Chapter 31

Turnip Nose came to fetch me again shortly before mid-morning, but this time I was ready for him. I had fashioned a makeshift sling out of one of the blankets to strap Emma to my body, so I could have both hands free. It also served as a useful place for me to stash the largest serving ladle I could find. In terms of weapons, it was far from threatening, but in a pinch, I hoped it would serve well enough as a type of cudgel.

Emma, fortunately, was in a fine mood, especially after they brought me a clean linen for her bottom. She seemed to find it all a grand adventure, looking up at the shelves and rolling about on the floor, exploring this new space. Even now, she offered Turnip Nose a slobbery grin.

One corner of his lips appeared to curl involuntarily before he seemed to recall himself. He thrust a brown woolen cloak at me, and I accepted it gratefully. The journey here during the night had been cold without any outer garment, and the wind on the cliffs today was certain to be biting.

We set off toward the coast by a roundabout route, I suspected to prevent an ambush. I was bustled along near the middle of the group, which included Tamsyn, Joan, Bevil, and Tristram, as well as a dozen or more men with whom I wasn't familiar, though several of them had undoubtedly been part of my escort to Grenville House the previous night. Most surprisingly, Great-Aunt Amelia accompanied us. I had expected her to remain behind, but she hobbled along behind me with the aid of two of the men. In truth, I wasn't certain how much she walked and how much they carried, but none of them complained.

The sky overhead was streaked with mares' tail clouds and washed with the palest shades of blue. Squill and thrift wildflowers dotted the edges of the path along with gorse and wild fennel. As we neared the sea, the crash of the waves against the rocky shore increased, as did the number of fulmars and gulls soaring overhead on the currents.

Curiously, a red-billed chough also seemed to be following us. He would flit ahead, landing on an old fencepost or a pile of rocks, issuing his distinctive call. Chee-ow. Chee-ow. Emma squealed, looking about every time she heard it, and I began to believe the blue-black bird was playing with her.

I remembered the legend Lord Gage had told us about the chough. How some Cornish believed King Arthur had turned himself into the bird until such a time when he was needed. If it were true, I couldn't think of a better time than now.

I heard the booming echo of the tide thundering into Lundy Hole before I saw it. Lord Gage had described it as a sea cave whose roof had collapsed, and that was exactly what we saw. An arch of stone was all that remained, its craggy shingled roof looking like it would fall in at any moment. Through the arch, one could see the rise and fall of the turquoise sea beyond.

There was no obvious way into the cave, other than to jump—a dangerous feat, considering the slope of the rocky sides and the shallow appearance of the water below—or to approach it from the sea. Even that would prove dangerous. Anyone with a healthy sense of reason must grasp that the treasure was long gone, carried out on the tide or buried by rubble. There was no sign of the cart or the barrels the boys had used to transport it.

Yet when I glanced at Joan and Tamsyn, they still seemed set on this course. Only Amelia appeared to harbor any doubts.

"This is madness," I whispered as she stood beside me.

She continued to peer over the side, her widened eyes acknowledging the folly, even if her mouth did not. Then she inhaled a ragged breath deep into her lungs. "Father always said the treasure was unlucky. That it might even be cursed." Her gaze lifted to meet mine. "He believed the best thing was to leave it where it lay. And that Stephen should be kept as far away from it as possible. 'Tis why he never asked him to return. For his own safety."

"Yet you did," I reminded her.

"Aye." She turned to stare into the hole again. "Because I 'ad no choice. 'Tis the only way to save us."

I didn't believe in curses. At least, I didn't want to. But I did believe in the power of greed. And perhaps that's what Lord Gage's grandfather had meant, after all. That as long as Stephen was near the treasure, he would never be safe from men determined to find it.

Amelia, Joan, and Tamsyn might be trying to save their families' homes and lands, but that did not absolve them of their actions. There were other things they could try, other steps they could take. They needn't resort to deception, brutality, kidnapping, and potential manslaughter!

Someone gave a shout, and we all turned toward the coast path. As we watched, about a dozen people crested the rise moving toward us. I recognized Gage and his father immediately, and my heart surged in my chest as I hugged Emma close. Words crowded at the back of my throat as I fought the urge to yell at them to flee. To not come any closer. They wouldn't be able to hear me, and who knew how my captors would react.

