barely breathed. “I had a wonderful time.”
Both men had strange, soft smiles on their faces, and answered their welcomes in unison, one alto, one bass, as they made their way as quietly as possible out of the room. Wolf, for one, was just as happy to see them go, but he’d also enjoyed watching Hannah do something other than scowl at him or reach for a bucket. She was not quite up to par, but she was doing much better than she had been, or he would never have allowed this little gathering.
Despite her protestations, she was asleep minutes after he put her down, and Wolf decided to take a few minutes and go topside. He was nearly alone at the bow when he heard someone coming up behind him, and the rich scent of the Captain’s cigar wafted to his nostrils.
“May I offer you a cigar, your Lordship?” Gabriel held one out, his tone one of mocking deference.
Wolf turned, glaring at his friend and reluctantly reaching for the cigar. “You’d better be offering me something after the way you ogled my wife all afternoon,” he snarled, snatching it away from him and lighting it angrily.
“I thought you weren’t going to go after the woman who scorned you. What happened?” Gabriel needled with the ease of long time friendship.
Wolf hated to admit it, but he really didn’t know quite what had spurred his interest in this young woman. Perhaps it was the idea that she would just up and run from him, without even having the grace to meet him. Perhaps his ego was bruised. Whatever the reason, it didn’t really matter. They had been well and truly married by proxy and she was stuck with him, like it or not. That was reason enough for him to decide to collect her. And he wasn’t going to have her looking to Gabriel for comfort, who he knew would be all to happy to offer aid and comfort to his fledgling wife, and for some reason, that idea absolutely incensed him.
Normally, he would have hung around and enjoyed a leisurely smoke with his friend, but this time, he found his mind constantly returning to the small bundle under the covers in their room, besides the fact that he didn’t fancy trying to explain himself to Gabe, who would be all too happy to hear him stumble over his words.
Instead, he wandered back from whence he’d come. Hannah was still fast asleep, and he was hoping that she’d sleep all night. He hunkered down in the relatively uncomfortable wing backed chair he’d taken up residence in while she’d been sick, and settled into a book on ship design. With the money that was flowing into the family coffers from his lovely wife’s dowry, he had thought he might diversify the family’s investments into shipbuilding.
When Hannah awoke, several hours later, he was still in the same position, reading. She rose sleepily and went behind the dressing screen to use the chamber pot, which, even half asleep, still made her feel incredibly embarrassed to do while there was a man in the room – especially a man like him.
Seconds later, she rose and came to stand in front of him, her face a blazing red, teeth worrying a rosy lip. “I – I need - ”
He put the book down. She never asked him for anything, and he realized with a start that if she asked him for the moon at this moment, he’d find a way to get it for her. At the same time, he couldn’t think of what she might want – he still brought her food and drink. There wasn’t anything to buy in the middle of Atlantic Ocean.
A single tear leaked down her cheek, even though he could see that she was doing the best she could to stifle them. “I need - ” her voice was hoarse and so low he could barely make out the words. “ – rags.”
His face reflected his confusion. “Rags?” he repeated, watching her go another three shades of red darker. “Rags.” Wolf thought hard, and then it finally struck him. “Oh! Rags! I’ll be right back.”
She’d finally gotten her monthly, and if she lived through the mortification, he’d be able to
Both men had strange, soft smiles on their faces, and answered their welcomes in unison, one alto, one bass, as they made their way as quietly as possible out of the room. Wolf, for one, was just as happy to see them go, but he’d also enjoyed watching Hannah do something other than scowl at him or reach for a bucket. She was not quite up to par, but she was doing much better than she had been, or he would never have allowed this little gathering.
Despite her protestations, she was asleep minutes after he put her down, and Wolf decided to take a few minutes and go topside. He was nearly alone at the bow when he heard someone coming up behind him, and the rich scent of the Captain’s cigar wafted to his nostrils.
“May I offer you a cigar, your Lordship?” Gabriel held one out, his tone one of mocking deference.
Wolf turned, glaring at his friend and reluctantly reaching for the cigar. “You’d better be offering me something after the way you ogled my wife all afternoon,” he snarled, snatching it away from him and lighting it angrily.
“I thought you weren’t going to go after the woman who scorned you. What happened?” Gabriel needled with the ease of long time friendship.
Wolf hated to admit it, but he really didn’t know quite what had spurred his interest in this young woman. Perhaps it was the idea that she would just up and run from him, without even having the grace to meet him. Perhaps his ego was bruised. Whatever the reason, it didn’t really matter. They had been well and truly married by proxy and she was stuck with him, like it or not. That was reason enough for him to decide to collect her. And he wasn’t going to have her looking to Gabriel for comfort, who he knew would be all to happy to offer aid and comfort to his fledgling wife, and for some reason, that idea absolutely incensed him.
Normally, he would have hung around and enjoyed a leisurely smoke with his friend, but this time, he found his mind constantly returning to the small bundle under the covers in their room, besides the fact that he didn’t fancy trying to explain himself to Gabe, who would be all too happy to hear him stumble over his words.
Instead, he wandered back from whence he’d come. Hannah was still fast asleep, and he was hoping that she’d sleep all night. He hunkered down in the relatively uncomfortable wing backed chair he’d taken up residence in while she’d been sick, and settled into a book on ship design. With the money that was flowing into the family coffers from his lovely wife’s dowry, he had thought he might diversify the family’s investments into shipbuilding.
When Hannah awoke, several hours later, he was still in the same position, reading. She rose sleepily and went behind the dressing screen to use the chamber pot, which, even half asleep, still made her feel incredibly embarrassed to do while there was a man in the room – especially a man like him.
Seconds later, she rose and came to stand in front of him, her face a blazing red, teeth worrying a rosy lip. “I – I need - ”
He put the book down. She never asked him for anything, and he realized with a start that if she asked him for the moon at this moment, he’d find a way to get it for her. At the same time, he couldn’t think of what she might want – he still brought her food and drink. There wasn’t anything to buy in the middle of Atlantic Ocean.
A single tear leaked down her cheek, even though he could see that she was doing the best she could to stifle them. “I need - ” her voice was hoarse and so low he could barely make out the words. “ – rags.”
His face reflected his confusion. “Rags?” he repeated, watching her go another three shades of red darker. “Rags.” Wolf thought hard, and then it finally struck him. “Oh! Rags! I’ll be right back.”
She’d finally gotten her monthly, and if she lived through the mortification, he’d be able to
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