The Last Earl by Lara Blunte

Author:Lara Blunte [Blunte, Lara]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2015-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

III. Six. At Sea

It was the afternoon of the next day before Captain Domingo was at leisure to mingle a little with his passengers.

He found most of them on deck, for it was an unusually mild December day along the coast of Spain. Soon they would be going by Finisterre, the jutting cape that Romans thought was the end of the world, and the skies would be turning black. So, as a good Spaniard, he took advantage of the sun and said a word here and another there to the passengers, and then he turned towards Mr. Nolan.

The man stood apart from the rest, watching the horizon as if he expected to see mermaids. He did not look friendly, this Mr. Nolan, but Captain Domingo thought it fit to direct some pleasant, meaningless remark at him as well and approaching him, said, "Ah, Mr. Nolan! I see you are alone. Your sister is still feeling sick? May we deliver anything else to make her comfortable, tea or some soup?"

Mr. Nolan frowned and replied dryly, "You mistake, sir."

"I do? Is Miss Nolan about then?" Captain Domingo asked looking around.

"What do you mean by speaking of a Miss Nolan?"

Captain Domingo thought that in his excessive English reserve Mr. Nolan was taking it amiss that a man should ask after his sister. Domingo took a step back, bowed and said, "I am sorry if I offend…" and went on his way unruffled.

Mr. Nolan came after him with a look of horrified understanding and took him by the arm, "What is the number of her cabin?"

Domingo thought it strange that he should ask, but replied, "Three." He watched as Mr. Nolan made his way over the deck towards the cabins with thunder on his face.

Catherine had been gathering courage to come out since the ship had left England, but she had also wanted them to be at high sea so as to make it less likely that he would send her back. When Adrian knocked at her door, however, she could not help but flinch. She squared her chin and unlocked the door, stepping quickly back into the room as he came in.

"Catherine! What the devil are you doing?"

She had never seen him so furious, and she put herself behind the table instinctively. Her face was white, but far from subdued. "I am doing the only thing I could do, under the circumstances."

"What bloody circumstances?"

She was calm again, and faced him with hard eyes. "What did you expect me to do, stay in England and put up with ridicule for the rest of my life?"

He snorted, "Ridicule?"

"Perhaps you've been living in wild places for too long and you've forgotten what society is like."

"I haven't forgotten!” He was scowling at her. “No one knows what happened between us except people who will never talk. Leaving with me is the real scandal."

She could not bring herself to speak about the child, not yet. She shrugged. "I disagree."

Still trying to restrain his temper, he said, "I have not left England for my amusement, Catherine.

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