Miles Before I Sleep

by Byrd, M. Donice

  Lady Callie, feeling left out of the conversation interrupted. “Surely, Mr. Huntington, all of the men on the ship are gentlemen.”

  “Perhaps on one of my other ships I could vouch for my crews’ behavior, but most of these men have only been in my employ for a few weeks. And of the passengers, I know even less.”

  “You say you have more ships?” Lady Callie rejoined cheerfully, trying to change the subject away from the young woman whom she now saw as a rival.

  Neither Andrea nor Miles heard her. Their eyes were locked on each other as if they could somehow read the other person’s mind if they looked hard enough. Neither one gave anything away.

  Andrea broke eye contact first. “You are hardly a suitable choice for a young lady’s chaperone,” she protested with an affixed smile. She tried to sound light and unconcerned, but a slight edge to her voice revealed her true feelings.

  “I think if the captain knew I sold Jim your ticket, he would say I am responsible for my action,” he said.

  Andrea eyed him out of the corner of her eye wondering if he knew she was Andrea James and was threatening to tell the captain that she had slipped aboard disguised as a man. He held not the slightest hint of amusement in his eyes. She cursed herself silently for not remaining in male garb or at least remaining in her cabin for the voyage. One day in petticoats, and she had already been recognized by Clyde Sully, and now this. For all she knew, Miles Huntington might have recognized her as Andrea James, the runaway fiancée of his cousin, Shamus O’Shea.

  Andrea shifted her gaze and stared unseeingly at her menu. A waiter had already begun to take orders from the other end of the table and she had yet to decide on anything for her meal.

  “Miss Andrews is absolutely right,” Lady Pike announced peevishly, tapping her fan on the edge of the table. “Despite your impeccable reputation, Mr. Huntington, you are not a suitable chaperone for a young lady. No man is. I have no doubt you could protect her from any man who would treat her improperly. But who will see to it that you do not fall under this lovely creature’s spell and behave improperly yourself?”

  “Madam, I am not some callow youth, inclined to take advantage of an innocent lady because I happen to be alone with her.”

  “No one is disputing your reputation or intentions, I assure you, Mr. Huntington,” Lady Pike said quickly, her poise flustered that she had unintentionally questioned his integrity. “It’s just that you and Miss Andrews should not be put into that position. Why, just the unconventionality of such an arrangement could have her reputation ruined before the ship docks. Now, look at my Callie for example. Never in her life has she has never been allowed to be alone with a man and won’t be until she is properly engaged.”

  She stopped when she realized the waiter was standing at her shoulder waiting for her to place her order. She turned slightly and efficiently spouted off what she wanted, and returned to where she left off, as if there had never been an interruption, while the waiter moved down to Lady Callie.

  “This arrangement is simply unheard of. Perhaps if you were related—say, her brother, or uncle, or even a first cousin—though I would not allow even that with my Callie unless he was a married cousin.”

  Lady Pike took a quick sip of her water. “There are several women on board who probably wouldn’t mind taking on the role. If no one else can be found, I might possibly be compelled to take on the responsibility, although it would undoubtedly mean a curtailment of my own activities and enjoyment during our journey.”

  “Mama!” Lady Callie protested in her harsh voice. Again, no one seemed to hear her.

  Miles was engaged with the waiter when Lady Pike had finished her lecture on propriety, so rather than wait for him, Andrea responded.

  “I thank you both for your generous offers. Although I do not feel I need a keeper, I shall speak to my brother on the matter in the morning if he is not recovered. Should he agree that my reputation or anything else is in peril, I shall seek out whomever Jim believes is more suitable for the job.”

  “You may think that you do not need a keeper, young lady, but I think this unseemly display of impertinence just proves that you do!” Lady Pike had lowered her voice and was now leaning forward. Her cheeks wore a dark flush of anger and her knuckles were white where she gripped the linen covered table. “Mark my words, Miss Andrews, if you continue in your unchecked ways, ten years from now you will wonder why you’ve been mistress to half a dozen men with no prospect of marriage!”

