communiqué.”
“Bridget, would you ask Captain Birmingham to come down to his cabin for a moment,” she bade the maid. “I’ll see if I can get enough funds for you to ship my paintings without delay.”
The maid was suddenly a-smile at the idea of seeing the first mate again. “Right away, mum.”
A moment later Beau returned to find Jasper waitingstoically in the corridor leading to his cabin. He had no time to question the man before Jasper swung the door open for him.
“The lady wishes to speak with you, sir,” the butler announced.
Cerynise turned as she heard Beau enter and, with a hopeful smile, went to meet him. “Jasper and the other servants have hidden my paintings in Mrs. Winthrop’s house and would like to send them to me, but I don’t have a single coin to my name. I was wondering if I could beg a loan…”
“What will they need?” he asked, going to his desk and opening a drawer.
“Ten pounds at the most I would imagine. There’s quite a number of paintings, and since I’ve sold others for a goodly sum, some as high as ten thousand pounds, I think I’ll be able to sell the rest in the Carolinas and repay you double the amount you loan me.”
“You’ve sold them for how much?” Beau questioned incredulously.
Cerynise lifted her shoulders in a hesitant shrug, fearful that he might think her boastful. “Ten thousand pounds.”
“And this Alistair Winthrop, whom you told me about, tried to claim them as his?”
She was confused by his rising ire. “Yes.”
“Then the man’s a first-rate thief,” Beau stated sharply. “The paintings are obviously yours and no one else’s.”
“Mr. Winthrop and his lawyer, Mr. Rudd, refused to consider that possibility since Mrs. Winthrop bought the paints, paid for the art lessons, and arranged for the exhibits.”
He snorted, irritated with such asinine logic. “And what would she have had if you hadn’t painted them?”
“Nothing much beyond canvas and oil paints,” Cerynise answered simply.
“Exactly.”
She smiled, her heart warmed by his conclusion. “I tried to explain that to the two, but they were intent uponstripping me of my every possession. Truly, I’d have gladly yielded them generous rents for the past five years I lived in the Winthrop house. Even deducting that from what I had already earned from my paintings, I’d have had a tidy sum left over. Unfortunately Alistair has claimed the funds as his own.”
“Perhaps I should find you a lawyer of your own,” Beau suggested. “I’m sure you’d have good cause to attach a lien against the inheritance.”
“I’d rather go home,” she murmured quietly. “I’ve missed it so.”
Beau counted out a pile of coins and dropped them in a pouch, which he then pressed into her hand. “For good measure, I think we should give Jasper fifteen, for the shipment and for their trouble. Is that sufficient?”
“Oh, yes, Beau. Thank you!” She had the greatest desire to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him for his generosity, but that wouldn’t have been at all proper.
“It’s probably better if I don’t meet Alistair Winthrop,” Beau mused aloud, curbing a grin. “I’d be tempted to blacken the man’s eyes.”
Upon leaving his quarters and closing the door behind him, he paused to speak in muted tones with Jasper. At the servant’s eager nod, he withdrew a purse from the pouch on his belt and, after handing it to the man, shook hands with him. They parted, and as Beau crossed to the companionway, Jasper returned to the cabin.
Cerynise handed the butler the small bag of coins that she had been given. “Whatever you do, be careful,” she urged. “I don’t want Mr. Winthrop to get wind of what you’re doing and have you thrown into prison. If you’re caught taking the paintings from his house, he’ll have good cause to set the law nipping at your heels.”
Jasper’s stiff features began to shine with amusement. “He’d have to catch me at it
“Bridget, would you ask Captain Birmingham to come down to his cabin for a moment,” she bade the maid. “I’ll see if I can get enough funds for you to ship my paintings without delay.”
The maid was suddenly a-smile at the idea of seeing the first mate again. “Right away, mum.”
A moment later Beau returned to find Jasper waitingstoically in the corridor leading to his cabin. He had no time to question the man before Jasper swung the door open for him.
“The lady wishes to speak with you, sir,” the butler announced.
Cerynise turned as she heard Beau enter and, with a hopeful smile, went to meet him. “Jasper and the other servants have hidden my paintings in Mrs. Winthrop’s house and would like to send them to me, but I don’t have a single coin to my name. I was wondering if I could beg a loan…”
“What will they need?” he asked, going to his desk and opening a drawer.
“Ten pounds at the most I would imagine. There’s quite a number of paintings, and since I’ve sold others for a goodly sum, some as high as ten thousand pounds, I think I’ll be able to sell the rest in the Carolinas and repay you double the amount you loan me.”
“You’ve sold them for how much?” Beau questioned incredulously.
Cerynise lifted her shoulders in a hesitant shrug, fearful that he might think her boastful. “Ten thousand pounds.”
“And this Alistair Winthrop, whom you told me about, tried to claim them as his?”
She was confused by his rising ire. “Yes.”
“Then the man’s a first-rate thief,” Beau stated sharply. “The paintings are obviously yours and no one else’s.”
“Mr. Winthrop and his lawyer, Mr. Rudd, refused to consider that possibility since Mrs. Winthrop bought the paints, paid for the art lessons, and arranged for the exhibits.”
He snorted, irritated with such asinine logic. “And what would she have had if you hadn’t painted them?”
“Nothing much beyond canvas and oil paints,” Cerynise answered simply.
“Exactly.”
She smiled, her heart warmed by his conclusion. “I tried to explain that to the two, but they were intent uponstripping me of my every possession. Truly, I’d have gladly yielded them generous rents for the past five years I lived in the Winthrop house. Even deducting that from what I had already earned from my paintings, I’d have had a tidy sum left over. Unfortunately Alistair has claimed the funds as his own.”
“Perhaps I should find you a lawyer of your own,” Beau suggested. “I’m sure you’d have good cause to attach a lien against the inheritance.”
“I’d rather go home,” she murmured quietly. “I’ve missed it so.”
Beau counted out a pile of coins and dropped them in a pouch, which he then pressed into her hand. “For good measure, I think we should give Jasper fifteen, for the shipment and for their trouble. Is that sufficient?”
“Oh, yes, Beau. Thank you!” She had the greatest desire to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him for his generosity, but that wouldn’t have been at all proper.
“It’s probably better if I don’t meet Alistair Winthrop,” Beau mused aloud, curbing a grin. “I’d be tempted to blacken the man’s eyes.”
Upon leaving his quarters and closing the door behind him, he paused to speak in muted tones with Jasper. At the servant’s eager nod, he withdrew a purse from the pouch on his belt and, after handing it to the man, shook hands with him. They parted, and as Beau crossed to the companionway, Jasper returned to the cabin.
Cerynise handed the butler the small bag of coins that she had been given. “Whatever you do, be careful,” she urged. “I don’t want Mr. Winthrop to get wind of what you’re doing and have you thrown into prison. If you’re caught taking the paintings from his house, he’ll have good cause to set the law nipping at your heels.”
Jasper’s stiff features began to shine with amusement. “He’d have to catch me at it
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