The scent of fish hung strong over Penshallow. Though cold, the day proved clear with blue skies and a few puffy clouds above. Drake stopped to survey the beach which was littered with seaweed that the higher tide had left overnight. One long stone pier led out toward the sea, a lone lantern at the end that was lit at night to guide ships into the harbor. He strolled down it until he reached the end. Penshallow had been his home since Red had recruited him and he appreciated the rhythm of life here, the predictability. For a seafaring man, there was something pleasant about knowing exactly what would happen when he returned.

He curled his hand around the iron railing that lined the end of the pier.

Until now. Until the arrival of Julianna. Now he was going to have to find this Slade and ensure he never went near her again. If he had to kill the man, so be it, but it would not be the first time he’d threatened a man and sent them running, and he doubted it would be the last. With Red and Nate watching out for Slade, he had no fear of retaliation. The man wouldn’t get within an inch of her.

Not that Julianna would know that. He knew her well enough to take her protests seriously. The damned stubborn woman wanted to deal with it on her own. Well, even he knew some things could not be done alone—that was why he was part of a team of smugglers. The two brothers would spend the day at the inn and ensure she remained safe while he sought out Knight...and hopefully Slade.

He headed down the side of the harbor, dodging past the fishermen bringing in their catch. The problem with Knight was that he was not easily found. Sometimes he stayed at the inn, but the bloody closed-mouth man tended to vanish, and no one knew where. Even with the arrival of Julianna, they knew little more about their friend. And none of them dare ask.

But as much as Knight might not wish to be hunted out, if Drake was to keep Julianna safe, he needed her brother’s help. No one was as threatening as Knight.

And once Slade was taken care of...

Well, then he could focus his attention solely on Julianna. He grinned to himself. Julianna wasn’t ready to trust him with her heart yet, but he’d change that. He just needed this fiancé out of the way.

Drake ducked into one of the pubs Knight was known to frequent. Heads swiveled as he entered but lost interest quickly when they recognized him as a local. There was no sign of Knight, so he left quickly and tried the next one. Three pubs later and still Knight was nowhere to be seen. Some older brother he was.

He’d have to start the search for John himself. Knight’s intimidating presence would have been helpful, but Drake had every confidence he could handle the vile bastard himself.

Stepping out of the pub, he mulled over a plan of action. He could already discount the pubs but there was the inn that Julianna had originally stayed in as well as a few houses who took in lodgers. Not to mention the traveler’s inn on the outskirts of Penshallow. It was two miles out but would make a good base for someone wishing to stay low.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

Drake peered up at Knight, his silhouette blocking out the cool winter sun. “Did you indeed?”

“Well?” Knight demanded. “What did you want with me?”

“Where the devil were you anyway? I wasted half of the morning looking for you.”

“I asked first.”

Drake sighed. Knight would never tell him. Rumor was that he was on the run from the law. Even with the arrival of Julianna, he still wondered if that might be true. She had not seen him in so long, anything could have happened.

Drake led the man away from pub and the bustle of people on the streets, stopping in the entrance of a narrow alleyway between the butcher and chandlery. “Julianna explained why she came here, did she not?”

Knight nodded.

“He’s found her.”

“My father has?” A quick flash of...horror perhaps...darted across Knight’s face but his expression settled back into neutrality with practiced haste.

“No, her fiancé. Ex-fiancé. The bastard.”

“I take it she told you about him,” Knight said through clenched teeth.

“Yes, but do not take your anger out on me. Take it out on him. The bastard threatened her.”

Curling a fist at his side, Knight grunted out a breath. “And he wants to drag her back to the borderlands no doubt.”

Drake nodded. “Red and Nate are at the Ship, watching over her. We need to find John before he finds her, though.”

“And tear him apart.” The words came out like the huff of a breath from a bull.

“We’ll threaten him. Maybe hurt him a little. Send him on his way and ensure he never steps foot in Cornwall again.”

Knight grunted in agreement.

“I have already searched the pubs looking for both of you. I’ve yet to visit either inn or the lodgings. Mrs. Bell takes in visitors these days. She might be worth checking on.”

