by Becky Lower
“Ah, Pip, you’ll miss the sea in a matter of days. I’m always grateful to set foot on land, but after a bit, I long for the lull of the ocean.”
His gaze swept over her. “Besides, the captain kept your secret safe the whole voyage, didn’t he?”
Pippa could feel her toes curling inside her boots. “What secret do I have?”
“Yer a girl. No cabin boy would have taken care of me so well, when I got washed overboard.” Ben placed his hand on her arm. “Because I was beholden to you, I never shared my knowledge with any of the rest of the crew. I figured the captain wanted it kept quiet.”
Pippa nodded. What harm could possibly come from Ben knowing now? “It was something about bad luck for women to be on board the ship.”
“Well, that got proven wrong, didn’t it? I would-a been a goner if not for you, tossing the float so close to me and then taking care of me afterward. And the cap’n treated you with the respect any fine English lady deserves, didn't he?” Ben wrestled with the float on the water.
Pippa grinned. “Other than making me sleep on the floor instead of giving me his hammock, yes.”
And making my body hum. Making me lose my breath. Making my insides turn to mush. Sudden tears formed at the back of her eyes and she blinked them away. It was past time for her new life to begin.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Pippa returned to the captain’s cabin one last time before leaving the ship. Other than her tweed cap, she had little to gather in her sack, since she’d only come aboard with the clothes on her back and a bit of food and money. Would she give her aunt a heart attack by arriving in filthy boy’s clothing? She had placed all her eggs into one basket, and if Aunt Bernice brushed her aside, as if she were truly a street urchin, then what? She took a deep breath to steady herself, while she waited for Daniel to accompany her ashore.
He entered the cabin, flicked a gaze at her, strode to the drawers holding his clothing, and stuck his hand into the bottom drawer where he tugged out a garment with great care. He brushed a hand softly over it, then pivoted and handed it to her.
"Put this on. Your aunt will expect to see a young lady." He removed the keys from his pocket, and Pippa held her breath as he opened the secret compartment for the first time in her presence. She temporarily forgot the garment in her hands, and took a step closer to the cabinet.
Daniel removed several pieces of correspondence and tucked them into a leather pouch strapped to his body. Pippa tried to peer around his broad shoulder to see if anything remained in the cabinet, but he shut the door and re-locked it before she could completely quell her curiosity. He pivoted away from her. “Get dressed. I’ll meet you on deck.”
That was it?
She hadn’t really expected him to lose control, as he had last night. But a little something would have been nice. Oh, who was she kidding? She didn’t want just a little something from him. The man had rocked her to the core with his searing kisses and she longed for more of him. Her nerve endings pulsated each time he was in the same room with her. Her lips were still tender and swollen from his unbridled, out of control kisses. She brushed a finger over them, reliving every detail of the minutes they’d been locked in each other’s embrace. Yes, she’d toyed with men’s affections before, and was amused by their vain attempts to impress her. But never in her life had she been so thoroughly aroused as she had been with Daniel. The region between her legs grew damp again, with the memory. She groaned and shook out the garment he’d given her.
It was a dress! Not a very fine one, a more working-class dress than what she was used to. But it beat the dirty trousers she had been wearing. Why did he have a dress mixed in his clothing?
The thought of stripping off her boy’s clothing, unbinding her breasts, and becoming a woman again stirred her to action. She splashed water in the basin, removed all her clothing and stood naked in the cabin as she cleansed herself from top to tail. If she let her gaze wander to the hammock more than once, that was her own business. The faded blue dress was ill fitting, stretching taut across her bosom and was several inches too long, but it was a gown at least. She buttoned the final button and stood in the center of the cabin, twirling around, loving the way the fabric swished around her feet. She could do nothing about her short hair, or the rugged boots on her feet, or the fact she had no corset, but at least she resembled a woman now. She wondered again about the origin of the dress. She wondered how Daniel would react to her, seeing her in a woman’s clothing.
