Page 81 of Miss Wylde and the Wynd

Damian had noted the shift in her mood during dinner, with the dimming of humor in her brown eyes and the smile of her bow lips shifting from genuine to forced. Then there was the way she pushed her food around on her plate to make it appear that she had eaten when he knew for a fact that she had only taken two bites of everything placed before her.

He tried to think of a comment that could have offended her, but nothing came to mind. He did know that it had occurred while he and Chisholm were telling stories from when they were in school, but those had been innocent pranks, well, for the most part, because they certainly hadn’t shared the more scandalous events, such as sneaking out to the brothel when they decided that their virginity had to go.

“I sent word ahead to the captain to make my cabin ready for you,” Chisholm announced as they boarded the steamship. “My wife often travels with me, so it was designed to accommodate her as well.”

Chisholm nodded to a few of the crew and then introduced Damian and Georgie to Captain Fraser before taking them below and to his cabin. While not overly large, it was comfortable, with the one larger bed, as he feared. Beneath was room enough to store their valises and satchels. There was also a washstand and screen for changing privacy and where the chamber pot had been placed. Opposite the bed were two portholes where they could look out.

“These accommodations are much nicer than the ones I enjoyed on a Trade Wynd ship,” Georgie commented as she placed her reticule and satchel on the bed.

“Yes, well, you do not need to hide behind slabs of marble for fear of being caught either,” Damian reminded her. “Had you booked passage, I am certain you would have been more comfortable.”

“Except, you do not take on passengers.” Her teasing grin stole another small piece of his heart and Damian feared that by the time they reached Scotland she would own the whole of it fully.

And, as she was teasing him, he could hope that her mood had improved.

“I shall leave you now,” Chisholm announced. “I hope you have a pleasant trip and that you find your sister quickly.”

He then closed the door, which left them very alone in this small cabin with a bed for two.

Damian was certain that there were many topics in which they could converse, but none came to mind with that bed looming behind Georgie and it was much too early to try and sleep. “Would you like to take a stroll on the deck?”

“Yes, I would like that very much.”

It was a clear night, warm, and with no clouds in the sky, the stars were visible, and he recognized a few constellations. It was peaceful on the deck of a ship when it was at sea. He did not recall it being so when he was a child, but he had been caught up in the adventure of sailing across the Atlantic.

Maybe he should sail more often. They had dozens of ships so there was nothing stopping him from going anywhere.

The other passengers were also on deck. Some strolling and others standing at the railing as they were, but further away.

“There must be one place that that you desire to see as I do Lichtenstein,” he said as they leaned on the railing, looking out and over the water. Georgie had dismissed the question before, but there must be one place she wished to travel.

She turned to him, crossed her arms over her breasts and cocked her head. “Why?”

“Because most everyone wants to go somewhere.”

“Yes, they do, but as my father cannot be away from Accetta Panetteria, nor am I married or have a brother, I will never visit anywhere. As for adventure, this is likely the only one I will ever have because I took it upon myself to hide on a ship to sail to England. Had Grace not foolishly followed a sailor, there is a very good chance that I would have never ventured beyond Italy.”

Clearly, he had said the wrong thing and Damian wasn’t certain how to shift to a more pleasant topic.

“I do want adventures, Damian, and when I was younger, I used to dream about going to India, or Paris, or America, but as I grew older, I realized that I would never get to see any of the places I read about in books because I am a female.”

Georgie turned on her heel and marched away from the railing of the ship and down the narrow stairs. No doubt she was going to their cabin.

Did he follow her, or wait until she calmed?

He hadn’t meant to upset her and he truly thought the subject matter innocent, yet Georgie was clearly angered in a way that he had not seen her before.

This was one of those moments where he would have benefited from having a sister. Unfortunately, Caroline had not lived with them long enough for him to judge how he should respond even though she did yell at Sterling, and most of the time he deserved her wrath. Damian had only asked where Georgie would like to visit.

He also did not want what may be their last night spent together to be arguing, especially after they had enjoyed such a pleasant day, therefore, he would go speak with her. And, if he was unable to calm her, or understand, he would need a pillow and blanket so that he could sleep on the deck.

*

Georgie marched down the corridor and then entered the cabin where she would spend the night and practically slammed the door. Angry with herself and all men. But it wasn’t Damian’s fault. He didn’t make the rules and he had been nothing but kind to her.

Oh, if only he also desired her, and maybe that was the source of her frustration—the rules that did not allow her to seduce anyone.

No, it wasn’t just that. It may be the source of her mood, but she’d been irritated with the rules since she realized that she would need to sneak on a ship, even if a passenger ship had been leaving at the same time as the Trade Wynd ship because a woman should not travel on her own. She may have even been denied passage.