“Let’s start with her.”

They made their way through the busy main street of the village, down an alley and up a set of steep steps to Mrs. Bell’s cottage. The white house sat at an odd angle, sloped with the line of the hill. Tiny black framed windows were filled with mottled glass. The widow had been taking in lodgers for a few years now and many visitors preferred her hospitality to that of an inn.

Drake rapped on the door and motioned for Knight to move back. The man had a scowl on his face that would frighten the hardiest of women, let alone an ageing, frail one.

The door opened slowly, and Mrs. Bell cracked a smile when she saw him. “Mr. Drake, whatever are you calling on me for?” She glanced at Knight. “Oh, and your...friend. Mr. Knight, is it not?”

“Mrs. Bell, we were hoping we might be able to ask you some questions about a man. He might be lodging with you?”

She twined her hands into the shawl around her shoulders. Short, with dark gray hair, Mrs. Bell had ruddy cheeks and the sort of face that made almost anyone feel welcome. Except perhaps Knight. Most people accepted him in their midst but still had a distinct distrust of him.

“I try not to take men in,” she explained. “They snore something terribly. But there was this one man recently...I had to say no. There was a strangeness to him. He was not pleased.”

“Was he tall? Thin? Older?”

Mrs. Bell chuckled. “Goodness, so many questions. I shall have to think. Why do you not come in for a moment? You too, Mr. Knight. We can have tea and cake and I can have a think on your questions. I have no lodgers at present, so we will not be disturbed.”

Drake hesitated. The last thing he wanted to do was spend time drinking tea and eating cake when he could be searching for Slade but if Mrs. Bell had information on him, they should listen.

He nodded to Knight who lifted a shoulder in what he supposed could be agreement and they ducked into the small cottage. The parlor room glowed from the warmth of a crackling fire. One wooden chair was set next to it, laid with more blankets than Drake could count. Opposite was a sofa that was threadbare and narrow. He glanced at Knight.

“Perhaps I should stand,” muttered Knight.

“Nonsense. Sit, both of you. I shall go and make some tea. Sit, sit.” Mrs. Bell motioned with her hands at the sofa.

Drake did as he was told and sat. Knight eased down next to him and they both winced as the furniture creaked under the combined weight of them. Knight’s knees were snug against his.

“Well, this is cozy,” Drake remarked brightly.

“This is ridiculous.”

Drake chuckled at his friend’s sullen tone. “We need all the information we can get on this man. Be patient. And try to be...well...a little less gruff than usual.”

“I am not gruff.”

“He said gruffly,” Drake intoned.

Knight narrowed his gaze at him, snapping his head forward when Mrs. Bell entered the room with a tray. The cups jangled together, and Drake leapt up to help her, but she shook her head.

“Sit, sit. I can manage.” She placed the tray on a table by the fire and cut a generous slice of fruit cake, passing it to each of them on a delicate, flower-trimmed plate.

“Oh, napkins.” She put a hand to her head. “I forgot. Won’t be moment,” she trilled.

Knight eyed the cake with a lifted brow.

“You eat it, Knight.”

“I know that. It’s just been a long time since I had cake.”

“No doubt you had it at home. In your fine house with your fine furnishings.”

“I cannot recall.”

“You cannot recall that you come from wealth?”

Knight shrugged. “It was a long time ago. You were not exactly poor either.”

Drake huffed. “Not before the war, I was not.” He’d inherited a nice, if modest estate from his father. But things changed after joining the navy and getting injured. He could not run the estate properly or keep it profitable.

Their smuggling had changed that, though. Plenty of extra money to be had now and perhaps a chance at regaining his estate.

Mrs. Bell hastened back in, thrusting a napkin into their faces and settling opposite them. She poured tea and offered sugar and milk. Knight took the delicate cup in hand and Drake had to mask a smile. He never thought he’d see Knight with anything other than a mug of ale in his hand. The way the tiny china cup fit in his meaty hands was a sight he’d remember forever.

