Captain Jack Ryder by Maggi Andersen

Author:Maggi Andersen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romantic suspense, mystery, murder mystery, love story, conspiracy, arranged marriage, friends to lovers, romance series, regency romance series, dukes son
Publisher: Maggi Andersen

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A hired carriage took Harry and Erina from the port. They crossed a bridge over the River Liffey. Dublin was a charming town with green parks and streets of elegant townhouses. In different circumstances she would love to explore further, but her thoughts remained on what awaited them tomorrow. In Sackville Street, they alighted outside Dublin’s Gresham Hotel, a large four-story stone building.

Harry explained to the hotel staff how he and his cousin were on their way to visit family. Her ladyship’s maid had been suddenly called home, a death in the family. He arranged two rooms for them, hired a carriage for the morning and ordered their dinner in the dining room. Erina was exhausted, and hungry. They enjoyed a tasty meal of Irish stew sopped up with soda bread, then she ate a delicious Irish apple cake with custard sauce, while Harry drank a glass of claret. Afterward, they retired to their respective rooms.

Erina bathed, changed into her nightgown, brushed her hair, and snuggled down gratefully in the comfortable bed to consider what tomorrow would bring. She did not consider it for long, falling asleep almost immediately after her head hit the pillow.

After a breakfast of oatmeal and cream, a boiled egg, toast, and a good strong cup of Irish tea, she and Harry set out in their hired hackney. The rain drummed down, the streets awash as they left Dublin and traveled west. Harry had inquired at the hotel concerning the distance to Naas, County Kildare. He was informed it could be easily reached within a matter of hours. “But that depends on the weather,” the hotel clerk had said. “You might well become bogged down on the muddy roads and take a day. And that’s supposing someone comes and digs you out.”

Harry chuckled. “That’s the Irish for you,” he said to Erina. “You seldom get the answer you might expect.”

So far, although the ride was bumpy, they rattled along at a good pace. Erin ran the tassel on her parasol through her fingers. “In one of her letters, Cathleen wrote that Naas was once called Nás na Ríogh. It means Meeting Place of the Kings.”

“Must read up on it sometime.” Harry reached across and stilled her busy fingers, his square hand in the French kid glove resting for a minute over hers. In his dark wool greatcoat and Hessian boots, he looked quite imposing. Even his cravat was perfection. How did he manage to be so well turned out without a valet? Slightly crumpled, she looked less than her best in the muslin dress she had to struggle to get into, and her pelisse now had a small stain on the front. Not to mention her thick red hair which was quite a challenge at the best of times.

“I gather Cathleen has agreed to accompany us to England?”

Erina twisted her fingers together. “Not exactly.”

He turned on the seat to better study her. “What does ‘not exactly’ mean?”

Her gaze fled to his. “I didn’t receive a reply to my last letter.

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