Chapter Eight

Drake sputtered. "What?"

"Oh, come now, Captain," the duchess chided. "I may appear slow as I lumber about with this protruding belly, but I am far from slow mentally. I see what is before me. Dinah is radiating joy. While I have always found her to be a happy, pleasant woman, the widow who turned up at Shadowcrest today is different from the woman I have come to know."

He let out a long breath. "Is it that obvious?"

"To me. And Aunt Matty. Our eyes met a time or two as one or the other of you spoke. We both saw the surreptitious glances you gave one another when you thought no one else was looking your way."

He winced, knowing he had looked admiringly—and longingly—at Dinah during their time in the drawing room.

"Do you think her girls noticed?"

"If anyone did, it would be Mirella. She is especially close to her mother and having almost made her come-out, much more aware of the relationships between men and women. You were not obvious, Captain. Just a bit careless a time or two. Dinah, as well."

"I apologize, Your Grace."

She looked puzzled. "For what?"

Drake couldn't say.

"Listen to me carefully, Captain Andrews," the duchess said. "I am quite an admirer of Dinah. She has done an outstanding job raising that bevy of girls, with no help from her husband or brother-in-law. All six of them are polite, kind, and gracious. Dinah has also promised them they will never find themselves in the circumstances she did, marrying a man she barely knew and could never love. But it is time she found some happiness herself, especially since Georgie and Pippa have been shining examples of women who have found love."

"I did not say I loved her," he said defensively.

The duchess' eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me you do not?" she demanded.

He raked a hand through his hair. "All right. I do. Love her, that is. But it would be impossible for us to be together, Your Grace."

She sniffed. "You are telling me of the impossible, Captain Andrews? I was a woman scorned by the ton. My father wed me to Josiah Strong at a young age, officially ostracizing me from Polite Society. My husband was wealthy as Midas, but he had worked hard to establish his shipping line and build a business empire. Gentlemen of the ton do not work. They inherit their wealth and then never discuss it. I went from girlish daydreams of thinking I would find a handsome husband in Polite Society to being an instant outcast upon my marriage."

She leaned forward in her chair, resting folded hands on her desk. "But I had something women of the ton did not. An interesting life. A husband who treated me as an equal. Josiah taught me everything about business that he had learned over decades of experience. I soaked up everything I could and then began running Neptune Shipping before his death. I inherited the company upon his passing. That only made me even more of a pariah in Polite Society."

The duchess smiled. "And yet I managed to wed a duke. Yes, there was a smattering of gossip about us when the Season began, but we became friendly with a good deal of others and made several influential friends amongst those in the ton. It would not have mattered, though, because we love one another a great deal. If it had only been the two of us against the world, we would have accepted that."

Drake shook his head. "Your story is different from ours, Your Grace. First, James is a duke. Even he has told me dukes are a law unto themselves. And you were a wealthy widow. In marrying my friend, you had not only his protection, but that of his name. His ducal title. His wealth, as well as that of your own."

She frowned. "Go on."

"I have no title. No wealth. Yes, my recent increase in pay, thanks to my new position as captain of Vesta, certainly has me more comfortable than in the past, but I could not afford to buy even a small house on that salary. The most I could do is take a few rooms in an unfashionable part of town. Dinah would lose her own title and position in society if we wed. She would no longer be a part of the world she has inhabited since birth."

Smiling, the duchess told him, "The way she looked at you, I do not think that would matter to her."

"But it matters to me!" he said, slamming his hand on her desk. "I cannot take her from all she has known. Sentence her to a life of exile from her peers. Worse, she has only married off two of her girls. She has four more to take in hand and launch into Polite Society. How do you think her daughters and nieces might fare with their mother wed to a sea captain, a man who is home only a couple of weeks at most before he sets off on a voyage that would take me from her for a year or two?"

Frustrated, he stood and began pacing the room. "I would leave her to a life away from all she has known as I earned my living. Why, she would not even have enough coin to hire help to cook or clean. And the girls would become laughingstocks, subject to ridicule, their chances of making a good match gone."

He stopped in his tracks. "Yes, I love her. Yes, she loves me. But there are more than the two of us to consider. Even after her four girls wed, I can't see how I could remove Dinah from all she has known."

Drake fell into the chair again. "I won't do it to her. I can't make her miserable."

With sympathy in her eyes, the duchess said, "But you will both be miserable apart."

He nodded. "We have resigned ourselves to that fate. I wanted to walk away before we became too involved. Dinah convinced me to stay. To enjoy what little time we had together."

"I could keep you in port," she offered. "Not send you out for several weeks. Even months."

"No. I would not wish for you to show me such favoritism, much less keep my crew from working and earning their own livings." He sighed. "Dinah and I know we have no future together. We are simply living in the moment now, savoring the time we have together. I have told her that she deserves happiness and should wed again. By the time I return to England after Vesta's next voyage, I fully expect she will have married again."