  “Mama!” Lady Callie exclaimed

  “Lady Pike!” Miles shouted at the same moment, casting a hush over the people within earshot.

  Andrea, feeling it was wisest not to respond until the attention focused on them had passed, turned to give her order to the waiter but found that he was gone.

  “The waiter… I-I didn’t tell him what I wanted.”

  Miles Huntington pried the menu from her hands. “I took the liberty of ordering for you while you were engrossed in conversation,” he said lightly. “By the time you realized Phillip was there, the rest of the dining room would have eaten and gone to the saloons for sherry.”

  Color crept into her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said, aghast at her inattention and thoughtlessness. Her expression of regret was spoken strictly to Miles Huntington for she did not feel she owed anyone else an apology. She had done her best to act with proper decorum, and any transgression she might have committed was provoked by Lady Pike. “It’s probably just as well that you ordered for me, though I’m sorry you were put to the trouble. But I was having a deuced hard time deciding.”

  Lady Pike gasped loudly. “Indeed, Miss Andrews! Must we be continuously assaulted by your vulgarity? Were it not for your clothing, one might think you a stevedore-sired waterfront brat aping your betters.”

  Andrea, still facing the head of the table where an angry Miles Huntington sat, cast her eyes heavenward. Sighing deeply, she slowly turned back to Lady Pike. Her chin lifted proudly, accentuating her perfect posture.

  “My apologies, madam.” Her voice fairly purred with culture. “You are entirely correct in foregoing convention to bring to my attention my ill manners. In the future, I will remember that that kind of language is unacceptable at the dinner table; although I am certain I first heard that word from Lady Frances Himple, daughter of Earl Himple. I defer to your superior judgment and vast worldly experience.”

  An apology was definitely not what the older woman wanted or expected. She opened her mouth to make a sharp retort and closed it tightly, her eyes shooting daggers at Andrea. What had sounded like an apology had a definite ring of an insult that Lady Pike could not quite locate.

  “You were saying,” Andrea said turning back to Miles.

  “I was just asking if you would care to take a stroll around the deck after dinner. And you were just accepting.”

  “Was I?” She stared at him incredulously. There had been no such conversation. Did he not see the attention he was giving her was what was causing Lady Pike’s untoward hostility?

  “Certainly you were. If not, I would have to seek out the captain to share my latest thoughts and discoveries with him. We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

  “No,” she answered softly. “We wouldn’t want that.”

  Suddenly, the steady motion of the ship slowed noticeably and the constant hum of the engine ceased.

  “What the devil!” Miles Huntington cried, rising from his chair. “Excuse me.”

  Miles and the captain arrived at the door at nearly the same moment and both disappeared into the passageway.

  Conversations had lulled at the first few moments that the change was felt, but now every table was abuzz with speculation. When Andrea returned her attention to her dining companions, she found not only was Lady Pike casting dark looks her way but Lady Callie was also.

  “How could you!” Lady Callie cried. Her voice was low in an attempt not to attract attention.

  Andrea was not surprised, but had been expecting
a tirade from the older woman. At least Lady Callie had enough common sense not to make a scene in front of the man for whom they had set their hooks.

  “You pretended to be my friend just to steal him away from me!”

  “I did no such thing,” Andrea stated calmly. “I have no interest in Mr. Huntington, and had I known beforehand that I would be placed in this awkward position, I would have asked if I could take my meal in my cabin.”

  “Then why did you agree to walk with him after supper.”

  Andrea had no desire to tell her that he was subtly threatening to expose the fact that she had come aboard under false pretenses. “I’m afraid my social experience is limited. I simply did not know how to politely decline.”

  Lady Pike harrumphed in response and the three fell into silence.

  They sat in awkward tension until several waiters came to their table and began serving the soup. One man placed a bowl in front of each guest. Two others carried tureens and the fourth, the waiter Miles had called Phillip, ladled the proper soup into each person’s bowl. Phillip hesitated when he got to Miles Huntington’s empty place, but seeing that a bowl had been set, he decided to fill it.

