Page 96 of A Prince Among Pirates
When we left Kensington Palace, it was nearly one in the morning. I have no idea what time it is now, but the blue hour has yet to come upon us, so I think it is still before three o’clock. The stars, and the occasional gas lamp, were our only light as we made our way into the streets of lower London, booked a buggy to the docks, and finally walked down, lugging the trunk between us, to the slumbering ships as they rocked in the quiet predawn waves.
“Are you sure this man is going to show up, Your Hi—Christopher-Henry?”
“For Christ’s sake, Thomas. Call me Kit.”
“I can’t do that.”
“You’re going to get us caught.”
He sets his mouth into a line and stops short, causing me to nearly drop the trunk. I grunt and glare at him. “What are you doing?”
He isn’t looking at me, though. Instead he’s staring at something just over my shoulder.
“You lot don’t belong down here,” a gruff voice says from behind me.
I do drop the trunk then, spinning towards the shadowy form that caught Thomas’s attention. My eyes widen, and I give a laugh as I step forward and grab Mr. Tydes by the shoulders.
“Tydes, you old bastard,” I blurt.
“From one bastard to another,” Mr. Tydes says, swatting my hands away from him.
“How I missed you, Mr. Tydes,” I muse.
He gives a whistle, and two more figures come running down the dock towards us. I gasp when I see them, my heart swelling as I open my arms, and Tristan launches himself into me, knocking me back until I fall onto the trunk with a grunt.
He buries his face in my neck and squeezes me so hard, I’m sure a rib cracks. Before I can beg him to let go, Trevor has him by the collar. He yanks Tristan off me, then pulls me up and into a less violent embrace, slapping his hands on my back.
“Tristan said ye wouldn’t abandon us,” he says into my ear, then steps back to look at me. “I told him he was placin’ a losin’ bet on ye.”
I grin at Trevor and pat his cheek affectionately. “You always hold me in such high regard,” I say.
“I’m just beingpragmatic,” he says, mocking my posh accent. I snort and shove him back a step, but he holds me firm. “What have ye gone ’n’ done to yer head?” he asks.
Tristan taps one of the earrings, and I swat his hand away. “They’re tender,” I whine.
“They’re ridiculous,” Trevor says.
“I like them,” Tristan chimes in. “They’re just ridiculous enough for our Kit. Like the black stuff on his eyes!”
“I’m touched, Tris. Help me with this trunk,” I say as I search for the one face I hoped to see.
“He’s not here,” Mr. Tydes says.
I turn to face him. “Where is he?”
Mr. Tydes grimaces and shrugs, as ifthatanswers anything. My stomach drops. Is he not coming? I think back to the argument we had, the way I told him to get out or I’d call the guard on him. I threatened hislifebecause his honesty hurt my feelings.
Oh, I’m such a coward.
I swallow hard and turn to Thomas, who is trying his best not to look out of place. I step up to him and reach into my jacket pocket to pull out three envelopes. “Take these back to the palace with you,” I say, pushing them into his hand.
Each of them is sealed with the royal seal, which I still wear.One for Katherine Stuart, one for Viscount Falmouth, and the last for my father: Henry IX, King of England. I couldn’t bring myself to say goodbye to any of them in person, even after everything. Not even Kitty—that’s how much of a coward I am.
“I’ve recommended you to Francis’s service,” I explain as Thomas stares down at the envelopes. “He’ll take good care of you. Francis is almost as boring as my father when he dresses… but I’m sure you and Kitty can bully him into a nice shade of chartreuse.”
Thomas gives a quiet laugh. “Chartreuse?” he asks, incredulous.
“Mm-hmm,” I say with a nod. “With seafoam trimmings.”
