Chapter Twenty-Seven
One cabin. After he had awakened this morning, with Georgie curled about him, Damian wasn’t certain that he could endure the same. Not that he would act on his desires, but that did not lessen the fact that he wanted Georgie with a need he had never experienced with any other woman.
He could sleep out on deck and under the stars. It was something he did recall doing when they had sailed from the Cape Colony, and he might just find that was the perfect way to sleep as they sailed to Scotland.
Damian glanced at Georgie. He already knew she would demand to leave tonight instead of waiting even though her sister would be in Greenock for another fortnight.
“We will leave tonight. How much for passage?” Damian asked as he reached for his purse.
“For you, my friend, there is no cost. This will give you the opportunity to inspect the ship and review the precautions and see how it works so that you might make a better formed decision for Trade Wynd.”
“Why would you do that?” Georgie asked. “Are the two of you not in competition?”
“Rarely do we cross paths, as our ports are in different parts of the country. And my imports and exports are reduced because we also take passengers. Trade Wynd does not.”
The idea of using steamships had been discussed, but Damian was reluctant to make the investment since they sailed across oceans, not up coasts or the River Thames and other such waterways.
But, to have further knowledge than simply reading about the ships may help alter his opinion.
“Thank you. I will take you up on your offer.”
“Excellent!” Chisholm grinned. “Now, I insist that you join me and my wife for dinner. It will allow us more time to visit before you continue your journey.”
It was still morning. What were they to do until then? And, he and Georgie had two satchels and two valises with them, not something that he wanted to carry about as it would mark them as travelers and draw too much attention.
“Is there somewhere that we may wait until then?”
Chisholm pulled back, his green eyes wide. “Wait? Why would you want to sit and wait somewhere?”
Damian lifted the two valises. “I would prefer not to carry these around with me everywhere.”
“Leave them with me. You can return and collect them when we journey to my home, which should be near four.”
Damian looked over at Georgie. He would certainly enjoy walking about Liverpool just to visit the bustling port city since he had never been here before and assumed that she would not mind the exercise either after being forced to sit on a mail coach for so long.
Except, that was an assumption with no facts on which to base it.
“Which would you prefer?” he asked.
“It would be good to walk about and visit a new town while I have the opportunity.”
He smiled. He had judged her correctly. Damian turned back to his friend. “I will take you up on your offer. Where do you suggest that we visit?”
He chuckled. “There are several streets where there are merchants, coffee houses, and the like. Enjoy your day and we will travel to my home later today.”
It did sound like an excellent idea, and Damian rather looked forward to spending time with Georgie where they could simply be and enjoy without having to rush so that they did not miss a mail coach, or avoid conversation because others were too near to overhear.
He escorted her out of Chisholm’s office after his friend gave him further directions then offered her his arm. “Docks, or shopping.”
“I cannot afford to shop,” she reminded him, but he could and there was one thing that he had noticed that Georgie needed.
“We shall stroll and stop when we see something of interest.”
She smiled and Damian realized that this was the most relaxed that he had seen her. The concern for her sister had faded from her brown eyes. There was no tension about her mouth and chin, and her shoulders were down as if she had finally released a weight of worry.
*
Liverpool was a bustling town of sailors and merchants in which Georgie took delight.
Though, she was certain that her improved mood had much to do with the fact that she would catch up to Grace as soon as tomorrow evening or the following day, but certainly no longer than that, and then all would be well.
That allowed her to enjoy her new surroundings as she walked along, her hand on Damian’s arm, as she peered into shop windows and enjoyed the aromas coming from inside pastry shops and confectioners.
However, where she may have only looked into a merchant’s window to see their wares, she pulled Damian into a pastry shop and looked over the array of items being offered for purchase.
“Is there something that you would like?” he asked.
“Oh, no. I simply wanted to look,” she assured him. “I want to see what they sell so that I might tell my father so he could have the information to add it to what he experienced in France.”
The shop was quite busy, but she took her time to study the items on display from fruit tarts and pudding pies, cakes and biscuits. Oh, then she saw the macaroons and her mouth watered.
For a moment she weighed if she should spend her precious funds on something so frivolous, then decided that she would. She had been thrifty, for the most part, with her funds, which she would not have been able to do without Damian.
She then stepped to the counter and asked for half a dozen.
“Have you ever had a macaroon?” Damian asked as he drew to her side.
“Yes, they are a favorite,” she confessed. “They will also be something we can enjoy while we sail north in the event we find ourselves hungry.”
“Then might I suggest we also purchase hot cross buns as well since they are my favorite.”
She was familiar with buns, of course, since she was a baker, but not a hot crossed bun. “What is that?”
“They are a small, spiced bun, that are traditionally only eaten at the end of Lent, and I am rather surprised to find them here,” he answered.
“How are the spiced?” Georgie asked out of curiosity. Might they do well in her father’s bakery in Italy even though they were an English bun?
“I will let you tell me.” He grinned as he requested six.
Was he going to test her knowledge of spices?
Well, Georgie had no doubt that she would be able to identify everything used to bake the bun because she experimented with flavors often as she helped her father plan for the future of Accetta Panetteria.
And, if she liked these, it would be another baked item that she could provide.
When it came time to pay for their items, Damian again insisted on covering the cost of her macaroons.
“You really must stop paying for my things,” she insisted once they were back out on the walk.
