Chapter Eight
“I agree that Georgie should not travel on her own, but I cannot be away from Trade Wynd.” Sterling had lost his mind for even suggesting that he accompany Georgie anywhere.
Further, it would require that he be gone from Trade Wynd for at least three days and while he had been absent for longer lengths of time, it had always been planned in advance and Damian had prepared Trade Wynd for his absence. He simply could not disappear without warning.
“I will take her to the coaching inns and make inquires, but that is all.”
“She cannot travel alone and it was one of our sailors who brought about this current circumstance,” Sterling reminded him.
“Who is going to run Trade Wynd in my absence?”
“I know the company as well as you and it will hardly suffer in your absence.” Sterling dismissed Damian’s concern.
As much as Damian would like to argue, Sterling was correct.
They’d been taught, equally, by their father, so that someone would be able to take over without interruption when the time came.
And, since his return, Sterling was in the offices daily, or on the docks, or inspecting cargo.
He may be an earl by title, but he was a merchant to his bones.
Blast!
He did not want to be away from Trade Wynd, nor did he want to be Georgie’s companion for reasons he did not want to examine too closely. He only knew that if he spent more time in her company, the organized life that he had enjoyed could be disrupted beyond repair.
He did not know how, and it was likely a foolish notion, but everything within warned that she would be a disruption from which he would never recover if he did not distance himself from her immediately.
It was also too dangerous for her to travel to London alone. Georgie was an innocent miss that knew nothing of England, or London, where anything could happen to the unsuspecting.
Bloody hell!
With any luck, they would be able to locate Harold Fisher and Georgie’s sister quickly so that the two could be reunited.
He would even purchase passage for both to sail to Carrera and then he could return home.
As for Harold, he would be informed that he would never be welcomed at Trade Wynd again.
“I do not need anyone to accompany me,” Georgie insisted. “Besides, I have already prevailed upon you enough.”
Damian ignored her. “If I am to accompany Georgie to London, why take a mail coach when we can take the carriage?”
“That is not possible as we only have one,” Sterling answered.
“That you do not use,” Damian reminded his brother. “You ride your horse whenever you go into town or to the Trade Wynd offices.”
“What of me?” Caroline asked.
“You ride as often as he does.”
“Except for shopping, or when I attend a tea, or when I have Livia with me, or when the weather is poor.” It was true that the carriage had been used more often since Caroline’s arrival, but it still sat for days.
“Very well,” he gave in. “We will ride to London.”
“On horses?” Georgie’s brown eyes widened in surprise.
“No, cows,” Damian grumbled.
“I have never ridden a horse,” she said quietly, much to his surprise.
“Never?” Everyone he knew had ridden a horse at one time in their life.
Georgie shrugged. “There was never any reason to. We walked everywhere and nothing was overly far.”
Blast!
“Besides, it does not matter. I will travel on my own and you may remain here since it is clear you want me gone and no longer a disruption to your schedule.”
“You assume you have a choice,” Damian retorted to which Caroline snorted.
“I most certainly do.” Georgie straightened and glared at him. “And that is the second time you have made such a statement to me. You have no authority over me.”
“Sterling said that to me once.” She then turned to Georgie. “Let him travel with you. It will save much argument because no matter what, Damian will board the mail coach whether you want him to or not.”
“It is not necessary,” she insisted.
“Ah, but it is,” Sterling added. “The Port of London is large, and not always safe. I am not at all comfortable with you wandering around there looking for your sister. Damian knows the area, the different ships, crews, captains, and merchants. He would likely find out the information quicker than you.”
Again, Sterling was correct. The only thing worse than Georgie traveling on a mail coach alone was her wandering the docks alone, no matter how she was dressed
“Excuse me.” Damian pushed his chair back and went in search of the butler to send a footman into town. “We need schedules for mail coaches to London.”
“I can provide that for you, Mr. Wynd, if you will but excuse me.”
“Yes…of course.” He frowned while the butler walked away and then returned to the dining room. “George has one.”
Perhaps that was how servants traveled since they did not own carriages.
