A Lady Dares by Bronwyn Scott

understand this?’ Dorian answered. ‘But they were all I could find, given the circumstances.’
    Elise nodded. She did understand, she just didn’t like it, especially now with the threat of an interloper stalking the shipyard. She wanted to be there. Elise looked about the table. The wine was drunk, the food eaten. She’d talked far longer than she’d planned, exposed more of herself than she’d meant to. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to talk through the whole meal.’
    ‘I didn’t mind,’ Dorian drawled. ‘You’re interesting.’
    Charles had said the same thing that afternoon. It was what gentlemen said to ladies, to be polite. But Dorian made it sound as if he meant it and the thought warmed her unexpectedly. She shouldn’t care what this rogue of a lord’s son thought of her or her family. His opinion carried no weight, he was a socialoutcast by his own admission. Yet, here at their purloined supper table, the words meant the world.
    Dorian might have been right. He might be starting to grow on her after all, a thought that both thrilled and dismayed her. He was merely passing through her life. One day in the very near future, as soon as he had his money, he would move on, taking his smile and his seductive brand of flirtation with him. But for the present, it did make a girl think about the possibilities that existed until then.
    Dorian gathered up their plates and glasses, stuffing them back into his sack. ‘Come walk with me, there are still some unexplored areas. We haven’t taken in the Rural Downs yet.’ He guided them towards a path that led away from the Grove. ‘We should see Milton’s statue at least before we go.’
    ‘What about you? How did you get interested in ships if your family was disposed towards horses?’ Elise asked, hoping he’d be more forthcoming than he had been.
    ‘As I told you, at first I just wanted to be different. I was looking for a way to spite my father and yachting seemed perfect. After a while, though, I was genuinely interested.’ Hepaused. ‘A boat is freedom. I could go anywhere and everywhere. I could see parts of the world others only dreamed of.’
    ‘And so you did. Is that why you went to the Mediterranean?’ The Mediterranean sounded positively exotic to her, so far away although she knew British interests extended far beyond the south of Europe.
    She could
feel
his smile in the darkness. ‘Ah, Elise, the Mediterranean is a fascinating place with Europe on one side, Africa on the other and Istanbul somewhere in the middle, a gateway to the Far East and China and all that lies beyond. There are potentates and pirates, beaches and deserts and mysteries beyond imagining.’
    She was in his thrall, hanging on each picture his words painted. ‘Tell me more. Tell me about the sea.’ They’d arrived at Milton’s statue, a lead rendition of the author, but she was far more interested in the man beside her.
    ‘It’s warm, Elise. A man can bathe in it off the coast of Spain. Can you imagine such a thing? Swimming naked in the ocean with dolphins for playmates?’ His eyes danced. He was deliberately being naughty. One did not talk of such things in polite company.
    ‘Have you really swum with dolphins?’ She suspected he was teasing her. She didn’t dare ask about the naked part. She was certain he had.
    ‘Yes, once in Gibraltar. I will never forget it. They’re friendly creatures.’
    ‘I envy you your adventures,’ Elise said softly. The intimacy of the evening and the sweet blur of the wine were starting to conspire. They’d been down this path before. If she was smart, she’d suggest they leave before any damage was done, damage she’d regret once the wine and loneliness wore off.
    ‘You could have adventures, too. You could feel the Mediterranean wash across your feet; you could bury your toes in the sand of its beaches.’ His voice caressed her as assuredly as the hand at her neck. ‘Do you ever think of it? Of sailing away in one