  “Perhaps you should set aside a bowl for Mr. Huntington in the warming oven,” Andrea suggested. “He went to see why the engine has been shut down and may be gone for some time.”

  “Yes, miss,” Phillip said. A look of relief washed over his swarthy features to have the decision taken out of his hands.

  “If he doesn’t return, will you see that his meal is put on a tray and taken to his cabin before the galley closes?”

  “Yes, miss,” he answered before giving her a healthy serving of soup.

  Andrea recognized the green turtle soup in front of her and proceeded to bring a spoonful to her mouth. She held the morsel in her mouth a moment, savoring the taste and texture before she chewed and swallowed.

  “You had no right to take it upon yourself to have Mr. Huntington’s meal set back. You are not even an invited guest. How presumptuous of you to assume Mr. Huntington would want to find cold food in his stateroom later.”

  Andrea took another bite, then set her spoon down and folded her hands in her lap as she slowly counted to ten. She really did not understand Lady Pike’s objection to common courtesy.

  “Madam, would you have him come back to cold food, or to have his untouched dishes taken away with our empty plates? And should he be delayed until midnight, would you have him go to bed hungry? Once the galley is closed, it is not opened again until it is time to prepare the next meal. Under those circumstances, I would think he would be glad for a cold meal.”

  Lady Pike glared at her. “My objection is that you overstepped your bounds,” she seethed.

  “My apologies, Lady Pike, Lady Callie,” she said coolly. Much of the table, no longer engaged in conversation now that the food was served, had turned their attention to the argument at the head of the table. She raised her mockingly bowed head and added, “Again, I defer to your judgment. When the waiter comes back, you may change my instructions as you see fit. As you said, I am an uninvited guest at this table. Since Lady Callie is one step away from being his fiancée, in the future I shall yield to her decisions.”

  Lady Pike pursed her lips in anger, and Lady Callie flushed with embarrassment over the reminder of their previous conversation. Meekly, Callie ducked her head and steadily spooned her pottage aux choux into her mouth. Andrea also returned to her soup, but not with as much haste as Lady Callie.

  Lady Callie finished before Andrea had eaten half of hers. “You know that you’re eating turtle, don’t you, Miss Andrews,”

  “Of course. It’s been a favorite of mine for years.” At Lady Callie’s subtle face of distaste, Andrea continued “It’s considered a delicacy all over the world. If it is on the menu again, you really should try it. This is quite the best I have had. But I suppose Mr. Huntington knew how delicious it was when he took the liberty of ordering for me.”

  The entrées were served with a rush of excitement as the ship was felt to be underway again. The engine remained silent, attesting to the fact that the sails had been unfurled and the ship was now at the mercies of the capricious winds. The ship’s arrival in New York would be delayed, but by how much would be determined by how long the engine was out of commission. If it was only a few hours, the time could be made up by running with the sails and engine. If it remained strictly under sail power, they could be delayed by a week or more.

  The captain returned to his dinner a few minutes later without any announcement or explanations, other than, perhaps, to the people at his own table.

  When Miles Huntington did not return, Lady Callie turned to her mother and whined, “When is Miles coming back? The captain’s been back for ages.”

  Lady Pike had no answer.

  Andrea swallowed the bite of goose in Champagne sauce that was in her mouth. “It stands to reason if he’s not back soon, he will not be back until the trouble is resolved.”

  “And what makes you such an expert? The captain has returned with the problem unresolved.”

  “And I’m sure if the matter is minor, we will be rejoined by our host. No doubt, the captain has delegated the matter to his senior officers. His interests lie in getting the ship to its port safely, whereas Mr. Huntington’s lie with his investment.”

  “So now you’re a mind-reader as well as an expert on steamships,” Lady Callie bit out, spitefully.

