Page 98 of Ruthless, But for Her

Half their savings. Years of coin, gone to men willing to fight for land that wasn’t theirs.

Ashton studied the map. Their ships were useless against an attack by land. At sea, they could choose the ground, the distance, when to strike and when to disappear. On land, de Grey could keep coming.

“Then we don’t meet him in open ground,” Ashton said. “We make him come through the Spit.”

Sorren nodded. “And we keep men there day and night.”

“Double the watch. Rotate them before they’re tired. No one pursues if de Grey’s men retreat.”

Ryker looked up. “You think he’ll try to draw us out?”

“I would.”

Around the table, they talked into the night.

Margot returned with a new mug. Ashton thanked her.

Leif remained mostly silent, watching, nodding and interjecting at times.

Ryker laughed at something Leif said about the quality of the men they’d hired, and Sorren argued with Ashton over where the second watch should be placed. Ashton finally conceded he was right.

It was as if this past fortnight had never happened. As if Ashton hadn’t taken Lady Cassia of Grantchester from that fated merchant ship, brought her here, watched her husband drown and then proceeded to fall in love with her.

Except…all of that had happened.

And at one point, when Ashton caught Leif watching him, he sighed, then nodded, agreeing with the Norseman wholeheartedly.

He was a fool.

But more importantly, Cassia was safe.

CHAPTER 55

Cassia

She survived her mother’s death. She survived Roland. She survived being captured and taken by a crew that Cassia heard more and more about, now that she knew them by name.

She would survive this too.

At least, that’s what Cassia told herself every morning when she awoke, forcing her legs out of

the bed, even though she wished dearly to curl back inside it.

“Pardon, my lady,” Nell said, opening the door, even though Cassia had told her she could prepare for the day herself. “Your father wishes to break his fast with you.”

The chamber was cold despite the small fire burning in the hearth. Cassia washed with water Nell had brought, then stood while her maid fastened the back of her gown. Outside, the morning was grey, the windows offering little light.

“There is something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you,” she started, having thought carefully about how to broach the subject. Cassia wasn’t certain what she could do about it, but each day that went by, she was more and more certain of one thing.

She could not allow Ashton and his brothers and, by extension, Leif and the crew to continue to be blamed for something which was not their fault.

She’d approached the subject with Leif on their return, but he had dismissed it.

But it simply could not stand.

“You may wish to do so after you speak with your father.”

There was something in her maid’s tone that gave Cassia pause. She looked up.