Dawn on a Distant Shore
Page 121
She nodded.
"Curiosity?"
"Nothing ailin' me," she said, sniffing the air. "But I see you been up to mischief."
"There was a problem with some kegs," Nathaniel said.
He crossed the room to put a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. The smell of liquor rose about him in such a strong wave that tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them away.
"This here's the excise officer. Come to see what riches we're smuggling into Scotland."
Elizabeth pulled both babies closer to her underneath the shawl. "I fear you will be sore disappointed, Mr. ..."
The exciseman made a sweeping bow, his dark hair falling forward. "Robert Burns. At your service, madam." He paused, throwing a sideways glance toward Curiosity.
"This lady is Mrs. Freeman," Elizabeth said pointedly. It was as close as she could come to stating openly that Curiosity should not be mistaken for a servant, or a slave. "And my stepdaughter, Miss Bonner."
If Mr. Burns was surprised by these introductions, there was nothing of it in his expression.
"Mrs. Freeman," he murmured, but his gaze fixed on Hannah. He studied her as he might study a piece of the moon, or a Chinese vase--with great interest, and no maliciousness at all. "Miss Bonner. My great honor."
Elizabeth thought of speaking to him sharply for staring, but she knew too that Hannah would encounter this kind of interest wherever she went in Scotland. Perhaps it was best to let her deal with it herself.
Hannah looked him up and down and said, "Is an exciseman a kind of pirate?"
Mr. Burns had a deep laugh. Even Curiosity smiled at the sound of it.
"Daughter--" said Nathaniel.
"Ach, dinna scold the lass for her honesty, Mr. Bonner. Those who wad prefer no' tae pay the king for the privilege o' drinkin' tea call us pirates, and worse. There's no' a day passes that someone doesna wish me awa' tae the devil."
"Oh," said Hannah, disappointed. "A tax collector."
"In a manner o' speakin'," conceded Mr. Burns.
"We got no tea here," said Curiosity impatiently. "No brandy or tobacco, neither. Just children, as you can see for yourself. Nothing to interest you."
"I'll take your word on that, madam. But if I might ask ..." He addressed Nathaniel directly. "What brings ye tae Scotland, sir? Are ye perhaps visitin' kin in the area?"
Elizabeth felt Nathaniel stiffen. He said, "We have no family here."
The dark eyes blinked in surprise. "Pardon my presumption, sir. I've offended ye and I'm verra sorry for it."
Elizabeth might have spoken, but Nathaniel's grip on her shoulder tightened. He said, "Just what's your interest in us?"
He flushed, but he spoke with dignity. "It's no' often we see visitors from America in our wee corner o' Scotland, ye ken. I'll bother ye no mair. Guid day tae ye, and Godspeed on your journey."
His hand was on the door when Nathaniel stopped him. "A question before you go."
"Sir?"
"Have you heard any word of a schooner called the Jackdaw, flying American colors?"
He turned to face them. "The captain asked me the verra same question, no' an hour ago."
Curiosity made a deep sound in her throat that said exactly what she thought of Pickering and his questions.
"And?"
Mr. Burns said, "I should be gey surprised if the Jackdaw sailed intae these waters."
"And why is that?" asked Elizabeth.
"Why, smugglers dinna usually come up and introduce themsel' tae the representatives o' the Crown," he said with a small smile. "Should Mac Stoker hae business in the firth, he'll find a wee cove tae hide the schooner and make his way by night."
"So he might be here?" Hannah spoke up, her interest in the exciseman revived.
"Aa things are possible wi' the likes o' Mac Stoker," said Mr. Burns. "He's a wily one. As ye seem tae ken yersel'." Elizabeth watched him swallow down a question he would have liked to ask.
Nathaniel said, "Any idea where we might get word of him?"
The exciseman ran a hand over his chin. "Ye might weel inquire at Mump's Hall, on the Dumfries Road."
"That's a tavern, I take it?"
"Aye. A favorite o' smugglers and freebooters. No' a place tae be after dark, if ye take my meanin', sir."
"I do," said Nathaniel. "And I'm indebted to you."
Once more he paused at the door. "If ye'll allow me a single suggestion?"
Nathaniel nodded.
"Should ye gae lookin' for Mac Stoker, wear a hat."
"You mean for me to hide my face," Nathaniel said.
"Aye," said the exciseman. "It wad be in your best interest."
"What's wrong with your face that he wants you to hide it?" Hannah demanded as soon as they were alone again.
Nathaniel pulled the wet shirt away from his skin as he answered her. "Moncrieff has been claiming all along that there's a strong resemblance to Carryck. I guess that's one thing he wasn't lying about."
"He locked us in here so the exciseman wouldn't see your face?" Curiosity shook her head. "I don' know about that man. Is he plain stupid, or just jittery?"
