“With George?”
“No.” Alex hesitated. “Tomorrow George is to be given twenty lashes with a lead-tipped cat-o’-nine-tails.”
Jess didn’t breathe for a moment. “That could kill him,” she whispered. Quickly, she began to rinse the soap from her hair. “Alex, we have to do something to help him.”
“No, ‘we’ don’t and especially not you. You already have a black mark against you after today. Whatever you do, Jess, you can’t help the Raider again.”
“Don’t worry, the only help he’ll get from me is to lead him up the hangman’s steps.”
“Really angry at him, are you? Did you ever think that maybe he thought his kiss was a way to say ‘thank you’?”
“No,” Jess said, moving to stand before him, tying the front of her dress. It was a faded, worn, green cotton and the ties were fragile with age. The dress had belonged to her mother, then to Eleanor before Jess acquired it. “I think he believes himself to be what every woman wants.”
She sat down in front of him and began to use a wooden comb Alex had brought to pull the tangles from her hair.
“And he’s not what you want? Here, turn around and let me do that. You won’t have any hair left in a minute.” Alex began to gently comb her long hair.
“Most certainly not.” She leaned her head back, enjoying the feel of his combing.
“Wouldn’t you like to have a home and kids of your own, Jess?”
“And who’ll marry a Taggert? All the men are afraid they’ll have to raise Nathaniel. You know what this town needs?” She turned to look at him. “Adam. Or Kit. Yes, Kit could do it.”
“My brothers?” Alex asked, aghast. “What exactly do you think my brothers could do?”
“Save us. I mean, save the town. They wouldn’t allow Pitman to run the Montgomery house. They’d throw him out on his ear.”
“And risk the wrath of the king?” Alex was incredulous.
“They’d find a way around it. Somehow they’d manage to save Warbrooke, free your sister and get rid of Pitman. There are other customs officers, you know.”
Alex leaned back against the grass, picked a daisy and held it to his nose. “So, you think my brothers could do all that?” He used the flower to conceal the way his mouth was tightening.
“Adam or Kit could, I’m sure. When I was a little girl, I used to…”
“What?” Alex asked lazily.
Jess smiled dreamily. “I used to imagine being married to Adam. He was always such a handsome man, so proud, so intelligent—and he had eyes like an eagle’s. You don’t know where he is now, do you?”
“Hell,” he said, then added quickly, “I’m sorry, I pricked my finger. The last I heard, Adam was on his way to Cathay and Kit was fighting in a war somewhere.”
“I don’t guess Marianna’s letters requesting help will reach them then.”
“No, I’m the only one who’s coming.”
“Oh,” Jess said, suddenly realizing how she must be making Alex feel. He didn’t seem able to help the way he was. “Alex, have you ever thought of getting some exercise? Maybe if you helped me h
aul shrimp for a few days, maybe you’d lose some weight.”
Alexander shuddered delicately. “No, thank you. Are you ready to leave? It’s getting chilly here.”
“We haven’t talked about what we’re going to do about George.”
“There’s nothing we can do. George will heal. I had to put some money in that captain’s hands to keep him from hanging George. Better to lose a little skin from his back than to lose his life. Tomorrow you’re to remain home during the flogging.” He gave her a sideways look. “Maybe the Raider will save George.”
She snorted. “And who will save the Raider? He’s incompetent at best. His arrogance is going to get someone killed.”
Maybe me, Alex thought.