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Alex smiled. “Actually, you sound very much like me.”
“You? But you’re so …”
“So … what?”
Samantha looked at her shyly. “Oh … beautiful and feminine and accomplished at all the things that noblewomen are supposed to be. … Why are you laughing?”
“Samantha, if you only knew how wrong you are.” Alex leaned closer. “I’ll tell you a secret. Just this morning Mrs. Haversham, your housekeeper, very primly asked me how her grace would like things to proceed, and all I could do was assure her that things should proceed as they always have. Imagine her surprise if I had told her that her grace had no idea what changes should be made because, instead of observing her mother, the Countess of Sudsbury, all these years, her grace had been out sailing in her skiff!” Alex nodded vigorously at Samantha’s stunned expression. “Would you like to know how Drake and I met?” Alex asked.
“I assumed you met at some elegant ball in York,” Samantha replied.
Alex raised her delicate brows. “Hardly.” And she told Samantha the story of her daring escape to Canada. By the time she had finished describing her first days at sea Samantha was wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
“I can just imagine Drake’s reaction,” she gasped between giggles. “Being undone by a female … and on his precious ship, no less!”
Alex chuckled. “We did not exactly have a conventional courtship.”
“Then it’s no wonder he fell in love with you. Drake is a very unconventional man.”
Alex grew quiet.
“Alexandria? Is something wrong?”
Alex cursed herself for being so transparent. “The only thing wrong is the way you address me,” she answered lightly. “Please call me Alex.”
Samantha grinned. “Fine, Alex. Then you may call me Sammy. Drake has done so since I was small.”
“Probably for the same reason I’ve always been called Alex.” Alex gave a mock sigh. “By the ton’s standards I fear that we acted more like little boys than little girls.”
“And still do,” Samantha agreed.
The sound of joyful barking interrupted their conversation, and seconds later a very muddy Blackbeard exploded onto the scene and promptly threw himself upon his mistress with exuberant pleasure.
Alex tried unsuccessfully to dodge his onslaught. “Down boy, down!” She laughed in spite of herself. “Haven’t you ever heard the word ‘obey’?”
Samantha giggled delightedly. “And who is this?”
“This is Blackbeard. Drake and I adopted him during our travels. He was floating in the Saint Lawrence, the victim of a naval battle.” She gathered the squirming puppy in her arms and kissed his damp head, heedless of the mud that was transferred from his filthy paws to her prim gown. “I suppose he missed me and came to express his indignation!”
“He is adorable!” Samantha declared.
“And he is quite a sailor as well, aren’t you, Blackbeard?”
The dirty canine barked his assent.
“Alex …” Samantha hesitated. “Would you teach me how to sail?”
Alex’s eyes sparkled. “Of course! Blackbeard and I will both teach you!”
Samantha sprang to her feet in joy. “Oh, thank you!” She pulled Alex up and hugged her, transferring the wet stains from Alex’s dress onto her own. “I’ve always wanted to sail, but Drake is away so much. I know he wants to teach me, but it’s not fair to expect him to spend all his time at home with me, and …” Samantha would probably have gone on for some time longer, had it not been for the questioning baritone voice that interrupted her.
“Are we celebrating something?”
Both women turned at the sound of Drake’s voice. With sudden horror, Alex was aware of how they must look. Their dignified mourning clothes were soiled and disheveled, their joyful behavior was inappropriate.
Before Alex could explain, Samantha had released her and launched herself into Drake’s arms.
“Oh, Drake, guess what? Alex says that she will teach me how to sail! I know we can’t begin yet, but isn’t that wonderful?”
