John did not seem to mind. Indeed, he did nothing to push the odious woman away, even when she boldly threw her arms around his neck and drew his head down to kiss him hungrily on the mouth.
Nicola resolved to skewer both of them when they came aboard.
Why wait? She was tempted to hurl the harpoons at them while they were still kissing.
To Nicola's surprise, John boarded the ship alone only moments later. She met him at the top of the gangplank. "I thought Selena was coming with us."
"No."
She could not tell whether he was disappointed or relieved. "But the two of you put on such a tender display."
"Because she kissed me?" He shrugged. "That's what Selena does, and it's best to just let her do whatever she wants. Had I rejected her, she would have flown into a jealous rage and done something to harm you."
"So you were actually thinking of me while kissing her. How generous of you."
"She kissed me." His eyebrow shot up as he nodded cautiously. "Why are you holding harpoons?"
"I was going to use them to rescue you." She sighed. "Then I wanted to shove them between Selena's ribs."
He groaned. "And mine, too.
"The thought had crossed my mind."
He eased the harpoons out of her hands and set them back in the rowboat. "She's going to pick up Valor and bring him down to London for me."
Nicola's eyes widened in surprise. "And you trust her to do that?"
"No, but I don't want her on this vessel with us. I had to give her a task to keep her devious mind occupied. She knows I'm testing her loyalty. I'm not sure what she'll do. I've never seen her this scared. I hope she's ready to atone for whatever mischief she caused to infuriate Prinny. But as I said, one never knows what Selena will do."
"You sound so casual about it. She almost got us killed. How can you so readily forgive her?"
"I owe her. She's saved my life more than once. She was a loyal and effective agent at one time. I don't know what has happened to change that. Can we discuss her later? I want to get us out of here while we have the tide."
They stood on deck, out of the way of the ship's crew as they hoisted sail and quietly left port. "Only two of ye," the captain remarked in his thick, Scottish brogue once they were well underway. "Ye booked three passengers and two horses."
"And you'll have full payment once we reach London," John said with a casual confidence that belied his concern. But Nicola knew he was worried, for he'd spent the last of his shillings and they'd have no funds until they reached London.
Of course, since John was an earl, he'd be extended credit at any bank and most shops, inns, or other establishments along the way. But they were on the whaler now and every request, even so much as asking for a cup of tea, would be a negotiation with its tight-fisted captain.
Nicola was more than willing to sacrifice the silk gown she'd worn on the night of Somersby's party. She'd mentioned it to John several times before, reminding him that the silk and the pearl beading on it had to be of some value.
She was never going to wear that gown again, so why wouldn't he accept it?
John remained by her side, but they stood together in silence. She wondered what he was thinking about. In truth, she was afraid to ask. Likely, he was thinking of Selena. The woman was beautiful and smart, and could hold her own against any man. That she was also mad as a hatter did not seem to bother John. Most men were quick to overlook a woman's failings, especially if the woman was as beautiful as Selena. Indeed, sometimes that unpredictable nature intrigued them.
Sometimes it ensorcelled them.
John turned to her when she shivered. "You must be cold. Let's go below deck. The wind will be brutal once we're in open waters."
She made no protest when he took her arm to escort her to their cabin. The air changed the moment they descended the stairs. The scent of whale blubber permeated the ship's lower decks, overpowering her senses.
"It stinks, I know," John said with a grimace. "At least we're alive and Somersby can't hurt us while we're at sea."
She was too busy holding down the bile in her throat to respond. He mistook her silence for anger. Well, she was hurt and angry, and more than a little envious of the bond Selena and John obviously shared, one built over the years while working as agents for the Crown.
John cleared his throat. "How about we decipher the rest of the book that you so cleverly hid from Selena? She's still mad as blazes that you tricked her into taking the wrong one."
"How can you find any of this funny?" she asked, frowning at him when he dared to smile. That it was a gentle, affectionate smile did nothing to calm her down. "Her actions aren't cute. They almost got us killed."
"I know. I was thinking of your cleverness, not her demented antics." He opened the door to their cabin and led her inside, then shut the door and turned her to face him. "I've faced death too many times to count. Perhaps I've grown numb to it by now. But if you think I am not torn apart with worry over you, then think again."
"John, I-"
His hands tightened on her shoulders. "Killing a person is no easy thing, no matter how evil that person is. You tell yourself it's all right, that by taking an evil life you're saving hundreds of good lives, and perhaps that is how we keep ourselves from descending into madness. Obviously, Selena doesn't believe it any longer. Perhaps she accidentally killed an innocent. Whatever the reason, she's lost her solid footing and is frantically trying to find her way back to firm ground."
He released her and gave a heavy sigh. "She's been a good and trusted friend to me all these years. A friend, never a bedmate. Don't ask me to turn my back on her now."
Tears welled in Nicola's eyes. "I won't. But don't let your need to protect those you love blind you to the obvious. Stealing the book is one thing, but leading Somersby's men to us is quite another. I don't want to fight with you, John. I'm quite shaken from this latest attack and thankful we're both alive."
He took her back into his arms. "I know. You've been strong throughout this ordeal. Get some rest while I continue with those page entries. It wasn't my intention to force you to work on them."
"No, I'm fine. Or I will be once we start. I'd prefer the distraction." She eased out of his embrace and took a moment to look around their cabin. To her surprise, it was quite well appointed. The bed was in a nook against the wall and had a nightstand beside it. A small writing desk stood against the opposite wall and a shelf of books hung above it. The cabin also held two chairs made of sturdy oak that were placed near the desk.
Nicola crossed to the large porthole that could be opened if the heat and odors became stifling. She tugged on its latch and managed to nudge it just enough to allow the sea breeze in. They were high enough above the waterline that very little spray from even the strongest waves crashing against the ship's hull managed to spill in.
John lit the lamp that was perched atop the nightstand, and then withdrew the book from his pouch. He placed the lamp on the writing desk and pulled both chairs in front of it. "Ready, Nicola?"
She nodded and scampered to his side. "I'll take the entries on the right."
"We'll compare as we finish deciphering each page. Let me know if any name sounds familiar to you."
Nicola did not think more than an hour had passed before her eyes glazed over and she could read no more. She pushed away from the desk, her stomach now feeling queasy, so she rushed to the porthole and began taking in great gulps of sea air.
John rose along with her. "Are you all right?"
"My stomach … it's roiling with the pitch and roll of the ship."
He put his arms around her and held her steady until she calmed. "The delightful scent of whale blubber can't be helping."
She laughed. "It isn't. Quite nauseating, actually. But I'll survive."
"A little air will do you good. I'll escort you on deck, if you wish."
She nodded. "Did you recognize any of those names we deciphered?"
"A few, but nothing surprising."
"Nothing that surprised me, either." She looked up at him. "Most of those entries seem obvious. Dates recorded. Places of delivery. Names of recipients of the smuggled merchandise. Amounts paid. What if I've overlooked something?"
"We'll have several days to review those pages. Besides, there is a lot more in the book that we haven't deciphered yet. Longer passages that likely detail his plot to overthrow the monarchy, and the names of the Englishmen who support him. These are clearly not mere ledger entries."
"But what about Somersby's plot against my family?"
"I think you'll know when you come across what you're looking for. You've already figured out the most important part, that he intended to use you to hurt someone in your family. The answers will come in due time."