As they drew nearer, I began to recognize some of the other members of the group, including our faithful staff: Bree, Mrs. Mackay, Anderley—whose left eye was still swollen shut—and even Lembus and our coachman. Dr. Wolcott was also there, along with Morgan and her husband, Dolly, and Imogen. I searched their faces for Mery, but neither he nor Anne were among them. I prayed the reason for that was not death or serious injury. Anne was nearing her confinement, I reminded myself, and such a trek would have been arduous for her. Perhaps Mery was merely keeping guard over her. But the sinking feeling in my stomach persisted.

In terms of appearance, their motley crew was far from intimidating, at least physically. Emotionally, it was a different story. Wife glared at husband. Daughter scowled at father and mother. And cousins appeared angry enough to spit.

I felt a surge of gratitude that they'd come to fight for us—for me and Emma. But it remained to be seen whether their opponents would be swayed.

Gage and his father were stopped a short distance away. They were not to be allowed to come too close, but even at such a distance, I felt the warmth and reassurance of my husband's gaze bolstering me. I nodded once to let him know we were well and then turned to Lord Gage to do the same.

My father-in-law looked like he'd passed a sleepless night. His face was pale and haggard, and the collar of his blue frock coat sat askew beneath his dark greatcoat. The guilt he felt for landing us in this predicament was obvious, and that made the fear and anxiety that had been roiling around inside me turn to cold fury.

For too long, he had carried guilt over what had happened near this spot almost fifty years ago. Guilt that should never have been his to carry. Not when there were older and wiser men who should have looked after him and Jago. It was they who should have been transporting the treasure. They who should have suffered the consequences of an ambush. Instead, they'd let the penalties fall on those who were weaker and more vulnerable.

And they were still doing so. Rather than finding another way to remedy their family's problems, they were once again leaning on the vulnerable to extract them from their folly, heedless of the consequences.

"Nanna, Mother," Morgan spoke first, her voice sharp. "That is enough. Let them go!"

"Listen to her, Tristram," Dolly added. "Don't make this worse than it already is."

"And then what?" Joan challenged. "We'll lose our homes and our lands." She gestured to the gathering at large. "We all will."

"There has to be another way," Imogen pleaded.

"Nay," Tamsyn proclaimed, stepping forward. "Not 'til we've exhausted this avenue."

Lord Gage's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Is this where you and Jago dumped the treasure?" she demanded of him. "Or did your daughter-in-law lie to us? She's quite clever. I wouldn't put it past her."

I was relieved to see some of Lord Gage's spirit revived as he poured venom into his gaze. "Yes. That's where we dumped it."

She scrutinized him a moment longer before lifting her hand in some silent signal. "Just to be sure."

My arms were suddenly seized by two of the men and I was jerked backward to the precipice of the hole, Emma still strapped to my chest.

"Wait! No!" I cried, my heart racing in panic. I could feel the dirt falling away from the back of my heels as I strained to keep my purchase on the earth. "Please, don't!" I begged, grasping hold of their meaty arms in return, trying desperately to prevent them from releasing me.

Emma began to wail, but I was beyond any ability to comfort her. Not when I was trying to save our lives.

I heard other shouts and voices raised in protest, but Tamsyn spoke over them all with chilling indifference. "Tell me again. Where is the treasure?"

"It's here," Lord Gage repeated. "It's here, damn you! Don't hurt them. Don't hurt them."

My breath sawed in and out of me so loudly that it and Emma's keening cries threatened to drown out all else, even Tamsyn's response.

She must have issued another silent command, for the men yanked me forward almost as quickly as they'd pulled me back. I fell to my knees several feet from the pit, one hand pressed to the solid earth and the other wrapped around Emma as I struggled to catch my breath. I felt a sob gather at the back of my throat, but I refused to give it voice. Not now. Not for Tamsyn!

Once I had myself more in hand, I pushed to my feet, feeling a gentle pressure against my elbow. When I looked up to see it was Great-Aunt Amelia trying to help me rise, I shook her off with a spiteful look. One that clearly startled her, but what had she expected? Gratitude? She'd chosen to throw her lot in with Tamsyn. As such, Tamsyn's actions were as much Amelia's fault as her own.

"It's long gone by now," Lord Gage was saying, his entire body vibrating with rage as he tried to make Tamsyn understand. "Washed out to sea."

