Julian said, “Hello, Briggie. May I have some of Mr. McGurdy’s cider?”
“Aye, Prince, I’ll fetch ye an even newer batch than ’is vampireship ’ere.”
Julian watched Briggie walk out of the room, along with another half-dozen local men. He turned to Devlin, a black eyebrow arched. “His vampireship?”
Devlin took a drink of Mr. McGurdy’s cider, wiped his hand over his mouth, and grinned up at Julian. “Briggie is a clever girl, don’t you think? Vampireship—it has a lovely terrifying ring to it.”
“I wonder what my half-brother, your esteemed father, would think of it?”
“My father would laugh his head off,” Devlin said. “It is mother who would hiss and crab and want to skewer Briggie for her gross impertinence.”
“You scarce noticed Briggie.”
“Yes, well, now that you point it out, I suppose I must agree. It is not what I’m used to, is it?”
“Whatever that means,” Julian said, as he sat down across from Devlin at the small scarred table.
Devlin began swinging his leg. “I keep forgetting to call you Prince.”
“You’d think I’d be used to it by now, and maybe I will be after I’m home for a while. When I was a lad, I thought myself quite important—a prince, that’s what I was—the most important boy in the land. But now?” Julian shuddered. “What could my father have been thinking?”
“Since he quickly bred a male child in his advanced years, I think he was so pleased with himself, so proud, he couldn’t help himself. He believed himself a king, so what else could you be?”
Julian laughed, couldn’t help himself. “How many glasses of Mr. McGurdy’s cider have you poured down your throat?”
Devlin gave him a beatific smile. “Only two. It fair to makes my throat sing.”
“You rarely drink, Devlin. Come, what is the matter?”
Devlin brooded for a moment, swirling the incredible Cornish cider around in his glass. “I kissed Roxanne’s hair in the corridor in the middle of the night. It is beautiful stuff, Julian. I wanted to wrap it around my hands and pull her closer and closer, until I felt it rippling over my face, you know?”
Julian looked up as Briggie set his own glass in front of him. “Is there aught else ye wish, Prince?”
He shook his head. “Thank you, Briggie.” He took a drink, then said to Devlin, “No, I don’t know.”
“Well, there was nothing more to it than that, really. Other than the fact I wanted desperately to yank up that bedrobe of hers and take her right there, holding her against the wall.” He took a drink, then looked up at his uncle. “Do you know, what near to knocked me on my heels was that she wasn’t at all averse to the wall idea.”
Julian laughed. “Well, my lad, this leaves me blank-brained. Roxanne? I trust you know what you’re doing.”
“I haven’t a clue,” Devlin said. “She is a virgin. She is twenty-seven years old, and she is a virgin. That would be an awesome responsibility, Julian. I heard you telling Pouffer you were off to Plymouth, that it was time you looked over the Blue Star. You’ve already had assurances from your captain that all is well, that your goods are on their way to your warehouses in London. Why, Julian, why travel there now?”
“I wish to question all my men, see if there was a new man among them on this voyage, get his name and direction. Richard Langworth tried to sabotage the ship, and I intend to fi
nd proof of it. Would you like to come with me? Mayhap all the ladies would like to come as well? We could be there in three hours. There are some fine sights in Plymouth. What do you think?”
“What will you do with Richard and Leah?”
Julian shrugged. “They can leave or remain, I really don’t care.”
“Richard and Leah slept together last night. I heard them. Roxanne knows as well. Knowing her, she will try to warn her sister.”
“That will not have a good ending. Leah will blight her.”
“Very probably.” Devlin raised his glass. “She seems to have made a hobby of it all her life—especially Roxanne. Drink up, Uncle. We have an offer to make the ladies. You’re going also to arrange for a final shipment, aren’t you?”
How did Devlin find these things out? Well, since Sophie was now going to be part of the endeavor, why not Devlin? “Yes. I checked the cave twice. It will do nicely. Sophie followed me. She wishes to be a part of it all. An adventure, she says. I am thinking I should tie her up. Actually, I am thinking of tying you both up.”
“And Roxanne, for she knows, as well. Forget tying Sophie up, Julian; she would retaliate, probably something quite fierce. Nothing will happen, in any case. I hear there are no excisemen around these parts in the past decade. There will be no danger. For any of us.”