Perfect. Caleb glanced at Ellis. Go back to camp and tell Quilley to take three men, wrap up the excess weapons and ammunition, and go to the lake and bury the lot behind the mound at the end of the wharf. Go with him and make sure he chooses the right spot.
Tell Ducasse to take two of my men and help, Phillipe said. More hands and itll be done that much faster.
Caleb endorsed the order with a nod.
Ellis snapped off a salute and scrambled off the ledge, heading for the track down the hillside.
Caleb, Phillipe, and Norton settled to watching the compound again.
After some time, Phillipe said, I take it were watching for Diccon to leave.
Caleb nodded. We came upon him about noon, and hed already half filled his basket, so I would expect him to leave fairly soon.
I saw him go into the kitchen, Norton said. He helped the women take the plates and bowls back, but he didnt come out again.
Ah, but there he is now. Phillipe sat up and nodded down at the compound.
Caleb watched as the skinny figure of Diccon, readily identified by his bright mop of hair, skipped out from under the palm-thatched overhang shielding the kitchen. He was swinging two baskets, one from either hand. But instead of heading for the gates, Diccon circled the guard tower. Caleb frowned. Why two baskets, and where is he going?
They had their answer in another minute. Diccon went to the cleaning shed. He climbed the steps to the door and knocked. The door opened, and he waited a moment. Then he backed down the steps, and Katherine Fortescue joined him.
Caleb blinked. He watched as Miss Fortescue took one of the baskets, then, side by side, she and Diccon headed for the gates.
The guards saw them coming and didnt react in any way; they watched the pair walk out of the compound and into the jungle.
Caleb stared at Diccon and his Miss Katherine as, heads high, they blithely marched on. Then they disappeared from view. He frowned. That seems just a tad too good to be true.
Phillipe looked faintly grim. The boy said nothing about anyone else coming out with him.
It fell to Caleb, as commander of the mission, to weigh every factor that might prove dangerous to their men. That Miss Fortescue might have told Dubois what Diccon had told her...
He didnt want to believe it, but...he grimaced. Lets watch and see if anyone else follows them.
But no one did. No one seemed to have any interest whatever in the whereabouts of the pair who had, supposedly, gone foraging.
After thirty minutes, Caleb looked at Phillipe.
Phillipe looked back and shrugged. I would point out that women make excellent traitors, but...who knows?
Caleb grunted. He stuffed his notebook back into his pocket, then rolled to his feet. I dont see Miss Fortescue as a likely traitor, but as matters stand, I can think of only one way to find out.
* * *
By the time Katherine had put seventeen of the large nuts shed agreed to gather for Dubois and his men into her basket, her nerves were jumping. From the moment shed grasped the implications of what Diccon had told her regarding who hed met in the jungle the previous day, shed been trapped on a peculiar seesaw of emotionsvacillating dramatically between cynically weary disbelief and the burgeoning of unexpected hope. Up, then down, almost to the rhythm of her breathing.
Despite their resolution to find some way to escape, every one of the captured adults had long ago given up all hope of rescueof someone from outside arriving to save them. As the days, then weeks, then months had rolled past, theyd lost all faith in anyone from the settlement mounting a mission to save them from the fate they all knew would ultimately befall them.
None harbored any illusions about the end Dubois and his masters had in mind for them.
But Diccon had said that the menthe mysterious captain and his crewhad come direct from London, and if Diccon had understood correctly, they were part of a long-running push to rescue all those taken.
Shed discovered that learning of a possible route to freedom after one had believed all such possibility extinguished could be unsettling. Indeed, distinctly unnerving.
She dropped another nut into her basket. Unable to resist the impulse, she cast a searching glance around, but saw and heard no hint of anyone approaching. Diccon had insisted that they had to come to this part of the junglebetween the lake and the track northand go about collecting fruit and nuts, and then the men would come and find them.
Yesterday, once Diccon had poured out the sum of his discovery, shed immediately seen the potential danger and had sworn him to secrecyonly to discover that the mysterious Captain Caleb had been before her. She wasnt sure whether to be encouraged or concerned by such foresight; had he acted for the same reason she had, or had he had some ulterior motive?
Regardless, shed immediately wanted to take Diccon to speak with Dixon and Hillsythe, the de facto leaders of the captives, but as Diccon could not go into the mine and thered been guards hovering by the entrance, shed had to wait until after the evening meal before shed been able to engineer a suitably private meeting.
