Rogues, Rakes & Jewels

“Aye, m’lord. Trust me to do as ye wishes,” Jenkins said, rubbing his grizzled chin.

“I trust you to do what will get you a pretty fee,” Omsbury said with total disdain.

Jenkins said nothing to this, but his eyes were alert as he waited for his lordship to continue.

“After you dock, I want you to keep a lookout for the yawl arriving from Yarmouth. It should dock anytime after eight o’clock. And then I want you to watch for two passengers, one who is known to you.”

“And who might that be?”

“Sir James Henshaw …” Omsbury said quietly.

Jenkins took a step backwards, a certain concern overtaking him. He frowned darkly as he regarded his lordship. “I’ll be needing a tidy sum if ye want me to do more than watch him.”

“Then a tidy sum is what you will get.”

*

Jewelene put her horse away in the paddock, dropped off her saddle at the edge of their stables, and hurried to the kitchen’s back door. She had left a window open to climb through but didn’t bother. No one would be about. She found Caesar patiently awaiting her return on the kitchen’s plank floor. His tail thumped happily.

“Shhh …” she said as she stealthily tiptoed within, telling Caesar to be very quiet. He cocked his head at her and proceeded to take the lead, padding his way towards the main staircase.

She hurriedly threw on her nightclothes, folded her buckskins, and was making her way towards her room when a door opened off the corridor.

Thankfully, it was Elizabeth, in her nightdress, who scurried over and touched Jewelene’s hands. “Dearest—in your room … there … go …”

Jewelene immediately went inside her bedroom and turned to her cousin, her eyes wide with concern. “Lizzie … what is it?”

“I have been waiting for you to return—Mama … woke earlier and decided it was time, you and she had a talk. I … I knew you weren’t in your room … I know you went out, you see.”

“How did you know, Lizzie?”

“I notice things, and I was awake the other night. I couldn’t sleep, and when I heard footsteps out in the hall, I peeked and saw you going into your room. I didn’t think anything of it, but tonight … I heard you go out, but never mind that—I stopped her. I told her I had been with you, and you were very blue deviled and needed some time to yourself. I told her you were worried about finances and at your wits end. I told her to leave you be, and lecturing you about your behavior wasn’t the right thing at this time and reminded her we were guests in your home as you and Jimmy no longer needed guardianship. She didn’t like or agree with what I said, but she let it go. I thought you should know in case she mentions something tomorrow …”

Jewelene threw her arms around her. “Lizzie … you are the best of good friends. I shall tell you, I have done something awful … and if anyone were to discover what I did, I would be ruined. I shall never do it again, but, oh, Lizzie … thank you.”

Lizzie hugged her tightly. “Never mind … go on now and get some rest …”

“Do you want to know what I’ve done? You deserve that I confide in you …”

“Yes, I do, but not because of curiosity, Jewels … but because I want to stand your friend in case you need me—but not tonight. Get some rest.”

Jewels squeezed her hand and then watched her cousin leave before she sank onto her bed and sat there sighing heavily. “What a mess I have created, Caesar,” she told the interested Great Dane sorrowfully. “Jimmy came into the Silver Heart tonight … and Omsbury was there, and we don’t have the full amount to pay off the blasted note, but Ben says he will never allow me to return as Babette … and whatever are we to do?”

As an answer he got up from the Oriental rug, padded over, sat at Jewel’s feet, and put his head in her lap. She petted him and sighed again. “Indeed, we must hope that the Silver Heart makes enough of a killing to add to what I brought in at the faro table and that we may shove it up Omsbury’s nose … that is what we must hope for.”

Caesar jumped on the bed and made himself comfortable. She looked at him and smiled. “Indeed … we do need to get some sleep, for that is not my only problem. Caesar … I find my heart quite lost to a rogue …” She lay down still clothed in her robe and pulled the quilt all around herself, too tired to do more. Although she thought she would never sleep, she fell directly off and into a deep sleep.

Thirteen

SIR JAMES STOOD on the yawl and breathed the salty air of Portsmouth’s thriving and busy docks. Boats were everywhere, fishermen were going out, and some were coming in with their catch. He grinned, happy to be on an adventure. He and Jewels had problems, but soon that would be at an end, and he was determined to do his part to help his sister out of the mess they were in.

Jimmy looked at the young man standing next to him to see that Arthur also wore a good-natured grin. Their horses and portmanteaux already awaited them, so they had but to make their way past the crowd. However, this they did with less dignity than Jimmy had foreseen.

For some unexplained reason, Arthur began to spend more time casting his eyes about and behind than he did watching where he was going. Inevitably this resulted in a series of stumbles that nearly brought down both young men. Jimmy let out a shout of desperation and flung out his arms, catching the wooden railing with his left hand and his friend with his right, thus saving them both from a fall.

“Odds fish!” he exclaimed as he set himself to rights and stared down at his friend. “What in the name of all—what is wrong with you, Art? Been fidgeting over something ever since we docked!”

“Don’t know, Jimmy. Something isn’t right. I feel it …” Arthur said, frowning darkly and looking once again behind them.