her work as a spy had involved serving as a lady’s maid and listening at keyholes, but this, this was an entirely different type of mission. One that posed a great deal of danger.
She did her best to be brave, telling herself that obviously General Grimaldi thought she was up for the task or he wouldn’t have given her orders to go. Besides, she had Beau at her side, and from what she’d learned about him, he was an experienced agent indeed.
Sailing to France would accomplish more than one of her goals, however. She’d already intended that after she had discovered the identity of the man who’d killed Frederick, she would travel to France to attempt to locate her brother, David—or die trying. This new turn of events would merely help her accomplish the second task more quickly. Did it matter that her insides were a mass of nerves and she just might cast up her accounts at any moment?
Despite her misgivings, she plastered a confident demeanor on her face for Beau’s sake. He didn’t need to see to her while he concentrated on such an important mission. No. She would take care of herself, and do her best to see that Baron Winfield and Albina were brought to justice.
In a matter of only a few hours, Marianne and Beau boarded the ship and were already on their way out to sea. The ride along the Thames and out into the channel was a particularly choppy one. And the October wind that sheared through the ship’s wooden slats made the stateroom they’d been assigned extremely cold. The entire ordeal was made all the worse by the fact that they were confined to a cabin the approximate size of a hat box. And not for a big hat.
Additionally, there was only one bunk. One tiny bunk. Marianne took one look at it and decided not to think about it again until she had to. Instead she went about putting away the few articles of clothing she’d managed to stuff into her old, worn valise before they’d rushed off to the docks. Beau had quickly and efficiently put his things in the wardrobe before tucking his rucksack into the bottom of the cabinet.
To quell her nerves, Marianne next began looking through every drawer in the cabin. When she opened a cabinet above the small desk, she smiled. There sat a bottle of brandy and two glasses, with a note that she plucked up to read.
* * *
To make the journey more palatable,
Worth
* * *
“Seems the duke left us a gift.” Marianne sat the note on the edge of the desk before pulling the bottle and the glasses from the cabinet. She set all three on the desk as well.
Beau picked up the note and read it, shaking his head. “That fool. He knows I don’t drink.”
“I do.” The words shot from Marianne’s mouth.
Beau inclined his head toward her. “By all means, please, enjoy it.”
Marianne didn’t need to be told twice. Brandy might be just the thing to calm her nerves at the moment. She opened the bottle and poured a healthy glass for herself. “You’re certain you don’t want any?”
Beau shook his head. “No, thank you.” He took a seat on the edge of the bunk.
Marianne lifted the glass to her nose and sniffed its contents.
“Have you had brandy before?” Beau asked, a frown marring his brow.
“Yes,” she replied. “But not often. My brothers and I were always daring each other to do certain things. Taking a nip from Papa’s brandy bottle was sometimes one of them.”
Beau laughed at that. “I wish I’d had a brother.”
Marianne smiled. “I loved growing up with brothers. They taught me everything they knew, but they also always made certain I was safe.”
Beau braced his hands on the wooden frame of the bunk and scraped his boot along the wooden floorboards. “They sound as if they were quite good brothers. I’m sorry about Frederick.”
Marianne swallowed. Tears had sprung to her eyes. She shook her head to dispel them. “I still have David at least. That is…I hope I do.”
Beau turned his head to look at her. “Do you have any idea where he’s being kept?”
“No. But as soon as I find out who murdered Frederick, I intend to search for him.”
Beau’s brows shot up. “With General Grimaldi’s blessing?”
Marianne lifted her chin and swallowed. “I won’t need General Grimaldi’s blessing. In fact, after this is through, I intend to stay in France to look for David.”
His brows inched