Georgana's Secret
Page 29
Her tears choked another laugh. “You will have the sea. Is she not the only woman you need?” He had sounded so sure of it that night at the bow.
“The sea will never be the same without you beside me. It wasn’t the sea who sat at my bedside day after day. It wasn’t the sea who saved me. It wasn’t the sea who made each day brighter than the last.” His lips grazed her neck just behind her ear. “It was the girl with oceans in her eyes and love in her heart.”
Though he held her tenderly, she found she couldn’t breathe. “We would have to marry soon. You might only have a few weeks before you’re sent to sea again.” She wished so desperately to agree. But the thought of watching his ship sail away while she stayed ashore . . . She didn’t know if she could do it.
The corners of his lips curled against her skin. “I will agree with your first thought but not your second. Your father has recommended me for promotion. I shall have months before I leave again. Before we leave again.”
Georgana whirled to face him. “Truly?” Before they left again. He and she. Together.
He gave her brow the barest kiss. “Will you come with me, my darling Georgana? Share in whatever adventures the sea has for us?”
She rested her hand on his waistcoat over the wound that had almost removed him completely from her world. The life he offered would not be an easy one. Rough seas, cramped and dank quarters, the carnage of battle, inescapable sickness. Weevils. Could she endure all that and more to be with him?
A few months ago, she had known her answer. She had harbored no desire to set foot on a naval ship again. But she’d already overcome the worst the navy had to offer and discovered some of the best. And now the sea meant more than loneliness and suffering. It meant love.
Her arms wrapped around him. How could the darkened room feel so bright? “I never imagined I would find such happiness on a ship,” she said.
“Sometimes we find what we need in the least expected places.” He chuckled. “I never thought I’d fall in love with a cabin girl.”
Georgana pushed herself up on her toes to kiss him, but he pulled back. “You haven’t answered my question. I’ve already put myself in trouble with your father once today for kissing you without an agreement.”
“Yes.” She giggled as he crushed her to him and lifted her from the floor. And then he kissed her, settling her back on the ground as light as a gull landing on a yardarm. She took his face in her hands.
His fingers wound into the short ends of her hair, just as they did the morning he awoke and she learned to breathe again, and to hope again. The past still lurked in the shadows of her memory, but the light of his grin kept it at bay. And while she still had to push back worries of the future, she knew she could face them by his side.
He pulled away, breathless. She nestled her head against his chest, and he held her tight until their breathing slowed.
“Will we have to invite your grandmother to the wedding?”
“I know how to manage her.” She closed her eyes and tightened her grip around his waist. That woman would never control Georgana again.
“Oh? How is that?”
She raised her fist, mischief bubbling in her joyful soul. “Sound English cannon.” He stared.
Then grinned.
Then laughed. And covered her knuckles with little kisses until her mouth got jealous, and she pulled him in once more.
Epilogue
Portsmouth, England
August 1811
Georgana Peyton stood on HMS Marianne’s quarterdeck, watching her husband climb aloft. The boatswain and his mate surveyed the little frigate’s rigging on the deck below and cast curious glances at their new captain’s wife. They’d not been aboard five minutes before Dominic thought to climb the shroud.
A few crewmen milled the deck, but most hands hadn’t been hired yet. Dominic would set about securing a crew as soon as he made a thorough inspection of the ship—which included climbing to the top of the mainmast. The crew would have to get used to such a passionate captain.
One of the only familiar faces on the ship popped through the hatchway. He grabbed the brim of his cap in a salute and made his way in her direction. He stopped before ascending to the quarterdeck.
“Good morning, Fitz,” Georgana said. Now sixteen, the boy had begun to fill out his lanky form, and she was glad not to call him an enemy anymore.
“Taylor,” he mumbled in greeting. “Ready to sail again?”
Georgana’s stomach flipped. She didn’t know how to answer that. Eight months on land had made her appreciate a warm fire and a cup of tea that wasn’t constantly at risk of sloshing over the sides. She nodded above them. “If he is ready, then I shall be.”
The boatswain made his way over to them, giving Fitz a reproachful stare. The boy didn’t wither under the look. Perhaps if the boatswain knew their history, he wouldn’t disapprove of the lad’s familiarity with the captain’s wife. But then again, it might shock him.
“Pardon me, ma’am. When will he come down, do you think?” the boatswain asked.
Georgana watched the blue-clad figure standing on the topmost platform, waving down at her. “He might never come down.”
“The lady might have to fetch him,” Fitz said, then turned and hurried away before the boatswain could react. The older man shook his head, muttering an apology about ill-mannered ship’s boys. Georgana waved a hand to dismiss it. She’d seen much worse manners from Fitz. And a small part of her did want to climb the shroud to fetch her giddy husband.
