2
Miles
Miles’s grandfather had often shared stories of his voyage from Eire as a small child, how the five members of the emigrating Cavanaugh family had crammed into two tiny bunks in the bowels of the ship. After the full tour a few days ago, Miles now knew even the smallest passenger cabin on the Pearl Star included a private bathroom. Hell, the worst crew quarters here would have been an upgrade from his grandfather’s experience.
Hal had been pleased that the Pearl Star featured a hot tub for passengers to enjoy on the lounge deck. Apparently, the largest ocean liners in the Delacour fleet had swimming pools. Who needed a swimming pool when you were surrounded by the bloody ocean?
Every time Miles thought he’d become accustomed to the luxury of Hal’s life, something came along to knock him sideways once more. He hadn’t spent much time in their grand stateroom after leaving Hal with Kane and Archer, with nothing to occupy his time before the crew delivered the luggage they’d left with the porters on the pier.
So, he wandered the ship. Their cabin shared a deck with the bridge, with a sun deck and observation lounge right above. He didn’t linger in either area long, not interested in taking in the New Angouleme skyline he knew like the back of his hand. Heading back down, he ignored the elevator in favor of the novel opportunity to use the stairs. Walking without his cane made him feel half-naked, but the lessened pain in his knee after spending an hour with Kane the day before made up for it.
Kane had warned him the effects would fade. Even a proper healing mage couldn’t fix muscle that no longer existed after Miles’s many surgeries. But Miles hadn’t been willing to pass up the chance to meet Hal’s father, or the rest of his fiancé’s extended family, on steady feet. Even though Hal’s mother, Lady Elspeth, had already given her stamp of approval, the rest of the mainland Delacour pack remained a mysterious lurking presence in his future. A faceless swarm of werewolves ready to judge the mere human who deigned to wed their powerful heir.
Another deck down, he exchanged greetings with passengers and crew alike as he eyed the spaces now under working conditions rather than staged for formal inspection. More people had already gathered for drinks in the larger lounge, spilling out into the attached outdoor area, but Miles had no interest in joining them without his traveling companions. The first time he met the mages, Archer and Kane had intimidated the hell out of him, and not just because Kane had walked into Hal’s apartment with an actual sword at his hip. These days, though, the laid-back men felt infinitely more “normal“
to him than others in Hal’s social circle. He appreciated being able to relax on this journey rather than keep company manners around the businessmen and socialites who made up his fiancé’s peer group.
Soon to be his peer group? Miles suppressed a shudder as he descended to the next deck. Wearing a sport jacket and slacks at the pier still felt weird when he’d spent so many years of his life in the coveralls of a dock rat. He could wear the fancy clothes, get an expensive haircut, and smooth out the edges of his accent, but he’d never properly fit in to the upper-echelons of New Angouleme society. What made him think he’d slide into the world of literal nobility?
The dining room where they’d take their meals was shut tight, which brough him to the end of his self-led tour. He eyed the stairwell leading to the next deck, wondering whether the card that served as his room key would give him access to the rest of the ship like Hal’s did.
“Mr. Cavanaugh! Welcome aboard.”
Miles turned, unable to help matching Ramona Lemaire’s cheery smile as she approached. Such a ship required more than mere naval crew, and he’d met the Pearl Star’s hotel director along with the rest of the officers earlier. “Thank you,“
he replied. “It’s a pleasure to be here.” As she paused next to him, Miles wondered how she planned to walk over an unsteady deck in such high heels once the ship entered the North Atlantika.
“The dining room will open for supper after we set sail, but cocktails available for you to enjoy in the lounge upstairs until then.”
The last place he wanted to be. “Actually, maybe you can help me out? Our luggage included one parcel that needs to be secured rather than being transported to our stateroom. Would it be possible for me to check that it’s been delivered to the ship’s safe?“
Though he no longer officially worked as Hal’s personal assistant, instead earning a salary from Delacour Shipping as an all-around fixer, he still considered the safety of the jewelry intended as a gift to Hal’s mother under his purview.
And, honestly, Miles had no idea how to do nothing at all. Slipping into his work persona to achieve a tangible goal was almost a relief. The Pearl Star had been purchased from another cruise line, making this her first sailing as part of the Delacour fleet. It only made sense to ensure the new crew followed proper policy.
He braced himself, because he’d already learned that most people didn’t appreciate having their work questioned by anyone, much less the boss’s boyfriend, but Ramona’s pleasant demeanor never wavered. “I’m on my way to my office, in fact,“
she said. “Why don’t you join me?”
Perfect. Wouldn’t do to meet the in-laws without everything in order. He followed at Ramona’s impressive heels as she led him another deck down and into the bowels of the ship hidden from public view. He immediately felt more at ease in the industrial surroundings, the small corridors free of lush carpet and impressive artwork.
Maybe Ramona would let Miles hide in her office until dinner.