Regency Romance: The Earl’s Unexpected Journey Of Love (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (Historical Romance Fiction)

by Jessie Bennett

  He wasn’t to find out. The dinner was over before he had noticed its passing, and Juliette and her maid were retiring quietly to bed, slipping from the cabin like two shadows into the night.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  A PERFECT STORM

  A PERFECT STORM

  They had been on the ship for two days, during which Juliette had slept, read the one novel she had brought with her, and taken the air on deck. She had barely spoken with Joshua since the dinner, and was calmly trying to forget his presence on board ship.

  It was the third night of this strange existence, and Juliette was in her cabin, when she suddenly found herself sharply awake. She lay still for a while, listening for whatever had awoken her. Just then, she felt a shift under her bunk and she sat up sharply. The ship had been calm for a moment before she felt it lift and then fall, and the motion was worrying. She swung her legs out of the bunk and pushed her small feet into a pair of yellow slippers. Her matching yellow silk robe lay across the chair that sat near the porthole. She pulled it over her shoulders and went to the cabin door, opening it quietly.

  There were men in the corridor, sailors and officials. They looked busy, frowning and stern. The purser was headed straight toward her.

  “My lady!” he sounded relieved. “I am glad to see you are already up.”

  “I wasn’t,” she replied. “But I am now. What is happening?”

  “We are going through a storm of great proportions. We are preparing all passengers for…”

  “Fennell!”

  The purser turned at the sound of his name. He moved away from Juliette toward the first mate, Mr. Murray.

  “Yes, sir!” Fennell said.

  “I need you to check on Torrey and Whitefield in the galley. This pitch is too harsh and something might catch fire in there. And, for that matter, no lanterns!”

  “Yes, sir.” He rushed off to obey the order.

  Murray looked at Juliette and must have assumed she was frightened.

  “You are well, milady?” he asked, bobbing his head to her.

  Juliette did not feel frightened. She was concerned, but not afraid. A strange calm had descended on her.

  “I am, thank you, sir. I am just concerned.”

  At that moment, the door opposite them opened and Joshua stepped out, a dark green robe wrapped around his body. He was holding a pipe which he had clearly just lit.

  Juliette could see the first mate’s eyes alight nervously on the pipe.

  “My lord, if you would not mind, no fires until the ocean has calmed?”

  Joshua looked down at the pipe as if he’d forgotten it was in his hand. He nodded to Murray. “Of course. What is amiss?”

  “We are experiencing some dangerous weather, my lord.”

  “I would like to see what is going on. Please allow me a few minutes to get dressed.”

  “Yes, my lord, I will wait for you.”

  Joshua looked back to Juliette. “If you would like to accompany us, my lady? I will keep you safe.”

  Juliette tried to take his words as a compliment. She was not accustomed to being cossetted, and was not sure whether she appreciated it or found it irksome. Her father certainly never sheltered her the way the earl did! But he understood she wished to see for herself, and that surprised her.

  She nodded at him. “I would like to come along. I will get dressed as well.”

  She pulled off her robe and dressed as quickly as she could, deciding without much thought to wear a pair of the trousers she had ordered made. She laced up a pair of sturdy boots and debated for a moment whether to put a skirt over the trousers to avoid the stares. She decided against it and pulled a cape over her shirt. She stepped out of her door at the very moment Joshua stepped out of his. His eyes dropped to the trousers and she watched as his eyes moved from her boots to the hood of her cape.

  “You may wish to borrow my cloak, my lady,” he said, his face neutral. “The sea wind is cold.”

  “May I?” Juliette asked in a small voice.

  “Yes, of course.” He left his cabin door open when he went back inside.

  He handed her a leather cape, dark brown and glossed to keep out the rain.

  “What a lovely thing,” Juliette admired it, running her fingers over its smooth surface.

  “Thank you, my lady.” Juliette’s eyes widened and his lips broke into a wide smile. “If you like it that much, my lady, you can have it.”

  “Thank you, sir. But I could not accept such a gift.”

  “I would be insulted if you did not accept it. It has no special value to me and it would be more valued if you were to have it.”

  Juliette shook her head, surprised by his gallant words. “I am thankful, my lord. It is beautiful and useful at once.”

  Her words made Joshua’s grin warmer and wider. He could not believe how satisfied he felt in himself. He had pleased her with something! Whatever had troubled her was surely gone. He held out his elbow to her and she pushed her small hand around it. He covered it with his own larger hand. “Shall we go see what havoc Mother Nature is playing on us, my lady?”

  Juliette grinned. “Yes, let’s do that.”

  “I like to know what is happening, and the only way to do that is to see it with my own eyes.”

  Juliette smiled at him. “Those are my exact sentiments.” she looked up into his blue eyes, surprised. “There is no way to know how long this will last, is there?”

  “Not that I know of, my lady,” Joshua replied. He was glad to be near her.

  “The ship has been checked stem to stern, my lord,” Murray said, returning. He looked at Juliette and his eyes widened, but he was too polite to say anything. As they neared the door that led to the deck, they could hear the wind howling, the rain pelting the deck and the men on the other side yelling orders to each other. Murray put his hand on the knob and looked at the two of them. “Hold on to your cloaks out there! There's a real gale blowing.”

