The Rake and the Spinster by Lynn Kerstan

Author:Lynn Kerstan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: friendship, travel, humor, stars, greek mythology, sailing, abduction, constellations, maps, traditional regency england novella, drewe sisters series, repartee, masquerades
Publisher: Lynn Kerstan

Chapter Five

On a marble bench overlooking the sea, Keverne and Maggie watched the moon rise.

His arm was stretched along the backrest, his hand dangling near her shoulder but not quite touching it, although her bare flesh lay unnervingly close to his fingers. Only five days ago she’d have slapped them away.

How things had changed. She wondered at it, and at herself, in the rare moments she allowed herself to think. Whenever she did, doubts and fears overwhelmed her. But when she forgot to worry about motives and proprieties, a universe of unexpected possibilities opened up at her feet. All she had to do was step in.

Tonight she’d moved dangerously close to the edge.

Quite in charity with the earl after her first sailing lesson, she’d surprised him at dinner by wearing one of the gowns he provided, the emerald sarcenet. It fit perfectly, just as he’d predicted, but exposed rather more of her than she considered seemly. The other dresses were even less modest, although she’d had great fun trying them on, and despite her new freckles and untameable hair, she had felt almost beautiful.

By the time she appeared in the salon, however, she’d felt only self-conscious. He must have been expecting a special occasion because he was dressed to the nines, and Keverne in formal black-and-white would take any woman’s breath away. Still, the gleam in his eyes reassured her, along with his obvious delight that she’d made an effort to please him. Even so, he was careful not to interpret her tiny gesture as an open invitation. Never had she enjoyed an evening more.

"Falling asleep?" he asked, breaking into her reverie with a soft, amused voice. "Was it too much wine at dinner, or did I wear you out this afternoon?"

"Not at all," she protested immediately. "Although I must say that you are a stonehearted taskmaster. Up and down, come about and jibe, and enough figure eights to wear a rut in the water. Sailing is supposed to be fun."

"My apologies for boring you, Admiral Drewe, but until those basic maneuvers become automatic, we'll stick close to shore. You did very well, by the way."

"I'm a natural," she said smugly. "When may I go out alone?"

"Satan's whiskers, you've had one lesson on a ten-foot sloop! I suggest you develop a soupçon of patience, my dear, because tomorrow you'll be too stiff for another outing."

"Pooh. I'm made of sterner stuff than that."

"So I'm learning, to my regret." He gazed moodily at the horizon. "It seems we both must cultivate patience."

"That's a virtue," she reminded him. "Not your specialty."

"As you say, but of late I seem to be treading the steep and thorny path. Promise you won't tell anyone, Maggie. We rakes are solicitous of our bad reputations." He released a small sigh. "Meantime, I daresay you prefer another tutorial to more savory diversions, so let us talk about navigation. When you sail at night, the sky will be your map."

"But the compass—"

"Just fell overboard. You must learn to follow the star-path and let the heavens guide you.

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