Historical Romance Boxed Set Read Online Free PDF Page B

outdistance them.
    After climbing a rocky hill and descending an embankment on the other side, Nathaniel came to a stream. He couldn’t hear anyone behind him, but he wasn’t about to wait to see if he was being followed. Nudging his horse with his heels, he spurred it into the stream, then gasped as the icy water soaked him almost to his thighs.
    Heading up a small dale and around the outskirts of the village, Nathaniel hoped to find Richard as he circled back to the east. But except for a few rambling carriages heading home from some dinner party or play, the road remained empty. Perhaps Richard was ahead of him.
    Known for its hot wells and the medicinal spring rising out of Saint Vincent’s Rocks, Bristol drew tourists by the droves, and Nathaniel encountered more carriages as he came into the city. He passed Queen’s Square, then turned left, heading to Farley’s Tavern.
    Trenton was waiting there, as planned, when he arrived.
    “Where’s Richard?” Nathaniel asked, still breathless with excitement.
    Trenton looked up from the table in surprise. “What do you mean? He was with you.”
    Nathaniel glanced around, still wary, then slipped into the booth. “Someone surprised us, and we had to split up.”
    “Then he’ll come.” Trenton stared at Nathaniel for a few moments, his fingers drumming agitatedly on the table, then added, “Maybe you should head back to the ship and get ready to sail. With that arm of yours, you’ll hardly go unnoticed. I’ll wait for Richard.”
    Trenton’s logic made sense. Nathaniel’s arm would only increase the chances of getting them all caught if he stayed. Nodding, he stood and tried to imbue his next words with a conviction he didn’t feel. “If he hasn’t come by three o’clock, we’ll have to sail without him.”
    “God willing, he’ll be here by then.”
    “God willing,” Nathaniel repeated, and headed out.
     
    * * *
     
    Nathaniel encountered nothing more exciting than a drunk beggar lying amid the garbage in the gutters as he wound through the back alleys of the city toward the wharf.
    The ships waiting at the docks tugged and swayed against their ropes, groaning loudly, as if protesting their captivity, while the familiar scents of salt, guano, and rotting wood rose to Nathaniel’s nostrils. He easily spotted the Vengeance and hurried aboard, but the wait proved agonizing.
    When Trenton finally arrived at the ship, it was after four in the morning. Unfortunately, he was alone.
    “What happened?” Nathaniel asked as soon as his first mate climbed aboard.
    “Let’s get out of here. Mary sent a note to the tavern. The duke’s got Richard.”
    Nathaniel groaned and dropped his head in his hand. “Did they catch her, too?” he asked, looking up.
    “Evidently not. With over fifty servants in the house and on the grounds, it could be some time before your father figures out who you were there to meet. With any luck, he never will.”
    “We can’t leave Richard,” Nathaniel said, watching Richard’s brother John make his way over to them. “I’ve changed my mind.”
    “Well change it back. There’s nothing we can do for him now,” Trenton argued. “The duke has hired some men, and they’re scouring the city looking for us.”
    Nathaniel glanced back at the lights of Bristol and cursed. What now? He hadn’t known Richard long, but the man had already proven himself a loyal friend. Still, getting them all caught served no purpose. “Raise anchor,” he said at last.
    “Wait! We have to go back,” John exclaimed.
    “No, Trenton’s right,” Nathaniel told him. “No doubt my father hopes we’ll do just that. We’ve got to outsmart him somehow, get Richard back another way.”
    “And how are we supposed to do that?” John asked incredulously.
    “By using our heads.” Nathaniel pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping some brilliant idea would occur to him. “Anything is possible with a little bit of leverage,” he said at last. “What if