The Pirate and the Pagan Read Free

spice and everything nice,” said Buckingham maliciously, “that’s what you get for trusting all to Clarendon.” Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon and Chancellor of England, was conspicuous by his absence. He was hated by all but the King.
    “Portugal didn’t marry me,” said Charles, “it married English sea power. That’s why they gave us their prized colonies of Bombay and Tangier. The Dutch are now making a mockery of that sea power.”
    Every man in the room had made a great deal of money over the last three years, recouping all their losses of the lean years they had spent in exile. But only a fool would have been unable to make a fortune in London with its relaxed policy of free enterprise. So nowit was their responsibility to see that England prospered as she should.
    “Everything always boils down to money whether you’re discussing a whore or a nation,” said Lauderdale bluntly.
    Charles sighed. “I need more money for ships, more money for spies, more money for bribes.”
    “We must continue to harry the Dutch fleet without actually declaring war on them,” said Arlington.
    “Two years we’ve been coursing that hare and haven’t caught it yet,” said Charles cynically.
    “Grant me letters-of-marque against the Dutch,” suggested Ruark Helford. He had been one of Prince Rupert’s Privateers preying on Parliament’s shipping while Cromwell ruled.
    Jack Grenvile grinned. “Breathes there a Cornishman who isn’t a pirate at heart?”
    Ruark quipped, “You should certainly know.”
    Charles looked at Ruark. “You could be effective in Cornwall, Ruark. Smuggling is rampant. No wonder my tax coffers are bare. Every man and his mistress finds a way to get ’round paying excise tax. Everything imported here is supposed to be taxed whether it’s tobacco from America, wine from France, or Venetian glass. So what happens? Instead of sailing into London and paying the taxes, they slip it in the back door along the Cornish coast. I’ve decided to make you the magistrate and high commissioner of the whole region. Catch and punish the smugglers and we’ll see the tax money roll in.”
    Helford raised his eyebrows slightly at Charles, who nodded imperceptibly in answer. Yes, there would be a great deal more involved than catching petty smugglers. A base in Cornwall was an excellent cover for international spying.
    “’Od’s Fish, I don’t know why you bother us for advice when you seem to have all the answers,” drawled Buckingham.
    Clifford quipped, “Well, so long as one of us uses his brains, that leaves the rest of us free to indulge our other organs.”
    The meeting broke up at midnight and Lord Helford walked back to the palace with the King. They cut through the old Mulberry Gardens west of the palace.
    “Never thought I’d live to see the night you went dutifully home to a wife,” said Ruark, laughing.
    Charles gave him an amused look. “I’m not the only one present who needs an heir … you’re not that much younger than I.”
    Helford sobered. “I could tolerate a wife if I didn’t have to see her outside the bedroom.”
    “Tolerance with women isn’t your long suit, Ruark.”
    The two men could have been brothers. Both had the animal strength of a six-foot physique, black hair, dark skin, and impeccable manners.
    “This business of smuggling,” Charles said quietly. “The goods coming in aren’t nearly so damaging as the information that’s being smuggled out. Put a stop to leaking my navy’s secrets to the Dutch for me, Ru.”
    “I’ll finish up my business in London and as soon as you sign my letters-of-marque I’ll be ready to leave.”
    “Perhaps I should ask you to seek out your brother Rory and give
him
the letters-of-marque,” said Charles.
    Ruark Helford stiffened. “Rory’s dead,” he said quietly.
    “A convenient rumor the scoundrel circulates for some dark reason of his own, I have no doubt,” said Charles, unable to keep the amusement from his