My gaze shifted to Gage, who appeared as if he'd aged ten years in the last minute. I couldn't nod or smile to console him this time. I could only hope my and Emma's presence was enough.

I pressed kisses to Emma's brow, trying to comfort her as best I could as I searched the faces around me while Tamsyn and Lord Gage continued to argue. Tamsyn's actions had plainly shocked many of them. Those standing in solidarity with Gage and his father, for certain, but also some of Tamsyn's own party. Amelia was shaken, but Joan appeared more displeased. Perhaps she'd thought she would be the one in control, not Tamsyn. Turnip Nose and another two or three men also looked unhappy, though that didn't mean they could be persuaded to take our side.

"Nonetheless, we're goin' to be certain," Tamsyn proclaimed, her gaze shifting to my husband. "And your son is goin' to help."

"Have you gone balmy?" Lord Gage exclaimed. "It's gone!"

But Tamsyn ignored him, issuing instructions to some of her men.

"I won't let you do this!" he shouted.

Tamsyn turned back to him imperiously. "Then perhaps your daughter-in-law and granddaughter…" She raised her hand again, but I already knew what that meant, and I dodged the men's grasps before swinging my arm backward to strike one of them.

"I'll go," Gage told her.

I glared at the men when Tamsyn must have signaled to them to stop, promising retribution. Then I turned back to my husband, watching as he was pushed in the direction he'd come by Bevil and a trio of Grenvilles.

"There now," Tamsyn practically crooned. "At least your son is reasonable."

Anderley began to follow, but both Bree and Mrs. Mackay protested, perhaps reminding him that in his condition he would be more of a hindrance than a help. Lord Gage began to argue that he should go, but Tamsyn prevented it. So when Dr. Wolcott and Morgan's husband Anthony separated from the group instead and trotted after the men, I presumed they were headed for a path that would lead down to the beach below.

A few seconds later, Tristram brushed past me, following them as well. Dolly reached out to grab his arm, and though he only spared her a fleeting glance, it was enough to give me hope that Gage might have another ally. At least, I liked the odds of four-on-four better than the alternative. Maybe Bevil would even be convinced by his son and son-in-law to switch sides.

Silence descended as we waited to discover what would happen next. Wind riffled through my hair, now almost entirely divested of its pins, and buffeted the grasses clinging to the cliff top. It carried with it the smell of rain, and turning my head to the left, I could see clouds gathering to the west. This added another level of urgency to Gage's and the other men's efforts below. That and the tide, which would soon be shifting. If a storm out to sea stirred up the waves and currents, this could complicate matters considerably.

I bounced Emma and swayed, pivoting as I did so, ostensibly to comfort her and lull her to sleep, but it also allowed me to study our surroundings once again. I noted that Tamsyn's men appeared to be standing relatively at their ease, with feet propped on rocks or murmuring with one another. Only the man I'd struck after he'd tried to grab me a second time paid me the least bit of notice. His thick, dark brows had lowered as if in affront.

Tamsyn had chosen her men well, for they were all tall and strapping, but they were far from attentive or disciplined. I supposed such was the lot when one was commanding a band of smugglers. However, this factor might work to our advantage.

There was perhaps twenty or thirty feet separating me from my father-in-law. If I could manage to reach them, I trusted that he and some of the others carried pistols. They would not have come here unarmed.

Of course, Tamsyn's men probably also carried guns. But the Killigrew and the Roscarrock descendants among Tamsyn's crew must surely protest the possibility of Dolly, Morgan, and Imogen being shot, turning the tide against her. Amelia had sunk down on a rock, seeming to already be regretting her affiliation with the Grenvilles, and Joan looked no happier.

I bided my time, waltzing with Emma's sleeping form, her warm body a comforting weight against my heart and the sweet scent of her golden curls filling my nostrils. I nudged the handle of the silver ladle closer to the top of the sling to make it easier to extract if and when I should need it.

"There they are," one of the men announced some time later. He pointed toward the bottom of the hole, and a number of Tamsyn's crew crowded closer, including the woman herself.

A few of the men, with Gage at their lead, were picking their way over the rocks and through the arch. They had removed their coats and waistcoats, and some of them had discarded their boots. At points, the water in the sea cave was shallow enough for them to walk with it swirling around their calves. At other spots it surged up over their waists, and at others they were forced to swim.

