“I do not want to go back,” Elizabeth replied firmly. “Whatever lies ahead?Alexandria, England, our future. We face it together.”
“Together,” he agreed. The word felt like a vow. “Please promise me that when you have concerns—about the quest, about us, about anything—you will speak to me directly. I pray, do not allow your fears to build in silence. Athens was a torment. You withdrew. I did not understand why.”
“I promise.” Her behaviorhadbeen unfair, and she resolved to do better. “And I ask the same of you. If I do anything that troubles you, or if I am not providing something you need, please tell me. Should you assume that I would simply know, I will fail you.”
“Agreed.” His smile was tender. “We are together on this quest, my love. Even if the conversation is difficult, we need to communicate honestly. I insist.”
“I do as well.”
Standing in the darkness with the Mediterranean rolling beneath them and the clouds slowly parting to reveal scattered stars, Elizabeth became aware that he was correct. There would be no going back to the polite distance they had maintained.
When they eventually stepped apart, Elizabeth’s fingers moved unconsciously to her lips, alreadyanticipating the next opportunity to experience such sweet contact again.
The next morning,Darcy was alone at the stern when the boatswain approached. “Beggin’ your pardon, sir, but I forgot to ask?did your friend George find them papers you needed? The papers you sent him to fetch from your quarters?”
Darcy froze. “George? Who do you mean?”
The boatswain paled. “The gent came aboard our first day in Piraeus. Said his name was George Wickham, claimed to be an old friend. Knew all about your party—Mr. Bennet with his journal, Miss Bennet, your cousin…” The man’s voice trailed off.
“Please gather the other passengers,” Darcy said. “We need to speak immediately.
In the galley,the atmosphere grew tense as the boatswain recounted Wickham’s visit in detail. “He knew everything, sir,” the sailor said miserably. “Names, descriptions…even mentioned your research into ancient Greece. I assumed he must be telling the truth.”
“You could not have known,” Darcy assured him. “Thank you for telling us. You are not the first man he has fooled, and you will not be the last. Do not be concerned. You may go.”
After the boatswain departed, Richard spoke first. “We know for certain now. Wickham was in Greece, andhe was desperate enough to risk boarding the ship.” He grimaced in self-reproach. “This is my error. I focused on our protection from him as we searched, but I never cautioned the crew to watch for him. I had not expected a coward like Wickham to be so bold.”
“It surprises me, as well,” Darcy concurred. “Neither of us anticipated this.”
“At least there was nothing here that will help him find the Library of Alexandria. We all had our journals with us,” Elizabeth said hopefully.
“Ah!” the colonel exclaimed. “But he would not have left empty-handed. Wickham never ignores an opportunity for profit.”
At the thought, Darcy hurried to his quarters and returned a few minutes later with confirmation of his suspicions. “My sapphire cravat pin is missing.” He shook his head. “By now it is sold and the money likely lost at cards.”
“What matters is that Wickham is close, he is watching us, and he is desperate. We must assume he will try again,” Richard warned. “And next time, he may be dangerous instead of merely opportunistic.”
Approximately six weekssince their departure from England, on the eleventh of May, Darcy settled himself comfortably in theMary Catherine’sgalley. Captain Morrison, Mrs. Bell, and Tommy had gathered around the worn wooden table along with Darcy’s cousin and the Bennets.
Despite the threat Wickham posed, the excitement ofapproaching Constantinople and the memory of Elizabeth’s sweet kiss the evening prior had put Darcy in unusually high spirits. He did his best to maintain a serious demeanor as they discussed the practicalities of their upcoming visit to the Ottoman capital.
“Now then…” Richard addressed the captain, the ship’s boy, and Mrs. Bell. “You have visited Constantinople multiple times. We would value your insights about what to expect.”
Tommy lit up immediately. “The food, sir! You ain’t never tasted nuthin’ like it. They got these little pastries filled with honey and nuts?every bite’ll make you think you died and went to heaven! And the coffee is proper strong, not like the weak stuff we get in London.”
Captain Morrison chuckled at the boy’s enthusiasm. “Tommy speaks true about the cuisine, though what appeals most to me is the sheer difference of the place. East meets West in ways you cannot imagine. Byzantine churches stand beside Ottoman mosques, European merchants haggle with Asian traders, customs and languages blend in ways that boggle the mind.”
“And the shopping,” Mrs. Bell added with obvious pleasure, “is beyond anything you will find elsewhere in this part of the world. Silks from China, spices from India, carpets from Persia?all flow through Constantinople’s markets like golden rivers.”
The descriptions moved Darcy—not only the adventure they promised, but the prospect of experiencing such wonders with Elizabeth beside him.
“What cautions should be observed?” Richard, the self-appointed defender of their small expedition, sought different information from the seasoned travelers.
Morrison sobered. “The Ottoman authorities are generally tolerant of European visitors, especially the British. But Constantinople is a complex city with many layers of society and politics. Stay close together, avoid drawing unnecessary attention to yourselves, and remember that we are guests in a culture very different from our own.”
“How long do you plan to remain in port?” Bennet asked.
“Nearly a week.” The captain’s eyes kindled with commercial anticipation. “I hope to fill every inch of available space with goods that will fetch extraordinary prices in London. Turkish carpets, fine silks, coffee beans, and leather goods. Mr. Gardiner's profit margin will be unimaginable. He pays each crew member a bonus based on the value of the goods aboard. If we return theMary Catherineto the Thames safely with the hold full to the brim, we will each be wealthy in our own right.”