Dixon and Hillsythe had listened to her condensed version of Diccons tale, then had called Diccon over. After shed convinced Diccon that his Captain Calebthe only name Diccon had been givenwouldnt mind him repeating his story to Dixon and Hillsythe, theyd taken Diccon over his report again. Hillsythe in particularto this day, Katherine did not understand exactly what his background washad focused on the captain; with a sense of suppressed but building excitement, Hillsythe had asked Diccon to describe the man. Hillsythe had been well-nigh transformed by Diccons reply; clearly in the grip of some heightened anticipation, Hillsythe had called Will Hopkins and Fanshawe over and had Diccon repeat his description of the captain to them.
Frobisher. Will had breathed the name, then glanced at Fanshawe. A Captain Caleb who looks like that and who has led a crew here on a clandestine operation...that has to be Caleb Frobisher.
His eyes alight, Fanshawe had nodded. And if it is he...damn. This is really happening. Enthusiasm of a sort Katherine hadnt heard for months had colored his tone. Fanshawe had met Hillsythes, then Dixons eyes. There really is a rescue underway.
Despite the excitement in his eyes, Hillsythe had swiftly said, We need to keep this to ourselvesat least until we learn more. Hed glanced at Diccon. You, too, Diccon. Hillsythe had paused, then added, As matters stand, youre a vital cog in this, mladyoure our only way of maintaining contact with those outside.
That had been Katherines cue. Actually, shed said, I asked Dubois this morning if one of the women, taking turns, couldnt be allowed to go out with Diccon. We bargainedyou know how he is. But the upshot is that he agreed as a trial to let me go into the jungle with Diccon in return for me bringing back those nuts hes particularly fond of.
Dixon had grinned. It seems our lucks finally turned. For once, matters are falling our way.
Hillsythe had nodded. Thats excellentan unlooked-for advantage. Hed looked at Diccon. That doesnt make your role any less important. Miss Fortescue can be our mouthpiece, the one more able to tell the captain all he needs to know, but she and we all will be depending on you to guide her to the captain and his men and get her back again, too. No one knows the jungle around about anywhere near as well as you do.
Katherine had smiled at Hillsythe. That had been exactly the right thing to say.
Theyd sent a happy Diccon back to join his friends. The four men had looked at each other, then Dixon had said, Frobisherassuming its hesaid he and his men were the scouting party. Hed looked at Katherine. Katherine, my dear, we need you to go out and learn what the situation really is before any hopes are raised.
Shed understood perfectly. To have lost all hope, then have it handed back, only to have it snatched away again...that would be beyond cruel. Shed nodded. Of course. Ill go out with Diccon tomorrow and meet with...Captain Frobisher and learn all I can.
So here she was, collecting nuts by rote, but... Where the devil is Frobisher? she muttered.
She bent over to pick up yet another nutand a frisson of awareness swept over her nape. She abruptly straightened and looked around, searching through the shadows beneath the trees.
And he was suddenly there, walking out from the shadows, materializing from the gloom. She swung to face him and swiftly took in all she could seeall her senses could glean. The confidence in his easy stride, his lean, clean-cut features, his square chin, and the thick, dark locks that overhung a broad brow. His relaxed expression contrasted with the sword that rode on his hipso very comfortably, it seemed. He was at least six feet tall and broad-shouldered, all lean muscle and masculine grace, then her gaze rose to his face, and she noted the network of lines at the corners of his eyes that shed noticed many sailors bore. Then her gaze skated down over his strong nose and fastened on his mouth.
On a pair of mobile lips that looked like they curved readily...
And there her gaze remained as he halted before her.
Stop staring!
With an effort, she managed to haul her gaze to his eyes. The lines at the corners crinkled as he smiled.
She felt her temperature rise and feared it showed in her cheeks. But great heavens! Smiles like thaton men like himshould be outlawed.
Good morning. Miss Fortescue, I believe?
His voice was deep, slightly rumbly, and ruffled her senses like an invisible hand.
She managed a nod. Ah...yes.
So eloquent! She nearly shook her head in an attempt to shake her wits back into place. Instead, she forced herself to look aside, to glance at Diccon; hed drifted away searching for fruit and berries.
