cast a glance over her shoulder at the ship and shuddered.
"Takes a while to get your balance back, doesn't it?" said Tony.
Diana stared up at him, wide-eyed, nodded, and then proceeded to stare at Tony. Not that Tony wasn't handsome, but her niece was staring as if she wanted to devour him.
"How was the trip?" asked Felicity.
"The trip was fine. Could we go?"
Felicity was taken back by the abruptness of her niece's request.
"Where is your baggage, Miss Fielding?" asked Tony.
Diana suddenly looked at her aunt. Felicity could see her throat work as her niece swallowed. Tears sprang up in the girl's eyes.
Felicity was torn between sympathy and an odd animosity that seemed to spring from nowhere.
"Mrs. Brown! Mrs. Brown, have you found your party?"
Diana flinched.
Felicity might not have separated the voice from the surrounding shouts and the screech of gulls around them if not for Diana's reaction.
Her niece spun around to stare up the gangplank, where a middle-aged man had started down. "That's the captain," she whispered, and her whisper wavered.
She closed her eyes and seemed to steel herself. She opened them and tossed a halfhearted wave in the captain's direction as if to say, "All is well." Then she turned a pleading gaze to Tony. "I believe the trunks are over there."
She strode across the dock to the growing pile of baggage and bandboxes being carried from the ship by the sailors.
Tony took off after her. Felicity started to follow when she heard the gruff voice behind her.
"You must be Mrs. Merriwether."
"Yes," Felicity answered while watching Tony lean close to Diana and hold out his elbow to her. Diana wrapped her arm around his and clung much too tightly to his arm.
Felicity nodded to the captain, aware that she hadn't heard above half of what he said. The masts of the ship creaked, and Felicity looked up, wondering if the ominous sound portended a fall of the mighty timbers holding the furled sails, or if the noise was just an expected sound of the ship.
"Mrs. Brown has been a great help during the voyage. She often took Miss Fielding her meals and the like."
"Very good," said Felicity.
"Miss Fielding was ill most of the voyage."
She had probably missed the explanation of who Mrs. Brown was, while she watched Tony bend solicitously toward Diana. She didn't like the way Diana leaned against him. She didn't like Tony's overly attentive manner toward her niece. The girl was pretty in a dark-eyed and dark-haired way Felicity hadn't expected.
She wanted to run over and interpose herself between them. Once upon a time she would have followed the impulse.
"If you need any more help with Miss Fielding, let me know."
Felicity jerked her head back toward the captain. "I'm sure we won't need any further assistance. Thank you so much for everything."
"If you would like me to show you to her cabin..." The captain gestured toward the gangplank. Felicity took one look at it and decided she really didn't like the idea of climbing up the narrow, sloped board with only cross slats for traction. She liked the idea of Tony navigating it even less.
No reason to board the ship. At least none more than the mild curiosity that tempted Felicity. "That will not be necessary."
Tony advanced toward her, alone, lurching around coiled ropes and cartons littering the dock.
"But..." said the captain.
"Felicity, your niece says she feels unwell. If you would like to take her home, I can see to her trunks."
The captain crinkled his forehead. Felicity thanked him again and hurried toward her carriage. She didn't have time to puzzle out that expression. She was too busy trying to ignore the relief she felt that Tony's care of her niece was probably due to Diana's state of health and not any amorous motives on his part.
Or Diana's.
* * *
Truth to tell, Meg suspected she was simply having hysterics or a fit of the vapors. She sat in the carriage, alternately wishing her newly acquired aunt would hurry or never arrive.
"Takes a while to get your balance back, doesn't it?" said Tony.
Diana stared up at him, wide-eyed, nodded, and then proceeded to stare at Tony. Not that Tony wasn't handsome, but her niece was staring as if she wanted to devour him.
"How was the trip?" asked Felicity.
"The trip was fine. Could we go?"
Felicity was taken back by the abruptness of her niece's request.
"Where is your baggage, Miss Fielding?" asked Tony.
Diana suddenly looked at her aunt. Felicity could see her throat work as her niece swallowed. Tears sprang up in the girl's eyes.
Felicity was torn between sympathy and an odd animosity that seemed to spring from nowhere.
"Mrs. Brown! Mrs. Brown, have you found your party?"
Diana flinched.
Felicity might not have separated the voice from the surrounding shouts and the screech of gulls around them if not for Diana's reaction.
Her niece spun around to stare up the gangplank, where a middle-aged man had started down. "That's the captain," she whispered, and her whisper wavered.
She closed her eyes and seemed to steel herself. She opened them and tossed a halfhearted wave in the captain's direction as if to say, "All is well." Then she turned a pleading gaze to Tony. "I believe the trunks are over there."
She strode across the dock to the growing pile of baggage and bandboxes being carried from the ship by the sailors.
Tony took off after her. Felicity started to follow when she heard the gruff voice behind her.
"You must be Mrs. Merriwether."
"Yes," Felicity answered while watching Tony lean close to Diana and hold out his elbow to her. Diana wrapped her arm around his and clung much too tightly to his arm.
Felicity nodded to the captain, aware that she hadn't heard above half of what he said. The masts of the ship creaked, and Felicity looked up, wondering if the ominous sound portended a fall of the mighty timbers holding the furled sails, or if the noise was just an expected sound of the ship.
"Mrs. Brown has been a great help during the voyage. She often took Miss Fielding her meals and the like."
"Very good," said Felicity.
"Miss Fielding was ill most of the voyage."
She had probably missed the explanation of who Mrs. Brown was, while she watched Tony bend solicitously toward Diana. She didn't like the way Diana leaned against him. She didn't like Tony's overly attentive manner toward her niece. The girl was pretty in a dark-eyed and dark-haired way Felicity hadn't expected.
She wanted to run over and interpose herself between them. Once upon a time she would have followed the impulse.
"If you need any more help with Miss Fielding, let me know."
Felicity jerked her head back toward the captain. "I'm sure we won't need any further assistance. Thank you so much for everything."
"If you would like me to show you to her cabin..." The captain gestured toward the gangplank. Felicity took one look at it and decided she really didn't like the idea of climbing up the narrow, sloped board with only cross slats for traction. She liked the idea of Tony navigating it even less.
No reason to board the ship. At least none more than the mild curiosity that tempted Felicity. "That will not be necessary."
Tony advanced toward her, alone, lurching around coiled ropes and cartons littering the dock.
"But..." said the captain.
"Felicity, your niece says she feels unwell. If you would like to take her home, I can see to her trunks."
The captain crinkled his forehead. Felicity thanked him again and hurried toward her carriage. She didn't have time to puzzle out that expression. She was too busy trying to ignore the relief she felt that Tony's care of her niece was probably due to Diana's state of health and not any amorous motives on his part.
Or Diana's.
* * *
Truth to tell, Meg suspected she was simply having hysterics or a fit of the vapors. She sat in the carriage, alternately wishing her newly acquired aunt would hurry or never arrive.
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