"Both," said Nathaniel. "And stubborn, too."
"Curiosity?"
"Nothing ailin' me," she said, sniffing the air. "But I see you been up to mischief."
"There was a problem with some kegs," Nathaniel said.
He crossed the room to put a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. The smell of liquor rose about him in such a strong wave that tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them away.
"This here's the excise officer. Come to see what riches we're smuggling into Scotland."
Elizabeth pulled both babies closer to her underneath the shawl. "I fear you will be sore disappointed, Mr. ..."
The exciseman made a sweeping bow, his dark hair falling forward. "Robert Burns. At your service, madam." He paused, throwing a sideways glance toward Curiosity.
"This lady is Mrs. Freeman," Elizabeth said pointedly. It was as close as she could come to stating openly that Curiosity should not be mistaken for a servant, or a slave. "And my stepdaughter, Miss Bonner."
If Mr. Burns was surprised by these introductions, there was nothing of it in his expression.
"Mrs. Freeman," he murmured, but his gaze fixed on Hannah. He studied her as he might study a piece of the moon, or a Chinese vase--with great interest, and no maliciousness at all. "Miss Bonner. My great honor."
Elizabeth thought of speaking to him sharply for staring, but she knew too that Hannah would encounter this kind of interest wherever she went in Scotland. Perhaps it was best to let her deal with it herself.
Hannah looked him up and down and said, "Is an exciseman a kind of pirate?"
Mr. Burns had a deep laugh. Even Curiosity smiled at the sound of it.
"Daughter--" said Nathaniel.
"Ach, dinna scold the lass for her honesty, Mr. Bonner. Those who wad prefer no' tae pay the king for the privilege o' drinkin' tea call us pirates, and worse. There's no' a day passes that someone doesna wish me awa' tae the devil."
"Oh," said Hannah, disappointed. "A tax collector."
"In a manner o' speakin'," conceded Mr. Burns.
"We got no tea here," said Curiosity impatiently. "No brandy or tobacco, neither. Just children, as you can see for yourself. Nothing to interest you."
"I'll take your word on that, madam. But if I might ask ..." He addressed Nathaniel directly. "What brings ye tae Scotland, sir? Are ye perhaps visitin' kin in the area?"
Elizabeth felt Nathaniel stiffen. He said, "We have no family here."
The dark eyes blinked in surprise. "Pardon my presumption, sir. I've offended ye and I'm verra sorry for it."
Elizabeth might have spoken, but Nathaniel's grip on her shoulder tightened. He said, "Just what's your interest in us?"
He flushed, but he spoke with dignity. "It's no' often we see visitors from America in our wee corner o' Scotland, ye ken. I'll bother ye no mair. Guid day tae ye, and Godspeed on your journey."
His hand was on the door when Nathaniel stopped him. "A question before you go."
"Sir?"
"Have you heard any word of a schooner called the Jackdaw, flying American colors?"
He turned to face them. "The captain asked me the verra same question, no' an hour ago."
Curiosity made a deep sound in her throat that said exactly what she thought of Pickering and his questions.
"And?"
Mr. Burns said, "I should be gey surprised if the Jackdaw sailed intae these waters."
"And why is that?" asked Elizabeth.
"Why, smugglers dinna usually come up and introduce themsel' tae the representatives o' the Crown," he said with a small smile. "Should Mac Stoker hae business in the firth, he'll find a wee cove tae hide the schooner and make his way by night."
"So he might be here?" Hannah spoke up, her interest in the exciseman revived.
"Aa things are possible wi' the likes o' Mac Stoker," said Mr. Burns. "He's a wily one. As ye seem tae ken yersel'." Elizabeth watched him swallow down a question he would have liked to ask.
Nathaniel said, "Any idea where we might get word of him?"
The exciseman ran a hand over his chin. "Ye might weel inquire at Mump's Hall, on the Dumfries Road."
"That's a tavern, I take it?"
"Aye. A favorite o' smugglers and freebooters. No' a place tae be after dark, if ye take my meanin', sir."
"I do," said Nathaniel. "And I'm indebted to you."
Once more he paused at the door. "If ye'll allow me a single suggestion?"
Nathaniel nodded.
"Should ye gae lookin' for Mac Stoker, wear a hat."
"You mean for me to hide my face," Nathaniel said.
"Aye," said the exciseman. "It wad be in your best interest."
"What's wrong with your face that he wants you to hide it?" Hannah demanded as soon as they were alone again.
Nathaniel pulled the wet shirt away from his skin as he answered her. "Moncrieff has been claiming all along that there's a strong resemblance to Carryck. I guess that's one thing he wasn't lying about."
"He locked us in here so the exciseman wouldn't see your face?" Curiosity shook her head. "I don' know about that man. Is he plain stupid, or just jittery?"
"Both," said Nathaniel. "And stubborn, too."
