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

by Jessie Bennett

  “I’m sure Fairfield and London are on solid ground though, are they not? You were not on water when you were caught in a storm of this magnitude?”

  “No. That is true. Solid ground. Yes. But I am not afraid of a little rain. And the waves look very large, but the ship is handling them quite well. I think we are in very little danger of capsizing.”

  “I would not want that to happen.”

  “No. I would not care for it either.”

  “This is why I feel it didn’t matter whether I stayed below or not. Being in the small cabin room will make me feel trapped. Should anything happen, I would not know immediately. If I am up here, I not only get to enjoy the sights and sounds of this great storm, I will know right away if there is imminent danger.”

  “That is precisely why I came up. I also wanted to offer my assistance.”

  “I don’t think there is a thing I can do to help these men.”

  “No. I don’t think anyone on this ship would let you try to help, my dear.”

  “Yes. You are right.” She giggled behind her hand. “I’m the lady on board.”

  “I am pleased that you came up here. It was unexpected. But I think it would be absurd not to expect the unexpected from you.”

  When she smiled at him, William felt like he had been given the crown of England.

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  Naomi shook her head. “I haven’t given it a lot of thought, past tossing the lady overboard at the first opportunity.

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  CHAPTER SEVEN

  TAKING ON NEW PASSENGERS

  Naomi came around the corner and stopped abruptly, almost running into the broad form of Max, who was standing near the small glass window, peering out through narrow dark eyes.

  “Oh! I didn’t expect you here, Max. What…what’s going on? Where’s Belle?”

  Max turned to her. His large arms were crossed in front of his chest and his face was set in a deep scowl. “She’s topside…with the Lord Montgomery.”

  “The storm has cleared?”

  Max grunted, indicating the window with his head. Naomi could see the sun shining through it. Max was giving her his answer without speaking. She felt a sharp pain of anger slide through her. Why could he not just say the words, just answer such as any other man would do? Why must he always put off such a holier-than-thou attitude?

  “All right, I can see that the storm has cleared. Why are you not still up there with them? That is your job, is it not?”

  Max shook his head. “The lady sent me down here. She said I am not needed until we reach America.”

  Naomi tried not to snicker. She could only imagine what a blow to Max’s ego that must have been. He was a narcissist, always wanting attention and inserting himself where he didn’t belong. It was nice to see him get a bit of comeuppance. “She must value the lord quite a lot to send you away.”

  “She does not believe that her ladyship is in danger everywhere she goes. There could be a rogue sailor on this ship with an idea to take her hostage or hurt her in some other way in order to get back at the king.”

  Naomi let herself laugh that time. “Some rogue sailor, you say. I hardly think you would have to look further than the mirror to find such a villain, Maximillian.”

  Once again the large man turned his eyes back to the short, heavy woman. Naomi didn’t back down. She was not intimidated. She stared straight into his eyes, having to look up quite a bit from her short stature to his tall one.

  “When you are right,” Max growled, “you are right. I do not pretend to hold the king in any high esteem, nor his daughter, for that matter.”

  “You guard someone you despise. However do you find happiness, Max?”

  “I find happiness in knowing that I will not always be doing this detestable job. If I had been promoted along with Claypool, I would not be traveling with or attending to a child of the king. I would not cater to a position this low if I did not have a plan in mind.”

  “When do you plan to implement this plan of yours?”

  Max grunted again. Naomi frowned. She wanted to smack him to make him speak up. “It’s an ongoing plan.”

  “So you do not really have a plan,” Naomi concluded, nodding.

  “It’s a work in progress.” Max grunted.

  “I see all talk and no work.” Naomi rolled her eyes. “You’ve no more a plan than I have the crown jewels of England. Seek me out when you truly have a plan to follow through with.”

  “And why would I want to do that, Naomi?”

  “Because I may be able to assist in some way.”

  “Assist?” Max looked confused. “What have you against the king and princess that you would help in a dreadful proposed idea?”

  “What have I against them? Let me tell you.” Naomi turned away from him to put the small stack of folded cloths down on the table near the window. She smoothed out the top one as she spoke. “Do you remember Jonathan?”

  “The stable boy? From this winter? Yes, I know who you are talking about,” Max responded, keeping his eyes on the woman. She nodded up at him.

  “Yes, that’s the one I mean. During his time at the palace, he did something quite bad, something that he should have been punished for. But he wasn’t punished. King Van den Berg pardoned him. And that is not just.”

  “He would need to have done something fairly vile to punish Jonathan. So you seek vengeance as well?”

  “Yes. I seek vengeance.”

  “That is why you agreed to take this trip?”

  “It was.”

  “Do you have a plan of your own?”

  Naomi shook her head. “I haven’t given it a lot of thought, past tossing the lady overboard at the first opportunity. No such opportunity will ever arise, so therefore, it remains in the back of my mind. I think about it more than I should.”

  “Opportunities arise easier when someone forces them to.”