He raked both hands through his hair. "Enough of this talk, Your Grace. Shall we get down to the business at hand? Mr. Barnes prepared a report regarding the goods I traded and those I brought back. I would like to tell you about my first time at sea, being a captain." He paused. "It was a very lucrative trip, Your Grace."

She looked upon him, sadness in her eyes. "Please go ahead, Captain. Tell me everything. I am eager to hear about your journey."

*

While Drake wascloseted with Sophie, Dinah focused totally on her girls.

Mirella had recovered nicely from the broken elbow she had suffered earlier in the spring, thrilled the plaster had finally been removed from her arm. She told Dinah she had been practicing her pianoforte more than ever, trying to make up for the lost time at the instrument. Effie had been riding quite a bit, and she had also found homes for two of the strays she had taken in. Her daughter had a tender heart where animals were concerned.

The most time was spent discussing the upcoming house party, with Dinah wanting input from her two nieces, reminding them this was their debut into Polite Society and that it would be a small group present at Shadowcrest, allowing them to get to know others in a cozy atmosphere. She described various activities she had already planned to take place, and they went over menu ideas. She told the twins the three of them would meet with Cook and Miss Forrester tomorrow morning to discuss in detail the food which would be served.

What Allegra and Lyric did not know was that Dinah had already spoken to Madame Dumas regarding new gowns for the house party. The modiste had made up some new clothes for her nieces back in the spring before the twins had come to her, saying they no longer wished to make their come-outs with Georgina and Mirella.

Since she already had current measurements, Madame and her seamstresses were already hard at work, sewing several new gowns for each twin to wear at the house party given in their honor. Dinah would bring these back with her when the Season ended and she left town to return to the country for the rest of the year.

She wondered when Drake would be leaving England again. Part of her wanted to go to Sophie, begging her not to send him away too soon, but she could never do that. Drake was a proud man, living out his dream now by captaining his own ship. She would not be selfish and keep him and his crew in port.

Drake and Sophie rejoined them for tea, Drake taking a chair opposite her. Dinah did her best not to look at him, but she found it almost impossible to keep from doing so. He was simply the best-looking man she had ever come upon. It was hard to believe that she had made love with him several times in the past few days. She wondered what room Sophie had placed Drake in, because she definitely planned to couple with him in a bed after the household went to sleep for the night.

They had a lively dinner together, with her nephew Caleb, the Shadowcrest steward, and Miss Feathers, Effie's governess, also joining them. The girls continued to ask Drake about his travels with James.

"If you would like to go riding tomorrow, Captain Andrews," Effie offered, "I would be happy to show you about Shadowcrest."

Drake laughed. "I have never been atop a horse, Lady Effie. I am never on land long enough to learn how to ride."

Effie waved a hand dismissively. "You say that, Captain Andrews, yet I taught James to ride in about a week's time. He took to it well. I wager you would do the same."

James spoke up. "If you do want to learn to ride, Drake, Effie is the one to teach you. She has the patience of Job and a way with horses. With all animals, in fact."

"I only will be here tomorrow and possibly the day after. I know Her Grace has prior engagements she has committed to in town, so I must see her returned."

Dinah had suspended those very engagements, but she supposed Drake wished to return to town and his crew. She wondered if he and Sophie had decided upon the date for Vesta to sail again, deciding she really didn't wish to learn it. Knowing the deadline when he would leave London would only add to her heartache.

After dinner, they retired to the drawing room so that Mirella could play for them. Mirella called James to the piano and encouraged Drake to join him. The two men did, and her daughter began playing a lively tune, one which James and Drake immediately began to sing along to. It was quite bawdy in nature, causing them all to laugh aloud. Dinah thought Drake's singing voice a wonderful one, recalling how she used to play for her own sweetheart, and how his singing hurt her ears.

When the piece ended, Dinah asked her daughter, "Where did you learn such a song?"

Mirella grinned shamelessly. "James sang it to me a few times, and I was able to add chords to the tune. Captain Andrews, you sing quite well, even better than James does."

"You should see him dance," James said. "Sailors often have contests on deck, where a fiddle is produced and sometimes a pipe. No one can compete with Drake here. He dances the best jig of any seafaring man."

She longed to teach Drake the waltz, thinking he would take to it as well as he did everything else, but their time to part drew near. There would not be enough hours in the day to teach him the dance, much less have him accompany her and dance it at a ton ball.

Dinah yawned deliberately. "Oh, I must be more tired than I realized. It is the carriage ride from town to Kent, I suppose. It is not that long, but traveling always seems to make me weary."

She turned to Drake. "Has Miss Forrester shown you which is your bedchamber yet?"

"No," he replied. "I am not certain where I am sleeping tonight."

Only Dinah knew what he referred to, and she coughed to keep from smiling.

Lyric spoke up. "Miss Forrester put Captain Andrews in Georgie and Pippa's old room. The twins always shared a room, as Allegra and I do."

"And Effie and I have always shared, too," Mirella told Drake.