George returned a moment later. “The mail coach to London leaves at seven in the morning, tomorrow, from the Star Hotel. The next one will be in three days.”
“Please have a footman go there and purchase passage for me and Miss Georgiana.”
Had there not been a mail coach tomorrow, no doubt Georgie would have started walking to London. She did not seem to be a very patient person. However, at least the three days would have given him the opportunity to see that Trade Wynd was prepared for his absence.
Once dinner was concluded, Damian followed Sterling to his library for port, though he would not be surprised if Caroline joined them, as she had a habit of doing and Sterling never minded. Though she usually drank wine in the evening.
“If anyone recognizes you on the mail coach there will be rumors,” Sterling warned as he pressed a glass into Damian’s hand.
“You should have considered that before you insisted that I accompany her and denied me the carriage.” Even if it wasn’t on the coach, whispers would begin once he started to search the waterfront with Georgie.
“Just because others may be curious does not mean that I am obligated to answer any inquires,” he responded.
“What of you traveling alone with a woman?” Sterling asked. “Such could harm Georgie’s reputation.”
“Then allow me use of the carriage!” Damian returned.
If his brother did not like the idea of him and Georgie on a mail coach, he should have never insisted in the first place.
Then again, being alone in a carriage with Georgie for the hours it would take to travel to London might not be so wise either.
She was a desirable, though irritating, woman.
Though, while temptation may rise, he was also an honorable gentleman which meant the many hours between here and the Port of London might be the longest of his life.
“I have already explained that it is impossible,” Sterling returned.
“Then quit reminding me of the problems you see now when you are the one who suggested the mail coach in the first place.” Sterling was nearly as aggravating as Georgie at this point.
“I had not considered the damage to her reputation,” Sterling explained.
“As I have no intention of remaining in England after I have found my sister, that should not be a concern,” Georgie announced as she and Caroline entered the library.
He could just imagine the attention she would receive from any man, especially if they were bachelors, who shared the inside of the mail coach with them. It would not matter if he was seated beside her or not. They would lust after her. Of that, he had no doubt.
If others thought her to be his mistress, they would wonder why they were not traveling by private coach, which Damian always provided, then sold when the relationship came to an end because it was too costly to maintain not only the carriage, but the horses, and retain a driver if no one was ever going to make use of the conveyance.
Everyone knew that he did not have a sister, his female cousins were known, and there would be no purpose for him to accompany a servant…
Damian turned to his brother to note the humor in his blue eyes. No doubt Sterling understood the dilemma and difficulty of traveling with a fetching woman. Yet, he was the one who insisted that he go.
“Mr. Wynd,” the footman who he had sent into town addressed him from the entry. “I was able to purchase passage.” He held out documents.
Damian took them from the footman. “Did you need to provide a name?” He assumed that it was necessary but as he had never traveled by mail coach before, he was not certain of the protocol.
“I explained that Lord Wyndham needed them for a guest,” the footman responded. “There were several people near and I did not believe you would want others to know your plans.”
His family was private when it came to personal matters, which each servant knew.
“Thank you.” Damian dismissed the footman. “I suppose we must leave by five if we are to arrive at the Star Hotel in time.”
“Make use of the carriage,” Wyndham insisted.
“I thought I was not allowed,” Damian reminded him bitterly.
A part of him suspected that Sterling was denying him the carriage for reasons other than stated, but he could think of no purpose for him to do so except to simply make Damian’s life difficult, which he had enjoyed doing when they were younger.
Except, it wasn’t just Damian who would suffer by riding on a mail coach but Georgie as well.
Sterling rolled his eyes. “You are only going into town, to which I have no objection, not all the way to London.” He crossed to the bellpull to summon the butler.
“Have the carriage readied for a six o’clock departure,” Damian instructed when he appeared. “And see that I am awakened in time, as well as Miss Georgie.”
He usually rose before the sun because the days started early on the docks, but he did not want to risk tomorrow being the first time he slept later than normal and then miss the mail coach. He’d likely never hear the end of it from Georgie. Or worse, she would go on without him.
*
Georgie hardly slept despite her exhaustion. She was too worried about Grace and afraid that a servant wouldn’t wake her.