that wasn’t
all. He claimed to know the abandoned house better than she did, so he’d either been
staying there a long time or had visited it more than once. His putting a lock on
a door that didn’t belong to him. His coming out of a hidden room where he could have
been storing smuggled or stolen goods. And his warning her to tell no one that she’d
seen him there. All of it pointed to his being a criminal of one sort or another.
Of course she’d told Jacqueline about him in the morning, and of course Jack had agreed
with her conclusion and suggested she tell Brandon, who could prevaricate a bit and
warn his father without revealing that Judith had had a run-in with a criminal in
the old ruin. Before they’d left for London, Brandon had told her he’d spoken to his
father and assured her they’d catch the smuggler red-handed that very day. So what
was he doing here, on The Maiden George ?
He appeared to be waiting for her to answer him. She did that now, hissing, “You deserve
to be in jail! Why aren’t you?”
Chapter Thirteen
N athan was taken aback by the girl’s angry question. He almost laughed at how close
to the mark it was, yet it didn’t make sense. Nonetheless, the instinct for self-preservation
kicked in, and quickly.
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else. But I’m not surprised. First you thought I was
a ghost, then you took me for a landowner. Isn’t it more obvious that I’m just a hardworking
seaman trying to earn a living?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’d never forget a face that’s haunted me for five years, and now I recognize
your voice, too.”
“From five years ago? I doubt that’s possible.”
“From two weeks ago when you accosted me in that ruined house,” she said hotly. “You’re
a criminal and I won’t have you on board endangering my family.”
So it was her, he thought, and not one of the duke’s servants as he’d assumed that
night. And maybe she was not quite a lady either, except in title. That was an intriguing
thought and even likely, considering how he’d met her, both times, out and about alone
at night. And now tonight.
“It seems to me you’re the one guilty of criminal behavior, breaking into houses that
don’t belong to you. And more’n once? Tell me, darlin’, does your family know about
your late-night rendezvousing?”
She sucked in her breath. “Don’t even go there. You know I spoke the truth about why I was there that night.”
“If I wasn’t there, how would I know? Or wait, were you there to see me again?” He
grinned, suddenly beginning to enjoy himself. “Well, me in ghost form, but me nonetheless.
And you already admitted you did that at least once.”
She scoffed, “You’re not turning the tables on me here, but nice try. There’s simply
no comparison to a smuggler, or is it a thief? Which one are you?”
“And why would I be either of those?”
“Because the facts add up precisely, and there’s a long list of them. You even proved
yourself to be a liar that night. You weren’t just passing by, not with your own cot
set up in that room.”
“A criminal who carries a cot around with him? Do you realize how unlikely that is?”
“You put a lock on the door.”
“If whoever you are talking about did that, I’d think he did it to keep pesky ghost
hunters from waking him in the middle of the night. Didn’t work, did it?”
“You think this is amusing?”
He smiled. “Did I say that?”
“You didn’t have to when it’s written all over your face,” she snapped.
“Well, you have me there, darlin’. But it’s not every day I get accused of criminal
activities. I have to admit, I do find a certain humor in that.”
“You were hiding illegal goods there and that put my family at risk! My cousins could have been implicated. No one would believe they
couldn’t have known what was going on in their own
all. He claimed to know the abandoned house better than she did, so he’d either been
staying there a long time or had visited it more than once. His putting a lock on
a door that didn’t belong to him. His coming out of a hidden room where he could have
been storing smuggled or stolen goods. And his warning her to tell no one that she’d
seen him there. All of it pointed to his being a criminal of one sort or another.
Of course she’d told Jacqueline about him in the morning, and of course Jack had agreed
with her conclusion and suggested she tell Brandon, who could prevaricate a bit and
warn his father without revealing that Judith had had a run-in with a criminal in
the old ruin. Before they’d left for London, Brandon had told her he’d spoken to his
father and assured her they’d catch the smuggler red-handed that very day. So what
was he doing here, on The Maiden George ?
He appeared to be waiting for her to answer him. She did that now, hissing, “You deserve
to be in jail! Why aren’t you?”
Chapter Thirteen
N athan was taken aback by the girl’s angry question. He almost laughed at how close
to the mark it was, yet it didn’t make sense. Nonetheless, the instinct for self-preservation
kicked in, and quickly.
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else. But I’m not surprised. First you thought I was
a ghost, then you took me for a landowner. Isn’t it more obvious that I’m just a hardworking
seaman trying to earn a living?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’d never forget a face that’s haunted me for five years, and now I recognize
your voice, too.”
“From five years ago? I doubt that’s possible.”
“From two weeks ago when you accosted me in that ruined house,” she said hotly. “You’re
a criminal and I won’t have you on board endangering my family.”
So it was her, he thought, and not one of the duke’s servants as he’d assumed that
night. And maybe she was not quite a lady either, except in title. That was an intriguing
thought and even likely, considering how he’d met her, both times, out and about alone
at night. And now tonight.
“It seems to me you’re the one guilty of criminal behavior, breaking into houses that
don’t belong to you. And more’n once? Tell me, darlin’, does your family know about
your late-night rendezvousing?”
She sucked in her breath. “Don’t even go there. You know I spoke the truth about why I was there that night.”
“If I wasn’t there, how would I know? Or wait, were you there to see me again?” He
grinned, suddenly beginning to enjoy himself. “Well, me in ghost form, but me nonetheless.
And you already admitted you did that at least once.”
She scoffed, “You’re not turning the tables on me here, but nice try. There’s simply
no comparison to a smuggler, or is it a thief? Which one are you?”
“And why would I be either of those?”
“Because the facts add up precisely, and there’s a long list of them. You even proved
yourself to be a liar that night. You weren’t just passing by, not with your own cot
set up in that room.”
“A criminal who carries a cot around with him? Do you realize how unlikely that is?”
“You put a lock on the door.”
“If whoever you are talking about did that, I’d think he did it to keep pesky ghost
hunters from waking him in the middle of the night. Didn’t work, did it?”
“You think this is amusing?”
He smiled. “Did I say that?”
“You didn’t have to when it’s written all over your face,” she snapped.
“Well, you have me there, darlin’. But it’s not every day I get accused of criminal
activities. I have to admit, I do find a certain humor in that.”
“You were hiding illegal goods there and that put my family at risk! My cousins could have been implicated. No one would believe they
couldn’t have known what was going on in their own
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