Chapter Twenty-Six
Not only had he slept through the night and awakened quite pleasantly, but Damian also couldn’t remember being this humored in the morning.
When in Southampton, he was already thinking about what needed to be done at Trade Wynd, what ships were due into port and which ones were leaving before he got out of bed in the morning.
Today, he gave little thought to their import-export business and privately chuckled about how Georgie was clearly flustered.
Yes, she ordered him about each day, her one focus on finding Grace, but there was something different about her today.
Nervousness!
She was likely trying to come to terms with how she had awakened and likely quite shocked, if not horrified, and praying that he never learned that she had practically slept on him.
Damian chuckled again as he descended the stairs before he made inquiries into a private room where he and Georgie could dine then returned upstairs to inform Georgie.
He then saw to it that his valise was packed with his discarded clothing from the day before, retrieved the satchel Cook had once filled with foodstuffs, noting that there was still another, unopened bottle of wine within, and then took Georgie’s valise and escorted her down to the private dining room.
“We could have eaten in the common room,” she suggested. “It is odd to be dining privately when we could have done so upstairs.”
Except there wasn’t a bed in this room and he had been tempted enough since he left Southampton.
“We will be more comfortable in here,” he promised, then led her to the table and pulled the chair out for her before taking his own seat.
“Would you care for coffee or tea?” Damian asked when the servant arrived to ask which of their choices they would partake of that morning.
A look of near ecstasy came over her features. “Coffee,” she answered on a breath.
Georgie was once again a surprise. He had expected her to ask for tea, or ale, but she reacted as if coffee was gold.
“I have not had coffee since I left Carrera. There wasn’t a day that I did not enjoy a cup or more at home.”
“I wish I would have known because we could have found some earlier.”
“It is not important,” she quickly assured him, but when the coffee was delivered, she lifted the cup to her nose, closed her eyes and inhaled. Pure peace on her face, before she sipped. And, as she always did when tasting something delicious, quietly moaned.
Would she moan in ecstasy? Damian wondered, as he took a drink of his coffee, and then pushed the thought away.
Georgie took another drink then set her cup aside, the earlier happiness gone and now concern filled her brown eyes. He should not be surprised. This was not a holiday, nor truly an adventure.
“After we find Grace, can we take time to book passage for me and my sister to Italy?”
His heart seized, something that had never happened to him before. Was this panic or was he suddenly suffering from heart failure? Damian had heard that in some cases it could come on quickly. But that usually happened to people much older than him.
No, it was panic because Georgie mentioned her return to Italy.
He did not want her to leave yet. He did not know everything about her and he wanted to know everything.
How was it possible that he had gotten so attached in five days? Such should not even be possible, but he had and he wasn’t ready to let her go.
“Damian, is something wrong?”
He blinked and tried to form words but could not speak since he did not dare admit the direction of his thoughts. Georgie would certainly be surprised and likely taken aback.
“What has you worried? Do you fear we will not find Grace? Do you think it is too late?”
Now she was growing anxious, and it was his fault.
“I am certain she is still in England and you will likely find her today.” He offered a smile of reassurance, which only caused his heart to ache.
“And then will you help me book passage home?”
“Yes, of course,” he answered just as their breakfast of eggs, kippers, and bread was placed before them.
“Are you eager to arrive back in Italy,” he asked.
“I have not even had time to miss home, if I am to be honest,” she answered. “I have been too caught up with worrying about Grace.”
“I was once told that nothing is worse than a parent worrying about a child. I think those comments are made by people who never had to worry about siblings.”
Georgie frowned. “Do you worry about yours?”
“Only Jules,” he finally answered.
“Which one is he?” she asked. “You have four do you not?”
He couldn’t remember if he had told her about his brothers, but she knew enough about Trade Wynd and that it sailed in and out of Southampton, and she had met Sterling in Italy, so it was possible she had learned about his siblings as well.
“Jules is the fourth born,” he answered. “Father had wanted him to take over management of Wyndview Farm but Jules wanted to attend The Accademia dell Belle Arti.”