  Andrea wished she had just kept her mouth shut and finished her meal in strained silence, but for some reason, she just could not stop herself. “I believe any student of human nature would agree with my logic,” she said, gesturing with one hand. “As for steamships…this is the first one I’ve been on, and I claim no knowledge of their workings. However, if you but look around, you would have to agree that Mr. Huntington has gone to great lengths to make this one of the finest ships of our day. He has obviously put more than just his money into its building.”

  “Thank you,” a deep voice said from behind her. “It’s good to know our efforts did not go unnoticed.”

  Deep scarlet stained her cheeks at being overheard praising the cousin of the man she had jilted. She did not want to praise his effort or anything about him and she certainly did not like arguing with his female friends over him.

  “My apologies for the interruption, Miss Andrews. You were saying…?”

  “I was finished.”

  Lady Callie stopped pouting as soon as Miles rejoined them. The sudden transition was uncanny. Her dark stable eyes gleamed in a sultry fashion that made Andrea feel as if she had walked into someone’s bedchamber unannounced.

  “It was nothing serious, I hope,” Callie said, briefly touching Miles on his arm. “I was just telling Jayne that if it was serious, we might not see you again tonight. She seemed to think we were on the verge of sinking, but we have finally managed to calm her down. Who would think with all that gangly height of hers, she would be as scared and excitable as a little mouse?” She spared a surreptitious glance at Andrea.

  Lady Callie’s lie did not work and whatever she hoped to gain was lost. Miles placed a large palm on Andrea’s hand and held it reassuringly.

  “I find it hard to believe that you would be so easily upset.”

  “I find it hard to believe myself,” she said dryly, sparing a glance at Lady Callie. She nearly laughed when she saw her lamented expression. It wasn’t that she was unsympathetic to the other woman’s feelings; she just thought Callie deserved a little aggravation for telling lies.

  Lady Callie had not noticed Andrea looking at her; all she saw was Andrea’s slender fingers peeking out from under Miles's hand.

  “It must be true,” Miles said. “I can feel your hand still trembling.”

  She tried to pull away from the warm, strong grip, but he held fast. Her eyes met his and for a moment, she was transported to a ballroom five years before. She could practically feel his arm around her waist as they moved in
unison around the crowded floor and smell the sweet floral perfume of the honeysuckles and roses as they passed the open garden windows. For that moment, her chest filled with joy and a slight smile formed on her lips. With his beard, it had been easy to forget he was the man with whom she had danced. Now, as he gazed into her eyes, she felt suddenly breathless and warm.

  Only when Phillip leaned between them to set the bowl of soup in front of Miles, did he release her hand and break the spell, returning her to the present. Andrea picked up her fork and knife to cut another piece of goose and saw that her hands were indeed trembling. The once delicious food now seemed to have no flavor at all, and she signaled for Phillip to take the half-eaten dinner away.

  “You didn’t like the goose?” Miles asked.

  Andrea gave her chin a dignified lift. It was an automatic response when she was pushing her feelings down inside where no one could sense them. A dazzling smile came to her lips. “Actually, it was wonderful. But the green turtle soup was so hearty, I fear I filled up on it. So, if your chef complains because I sent the plate back only partially eaten, he has no one to blame but himself for making the soup too good to stop halfway.”

  An engaging laugh escaped between his lips, and Andrea could not help but chuckle herself. “You sound as if you have met your share of these temperamental French chefs.”

  “I have. But you have never seen temperament until you’ve met an Italian chef who has been to one of those fancy French cooking schools. Mon dieu. Put that famous Italian temper in with the French oversensitivity, and beware. The food is second to none, but it takes the saltiest bo’s’on to keep from blushing under the abuse.”

  Across the table came a strangled cry of outrage. Lady Pike’s face was livid. “Once again you insist on bringing the dinner conversation down into the gutter, Miss Andrews. I have had more pleasant meals in the common room of country inns where I was forced to eat in the company of rustics and common laborers. In the future, please remember that you are in the company of quality.”