And yet this moment felt unusual. The press of his lips against her skin felt unique. And the way their eyes met held extra delight.
He straightened slowly, wondering at his own clumsy confusion. Probably the heat and the distraught letter he’d received from his sister this morning. That was what had occasioned his return to England. A desperate plea for him to return and set the estate to rights.
As if that were possible. It would never happen unless his father was set to rights, and no one could do that but the man himself. Nevertheless, he had to return home. And now he had the intriguing Miss Lucy Richards to distract his depressing thoughts during the long journey.
‘All right then,’ came the hearty bellow from the captain. ‘I’ll show you to your berth. Won’t be long until we set sail.’
‘Of course,’ Cedric answered, his tone warm though his gaze remained on Miss Richards. His fingers opened reluctantly, and hers slipped out of his grasp.
‘Welcome, Lord Domac,’ she said. That was it. One word plus his name, but her odd accent seemed to strengthen the connection between them. Or maybe he simply liked the sound of his name on her lips.
Either way, he was forced below decks, his mind on the girl rather than on what he was doing. She was clearly curious despite her shyness, and he thought her a kindred spirit. He imagined her a sweet flower, buoyed by life’s precarious whims. If the winds blew them together for a time, he should be happy. If the winds changed, however, he would move on without a second’s thought.
That was what he told himself, emphasizing the temporary nature of his connection to her. He would not dwell on that strange frisson that still hummed her name quietly inside him. She was a shipboard pleasure, and she would be gone the moment they landed in England.
To make sure he understood his purpose, he pulled out his sister’s letter. It had taken months to find him in India, but he had it now and it said everything he needed to remember.
Dearest Cedric,
I do not know if this letter will find you. We have penned so many letters to no avail. Pleading letters to father and mother. Desperate letters to the banker in London. And now to you in your far-off travels as you search for gold.
Cedric, the money is gone.
The roof collapsed. Spring storms are the worst, and this one took half the ceiling as it passed through. All your allowance has gone to keep the rest of the house standing.
We had scrimped and saved, investing in the crops. You recall that I took over old Samson’s farm when he passed two years ago? It’s hard work, but I have help and my choices were good ones. We made a nice sum last fall, andI hoped to do the same this year. But with the roof gone, all of our spare money is, too. We exist on soup and hard bread.
You must come home, Cedric. You are the only one who ever could control father. You must convince him to leave us some coin, if only to keep us from starvation.
Plus, Lilianna has begun to flirt with men. I suppose we are all looking. None of us wants to be an old maid. The best of the lot is an engineer with interesting ideas about the canal. He’s a good man, unlike the others. You must find out if there is any dowry money, if only to attract a wider variety of men. I know you had hope of it on your last visit. The bankers will not tell us anything, but you know how to get them to talk.
Please, Cedric, I beseech you to come home. I care not if you have found your pot of gold. We need your help at home. Father continues to bleed us dry, and you are our only hope of stopping him.
In desperate straits,
Your loving sister, Cora
There was no dowry. His hope had been that he could provide one. And there was no way to stop his father. God knew he’d tried every way he could think of to manage the man. That was why he’d gone to the East India Company to see if he could earn money that way. But there hadn’t been enough time. What little money he’d earned was already sent home.
Which left him one option for his future. One choice to help his sisters and repair the estate. He needed to marry an heiress. And so he would as soon as he landed in London. But at least he had these last few months of freedom as the ship wended its way to back to England.
Five months to flirt with the pretty girl on board before he chained himself to whatever heiress would have him. At least he had his own berth, thanks to Graham who had paid for it. He even had a porthole through which he could see the colourful shores of India shrinking when they set sail. It would take him a bit to adjust to the waves and the endless wet, but at least they would be out of the heat.
He smiled as his eyes drifted shut for a quick nap, thinking of the girl with the dark eyes and the sun-drenched blush. Asian skin didn’t freckle like English skin did. She would be golden brown all over, with straight dark hair to hide the tantalizing curves of her body. Or better yet, she would part it to let him see the wonders beneath.
Ah, this was to be a sexual dream, he realised as he floated in a half sleep. That boded well for the journey. Even if she denied him in person, he could indulge in her charms every time he closed his eyes.