  “Yes, sir.” Joshua nodded.

  Murray gripped the door knob and pulled open the door. An immediate gust of wind swept through toward them, blowing back Juliette’s cape and lifting the long curls of her strawberry blond hair. Joshua had the instinct to grab her hand as they went out into the storm.

  They ascended the steps to the upper deck and moved as quickly as they could to the enclosed bridge. They went through together, Joshua finding at least one opportunity to do what he wanted to do, reaching out to grasp Juliette’s upper arm and guide her over a slick spot on the deck. His own boots slid slightly and he struggled to stay upright.

  “I do hope you do not go down,” Juliette giggled. “Or I will be taken with you.”

  “I would never pull you down, my lady.” Joshua saw that she was teasing and smiled at her. “You will just have to make sure I remain on my feet.”

  “With all of my strength?”

  “But of course.”

  They both chuckled, despite the fact that the intense storm was blowing around them. Juliette almost felt like she was there only with him and that there was no storm at all.

  They moved through the door to the bridge, walking into a chaotic scene. Joshua’s face became serious as he listened to what the steward was telling the captain. This sounded very bad. He looked around, wondering why his uncle was not already here.

  “Captain,” the steward was saying desperately. “I am unsure if we can contain it. I think we must take immediate action to keep the passengers safe.”

  “What is the problem, Captain?” Joshua asked.

  “The galley has caught on fire. They are having a hard time containing it. We must get you and the other passengers to the lifeboat.”

  Joshua frowned. Juliette’s heart began to hammer. They were going to be left adrift at sea? The ship was going down?

  “What about all the crewmen?” she asked. “And you and the cook and everyone else? Where will you go to be safe?”

  “We will have to take our chances, my lady,” the capta
in replied.

  She shook her head vigorously. “You cannot sacrifice yourself for us.”

  “You must not think of it that way, my lady. We are attached to this ship and we will go down if we must, but we will fight to keep it afloat as long as we can. They are fighting the fire as we speak. If we are able to, we will simply pull you back up.”

  “But what if we drift too far away?” Juliette was horrified.

  The man shook his head, reaching up with one hand to scratch under the brim of his hat. “No, my lady. The boat is big and strong and the men on board will be able to direct it with the paddles. They will bring you back to the ship if we are able to save her.”

  “I don’t want to leave anyone behind,” Juliette protested.

  Joshua rested one hand on her arm. “I know you are worried about the others, my lady. But you are in my charge and I must keep you safe. Please come with me.”

  “There are so many things on this ship that must make it to Muambo, my lord. So many precious items – valuable items – that will never be put to use.”

  Joshua nodded. “It is a shame, Miss. But we cannot kill ourselves over supplies. We must live to deliver them another day.”

  Juliette was frightened now. She held on to Joshua’s arm, looking up at him with scared eyes. “My lord, I am frightened.”

  Joshua’s heart felt like it was growing too big for his chest. He wanted to pull her close so much he could barely resist, but he did. “I know you are frightened, my lady. Be calm and all will be well. I promise. I will do anything I can to keep you safe.”

  “We must find Betts ,and your uncle! We cannot leave them behind.”

  The captain lifted his arms to usher them back out the door. “Murray is going to show you to the boat. I will send someone to retrieve your uncle and the maidservant. You passengers will be on the boat with two crewmen – they are all I can spare, and all who fit. We will keep the supplies safe, if we can.” His last words were apparently directed toward Juliette and she nodded, the flicker of a smile flashing across her face. Then they were being led across the deck to the boat, into the darkness and chaos of the night beyond.

  The raindrops pelted violently against the top of her cloak, and the deck below her feet. Juliette held Joshua’s hand as tightly as she could, not enjoying the way the bottoms of her trousers were soaked and sticking to her legs. It made her cold. She shivered and tried to pull herself closer to Joshua. He held her as tightly as possible. They made their way through the storm to where the men were preparing the life boat.

  “Will the boat be overfull?” she called to Joshua over the rushing wind. “What if there is too much weight?”

  “There will be me, my uncle, the two officers and two crew,” Joshua called back. “That is just six men. And you and Betts, who take up less room.” He grinned at her. “The boat is meant for eight men, my lady.”

  Juliette nodded. She watched as the men did what they needed to do, lowering the boat the long distance to the water below.

  “You will go down the ladder first, my lady. Then you, Lord Hershey.” Murray had appeared at their side, overseeing the preparations.

  “Has anyone seen my uncle? And her maidservant?” Joshua asked, white-lipped.

  “Not yet, my lord. Charles and Francois will be back with them at any moment.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Not at all, my lord. I will miss you,” he added.

  “You never know,” Joshua called back. “Perhaps we will all join up for another voyage soon.”

  The look on the young man’s face told both Joshua and Juliette that he did not expect the ship to be salvaged. He smiled tightly, trying not to betray his concern to the passengers. “Thank you, my lord. Please be safe. I wish you all the best.” He smiled at Joshua and bowed to Juliette.

  Joshua slapped a hand on the man’s shoulder. “You are a fine man, Andrew.”

