Captain Merric

by Rebecca Cohen

  “Then less of this strange talk. Let’s get back to your adventures.”

  Daniel recounted his story again, his father a gracious audience who knew when to react. But Daniel couldn’t help but feel hollow; he couldn’t reveal the whole truth, had to keep buried his true desires. “And now I am waiting to hear from the Admiralty,” he said, finishing his account.

  Arthur wore a thoughtful expression that Daniel associated with the kind of idea that would cause him no end of trouble. Like the time he’d been asked to visit one of his father’s friends, only to find himself at the end of a rapier, since Arthur had neglected to inform Daniel that the friend was still annoyed over a failed business venture. “I will write to the Lord Admiral. I am sure he could find you a suitable position whereby you need not be halfway around the world. Which is what I favoured to begin with when I agreed you could join the navy.”

  “What? No! The last thing I want is to be stuck behind a desk in London.” He needed to cut the idea off before it had time to grow. “I mean, maybe in a few years I will wish to be landlocked, but I can hardly advance my career if I were to be marooned on land rather than out at sea, understanding what the navy needs.”

  “You’ve spent enough time away.”

  “Father, think of it like this—how would it seem if I don’t go back to sea? People would think I was cowed by the action of these villains. The Horton name should not be besmirched in such a fashion.”

  Arthur frowned. “I suppose you have a point. But you should now be trying to make a good marriage. You have waited long enough to find a wife—being off at sea won’t help with that.”

  Not this again. He’d hoped his father had accepted him as a confirmed bachelor, but he should have known better. “I am not in need of a wife. I wish to continue with my naval career. As you said since I intend to be off at sea, what sane woman would want an absent husband?”

  “You would be surprised—some of the most successful marriages have been between spouses on different continents.” Arthur did not look the slightest bit deterred. “But I may be able to relieve that little problem.”

  “I assure you, Father, my lack of a wife is not a problem.”

  “A gentleman needs a good woman by his side. Fortune has it that I happen to know of a charming young lady who will attend the dance in your honour and is eminently suitable. What better opportunity could there be?”

  Daniel wondered how long his father had been planning this arrangement. He’d been due to return to England within a few months, even before the events on Expedience had overtaken things, so Arthur could have started sowing the seeds already. Any marriage would have little to do with his desires or needs, but rather a political alliance on his father’s part. “Why ask my opinion? It appears you have already decided on a woman I have never met.”

  “Your mother was chosen for me by my father, and I was grateful for every day I got to have her by my side. Have some faith, Daniel. I do not blunder into such things without careful thought and consideration.”

  By rights he should have no objection. A single man, with a good name and career, he should have been happy his father had been working on his behalf to secure a marriage. The world was not to know that Daniel was in love with another, a man no less, and that he had no plan to return to England once he left and reunited with Edward. He would need to play along not to garner suspicions, but that did not mean he would go too meekly as that might cause his father to ask questions.

  He sighed for effect. “Who is this young lady you have decided I am suited to?”

  “Muriel Gatesby, youngest daughter of Viscount Roth. Pretty thing, sweet-tempered. Excellent family. I think she would make a perfect match.”

  “I can’t say I know her,” Daniel said carefully.

  Over the years his parents had suggested a stream of young ladies. He’d been forced to attend countless dances where eyes had rested on him as if he were a grand prize. He might not be the next baron—his brother had that dubious pleasure—but being a naval captain and having an expected inheritance meant he was a good prospect. The idea made him shudder.

  “You will not have met her before, it is only of late that her father has been seeking her hand in marriage.”

  “Dear Lord, how young is she?” Daniel wasn’t sure he wanted to hear.

  “She turned twenty-one in the summer.”

  Daniel groaned. He didn’t like the sound of this. Muriel was young, over ten years his junior. Why would a girl who, by his father’s description, could have her choice of many suitors choose him?

  “A little young for me, don’t you think?”

  “No I don’t. But I must get on, I have to see to some important estate business.” Arthur stood, clearly not wishing to continue the discussion. “It’s good to have you home. Whatever happens with the navy, you will always have a place here.”

  His father left, and Daniel slumped farther down in the chair. The sooner he heard from the Admiralty the better, but he would need to start making contingency plans in case he would have to find a way back to the Caribbean—and Edward—without the help of the Royal Navy.

  He stared around the library. Somehow, he expected to be more upset at the prospect that he would soon leave and it was likely he would never see Himmel Hall again. This place was no longer his home. He seldom visited and spent only a handful of days here each year, but leaving in the way he had planned would once again have his family thinking he was dead. He knew it would hurt them, but he wasn’t close to his family; he’d been a good son, done his duty, but now he wanted something for himself and he was willing to give up everything for Edward. Maybe in a few years he could write to his brother. Henry could be trusted not to send the navy after him, but his father might think he needed rescuing from himself.