Georgie pulled back. “I do not believe you.”
“I had forgotten the name of the school until you mentioned it and since you were telling me about your father, I did not want to interrupt you.”
“Was he interested in architecture?” Georgie asked.
Damian chuckled. “He is an artist. He started carving marble when he was just a boy after father had given him a piece that had broken off and could not be sold. From that moment on, Jules was at the docks as soon as any ship arrived from Carrera hoping that some marble had been damaged so that he could have it.”
Jules had been such a happy child, so excited for those ships to come in and eager to keep sculpting. Damian smiled remembering how his young brother had been during a more innocent time.
“He wanted to study art. Father wanted him to manage Wyndview Farm. They argued often and for days and after one terrible row, Jules left. He was eighteen and joined the footguards with his closest friend.”
“Why would he do that when he wanted to sculpt.”
“I think Jules believed that if he could not do what he wanted, then he would not give father the satisfaction of following his orders. However, it wasn’t until he returned from Waterloo that we became worried.
He had changed. We had expected him to marry his childhood sweetheart, but instead, he has become a hermit and spends his time sculpting. ”
“I am sorry that you have reason for concern, which is why I hope even more that we find Grace today so that you can return to your brother.” Georgie reached out and placed her hand over his then quickly withdrew it.
Damian wished that she hadn’t. He would like the comfort of her hand, even her arms.
“And, if Jules one day decides that he wishes to attend The Accademia dell Belle Arti, make certain that you send him to Accetta Panetteria and have him ask for me. I will make certain that he is fed and taken care of while in Carrera.”
Damian chuckled. He wasn’t certain Jules would ever leave the estate, let alone travel to Italy. Besides, if anyone was going to visit Carrera, it would be him.
Damian pulled back at that thought. He had no reason to sail somewhere and he was not going to be as foolish as Georgie’s sister and chase someone across the Atlantic after having known them only a short time.
*
Georgie wished that she could do or say something that would make Damian feel better, but having not even met Jules, there was little that she could offer. However, she did understand the worry and it was likely just as heavy as what she carried for Grace.
She drank the rest of her coffee and pushed her empty plate aside. Damian was also done with his meal. “Shall we call on your friend?”
“Yes.”
No doubt he wanted his mind off his brother since there was nothing he could do so far away.
Once they were outside of the coaching inn, Damian hailed a hackney and gave directions to Chisholm Shipping offices and it wasn’t long before they were along the waterfront with ships docked and sailors and workers moving about and calling out orders—much the same as it had been in Southampton.
“Let us hope that Chisholm is here and will be of service,” Damian said just before they entered the office.
Georgie took a deep breath, more to calm her nerves than anything else. Each time they went somewhere that Grace was to have gone, she had gotten her hopes up, only for them to be dashed. She tried not to let that happen today.
“Would Mr. Ewan Chisholm be in?” Damian asked the clerk at the front counter.
“Who is asking?” the man returned.
“Tell him that Mr. Damian Wynd is here to see him.”
“Wynd!” a loud boisterous voice bellowed from an office behind the clerk. “Come in!”
Damian chuckled and then accompanied Georgie into the office where a large man loomed behind a desk.
“Why are you in Liverpool? You had better not be thinking about opening offices or putting a warehouse here.”
“No more than I would want you in Southampton,” he retorted.
“Then we understand each other.” The man gave a nod then motioned to the chairs before his desk. Only after Georgie had taken a seat did he settle in his chair.
“Then why are you here and why are you carrying luggage? Do you need passage somewhere?”
Damian glanced at Georgie before he answered “We are looking for my wife’s sister. We learned that she and a Mr. Harold Fisher came to Liverpool from London. He is hoping to hire on a ship to America where his wife could travel as a passenger.”
Georgie had never claimed that Grace was Fisher’s wife, and they had no idea if the two had married but she appreciated Damian protecting her sister’s reputation.
“Aye. I met him.”
Georgie sat forward.
“Was Grace with him?”
“I did not get her name, but I sent them to Greenock. It is the only place where our ships sail out of to America.”
