Already His (The Caversham Chronicles - Book Two) (51 page)

She saw it as a sign that she was meant to go with Lucky on this race.

“Ian and I have gone over the charts several times, and already plotted our course.” Lucky pointed to something on the map Sarah’s brother Ren, the Duke of Caversham, had spread across the table in the drawing room where they all gathered while waiting for the last of their dinner guests to arrive. “Both crews have been with us since last year. They made the tea run with us, and they’re all veteran sailors. Most have crossed the Atlantic at least once, some several times. So we’re very confident in everyone’s abilities.”

“Good,” her brother, Ren, said, “I know this is an exciting challenge for you, but remember do not push your boat any harder than she can handle. Even if you don’t win this race, you know I’ll finance you.”

“I appreciate your offer, Ren, truly. But this is something I want to do on my own, and Ian feels the same.”

Just then, the butler announced the arrival of Ian Alexander Ross, Lucky’s business partner and long-time friend. When Sarah looked up and met his eyes, she could have sworn her heart skipped several beats and her mouth went dry. His brown-eyed gaze met hers and she quickly turned away and took a sip of her sweet wine.

It had been over a year since she’d last seen him., the night he’d come for dinner at Caversham House before leaving on their trip to China. She remembered it was right as the season was getting underway, and she’d thought it was a shame he wouldn’t be around to amuse her and her friends. After all, he was certainly handsome enough then. But now he was Adonis come to life. The last year seemed to have matured him even more. He’d become broader in the shoulders and his face bore a healthy sun-kissed glow. His dark blond hair was liberally streaked with gold in a manner that could only have come from working out in the sunshine on the open sea, like hers had when she was a girl sailing her little sloop around the pond, pretending she was a great explorer.

Rugged and handsome. Those were the only words she could think of as she glanced at him again. Without a doubt his viking god-like looks caused tiny tremors to course through her body when she just looked at him. She felt perhaps, if given time together, there would certainly be a curious plethora of emotions and feelings to discover.

Sarah had to stop thinking of him this way. As attractive as the man was, she had no time for flirtation. She had a race to sail with Lucky.

From her position, half-turned from him, she covertly watched him greet some of the other guests as he slowly made his way toward where she stood with her brother Ren, and her brother-by-marriage Lucky. As he did, she noticed his evening wear was somewhat outdated, but it did nothing to detract from his intense vitality. Before she embarrassed herself, she took her leave from her Ren and Lucky and sought her sister-in-law’s company as she sat with a group of ladies, including her sister Elise.

Talk among the women soon turned to the goings on in town now that the season was almost over. Lady Vance smiled and shared some of the interesting events they’d attended over the past months. “My girls are still in Town with their aunt,” she said, “and they were loathe to leave. Now that my two nieces are married, my sister is relishing taking my elder daughter through the season’s events.”

Sarah traveled in a different set than Miss Vance, the younger girl’s friends being more the blue-stocking type. Just the same, she smiled politely, remembering how exciting that first season had been for her as well. She’d truly enjoyed her first and even her second season. Then her friends began to marry, leaving her to start their own families. And with each successive year her tolerance for the superficiality that was the season grew thinner. In her head and heart she was always elsewhere. Her friends knew it, and the men she’d met sensed it. Which is why she was twenty one and still unwed, without a prospect on the horizon.

Sarah had long grown bored with what was her lot in life. She craved adventure. Needed to see the world. Growing up, she’d always questioned why it was that men were respected when they successfully ventured outside the boundaries set for them by society, but never women. Why was a woman’s reputation in tatters when she did something bold and adventurous, and not a man’s?

The year before she’d thought to stowaway with Lucky to China, but was afraid. That fear was the only thing keeping her inside her comfy, gilded cage—the fear of not being accepted after she’d gone to seek her grand adventure. But not this year.

With only a few weeks until the end of this—her fourth—season, Sarah was beginning to feel her fate might lie in spinsterhood because of these ideas. She knew she was choosy, but wasn’t about to compromise in her requirements for a husband. Not only did he have to desire adventure as much as she, his kiss should leave her weak in the knees and curl her toes—something her friends told her was how they knew their husbands were the ones for them.

So, unless and until she found that man, she wouldn’t consider marriage. She’d rather remain the eccentric relative to her family. Because she would never compromise those two requirements.

Her decision made to take this chance for adventure, she would turn her back on caution and grasp this one opportunity for adventure. And worry about what might happen upon her return tomorrow.

“You’re quiet little sister,” her sister Elise said as she sidled up to Sarah, who stood on the fringe of the group of ladies. “You have a wistful look about you. What are thinking about?”

“Wondering why I couldn’t have been born a male. I envy Lucky.”

Elise stifled a giggle. “You would have made a very effeminate male, and not very attractive to the ladies I dare say.”

Sarah shrugged. “You know what I mean. I have to return to London after they start their race, and finish out the season. And I’ll do so, wishing the entire time I was racing with them.”

“As ladies our rewards are in the home—in caring for our families, friends and neighbors. Our legacy is the children we raise to carry on after we’re gone. I never thought of it that way until after I had Charlotte and needed to be a role model for her.” Her sister turned her gaze to her, and seemed to study Sarah’s face. “I think next season we should concentrate more intently on finding you a match. A man is what you need now that the social season holds no more charm for you. A family will settle that adventurous spirit of yours.”

The dinner bell rang and all the guests proceeded into the dining room, taking their seats. Sarah discovered her dinner companion to her right was Lucky’s partner, Mr. Ross. At first, having the handsome, seafaring adventurer beside her caused her pulse to race. But it wasn’t long before she knew it wasn’t that he’d sailed around the globe, but the man himself who stirred her senses.

The faint scent of cedar and citrus wafted from his direction and she inhaled a shaky breath before looking his way. She smiled.