He would make a very different captain than her father. Though she appreciated that Papa had done his best on the Deborah, she looked forward to seeing how this crew would react to a more lively captain. Papa, still on an extended leave to recover from his wound, had hinted at a desire to leave the navy in his last letter. The thought saddened her. His Majesty’s navy had been her father’s home for so much of his life, but she couldn’t argue that he needed retirement.
When finally Dominic made it back to the quarterdeck, he was out of breath, disheveled, and beaming like a little boy given his first pony. He gathered her in his arms, and she thought he would have kissed her if not for her stern look.
“Shall we move to the captain’s cabin so that you may let free all your sensibility out of the public view?” she asked. Workers, sailors, and officers walked the street just beyond the dock, in sight of the Marianne’s quarterdeck.
He chuckled. “Ah, Georgana.” He squeezed her tighter. “I love a good August breeze from the top of the mainmast.” His hand grabbed hers, and he pulled her toward the hatchway.
“Is there any breeze you don’t love from the top of the mainmast?” But she couldn’t help a smile at his exuberance. She’d seen his restlessness the last several months, though she knew he tried to hide it.
Dominic closed the door when they reached the cabin, which was much smaller than her father’s on board the Deborah, but she didn’t think Dominic noticed. He swept his arms out. “Look at this. Our own cabin.”
Georgana nodded thoughtfully, releasing her bonnet from its pins and letting it fall to her side. “We won’t have to squeeze ourselves into a wardroom cabin to be alone anymore.”
“I cannot say I minded that.” He grinned and grabbed her arms, pulling her close. “Think of it—the two of us, in command of our own ship. And whenever we are tired, we may retreat in here for time to ourselves. No worries of officers suspecting what we are up to, no crew members thinking us odd. Just us.”
Georgana pulled the corner of her mouth between her teeth. Yes. Of course. Just the two of them. He rested his chin atop her head, and she sighed into his embrace, trying to banish a flicker of guilt. She wasn’t really keeping a secret from him again. A few weeks more, after they set sail, she would tell him. She hoped his joy would outweigh everything else.
“This is to be the greatest adv
enture of our lives, my darling,” he whispered, fingering a little curl that had wiggled out of its hairpin. Her hair wasn’t very long yet—just long enough to increase the pleasure of his fingers running through her locks. His mother had helped her find an acceptable way to style it in its current state. Georgana would be sorry to leave her mother-in-law’s cheeriness. The woman remained in good spirits, even with her son whisking his new bride off to sea and leaving her alone again.
“Indeed it will.” She turned her face up to him. The duties of a ship’s captain would call him away very soon. They had best take advantage of this quiet moment.
Dominic grinned. He kissed her forehead. Then her nose. And when he found her eager lips, she could not suppress a little laugh. She had found home—not on the safe shores of England, but on the deck of a lilting ship and in the heart of a navy man. Though the days ahead would bring with them both hardship and happiness, all she and Dominic needed to face this life was each other.
And perhaps someone to teach her what one does with a baby.
Acknowledgments
I am so grateful to the many people who have helped me in my writing journey and in publishing Georgana’s story. First, I am grateful to a Heavenly Father who gave me a passion and has helped me develop it throughout my life.
Thank you to the Shadow Mountain crew, especially Heidi Gordon, Alison Palmer, and Lisa Mangum for all their hard work in making this story the best it could be.
Thanks to my critique partners—Joanna Barker, Heidi Kimball, Megan Walker, and Sally Britton—who have encouraged me from the start of our friendship, and to Deborah Hathaway, whose love for this story has kept me going through the rough times. And thanks to Jennie Goutet for helping with my French.
Thank you to all who betaread this story for me—Deborah, Jo, Meg, Heidi, Jill Warner, Alayna Townsend, Collette Campbell, Melissa Crandall, Caroline Huball, and Susan Perry; and my sisters-in-law—Kathryn, Corie, Arielle, and Kalle—who have been some of my biggest fans.
Thank you to my family—especially Mom, Dad, Mama, and Papa—for your inspiration, teaching, and unwavering support.
Lastly, a huge thank you to my husband and three children, who let me write for long days and late nights to chase my lifelong goal. Thank you for sharing this dream.
About the Author
ARLEM HAWKS began making up stories before she could write. Living all over the western United States and traveling around the world gave her a love of cultures and people and the stories they have to tell. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications, with an emphasis in print journalism, and she lives in Arizona with her husband and three children.
Contents
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Landmarks
Cover