Finally, the big man cleared his throat. “Good morning, Lord Montgomery.”
“Good morning, Max,” William responded immediately. “How is everything for you?”
“I cannot complain, my lord.”
“Good to hear.”
There was a long pause. Neither man could think of anything to say to fill in the gap. The silence became uncomfortable.
“How is the princess this morning?” William asked.
“She is still sleeping, my lord.”
“Oh? It is somewhat late for her to be sleeping, isn’t it?” William looked at Max. He had to look up slightly, which was something he wasn’t used to doing. It was difficult to find anyone as big and tall as William in Fairfield or the surrounding counties.
Max looked back at him. William was unable to read his face. He was virtually expressionless. “I think my lord must be under the impression it is later than it is.”
William detected the hint of amusement in Max’s voice and gave the guard a grin. “Oh? Perhaps I am. Is it very early?”
“Yes, it is not yet 7 in the morning. My lady usually wakes up around 8 o’clock.”
“I see.” William nodded.
“But I am sure she will be in good health when she does rise,” Max continued.
William nodded again. Another pause threatened, so William said, “The weather is looking like it will be comfortable for the day.”
“So far, yes, I agree.” Max nodded. “I am hoping the princess agrees.”
William thought that was an odd comment to make. “Whatever do you mean? Why wouldn’t she?”
Max hesitated before answering. “She may be in good health when she rises or she may be feeling ill. It is sometimes hard to tell.”
William was even more confused. “You are speaking in riddles, my friend. Please help me understand what you are saying. I have not seen the princess out of sorts for the three days we have been aboard this ship. Why would she be now?”
Max shook his head. “I’m not saying she will be, my lord. But there are things you do not know about the princess.”
The comment made William tilt his head. “Oh? What is there to know?”
Max knew that the lord was probably suspicious of what he would say, so he tried to make his voice gentle and concerned, rather than harsh and gossipy. “The princess has been through some difficult times.”
William raised his eyebrows. “She certainly does not look as if that is so.”
“She hides it very well. If you become a close friend, you will notice the pain in her eyes, the lingering thoughts that make her less…vibrant…than she used to be.”
“Vibrant.” William repeated the word. Everything about the sweet, beautiful princess seemed vibrant to him.
“Yes, my lord. She was a very excited young lady. She attended all the balls, dances and parties she could several years ago. After her debut, she was unstoppable.”
“A real lady of the ton, then.” William nodded.
“You could say that, my lord. Her social standing was well known in our homeland and the surrounding areas.”
“She seems to have recovered from those days of wanton abandonment.”
“It could be, my lord. She is taking this holiday under the advisement of her father the king, who is worried for her health and safety.”
“Her health and safety.” William felt a bit dumb for repeating the guard’s words, but did not think before they slipped out.
“Yes, my lord.”
“Continue.” William turned to him, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking directly at Max. He wanted to hear every word the guard had to say.
“How shall I continue, my lord?”
“Tell me why her health is in jeopardy? And what is she running from that her father should be worried for her safety?”
“She angered some of the elite in our homeland and has cast humiliating light on the family name.”
“The king is worried about his reputation?” William wondered if he could believe what Max was saying. He himself had cast quite the disparaging light on his own family name. But he could not imagine Princess Belle doing the same.
“I suppose he is, my lord. It would be terrible if there was an uprising.”
“The last I heard, Netherlands was at peace within its country. There has been no rebellious talk that we know of in Britain.”
“The internal affairs of our homeland may not be widespread, my lord.”
“Hmm.” William covered his mouth with his hand. “How far has the princess gone to humiliate her father? Has she gone to extreme lengths?”
Max looked like he didn’t want to answer the question. “At times, my lord.”
“And her father has always covered up for her in the past?”
“Yes, my lord. She has broken her father’s heart on many occasions.”
William couldn’t fathom the pretty princess getting into such trouble that her father would be heartbroken. He was having a hard time believing the guard was telling the truth. He looked uncomfortable talking about it, which gave William the impression he was not fabricating.
“What about Tamilia?” William asked.
The look on Max’s face told the story. He didn’t know William knew about Tamilia. Belle had said the girl was uncommon.
“Princess Tamilia, yes,” was all Max could seem to say. He seemed to be concentrating on the water even more now. There was a short pause before he said, “Princess Tamilia did try to tame her sister. She is two years older than Belle and had the experience and wisdom from her youth.”
“Two years is not a long time to be doling out wisdom,” William said. “And from the sound of it, her advice was not very good.”
“Too be sure, my lord, it was not. But she did her best with what she was given.”
“What does that mean?” William was becoming annoyed with the conversation. He didn’t want to hear that what he saw in the princess was only a façade, a pretty mask concealing an ugly heart. It was a possibility. The other possibility was that the guard was lying. But why would he?
