Regency Romance: The Marquess’ Curse (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (CLEAN Historical Regency Romance)

by Jessie Bennett

  “I do know a little about the stars, my lord,” Belle replied, eyeing the food in the same hungry manner as William. “I had a tutor who studied with me in astronomy. He taught me about Copernicus, the father of astronomy and how his work was carried on and defended by Galilei against the naysayers. Our calendar is based on many sciences having to do with astronomy.”

  William nodded. “You are very knowledgeable then. That is quite impressive.”

  Her eyes twinkled at him. “You flatter me, Sir William.”

  “It is my pleasure to do so, my lady.”

  Before either could continue, they began filling their plates with the food in front of them. William was further impressed to see that Belle had no trouble filling her own plate with food, not expecting someone else to do it for her. He had been in the presence of several beautiful princesses in the past and each one was waited on hand and foot. They never lifted a finger to do anything for themselves. Belle seemed like the polar opposite to those princesses.

  She ate with purpose, obviously hungry, but remembering her position.

  “Will, let me introduce you to Mr. Philip Wilder.” Captain Cernovich held out one hand to one of the men who was seated across from him and the princess. “And to Mark Harrington. This is Lord William Montgomery of Fairfield.”

  William nodded to them. “How do you do?”

  “Well, thank you.” Philip Wilder replied. “A pleasure to meet you.”

  “Philip, Mark, this is Princess Belle Van den Berg from Netherlands.”

  It was Mark who replied this time, nodding at the princess. “Lovely to meet you, Princess Belle.”

  “And you, as well.” William was amused to see that Belle was forced to chew and swallow the food in her mouth quickly in order to respond.

  “Have you been to America before?” Mark asked politely.

  William smiled at the look on Belle’s face. It was only for a fleeting moment, but William could practically read the words, “Aren’t you hungry, too?” written in her stunning features. He pressed his lips together and dropped his eyes to his plate. He took several bites, filling his mouth in the hope that no one would ask him a question.

  “Yes,” Belle responded, keeping her eyes on Mark. “Twice.” She lifted her fork to her mouth and pulled a large piece of ham off with her teeth, closing her mouth and chewing slowly.

  Mark could see that the princess wanted to eat and said nothing more. He smiled and nodded, returning to his own plate of food.

  For the next fifteen minutes, there was virtual silence in the cabin, with only the splashing water outside and the rumbling of the ship to be heard. When he had satisfied his hunger, William leaned closer to the princess and asked in a quiet voice, “Where is your attendant and guard, my lady?”

  Belle dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a deep green fabric napkin, looking up at him. “I do not require them when I’m eating.” He could hear amusement in her voice.

  “I would assume Max would not accept that for an excuse, my lady. It seems he watches you like a hawk.”

  “Generally, he does.” Belle nodded. “But I have dismissed him for the evening because there is no one, as I said before, on this ship who would harm me.”

  “How can you tell?”

  Her eyes widened somewhat and she stared at him. “Do you wish to harm me, my lord?”

  “Certainly not.”

  “Do you know anyone on this boat who might want to?”

  He shook his head. “No, my lady.”

  “I do not expect any trouble either. I feel safe.” She continued gazing at him. “It seems that when my guard is not around, there is always someone with me who will protect me should there be any danger.”

  He knew she was referring to him. It warmed his heart. “Yes, my lady, I think you can count on that.”

  She shook her head. “But I do not feel that I am in danger on this ship. I feel safe here. I enjoy this trip. I have each time I have traveled to America.”

  He wondered if his presence was making it better for her. Her presence certainly had made the trip worthwhile to him. He didn’t care if it took a month to get to New Bedford. He would gladly spend that entire time getting to know the princess as much as he could.

  “We have fresh baked pastries for dessert, my friends,” Captain Cernovich announced as one of his crew brought in a large platter filled with pastries and set it on the table. Belle’s eyes opened wide.

  “If I had known, perhaps I would not have eaten so much already.” She smiled at the captain. “If we are to expect this each evening, I will take note tomorrow.”

  The captain laughed. “I apologize, dear lady. We do have desserts for your pleasure each night of the journey.”

  “I will keep that in mind tomorrow.”

  “Did you not eat throughout the day, my lady?”

  “I had breakfast, but only a light snack this afternoon. I was quite hungry.”

  “Do you think you’ll want to eat our pastries? They are quite delicious.”

  Belle smiled. “I think I will find room for at least one, thank you, Captain.”

  “Good to hear. Good to hear. I do hope you like it.”

  “I’m sure I will.” To prove her point, she reached over and picked up one of the pastries, setting it on her plate. She used her fork and knife to cut off a piece on the end. She placed it in her mouth and chewed slowly. Her eyes opened wide and she nodded at the captain.

  “You like the taste?” he asked with a smile.

  Belle nodded again, lifting one hand to cover her mouth. “It is delicious,” she said immediately after swallowing. “Thank you very much.”

  “It is my pleasure, Princess Van den Berg. I will relay your compliments to the cook. I know he will be pleased to hear it.”