“So Mr. Ross, you must be excited. Lucky was when we spoke just before your arrival. And it must feel good to return to your home. Even if it is for only a day.”

“I wish I had time to visit Baltimore but, in all honesty, there is no reason for me to return there yet.”

“Oh. Then you plan to eventually?”

“If we win this race, I will likely return to have my father’s friend build our two new clippers. There is no finer shipyard on the eastern seaboard.”

“You could have your ships build here. I’m sure His Grace can make the necessary introductions in Aberdeen. It’s where his import company was based before he bought out his cousins and moved operations to London. I’m certain we have relatives that likely know a shipbuilder or two.”

“That was one of the places we intended to query about building custom clippers.”

Footmen began serving the soup and Sarah listened as the men continued their pre-dinner discourse on the opportunities for trade and import now that the East India Company had lost its monopoly as sole importers of tea to Britain. Talk of finance, trade, and the importance of diversification floated about the table. Much to her surprise, some of the women participated as well.

But not Sarah. Her breast quivered under her skin in the presence of Lucky’s partner. Or was it the excitement of the race? She was unsure. She pushed her fork around the plate as she listened to their conversation, trying to hide her anticipation. Sarah wasn’t quite sure if her titillation came from her plan to stow aboard Lucky’s clipper, or her close proximity to this man who had a strange effect on her senses. Because of this, she tried to make certain not to bump her arm into his, especially when she noted he was left-handed. But when she dropped her napkin, she bumped his arm, causing him to spill the spoonful of soup on his cravat and waistcoat. When she lifted her head, she turned her gaze to his and was mortified, but at the same time wanted to drown in his gold-flecked brown eyes. Or lick the warm, creamy onion soup from his chest.

Where had that thought come from?

“I’m so sorry. I....” Her face burned at the images racing through her head, and the entirety of the table staring their way. She immediately took her napkin and began to dab at his waistcoat, until the footman hurried over to take care of it for her with a clean damp linen. Mr. Ross waved the man away, blotting what little remained of the soup on his waistcoat.

“There wasn’t much soup left, as I was nearly done.” He showed her the bowl. “See? All is well, my lady,” he said through a smile. “No harm done.”

“Thank goodness,” she whispered, “I’m not normally so clumsy, and I sincerely apologize.”

Conversation resumed around them, when Mr. Ross asked her, “Where you going to come out to the dockyards in the morning and watch the ships jockey for position at the starting line?”

Sarah kept her eyes cast downward, unwilling to have him see her excitement as she spooned her soup. She took a deep breath to collect her emotion, and replied, “Yes, Mr. Ross. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

Her dinner partner was turning out to be very charming for an American. She had to admit her earlier perception of him as cocksure and bit self-absorbed was wrong. He was gracious to everyone with whom he spoke.

“Your brother said you are very much alike in that you are as adventuresome as he.”

Sarah sighed, again regretting her gender. “Lucky is right. One would think we were true brother and sister, rather than joined by the marriage of our siblings.”

“I’m fortunate to have your brother as a friend and partner. I’ve never met a more honest, intelligent and unprejudiced man before. I consider myself honored to call him friend.”

Sarah smiled as she held another spoonful of the hearty onion broth in mid-air. “He can also be annoying and stubborn, but that’s coming from a sisterly perspective.”

“I never had a sibling to annoy, or I’m sure I would have been the same.”

“Don’t say so! It would ruin my image of you,” she teased.

“Oh?” Mr. Ross laughed, the sound warm and pleasing to her ears. “What image is that?”

“One of a kind gentleman who is understanding, and not as rigid and straight-laced as my older brother and Lucky.”

The next course was served, and the topic changed to the two schooners,
Revenge
and
Avenger
, and the remodeling done to the sister ships. Lucky and Ian were obviously proud of the modifications made to their boats, and felt they stood a solid chance of winning after sizing up most of their competition earlier that afternoon.

“On first glance,” Lucky said, “the
Ann McKim
looks to be the best boat in the race, but looks can be deceiving. She’s long and sleek all right. But without knowing how she carries her ballast, or the type of keel she has, there’s really no knowing how well she’ll do. She’s a brand new design, built in Baltimore, at Ian’s father’s very shipyard and while the American owner will captain her, my opinion is he doesn’t have half the experience necessary for an undertaking such as this.”

An uneasy quiet came over the table, when everyone realized that in an endeavor such as this, not everyone survived. “Unfortunately,” Ren said, “there will be lives lost during this race. But I have every confidence in the two of you. In fact, were I twenty years younger, I might have entered myself. Not for the purse so much as the thrill of the adventure.”

Sarah pushed the vegetables around on the plate and kept her eyes downcast, for that was the very reason she planned to stow away aboard Lucky’s boat.

S
arah shoved the packed canvas bag she’d brought with her from London under her bed. She was going to be on that boat when it sailed in the morning. There was no way she was going to allow Lucky to have this adventure without her. She was tired of reading about everyone else’s voyages and missing out on the ones right before her!

She’d spent the last five years the embodiment of a well-mannered young lady because that was what was expected of her, the sister of a duke. And, for the past four seasons, she’d smiled and swallowed her envy as Lucky lived the adventures of which she could only dream. First he and his partner sailed to America to buy the two American-made schooners they required for their newly chartered import company. Then last spring she forced herself to feign interest in the upcoming social season while Lucky sailed to China to make their first tea run now that he and Ian were officially in business. She smiled and wished him well, all the while wishing she were with them.

Well, the balls, musicales, dinner parties, morning calls, and rides through Hyde Park would still be there when she returned. She was not going to sit in her room and cry as he sailed away. Not this time. This was the chance of a lifetime—and she wasn’t letting it pass her by.