Could it be the guard was in love with his charge? Was he jealous of William?
William turned away from the man and looked out over the water, pondering what Max had told him. If Belle was a wild child that was becoming tame, he would need to tread carefully. He had himself been wild and carefree, to the detriment of his family, fortune and reputation. He wasn’t the best companion for someone else who was trying to settle down.
Or perhaps he was just what she needed.
He wondered…
9
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Her heart sped up a little as she pictured William leaning to give her a kiss on the forehead…or the lips.
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CHAPTER NINE
BELLE AND HER SISTER
It seemed like half the day was gone before William had a chance to speak with Belle. She stayed below deck for many hours. He didn’t know what she was doing down there, but he didn’t feel it was his business one way or the other. He stayed above, talking to the captain, watching the crew move about the ship and enjoying the open air.
It was nearly noon when Belle made an appearance. She was at the lunch table when everyone arrived in the dining cabin.
“Here you are, Miss Belle.” William smiled broadly, taking the seat next to her. “How have you been this morning?”
“Oh, I have been feeling all right.” She smiled back at him. “How about you?”
“I have spent the morning enjoying the ocean and talking to my good friends.”
“I hope you had a good time doing that.”
“I did, thank you.”
“I wanted to catch up on some of my writing. I vowed to my cousins, uncle and mother to keep a careful record of all I experience while on this trip. I think they will positively have a book to read by the time I get back.”
“Oh? That
sounds interesting. Perhaps I will read it someday.”
She giggled. He delighted in the tinkling sound. “I very much doubt that, my lord. But if you would like to read a couple pages of my memoirs before docking in New Bedford, I’m sure I wouldn’t mind letting you have them.”
“Sincerely?”
“Oh yes.” She reached for her goblet, which contained a sweet red wine. “I am not shy with my writings. I enjoy getting feedback from those who read it.”
“I am sure I will not be critical of your work, my lady.”
“We shall see. We shall see.”
The two of them greeted the Burkinshires as they entered, William standing and bowing slightly at the waist. “Doctor Burkinshire…Lady Burkinshire.” He nodded at them. They nodded in return. “How do you do?”
“We are well, my lord,” the doctor replied. “I must say I am looking forward to having some lunch today. I am starving to death.”
“Hardly.” His wife grinned up at him, patting his ample belly. “You haven’t missed enough meals to be starving to death, husband.”
He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “You are right, my darling.”
Belle watched them, smiling. She was wishing for a relationship like that. She felt the presence of William as he sat next to her and wondered if it would ever be like that between them. Her heart sped up a little as she pictured William leaning to give her a kiss on the forehead…or the lips. Her smile widened.
“Is something amusing you, my lady?” William leaned over and whispered when the Burkinshires began a conversation with the captain. She lifted her eyes to him and was immediately taken by his handsome features. His eyes were so gentle and kind. She didn’t want to look away, but forced herself to lest her thoughts show on her face.
“I was just thinking about how loving they are toward each other,” she responded in a quiet undertone. He almost had to lean over to hear what she was saying. He glanced at the Burkinshires, who were laughing about something Philip Wilder was saying. Lady Burkinshire was leaning over the table slightly, her ample bosom pushing up against the top lacing of her dress. He couldn’t help but notice before moving his eyes back to Belle. The last thing he wanted to do was anger the doctor and cause trouble aboard the ship. Then again, if the Lady Burkinshire did not want to be exposed in such a manner, he thought it best that she wear a shawl or a dress with a bodice that rose up higher than the one she was currently wearing.
He had the sneaking suspicion that Belle knew exactly what was going through his mind because she looked as though she were struggling valiantly not to burst out laughing. Her pretty cheeks were flushed pink and she had lowered her head. He cleared his throat, finding that her laughter was contagious.
“Something has amused the two of you,” Captain John spoke up, smiling wide at them.
Belle and William met eyes and couldn’t help bursting out laughing.
“Oh, Captain,” Belle said. “We are just so delighted with your company and the company of our new friends, we can’t help ourselves.”
The captain raised his eyebrows, his smile beaming. “You two have made fast friends, haven’t you?”
“That we have, John. But it isn’t hard to be friends with such a lovely young woman.” William would neglect to mention that he would gladly take things a step further, if she so desired.
“Why thank you for the compliment, my lord,” Belle said. “I think the same of you, except you are a man.”
They both continued to laugh. When the matter was not pressed further, they both felt relieved. It would do no good to make their feelings for each other known at the lunch table. It was no one’s business.
While they ate, William listened to the chatter of the people around him. He kept quiet for the most part, believing that he would find out more by observing and listening than contributing in a great way. At the far end of the table, Max and Naomi were sharing a quiet conversation. He wondered what they were speaking about so intensely. Perhaps the health of the princess. He caught subtle looks between the two that gave him the impression they knew each other more intimately than they liked to let on.
