“Oh dear.” Cassandra bit her lip and tried not to laugh. “I presume you punished them for their crime?”
“Oh yes. They were made to tidy up the rice I accidentally spilled.” Katherine delivered the most evil smile Cassandra had ever seen, then added, “One grain at a time.”
It was impossible for Cassandra to contain her laughter any longer. “How perfectly diabolical of you.”
“I thought so.” She retrieved a tin and began scooping tea leaves into a strainer. “I’m glad you’re back, Cass.”
“Me too.”
Katherine eyed her curiously. “And will you be staying for a while?”
“Yes. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to have my baby here since it’s where I’ll feel most at home without Devlin.”
“What are you saying?” Katherine stared at her and then her eyes widened. “Are you telling me he won’t be here for his child’s birth?”
“He has to work, Katherine, and besides, it’s not so strange really. Plenty of fathers miss out on such things.” It was what she’d kept telling herself since she’d realized what his intentions were.
“Certainly,” Katherine agreed, “if they’re away at war perhaps, in need of a steady income, or simply don’t care.”
Cassandra sighed. She really didn’t want to discuss Devlin’s reasons for leaving. Not because she doubted his love for her or worried the birth of their first child wasn’t important to him. It was perhaps because he had said he needed to make a living, even though he was the brother of a duke and was quite unlikely to suffer financial difficulties. Surely he could at least skip one journey and send his crew without him. With this last voyage being Monty’s last, it might be slightly more tricky, but Bronswick was pretty capable as was Mr. Harris, the boatswain. And Trevor had, on the return from Sydney, started to learn how to captain a ship. Yet Devlin insisted he had to go, which meant there had to be some other reason – maybe one he himself didn’t fully comprehend.
Or, she considered, he simply loved the sea more than he loved her.
Now there was a depressing thought.
“You have to tell me everything,” Katherine said as she handed Cassandra a mug. “Did you see any sharks along the way? I’ve read they can cut a man in half with their teeth.
Cassandra grinned and shook her head. “No, there were no sharks.” Together, they removed themselves to the kitchen table. Katherine placed a tin of biscuits in the center while asking additional questions about the people of China and if they really ate with sticks.
A movement beyond the window caught Cassandra’s eye. It was Devlin who’d apparently chosen to go outside and give her a bit more alone time with Katherine. She smiled as she watched him kick a ball to James who passed it to William. Henry and Clyde were naturally too busy climbing a tree to join in the game.
“Perhaps we should take the tea and biscuits out there,” Cassandra suggested. She hadn’t even greeted all the children yet and was suddenly eager to do so. Not only because she’d missed them, but because she was eager to answer the pull she felt as she watched Devlin interact with them.
“I think the children would be delighted,” Katherine said. “I’ll grab a blanket for us to sit on. We’ll have a tea picnic of sorts.”
Cassandra picked up the tin of biscuits and made her way outside where she was immediately accosted by all the children who stopped whatever they were doing so they could come hug her. And receive a biscuit each as reward.
“We knew you were back,” William said while crumbs spilled from his mouth.
“You really shouldn’t talk with your mouth full,” Cassandra gently chided. She turned her attention to Clyde and Henry. “And you two were supposed to behave, not destroy the house while I was away.”
“We know. But the paint had come off just a bit and it was so tempting to give it a pull and then…” Henry gave a big shrug. “We just couldn’t stop.”
“But we have learned our lesson,” Clyde said. “Katherine made sure of it.”
“Very well,” Cassandra chuckled, “I suppose you may both have a biscuit as well then.”
They snatched the offering and ran off, racing each other to the far end of the lawn, their laughter filling the air to mingle with bird song. Inhaling deeply, Cassandra glanced toward Devlin, whose love for her shone bright in his eyes.
How could he go away again so soon?
She did her best to smile, even though she didn’t understand it.
“I’ve been thinking,” Devlin told Cassandra a couple of days after their arrival at Clearview. “Perhaps I should look into buying a house – a place we can make our own. It might take time, but as long as I find the right place before I leave, Caleb should be able to finalize the deal after I’m gone and you can—”
“No.” The word was tight, Cassandra’s expression more so. But then she seemed to relax, her puckered brow smoothing while a smile appeared on her lips. “It’s a lovely gesture, and I appreciate it, but Clearview is special to me, so if you’re not staying, then this is where I want to be.”
“Cass…”
“It’s home and then, of course, there’s the added benefit of me being surrounded by people. I won’t lack company or support.”
She had a valid point. It was just that he felt he ought to do more and providing a house for their growing family seemed like a good start. He sighed. “Perhaps you’ll reconsider when I return.”
“Perhaps.” She rose up onto her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. The weather was lovely, and they’d decided to take the children out for a walk so Katherine could have a few hours to herself.
Devlin put his arm around Cassandra’s shoulders and drew her close to his side. She was his wife and he would show his affection for her as publicly as he wished. Propriety, be damned.
“When I grow up, I want to marry a man who loves me as much as you love Cassandra,” Rosemary declared. She’d been skipping along silently beside them, but now that she’d spoken, she chose to run off and join Sophie and Penelope, who were picking wildflowers further ahead.