Hed heard Frobishers voice and came running up.
She caught the boy to her, draping a protective arm over his shoulders. Diccon told us you had come to learn more about the camp so that a rescue could be mounted. Reminding herself of Frobishers supposed purpose helped her stiffen her spine. She raised her gaze to his eyes once more. Is that so?
He inclined his head, but his expression hardening, he lifted his gaze from her face and scanned the vegetation about them. Then he returned his gaze to her eyes, and all trace of the lighthearted gentleman had vanished. Forgive me for asking this, Miss Fortescue, but I must. Dont rip up at me. He lowered his voice. Are you truly free of Dubois? Free to talk, free to take back what I say to your colleagues at the mine? He paused, then, his blue gaze locked on her eyes, he asked, Can I trust you?
Yes. The word came spontaneously, and she realized she meant it on every level. How odd. She didnt trust others all that easily. Fate and hard-won experience had taught her bitter lessons shed never forgotten. But there was something about himthis man who had, against all hope, walked out of the jungle to meet herthat spoke to her and reassured her at some level she didnt comprehend. She nodded and repeated, Yes. You can trust all of us. She gestured in the direction of the camp. Weve worked together for months. If we had any who might have been tempted to collude with Dubois and his men, we would have known long ago.
She glanced at Diccon and realization dawned. But if its my coming out with Diccon that has worried you, I had already asked Dubois for permission for the women, one a day in rotation, to go out with Diccon. Dubois agreed to a trial, but with only me being allowed out and that only for an hour, and only to collect these nutsshe gestured to the contents of her basketthat he particularly enjoys. He very likely hopes his conditions will drive a wedge between me and the other women by making me appear to be favored. She grinned cynically and glanced up at Frobisher. Thats how he thinks. Unfortunately for Dubois, it was another womans ideaI just offered to ask.
He frowned. I need you to tell me about Duboisabout how he manages the camp and all of you.
She hesitated, her gaze on his face. His handsome face, but this time, she looked beyond the glamour. First...will you tell me your name, please?
He met her eyes, then he stepped back and swept her a bow. Captain Caleb Frobisher, of Frobisher Shipping Company, sailing out of Aberdeen. Despite his level tone, as he straightened, he waggled his brows at her.
She nearly laughed in surprise, threw him a mock-disapproving look instead, but the silly byplay reassured her. Hopkins and Fanshawe thought that was who you were.
Ah, of course. I dont know them personally, but they would know my older brothers.
She peered into the shadows behind him. Diccon said you had twenty-four men with you.
Caleb grinned down at Diccon, who had remained beside Katherine and was staring up at Caleb with rapt attention. Thats correct, but most are busy burying some weapons in a cache by the lake, and others are watching the compound or guarding our camp. I only brought one man with mea friend, another captain, who Im grateful saw fit to join me in this mission. He returned his gaze to Katherines face. With your permission?
When she nodded, he waved to Phillipe to join them.
Phillipe walked out of the jungle. Caleb performed the introductionsand discovered he wasnt all that happy to have to watch Phillipe bow over Miss Fortescues hand and press a kiss to her knuckles.
He knew it was just Phillipes way, yet...
But on retrieving her hand with no more than a polite smile, Miss Fortescue immediately returned her bright hazel eyes to Calebs face. Weapons?
He felt oddly mollified. Indeed. He looked at Diccon. Perhaps youd better gather more fruit so that you can go back with Miss Fortescue. She only has another twenty minutes or so left.
Diccon flashed Caleb a swift grin. All right. Will you still be here?
Yes. Caleb looked around and spotted a fallen log; he pointed to it. Well be over there.
Right-o! Diccon smiled at Miss Fortescue. Theres a big berry bush I passed yesterday nearer to the lake. Ill be back in no time.
Ill wait for you. Miss Fortescue watched Diccon run off, then she looked at Caleb. Sadly, theres no need to protect him. He told us he thought that you and your men had killed Kale and his slavers. Is that correct?
Caleb kept his gaze on Diccons dwindling figure. We didnt just kill Kale and his crewwe wiped all sign of them from this earth. He looked back and met Miss Fortescues pretty hazel eyes without apology. Thats where the weapons come from.
Her gaze remained steady on his face. Once that news is known in the compound, youll be feted as a hero. For all of us, Kale was the instigator of our captivity.