Andrews.”
Miles was in the process of saying something to Andrea when he saw Sebastian James making a beeline for the ship. “Curse it,” he murmured, making Andrea turn to see what had made him swear. “When Mr. James gets here, have him shown to the pilothouse, and tell him I’ll be with him presently. Come along, Jim. Your cabin is right next to mine.”
With her stomach knotted with sudden anxiety, Andrea fell in step behind Miles, leaving Mr. Waite to unruffle the feathers of the haughty Pike family who had been usurped by Miles and the chap with him.
“Well, I never…! Who does that man think he is?”
“Miles Huntington, the owner,” Waite answered, glad to put the stuffy woman in her place.
“The owner? But he is so young and handsome.”
The woman glanced at her young daughter for a brief moment. Waite could almost hear the unspoken words that passed between mother and daughter, and was not surprised by her next question.
“Married?”
~*~
Miles extended his hand to Sebastian James as soon as he stepped into the pilothouse. He had definite misgivings about speaking with Sebastian, knowing the man’s anguish, and knowing he could end it at any moment. But Miles felt certain if Andrea knew he was Shamus, there would be no hope of ever getting her to marry him. There would be time enough for the truth once Andrea had given her heart to him.
Sebastian greeted Miles warmly, smiling as though nothing was amiss. “I’m sorry things haven’t worked out any better.”
“I haven’t given up, yet, I want you to know. I have a letter for you to give her when you find her.” Miles produced an envelope from his pocket and handed it to his would-be father-in-law. Andrea’s name was written neatly across the front. Miles had used wax to seal it to ensure that no one would open it and discover that the three sheets inside were blank. “I thought she might prefer a short correspondence before we meet again.”
Sebastian eyed him thoughtfully, nodding his head.
“You think she’ll come home now?”
“Once I’m well away, I’m sure you’ll have word of her whereabouts from whoever is keeping her in hiding,” said Miles ambiguously.
“No doubt,” the girl’s father agreed absently. After glancing at the envelope for a moment, Sebastian put it in his pocket. “I think I knew from the moment I met you, that you were the kind of man who doesn’t give up on what he wants. You told me you wanted to try steamships and here you have one.”
“I feel just as strongly about your daughter. I’ll do what I must to marry her.”
“I know. You are a lot like me. That’s why I like you. You do what you have to do to win my daughter, young man, and as long as she agrees to marry you, you’ll have my consent.”
Sebastian shook the younger man’s hand as he bade him bon voyage before disembarking.
“Did you hear what he said, Captain Bloodworthy?” Miles asked.
“Aye, I heard,” Levi Bloodworthy said.
“Good. Remember it.”
~*~
Sebastian waited until the carriage pulled away from the curb to retrieve the letter from his pocket. He did not hesitate even a moment before he broke the seal and pulled out the contents. Blank. Damn scoundrel. Did he think he would object to letting Andrea sail with him? He wanted this marriage as much as Shamus. True, he would have wanted her chaperoned, but apparently, Miles was too intent on marrying her to take any chances. Suddenly, Sebastian laughed aloud. Damn, if he wouldn’t have done the same thing twenty years ago.
As he slowly sobered, he wondered if he would have known under the same circumstances that he was being followed by hired detectives. Probably not. Miles had no reason to suspect it. Sebastian had every reason to want to find out if Miles was the man he thought he was. He had been mildly disappointed when Miles didn’t tell him he found her, but since she had practically fallen into his lap by booking passage on his ship, he could
Miles was in the process of saying something to Andrea when he saw Sebastian James making a beeline for the ship. “Curse it,” he murmured, making Andrea turn to see what had made him swear. “When Mr. James gets here, have him shown to the pilothouse, and tell him I’ll be with him presently. Come along, Jim. Your cabin is right next to mine.”
With her stomach knotted with sudden anxiety, Andrea fell in step behind Miles, leaving Mr. Waite to unruffle the feathers of the haughty Pike family who had been usurped by Miles and the chap with him.
“Well, I never…! Who does that man think he is?”
“Miles Huntington, the owner,” Waite answered, glad to put the stuffy woman in her place.
“The owner? But he is so young and handsome.”
The woman glanced at her young daughter for a brief moment. Waite could almost hear the unspoken words that passed between mother and daughter, and was not surprised by her next question.
“Married?”
~*~
Miles extended his hand to Sebastian James as soon as he stepped into the pilothouse. He had definite misgivings about speaking with Sebastian, knowing the man’s anguish, and knowing he could end it at any moment. But Miles felt certain if Andrea knew he was Shamus, there would be no hope of ever getting her to marry him. There would be time enough for the truth once Andrea had given her heart to him.
Sebastian greeted Miles warmly, smiling as though nothing was amiss. “I’m sorry things haven’t worked out any better.”
“I haven’t given up, yet, I want you to know. I have a letter for you to give her when you find her.” Miles produced an envelope from his pocket and handed it to his would-be father-in-law. Andrea’s name was written neatly across the front. Miles had used wax to seal it to ensure that no one would open it and discover that the three sheets inside were blank. “I thought she might prefer a short correspondence before we meet again.”
Sebastian eyed him thoughtfully, nodding his head.
“You think she’ll come home now?”
“Once I’m well away, I’m sure you’ll have word of her whereabouts from whoever is keeping her in hiding,” said Miles ambiguously.
“No doubt,” the girl’s father agreed absently. After glancing at the envelope for a moment, Sebastian put it in his pocket. “I think I knew from the moment I met you, that you were the kind of man who doesn’t give up on what he wants. You told me you wanted to try steamships and here you have one.”
“I feel just as strongly about your daughter. I’ll do what I must to marry her.”
“I know. You are a lot like me. That’s why I like you. You do what you have to do to win my daughter, young man, and as long as she agrees to marry you, you’ll have my consent.”
Sebastian shook the younger man’s hand as he bade him bon voyage before disembarking.
“Did you hear what he said, Captain Bloodworthy?” Miles asked.
“Aye, I heard,” Levi Bloodworthy said.
“Good. Remember it.”
~*~
Sebastian waited until the carriage pulled away from the curb to retrieve the letter from his pocket. He did not hesitate even a moment before he broke the seal and pulled out the contents. Blank. Damn scoundrel. Did he think he would object to letting Andrea sail with him? He wanted this marriage as much as Shamus. True, he would have wanted her chaperoned, but apparently, Miles was too intent on marrying her to take any chances. Suddenly, Sebastian laughed aloud. Damn, if he wouldn’t have done the same thing twenty years ago.
As he slowly sobered, he wondered if he would have known under the same circumstances that he was being followed by hired detectives. Probably not. Miles had no reason to suspect it. Sebastian had every reason to want to find out if Miles was the man he thought he was. He had been mildly disappointed when Miles didn’t tell him he found her, but since she had practically fallen into his lap by booking passage on his ship, he could
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