Jemima wanted the old, teasing Peter back, and missed the easygoing camaraderie they had shared at the beginning of the journey. Last night, instead of making love, he had lain beside her so tense and thoughtful that Jemima had been forced to ask if she had done something to offend him. She was perturbed by the distant, hardened look in his eyes even as he had reassured her that everything was fine.
As the silence had grown along with the tension, he had eventually confessed that he would be very glad when the next day was over. He had then drawn her into his arms, but despite their physical closeness, the distance between them could have been a hundred miles.
She had woken just after dawn, so tired and listless she may as well not have bothered to go to bed. It didn’t surprise her to see Peter already up and dressed.
She eyed the men warily and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, waiting as Hugo collected another high-backed chair from the window, and another rickety chair from beside the table.
“Who are they for?” She had no sooner asked the question than there was a soft knock at the door. She turned around just as Edward poked his head around the door, a rueful look on his face as he stood back and waved Eliza in before him.
“Eliza!” Jemima cried, delighted at the sight of her slightly dishevelled sister. They hugged for several long moments before Peter’s gentle cough forced her to release her hold.
She reluctantly stood back to allow Peter to hug Eliza, before greeting Edward with a bear hug and a lot of back-slapping.
“You made it!” The relief in his voice was palpable, and was proof that his worry wasn’t just for Jemima and Hugo, but for Edward and Eliza too. Jemima’s heart flipped at the strain he must feel carrying such a heavy burden, and she was consumed by guilt for dragging him into her problems once again.
“All right, let’s settle down and I’ll bring everyone up to date now we are all here,” Hugo suggested, having greeted the new arrivals. He had placed the two trays of food the maids had recently delivered on a small wooden table, and suggested everyone eat while they talked.
Outside, dark storm clouds were roiling threateningly and it had already started to grow dark. Jemima lit several candles, sighing with relief when the dark shadows were lifted by their gentle flicker. She was busy positioning the last candle and didn’t notice the slow shake of Peter’s head to stop Eliza’s query. The room was overly bright, given there was still some daylight outside, but clearly it was too dark for Jemima’s peace of mind.
Hugo, having seen what she had been subjected to in the condemned cell, remained quiet. He could fully understand her need not to be in the dark again, and shared a sympathetic glance with Peter, his lips twisting in regret.
Eliza frowned and studied her sister in concern for several minutes but wisely remained quiet. Although she was delighted that Jemima had clearly been eating properly, undoubtedly under Peter’s tender instruction, there was a tension in her. The shadows in her eyes matched the solemnity on her face as she returned to them and took a seat beside her on the bed. Eliza wanted some time alone to talk properly to her sister and learn how she had fared throughout the journey, alone with Peter.
She sat back and watched the couple, a sense of unease settling over her at the distance between them, which they made little attempt to hide. With a sigh, she made a mental note to get her sister alone at the earliest opportunity to find out what was going on. Peter clearly adored her, so something had happened to create a rift. If the distress on Jemima’s face was anything to go by, she was as heartbroken as he was.
Eliza watched as Hugo eased back in his chair, waiting for everyone to finish.
“We need to go through what is going to happen tomorrow,” Hugo began when everyone was listening.
Although he was still hesitant to tell them too many details about the activities of the Star Elite, he knew that if any of them had any chance of getting out of Padstow alive, then it was imperative they all understood just how much danger they would be in, and not only from Scraggan.
“Jemima, Peter; we will leave here about two in the morning and walk to Padstow. On foot, we can keep to the fields and away from roads and prying eyes. We will be in Padstow in about an hour. Eliza -” he looked first at Edward, then Eliza, his gaze solemn, “you and Edward will need to leave about three o’clock in the morning, and will also walk, directly to Harriett Ponsonby’s. You should get there just after four o’clock. Dawn here is about four thirty to five o’clock, so you need to be at Harriett’s and out of sight before first light gives you away.”
He turned almost stern eyes on Jemima. “You need to go back to your home and retrieve the papers from your father’s hiding place. Then you need to high tail it over to Harriett’s. Don’t take a direct route, and stay out of sight.”
His eyes met and held Peter’s. “By the time you need to be in Padstow, the smuggler’s will still be moving their cargo up from the caves, unfortunately, so for God’s sake be careful. Although they don’t use the main roads, they are really close to Jemima’s house and if you look carefully you may be able to see their lights in the bay. Don’t, ever, light any candles. Nobody must know you are there.” His eyes turned almost feral as he stared at Jemima, then Peter. “If you are seen, by anyone, you must head toward Tintagel. Don’t come back here, and don’t under any circumstances try to meet up with Eliza.”
“The same thing goes for you too, Eliza and Edward. If you are seen, then don’t go to Harriett’s: you also need to make your own way to Tintagel. Once in the village wait by the post master’s house. Keep out of sight until you see me and don’t approach until I signal.”
“How will you signal?” Jemima interrupted, intrigued by the subterfuge of it all.
Hugo shot her a mysterious smile. “You’ll know. Until you see me signal, don’t show yourself, just in case I am being followed.”
“Why do we need to go to Tintagel?” Eliza asked. The Cornish coast was littered with small villages. She was curious to know why Tintagel was so important.
Hugo hesitated and took a deep breath. What he was about to do next went against every instinct he had, and everything he had been taught. The lives of the men deep undercover depended upon secrecy. By telling anyone, they were jeopardising men who had sworn to protect their country. But he also knew that if the four people before him were going to stick to his plans, he had to tell them everything.
“There is a large battalion of Redcoats camped at Bodmin as we speak. They will be making their way over to Padstow as soon as it grows dark and will be forming a tight line around Padstow ready to sweep in at first light, when the smugglers will be looking to go to bed after their night’s work. We know where most of them have stashed their goods, and can use that to arrest them for their crimes.”
Jemima shot a look at Eliza, unable to keep the shock from her face.
“What is it?” Hugo’s frown was suspicious as he stared at the two women.
“I just don’t like the idea of the villagers being convicted. I mean, I know they have been committing crimes, but they were doing so to provide for their families. We have known these people for a long time and most of them are just hard-working, simple folk who are out to make a living. Most of them have been conscripted into Scraggan’s gangs,” Jemima frowned at Hugo, knowing the necessity of bringing Scraggan’s reign to an end, but hating the idea of anyone being confined in the same way that she had been in the condemned cell.
“Most of them won’t be condemned, Jemima. That will be saved for the ones we know have committed murder, and forced innocent men to become involved by force.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “Believe me when I say that the Star Elite have done their job well. Only the men who are guilty of heinous crimes will face the severest punishments. Those who have been conscripted will have to face some sentence - they have been committing crimes, after all - but they won’t be hanged, and they will be allowed to return to their families afterward.”
Jemima wasn’t mollified by his explanation. After all, she knew just how difficult it was for a family to survive even with a man in the house earning some money. Take that man out of the equation, and it was damned near impossible for a woman to raise her family alone.