Hargreaves grinned as Smith walked free from the courthouse, rubbing the raw marks on his wrists. “We didn’t need the boys, after all, Captain. I had ten men inside the court and another ten outside, with Rodney waiting.”
Smith shook his head. “I noticed half the crew were present, Mr Hargreaves, and thank you for your foresight. You made a fast passage from Virginia?”
“We had favourable winds, Captain,” Hargreaves said.
Smith nodded. “I won’t forget, Mr Hargreaves. Now, I must find Lady Charlotte. I owe her my freedom, I think. She hired Mr Jacobs the lawyer with his inaccurate almanac, and I must commiserate with her for the death of her husband.”
“She’s already left,” Hargreaves said. “She walked out of the court straight into her chariot, leaving other people to deal with her dead
