Page 96 of Miss Wylde and the Wynd

Except, it wasn’t so simple. She was taking Damian farther away from his home, his duties. Yet, she knew that if she told him that he did not need to remain to protect her, that he still would.

Besides, she wanted him with her, and not because she did not think she could take care of herself or fear of danger because she would be alone, but because she wanted more time with him. She was not ready to no longer be his lover. She had only gotten a taste of the passion they shared, and she wanted more, especially since she might never have a lover again.

“If Mr. Chisholm does not have a ship to take us to the proper port in Ireland, I am certain that he will be able to provide us with the name of someone who will,” Damian said. “He also needs to be made aware of what happened with his steamship.”

She studied the port and noted that there were several ships. How soon would one leave and were any traveling to Ireland?

Weariness settled around her. She’d been chasing her sister for weeks, ever since she discovered the letter and now to realize that they had been on the wrong trail was disheartening. But at least she knew where her sister was. If they got to Ireland and Grace was gone, Georgie would believe that it was because her sister had sailed home, which would mean that this entire trip had been a waste.

She blew out a sigh and stared into Damian’s blue eyes.

No, it had not been. It had been an unexpected adventure and she’d met a handsome man who was an excellent lover. She’d created memories to hold close in the future.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

“If it is Clara, Ireland, that you must reach, then Dublin is your next destination,” Chisholm, the father of his friend, announced.

“Will a passenger ship be sailing there soon?” Damian asked. He hoped that it wasn’t. Yes, it was selfish of him to want their departure to be delayed because the sooner they reached Grace, the sooner Georgie would be out of his life and he was not ready for that to happen.

“We have a ship that makes regular visits to Dublin and back. It leaves tomorrow at seven but you can board the night before and sleep so that you do not miss it.”

“Is there a cabin available, or only bunks in a communal area?” He knew enough about passenger ships to know what type of sleeping arrangements were available according to how much a person could pay. While he could book a private cabin, there was also a very good chance that those had been taken. For passage across the Atlantic, it was best to purchase passage weeks, if not months, in advance so that a traveler was not stuck with the more uncomfortable bed.

“As you are traveling with your wife, and because our passengers are usually only male, I will ask if there is a cabin available so that she has privacy.”

Because men could travel freely and women could not was the cause of Georgie’s irritation previously. Though, truly, he had no complaints given what she revealed and what she had wanted.

Further, she was correct. It was not fair.

“How long is the journey?” Georgie asked.

“It will take two or three days depending on winds and current,” Chisholm answered.

While Damian hoped that it was three, he would have a least tonight, and two more as they sailed through the Firth of Clyde and into the Irish Sea to Dublin.

“Is there a map that I could view?” Georgie asked. “I know where Dublin is but would like to determine how much further we will need to travel to reach Clara.”

Chisholm thumbed through a stack of maps on a far table, then found the one she requested. He then pointed at Clara. “This is your destination.”

She frowned. “How far is the distance.”

Chisholm shrugged. “No more than sixty-five miles, I suppose.”

She nodded, then a frown creased her brow. “Can I assume there are also mail coaches in Ireland?”

As much as Damian hated the idea of riding in yet another mail coach, they had little choice. He’d never been to Ireland before, nor did he have friends or acquaintances there to be of assistance. Therefore, they would travel as they had before.

“Yes, they do,” Chisholm answered. “However, that is not your only option. There are more comfortable ways to travel.”

“Clara is in the middle of the country, not along the coast,” Georgie observed.

Chisholm chuckled. “A grand canal, linking Dublin on the east coast to the River Shannon in the west was completed in 1804, and passes near Clara.”

“I had not realized,” Damian murmured, and he could understand the benefit of such travel, especially if trade had been a consideration. It would certainly be quicker than sailing around the country.

“I am to understand that it usually takes nine hours to navigate the canal from Dublin to Tullamore, whereas a mail coach is only about six to eight hours to travel the same distance. If you were to take a passenger boat, you could disembark at Tullamore then take a mail coach to Clara, which is no more than twenty or so miles.”

“Tullamore?” Georgie asked with interest before she returned her attention to the map, then pointed. “It is there. Why hadn’t I seen it?”