  Naomi narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean, Max?”

  He grunted, dropping his large frame into a chair on the opposite side of the small table by the window. “You should know what I mean, Naomi. You spend a great deal of time with the princess. You know her habits, where she likes to go, even what she likes to eat. Surely we can find a way to reap the vengeance we seek.”

  Naomi moved to the other side of the small cabin and sat on a cushioned bench seat. She stared directly at him. She could tell he was thinking deeply about something. “What are you thinking about, Max? You have a very devious look on your face.”

  “Oh do I?” She could tell he was trying to force his face into a neutral look.

  “That’s not working,” she said pointedly. “You might as well not try.”

  His face settled back into his frown, though she could see a bit of amusement hidden in his eyes.

  “Do you have a plan or not, Max?”

  “I told you already, I haven’t got one exactly. I’m still working on it.”

  “I’m sure we can find a way. With both of us having our minds on the same issue, we will come up with a solution to our troubles.” She smiled at him slyly. Her eyes were narrowed to the point where they almost looked closed. She ran her tongue over her lips. He raised his eyebrows.

  He had never considered her as anything other than the assistant to the princess. She had always seemed cold, distant and uninterested. As he looked at her now, he saw her differently. Suddenly, he could see that though she was a heavy woman with sharp features, the look would not have been becoming on anyone but her. Rather than repulsed, he found himself interested. He felt a stirring in his body, one he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was aroused by her, both physically and mentally. It surprised him so much that he almost laughed.

  She could see the change on his face as soon as she licked her lips. It was unintended at first. When she saw his eyes light up, she decided to pursue the behavior. She thought about it and couldn’t reme
mber the last time she’d seen the man with a woman on his arm. She assumed he was not married or taken by another woman. She herself had been only with her husband, who had died only a year after they were married. That was nearly ten years previous.

  She stood up and moved to sit in the chair opposite him. She leaned toward him, seductively pushing her large breasts together in her dress.

  He leaned toward her so that their faces were mere inches apart. “I think we have something in common, Naomi. What do you say?”

  “I agree, Max. I do agree.”

  He closed the distance between them, touching his lips to hers firmly. She returned his kiss with a deep passion. He reached forward and slid his fingers over her hair, grasping the small colorful tie that was holding her hair up in a bun. He loosened her hair so that it fell down over her shoulders. He pushed his fingers through the strands, grasped the back of her head and pulled her against him tightly.

  The big ship pulled into the port slowly. Belle and William stood by watching as the ship came to a stop and the men secured it to the dock. They were receiving two new passengers to go the rest of the way to New Bedford. The couple stood to the side, waiting for the man and woman to board the ship. They had several bags and large luggage trunks.

  Belle looked up at William. “It’s a good thing this is a big ship. Look at all the belongings they are bringing. A smaller ship would sink with the weight.”

  William chuckled, nodding without a reply.

  They both watched silently as the man and woman came up the ramp. Captain Cernovich was there to greet them as soon as they stepped down onto the deck. He introduced William and Belle before he pointed out his first mate. William wondered if that was meant to be an honor. After all, despite their status in their respective homelands, they were passengers on the captain’s ship and he didn’t have to give them any position in the chain of introduction at all. Especially not before the first mate. William had observed the first mate, a big man himself, moved with almost the speed of lightning as he worked around the ship. He had no problem getting his hands dirty and delving deep into the functioning of the ship.

  He worked for his title, that was certain.

  William and Belle greeted the two, one at a time.

  “This is Lady Annette Burkinshire and her husband, The Honorable Doctor Patrick Henry Burkinshire, from…” John looked at the couple apologetically and the doctor filled in the missing portion after sharing a glance with his wife.

  “Oh, we’re really from all over. Annie and I have been traveling for some time now. But we have a home in London, if you want to say we are from there.” He grinned wide, flashing straight, shockingly white teeth. So white, in fact, William wondered what he could possibly have been doing to clean his teeth so thoroughly and so often that they should remain so brilliantly white. He tried not to be self-conscious when he smiled back at the doctor, holding out his hand.

  “How are you, doctor? It’s always good have a doctor on a boat, in my opinion.”

  “That is wise, young man,” the doctor said. “But I am not a medical doctor. I hold a position in the scientific research department of London.”

  “What is it that you research in the science industry, Dr. Burkinshire?”

  He moved past William slightly to allow his wife to go past him. She greeted Belle and they began to talk. William’s attention was drawn back to the doctor when the man answered his question. “I, along with a team of my peers, am looking for the cure to several medical ailments that up until now, seem impossible to resist. Certain bacteria that can…”

  “Dear, they don’t want to hear the ins and outs of your scientific research.” The woman tugged on his arm. Their eyes met and William saw their affection for each other being passed silently between them. He was impressed by it. It gave him a warm feeling. He resisted the urge to look down at Belle and see if she would look back at him the same way. Terrified that she wouldn’t, he kept his eyes fixed on the lady and her scientist husband.