  Chapter Eighteen

  His stepmother had arranged for his father’s tailor to provide Daniel with a set of clothes suitable for the occasion. He’d had little other option. His belongings had been scavenged by the crew of Expedience, including his clothes. He only had those gifted to him by Edward or from the governor from Port Royal, and they were hardly fitting for a dance in his honour. Now, along with those he wore, his stepmother had seen to it that he had several new sets that should ensure he would be correctly attired for any social situation, swimming with pirates withstanding. He even had three new wigs, which he would have never had bought for himself, but his stepmother was not to be argued with—not that he intended to, as he knew it was her way of showing she was happy he was home. However, she also interrogated him about his dancing skills, demanding to know if he was aware of what steps went with which dance, but he had been able to survive her questioning without the need to be passed on to her dancing master.

  Despite his best efforts, Daniel had not been able to retreat into a corner during the dance. His brother Henry, the traitorous fop, had seemed to make it his duty to keep him at centre stage, even though he knew Daniel hated such things.

  “It is nice to share the limelight,” Henry said as Daniel drank deeply of a glass of claret. “It is so tiresome to be the favourite day in and out.”

  It was said with good humour, Henry not meaning it as anything but a silly remark, but it was too true to be funny. Daniel had spent his life in Henry’s shadow—not that he wasn’t happy to stay there, especially if it meant not having to endure the attention. His brief patch of fame would pass, giving Henry back his leading role, but it could not do so soon enough for Daniel’s liking.

  “You are welcome to it. But at least you are already married. Father is not plotting your nuptials to anyone desperate enough to take you.”

  “I will have you know, you odious little toad, that Lady Catherine was jubilant at our match.” His brother grinned. “I pity the young woman who is saddled with Old Seadog Horton.”

  The nickname had stuck after his first visit home after joining the navy, his brother thinking his own wit greater than its merit.

  “I pity her more
. I have no need or want of a wife,” he muttered. “What I crave is the open sea and to escape the confines of polite society—neither of which are qualities a woman wishes for in a husband.”

  Henry laughed and nudged him. “I am afraid you will have to bury those longings for a while. Viscount Roth and his daughter are heading this way.”

  Daniel was cornered, and with no way out, he had to face his fate. At least when facing a Frenchman he only wanted to kill him, not shackle him for life. Viscount Roth was a man who considered himself to have the misfortune of a long-lived father blocking the way to his earldom. Roth’s demeanour was no more mellow than their previous two meetings: a stiff man in his late forties, he looked as if he had perpetual indigestion. Standing behind him was a young woman who was the very definition of demure. She a wore a pale blue dress which was no doubt the latest fashion, but Daniel wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t—the mysteries of a woman’s wardrobe were not ones he wanted to investigate.

  He bowed in deference to their status. “My lord. Miss Gatesby.”

  Daniel was grateful that Henry had not excused himself. They were not close like they had been as children, but Henry could still tell when Daniel was uneasy. He’d never had his brother’s charm, not that Daniel needed it, but in this sort of situation he wished he was better at dealing with those who, by rank, were his betters.

  “Captain Horton, Muriel and I were much relieved to hear the accounts of your death were false.”

  Muriel stepped forwards. Daniel couldn’t deny her beauty, but it did nothing to stir his passion. Who he desired was her exact opposite. Putting aside that Edward was a man, he was tall, broad, with tanned skin and blond hair, whereas Muriel was the perfect lady of Georgian society, slender with pale skin, and her dark curls piled up in an intricate fashion.

  She gave a shallow curtsey and then looked up at him with wide green eyes. “My father has spoken warmly about you, Captain. I am truly happy that we can at last meet in person.”

  His heart should have been all of a flutter, and other areas stirring, but poor Muriel would never be someone he could love. Their fathers’ machinations would drive any alliance, not his desires. “It is my honour, Miss Gatesby.”

  Roth cleared his throat. “I am sure my daughter would be a more than willing dance partner.”

  Daniel held out his arm, and Muriel smiled shyly before taking it. He led her away towards the dancing, at least happy to leave Viscount Roth behind.

  “I hear you have been sailing the Caribbean,” she said.

  “Yes, it is a very beautiful place.”

  “Do you intend to return?”

  “If I have my way, I will. There is still much to do in the area, and I feel it my duty to return, even if it would take me away from England.”

  She peered at him in a fashion he couldn’t decipher, but that was often the case with women. “If you were to marry, would you still think it your duty considering the vows you would have made to your wife?”

  “Of course. I made my pledge to King and country first. I would expect any wife I take to understand my need to honour it.”

  He hoped it might be enough to cause some doubt in Muriel’s mind. Enough to mention a concern to her father, but whether it would ultimately make any difference would remain to be seen.

  “Is that why you have so far chosen not to marry? Because you have yet to find a woman who would understand?”

  Daniel took his place opposite her, waiting for a new dance to start. “Certainly one of the reasons.”

  Her eyes sparkled in a way he had not expected. “I would rest your mind, Captain Horton. I think I would be able to call on my bravery to weather your absence.”

  Daniel wasn’t sure what to make of that. It wasn’t that he wanted a wife, but he would hope that if he were not home he would be missed, or maybe it was because he was hoping that Edward was missing his absence.

