Page 11 of Miss Wylde and the Wynd

He gave a slight nod. “The name of the sailor, again?”

“Harold Fisher,” Georgie answered. “He also claimed that he would not be able to return right away because the ship was repaired enough to sail back to England but it would then be docked longer to undergo an inspection.”

“The Despoina is still here,” Damian answered as he stood and walked to the window and stared out, hands locked behind his back. “How old is your sister?”

“Grace recently turned eight-and-ten.”

“Did he compromise her?” he asked quietly.

“I am not certain,” Georgie admitted. “But I suspect that she was. Why else would Grace follow Harold in such a way instead of waiting for his return?” There had been an urgency about her sister before she wrote her letter and disappeared.

Damian slowly turned. “Either true love on her part or consequences of their association.”

That was Georgie’s biggest fear. Why else would Grace be so desperate to get to Harold? “One simply does not fall truly in love in so short a time as a month, though one may be fooled into believing such could happen and thus the feared consequences and need to find Fisher.”

Damian nodded his agreement. “I assume you have a last name?”

“Wylde. I am Georgiana Wylde.”

“Are you really called Georgie or did you just make that up?”

“It is what I have been called since I was a child.”

“I promise to locate Mr. Fisher so that he can answer for his actions, especially if it is what we fear. With any luck, he will be able to tell us where we can find your sister.”

Some relief snuck through the layers of her anxiety. If Grace was in an interesting condition, then the sailor who seduced her would be made to take responsibility.

Chapter Four

Damian glanced up when the door to the office opened and his brother, Sterling, entered with his wife, Caroline.

“Who is this?” His older brother’s tone was more of a curious nature than concerned.

“Her name is Georgie,” Livia answered before anybody else could speak. “She was a stowaway on the Charlotte Rose. I am the one who saw her walking away. Uncle Damian thought it was just a sailor, but I knew it was a girl because I could tell by her bum.”

Damian pinched the bridge of his nose as Georgie’s face brightened to a rose hue.

“I was going to tell you to be more careful in conversations with your wife and to make certain this child is not present,” Damian warned.

Sterling narrowed his eyes and studied Georgie. “You look familiar. Where do I know you from?”

“Accetta Panetteria.”

Sterling’s facial features relaxed into a smile. “I remember now. Carrera, Italy?”

She nodded.

“Why did you stow away on one of my ships?” Except he asked with more concern than Damian had shown with his demanding questions.

“I shall explain later,” Damian answered. “Right now, I need to go speak to the captain of the Despoina to determine the whereabouts of a Mr. Harold Fisher.”

“I will go with you,” Georgie announced.

She most certainly would not. There was nothing but men and sailors on that ship and it was no place for a miss. “That is not necessary. I will find him and return to you shortly,” Damian answered.

She narrowed her eyes on Damian. “I am going with you. If you will not take me, I will follow. You cannot keep me here.”

Damian looked at Sterling. “You will keep her here.”