Dinah was pleased to hear the news of his location, for it was next to her own bedchamber. She had kept her rooms after Seaton's death, but when James wed Sophie, Dinah vacated the duchess' rooms and moved down the hall to a new bedchamber.

Drake yawned. "I suppose I am tired myself."

"Then let me take you upstairs, Captain," Dinah offered. "I can show you to your bedchamber."

They said goodnight to the others, but everyone else also decided to turn in. James remarked how country hours were different from those in town and that they usually went to bed early and rose early.

The entire group followed Dinah and Drake down the corridor to the west wing. Dinah stopped at her own twins' former room, thinking of her girls being loved and happy as wives.

"This is where your things will be, Captain Andrews," she said. "I am sure Miss Forrester has provided everything for you, but if you have need of anything else, I am the next door down from you, the one we just passed. Feel free to seek me out if something is missing that you require."

"Goodnight, Your Grace. Goodnight to all," Drake called, and then he entered the bedchamber, closing the door.

For her part, Dinah went to her room as the others did the same. Only Mirella followed Dinah.

"I noticed you did not bring your lady's maid with you, Mama."

"I knew I would only be at Shadowcrest for a couple of days, so I left her in town. I will ring for Miss Forrester. She can help me to undress."

"Let me help you, Mama," her daughter offered.

"Why, that would be lovely, Mirella."

"I can do much more now that I have two arms to work with," Mirella teased, following Dinah inside the bedchamber.

She had only brought a small valise with her since she had so many gowns already at Shadowcrest. Miss Forrester had already unpacked it, placing her night rail and dressing gown across the bed and her brush and comb on the dressing table.

Mirella helped her to undress and into her clothing for bed. Dinah bit back a smile, knowing everything would soon be removed again by Drake.

"Shall I brush out your hair for you, Mama?"

"Yes, my darling. You have always enjoyed doing so. It does soothe me."

She sat at the dressing table, Mirella removing the pins and placing them in a bowl on the table before brushing Dinah's hair until it shone.

"Would you like me to plait it for you?"

"No. I may do so later. I think I will read a bit until I grow sleepy."

Mirella sat down the brush and said, "Captain Andrews is quite an interesting man."

"Yes," Dinah said carefully, knowing how astute Mirella could be. She hoped her daughter had not picked up on anything between them.

"You seem to be comfortable with one another."

She would not lie to her girl and decided to be as open as she could. "Yes, I have felt an affinity with him from the first time James introduced us. I do believe we formed a special bond when he came to Shadowcrest last year and brought me to town to tend to James after the warehouse fire."

Mirella's gaze met hers. "I like him quite a bit, Mama. I think he likes you, too."

"We have spent time in one another's company these past few days while he was waiting for Mr. Barnes to finish up his reports so that Captain Andrews could bring them here to Sophie at Shadowcrest. The captain is very kind and intelligent. I have enjoyed being with him."

Her daughter reached for her mother's hand and squeezed it. "I know Georgie said you have had many suitors this Season, Mama, but you have yet to speak of a single one of them. Do any of them interest you the way Captain Andrews does?"

Her throat tightened. "No," she admitted. "I had thought it a possibility to wed again, Mirella, but I am not looking to be in a similar situation to what I was before. After seeing your two sisters wed for love, I believe that would be the only reason I would consider a second marriage. Since no gentleman of the ton has caught my fancy, I will remain a widow and your mother."

She smoothed Mirella's hair. "Do not worry about me, dearest. Helping you find a good match will be my priority next spring when you make your come-out."

"I do not want you to sacrifice your own happiness for me, Mama."

"I won't. But you—all my girls—are what bring me the most joy in life. I long to see each of you happily wed in the next few years."

"I think it was a good thing that I did not make my come-out this year, Mama," Mirella reflected. "It gave me more time to be with those I love, here at Shadowcrest. I know once I wed, this will no longer be my home."

Dinah cradled her daughter's cheeks. "Shadowcrest will always be your home. Yes, your loyalties will lie with your husband and the new family the two of you create, but you will always have a place here."

Mirella kissed Dinah's cheek. "I am glad you came home, Mama, if only for a couple of days. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, my love."

She watched her daughter exit the room and went to the chair by the window. Sitting in it, she bided her time. It would be best if Drake spent the night in her bed since his bedchamber was next to Lyric and Allegra's and across from Mirella and Effie's. She would have to watch herself tonight and tamp down some of the enthusiastic noises she had a tendency to make while Drake made love to her.

After half an hour passed, she rose, intending to go and retrieve Drake. When she opened her door, however, he stood before her, his hand raised, ready to rap on it.

Quickly, she pulled him inside, closing and locking the door. They fell into one another's arms, kissing hungrily for several minutes.

Then Drake swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed, placing her gently upon it.

His eyes darkened with desire as he gazed down at her. He smiled. "It will be interesting to finally bed you in a bed, Duchess."