  Juliette’s eyes snapped up to Joshua. He had used the man’s Christian name. She rarely heard of anything like that. And his understanding of the man's fear touched her deeply.

  “Thank you,” Andrew responded, voice tight. “Miss, please allow me to help you to the ladder.”

  Juliette struggled with the ladder only for a moment or two, before her feet seemed to remember rope ladders – her youth traveling with her parents stood her in good stead. She was down in the boat just seconds later. She looked down, avoiding the stinging rain beating against her face.

  She saw Joshua’s legs first and then his torso and head as he descended into the boat. He moved to be by her side immediately, wrapping his strong arms around her. He took her to one of the benches and they sat together, waiting for their fellow passengers.

  “I can’t believe this happened on the third night of our voyage!” he shouted into the loud wind around him. She caught his words and nodded, lifting one hand to hold her hood down on her head.

  “I am of the same mind!” she called out in agreement. She could feel heat radiating from him, he was so close to her. Even through their clothes, he made her feel warm. His arm around her was strong, the grip fierce, as if he would never let her go. She had no fear of the wind or the waves that threatened them on the tiny vessel. She glanced around her, the water heaving and the swells rising around them. A sailor appeared in the boat with them, a quiet fellow with a stern face.

  She looked up at him, wondering if he knew Joshua as well as the rest of the crew seemed to. “How many times have you traveled on this boat?” She tilted her head up to Joshua, brow creased in a frown. Her legs were cold and her feet were soaked. Tucking the trousers into her boots was probably not a good idea. Her stockinged feet were still soaked.

  Joshua could tell that she was extremely uncomfortable. He wished he could do something to alleviate her fear. He wanted to keep her warm, but he himself was cold and wet, with no way to help her.

  “About four times,” he said loudly in answer to her question.

  “Have you ever encountered a storm such as this?”

  “No, I must say I have not.”

  “I am worried, my lord.”

  “I know you are, my lady,” he replied in a sympathetic voice. “I am too.”

  She was glad he was willing to admit that. However, it was less than reassuring that he was as inexperienced as she. She looked up to see Cain was making his way down the ladder, a woman just ahead of him. She felt weak with relief. They were safe!

  She watched him as he stepped down into the deck of the boat. He looked up despite the rain hitting him in the face and helped Betts step down next to him. He sat facing them with Betts beside him. Juliette reached out as far as she could toward Betts, who leaned out and took her hand. “I am so sorry, Betts!” Juliette called out. “This was not the experience I wanted us to have.”

  “It is not your fault, my lady!” Betts squeezed her hand. “I wouldn't think to blame you for the weather.”

  Juliette grinned, despite the terror of the situation.

  The boat suddenly tipped. Juliette was terrified, clinging to Joshua as though her life depended on it. She did not care if it was not appropriate. She wanted to be safe, somewhere warm and dry, and that wasn’t where she was at that moment. She pictured herself just an hour before, safe and warm in the bunk in her hut, sleeping like she had as a little girl. The motion of the ocean below not bothering her in the slightest.

  Joshua felt the young woman’s body pressed closely against his. He wondered if she could hear or feel the pounding of his heart. “Uncle Cain knows all about this kind of thing, don’t you, Uncle?” Joshua said loud enough for Juliette and the two others to hear him.

  Cain nodded. “I could say that. Been through a couple of these storms. I’ve been in a boat like this before, too. The fury of the wind and water can do a great deal of damage to a ship, no matter the size,” he added, inclining his head towards the larger boat. “I'd rather be in here than on there.”

  “Do we know where we are?” Joshua asked, concerned. />
  “The captain made me take the manifest, the charts, all the items we might need should we…” He stopped himself short.

  “We will survive,” Joshua spoke up, his voice determined. Juliette had the feeling he was convincing himself as well as the rest of them.

  “Yes.” Cain nodded. “We will survive. I know what needs to be done.”

  “Thank God,” Juliette murmured, pushing her cheek against Joshua’s chest, seeking the warmth of his body. She could hear his heart and stopped short for a moment. It was pounding hard. She wondered if it was because of the situation or because they were so close together. She knew that her own heart was beating like a bass drum and she was shaking like a leaf. She could feel him tighten his grip on her. She let herself smile, knowing no one could see her under the hood of the cloak.

  In the darkness that surrounded her under the hood with her face pressed against his chest, the rain still pounding down on them, the waves crashing all around them, she almost felt safe.

  Almost.

  A sound that was louder than anything Juliette had ever heard before blasted through the storm.

  “Oh my God!” Cain looked up, his face stunned and devastated.

  Juliette pushed the sides of her hood back so she could turn in the direction he was staring, pulling herself away from Joshua only for a moment.

  The middle of the ship had burst into flames, the smoke and tumult roaring as it devoured the mast, the horrid irony of flame mixing with the constant raindrops. She pushed herself back against Joshua’s chest, knowing that sight would be rooted forever in her mind. What could the men on board do? They were about to sink with the ship.

  Without meaning to, Juliette began to cry. She lifted one hand and sheltered her face from the bright flames. The two crewmen who had come on board with them frantically began rowing away from the sinking ship.