by Regina Scott
She sucked in a breath. “Then you would have left me.”
“I like to think I would have stayed, but I fear you’re right. The sea can be a man’s mistress, Claire, make no mistake. She is untamable, yet each sailor is proud enough to think he might be the one to tame her. She offers untold riches, yet always at a price, whether in lives lost or families torn apart.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears. “You love her still, I think,” she said, voice wistful.
“I admire and respect her,” Richard replied, “but she does not control my life. I could stay on land, if I had reason.”
She stiffened. He could tell she’d made a decision, but he was almost afraid to hear what she’d say. She took a step closer to him, tilted her face up to his. The rising mist sparkled on her lashes.
“I’m learning that God expects us to be bold in fulfilling his commands,” she told him. “So I will say this—could I be your reason, Richard? Would you stay for me, would you stay with me this time?”
The yearning in her voice fed the yearning inside him, filled a hole that had gnawed at his heart for ten years. He gathered her close, sheltering her against the cool mist, just as he longed to shelter her against the tides of life. He could easily imagine making a home with her, growing old together. Nothing compared to that.
“If you think you could be happy with me,” he murmured against the silk of her hair, “I would be honored to make you my wife.”
She dropped her head against his chest and sobbed.
Richard blinked.
“Claire?” he asked, unsure whether to pat her back or beg her pardon for his presumption. “What have I done wrong this time? I know I’m unpracticed at courting. I’ve only done it twice, and both times were with you.”
She shook her head, disheveling his thoroughly dampened cravat. “You court beautifully,” she said between sobs. “Then and now. I’m just having trouble believing it.”
“Then, perhaps,” he said, “I should be bold as well and put actions behind my words.” As tenderly as he could, he tipped up her chin and kissed her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Claire trembled in Richard’s arms, every sense awakened. She felt his arms tightening around her, heard his breath quicken, caught the scent of the sea that seemed to cling to him even now. The taste of his lips was so sweet, so perfect, that she wanted to cuddle against him and never let go.
Yet, as he raised his head, gaze tender, doubts crept in. Can I trust him, Lord? Do I dare let myself be yoked in marriage again? Am I strong enough to risk all?
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
She clung to the remembered verse as Richard smiled at her. “Was that sufficient demonstration for you, madam?”
All the emotions of the moment tumbled away, and Claire laughed. “And how shall I answer that, sir? If I say no, I belittle your considerable skills, but you may feel compelled to continue. If I say yes, you may stop!”
He chuckled. “What if I promise many more such demonstrations if you agree to marry me?”
“Is that a bribe or a threat?” she teased.
He pulled her close once more, resting his head against hers, his beard tickling her temple. “Ah, Claire, we’ll deal well together. I always knew we would.”
“I wish I could bottle your faith and drink it down.”
“Do you still doubt? Haven’t we done well the last two weeks?”
“When we weren’t carping at each other.”
His arms tightened. “I do not carp, madam. A captain merely always wins an argument.”
Claire smiled at his confident tone. “Only because your crew is, no doubt, so in awe of you that they seldom disagree. I will not be so timid, I promise.”
“I would not wish it otherwise. I have no desire to be an autocrat in my own home. You will keep me humble.”
Ah, but she was the one who felt humbled at the moment. He loved her! He wanted to marry her! His declaration filled every need, fulfilled every hope. But was it the right choice, this time?
She touched the silver buttons on his paisley waistcoat, gripping the cool metal. “Oh, Richard, are we mad to consider this?”
“Mad not to consider it,” he countered. “We were made for each other, Claire.”
“But we have so much to discuss,” she said, and the protest sounded lame even to her.
As if he thought so, too, he leaned back to eye her. “More? I thought we’d settled things between us. Or is there something you wish to confess?”
Claire shook her head. “Not me. I was thinking about the reason you’re so insistent we leave for London. Samantha tells me she is the key to your inheritance.”
He grimaced. “A bald way of putting it.”
“Is there another?”
“Yes.” He released her at last. “You know Uncle always said the Everard legacy would belong to his heirs—that was his duty and the law of the land.”
“The title to your brother, and the fortune split among the three of you, I recall. But that was before I knew about Samantha.”
His chuckle was wry, his gaze drifting out over the pond as if the still waters held answers. “That was before any of us knew of Samantha. Her existence took us completely by surprise. We still don’t know why Uncle never told us he’d married and sired a daughter, why he hid her here in Cumberland. Vaughn felt betrayed not to be taken into his confidence. Jerome felt betrayed because he’d lost the title he’d grown up to expect.”
“And you?” Claire couldn’t help asking. “Did you feel betrayed as well?”
He glanced down at her. “I used to pray Uncle would give me my inheritance early, so I’d have the fortune to marry you.”
Claire blushed. “At least you didn’t wish him in his grave.”
“Oh, at times I did, and I hope God will forgive me. That was before I learned what faith can do. I didn’t know my uncle well before he died, with my being away at sea, but his last wishes tell me he learned about faith, too. He wanted the best for his daughter. So he arranged things to be certain of it.”
