by Jen Turano
“It’s my sister Margaret, and she’s not looking happy,” Harrison said. “Take my hand.”
A second later, with her hand held firmly in Harrison’s, Gertrude was pulled into a run, in the opposite direction of the plank for some curious reason, while his sister began calling his name in a voice loud enough now for everyone to hear.
“Whatever you do, don’t let her know we’ve seen her.”
“Don’t you think she’s probably figured that out since we’re running away from her?” Gertrude managed to ask even though she was developing a stitch in her side that was making running and talking a little tricky.
“Excellent point, but we can’t stop now because, well, she’ll catch us for certain.”
“She might have a more difficult time catching us if we weren’t still on the boat,” Gertrude said, drawing in a painful breath, the pain a direct result of her suddenly remembering she was laced far too tightly into her corset and didn’t have much room for extra air.
“Another excellent point, but I was trying to confuse her,” Harrison said before he slowed ever so slightly and caught her eye. “Why are you grimacing?”
“Stitch in my side” was all Gertrude had to say before Harrison stopped moving completely, cast a look over his shoulder, then turned and scooped her straight up into his arms.
“Goodness,” she managed to say in a voice that sounded rather faint even to her ears as he brought her directly against a finely muscled chest. He tightened his grip on her right before he broke into a run.
As his feet pounded against the boards of the deck, Gertrude couldn’t help but notice that they were traveling at a remarkable rate, that rate not laboring his breathing in the least. She found that state of affairs to be incredibly impressive, especially since she knew full well she’d never been what anyone would have considered a waif of a woman.
Glancing up, she found her attention mesmerized by the sight of a strong jaw that was only inches away from her face, but before she could truly appreciate the sight, Harrison turned a corner and then they were running down the plank.
As he whisked her off the yacht, pursued by a now furious-sounding woman, Gertrude grinned when a most peculiar thought sprang to mind.
With his dark hair escaping the confines of his ribbon, Harrison had the look of a pirate about him, one who was absconding at breakneck speed with a fair damsel he’d decided to capture and make his own.
Even knowing that idea was completely ridiculous because pirates were unlikely to abscond with an ordinary woman, Gertrude allowed herself to enjoy the moment, knowing there was little chance she’d ever experience the thrill of being whisked off a yacht in the arms of a dashing man ever, ever again.
Chapter
Nine
As he reached the New Iron Pier, Harrison flashed a smile to all the people who were gawking as he ran past them. Given the looks of astonishment on their faces, it was clear they were surprised to witness a man dashing away from a ship with a woman clutched in his arms. Odd as it seemed, he couldn’t help but wonder if they were now expecting him to disclose something of a dastardly nature that would explain such an unusual occurrence.
If that were the case, he had no explanation readily available because it certainly wasn’t as if it was a normal happenstance to haul a young lady off one of his ships in his arms, but truth be told, he simply had not been able to help himself.
The mere sight of Gertrude in what could only be described as a state of distress, what with her wheezing and gasping for breath, along with proclaiming the unfortunate news that she’d developed a stitch in her side, which everyone knew could be incredibly painful, had brought out a surprisingly strong sense of protectiveness in him. That protectiveness had then prompted him to sweep Gertrude up into his arms, rather like he imagined one of the heroes would have done in the romance novels his sisters were so fond of reading.
That he’d read a good many of those romances was not something he’d ever shared with his sisters—or anyone for that matter. But because he had read them, and had done so to discern if he could possibly gain a small measure of understanding about women in the process, he’d concluded that because the sweeping incidents happened frequently between the pages of those books, ladies seemed to enjoy that particular action.
Gertrude, he hadn’t neglected to notice, had not let out even a peep of protest when he’d snatched her up. That right there had him wondering if she, perhaps, might possess a more romantic nature than he’d expected to discover in a woman who seemed to be a most practical sort. Although why he’d suddenly turned his thoughts toward romance was a little disconcerting, especially since he was in the midst of an unusual situation that had him whisking a woman down a . . .
“While I willingly admit that this is a most thrilling and unexpected way in which to depart from a ship, Harrison,” Gertrude suddenly said, pulling him abruptly from his thoughts, “I should probably tell you that the stitch in my side has disappeared, which means you should probably set me down before you injure yourself due to my, er, weight.”
Harrison stopped dead in his tracks. Dipping his head, he caught her eye and found that the words he’d been about to say, something having to do with it being laughable he’d injure himself simply from carrying her, evaporated straight from his mind. That, unfortunately, left him with nothing whatsoever to say as he suddenly found himself mesmerized by Gertrude’s eyes.
It wasn’t that most people would consider her eyes to be extraordinary, since they were a very ordinary shade of green, or at least he thought they were green. But mixed in with that color were little flecks of what might be gold, which he found utterly fascinating. Leaning closer, he stilled when he heard her suck in a sharp breath, realizing in that moment he was hardly behaving in an acceptable manner since anyone who was watching them would surely conclude he was considering kissing her. In all honesty, now that he thought about it, that idea was curiously compelling.