  When the pastries were consumed by all, William sat back in his chair, filled to the brim. He rested one hand on his stomach and resisted the urge to belch. There was no chance he would do something so crass in front of the beautiful princess. He wanted to win her heart. He felt consumed by his desire for her in every way. He wanted to take her to bed, explore her mind, listen to her most innermost thoughts and goals for her future. He wanted to make every dream come true for her. He had no idea what a princess could possibly wish for, but whatever it was, he wanted to be the one to supply it.

  “Shall we take our walk now, my lady?” he asked, standing and holding out one hand to her. She took it long enough to stand. When she released his hand, he missed the soft warmth of her fingers on his palm.

  “That sounds lovely, Sir William. I may have to walk a bit slowly. I think I might have eaten a little too much.”

  “I am willing to walk as slow as you need, my lady.”

  He was delighted by her responding grin. He couldn’t help wondering how she was feeling about him. She seemed to like him quite a lot, but she was very guarded, which he would also expect from a princess. The ladies he was used to, the ladies of the ton, were always on the prowl, looking for a husband, someone with money and a title. Princess Belle did not appear to be in desperate need of attention from anyone, least of all a man. She was not on the prowl. That he could clearly see.

  He offered her his arm as they made their way to the upper deck. He was glad to see that the sun was setting, casting a beautiful array of colors over the sky, colors that reflected off the surface of the water below.

  “What an amazing sunset!” Belle said immediately, her face lighting up with pleasure. “I have not seen one to rival this in many days!”

  “It is beautiful, yes,” William agreed. He put one hand over hers. “It is as beautiful as you are, my lady princess.”

  She looked at him, her eyes gentle. He could see that her cheeks were flushed. He wanted to lean down and give her lips a warm kiss. Nevertheless, he knew that would not go over well with a lady of royalty. He looked up at the sky and the setting sun instead.

  “Thank you, Sir William.”

  The sound of her voice resona
ted in his mind. He tried to control his longing for her. His feelings were overwhelming him and he found he was irritated with himself. He grunted aloud and immediately regretted it. He glanced down at her. She was gazing out over the ocean, the many colors in the sky making her skin glow with many colors. If she had heard the grunt, she didn’t register so. He was confused and continued looking at her for a moment longer. He couldn’t get past how perfect her features were together, her nose small, her lips shaped perfectly, her eyes and long lashes set perfectly spaced from each other. It was as though God had released one of His angels to walk the earth in human form.

  Again, he was irritated with his thoughts. Not since Abigail had he lost his senses to a woman and look where that had led him. He shook his head. “I must bow out of our walk, my lady. I…my head is not clear and I feel I need to write some letters and go to sleep for the night. I must dismiss myself. It has been lovely talking and dining with you. Shall I see you in the morning?”

  Belle looked completely astounded, but nodded gently. “All right, Sir William. I will walk with you to the cabins. I do not feel I should be walking around on deck alone.”

  “I had not thought of that. My apologies, my lady.” He offered her his arm once again and escorted her down to the lower deck.

  After they parted and the closed doors were between them, William felt relieved. He had to think more logically. He had to think this whole thing through before he made any rash decisions. He didn’t want to be the scoundrel he used to be. He didn’t want to have an intimate relationship with the princess and go about his merry way in New Bedford, never to see her again. He had vowed to give up that lifestyle after Abigail and he didn’t want to go back.

  He refused to go back.

  6

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  “We could die, your highness.” William laughed a little. “Are you not at all afraid?”

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  CHAPTER SIX

  WEATHER PERMITTING

  The ship seemed to William to be bobbing up and down in the water more than usual for such a large vessel. The movement was strong enough to wake William. He sat up, holding on to the sides of his berth. He felt the up and down motion and, for the first time, felt nauseous. He swung his legs over and pushed his feet into a pair of slippers waiting for him. He heard the sound of running feet above him and men calling out to each other. He pulled on a robe, wondering if he should really go out there. He knew nothing about sailing and didn’t want to get in the way should there be trouble. Before he could leave his room, there was a knock on the door.

  “Come in!” he barked.

  The door swung open and Captain Cernovich’s first mate, Don Hanlen, pushed his head through the opening. “Lord Montgomery. Captain sent me to tell you that the weather has taken a turn for the worse. If you would like to come topside, please dress for weather such as heavy rain. If you have a raincoat, it is best to put it on. An umbrella will do you no good, as it will be pulled from your hands. If you would prefer to stay below, he will understand.”

  “I will come up,” William said. “Give me a few minutes to get dressed. Tell him I will be there shortly.”

  “Aye, aye.” Don backed out, closing the door behind him. William heard him knock on the door to the Princess’ room. When she answered it, he told her the same thing he’d told William.

  William stopped listening and began to dress. He couldn’t hear Belle’s response anyway. It was too soft. He anticipated she would not go up and risk being pelted by large drops of rain.

  He was out of the room and up onto the top deck within five minutes. If there was any help he could provide, he wanted to be ready. He had traveled some in his youth, but he didn’t remember ever seeing waves as tall as the ones he looked at as soon as he came out into the open. The air was filled with mist and water as the wind began to whip. He was sure the waves would topple them over, but the big ship swayed, lifting with the water, to ride over them. William gradually felt more confident as he took in the situation. He headed for the bow of the boat, where he knew the captain would be.

