Page 59 of The Rogue

Chapter 34

“Wherein the brethren are reunited.”

“Henri!” Lawrence was beside her in an instant, hands checking her over, panic in his eyes.

“I’m alright,” she gasped, clutching at his arms. “I’m not hurt.” She shook him, discounting the pounding in her head as trivial because he was bleeding!

“It’s not my blood,” she said, trying to reassure him so that she could look at what was most certainly his blood dripping steadily down his arm. “I’m fine, but you’re injured.”

He waved away her concern and looked up at Mousy who was stepping over a dead body, one he’d apparently supplied, in the doorway.

“Are the others here? My brother ...”

Mousy nodded and dragged the body from the doorway, dumping it in the garden. “Ye brother should be fine. This bastard ‘ere was on ‘is way to ‘elp ‘is mates finish ye off,” he said grinning. “And aye, Cap’n, the crew’s ‘ere, alrigh’. I sent ‘em round the back to get the earl clear, they’ll jus’ be moppin’ up by now.”

Henri sighed and saw her relief reflected in Lawrence’s eyes as he turned back to her. “My God, Henri, when I saw you ... I believe my heart stopped.”

She looked up at him and smiled, obliging him with a kiss as he pulled her closer still. They both watched as Mousy strode past them and kicked the body of Brant.

“Bastard,” the big man cursed. “I always hated that double-dealing rat.” He turned to Lawrence. “A good day’s work that was,” he grinned, gesturing at the corpse.

“Aye,” Lawrence remarked, nodding. “I only wish I could take credit for it. Henri killed him.”

Mousy looked down at her, scepticism clear in his eyes and she shrugged. “It’s true, though I demand that one of you teaches me to shoot properly. The recoil knocked me backwards.”

“Well she did fire two at once,” Lawrence said, laughing at the look in Mousy’s eyes and the indignation in hers. “Oh, ow,” he gasped, clutching at the wound in his side, though it seemed to do little to diminish his amusement.

“Oh, Lawrence,” she scolded. “We must see to that at once.” But Lawrence was frowning at Mousy.

“What the devil are you doing here anyway? I mean, not that I’m ungrateful you understand.”

Mousy grinned at him and sat on the stairs. “Been followin’ ye. The crew didn’t take kindly to their Cap’n bein’ taken from ‘em see. So, we figured we’d see where ye was off to, an’ ifin ye was handed to the militia we’d see if we could grab ye.”

Henri laid a hand over Lawrence’s. He had said nothing, but she could see he was deeply touched by the loyalty of his men.

“Brant said we had a rat,” Lawrence said in the end, looking up at Mousy as though he wanted to be told it was a lie, but Mousy’s face darkened, and he nodded.

“When we got ‘ere the men hung about in Bordeaux while me an’ a couple of the lads came after ye’ to get the lie of the land. By the time I got back to tell ‘em ye were safe with ye brother ...” He stopped, rubbing his jaw with one meaty fist. “Jay was flashin’ the cash about like a bleedin’ fool. Never did ‘ave a bit o’ sense that one.”

“Jay?” Lawrence repeated, sounding disbelieving. “He sold me out?”

Mousy looked sorrowful but nodded. “Aye, an’ not for the first time I reckon.”

“Where is he?” he demanded, fury in his voice but Mousy raised his hand, shaking his head.

“‘E’s been dealt with, Cap’n. the lads, well ... when they found out.” He shrugged, and Lawrence nodded.

“I’ve never been so glad to see you in my life,” Lawrence said, smiling at him.

“Nor I,” Henri added. “It was the finest, most wonderful sight, seeing you standing in the doorway with that gun in your hand. I will never forget it, and I will never be able to thank you enough. You saved his life.”

To Henri’s surprise and delight Mousy blushed and stared at his feet, rubbing the back of his neck and looking uncomfortable.

Lawrence chuckled. “Well I might have been moved to jealousy by that,” he observed, grinning at Henri. “If it wasn’t for the fact I agreed with every word. I owe you a great debt, Mousy.”

The big man shook his head. “Nah,” he said, his voice firm. “That’ ye don’t an’ ye know it. I’ve had a debt to pay, fer ... well fer gettin’ ye into this all those years ago, but now, maybe we’re even.”

“More than,” Lawrence said, nodding. He reached out to shake Mousy’s hand but then their attention was taken by a commotion at the end of the corridor, and more of Lawrence’s men, that Henri recognised from The Wicked Wench, piled in from the kitchens with Alex between them, his hands bound in front of him.