Blinking that type of thinking away because he’d only recently proclaimed that he was not interested in forming a romantic association with any lady due to his demanding schedule and work obligations, he rustled around his scattered thoughts, summoning up an impressive, “You have very nice eyes,” which promptly earned him a rolling of those nice eyes in the process.
“One could almost make the case that you have a tongue for flattery when you utter phrases like that,” Gertrude said as her lips curved. “However, glib tongue aside, you have yet to release me, which is hardly going to aid our escape from your sister. If you’ve neglected to notice, we’ve allowed your sister plenty of time to close any distance that may have separated us. Frankly, I’m somewhat surprised she hasn’t already caught up to us, which only increases the sense of dread I’m experiencing because she’s now had far too much time to compose what she wants to say.”
Turning back toward his yacht with Gertrude still held in his arms, a circumstance he knew he was continuing if only to prove to her that he was perfectly capable of holding her for an infinite amount of time, he noticed he’d managed to travel quite a distance from the Cornelia. He smiled when he caught not so much as a glimpse of Margaret.
“If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say Margaret has abandoned the chase, probably because there are other boats behind the Cornelia that are waiting to deposit their passengers.”
“I thought the Cornelia would stay in that spot until we returned from the hotel.”
“While that would be very convenient, I’m afraid that’s not how it’s done. The New Iron Pier was built to provide a landing spot for ships carrying passengers heading to Coney Island for an afternoon or evening of fun. However, those ships have to depart somewhat quickly since there are always other ships waiting to let their passengers disembark at the pier.”
“Where will your ship go?”
“Margaret will steer her out to sea and drop anchor. She and Adelaide will then keep watch for my signal after we’re finished at the Manhattan Beach Hotel.
Once they see my signal, which is simply flashing a light out to sea with a code we’ve devised, they’ll return and we’ll be on our way back to the city.”
“Is that why you didn’t bother to issue an invitation to your sisters to join in the festivities at the hotel—because they’re expected to mind the ship?”
Harrison frowned. “Not at all. I didn’t issue an invitation to my sisters because Margaret and I discussed it earlier. And we decided that withholding an invitation from Edwina would allow us to avoid annoying our mother in the end.” He sighed. “It might have been beneficial if my mother had bothered to explain how determined Edwina was becoming in her quest to enter society when she asked me to keep a watchful eye on my sister. That would have allowed me to be better prepared for Edwina’s unexpected attack. Although, now that I consider the matter, Margaret might have been my mother’s true confidante in this, because while Margaret is known to have a bit of a temper, she normally doesn’t bother to chase after me to take me to task.”
Gertrude cleared her throat. “I was wondering if perhaps your sister was chasing me, not you. She was told I’m considering making off with that painting of your mother’s, and pair that with the argument I understand she had with Mrs. Davenport, well, she probably feels she has just cause to seek an audience with me.”
Harrison rested his chin on top of Gertrude’s head, a convenient place to rest since he was still carrying her and her head was positioned in exactly the right place. “I’m sure Margaret didn’t believe Clementine’s accusation since she rarely puts much stock in anything a member of the fashionable set says. But I will admit that I shudder to think what would happen if that particular painting did go missing since it’s one of my mother’s prized possessions.”
“Perhaps you should consider hanging it in a more secure place than on a ship. Ships do tend to sink, if I’m not mistaken.”
“An excellent point, but since the Cornelia is named after my mother, and since she was thrilled to learn I wanted to name my yacht after her, she decided one of her prized possessions had to have a place of honor on board my yacht, for luck if you will.” He smiled. “If you haven’t heard, we of the shipping sort do tend to hold our superstitions fast to us at all times, and good luck symbols are to be taken very, very seriously.”
“Then let us hope your fine yacht always remains above the water, and that no one of the criminal persuasion ever targets your ship for plunder.”
“Once word gets out about Margaret and her desire to throw someone in the brig, I doubt anyone of the criminal set will bother stepping foot on our ship. My sister has a reputation down on the docks for being somewhat frightening, and once our crew spreads this latest tale around, the one regarding Margaret and Mrs. Davenport, I imagine that will be quite enough to keep thieves away.”
Gertrude seemed to stiffen in his arms, right before she let out a little laugh. “And thank goodness for that. However, matters of thievery aside, I do think it might be for the best for you to finally set me down. We’re attracting a lot of attention, and while I know you’re a most intimidating gentleman, there’s a group of men over there watching us rather closely. I would hate for them to come to the conclusion you’re up to nefarious purposes, which might end with you embroiled in a brawl.”
Lifting his head, Harrison narrowed his eyes on the men in question, men who were considering not him but Gertrude, and considering her in a way that was far too intense for his comfort. Setting her to her feet, he drew himself to his full height, returned his attention to the men, then quirked a single brow their way.
Being a gentleman who was more than capable of holding his own in a fight, even when the odds were not in his favor, he stepped in front of Gertrude and clenched his hands into fists. Before he could take another step forward, though, Gertrude was right by his side again, holding on to his arm with one hand while waving cheerfully at the men now smiling and waving back at her in response.
“While I certainly appreciate you being willing to defend my honor,” she said, continuing to smile, “they’re not bad men, Harrison. They simply were trying to ascertain whether I needed their assistance or not. And since I’ve now shown them I’m fine, let us be on our way.”