“So what did you want to ask me about this gentleman? Has he done something wrong? The earl knows of him perhaps?”

“The earl does not know him. But we believe he is a dangerous man,” Drake said.

“The earl is always looking out for us.” Mrs. Bell smiled. “Did you know his wife—before she was his wife of course—stayed here for a while. Such a lovely girl. A little forthright perhaps but quite lovely. I was so pleased when they married. It’s not right, I always said, for a man of his age and rank to be unmarried. It’s unnatural, and everyone agreed with me. He should have been married long ago but perhaps he was waiting for someone special and thank goodness he did, because she is a wonderful girl.”

Drake waited for her to suck in a breath before interrupting. “Mrs. Bell, about that man—”

“Oh yes. Frightful looking fellow. Thin. Gaunt sort of face. He came with another man who never said a single word and had such a menacing look to him. He said he did not intend to stay for long and would not inconvenience me, but I swear on my life, he made my bones ache and when my bones ache, I know something is not right about a person.”

“Did he give a name?” Drake pressed.

“No, though he called his friend Gamble.” She took a sip of tea and eyed them both. “He was not happy that I sent him away. I could see the anger in his eyes. I told him I do not take in men—a little fib on my behalf I’m afraid—but there was something about him that just did not seem right.”

“You were right to send him away, Mrs. Bell. Always trust your instincts.”

She beamed. “Oh good. I would have hated to send someone the earl knows away.”

Drake took a bite of the too generous slice of cake and gulped down his tea quickly. “I thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Bell, but we should make haste. If you see him, will you send word to the Ship. Louisa can pass on a message.”

She nodded and grinned at Knight. “Mr. Knight, there is always more cake should you wish to come and visit again.”

Drake blinked at Knight, only now noticing that all the cake had gone, and he was about to reach for another slice.

“It is excellent cake, Mrs. Bell,” Knight commented.

“A big man like you needs good food.” She ran her gaze up and down him as he stood. “You remind me of my late husband actually. Big and tough but soft inside.”

Drake smothered a laugh. He didn’t think there was anything soft about Knight, not even deep, deep inside.

Knight opened his mouth then closed it.

Mrs. Bell took a slice of cake and wrapped it in the napkin before stuffing it into his palm. “That will keep you going.”

They thanked Mrs. Bell and ducked out of the cottage. The elderly lady waved at them as they made their way down the steps and Knight paused to wave back awkwardly.

Drake grinned. “You have an admirer.”

He shrugged. “She makes excellent cake.” He unfolded the napkin and took a bite out of the slice.

“Enough talk of cake—we need to search the rest of the village. He cannot stay hidden from us forever.”

“If he’s not here, he must be at one of the other houses that takes in lodgers,” murmured Knight through a mouthful of cake.

They visited each of the houses, but no one recognized the description of John. As night fell, there was still no sign of him. Drake stopped by his ship where he’d seen Slade the previous night and scanned the docks.

“This is where I saw him,” he explained to Knight.

Knight stuffed his hands in his pockets. “We won’t find him tonight. He’s a sneaky bastard.”

Drake nodded. “As much as I hate to admit it, you are right.”

“The man, did he ask for Julianna by name?”

Drake forced his expression to remain neutral. “Of course.”

“And how is it you knew Julianna had been threatened by him?”

“I asked her. This morning.”

“I told you to stay away from her.” Knight’s expression darkened.

“Was I to stay away when some stranger was looking for her?”

“You should have come straight to me.”

“I couldn’t find you, remember?” Drake folded his arms across his chest.

Knight gave a grunt. “Once this is over, you stay away from Julianna.”

Drake ignored him. “We only have the traveler’s inn to visit now. We could walk it or hire a horse.”

Knight shook his head. “You can return to your ship. I shall take care of this now.”

Though tempted to argue, Drake managed to remain quiet and nodded. He wouldn’t be staying away from Julianna, though, not even when this was over. How could he? He’d only been away from her for part of a day and he felt like a limb was missing.

No, it didn’t matter what Knight threatened. Once this fiancé was taken care of, Drake had to find a way to make Julianna his.