Suddenly, the cabin was too small; the ship was too small. She was desperate to get on dry land, to roam the cobbled streets of Boston, to take in this new country. She wanted to see a familiar face in her aunt and uncle, attend a ball, dance again. A quick stab of homesickness pierced her resolve. Now was not the time to be maudlin. Phase One of her new life had ended. She couldn’t wait for the next part. Pippa took one final look at the cabin in which so much had transpired and sighed. Time to roll on to the next thing. To get away from the ship, away from her boy’s attire, away from Daniel.
• ♥ •
Daniel smoked a cheroot while he waited for Pippa to prepare for departure. Wearing his wife’s dress. It had been a folly to keep the dress after her death. He’d given away everything else. But he’d clung onto the blue dress, which had been his favorite. Aware of how much he preferred it, Gladys had worn and washed it so many times it had turned to a faded blue. But he couldn’t part with it. Just having it in his bottom drawer, even if he never touched it during a voyage, made him feel closer to her.
And what would Gladys have thought of the lust that had threatened to blow the lid off the cabin last night? He hadn’t considered the dress, or his wife, when he gave into his baser instincts and pummeled Pippa’s lips and breast. He wiped a hand over his face, as if to destroy the image his mind had created. Since the British forces had taken over Boston, he’d guarded his feelings. His future, his country’s future, his daughter’s future, depended on him being able to toe the line between England and America. There was no room for a relationship with a woman.
His gaze shifted from the shoreline when he became aware of the swish of fabric. His mouth dried up and his eyes grew misty as he beheld Pippa in his wife’s dress. In any dress. She was a beauty. He swallowed hard before he found his voice.
“Ready?”
No ‘You are a beautiful woman, Pippa.’ No ‘You fill out that dress much better than Gladys ever did.’ No ‘I wish to tear that gown off you and take you right here, right now.’ He once again gazed at the shore, his jaw flexing as he held in the words. No good would come from making her aware of his true feelings.
She touched his arm, and his knees threatened to buckle. He couldn’t look at her.
“Yes, Captain. Do you need the address of where my aunt lives?”
He growled. “As I said before, Boston’s not that big of a town. I’m very familiar with the home your aunt lives in.”
He draped her hand over his arm, took her small sack of possessions from her and proceeded down the gangplank. The sooner he delivered her to her relatives, the better.
She stumbled on dry land and grasped his arm tighter. His legs threatened to give way, too, although not from being off the ship. He’d gotten his land legs under him many a time before. “If you widen your stance as you take a step, you’ll not stumble. It takes a bit to adjust to land again.”
She nodded and shifted her stance. “Thank you.”
“Would you rather take a carriage? It’s several miles to your aunt’s home.” He finally hazarded a glance at her. Gladys’s dress was taut over Pippa’s bosom. Maybe she should not have been so eager to shed her binding. Daniel’s hand clenched, reliving the feel of her breast, how eagerly her nipple had budded under his fingers. He glanced away.
Pippa’s gaze bounced from one storefront to the next. “No, I’d rather go by foot. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to stretch my legs. Besides, I want to see everything.”
Daniel stifl
ed a groan at the picture in his mind of her legs stretching around his torso.
“All right, then, but mind your step. The horses don't give a care where they drop their shit.” His voice was gruff and his words were no way to talk to a lady. Which Pippa definitely was. By merely putting on a faded gown, she had transformed from Pip, the cabin boy, to Lady Philippa Worthington, soon to become the most popular young lady in Boston's elite English and Tory crowd, able to wind British soldiers around her little finger.
She wrinkled her nose as they skirted around a fresh pile of manure. “I see what you mean.”
He concentrated on taking measured breaths as they strode the brick sidewalks between the docks and Beacon Hill. They passed Boston Common and Daniel breathed a sigh of relief when they passed the empty stockade. Evidently things had remained quiet during his absence. But now that summer was upon them, he expected the fragile peace wouldn't hold. The British had too much at stake. After all, if these upstart American colonists succeeded in their attempt to separate themselves from British rule, what was to prevent other countries under the reign of the crown from doing the same? Britain’s dominance in the world landscape was in peril, and they were finally taking the American uprising seriously, since they were sending in reinforcements. Fierce battles were on the horizon. Daniel only hoped the Americans were ready.