Claire still could not like Lord Everard’s reasoning. She shifted on the grass, and her dampening hem brushed her stockings, sending a shiver through her. “Did he truly think you’d abandon the girl without his incentives?”
“You thought I’d abandoned you, and you claim to know me well.”
Claire sighed. “You’re right. So your uncle left an edict, and you are all just trying to comply. Does the fortune mean nothing to you now?”
He shrugged, and the carefree motion gladdened her heart the way a dozen words of protest would not. “I have enough fortune for ten men. That’s not my reason for assisting her. Samantha’s success means that my brother and cousin have a future. I promised them I would do everything in my power to help her, including convincing you to act as her sponsor.”
“I suppose I should be thankful then,” Claire murmured, fingers brushing the wool of her dark skirts. “Your uncle’s will brought you back to me.”
He took her hand then, and they walked in the twilight toward the house. The mist surrounded them, cooling her skin, quieting sounds. It was almost as if they were alone in the world. Between the uncertain light and the uneven ground, Claire knew a fall was likely, yet she could not fear. She trusted Richard to hold her up.
Thank You, Lord. I see the door You’ve opened for me, and I’m trying to walk through it, with Your grace.
“What do you intend to do about these notes?” Claire asked.
She heard him sigh as he helped her over a tuffet of grass. “We leave in the morning. If it is Giles, he won’t be much of a threat when he’s over a hundred miles away.”
“Samantha seems certain it isn’t Toby Giles.”
He shrugged again, a combin
ation of resignation and confidence. “Nothing would please me more than to find the true culprit. I almost wish you were the one, so we could get answers.”
She tapped his arm as he walked beside her. “For shame, Richard! Do you think me so craven?”
“No,” he readily admitted. “But I did wonder if you were so desperate. You agreed to take my money, Claire, to be here. I thought perhaps you’d taken someone else’s, too. It seems you were left with little to support you.”
“Why, Captain Everard,” she teased, “are you angling for an heiress?”
He took her hand again and gave it a squeeze. “Tell me the truth, Claire.”
What harm was there now? He knew her worst secrets. “Winthrop left me the town house, its furnishings that were not from the family seat, a lovely coach and four, and a mountain of debt that required me to sell them all.”
“And your father? Surely he provided for you.”
“He arranged a marriage settlement. I signed it over to Winthrop. I thought perhaps knowing the money was available to him would ease his drinking, that fear motivated him. I’m sorry to say nothing changed.”
The memory still hurt, but she knew she must let it go. “Father also left me a bequest, but Winthrop was through it in a quarter.”
She was thankful Richard did not chide her for her choices. “What of his heir, your family?” he asked, stepping onto the gravel of the drive, the rattle muffled in the mist.
“Both invited me to live with them,” Claire said, following him. “It was charity. I would be the poor relation, caring for the infirm, the elderly. I couldn’t bear it. I was proud, I know. But I was so tired of being forgotten.”
She could feel the tension in his hand. “I could horsewhip them,” he said, his warm voice equally firm, “but then I’d have to turn the whip on myself. I should have asked after you, Claire. I should have made sure you were safe. Like your father, I made assumptions, and I was too proud to seek you out. Forgive me.”
She rubbed her shoulder against his sleeve. “There is nothing to forgive. I did not expect you to rescue me from my choices. That only I could do, with God’s leading.”
He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. “I will be forever grateful to Him for bringing us back together.”
So will I, Lord. Help us do things right this time!
They had reached the door to the manor, but Claire found herself loath to climb the steps and enter. “What if the notes are right?” she asked Richard, pausing at the foot of the stone steps. “What if danger awaits us in London?”
“With the Everards, I fear, danger is never far away.” His tone was light. With dusk approaching, the lamp had been lit beside the front door, and the glow made a halo of flame around his head. “I’ll take my chances in London. Everard House is well built, and my ship should be lying at anchor on the Thames by the time we get there.”
She could not help but smile at his confidence. “So, we can withstand a siege or flee in the night, is that it?”
His teeth flashed as he grinned. “See how well you know me?”
She shook her head. “But Samantha cannot fulfill the requirements of her father’s will hidden in a town house or the bowels of a ship.”
“Granted. But with Jerome and his wife and Vaughn with us, we stand a better chance of protecting her.”
Claire put her hands on the hips of her black gown. “We stand the best chance if we unmask our letter writer now.”
Richard crossed his arms over his chest. “Very well. Who do you suspect?”
She dropped her hands. “I wish I knew who to suspect. Unfortunately, I’ve already ruled out everyone in the house.”
“Even Mrs. Dallsten Walcott?” he teased.
“Oh, I hadn’t considered her!” Claire paused, then shook her head. “No, it can’t be her. She’d like nothing better than for us all to leave so she can pilfer to her heart’s content.”
Richard laughed.