  Despite his dislike for the activity, he danced several times with Muriel. She was an elegant dancer but then, given her social status, that was not unexpected. Daniel couldn’t help but wonder why Muriel’s father had set his sights on her marrying him. She was the daughter of a viscount, and Daniel wasn’t going to be the next baron, and he was several years her senior and was a career sailor. Something definitely didn’t add up. He could think of three more eligible men in this room—all due to inherit their father’s rank, including an earl—and the possibilities further afield were even greater.

  Thankfully, he was able to bow out of the next dance, handing Muriel to a young man he didn’t recognise but who looked enough like the Duke of Kent for him to have to be a relation of some sort. But he couldn’t shake the feeling he was missing something.

  He spent the next few hours trying to slip away but was thwarted at each attempt by someone wishing to talk to him or his stepmother intervening. Retelling his story again and again was becoming a chore, especially as he couldn’t give the real end to his adventures, couldn’t talk about exploring Plesmaya with Edward, or that he had found the love of his life alive and well when he had thought him lost.

  “You need to make more of an effort, my boy,” said his father, who had managed to sneak up on him in a quiet corner he had found.

  “I am trying my best. I have spent many months away at sea, where my idea of a social gathering is dinner with my senior crew and not a dance with a hundred people.” His patience was at its thinnest, and he didn’t think he could hold back longer if his father continued to push.

  “I meant with Roth’s daughter. Sweet girl—you will be very happy.”

  “You are keen to make this match. Why is that? More importantly, why is her father? He will be an earl one day; why marry off his daughter to the untitled son of a lowly baron?”

  “What are you trying to insinuate?”

  “I am not insinuating anything—I am asking plainly. I see why you would want this for the Horton family. My marriage to Muriel would be a boon, but I don’t see the same benefits to Viscount Roth. And Muriel seems to have no qualms about me being off at sea for large swathes of our married life.”

  “She is just one of three daughters, and our family’s fortunes are on the rise. A marriage to the Roths will cement that further.” Arthur’s expression hardened. “You will marry Muriel.”

  “What if I do not wish to?”

  “Why would you not?”

  Daniel stood as straight as he could manage. “As I said, I will return to sea at the earliest opportunity.”

  “You do not know if you will even get the opportunity.”

  “If you think I will not fight for it, you do not know the man I have become.”

  “You have always been stubborn.” Arthur huffed. “But you are a man of principle, and I have always respected that. If you are to go to sea again, then I expect you to do so as a betrothed man. The marriage can be arranged for your return, but you will marry her.”

  He could agree to anything if it was to happen on his return from his next voyage, since he had no intention of returning from the Caribbean. The tricky part would come if he were not given a ship to command, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it. “I have only met her once.”

  “As I did your mother.”

  Not this argument again. “Father, please.”

  “Oh, for the love of the good Lord. I suppose you could call upon her when you are in London for the Admiralty. She usually resides in the family property in Covent Garden with her oldest brother who is also her chaperone. I will arrange matters.”

  He’d hope to dissuade his father, but it would suffice for now. He wished he had the connections his father had, so he could use the people he knew to try and put his mind at rest regarding Muriel and the Viscount Roth’s true motives. Perhaps Henry might be of help, but one thing was for certain, Daniel would not wander into this with his eyes closed. He might not have any intention of marrying Muriel, but he would not be taken for a fool.

  Chapter Nineteen

 
Edward groaned in annoyance. His right hand was fine for keeping a lid on his baser instincts, but it was no substitute for Daniel. Three months since he had left, and every morning Edward had woken with Daniel’s name on his lips after a vivid dream where his bed was no longer empty and he could slake his lust freely. A letter had arrived, which gave him the small comfort that Daniel had reached England safely. The traitors had been caught, but it had contained no news of when Daniel would return to him. He knew Daniel couldn’t write a candid letter about what was really going on, although Edward could read between the lines about what the Admiralty might do next, it left him in the same position. His right hand an unsatisfactory replacement and he possessed a heavy heart.

  Even Lelia had softened her approach, and while he enjoyed the extra biscuits and the rum punch she had made for him, her looks of concern were troubling. He really hoped she wouldn’t try to offer any words of comfort because he didn’t think he could cope with her being too nice to him.

  A successful few days at sea had been a worthy distraction. The belly of the Opal was full of fine silk and tobacco, both of which would fetch a pretty price when sold. Within the hour they should be back on Plesmaya, with all the temptations Edward could ill afford. He would be strong, keep his time in the town limited to dealing with the merchants and avoid the taverns. He had no intention of breaking his pledge to Daniel, but he would not torture himself unnecessarily watching beautiful men and women cavort in front of him.

  His crew had noticed something was amiss, and they had seen enough of how he had acted around Daniel to know the reason. Before Daniel, he’d had other distractions and had been happy to leave the more mundane activities to his men, but in order to ensure he was completely occupied he’d taken to being more involved. He barked a series of orders, weighing anchor and overseeing the crew disembarking. The cargo was offloaded, and he led a sizable contingent of men into the town. With an efficiency he would not have known he’d owned a few months ago, he haggled a decent price and found himself at a loose end.