  “John,” he called. “I’ve come to offer my assistance.”

  “That’s noble of you, Will.” The captain grinned. “But that’s what a crew is for.”

  “Surely you’ll need some extra hands on deck, John. There must be something I can do.”

  John’s eyes were distracted. He looked over William’s shoulder. The look on his face went from one of deep concentration and focus to confusion and surprise. Will turned and saw that the princess had come out from below deck. She was wearing a large raincoat with a hood that draped far past the sides of her face, hiding her features from him.

  “What the hell is that woman doing up here?” He pushed past William to hurry down the steps and reach Belle. “Your highness! You should not be up here! It is very dangerous for you to be up here! You should go below!”

  By the time he reached the woman, William could no longer hear what he was saying with the noise from the wind whipping through his ears. He was in quick pursuit, reaching them as Belle finished her question.

  “…capable?”

  “No, my lady, I would not dare to presume such a thing. But you could be swept overboard.”

  “I am not a child, Captain Cernovich. I think I know how to hold on to a railing.”

  “Yes, your highness, but the wind and water can be stronger than a mere human hand. I cannot allow anything to happen to you.”

  “Am I to be held prisoner below?”

  The captain looked shocked. “Never, my lady!”

  “Then I will stay just where I am. Well…” William saw the hint of a smile on her lips. It made his heart thump heavily in his chest. “I will stay wherever you and Lord William are, that is. I am sure that between the two of you and Max, I shall be in no danger from the wind and water.”

  John looked nervously back at William. He noticed that the young lord was smiling. He shook his head. “Your highness, if you want to be in danger, I suppose there is no way I can talk you out of it. I’m sure your guard has already tried to do so.”

  “He did for a short time. But I am strong-willed. He knows that. He knows me. Please lead the way, Captain, as I am sure there are duties I am keeping you from.” Instead of receding into her quarters below, the princess firmly grabbed William’s arm and stood waiting for him to lead her to the bow of the ship.

  He led her to the helm. Above their heads, the lookout pole reached up into the sky. William didn’t dare look up there. He was not envious of the crew member who stood on that small platform. The deck that surrounded the pole reached out over the bow of the ship, creating an overhang that was just right for him and Belle to stand under to get out of the harsh pelting rain. Once she saw that she was sheltered slightly, Belle pushed the large hood back to reveal her soft features. She looked up at the raging sky with fascination.

  “This is simply majestic,” she breathed.

  “We could die, your highness.” William laughed a little. “Are you not at all afraid?”

  “I’m not afraid,” Belle said firmly, shaking her head.

  “Why are you not afraid? John was right. This wind and water…it could pick you up and toss you overboard if it wanted to.”

  “You attribute human motions to that of the wind and the water.” Belle laughed. “But I do not believe it is like that. Wind and water do not do what they do because they want to. They do it because that’s what God directs to happen. I do not believe it is my time. Therefore, I am not afraid.”

  “What if it is your time and you don’t know it?”

  “Then I would have wasted no time worrying about it and will leave this earth with happiness on my mind from a life lived worry-free.”

  William thought about that. The idea that living worry-free was even possible was not something that had crossed his mind before. Belle made it seem very possible. Very desirable. He couldn’t i
magine it, but he wanted the kind of peace she represented. “You are a very unique individual, Belle Van den Berg. Very unique indeed.”

  “Thank you, Sir William. I will take that as a compliment.”

  “Oh you must. In fact, I insist that you do. Your parents must be very proud of you.”

  “I am sure that they are. We have not been a terribly close family, although I must say that I have seen more of my father during my time than of my mother. She has spent many years trying to satisfy the sister.”

  “The sister.”

  Belle nodded, looking up at him. “I have a half-sister, Tamilia. We call her Tammy.”

  “Tamilia is a…a name I have not heard before.”

  Belle fell quiet for a moment. William could see that she was thinking deeply about something. “Her name is as uncommon as she is.” Belle gave him a side-glance before sliding her beautiful eyes back to the rolling ocean around them.

  “She is not like you?”

  She looked at him again. “Are you saying I am a common woman, Sir William?”

  William laughed. “I believe I have already described you as unique, my lady. So no. I would not say that you are common. But if your sister is as uncommon as her name, she cannot be as lovely as you are.”

  “I cannot tell a lie,” Belle said softly. “She is not the same as me. She is quite different from me.”

  William didn’t press further. He noticed that Max had taken a place just in front of the princess, standing out in the rain, his back to them. He knew the guard was listening to their conversation. If he could hear them. The wind, rain and crashing waves, along with the shouts and calls of the crew around them, made it difficult for even him to hear what she was saying and she was standing right next to him. He had even leaned over a few times in order to hear her.

  “Do you think the storm will do us in?” He wasn’t surprised by the amusement in her voice. He shook his head.

  “I think John and his crew have this well under control. It’s rained like this in London before. It’s rained like this in Fairfield.”