Claire poked him with a finger. “Take this seriously, if you please, sir! Someone is out to hurt you!”
“Not me,” he said, but his voice had sobered. “Nor will I allow anyone in my care to be harmed.”
“Easy words, sir, but you cannot be everywhere at all times. This person is someone we know. We’re nursing a viper.”
He nodded. “You’re right, though I cannot like it. And I agree that our suspects are limited. None of the staff would harm Samantha, I’m sure of it. They’ve known her for years, and they’re loyal. What of your maid?”
“Mercier?” Claire frowned. “What reason could she have?”
“Money. You hired her after you knew you were coming here. Perhaps our enemy arranged for you to take her with you.”
Claire shuddered. “Then he would have to know which agency I use to hire staff and my preferences in servants. That is unlikely and entirely unnerving.”
“What about the dance master?” Richard asked.
“Monsieur Chevalier? Oh, surely not! He has no more reason than Mercier.”
“He could easily be in the pay of someone else.”
Claire made a face. “I suppose you’re right. We have no idea who spoke with him before he joined us in Cumberland. But that arrogant hand. No, I cannot imagine it of him.” She sighed. “Which leaves us only with you, and I know you are innocent.”
He flashed another grin. “As the day is long, I assure you.”
Claire threw up her hands. “Then we are at an impasse.”
“I still say it’s Giles,” Richard replied, taking her elbow and helping her up the stairs. “And I’ll be glad when we put him behind us.”
* * *
Richard had cause to remember those words the next day. They’d had a merry farewell dinner, with Samantha scarcely finishing her sentences, she was so excited. If the note had dimmed her enthusiasm, she didn’t show it. Richard caught Claire watching her from time to time and thought she was relieved by his cousin’s attitude as well.
He also had reason to hope for the future. While he was acutely aware that Claire hadn’t accepted his proposal, she certainly hadn’t refused it. Holding her in his arms had been the stuff of dreams. But he thought he had a way to go to prove himself to her. This time, it wasn’t her father’s edict but her own fears that kept them apart.
Show me the way, Lord, to ease her concerns.
Chevalier decamped after dinner, requesting a ride to the valley inn, where he hoped to catch the evening mail coach to Carlisle.
“Though I wouldn’t blame you for staying in Cumberland, too, Capitaine,” he said, as Richard handed him the money that was owed him. “London can be a difficult place for a young girl. No one would fault you for avoiding it for another year or so.”
Richard had thanked him and sent him on his way. But he knew the dance master was wrong. Someone would fault him if he kept Samantha in Cumberland. His conscience would never forgive him for failing in his duty.
They left for London the next morning. Mr. Linton drove the estate carriage, a great, lumbering beast with velvet-covered seats and room for six inside the padded interior. Samantha and Claire took the front-facing bench, while Richard and Mercier took the rear. At least this time Richard had plenty of room to stretch his legs, and the twinkle in Claire’s light eyes told him she knew it.
Though she still wore her mourning black, and her face looked pale inside the black satin-lined bonnet, he thought her smile was happier. He hoped he’d had some part in the change. Beside her, Samantha could barely sit still. Richard was treated to a view of all four sides of her flowered bonnet as she shifted about, gazing out first one window and then another.
“Oh!” she cried as the carriage started down the drive. “We’re really going!”
Claire reached out to pat her shoulder a
nd urge her back into her seat. “Yes, we are, my dear. There’s no need to outpace the horses to prove it.”
Samantha wiggled into her seat with an apologetic smile. “It’s going to be marvelous, isn’t it?”
“Amazing,” Claire promised her.
Richard wanted to believe that as well. But they had only traveled a half mile from the estate before trouble started.
Claire and Samantha were deep in conversation about the ball they hoped to hold for the girl once she’d been presented to the queen, and Mercier was working on her mending. Richard found it hard to concentrate on the discussion of dances and the advisability of wearing different types of slippers. His gaze veered out the window, watching the farmsteads slipping behind.
Where would he and Claire live when they married? He’d be giving up his ship, after all. He felt one corner of his mouth lifting as he realized he could think that without flinching. He still had the house at Four Oaks that his mother had left him, but he thought the estate in Derby might prove too remote for his London-loving lady. And he wouldn’t have minded being near the Thames, to keep an eye on Everard interests there.
Something moved behind them. Richard blinked and peered closer. A horse and rider were coming up fast. He could see the dirt flying behind the beast. In a moment, he recognized the carrot-colored hair of the head bent low over the horse’s neck.
Giles.
It seemed Samantha’s beau was intent that she stay in Cumberland after all.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Claire kept her smile pleasant as Samantha chattered on about hairstyles and ornaments. Claire’s gaze, however, remained on Richard. She’d noticed the moment his mind had wandered, his look had shifted. The Captain found it difficult to attend to weighty matters of dancing and deportment. She’d smiled and wondered at the thoughtful look on his face. Was he thinking about their future? She could think of little else.
Could she do it? Could she give her hand in marriage, live according to another man’s edicts?