My Lord Deceived Read Free

Hester.”
    Although the
excise men had been and gone, Kat and her family left the goods
hidden in their hiding places. It wasn’t unknown for the excise
officers to make an impromptu return inspection. Nobody in her
house was going to be lulled into a false sense of security.
However, they all knew that once the all clear was given, they
would have to remove their hoard and cut it down into saleable
packages. Their afternoon would be spent dividing up the goods to
fulfil their orders before Kat left to begin her shift in the
tavern in the harbour.
    Later that
afternoon, having stashed the packets back in their hiding places,
she nudged her chest of drawers back into place and clapped a
companionable hand on her brother’s shoulder as they made their way
back downstairs for the second time that day.
    “Right, go and
find something useful to do. I am off to work.”
    “Time to muck
out Molly’s stall,” Agnes called. She threw Billy a pointed look
that was met by his despondent groan. Kat smirked and called
goodbye to her mother before she left the house.
    She took a deep
breath of the crisp sea air and sighed at the sight of the harbour
lying at the end of the road. Now that the excise men had left, the
village had returned to normal. People hustled about as they
shopped and gossiped. Several fishermen sat on the harbour wall
mending their nets and baskets while gulls swooped and cried
overhead in search of fishy cast-offs. She loved living in the
village but, more importantly, enjoyed working at The Shipwright
Inn. It was a small tavern that was always full of ribald laughter
and singing, but it also had a friendly camaraderie that
immediately made Kat feel relaxed and at ease with the world around
her.
    At that moment,
with the goods stashed and the threat of jail removed, life was
good. Well, about as good as it was going to get for the time
being, at least.
    She smiled when
she heard the rapid thud of footsteps behind her and knew that
Billy had snuck out of the front door again. Mother would be angry
and would scold him when he returned, but she could understand
Billy wanting to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine for a while,
especially after the tension of the morning.
    “Kat! Wait! I
want to talk to you.”
    She sighed,
knowing that he hadn’t forgotten the argument about his joining the
smugglers. She felt some of her joy dwindle a little but valiantly
tried to hold on to her patience as she slowed her gait to allow
her brother to catch up.
    “Look, Billy, I
know you want to join the smugglers,” Kat murmured to him when he
slammed to a stop beside her. She felt him tense beneath the hand
she placed on his shoulder, and knew that he was going to object.
She silenced him with a gentle squeeze of his shoulder. “Right now,
I work at night as you know.”
    “Sis,” Billy
sighed.
    “Listen to me,
Billy.” Kat tossed her head to flick stray strands of her hair out
of her eyes and stared down at her younger brother. The stiff
breeze coming of the sea held a hint of the future storm that
lurked on the horizon, but neither of them gave it a second glance.
“I work until late, and we really cannot leave mother alone in the
house overnight. With the threat of the excise men appearing at a
moment’s notice, I need someone responsible; a man in the house, to
keep mother safe.” Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.
“I cannot be there because we cannot do without my wages, so the
responsibility of running the house falls upon you.”
    She mentally
heaved a sigh of relief when Billy’s chest puffed out importantly
and he straightened his spine. “I know you want to join the crews
but, right now, with the excise men breathing down our necks, I
need you at home. Mother needs someone reliable to help her.”
    “Of course, I
hadn’t thought of it like that,” Billy sighed. He was a little
disappointed but could see Kat’s logic. Mother would get stuck
going up the chimney. It was a hiding place that only