A knot formed in Devlin’s chest and his heart starting pounding. This was his family, he realized, as if he’d had his head buried under a rock. Not just Cassandra and Penelope, but the rest of the children too. And he was deciding to leave them because… Well, because that was what he did. He travelled. Gone for nine months and then back for one. It was a routine he’d had for almost seventeen years, ever since he’d argued with his father.
To stop and change his life had not occurred to him until Caleb suggested it. Or maybe it had, but he’d always shoved the notion aside, deemed it impossible, and buried it, refusing to give it the attention it required. But now, with his departure rapidly approaching, he found it difficult to think of anything else. Ideally, he wanted Cassandra to come with him, but he also wanted to make sure she and their child received the best medical care during labor. And if she didn’t come with him and he chose to stay, then there was the question of what his purpose would be.
Except…
He suddenly smiled. Maybe he was complicating the issue, because in the end, life had a way of sorting itself out. Right now, however, the future would be determined by choice. He was choosing to leave, but he could also choose to stay. The decision was his. No one was making demands either way, certainly not Cassandra, who’d simply resigned herself to the eventuality of his departure.
He frowned. “How come you haven’t asked me to stay?”
She glanced up at him, startled. She blinked several times in rapid succession. “I suppose I didn’t want to seem pushy. You love sailing, Dev. Asking you to give it up felt wrong. Selfish.”
“Expecting me to be a part of your life, of our children’s lives, would never be selfish.”
Her eyes widened. “Does that mean?” They’d both stopped walking and she’d turned toward him, her face tilted up toward his. “If I ask you to stay, will you?”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to
find out.”
She grumbled something low beneath her breath and then cleared her throat. “Very well, then.” The wind caught a strand of her hair, and she reached up to tuck it behind her ear. “Will you stay here in England with me?”
Instead of the panic he’d always felt at the thought of remaining in England, Devlin’s heart started racing with joy. This was what he’d needed. To know his presence was truly wanted. For someone he loved to ask him to stay.
“Yes. I can’t imagine myself being happy anywhere else.” He took her hand. “I’ll give my duties over to Bronswick. Harris can be his first mate, and Trevor can become his quartermaster.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her hesitance evident in her voice and her eyes.
Devlin nodded. “I always sailed to escape and because there was nothing to keep me here, but you’ve helped me put the past to rest. Now I have you and our children, and Cass…I love you. With all my heart I—”
Her squeal cut him off as she practically threw herself at him, knocking the wind right out of his belly. “Thank God,” she said, and then somehow she’d pulled his mouth down to hers and was kissing him with total abandon, as if they were somewhere alone and did not have an audience consisting of seven children.
“Ewe,” Clyde said. “They’re exchanging spit.”
“That’s so disgusting,” one of the girls muttered.
Devlin laughed against Cassandra’s mouth. “Mind if I throttle them?”
“I will if you don’t,” she said, her lips curving against his until she was grinning.
“All right. It’s settled then.” Devlin carefully disengaged himself from Cassandra, dropped a quick kiss on her forehead, then raced toward the nearest child with a roar.
Squeals of delight followed, increasing in strength as he caught Henry by his waist and swung him high in the air. The rest of the children eventually got their turns as well, and Devlin’s heart grew, tripling in size until it was close to bursting. Somehow, thanks to a mean old woman, he’d found a permanent home for himself filled with laughter and love. He’d have to extend his gratitude to Baroness DeVries at some point, perhaps in the form of flowers.
It was, he decided, the least he could do, considering he’d never been happier.
Epilogue
“Has your boatswain checked the ropes?” Devlin asked the captain in a no nonsense tone while following him across the deck. “They can fray and tear, you know.”
“I am aware,” the captain replied.
If Cassandra wasn’t mistaken, he was starting to sound quite exasperated. She hid a grin and turned to Penelope, who was even worse at concealing her amusement. “Do you suppose we’ll be asked to disembark before we even set sail?”
“Of course not. Michael wouldn’t dare ask you to do so. He’s much too fond of Dev.”
“I think you’re right. But I also suspect Michael might regret suggesting this voyage sooner than I’d have expected.”
As if on cue, Devlin’s and Cassandra’s grandson, Captain Michael Bronswick, approached. “You must be a saint, Grandmother. It’s the only explanation for your ability to put up with him all these years.” He glanced over his shoulder and sighed when he realized Devlin was standing directly behind him.
“And don’t forget to inspect the hold,” Devlin said. “It’s your responsibility to do so, Michael.”
Michael turned to his grandfather with a glare. “There’s a chair over there. I would be eternally grateful if you would use it.”
“Well,” Devlin muttered while Michael marched off to some other part of the ship where his grandfather wasn’t present. “I’m only offering the boy some sound advice.”
“He’s three and thirty,” Cassandra reminded Devlin. “I think it might be time for you to accept that he cast off his leading strings some time ago.”
“Devlin does have more experience than Michael,” Penelope pointed out. “It wouldn’t hurt for him to listen.”
The edge of Devlin’s mouth lifted to form a crooked smile. “I always knew I loved you for a good reason, Penny.”
