The Duchess out of Time

XX

"Now this doesn't make any sense?" He frowned.

"What doesn't?"

"I think I am reading this wrong" The Captain frowned as his head tilted in confusion.

"Read it aloud?" Liz offered as she rose from her seat and came around to the front of the desk, leaning against it with her arms crossed.

"En raison de circonstances malheureuses, nos plans ont connu un retard intempestif. Je n'échouerai pas dans l'assassinat du roi George comme promis --"

"Oh my god." The words were a mere whisper from her lips. She didn't have time to admire how alluring his accent was when he spoke the language of love. Any warm tingles that her travelled across her body froze.

"Duchess?" The Captain grew concerned as he took a few steps towards her. Her skin had gone pale as though she had just seen a ghost. Her eyes had glassed over as he placed his hands on her shoulders giving them a gentle squeeze.

"What does it say?" He asked slowly as she looked up at him still in a daze.

"They are planning to kill King George." Silence fell between the two as every bone in his body froze. This was worse than he could have possibly comprehended. It wasn't just treason, it was murder. Murder of the King of England!

"Are you certain?" He licked his lips as his throat suddenly went dry.

"Yes I'm certain. It's all starting to make sense now." She nodded. Liz had struggled initially to wrack through her brain of the long revival history of Britain with Spain. She could recall Spain joining sides with France in an attempt to launch an attack but that wasn't for another couple of years she thought. Modern history had never been her favourite subject. But slowly one by one the pieces began to fall into place as she scrambled for her notes.

"How is any of this supposed to make sense?"

"Look." Liz felt slightly proud as she reached for her notes and placed them in his hands. The outline of the letters were simple enough to not layout their entire plans in case they fell into enemy hands, like the British. However with a little helpful knowledge of the future Liz could put the pieces together. It was a bargain. Person A was offering the death of King George II as an act of good faith. With the death of the old monarch the country would be in unrest leaving them vulnerable for an attack. Person B from Spain was offering an alliance of gold and men to France so they could take control of Britain in return for the jurisdiction over South America, leaving Britain for Person C, who Liz could only guess to be Étienne François.

Something still didn't sit well in her heart as she tried to recall anything she could about George III and what he accomplished when he took the throne after his grandfather's death. Wasn't his a great military leader? Or was he a mental quack? Rubbing her forehead, Liz felt an uncomfortable weight on her shoulders as though history was riding on her to stop this.

"This says something about insurance?" The Captain whispered as Liz looked at him to see he was holding another letter in his hand.

"Insurance? Let me see." Liz didn't like the sound of the word insurance. It could only mean one thing in letters such as these. Trouble. Ignoring the warmth of his fingers that brushed hers she held the letter open, her brain was quick to translate the message.

"Well?"

"They are not just going to kill the King. They are planning to kill his successor" She whispered. Liz didn't dare share what the rest of the letter said as she could see the agitation that filled the Captain. Her hands were shaking slightly as she realised something that even history would have wrong. The King's son, Frederick hadn't died by some underlying medical condition, he had been slowly poisoned to death. These men were patient and were willing to wait in their cause. They had taken out the King's son and were now going to target his grandson, in an attempt to weaken the royal bloodline and crumble the British Empire. Her words had no sooner left her lips before the Captain stormed out of his cabin. Liz was quick to chase him after him.

"We've got a problem," The Captain whispered in Edward's ear, as he grew concerned.

"What?" The two men began to speak in hushed whispers as Liz could only guess that the Captain was telling her brother what she had discovered. Breathing in the fresh air, Liz felt herself relax at the smell of the salty sea. Glancing out on the horizon the soft smile fell she had on her face slowly fell as she glanced out at the sea.

"Um Edward." Liz asked suddenly feeling spooked.

"What?"

"There's a moon tonight. Right?" She asked her voice shaking a bit as the Captain and Edward turned to her as though she was losing her mind.

"Of course there is" The Captain answered slowly.

"Then why is there no shadow in the water." She whispered causing both men froze. All thoughts of the letters and plan to kill the King disappeared from their minds. Right now that wasn't important. They had worse dangers to face ahead of them.