The cave was deep. They had to traverse several hundred feet to reach the point where the cart carrying the treasure would have tumbled over the edge to strike the rocks below, and with each step, with each stroke, they were forced to fight the current and the tidal surge. It was a tiring endeavor, and the longer they were at it, the greater the risk of fatigue became. Eventually, their muscles would simply give out.

I knew Gage was healthy. I knew he was strong. Our months at his father's estate in Warwickshire had made him even more so. I could only pray that he was strong enough to endure this. Strong and savvy.

As we watched, several more men came into view, including Tristram and Bevil. Tristram appeared to be faring well enough, but Bevil was obviously struggling. I willed him to turn back. He was too old for such an undertaking, but he stubbornly persisted to follow the others.

I couldn't see Dr. Wolcott or Morgan's husband, and I surmised that they'd elected to hang back. Probably a wise decision under the circumstances. They might be able to help those who had become too exhausted to make their way back out of the cave completely and prevent them from being swept out to sea.

More and more of Tamsyn's men began to creep up to the hole, peering over the side to see what had their compatriots so enraptured. They groaned and grunted and cheered, jesting with each other as if they were watching some sort of sporting match as the men below struggled toward their goal. I peered back at Lord Gage and the others still standing at a distance. They could see nothing of what was going on below, and the agony writ across their faces was plain.

A quick survey of the people around me told me now was the time to make my move toward the others, but I hesitated. If I backed away, I wouldn't be able to see what was happening to Gage. I wouldn't know if he needed help. Not that I could do anything to offer it. But the torment of not knowing might be worse.

I looked up to find the chough watching me from his perch on a stunted rowan tree nearby. His beady black eyes were knowing, almost as if he understood my distress. What should I do? I found myself silently asking him as much as myself.

Then a shout went up, drawing my attention back to the bottom of the cave. The men were nearing the base, but there was trouble. One of Tamsyn's men had slipped, injuring himself, and the others had stopped to look at him. Even from a height of perhaps fifty or sixty feet, I could see the blood in the water. It bloomed around the man in a steadily growing cloud.

However, Tamsyn was indifferent. "Keep moving!" she ordered the others.

Gage tipped his head to look up at her, his wet hair tangled around his features. I could see how much effort it took to move and even to catch his breath. This was an impossible mission!

But Tamsyn would not relent. "Go!"

The man who had paused to assist the injured fellow began surging forward again, gesturing threateningly to Gage. My hands clenched into fists as my husband turned and resumed his struggle toward the spot where the treasure would have fallen. I swept my gaze over the length of the cave, seeing that the third Grenville smuggler was perched on a ledge some fifty feet behind the others. Bevil was struggling at one of the deepest parts of the cave, and Tristram was speaking to him from a shallower point in between darting glances at the man on the ledge. And all the while the cave echoed with the boom of the incoming tide whenever a larger wave struck the arch.

If Gage was to have any chance of turning the tide in their favor it would be soon, while he was facing just one opponent rather than multiple. But if those around me seized me and threatened to throw me and Emma over the edge again, any gains he'd made would be in vain. For I knew Gage would do anything they asked to keep us safe. Now was my chance.

I began to slowly back away from the hole—one step, two steps, and then a third. But as I swiveled to continue walking calmly but swiftly away, the man with the dark brows reached for me. I was ready for him. And so was the chough.

As he grasped my left arm, I pulled the ladle from Emma's swaddle and swung out, aiming for his temple. It connected with a crack, and he released his hold, stumbling backward, just as the chough dived for his head. I didn't wait to see what happened, but turned and ran, even as shouts and screams lifted skyward behind me.

I didn't stop until Lord Gage grasped hold of me and pushed me behind him into Mrs. Mackay's and Bree's arms, before turning to shield me with his body. Then I could see over his shoulder what had caused all of the commotion.

The man I'd struck had apparently collapsed into the people directly behind him, propelling them and himself over the edge of the hole. Another two individuals dangled over the edge, only their hands and wrists visible as they struggled to pull themselves back up. I realized, with a shock, that one of them was Tamsyn. But my chief concern was for Gage. He'd been almost directly below those people when they'd fallen.

"No," I gasped, imagining their bodies crashing down on him. "No!"