Free Lady Rogue by Kathryn Kramer Page B

life that they would be intercepted by a beadle or night watchman.  If that happened, John would be so interested in saving his own skin that perhaps he would leave his victim behind.
    "Hurry Dawnie!"  Robbie a dded his voice to the command.
    "I am!  I am!  Bu t it's slippery, it is."  That much was true.  It was high tide and the waters of the Thames sloshed over the wooden boards of the walkway.  Worse yet, in the fog she couldn't see where she was going.  Nevertheless they arrived at the warehouse sooner than she liked.
    "Don't just stand there loike a sta tue, me girl.  Open the door!"
    Realizing that there was nothing to be done except to obey, Dawn made as much noise as she could going about the task.  The hinges were rusty, the wooden door warped from the constant damp, thus the door creaked and groaned as it was opened.  Grumbling, Black John pushed past her.
    "Loight the lamp, Rob!  Be quick about i t." 
    Noises in the darkness-- a shuffle of feet, a loud muffled thud, swearing, the scratching  of a match. Dawn squinted as the black void was suddenly disturbed by light. The lantern cast a soft glow on the large wooden beams of the low-ceilinged room and on the bales, barrels, and bundles crowding the room.  Black John was accumulating quite a profitable hoard, Dawn thought sourly.  She watched as he dropped his human bundle to the wooden planked floor.
    "'E's still out loike a light, 'e is.  Yer must 'ave given 'im quite a knock to 'is noggin', John."  Robbie sounded a bit wary.  Like Dawn he wasn't one to commit murd er.  "Do yer think 'e's......"
    Dawn held her breath , her blood chilled as she looked down at the still form.  Oh, she didn't want him to be dead!  She rushed forward, but John blocked her way.
    "If  'e is, so much the better for us.  Trouble, with a capitol "T" is wot this one spells, ye blokes..  Let me see....."  A muffled groan put end to the suspense.  "'E's alive.  Ti e 'im up before 'e waikes up!"
    Dawn helped Robbie in the task, mainly in hopes that she could somehow keep the knots from being  tied too tight.  When that was done she gently prodded the bump on his head.  The bleeding had sto pped, a clot plugged the wound, but a large lump was forming. Tearing off a strip of her gown, dipping it in the cool water of an old rainbarrel outside the door, she carefully tended him.
    "Poor bloke.  I never would 'ave wanted this.  If only I'd known it would be you...."  Her eyes swept over him as she gently probed his injury.  He was such a strikingly handsome man, even in his unconsciousness.  Just looking at him was strangely exciting.  It was as if for the moment he belonged to her   "That bump is as big as a goose egg, it is," she whispered in sympathy.  But at least he was alive, for the moment at least.  Warily she looked over her shoulder to ascertain John's whereabouts.  As she might have predicted , he was sitting with Robbie, scrutinizing their newly acquired treasures.
    "Ack!  After all we went through there ain't nothin' in this satchel except some silly pie ces of paper with drawings on ‘em.” John was saying.  “Not worth a farthing!"
    “Worthless and here I’d thought we’d found something really valuable.” With a snort of disgust,  Robbie crumpled the drawings and tossed them to the floor.  "But look at 'is watch.  Solid gold, it is." Robbie turned it this way and that in the lantern light, admiring the workmanship.
    "Everything about 'im speaks o' quality , and they can be dangerous, they can.  'At's why I know we got to do 'im in."  John's eyes were slits of anger as he turned towards Dawn.  "Ye 'ear 'at, ye silly twit!  He's a rich toff.  Who knows 'e might even 'ave ties with the Prince o' Wales.  If so, 'e's the kind who will squeal, who won't rest until we're 'anging!  Do ye want yer fine bro' here to swing?"
    He knew he'd touched a soft spot , but still Dawn was unrelenting.  "I'll 'ave no part in murder, John!  Nor