She should have known that it would not be so easy to find Grace. How many more times would she learn where her sister had been and where she was going until they finally caught up to her?
“How long ago was this?” Damian asked.
“Three days, I suppose.”
“Did you hire him? Will they have passage to America?”
“Aye, I did because he had worked for Trade Wynd and since I knew you did not have passenger ships, assumed that was why he came to me.”
Georgie drew in a breath. “Has the ship sailed?”
“No. It will not leave for a fortnight, but he was sent there to get familiar and begin work on the ship until it sails.”
Everything in her relaxed. They were only three days behind and her sister would not leave for another two weeks. Certainly, they could arrive in Greenock in time to stop her.
“How quickly can we get to Greenock?” she asked Damian.
“Do you even know where that is?” he asked with a chuckle.
“No, nor does it matter because that is where we are going.” She turned her attention to Chisholm. “We really need to reach my sister before she sails. How far away is Greenock?” Georgie asked while dread surfaced at the idea of spending even more time on a mail coach.
“Two hundred and fifty miles,” Chisholm answered and Georgie nearly groaned. That was even farther than when they had traveled from London.
“How long by mail coach,” she asked with defeat.
“Three or four days. Your sister and brother-in-law are likely to arrive there soon, if they have not already.
Tears threatened at the very idea of enduring such a long journey among strangers even though Damian would likely insist on accompanying her. Except, at least she knew that Grace would be at the destination when they did arrive, instead of hoping that she was there, which helped.
Chisholm chuckled. “There is a more comfortable way to travel,”
“Ship?” Damian asked.
“My recently acquired steamboat. The longest it has taken to reach Greenock has been forty-eight hours due to inclement weather, but the trip is usually made between twenty-four and thirty-six hours, which is why I now use it to travel back and forth instead of a post chaise.”
“Only a day?” she asked in disbelief.
“Or two, at the most,” Chisholm reminded her.
Even two days on a ship were far better than days in a mail coach.
“May we book passage, please?” Georgie asked.
“I heard they are not always safe,” Damian said, dampening some of her enthusiasm.
“There have been accidents with some and it is a new way to travel,” Chisholm acknowledged.
“What were the accidents and was anyone injured or killed?” Georgia asked.
“In April, the Telegraph exploded killing and injuring several people in Norwich,” Damian answered.
Georgie gasped as her eyes grew large with alarm.
“The stress of the steam was greater than the boiler was capable of sustaining. We have inspected ours and are confident we do not have the same issue or risk,” Chisholm assured them. “In fact, it has made the same trip back and forth to Greenock many times without incident.”
“What about the Regent?” Damian asked.
“Another steamship?” Georgie asked with concern.
“Yes. It caught fire in July, but no one died.”
“There was not sufficient fireproof lining between the chimney and deck beams. It is something we do not lack,” Chisholm promised.
“Two steamships,” Georgie clarified, rather alarmed, and not so certain that she wanted to travel by steamboat. If Damian decided that it was unsafe, then she would go by mail coach no matter how long a journey or uncomfortable she would be.
“I can assure you that we have taken every precaution so that our steamships are safe, nor do we attempt foolish acts as trying to race another steamship. That is certain to cause an overload and overtaxing that could lead to an explosion. The ships are too expensive to risk them being destroyed.”
Damian studied his friend for a moment and then nodded. “How soon can we leave?”
Chisholm left his office to consult with his clerk before he returned.
“All the cabins are claimed on the steam ship leaving tonight,” Chisholm announced and Georgie’s heart sank.
“However, and because Wynd here is a friend, you may have use of the cabin I keep for myself when making the trip.”
Thank goodness, but that would also mean that she and Damian would be sharing a bed again.
“When would it return and leave again?” She did not want to delay her journey to Grace, but it wasn’t fair that Damian may be forced to share a bed with her a second time.
He had almost slept on the floor last night.
“Once the ship returns, it will not sail back to Greenock for another sennight.”
Georgie glanced at Damian. He would need to be the one to decide since there was no longer a pressing need because Grace would be there regardless of whether they left tonight or in a week.