Rescued by the Viscount's Ring

by Carol Arens

  He never really understood why his mother saw his self-assurance as overbearing.

  As much as he would like to be honest with Madeline, part of the truth would have to do for now.

  ‘I was taking the air before my shift.’

  ‘I’ve seen how hard you work. Truly, saying thank you for all you have done to help me sounds vastly inadequate. But I do thank you. I am most grateful for it all.’

  On the same note, saying ‘You’re welcome’ would sound equally inadequate. The woman had no idea the good turn she had done his family.

  When he returned home already married, there would be a scandal to be faced. Better that, though, than a family plunged into misery.

  It hardly seemed fair to put Madeline at the centre of the storm and her having no knowledge of it, but there was nothing to be done but forge forward.

  When he felt the moment was right, he would reveal it all.

  ‘I could hardly do otherwise than to help you.’ Finished with his meal, he set the plate on the floor. Madeline had finished a moment before, so he took hers, too. ‘There’s something I’ve been wondering about—dozens of things, actually—but why was that fellow following you?’

  ‘Would you mind walking on deck for a bit? I know you must be tired after working all day, but all of a sudden, the room seems stuffy and I could use a small stroll.’

  ‘It’s cold out. Are you certain you are up to it?’ He wrapped a blanket about her shoulders. He could not help but wonder if she needed the stroll or if she did not wish to discuss the man.

  Chances were she did not wish to speak of him. In his experience, a change of location often deflected a topic.

  He opened the door and she went out before him.

  She did not object when he cupped her arm, but rather leaned into him for support. She could not know how it made him feel gallant—and, well, heroic.

  It was nice that she left her hair unbound. It slid over one shoulder in a shimmering cascade.

  And just like that, the point he had thought of a moment ago involving distraction was proved.

  The breeze lifted a strand of pretty hair, blowing it across her cheek and lips. Her sweet half-smile turned him soft inside, shoving thoughts of Bertrand Fenster to the shadows of his mind.

  Damn it, even there in the shadows the man troubled him.

  Chapter Four

  Madeline was unsure of many things this evening and positive of one thing. Out here on the vast Atlantic, it was always cold and windy.

  What a lucky thing she had Rees to steady her. While she’d recovered from hypothermia and for the most part seasickness, she remained weak.

  Honestly, if she were not clutching the arm of this man she’d married, she might be carried away by a gust of wind. He would watch her sail right over the rail in her new wool gown, never to be seen again.

  Rees must have recognised the possibility because he kept her several feet back from the edge.

  With darkness fallen there were only a few people out on deck.

  One elderly man sat on a lounge, his feet up and blankets tucked about his legs. With a cup of coffee cradled in his hands he gazed at the stars. Madeline could not be sure from this distance, but she believed he was smiling in awe at the mysterious universe twinkling overhead.

  Clementine might find words to describe the awesome sight.

  Madeline was at a loss for words. All she could do was sigh and feel overwhelmed, awestruck and so very small.

  ‘You must be used to this by now,’ she murmured. ‘Have you been working aboard ships for a long time?’

  ‘No. Only from Liverpool to New York and now back again. This is my first voyage.’ He swept his free arm up, palm open towards the sky. ‘I’m not sure this is something I could ever get used to seeing.’

  ‘I imagine not.’

  It had to be her imagination that stars reflected on the surface of the water. They were so far away how could it possibly be?

  ‘What have you seen, Madeline? What have you seen in your life that is so amazing you would never tire of looking at it?’

  Well, no, she could hardly tell him the first thing that came to her mind. Luckily, it was dark outside, or he might have seen her blushing. But truly, seeing him standing at the mirror when she had first come to herself had been a sight she would always recall. She had never seen a man look so—never mind. She was done with following her heart at a whim. She would not allow common sense to abandon her again.

  Although, clearly Rees was an honourable man.

  It would be wrong to simmer him in the same kettle as Bertrand. As far as she could discern, Rees wanted nothing but to care for her, for a time.

  ‘That would be sunset last night,’ she said, giving a more appropriate answer than the one her wily heart had conjured. ‘I expect I will never see another one quite like it.’

  But he had been there with her, shared that vision. She thought he wanted to learn something about her, not so much what she had seen. Having known him for such a short time, she was not sure how much she was willing to reveal.

  And yet they were, in a sense, a legal sense no less, married.

  It was only natural for him to want to know about her.

  Truth to tell, she wanted to know about him. A small voice in her mind told her this might not be wise, given they only had a short time together. It might be all right, though, as long as she did not consider him any more than a friend.

  A friend—yes. Forget the sneaky voice trying to convince her she wanted more than that.

  Friendship was vastly satisfying, was it not?

  Bertrand Fenster had to be on Rees’s mind. His question had to be leading back to that sore subject. She would need a moment more to decide how much to tell him. Bertrand went to the heart of why she had run away from home and she was not certain she wanted anyone to know that.

  She did not want to know that! It was not an easy thing to face one’s faults. But quite clearly she was a runner. She had run away from Grandfather; she had run away from Bertrand.