Without allowing him a second to do more than send another scowl to the waving and smiling gentlemen, Gertrude somehow managed to get him turned around and striding down the pier, her pace so rapid she began wheezing a moment later.
“I would have been able to hold my own,” he said, glancing over his shoulder to make certain they weren’t being followed, which they weren’t. “Although I do thank you for trying to keep me from harm.”
Gertrude stopped walking and turned to face him. “I wasn’t worried about you.”
“Oh” was all he could think to respond as the last vestiges of temper he’d been feeling immediately disappeared. “Well, right then.”
She tugged him back into motion, and feeling much more charitable with the world at large, he spent the rest of their walk down the pier pointing out items of interest. After explaining what little he knew about the two pavilions that sat on both ends of the pier, and stopping for a brief moment to enjoy the music of the regimental brass band that was hired each season to entertain visitors to Coney Island and the pier, they reached the end of the pier. Helping her to the boardwalk, he watched her eyes widen as she took in the sights.
“Forgive me, Gertrude, but I neglected to realize that you’ve evidently never been to Coney Island before. That seems rather odd because you’re clearly a lady possessed of an adventurous nature, and nothing screams adventure quite like Coney Island.”
Gertrude swung her attention back to him. “Where in the world did you get the idea I’m a lady possessed of an adventurous nature?”
“You’re a companion to Mrs. Davenport. You’d have to be an adventurous sort if only to keep up with her.”
Her brows drew together. “I suppose I never looked at it quite like that, but I’m afraid I’m not widely traveled. Mrs. Davenport is content to remain in the city except for when we repair to her cottage in Newport. And while she does mention going to Paris to take in the sights and visit the designers there, I’m afraid that simply mentioning Paris is as close as we’ve gotten to that intriguing city.” She looked away. “Which way to the hotel?”
Smiling, he turned her in the right direction and began walking again. He kept a firm grip on her arm, making certain she didn’t stumble, while also keeping her well away from the many men who kept turning to stare at her as they continued down the boardwalk.
Needing a distraction so he wouldn’t be tempted to threaten those men with bodily harm since Gertrude had proven herself to be overly concerned for gentlemen she apparently found harmless, but he found nothing of the sort, he cleared his throat and forced a smile. “While I can’t sail you all the way to Paris this summer because I have so many business matters to attend to in the city, I’m planning a trip back to Long Island next week. I’d enjoy bringing you and Mrs. Davenport with me. We could attend this charming little country church, the Flatbush Reformed Dutch Church to be exact, where a friend of mine, Reverend David Sturgis, always gives a wonderful sermon. After that, we can share a small adventure of taking a picnic lunch to a wonderful cove I’ve put anchor in many times before, and . . . we could even enjoy a swim in the water if you enjoy swimming.”
“I do enjoy swimming,” Gertrude said, “although I haven’t been in the ocean for years. But tell me more about this church. I’ve never heard of the Flatbush Reformed Dutch Church.”
“It’s one of the oldest parishes on Long Island. Because I have a house on Long Island, although it’s on the farthest end, I enjoy taking the train on Sunday mornings to hear Reverend Sturgis’s sermons.”
“You have a house on Long Island?”
“I do, as well as in New York, and a few other places scattered around the world.”
“Goodness, I can’t imagine owning one house, let alone several.” She release
d a bit of a sigh. “But returning to the idea of a day spent with you on Long Island, and joining you at what sounds like a delightful little church, I’m afraid Mrs. Davenport is a bit peculiar when it comes to churches. She only attends Grace Church in the city and doesn’t bother with church at all when we travel to her cottage in Newport.”
“Would she be opposed to you taking a day off to travel to Long Island with me? She wouldn’t need to be concerned about propriety because my sisters would be with us as well.”
Gertrude shook her head. “It’s not that she would oppose the idea, it’s more that I wouldn’t be comfortable leaving her behind to attend services at Grace Church on her own. Mrs. Davenport can occasionally become, well, I don’t know how to explain it except to say that there have been times when she’s become overwrought during a service, which is why I make myself available to her every Sunday.”
“Overwrought because she’s so moved by the words of the sermon?” Harrison asked.
Gertrude waved his question aside as she nodded to a man who’d just tipped his hat to her. “She barely listens to the sermon, spending most of the time searching for someone.”
“And that someone would be . . . God?”
The corners of Gertrude’s lips twitched. “That would be the logical assumption to make, but no, I don’t think she’s looking for divine intervention, although exactly who she’s searching for, well, that’s anyone’s guess.”
“You’ve never asked her about it?”
“I’m Mrs. Davenport’s companion, Harrison. I’m not her confidante.”
Wanting to question her further, but having spotted one of the Manhattan Beach Hotel’s carriages that he’d arranged to transport all the guests from the Cornelia to the hotel, he led Gertrude over to it, nodding at the driver, who immediately stepped forward and held open the door.
Helping Gertrude up and into the carriage, Harrison followed, taking a seat opposite her.
“I do hope you know that even though I have to regrettably turn down your offer of a lovely summer excursion, I do appreciate the invitation,” Gertrude said as the carriage lurched into motion.
