Chapter Three #3
‘Because I’m their youngest sister,’ she replied.
‘The baby of the family. The one who they claim can’t think for herself because she’ll make the wrong decisions, the wrong choices, even though they sent her away to Bath for four years, to Miss Ada’s Finishing School for Young Ladies, to learn everything there is to know about being a proper lady. ’
It was impossible to miss the disdain in her tone. It was also impossible not to smile at how she’d spoken about herself in the third person. ‘You didn’t enjoy your time at school?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said, squirming to remain on the seat.
‘At the time, I thought I hadn’t, because I hadn’t wanted to leave home.
However, since returning, I wonder if those had been the best years of my life.
Since my father died, that is. Before his death, life was grand.
’ She pressed a hand to her mouth, but only momentarily before returning it to clutch onto the seat again.
‘Forgive me, Captain Taylor. I’m normally not so outspoken. Especially with a mere stranger.’
‘Please call me Drake. And after winning a game of croquet together, I wouldn’t consider myself a mere stranger.’
‘Perhaps not, but I do imagine that you think I’m quite immature, carrying on as I have since the moment you walked in the door of my brother’s house.’
The more Meridith talked, the more he wanted to know, and the more he wanted to get to know her.
The real her. Not the one she thought she was, nor the one her siblings saw her as.
‘Well, let’s get a few things straight. For one, I don’t think you look like a rosebush.
I think you look very lovely, and if it would make you feel more comfortable, I will loan you my knife and close my eyes so you can cut the belt holding that bustle around your waist. You can leave it here in the coach and I won’t ever tell another living soul.
For two, I don’t think you are immature.
I think you are frustrated that your family still sees you as a young girl instead of a woman with her own mind.
For three, I think you are bright enough and bold enough to stand up for yourself, and I can imagine that gets you in trouble at times. ’
Meridith’s eyes had grown wide, and her lips were parted, as if she was prepared to speak, but wasn’t sure what to say. After a moment, she shook her head and sighed. ‘It does at times, and most certainly would tonight. My sisters would be beside themselves if I cut off my bustle.’
He shrugged. ‘I was merely thinking of your comfort. If something made me that uncomfortable, I’d get rid of it and not give a care as to what others thought.’
‘Do you have any siblings, Captain Taylor?’
‘No, but I do have three cousins that I was raised with. Archibald, the Duke of Rayburn, and his two sisters, Grace, who is the Countess of Grahamshire, and Della, who is the Marchioness of Richmond Park.’
‘I have met your cousins,’ she said. ‘The Countess and Marchioness are beautiful and gracious. I only met the Duke of Rayburn once, but I’m sure he’s upstanding.’
‘I wouldn’t call Archibald upstanding, but I do agree about Grace and Della. You’ll see them all at the ball tonight, and between you and I, if either Grace or Della were in your position, they’d take me up on my offer of the knife.’
‘They would?’
He smiled, thinking about his cousins, who were nothing like their brother. ‘Absolutely. They wouldn’t care what anyone thought, least of all their brother or me.’
After a moment of thoughtful silence, she asked, ‘And you’ll close your eyes?’
Using a hand, he made an X over his chest. ‘Cross my heart and swear that my lips are sealed forever.’
She bit down on her bottom lip, as if that would help her make up her mind or perhaps stop her from doing so.
Either way, he reached down, pulled up his pantleg, and retrieved the knife he always carried in the sewn-in leather pocket of his boots. ‘There is one condition.’
Her shoulders slumped slightly. ‘What is that?’
‘Only that you agree to address me as Drake, as I’ve already requested. I’d like to consider us friends, or at least acquaintances. Anything other than strangers after this.’
A genuine smile appeared on her lips, but it was the moment when their eyes met that he felt a deep and unique connection with her.
‘Deal,’ she said, holding out a hand. Then, as if an afterthought, she added, ‘Drake.’
He flipped the knife around and handed it to her handle first. Then, as promised, he closed his eyes. In case she needed room to stand up, he also shifted his legs, making as much space in the center of the coach as possible. ‘Let me know if you need any help.’
‘I can manage.’
‘I’m sure you can, but that’s a sharp knife, so be careful.’ He heard the rustling of material, and some muffled grunting. Doing his best not to peek, he asked, ‘Are you doing all right?’
‘Yes. Do you always carry a knife in your boot?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘I’m a sea captain. I’m cutting ropes and tarps, bags of cargo, and many other things on a regular basis.’
‘I suspect you are.’ More grunting sounded before she asked, ‘What’s the name of your boat?’
‘Ship,’ he corrected. ‘It’s the London Star.’
‘Why did you name it that?’
She sounded breathless, causing him to ask, ‘Still doing all right?’ He was doing his best to keep his eyes closed—and to keep himself from imagining what was being exposed while Meridith relieved herself of the bustle. That truly was an article of clothing he’d never understand.
‘Mm-hm,’ she replied.
‘Is that a yes or a no?’
‘Yes.’ A loud sigh followed her answer. ‘Why the London Star?’
‘It was named that when I took over as captain. My uncle named her shortly after she was built. She’s a cutter, but if all goes well, I’ll be captaining a steamer by this time next year.
’ He clamped his lips together and shook his head, surprised that he’d just told her that.
Currently, besides him, only a handful of men at the company he’d commissioned to build the new steamer in Bristol knew about his plans.
‘What will the name of that ship be?’
She didn’t sound breathless anymore, nor was there any sound of rustling skirts. ‘I don’t have any idea,’ he replied, fighting the desire to open one eye for a peek her way. ‘I’ll have to wait until I see her.’
‘When will that be?’
‘As soon as they are done building her.’ He forced himself to think about making a trip to Bristol as soon as possible to check on the ship’s progress, instead of…anything else. He wouldn’t even be able to do that until his new partnership was securely in place.
‘You may open your eyes now.’
He did so and blinked several times as his pupils adjusted to the light again.
Now sitting directly across from him, Meridith held out the knife.
Drake took it and noticed what looked like a good-sized pillow, rolled-up and sitting on the bench beside her.
‘That was under your dress? No wonder you couldn’t sit back. It’s as big as the seat is wide.’
‘I know! That’s why I was hanging on to the edge, and I can’t begin to tell you how much more comfortable it is to sit without it.’
‘I can imagine.’ He stuck the knife back in his boot.
‘Thank you very much for the knife and the suggestion. I daresay I’ll be able to walk now.’
‘That’s what was making you take such small steps?’
‘Yes. The bustle made the dress tight around the hips. It truly was confining.’
‘Why do women torture themselves like that?’ he asked, genuinely perplexed.
‘I have no idea,’ she said. ‘Fashion is what they claim, but what’s the use of being fashionable when you can’t walk or breathe or sit?’
‘You tell me,’ he said.
‘I would if I knew,’ she replied.
The seriousness of her expression was so genuine, he couldn’t stop himself from letting out a chuckle. At first her giggle was muffled, but soon they were both laughing. A solid, genuine laugh, one that left them both sighing as it ended.
‘I daresay, Meridith,’ Drake said, still smiling, ‘you are truly a unique young woman.’
‘As much as I’d like to, I can’t confirm that to be true,’ she said. ‘But thank you for saying it and thank you for agreeing to escort me tonight. It’s already been more enjoyable than I’d imagined it would be.’
‘You are most welcome, and I agree, it has already been more enjoyable than I’d imagined, too.’ He stood up and lifted the top of his bench seat. ‘Hand me the evidence. We’ll hide it in here.’
Giggling again, she handed him the bustle, and he shoved it in the storage box, then lowered the lid and sat back down. ‘I’ll see that it’s returned to you, discreetly, of course.’