“I have a question for you, Daniel.” Pippa raised her voice to compete with the clatter of a wagon rolling by.
Daniel reversed his thoughts from the impending bloodshed and focused again on the woman beside him. “What might that be? Are you wondering which dressmaker to visit?” They were strolling by a row of shops.
She laughed. The tinkling sound reminded him of wind chimes in the breeze. “No, I'm not interested in ways to spend my few resources. I would prefer to discover how it is you had a woman’s dress in your drawer on the ship. I thought women aboard ship were taboo.” She brushed the skirt of the faded gown.
He glanced away, blinking hard in the harsh sunlight. “It’s the only thing I have left of my wife.”
Pippa inhaled sharply, and Daniel feared for the bodice of the gown. “Oh.”
He glanced at her. She didn’t meet his gaze but ran her hand down the front of the gown. “I’ll make certain it gets returned to you, then. I appreciate you letting me wear it now.”
Daniel shrugged. “You couldn’t very well show up at your aunt’s, giving her your story of your father agreeing to your visit, while wearing a boy’s clothing. Perhaps we’d better go over what you propose to tell her so we can be in agreement about it.”
Pippa shook her head. “I don’t want to get too bogged down in details. The less we fabricate, the less we have to keep straight. We’ll play it by ear.”
Somehow, Daniel grasped this would not go well. But it was too late now. They were in Beacon Hill, mere steps away from the house now occupied by Pippa’s aunt and uncle.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Daniel glanced at the fine lines of the house while they waited on the steps for admittance. The brickwork was perhaps a trifle ornate, but he loved the embellishments around the door and windows. He never tired of admiring it.
The rich, highly polished, dark walnut door swung open by an officer and Daniel offered a mild salute. “Lieutenant, how nice to see you again.”
The man barely spared him a glance before sliding his gaze to Pippa. He raised an eyebrow to Daniel, who waved a hand in front of her. “This is Lady Philippa Worthington, Mrs. Longfellow’s niece, visiting from London. May we enter?”
Lieutenant Benson finally took a step back and bowed slightly. “Lady Worthington, is it? Please come into the parlor. I’ll inform your aunt of your presence.”
Pippa curtseyed to the officer. “To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?” She flashed him a look from under her eyelashes.
He stuttered and took a step back before straightening. “Lieutenant Benson, at your service, milady.”
She offered up a smile to him. The captain appeared to forget Daniel was in the room, since he only had eyes for Pippa.
Daniel cleared his throat. “And, if you could also inform Major Longfellow that I’m here, I’d appreciate it.” Daniel’s gaze roamed the front parlor as the captain reluctantly left the room. The wallpaper wound stalks of green ivy up the walls. He ran a hand over the tan loveseat, inhaling the scent of the leather. Each time he visited this house, he got a lump in his throat and steeled his resolve to keep up his subterfuge.
A rustle of fabric heralded the arrival of Bernice Longfellow. Daniel and Pippa faced the doorway as the short, plump woman entered the room. Her many petticoats and yards of fabric only heightened her appearance of being as round as she was tall.
“Pippa! What an unexpected surprise!” She gathered the young woman in an embrace.
“You mean you didn’t get Father’s letter?”
Bernice shook her sausage curls. “No, we received no letter from William. Why did he send you here?”
“A bit of a tiff, actually. I wished to spend a few months in Paris before accepting one of the many proposals offered to me. He thought I should marry right away.” Pippa’s shoulders rose slightly. “When he couldn’t sway me, he suggested I spend some time with you, that you could straighten out my wayward thoughts.”
Bernice bussed Pippa’s cheek with a kiss. “He must feel you’re missing your mother’s influence.”
Pippa nodded, tears filling her eyes, and glanced at Daniel. “Exactly what Father said. I’m sorry if I’m a surprise. I thought surely a letter from him would have arrived ahead of me.”
