To Tame a Highland Earl (21 page)

“
Two days, if we’re lucky.
Three or more, if the weather conspires against us.”

“
I advise buying lots of
sweets at the bake shop,” she said.

“
Have you a sweet
tooth?”

“
I do, in fact, but this is
for Grace. The food aboard ship is not fit for civilized people.
She will arrive in Scotland in a much better frame of mind if she
isn’t forced to subsist on salted meat and hard biscuits the
duration of the voyage. Oh dear, I am not showing her to her best
light, am I? To be fair, you really cannot expect her to do well
when thrust into an unplanned voyage on a cargo ship.”

“
Of course not,” Erroll
agreed.

“
Once we reach Mull, you
will see that she can be very sweet,” Eve went on. “Not to mention,
she is an exceptionally beautiful woman. You cannot deny that is
pleasant.”

He had to agree, and willed himself not to
glance at her bodice to confirm that truth. He remembered too well
the pleasure of her erect nipple in his mouth.

“
There is still the one
problem,” he said, aside from the lust that kept him awake nights.
They reached the shop and he stopped. Miss Crenshaw looked
inquiringly up at him. “I did say I would not marry a woman who
lies. It is unnerving to wonder what her next lie will
be.”

She gave him a shrewd look. “Everyone lies,
you included.”

“
What do you lie about,
Miss Crenshaw?”

Her mouth parted in surprise, then she pulled
her hand from his arm and stepped toward the door. “As we will not
be marrying, that is none of your concern.”

*****

Eve stared down at the dark mass in the
middle of the dinner plate Oscar set on the table before her.

“
What is it?” Grace
asked.

“
I don’t know.” Using her
fork, Eve lifted the corner of the charred heap. She shifted her
attention to Oscar, who stood waiting. “What is this?”

“
Steak, Miss.”

“
What happened to the
salted beef we ate yesterday?” As hard as it was to believe, it
looked better than this.

“
His lordship had this
cooked especially for you,” Oscar replied.

“
He hates us,” Grace
said.

Eve wondered if Grace was right. “That is
cruel and unusual punishment.”

“
He had supplies brought
aboard, but better food doesn’t mean much when the cook is no
good,” Oscar said.

Grace pushed the plate away. “I will have one
of the sweet goods we brought aboard.”

“
Can we expect more of the
same tomorrow?” Eve asked.

“
I think so,” Oscar
said.

Eve cast another glance at the meat and
shuddered. “Call for his lordship.”

Oscar looked uncertain. “Miss, he is busy
and—”

“
Good God, Oscar, you have
known the man three days and take his side against me on every
occasion. I will not forgive you for this.”

“
Probably not, Miss,” he
said. “But it is better you’re alive to stay mad at me.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You could have
escorted Grace and I from Gretna Green back to Manchester. That
would have been a far safer course of action than this one.”

“
I couldn’t let your sister
go with his lordship alone.”

Eve gave an impatient shake of her head. “We
would have all returned home to Manchester.”

“
Your sister wasn’t going
to go with us,” he replied.

“
He is right,” Grace said.
“My only choice was to accompany Lord Rushton. This ensures we will
marry.”

Eve felt a headache looming. “Oscar, fetch
his lordship before I take this piece of coal on my plate and stuff
it down your throat.”

Oscar snorted, then left.

When the door closed behind him, Eve said to
her sister, “So you told Oscar you wouldn’t return to Manchester?
Very clever.”

“
You don’t give him enough
credit. He saw what you refuse to admit.”

Eve suddenly wondered if she was doing Lord
Rushton an injustice. Grace wasn’t in the habit of lying, but the
lie that had gotten them into this mess was fueled by a nearly
fanatical desire to become the Marchioness of Rushton. Her
willingness to do almost anything to attain her goal was no better
than being the liar Lord Rushton thought her to be.

“
So you will spin me in
your web, consequences be damned?” Eve demanded.

Grace gave her a critical look. “You knew the
risks when you had Oscar kidnap Lord Rushton, as did I when I
agreed to the scheme. You must accept the consequences and not
expect me to change my course of action.”

Eve stared. “Your
course of action
?
Grace, we’re in a serious muddle.”

“
Indeed we are, which is
why the earl will have to take action.”

“
He has already taken
action. What if he has to flee the Continent?”

“
That would be a dire turn
of events,” Grace admitted.

“
You might well be ruined,”
Eve said.

“
No, though you would
be.”

“
I am ruined
already.”

Grace smoothed back a lock of hair that had
escaped its pins. “If you marry Lord Somerset, you will avoid
ruination.”

“
Honestly, I wouldn’t wish
myself off on him, particularly after these past few days.” But
that wasn’t going to stop her from accepting his marriage proposal
the first chance she got.

“
What are you talking
about?” Grace said. “Lord Somerset would be fortunate to have
you.”

Eve was startled by her sister’s compliment.
“I am not so sure he would agree,” she said slowly.

“
That would make him a
fool. But I don’t think Lord Somerset is a fool. He has offered for
your hand three times. He obviously has good taste.”

Eve snorted. “Well, good taste and good sense
are two different things.”

*****

Erroll halted in front of the ladies’ cabin,
where Oscar stood sentry. “Should I ask why they sent for me?” he
asked the brute.

“
They will tell you,” Oscar
replied.

“
You are no help,” Erroll
said.

“
No.”

“
Back to being a man of few
words, eh?” Erroll asked.

“
This is your ride,
m’lord.”

“
I was dragged into it, if
you recall.”

“
You did your
part.”

“
As I am sure they will
remind me.” Erroll knocked on the door and Miss Eve Crenshaw bade
him enter. He entered and closed the door behind him.

“
How good of you to come,
my lord,” she said.