“If it were not for that head of broccoli, things might have turned out much different!” the Lady Burkinshire was saying in a high-pitched humorous voice. Laughter filled the cabin. William chuckled, though he had missed the entire conversation and could not for the life of himself imagine how a head of broccoli could have changed a situation. He didn’t ask about it, just smiled at their laughter and shook his head.
“I feel we would have met in some capacity at some time, my darling,” her husband said, giving her a loving smile.
“Yes. Yes, we would have, Patrick. We definitely would have.”
So it was a “how we met” story. William wished he had been listening and had not been distracted by the servants having a conversation at the end of the table. He looked down at Belle, who was giving him a close look. He felt like she was reading his mind and looked away, slightly uncomfortable. It didn’t make it better when she covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.
“What are you laughing at now, your highness?” he asked softly.
“I think you were lost in thought, weren’t you, my lord? You didn’t hear what was said.”
“How did you guess?” He chuckled, shaking his head.
“The look on your face tells the story, I’m afraid. You look very confused. I must say, thinking back, it was a good punch line to the story, wasn’t it? The head of broccoli.”
“Yes. I’m quite sure if I had listened to the story, the head of broccoli would have been a good punch line.”
“You make me laugh,” Belle said in an affectionate tone. “I’m glad you are on board the ship with me, Sir William.”
“I feel the same.”
“Shall we take a walk around the upper deck after lunch today?”
“That would be nice. You can tell me more about your family.”
Belle closed her eyes briefly. “I have already spoken to you of my family. It’s your turn today.”
He nodded. “I can tell you about my family, if you’d like. I have a brother and a sister. My parents are still living. My father is the Duke of Fairfield and gives my brother and I shared duties, though my brother takes on most of the busywork. I…”
“We will speak about it when we go for our constitutional, Sir William. Let’s eat.”
“Oh, of course.” He laughed. “I’m sorry.”
She leaned in closer to him and whispered, “You’ll find that I am always starving. It’s strange but true.”
“There’s nothing odd about it, my lady,” he said, just as quietly. “I did not see you at breakfast and since I do not believe you would eat in your cabin, you should be quite hungry this afternoon.”
“I should eat more, yes, my lord, you are right. My father says I should, as well. In truth, what he says is that I should eat a more regular diet, beginning with morning tea and breakfast, then a healthy lunch and a full dinner. And I typically get in both the lunch and dinner somehow. But breakfast is not a regular thing for me. I loathe eating in the morning. It somehow turns my stomach.”
“I see.”
“When that happens, there’s not much point to the eating, is there?”
“No, your highness. There isn’t.”
She nodded as if satisfied by his answer before turning to the plate in front of her, which she had piled high with the food offered on the table.
“You should pick up your story just where you left off, my lord,” Belle said, putting one hand through the crook of William’s arm and squeezing it tightly. “Do you remember what you were saying?”
“No, as much as I hate to admit it, I do not remember.”
“You said that you have a brother and a sister and both parents and that you have a share of the responsibilities, but you tend to shirk them off onto your brother.”
He smiled. “I am fairly certain that’s not what I said.”
&n
bsp; “It was something to that effect.”
“My brother’s name is Abraham. I call him Abe. He is very intelligent. He knows how to work the accounting and finances having to do with the family trade and barter business. He has expanded our contacts to Asia, if you can believe that. Our business is not big, so the fact that he spent his hard-earned money and time negotiating a deal with that country is quite an accomplishment.”
“It sounds like it.”
“I am not as business savvy, to be truthful, therefore, I allow him to take control and do what he feels in necessary to keep it going down a successful and lucrative path. We care about the citizens of Fairfield. Our father helps us as we maneuver through the waters of business. We try not to be taken for granted by the Fairfield citizens, who have been known to be somewhat demanding.”
“Oh? How do you handle it?”
“With a firm hand and a kind heart.”
“It seems those two things sometimes do not go together well.”
“If one is truly trying to make a difference within the company, one will go the extra mile for a dollar.”
“Not into treacherous waters, I hope.”
“No, princess. Not at all. We do nothing that would put our people or ourselves in grave danger. I would be ashamed if that were so.”
“I am glad to hear you are conscientious of it, my lord.”
“Now that you have heard about me and my family, tell me something…what exactly brought you to the ship?”
“I am vacationing in New Bedford. My father has papers that must be taken to America and given to some of his colleagues who have immigrated there or just gone there to work.”
“You aren’t recovering from an illness, are you?”
Belle looked at him with a strange look on her face. “Why no. I have never been sick a day in my life. Well, I must not lie. I have felt a little under the weather once or twice. But most of the time, I feel very good.”
Regency Romance: The Marquess’ Curse (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (CLEAN Historical Regency Romance) Page 6