Bernice gave her niece the once over. “Why are you wearing such a dreadful gown? Where are your trunks? And why is your hair so short?”
Daniel caught Pippa’s frantic gaze. He cleared his throat, again, to remind Mrs. Longfellow he was in the room. So far, Pippa had managed to lie without so much as batting an eye. Now, it was his turn. “My ship hit a rogue wave shortly after we set sail, and all of Lady Worthington’s belongings washed away. Fortunately, there was one gown on board, which is what she’s wearing now.” He chose not to explain why the gown she supposedly had on when her trunks washed overboard was not available. As she said, the less they had to fabricate, the better. He let Bernice’s disdain of his wife’s attire go without comment.
Pippa brushed a hand through her dark, shiny hair. “And this short hairstyle is all the rage now in London. I must fill you in on the goings-on there.”
“Well, we’ll take care of getting you some decent clothing post-haste. You must be starving. I’ll order some refreshments and you can catch me up.” Bernice placed an arm around Pippa’s shoulders and steered her from the room. She took one long glance over her shoulder as her aunt attempted to take her away.
Her footsteps faltered, and she spoke to her aunt. “If you don’t mind, Aunt Bernice, I need to say goodbye to the captain who took such good care of me on the journey over.”
Mrs. Longfellow’s questioning gaze bounced from her niece to Daniel and back again. “Well, if you must. I’ll wait in the next room.”
Pippa strode to him and took hold of his hand, speaking in a whisper. “Thank you. I’ll make certain to return the dress. I apologize for my aunt’s harsh words. I’m aware how much this gown means to you.”
He removed his hand from hers. “It’s of no consequence. Enjoy your stay in Boston, Pippa.”
She straightened her stance, blinked several times, gave him one last look, and left the room. Daniel exhaled as he followed her exit with his gaze. She had stirred his senses in a way no other had done since Gladys, and he could not afford to be distracted. Too many people were depending on him to provide information about the British troops’ movements. He had a war to wage. It would not do to wage war with himself, too.
• ♥ •
Lieutenant Benson hurried back into the room, but his gaze followed Pippa as she left to join her aunt. “Major Longfellow will see you now.”
Daniel
followed the captain to the library where the major had set up his office. Daniel’s heart ached each time he entered this room, longing to run his hand over the shelves lining the walls, to touch the familiar books and inhale the lemony scent of polish, but stood silently in front of the major’s desk and waited.
The major finally glanced up and motioned to a chair. “Take a seat, Simmons, and tell me how the trip over was. Anything unusual happen, other than the unexpected transporting of my niece?” The major smiled. “Lieutenant Benson already filled me in on our new guest.”
“No, sir. One fairly nasty storm, but other than that, it was a fairly smooth sail.”
If you didn't consider the tumult in the captain’s cabin. He remained standing.
He tugged the pouch strap over his head and undid the binding. “I have several letters for you, sir.”
The major glanced at the letters Daniel tossed onto the desk and fingered them. “I hope you have letters for the troops from home, too. The men have been getting restless with nothing much to do over the winter.”
“Yes, sir, I have an entire box of letters, which will be unloaded this afternoon. I should be able to have them delivered to you then.” Daniel waited to be excused, chafing at the delay.
The major again motioned to a chair for Daniel. He took a breath and sat. Exactly what he didn't want. To chew the fat with the major. “When will you be returning to England?”
Daniel brushed his hand through his hair. “In a few weeks, probably, unless you have a reason for me to return sooner. I need to spend some time with my daughter before she forgets who I am.”
The major laughed. “Understood. But Pippa’s presence bothers me. This is not a good city for a young woman of means. I may need to send her back soon, regardless of what her father wishes.”
Daniel's heart beat faster. A return voyage with Pippa would be more than he could take.
“I agree with your concern, Major. But as long as she’s properly chaperoned by your men, she’ll be protected from the rough and tumble element of Boston.”