“
Is something wrong? Oscar
sent word that you needed to see me right away.”

“
We understand you were
kind enough to purchase provisions for the remainder of the trip.”
She tilted her dinner plate so that he could see its
contents.

Erroll frowned. “Good God, what is that?”

“
Steak,” she
said.

“
Steak—not the steak I
brought aboard?”

“
According to Oscar,
yes.”

“
What the devil did the
cook do to it?”

“
I believe he slaughtered
the cow a second time,” she said.

And with a vengeance. “Most ship’s cooks are
not known for their culinary skills, but this is particularly
bad.”

“
We would prefer the salted
beef,” she said.

“
The steak wasn’t that
terrible,” her sister interjected.

Eve Crenshaw cast her a recriminating glance.
“You didn’t touch yours.”

“
I can’t say I blame you,”
Erroll said.

“
It will be a shame to
waste the remainder of the provisions you brought aboard, my lord,”
the elder sister said. “I want to serve as chef for the remainder
of the voyage.”

“
Can you cook?”

“
Of course.”

“
As interesting as it would
be to see you in the galley—” and he had to admit, it would be
interesting “—I must refuse.”

Her mouth parted in surprise. “You asked if I
could cook.”

“
I was curious.”

“
I can cook enough for
everyone,” she said. “We are willing to share the food you
bought.”

“
That would only spoil the
crew.”

“
No danger there,” the
younger said. “Eve is not so good a cook that she will spoil
anyone.”

“
I beg your pardon. I am a
tolerably good cook.”

“
I am trying to help you,”
her sister said.

“
Oh. Yes, well, in that
case, she is right, my lord.”

Erroll shook his head. “I am sorry, the
answer is still no. It is too dangerous for you to leave this
cabin.”

“
Rubbish,” the younger
said. “There are three of you, and only two of us. Eve is asking
only to work in the galley for two or three hours. It will be no
hardship for Oscar to be there with her, and Lord Somerset can keep
watch over me.”

Erroll started to deny the request a second
time, then realized that placing Somerset in the lady’s path played
into his plan. “You do not wish to accompany your sister to the
galley?”

She actually shuddered. “Heavens, no. I have
never so much as made a cup of tea.”

Erroll could believe that. He looked at the
elder sister. “I assume you would like to begin tonight?”

“
Why not? It is early yet
and I have nothing better to do.”

“
The books I purchased
today are not sufficient distraction?”

“
They were much
appreciated, thank you, but one can read only so long without
moving about.”

“
I’ll speak with the
captain. I imagine we can come to an agreement.”

“
Offer him some of the
Irish brandy you brought aboard.”

Erroll stared at her nonplused. “Did anyone
ever tell you that you have a nosy streak, madam?”

“
No. But I have never been
confined to a ship’s cabin before. Lord only knows what other
hidden faults might appear if my confinement grows too
tedious.”

Erroll could well imagine and, oddly,
wondered how he might find out exactly what those hidden faults
were.

*****

Preparing the evening meal kept Eve up late,
but she slept well and woke early the next morning refreshed. She
found that, though she spent most of her time below deck, the
movement of the ship and the sea air agreed with her. Today, she
planned a stew with freshly baked rolls for the evening meal. The
hour was three o’clock, Oscar sat at the table keeping silent watch
as it seemed he had done throughout her life, and she looked
forward with pleasure to the work ahead.

Eve opened a small cupboard and spotted
several bottles half hidden behind a sack of flour. She pulled out
the flour and set it on the table to the left of Oscar’s seat, then
grabbed the bottle of brandy, the bottle of wine, and an unnamed
whiskey. The cook obviously liked a nip or two while he prepared
meals, which probably accounted for his slaughter of their steaks.
The cook would likely not forgive her for filching his liquor, but
the wine would go well in the stew.

Three hours later, Eve looked up at the sound
of approaching footsteps. She replaced the lid on the stew, and
glanced over her shoulder. Lord Rushton stepped into the galley and
her pulse jumped. Heaven help her, he stood in boots, buckskin
breeches, and a white lawn shirt open at the neck. His tanned chest
revealed a hint of hair just above the top button. Eve yanked her
gaze up to his face.

Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes, but he said
in a level voice, “I see you made good use of the provisions I
brought aboard. The smell of freshly baked bread has permeated the
ship. The crew is threatening mutiny if they don’t get some.”

Eve realized Oscar was watching him and the
rogue knew it. With conscious effort, she kept her eyes on his
face. If Oscar kept any closer watch on her, he would climb inside
her skin. Using the same matter-of-fact tone Lord Rushton had used,
she asked, “What sort of captain have we if he cannot control his
men over the scent of baked bread?”

The earl grinned and her traitorous heart
skipped a beat. “I will lead the mutiny,” he said.

Eve gave him a look of mock horror. “Then we
had better feed all of you.” She grabbed the towel she used as a
hot pad. “If I am not mistaken, the bread should be ready.” She
lifted the lid of the Dutch oven that hung over the fire alongside
the stew and peered inside. The buns glowed a soft golden brown.
She removed the pot from the fire and set it on a tin plate on the
table.

“
Oscar.” Lord Rushton
nodded as he rounded the far side of the table. The earl halted
beside her and leaned over the bread. “I believe I could eat all
these myself.”

“
Then it is fortunate I
made several batches.” Eve lifted the towel from a bowl where she’d
placed the baked buns.”

His eyes lit like a boy at the dessert table.
“You made enough for an army.”

“
You did provide plenty of
provisions,” she replied.

The aroma of baked bread wafted up on a wave
of heat. Lord Rushton’s stomach growled.

“
Haven’t you eaten today?”
she asked.

“
No, and I am ravenous.” He
reached for one of the buns.