Blackhearts (15 page)

The pounding continued. Margery had gone into town.

He’d sent her away to check several shops in search of his father’s missing silverware. Although Drummond had told Teach not to

say anything, Teach seriously doubted the elderly housekeeper

was the thief. If anyone
was
stealing from the household, they 13 2

would have to get rid of the evidence somehow and the shops were a good place to start.

What he’d really like to have done was dismiss Margery for

hitting Anne. But any serious action would have to wait until

his father returned.

There was no sign of anyone in the hallway, but he heard

footsteps approaching in the entryway below. He had just

turned the corner at the top of the landing, when he saw the

color drain from Anne’s face as she opened the front door.

In the light of day, it was clear the night had not been kind

to Henry Barrett. His thick, pale skin resembled a loaf of bread before it was properly baked.

“They’ve got you answering the door now, have they?”

Henry sneered.

Blocking his entrance, Anne scowled at him. “Maids are

required to do a variety of jobs. I’m
certain
you remember my status in this house.”

“You better watch yourself. I could make your life very

uncomfortable if you’re not careful.”

Teach moved silently toward the stairs, his hands clenched

at his sides, his vision momentarily clouded by rage at Henry’s

threat. It was clear he and Anne knew each other from some-

where. Had Anne worked in Henry’s household before? No

wonder she was so sharp-tongued.

“What do you want?” she asked, not bothering with any

pretense of civility.

13 3

“I want to see that dirty bounder, Edward.”

“He isn’t here. I will let him know you called.”

Henry shook his head and pushed his way past her into

the large hall. He looked up at the rich tapestries and paintings adorning the walls, no doubt trying to determine their worth.

“I saw him last night. I’d recognize him anywhere.”

“And I you,” Teach said with deadly calm, reaching the bot-

tom step.

Henry and Anne both turned at his approach. Teach’s mood

didn’t improve when he saw the slight coloration near Anne’s

eye. Margery would definitely answer for that.

“Should I get you some refreshment, sir?” she asked Teach.

“No, that won’t be necessary. This won’t take long,” Teach

said, barely managing to control his fury.

Taking her cue, Anne walked in the direction of the kitchen.

“What do you want?” Teach asked, turning to Henry.

“What you took.”

Teach raised his eyebrows. “And what would that be?”

“My money. I know it was you near the tavern last night. You

might have fooled the others, but not me.”

“Really?” Teach drawled. “What if I told you I’ve been sick

these past few days and haven’t been out of the house? What

would you say then?”

“I’d call you a liar! That was you, and I’m here to collect

what’s mine.”

“Be careful what you say, Henry. I’m a fairly good shot, and

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I won’t have my integrity questioned by someone like you.”

“And I won’t be robbed by the likes of you. If you don’t

return my money, I’ll report you to the constable—”

“And tell them what? I stole the money you stole from those

men? Somehow, I doubt the constable would be very sympa-

thetic.”

“You have no proof.”

“Oh, but I do. I returned the coins to their rightful owners.

The men you cheated were quite interested to know about your

deck of cards. You might want to avoid the docks for a time. I

believe some of your friends might be looking for you.”

While Henry sputtered to find the right words, Teach strode

toward the door and pulled it open. If Henry didn’t leave, Teach could not guarantee his safety. “Good-bye, Henry.”

Henry sniffed, puffing out his chest like a peacock. He

crossed the floor with less assured steps, and then paused on the step outside the door. “I want my money. I’ll make you pay—”

The only response was the slamming of the door and Teach’s

colorful expletive. It was a good thing he didn’t have his cutlass with him. He wouldn’t have hesitated in cutting the oaf down.

Teach strode toward the back of the house to find Anne.

For some reason, seeing Henry Barrett had clearly unnerved

her, and he meant to get to the bottom of it. He found her

leaning against the wall around the corner from the entryway,

her eyes closed. She’d listened to the entire conversation.

“Anne. Are you all right?”

13 5

She took a steadying breath. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine, sir. Just tired, that’s all.”

“Liar,” he said, searching her expression. “He upset you,

didn’t he?”

“He is rather unpleasant,” she replied, straightening from

the wall and heading toward the kitchen.

Teach walked alongside her. “I’ve known him for several

years now. ‘Repulsive’ would be a more apt description.” Tilting his head, he gave her a hard look. “What did he mean when he

said he could make your life difficult? Did you work for him

before?” The thought turned his stomach.

“What did he mean he saw you last night? When you left,

did you go to the tavern as he claimed?”

Teach’s lips twitched, and he leaned against the kitchen

table. “I thought I heard you following me.” He watched as

she sliced into a loaf of fresh bread. Her posture let him know

she wished he would leave. “All right, Anne, don’t answer my

question, but we both know the truth. At some point you must

have worked in Barrett’s household.”

“It’s a story I’m not ready to tell,” she said.

“Did he hurt you?”
I’ll kill him.

“The past no longer matters.”

“It does if he caused you harm.”

Anne put the knife down and looked him in the eyes. “I do

not wish to discuss Henry Barrett with you.”

“Well, whether you wish to discuss him or not, this was not

13 6

the first time you’ve seen him. And unfortunately, knowing him as I do, it might not be the last.” Anne’s face showed her dismay.

Teach was quick to reassure her. “Don’t worry. If I give him his money, he won’t have any reason to come back.”

“I thought you said you’d returned it.”

“I lied.”

A slight smile played on Anne’s lips as she resumed cutting

the bread, and warmth spread throughout Teach’s limbs, know-

ing he was responsible for it.

“You’re impossible,” Anne muttered.

“I’m a Drummond.”

“Oh yes, I’m quite aware of that fact.”

“You do realize this is just one more thing you and I have

in common.”

Anne shot him a curious look. “What is?”

“Our dislike of Henry Barrett.”

