17

The following morning they met downstairs for breakfast. “We have a choice for you,” Stone said to Dino. “You can come out with us on my new boat—I’m still in training—or you can sit on your ass all day.”

“I did enough of that yesterday,” Dino said. “I’ll take the boat.”

Chris and Dustin were waiting for them, and they did a quick review of checking fluids and the starting procedure, then they cast off and started downriver with Gala at the helm and Dino watching her like a hawk. As they neared the mouth of the river another boat passed them, going in the opposite direction. Gala ducked and asked Dino to take the helm, and they exchanged seats.

“Something wrong?” Stone asked.

“That other boat—there were two men on it, and I know one of them.”

“Who is he?”

“His name is Kharzy, big fellow with a bald head. He sometimes works for Boris.”

“Did you see Boris aboard?”

“I saw the back of one other man, but I don’t think it was Boris. If he’s aboard, he must be below.”

Stone moved her to a cabin seat then took the seat next to Dino. “Are you armed?” he asked.

“Always,” Dino replied. “Shall I stand by to repel boarders?”

“I don’t know if they saw Gala. Let’s see if they turn around.” Stone watched as the boat continued up the river. He got out his cell phone.

“Good morning, Windward Hall.”

“Geoffrey, it’s Mr. Barrington. There is a boat headed upriver that may contain the gentleman who called last night. Please go down to the dock and refuse them permission to land. If they attempt to land, call the police and tell them we have intruders who are making a nuisance of themselves.”

“Right away, sir.”

“Please keep me posted on the outcome.”

“Certainly, sir.” They both hung up.

“Now, let’s get out of here, so that when they come back we’ll already be in Cowes.” He shoved the throttles forward, and they were soon doing thirty knots up the Solent. When they were out of sight of the Beaulieu River, Stone got out his phone and called the yacht club.

“Good morning, Royal Yacht Squadron.”

“Good morning, this is Stone Barrington. I’m a new member.”

“Of course, Mr. Barrington, we’re looking forward to seeing you at the Castle.”

“I’m motoring on the Solent at the moment, headed your way. May I book lunch for five people, dressed in sailing clothes?”

“Of course, sir. We’ll be serving in the pavilion, behind the Castle.”

“Half an hour?”

“Very good, sir.”

“May we dock at the Squadron Marina?”

“Of course, sir. I’ll let the dockmaster know. What size yacht are you?”

“A forty-three-foot motor yacht, beam is fourteen feet six inches, and we draw twenty-eight inches. Her name is Indian Summer.”

“Very good, sir. We’ll see you soon.”

Stone slowed as they approached the Castle and pulled into the marina. A boatman was waiting to take their lines, and they were soon made fast.

“Now I see why you’re wearing that ridiculous cap,” Dino said, as they walked ashore, through the gates, and up to the pavilion at the top of the lawn.

—

They had a good lunch, then Stone, Dino, and Gala walked over to the Squadron jeweler, Benzie’s, while the Hinckley men made the boat ready for departure. Once there, Stone bought a Squadron tie pin, and he bought Gala a ladies’ burgee pin.

Back on the boat, Stone tried a few maneuvers inside the small marina for practice, then they departed the harbor and headed back down the Solent toward the mouth of the Beaulieu River. Stone’s phone rang.

“Yes?”

“It’s Geoffrey, sir. Your call was very timely. The boat attempted a landing, but I refused their lines and waved them off. A police car arrived at that moment, and an officer explained to them that the dock was private property and did not welcome uninvited guests.”

“How many were aboard?”

“Three, sir. One of them sounded very much like the gentleman on the phone last evening.”

“What happened then?”

“They crossed the river and attempted to tie up at Dame Felicity’s dock. They were greeted there by two of her security staff bearing automatic weapons and were rebuffed. They then continued upriver a bit too far and ran aground on a falling tide. The harbormaster pulled them off the mud, and they headed back downriver.”

“That’s all fine, Geoffrey. Thank you for handling it so well.”

Shortly they turned into the Beaulieu and were careful to follow the channel upriver. Halfway to the Windward dock, Stone asked Gala to go below. She did so, and they passed the boat they had seen earlier, now headed back to the Solent, with two men in sight. Boris had apparently gone below. Stone ignored the waves of the big bald man and his cohort, and he recognized the bald man as one of those who had accosted him at the Bel-Air Country Club.

When the boat was out of sight, Stone called Gala back to the cockpit. “The coast is now clear, and so is the river.”

“Did you get a good look at them?”

“Two of them. I knew one. I believe Boris may have been below. Geoffrey said that the third man sounded like the man on the phone last night. They got a somewhat hotter reception at Felicity’s dock. Clearly, they didn’t know on whose property they were about to trespass, and they were greeted by armed guards.” He explained to Chris and Dustin. “The property across the river is owned by the head of MI6, the British foreign intelligence agency, whose members do not suffer fools gladly.”

—

They tied up at the Windward dock, and tidied up the boat. Then Chris and Dustin presented the paperwork for British registration of the yacht and an acceptance document for the boat. “All the safety equipment required by the British is aboard, and the boat is fully legal here,” Dustin said, handing him a card. “Should you need parts or service of any kind, call these people, who are aware of your boat.”

Geoffrey came down to drive them back to the house and gave Stone a package. “Dame Felicity sent this to you by messenger,” he said.

Stone opened it to find a Squadron white burgee and a British white ensign, which could be flown only by Royal Navy vessels and members of the Royal Yacht Squadron.

“But I’m an American,” he said to Geoffrey. “I can’t fly this ensign.”

“Dame Felicity says that if the yacht is British-registered, an American member may fly the white ensign.”

Stone rigged both flags on their staffs and left them below for future use.

A cheerful fire awaited them in the library, and they had drinks before dressing for dinner.