"There's nothing here," she whispered. "They must have been back and moved it all."
"If they have, they'll have moved the stash closer to the shore. I can guarantee they'll be heading out in a day or two."
"What were you expecting to find here?"
He shrugged. "Tobacco, brandy, maybe tea or bolts of fabric. I'll look around once more and then we'll head to the cave. Perhaps they've moved it down there."
Anna nodded and followed him around the cottage while he tapped the boards with his heel, searched cupboards, looked under the bed.
"I know you have a job to do," she began as he closed the cottage door. "But have you considered the fact that these men have no choice but to behave as they do?"
Marcus scoffed as he took her hand again and led her back through the woods. "If you're going to regale sorrowful tales of soldiers forced to smuggle to feed their families now the war's over, I've heard it all before."
"Don't you feel a little compassion for them? They fought for their country only to be discarded when it was all over."
"I feel for anyone who struggles to feed their children, but I draw the line at those who threaten the innocent. Those who would kill to make a few guineas."
"Have you always done this sort of work?" she asked, and he noticed she sounded a little breathless in her bid to keep up with his long strides.
"In one form or another." He would have sold his soul to the Devil rather than accept funds from his father.
She tightened her grip as they climbed through the undergrowth, stepping out onto an overgrown path. "What will happen to them, to the smugglers?"
Marcus shrugged. "It's likely the revenue ship will intercept them at sea. If not, there are numerous watchhouses dotted along the coast. My contact will inform the Custom House. They will decide how to proceed."
He could feel her intense gaze on his face. "Do you do this for the money, for your country?"
"I do it to survive. For no other reason than that."
They exited the woods through a clearing. The crescent moon's reflection cast a shimmering path across the inky expanse of water. The cliff edge stood no more than a hundred feet away.
Anna inhaled deeply. "It's beautiful here. I could spend hours gazing out at the view." She turne
d to face him, the wind whipping the tendrils of hair escaping from her hood. "Is it easy to get down to the shore?"
"There's a path to the right," he said pointing out into the darkness. "It leads down to a sandy beach. The tide is high but drops by five feet or so every hour. We'll have to climb over the rocks to access the cave, but there's no danger of it flooding." He glanced down at her dress. "Do you think you'll be able to manage it? You can sit and wait for me here if you wish. I don't think Lenard's men will venture out when the tide is at its peak."
"No. I'll come with you. If you're wrong, we'll have a better chance of explaining why we're out here if we're together."
"You mean we can put our 'lovers desperate to sate their desire' plan to work?"
She cast him a coy smile. "Yes, if faced with no other choice."
God, it was almost worth stumbling upon the smugglers just for an excuse to taste her again.
The three-foot drop from the cliff edge to the rocks below posed no problem for a man wearing boots and breeches. Anna had been forced to sit on the grassy verge and shuffle down into his arms. It took all the strength he had to keep his balance on the slippery stones. The delectable lady in his arms clung to his shoulders, trying desperately not to fall as the spray from the crashing waves covered the surface.
"Next time, perhaps you will listen to me when I tell you to wear the breeches." He took her hand as she jumped from the last rock to the sandy bed at the cave's entrance.
"Next time? Hopefully, we won't need to come here again." She brushed the dirt from her cape. "But I concede. You were right. I should have listened."
It took a strong woman to admit defeat.
"Stay close. Perhaps it would be better if you held on to me as it will be nigh on impossible to see anything in the cave. I'll have to wait until we're some way inside before I can light the candle. There could be a lugger waiting off the coast and someone might mistake it for a signal."
Anna took his right arm, and he used his left hand to guide them around the perimeter. The moisture in the air made every surface feel wet and damp. With numerous rocks and shale underfoot, they had to be careful where they placed their feet.
"Could we not have come here during the day?" she complained.