should help open even the most stubborn of social doors. The evening before Jerry had taken the man aside and politely and firmly made the man aware of how his leering manners discomfited many of the women around him. According to Jerry, the man had been genuinely surprised by his effect. Today, when Mr. Bickle took his leave, he had been all smiles, a marked improvement over his leering gazes during Caroline’s courtship. He had even been polite with Olive, something both girls appreciated although they appreciated his back when he left them more.
Caroline nestled closer to Jerry while they watched the approaching shore. She pretended she was cold, but really, she wanted an excuse to be closer to her betrothed.
The ship’s horn sounded, and the pier drew closer. Caroline hugged close her two most favorite people while the three of them drifted closer to their next adventure.
Dear Reader —
Thank you so much for joining me on Caroline and Jerry’s adventure. If you’re curious to learn more, a short novella th
at shows them getting married will be available on July 1.
A Harmless Ride and a Dangerous Bride
In the meantime, you might want to read some of my short stories. You can find them on Amazon as well, or you can get them for FREE by joining my Covert Reads Newsletter. Besides the free books, I also do giveaways, and other prizes there.
Finally, I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider leaving a review of the book over on Amazon, Goodreads, or your favorite site. Reviews are key for all authors, but especially for independent authors like me. Even just leaving a star rating with a sentence or two means the world to us.
Until then, keep covertly reading,
Also by Lori Bond
Short Stories
A Princess, a Mission, and a Kiss
To Catch a Thief
(A Three Fates Short Story)
That Thing with the Hell Hound in Central Park
(A Pendragon Short Story)
All of these stories are available in the FREE Covert Reads Starter Library. Click here to let me know where to send your books.
About the Author
The Covert Reader code named Lori Bond is the author of teen books featuring spies, crooks, and those who want to be spies or crooks. Under her legal name, Lori holds an MA in Children’s Literature. She lives somewhere on this Earth (as opposed to another world in the multiverse) with people she claims are her family.
If you would like to see where Caroline and Jerry’s adventures take them next, you can read the 10,000 word novella, A Harmless Ride and a Dangerous Bride available July 1. It will also be a part of the FREE Covert Reads Starter Library.
Click here to let us know where to send your books.
Text Copyright © 2018 by Lori Bond.
Cover Image Copyright © by Shuttertock.com/Evgeniia Litovchenko
Embellishments Copyright © Shutterstock.com/ mashakotcur
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Also by Lori Bond
About the Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Epilogue
Afterword
Also by Lori Bond
About the Author