A Scandal to Remember by Elizabeth Essex

Author:Elizabeth Essex [Essex, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781466843042
Google: Zu5uAwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B00IHCNPCS
Barnesnoble: B00IHCNPCS
Goodreads: 20818816
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2014-08-26T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

As abruptly as he had appeared, the captain left. One moment he was spooning fish stew into his mouth, and the next, he wandered out of the wardroom.

Dance bolted to his feet to pursue him—if only to try and prevent any more incidents that might expose his drunkenness to the crew. But the captain’s faithful servant was waiting outside the wardroom doors.

Behind Dance, Punch spoke. “I passed word for Manning, sir.”

“Well done, Punch.” Dance drew in another lungful of air. “Thank you.”

“No need, Lieutenant. No need.” The banty, one-legged man shook his head in pity. “Didn’t know he was that bad.”

“No.” Dance didn’t know what else to say that wouldn’t expose the old man. A crew needed to respect their captain. Or at least respect his authority. And it was Dance’s job to see that they did. “Do what you can to squelch the gossip, Punch.”

“Aye, sir. You’re not to worry about that. You’ve enough on your plate as it is.”

What was on his plate was cold. And he’d never acquired a taste for fish anyway. “I’m for the deck. If you’ll heat a bowl, I’ll send down Doc Whitely presently.”

“You’re a good man, Lieutenant. Too good for the likes of him.”

Dance could only assume Punch was referring to the captain, and not to their long-suffering sailing master, Mr. Whitely. For if Dance were put upon, so much more so had Whitely been, who had sailed—or sat idle, rotting in port—with the old man for years. But no matter to whom Punch referred, it wouldn’t do. “Punch. For the love of God, don’t say such things out loud. Don’t even think them. We’re here to serve Tenacious, both you and I, and that’s an end to it.”

Dance was glad of the quiet solitude of the evening watch. Because the truth was he was poleaxed. He had faced the guns at Trafalgar with a great deal more confidence than he could face the mad old man who was his captain.

And he didn’t think he had ever before held hands with a woman like Miss Jane Burke.

She terrified him more than even his captain and all his drunken charges of mutiny. Because he liked her. He admired her. He admired the steel in her spine, and he adored the soft trepidation that made her hold on to his hand for support.

And he wanted to hold more than her hand.

The object of his obsession came up the aft companionway and made her quiet way along the weather rail, a silent ghost of a girl in her light muslin dress made gold in the glowing moonlight.

Below, the hum of Punch’s sad Welsh tenor wafted up from the wardroom.

“Rather a different instrument than the low rumble of your baritone, Lieutenant. But it suits my mood, for I find I must thank you again for defending me.”

Dance felt the dangerous pleasure of her gratitude and admiration fill his chest. “You seemed to have done well enough on your own. The facts always speak for themselves.”

“One might hope they would, but alas…” She let the rest die away.

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