“Well, you’ve always supported me, so I think it only fair to return the favor, even when it involves my son.” She glanced around as if searching for something and when she smiled, it was clear she’d found it. Or him, to be more precise. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go and see how Trevor’s managing.”
“I thought he was securing the main sail,” Devlin said.
“Yes,” Penelope said. She started forward but Cassandra managed to catch her by the elbow and bring her to a halt. “You’re not going up there.”
Penelope grinned. “Of course I am.” She must have seen the horrified look in Cassandra’s eyes for she instantly added, “You mustn’t worry though. I am wearing trousers beneath these skirts.”
Cassandra groaned and let her hand drop. “Of course you are,” she muttered. She knew by now that her daughter was far more stubborn than she’d ever been and that there would never be any stopping her once she put her mind to something.
“I did tell you she’d marry him,” Devlin murmured close to her ear. His hand had snuck its way around her waist, offering her strength and that wonderful sense of security she couldn’t quite seem to get enough of.
“So you did. And you’ve never let me forget it.”
“Why should I? It’s the most precise prediction I ever made. Besides the one about you falling madly in love with me, that is.”
“Really?”
He smiled with a hint of bashfulness that went straight to her heart. “Well, no. But I did hope. And I never stopped wishing.”
“You’re a lucky man then.” Cassandra looped her arms around his neck and locked her eyes with his. “Because it does appear as though your wish came true.”
“I love you, Cass.”
“And I love you, my seafaring scoundrel.” No words were truer. He’d been her best friend and constant companion for four long decades and now they were off on one last adventure.
During their marriage, they’d been blessed with three daughters, Alexandra, Theodora and Lavinia, none of whom enjoyed sailing. Not that Devlin hadn’t done his best to encourage them, and later their husbands, but it had been a struggle and eventually they’d all given up. Of course, there might be hope yet for the girls’ sons, but until they showed an actual interest, Devlin contented himself with the fact that Michael adored the sea as much as his father and grandfather did.
The transition from seadog to landlubber had been trying. It had taken time for Devlin to find a satisfying routine, to adjust, and accept his new role. Until Cassandra had encouraged him to pursue a new dream by using some of his savings to purchase two additional ships. Within one year, he’d turned them and The Condor into a profitable shipping business. Now, forty years later, The Crawford Company’s fleet numbered more than one hundred vessels.
Cassandra squinted against the morning sun and considered her husband’s face, so dear to her she was sure she could gaze upon it forever with pleasure. It was perhaps slightly more creased than it had been when they’d first met, but he was still a striking man. The arm he’d once broken pained him on occasion, especially when the weather was damp, and his once dark hair was almost entirely silver now. But he was still as handsome as ever, and he always made sure to tell her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, even though she knew there were wrinkles around her eyes and mouth and that her body wasn’t as slim as it had once been.
Together, in the years since Devlin had stopped sailing on a regular basis, they’d raised their children in a modest cottage Devlin had purchased for them near Clearview. For although Cassandra regretted leaving the house she’d called home for so long, it had gotten overcrowded with the expansion of their family, and she’d realized she and Devlin required a place of their own. But she visited the orphans Clearview continued to welcome over the years as often as she was able, advising the management and keeping abreast of the goings on.
T
here was no denying that it was time for both her and Devlin to accept their age now. They no longer had the energy of their youth and had decided that perhaps the time had come for them to stop pushing themselves so hard.
During the past forty years, they’d gone on five additional voyages together, but this one was Michael’s idea because, as he’d put it, “What better way is there for us to spend time together than by doing something all of us love?”
Standing beside Devlin with her head resting on his shoulder, Cassandra watched the coastline recede until only the wide open sea lay ahead. This was perfection, this moment piled on top of all the others that came before, to create a lifetime of memories for them to look back on. A sigh of contentment escaped her as Devlin’s warmth seeped through her clothing and dove right under her skin, heating her from within.
She smiled at him and he smiled back.
No other words were needed.
All that mattered was that they were together.
Thank you so much for reading Her Seafaring Scoundrel. If you enjoyed this story you’re sure to enjoy the first books in the series as well. Grab your copy of No Ordinary Duke and More Than a Rogue today to find out how Mary and Caleb fell in love and how Emily and Griffin found their own happily-ever-after.
Or if you’re looking for a longer read with a rags to riches trope, you might consider trying my Diamonds In The Rough series, starting with A Most Unlikely Duke.
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And please continue reading for an excerpt from No Ordinary Duke.
No Ordinary Duke
Chapter 1
Rain streaked down the carriage windows while Caleb Maxwell Crawford traveled from the London docks to his family home on Grosvenor Square. Dusk had turned to night since he'd stepped off the ship on which he'd sailed from Calais yesterday afternoon. Jaw set, he tightened his grip on the leather satchel beside him on the bench. It held all the evidence he needed to prove how wrong his father had been when they'd parted ways ten years earlier. Filled with letters of praise and articles heralding Caleb's architectural abilities, it would show the old bastard he'd made a success of himself. It would prove that refusing to join the clergy and being cut off financially had not led to his downfall, as his father had claimed it would when he'd railed about Caleb's ungratefulness.
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