  It shocked her to her core to realise she would rather run from a problem than face it. Until this moment she had not known that about herself.

  ‘Also the Pacific Ocean on a clear sunny day,’ she said, running from the truth he was after. What a coward she was. She closed her eyes while she spoke. After all, he did have a way of looking at her that made her feel—seen. ‘Malibu, to be precise. When you stand with your feet in the sand it makes them feel so warm and delightful. Then all at once cool water rushes up and tickles your ankles. It’s the strangest sensation because when you are not looking at it, but rather at the horizon, it makes you feel as if you are moving even though you are standing perfectly still.’

  It was one of the things she and Clementine enjoyed doing together. What she would not give to be standing beside her cousin while they flung wet sand at each other with their toes.

  She opened her eyes to find Rees gazing at her.

  ‘I’d like to see it one day.’ With her, did he mean? Or just see it?

  An image came to mind of the two of them, standing shoulder to hip on the shore and gazing out at for ever. As pleasant as the picture was, she had best not imagine it too deeply—want it even in fantasy.

  Naturally he could not mean with her since three months was not nearly enough time to go to California, have a proper visit and then return to England.

  Besides, he had employment which he could not simply walk away from. Going home was the last thing she wanted in the moment. She needed to find her family.

  ‘Why did you say you were glad I was not an earl?’

  She swatted him playfully on the arm. ‘You aren’t, are you?’

  ‘Certainly not.’ His attention shifted suddenly to a man standing near the rail and several yards down from where they stood. ‘Why would you think
so?’

  ‘You seem well spoken for someone who is not. As if your schooling came from—I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make it sound as if a fireman could not be well educated.’

  ‘Let’s say I were an earl... Why would you object?’

  There was just no way to avoid telling him about Bertrand and her foolish decision to run away with him.

  ‘Do you mind if we sit somewhere? The answer is not a simple one and I’m getting weary of standing.’

  He did not answer immediately because his gaze shifted once again to the man beside the rail. The fellow withdrew a large flask from his pocket. He unscrewed the cap. The ship lurched suddenly. Some of his beverage spilled on his shirt.

  ‘Shall we go back to our room?’ Rees asked.

  This was the first time she had thought of the tiny space as their room. It was his by rights. She had no claim to it.

  ‘Is there someplace else?’ It felt good to be out and about. She would not mind seeing people. For all that she enjoyed Rees Dalton’s company, she liked being in the company of others, socialising and getting to know them.

  ‘Shall we see if the dining room is open?’

  ‘That would be lovely, thank you.’

  All of a sudden, he swept her up and carried her past the man at the rail. The scent of alcohol came rather strongly from him.

  Rees stopped suddenly.

  ‘Is there something wrong?’ she asked because he was looking at the man quite harshly.

  ‘No. He’s just a fellow I work with.’ He carried her towards a staircase, then up the treads. ‘I thought to have a bit of a word with him, but then thought he was enjoying his solitude.’

  ‘I can walk,’ she said in order not to appear an invalid. Thankfully, Rees seemed to know better. Walking any distance, especially upstairs, was a bit beyond her.

  ‘Would you not want my wealth if I were a peer?’ he asked, going back to the conversation.

  ‘Would you want mine if I were an heiress?’

  ‘I’d have married you either way. Circumstances, the right and wrong of our situation, would not have been altered by money or social status.’

  Coming to the door of the steerage dining room, he set her down.

  Apparently, he knew her well enough to realise she would want to go inside under her own power.

  The thought gave her pause because how could he possibly? Was intimacy growing between them so quickly?

  For an instant their gazes caught and held. She covered the moment of awareness by pretending to gain her balance.

  He held the door open and she walked inside, feeling short of breath and half-confused as to why. She was weak, yes—but what was that link drawing them closer and making it seem the most natural thing in the world?

  Well, breathless was breathless and she was grateful that Rees stood so close behind her. The knowledge that, if needed, his arm would be there to steady her felt—right. Yes, that was the exact word to describe what she felt.

  Also startled—and yet at ease.

  The sensation was peculiar in the extreme.

  It was warm and dim inside the dining room with only a few people socialising at the long table.

  One of them was the young man who had shared his bread with her on that first day. She smiled at him. His return smile looked confused.

  Was it that her appearance was so altered by sickness that he appeared stunned? Or was it because she had told him she was travelling alone and now she was with a man?

  ‘Hello, Edward,’ she said, pausing for a moment as she and Rees made their way to the far end of the table. ‘May I present my husband, Rees Dalton?’

  Better to just say so rather than have him wonder if she had fallen into sin.

  The young man extended his hand to Rees, but spoke to Madeline. ‘That’s good news. Some people have been flapping their fat tongues and saying that you—’

  ‘If you would not mind setting them straight, Edward?’ Rees stated.

  Her new husband did have a superior manner about him. Edward was his social equal, so it seemed odd. The fact that Rees was older might explain it, though.