  “You have quite a lot of luggage,” Belle remarked, keeping her voice light and friendly. “Did you bring your entire house?”

  William thought Belle was remarkably comfortable risking that the dignified couple would not recognize her teasing. He smiled when Lady Annette giggled, turning her small blue eyes back toward the trunks that were making their way up the ramp in the arms of large-muscled sailors.

  “Those are my plants.”

  Belle raised her eyebrows. “Plants?”

  “Yes. I grow odd and unusual plants, herbs and spices for use in medicinal research.” Her eyes instinctively glanced at her husband. “I have so many varieties of plants in my stock, I have to do a regular inventory to remind myself what I have and what each one is used for.”

  “My goodness.” Belle looked and sounded impressed. She lifted her eyebrows at William, who responded in kind.

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  Max’s face turned thoughtful. “I think you may be on to something, Naomi.”

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  CHAPTER EIGHT

  WORDS MEAN NOTHING

  Max put his head in the door just enough to see if the princess was awake. She appeared to be in a deep sleep. He pulled in a quiet breath and held it for just a moment, trying not to feel angry with her. None of it was her fault, really. But it hardly made him feel better. He was only slightly torn between taking his revenge on the king by using his daughter or finding another way. He had no love for the young woman. He only guarded her because it was his job.

  He backed out and closed the door silently.

  As he passed through the small room to reach the stairs that would take him topside, he glanced through a window and stopped. He could see a man standing, his back to Max, his hands folded together behind him. He was staring out over the water. It was William.

  He was alone. An idea formulated in his mind. A small grin lifted the corners of his lips.

  He was almost to the door when it slid to the side and Naomi came through. She looked directly at him.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I see that look on your face. I know you have something on your mind. What are you thinking, Max? Have you thought of a plan?”

  “I’m sure you have noticed that Lord Montgomery has taken quite an interest in Princess Belle.”

  “Yes, I have. What does it matter?”

  “I have an idea to tell him a few things about the princess that might make him think differently about her.”

  Naomi dropped her eyes and frowned slightly, looking confused. “What could you possibly tell him about her that would cause him to react in such a way? She is a good woman who has never caused anyone any trouble.”

  “Perhaps. But Tamilia has led quite a different life from her sister, has she not?”

  “She has.” Naomi’s eyes narrowed. She was quickly coming to understand what was on his mind. “How long do you think it will work for though? He’s bound to find out and what could be the punishment for lying to someone of his authority?”

  “He has no authority in our homeland, Naomi. He has only his small British district in England.”

  “How do you know how large his territory is?”

  “It isn’t the size of Netherlands, is it?”

  “No, I suppose it isn’t.”

  “Then I speak truth. I don’t care if it makes him angry that I’ve lied to him. I only care that his perception of the princess grows dim. I have doubts that he will ask her for clarification or check on what I plan to tell him.”

  “He may see through you to begin with.”

  “He might. But that will not stop me from trying. He’s out on the deck alone right now. It is the perfect opportunity for me to speak with him.”

  “The princess is asleep?”

  “Yes, she seems to be sleeping soundly.”

  Naomi approached him and
stood very close, so that she could speak in a low voice. “Have you seen the new passengers?”

  “The scientist and his wife? Yes, I’ve seen them. What about them?”

  “The wife is a collector of plants. Herbs and spices and such.”

  “And?”

  “She has asked me to help her tend to them while we are here. She is going to ask the princess for permission to take me on for the remainder of the trip to New Bedford, just to help her with her plants.”

  Max nodded. “Good for you, Naomi.”

  Naomi raised her eyebrows. “Do you not see? Perhaps there is some type of herbal concoction that would help us take our revenge on the good king and his daughter.”

  Max, who had been moments away from going around her to the steps, froze and then dropped his eyes to meet hers. He blinked a few times as the information rolled around in his mind. “I don’t know of any. Do you?”

  Naomi shook her head. “No. The lady has books though. I could look. While I’m…helping with chores.”

  Max’s face turned thoughtful. “I think you may be on to something, Naomi.”

  She nodded. “I think so as well.”

  Without another word, Max moved past her and she walked toward the door to the cabin where the princess lay sleeping.

  He went through the doorway and up the steps to the top deck, turning to walk in the opposite direction from where William was standing. It was his plan to come up from behind William on the other side of the ship, so it would look as though he was taking a constitutional. He feared someone would approach William before he got there, so he walked swiftly and with purpose. Before long, he was behind the man. He slowed his pace and came up beside him, his eyes on the waves and water. He stood silently for a moment.

  William detected the presence of another when Max came up beside him. He didn’t expect the guard to stop, so when he did, it was a surprise. He hoped that the look on his face was not too noticeable. He said nothing, waiting to see if Max would greet him. Perhaps he had a reason for stopping, something he wanted to get off his chest. William waited patiently, enjoying the morning breeze as he had been doing before Max’s arrival.