She should not take advantage of his generosity. Already he had sacrificed so much to see that she found her sister. Especially since he had not wanted to come along in the first place.
“Your funds are limited, mine are not.”
He was correct though she had no idea how wealthy he truly was.
“Besides, this is an adventure and as I have never been to Liverpool, and neither have you, and our worries are fewer than they were this morning, I suggest we enjoy.”
Georgie had not seen this side of Damian previously.
He had moments when he was pleasant, but he seemed rather…
happy. Then again, he also knew that any obligation he took on as it related to her would truly soon come to an end and that he would be able to return to the life he enjoyed before he had encountered her.
“Very well,” she said after a moment. “I shall not argue with you again.”
Damian snorted. “I have no doubt that by the time we board the steamship to Greenock that you will have argued with me no less than five times.”
She gasped and drew back. She may pretend to be insulted, but she knew that he had good reason to make such a statement, therefore, she would make certain that no fractious words crossed her lips for the rest of the day
Besides, she was happy too. Her worries were relieved and as he said, this was an adventure.
“Come along.” He tugged on her arm and they wandered further down the street until they came to a bookshop. He turned and arched an eyebrow.
“I have a book,” she reminded him.
“It also puts you to sleep. Save it for when slumber is illusive.” Damian then pulled her into the shop.
Oh, she would love to purchase another book, one that held her interest, and it would be nice to have when she and Grace sailed back to Italy. Though she would be with her sister and there were many things to discuss, there would be times when there was nothing to say, which could become tedious.
After she had perused the shelves, Georgie had settled on two options and now held both and tried to decide which she would enjoy better.
One was Emma apparently written by the same author, who remained anonymous, of Pride and Prejudice.
Had she read that novel, she might know if she would enjoy Emma.
The other was Glenarvon, a gothic novel, also published anonymously.
Why didn’t English authors want their names known?
“You will find either of those more interesting than the book you have been forcing yourself to read on principle.” He chuckled.
“Have you read them?” At least if Damian could offer a recommendation, then she would know which one to choose.
“No.”
“Then how do you know they are more interesting?” she demanded.
“Because Pride and Prejudice, apparently, was widely enjoyed and as the same author wrote Emma, it can be assumed that it would be an enjoyable book.”
“Maybe if I had read Pride and Prejudice, I would be better able to decide.” It was simply a comment, having never even heard of the book until she read the note that Emma was written by the same author.
Damian disappeared for a moment then returned and handed the book to her.
“This still does not help me decide which book I should choose.”
He arched an eyebrow in warning.
“That was not an argument but a statement of fact,” she insisted.
Damian chuckled. “Very well, though I have no doubt that I will win my wager.”
Georgie quirked a smile. “I do not recall that I agreed to a wager. You simply stated that you had no doubt that I would argue with you.”
He opened his mouth, but she held up a finger to silence him. “Again, it is a statement based on what you had said, not an argument.”
“Very well. It is a statement,” he finally agreed.
Georgie then held up Glenarvon. “Do you have an opinion as to whether I would enjoy this book more than the other two? And why are all three published anonymously?”
“The last question is easier to answer,” he stated. “It is widely believed that when a name does not appear it is because the piece of fiction was written by a female.”
“Yet, you do not know that for fact.”
“No, it is assumed.”
Which did make sense since the world was prejudiced against women, believing they needed protectors, or were not as intelligent as men, and needed to be sheltered from the unpleasantness of the world, and too foolish to travel on their own.
Therefore, a woman could not be capable of writing a decent novel, therefore, to sell such a book, her name could not be shown.
The entire situation made her angry. It was because of those beliefs that she had Damian as her personal guard—protector. Though, she truly no longer had complaints about his presence as she did enjoy his company, most of the time.
“Do you have an opinion as to the third, anonymous book?”
His smile was slow as his blue eyes lit with mischief. “What do you know of Lord Byron, or is he known in Italy?” he asked in a whisper.
Her face heated with the stories she had heard. “Yes, he was recently in Florence, not far from Carrera, and has quite the reputation. He would be what you English call a rake—a man lacking of morals.”
“Yes, that would be Byron.” Damian chuckled.
“Why is this book of significance to Lord Byron?”
Damian tugged on her elbow and drew Georgie aside. “It is widely believed that the author is none other than Lady Caroline Lamb and that this novel is an account of her affair with Byron, though fictionalized. Some believe she wrote and published it for revenge.”
Oh, if that were true, Glenarvon certainly sounded more interesting than Pride and Prejudice or Emma.
“Here, let me take those,” Damian said as he lifted the books from her hands.
“What are you doing? Is there a different book that you would like to recommend?”
“No. These will suffice,” he answered walking to the clerk.
“One. I am purchasing one book.” She could not spend her precious funds on three novels! She would not be so irresponsible. “Why do I need more than one book?”
“I would like to purchase these for my wife,” Damian said to the clerk.
“No. I only wanted one book.”
He turned and arched an auburn brow. “Are you arguing with me Georgie?” His blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
She wanted to, but as she had already disagreed once, to do so again, would be a second argument and she refused to give him the satisfaction of five incidences before the day was out. Instead, she forced a pleasant smile. “No, of course not and thank you.”
However, nothing was said about tomorrow and by then she may be filled with enough irritation to blister his ears for an hour and take much pleasure from it.