  Still, she had never met anyone quite like Rees Dalton. All things considered, she imagined he would make a rather fine earl.

  ‘Mrs Dalton and I would appreciate it.’

  ‘It will be my good pleasure, sir.’ He nodded at Rees, his expression serious. ‘I wish you a quick recovery, Mrs Dalton. Looks as though you were more sick than people thought.’

  ‘Please don’t worry. My husband is diligent in caring for me.’ He was. She was not sure that even Grandfather had enough money to repay him for his effort.

  If Grandfather forgave her, that was. If he did not, what would she do? The horrible thought caused a lump to swell in her throat. Unless there was a distraction to divert her mind, she was going to weep out loud.

  ‘Can you manage a bit of cheese and bread?’ Rees asked, drawing her neatly back from visions of life without her family—of scrubbing floors and mending socks, of a lonely little room with only mice for company.

  She nodded. ‘I need to try.’

  He crossed the room and made a purchase from a woman who sat at a table selling loaves.

  The food looked delicious and horrid all at the same time. She smiled when she nibbled on the cheese because the taste was a vast improvement over the egg she had eaten only an hour ago.

  ‘You want to know about Bertrand Fenster and why I do not wish to wed an earl,’ she said. Here was one thing she could stop running from, at least.

  ‘Not that as much as I want to know about you.’

  ‘I’m afraid you will learn the worst of me first.’

  He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, grazing her cheek with his knuckles in the act. It felt a great comfort, somehow.

  ‘Not so, Madeline. The first thing I learned of you is that you gave your passage away to keep a family together. I know you have a kind heart.’

  ‘What I also have is an impulsive heart. A heart that does not necessarily think things through before acting on a course.’ Had she finished the bread already? ‘It is my shining character imperfection, I fear. As Bertrand is a good example.’

  ‘Whatever you tell me, I will not judge you for it.’

  ‘Oh, well, you have not married a fallen woman. Not in the way you must be thinking. Yes, I did run away from home with Bertrand, but I never—well, you need not fear on that account.’

  ‘So, you are virtuous and kind. Two very good traits as far as I am concerned.’

  ‘Do you consider being defiant a virtue? Because I was. You see, my grandfather, who had never, ever done anything that was not in my best interest, arranged a marriage for me and I—’ Oh, she was going to seem a horrid person.

  ‘And you did not wish it?’

  ‘Of course not. I wished to make my own choice. And there was Bertrand offering one to me. In the moment he seemed so dashing and heroic. I’m embarrassed to say so, but I foolishly thought I was madly in love with him. Hmmph, by the time the train was halfway through New Mexico I knew he had lured me away on purpose and I, the fool, had fallen for his scheme.’

  ‘You are a beautiful woman, Madeline. Any man would want you.’

  ‘But it wasn’t me he wanted.’ Not at all. ‘And the fellow I was contracted to marry—it wasn’t me he wanted either.’

  ‘Those men were fools.’

  ‘Bertrand was greedy, not a fool. And the other man—’ This was risky to admit. Right now, Rees thought she was simply a poor woman in need. Once he knew the truth about her, he might try to hold on to her when the three months were up. If on the very odd chance that did happen, she did not want to wonder if it was because of her money. ‘—was an earl and facing financial ruin. He and everyone who depends upon him would be destitute, except that Grandfather agreed
to give me to him.’

  His intense gaze settled upon her. She could nearly feel him sifting her words, her thoughts even.

  ‘My grandfather is a very wealthy man.’ Hopefully Rees was not congratulating himself on becoming one, as well. ‘I had no wish to become one of those American heiresses whom everyone resents and envies in the same breath.’

  His expression went blank all of a sudden. She was rather adept at reading people, but she could not breach the wall he put up between them.

  ‘So, you see, had you been a peer of the realm, I would find myself back at the beginning, after all I had done to try to make a free choice for nothing. I might just as well have gone along with Grandfather in the first place and saved a lot of heartache for everyone.’

  Apparently, he had nothing to say to that because he stared at her until the silence became uncomfortable.

  ‘Now you know about me. The worst of me,’ she said, trying to breach the wall, but his vacant expression made it a slippery thing that she could not grasp. ‘I’d like to know about you.’

  ‘It’s late. I’ve got an extra shift tonight.’

  Funny, he hadn’t mentioned it before, hadn’t acted as though that was the case.

  No, she thought it more likely that he wanted to get away from her. He no longer cared to share quarters with a woman of such a clearly selfish character.

  * * *

  Rees had not been assigned a second shift. He’d given it to himself.

  Even had he wanted to continue his conversation with Madeline, which he did not, he would have needed to get to the fire room.

  One of his fellows might be working drunk. A sip or two of an evening was not unacceptable. Then again, if he brought the flask into the fire room... Damn it, that was a flammable substance.

  Captain Collier had said the worst damage to the ship might come by way of fire.

  He was not certain the man was working the late shift, or if he would be inebriated, but he could hardly bed down in the cabin without knowing for sure.

  All the man would need to do was bend over and the flask fall from his pocket and into the oven.