“I don’t think many people like him.”

“True,” Teach said. “Which is a shame. His father, Andrew

Barrett, was a good man and one of my father’s closest friends.

Before my mother died, they did quite a bit of business together.

They kept in touch off and on in the years since. When I left

England a year ago, it was on one of Barrett’s merchant ships.”

The knife stopped moving. “You sailed on one of Andrew

Barrett’s ships?”

“Yes, although not many people knew about it.”

“Why didn’t you sail on one of your father’s ships?”

13 7

Teach looked down at his boots. “Because I didn’t want to be treated differently. If they’d known I was the owner’s son,

the experience wouldn’t have been the same. I wanted to make

my own path. On Barrett’s ship I went by the name of Edward

Teach. I arranged it with him, shortly before he died. Only my

good friend John knew who I was.” On board the
Deliverance
, Teach might continue with that tradition. It was why he was so

comfortable here in the back of the house, talking to a member

of his kitchen staff as if it were nothing.

Teach tried to picture Henry Barrett setting off to sea, per-

forming menial jobs such as swabbing the deck and raising a

sail, but not even he had that good an imagination. Henry was

quite content to have things done for him. He was soft and

compliant.

Not unlike William, Teach thought. Before, Teach had

often found William’s inactivity amusing, for William used any

excuse not to exert himself. After seeing Henry Barrett, Teach

was uncomfortable with William’s and Henry’s similarities.

“Does Henry Barrett still do business with your father?”

Anne asked.

Teach’s voice was gruff. “Not that I am aware of. This is the

first time I’ve seen him since I left school. As I said, if I give him back his money, it should keep him away for a bit.”

“How did you steal it?” Anne asked.

There was a strange look in her eyes that he couldn’t quite

decipher. “It wasn’t as if it were
his
money. I’m quite sure he cheated 13 8

every hand he played last night. What’s the harm in taking something that never really belonged to him in the first place?”

Anne hesitated before answering. “Did you fight with him?”

“I simply took what wasn’t his.”

“Someone could have gotten hurt,” she protested.

“What’s this? Do I detect concern in your voice? Can it be

that, despite your protests, Queen Anne has feelings for one of

her subjects?”

Anne rolled her eyes but refused to be baited. “I hardly

think this is a laughing matter. What if he’d drawn a sword? Or

worse, a pistol?”

“He was in no position to draw anything,” he said, remem-

bering the shocked look on Henry’s face.

“How can you be so sure? What if he’d had some hidden

weapon?”

Teach shrugged. “He would not have bested me. I wouldn’t

have allowed it.”

“You take far too many chances,” she murmured.

“And you don’t take nearly enough. I propose to change that.”

Before she could inquire what he meant by his statement,

Sara and Mary entered the house, covered in dust and carrying

the floor rugs between the two of them. They stopped short

when they saw Teach leaning against the table and Anne stand-

ing near him.

“Ah, I’m glad you decided to come inside. I would like to

give you the day off,” Teach said.

13 9

Sara’s mouth dropped open, mirroring the look on Anne’s face. Mary stared at him, as if he’d just grown horns. Or perhaps a halo.

It was Sara who found her voice first. “Have we done some-

thing wrong, sir?”

Teach shook his head. “No, quite the contrary. I was just

telling Anne I think you’ve all worked very hard. I’m quite sure the house has never looked better.”

The two girls preened beneath his praise. Anne’s eyes nar-

rowed, no doubt wondering what he was playing at.

Teach reached into his pocket, produced several gold coins,

and handed some to each of them. It was Barrett’s money, and

he wouldn’t miss a few schillings. “Here. I want you to take

these and go into town to buy yourselves something new. Or

useful. Or whatever it is you feel you can’t live without.”

Teach would have been hard pressed to determine who out

of the three of them was more surprised by his actions. “I’ve

never had this much money to spend on myself before,” Mary

said, a wary look on her face.

Sara gazed at Teach with adoring eyes. “Thank you, sir.

Thank you ever so much.”

Embarrassed, he brushed aside the praise, for he’d done it

for only selfish reasons. He still thought Mary was a harlot, and Teach had decided to tell John the truth before it was too late.

“Think nothing of it. You just make sure you go and enjoy

yourselves for the rest of the day.”

14 0

“The whole day, sir?” Sara asked.

Teach nodded. “The whole day. But I don’t want you resting

upstairs. I want you to treat yourselves to something in town.”

He took a slice of bread and broke it with his hands. “But you

can’t mention this to my father. This is to remain between the

four of us, do you understand?”

“Oh, don’t worry about us, sir. We won’t tell a soul,” Sara

assured him. “Will we, Mary?”

Mary shot a glance between Anne and Teach, her head

tilted to the side, a shrewd look in her eyes.

“I’m sure John wouldn’t mind a visit from you, Mary. He’s

eager to see you,” Teach said.

Mary’s lips moved, but Teach wouldn’t have called it a smile.

“Oh, yes, well . . . perhaps.”

It was left to Anne to be the voice of reason. “What about

Margery? She’ll be back before long and wonder where we all

have gotten to.”

Sara’s face fell, but Teach was unaffected.

“Margery won’t say a thing. Where do you think she’s

been this whole time? She’s in town as well. If you see her,

tell her I sent you on an errand.” Polishing off the piece of

bread, he wiped his hands together, before reaching for the

rugs. He’d told Margery to make a thorough search for the

stolen items at the market and to take her time getting back.

He’d done it only to get her away from Anne, but things were

turning out nicely. Teach gave the girls a slight nudge. “Now

141

go. Hurry. Put on a fresh dress and make yourselves scarce.”

If their departure hadn’t been so comical, scurrying up the

back stairs, Teach might have felt sorry for Anne, for they did

not think to ask if she wished to join them.