lady!’
Dona Dominica played to his lead in silence. He won the encounter at length. She bit her lip, but took it with a good grace.‘Yes, señor, you win.’ She watched him playing with the cards, and folded her hands. ‘I shall not pit my skill against yours.’
Sir Nicholas put down the pack. ‘Then let us talk a little,’ he said. ‘It likes me much better. How does Don Manuel find himself ?’
A shadow crossed her face. ‘I think him very sick, señor. I have to thank you for sending your surgeon to visit him.’
‘No need of that.’
‘My father tells me,’ Dominica said, ‘that you have sworn to set us ashore in Spain. Pray, how may you accomplish that?’
‘Very simply,’ Sir Nicholas replied. He held his pomander to his nose, and over it his eyes twinkled at her.
‘Well, señor, and how?’ She was impatient. ‘I’ve no desire to witness another fight at sea.’
‘Nor shall you, fondling. What, do you suppose that Nick Beauvallet would expose you to the risks Narvaez courted? Shame on you!’
‘Señor, are you so mad as to suppose that you can sail into a Spanish port without a shot being fired?’
‘By no means, child. If I did so foolish a thing I might expect a veritable hailstorm of shot about my head.’ He threw one leg over the other, and continued to sniff at his pomander.
‘I see, señor, you have no mind to confide in me,’ said Dominica stiffly.
His shoulders shook. ‘Do I not answer your questions? You would know more? Then ask me prettily, O my Lady Disdain!’
Her eyes fell; she tried a change of front to see what might come of it. ‘You have the right to flout me, señor. I am aware that I stand beholden to you. Yet I think you might use me kindlier.’
The pomander fell. ‘Good lack!’ said Beauvallet, startled. ‘What's this?’ He uncrossed his legs and stretched a hand to her across the table. ‘Let there be no such talk betwixt us two, child. Yet stand in no way beholden to me. Say that I do whatI do to please myself, and cry a truce!’ The smile crept into his eyes. ‘Do I flout you? Now I had thought that was your part.’
‘I am helpless in your hands, señor,’ said Dominica mournfully. ‘If it pleases you to make a mock of me you may do so without hindrance.’
This failed somewhat of its purpose. ‘Child, in a little I shall be constrained to set you on my knee and kiss you,’ said Beauvallet.
‘I am helpless,’ she repeated, and would not look up.
A quick frown came. He rose from his chair and came to kneel beside hers. ‘Now what's your meaning, Dominica? Are you so cowed, so submissive?’ He caught a glimpse of the flash in her eyes, and laughed. ‘Oh, pretty cheat!’ he said softly. ‘If I dared to touch you you would be swift to strike.’
Her lip quivered irrepressibly; she looked through her lashes. He took her hand and kissed it. ‘Well, what is it you would have me tell you?’ he asked.
‘If you please,’ she said meekly, ‘where will you set us ashore?’
‘Some few miles to the west of Santander, sweetheart. There is a smuggling village there will receive us peaceably.’
‘Smugglers!’ She looked up. ‘Oh, so you are that, too? I might have known.’
‘Nay, nay, acquit me,’ he smiled. ‘Look scorn instead upon my fat boatswain. He is the blame. He was for many years in the trade, and I believe knows every smuggling port in Europe. We may sail softly in under cover of night, set you ashore, and be gone again before dawn.’
There was a pause. Dominica looked up at the arms on the wall, and said slowly: ‘And so ends the adventure.’
Sir Nicholas rose to his feet again. ‘Do you think so, indeed?’
She was grave. ‘In spite of brave words, señor, I think so. Once in Spain I shall be free – free of you!’
He set his hand on his hip; his other hand played with his beard. She should have been wary, but she did not knowhim so well as did his men. ‘Lady,’ said Beauvallet, and she jumped at the
Dona Dominica played to his lead in silence. He won the encounter at length. She bit her lip, but took it with a good grace.‘Yes, señor, you win.’ She watched him playing with the cards, and folded her hands. ‘I shall not pit my skill against yours.’
Sir Nicholas put down the pack. ‘Then let us talk a little,’ he said. ‘It likes me much better. How does Don Manuel find himself ?’
A shadow crossed her face. ‘I think him very sick, señor. I have to thank you for sending your surgeon to visit him.’
‘No need of that.’
‘My father tells me,’ Dominica said, ‘that you have sworn to set us ashore in Spain. Pray, how may you accomplish that?’
‘Very simply,’ Sir Nicholas replied. He held his pomander to his nose, and over it his eyes twinkled at her.
‘Well, señor, and how?’ She was impatient. ‘I’ve no desire to witness another fight at sea.’
‘Nor shall you, fondling. What, do you suppose that Nick Beauvallet would expose you to the risks Narvaez courted? Shame on you!’
‘Señor, are you so mad as to suppose that you can sail into a Spanish port without a shot being fired?’
‘By no means, child. If I did so foolish a thing I might expect a veritable hailstorm of shot about my head.’ He threw one leg over the other, and continued to sniff at his pomander.
‘I see, señor, you have no mind to confide in me,’ said Dominica stiffly.
His shoulders shook. ‘Do I not answer your questions? You would know more? Then ask me prettily, O my Lady Disdain!’
Her eyes fell; she tried a change of front to see what might come of it. ‘You have the right to flout me, señor. I am aware that I stand beholden to you. Yet I think you might use me kindlier.’
The pomander fell. ‘Good lack!’ said Beauvallet, startled. ‘What's this?’ He uncrossed his legs and stretched a hand to her across the table. ‘Let there be no such talk betwixt us two, child. Yet stand in no way beholden to me. Say that I do whatI do to please myself, and cry a truce!’ The smile crept into his eyes. ‘Do I flout you? Now I had thought that was your part.’
‘I am helpless in your hands, señor,’ said Dominica mournfully. ‘If it pleases you to make a mock of me you may do so without hindrance.’
This failed somewhat of its purpose. ‘Child, in a little I shall be constrained to set you on my knee and kiss you,’ said Beauvallet.
‘I am helpless,’ she repeated, and would not look up.
A quick frown came. He rose from his chair and came to kneel beside hers. ‘Now what's your meaning, Dominica? Are you so cowed, so submissive?’ He caught a glimpse of the flash in her eyes, and laughed. ‘Oh, pretty cheat!’ he said softly. ‘If I dared to touch you you would be swift to strike.’
Her lip quivered irrepressibly; she looked through her lashes. He took her hand and kissed it. ‘Well, what is it you would have me tell you?’ he asked.
‘If you please,’ she said meekly, ‘where will you set us ashore?’
‘Some few miles to the west of Santander, sweetheart. There is a smuggling village there will receive us peaceably.’
‘Smugglers!’ She looked up. ‘Oh, so you are that, too? I might have known.’
‘Nay, nay, acquit me,’ he smiled. ‘Look scorn instead upon my fat boatswain. He is the blame. He was for many years in the trade, and I believe knows every smuggling port in Europe. We may sail softly in under cover of night, set you ashore, and be gone again before dawn.’
There was a pause. Dominica looked up at the arms on the wall, and said slowly: ‘And so ends the adventure.’
Sir Nicholas rose to his feet again. ‘Do you think so, indeed?’
She was grave. ‘In spite of brave words, señor, I think so. Once in Spain I shall be free – free of you!’
He set his hand on his hip; his other hand played with his beard. She should have been wary, but she did not knowhim so well as did his men. ‘Lady,’ said Beauvallet, and she jumped at the
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