by Lucy Monroe
“My business is with Mr. Merewether.”
Thea stifled a retort. Many gentlemen had aversions to doing business with a lady. Evidently Drake was one of them. “Then I will not keep you.”
“I am sorry to disturb you, Mademoiselle Thea. We will search for Mr. Merewether elsewhere.” Philippe nodded his head in formal dismissal and turned to leave.
The Englishman did not follow. “First, we will escort the young lady to her destination.”
Thea stiffened at his peremptory tone. “That will not be necessary.”
He reached out to take her arm, his dark hair and even darker expression making him appear almost menacing, despite his excessive masculine appeal. “I insist.”
She stepped back toward the high stack of barrels, to elude his grasp. “Thank you, but I will be fine.”
His expression hardened. “Nevertheless, I would feel better if I saw you safely to your destination.” His brown eyes narrowed in obvious censure. “A warehouse is no place for a lady.” His tone of voice implied she might be anything but.
She wanted to give him a proper set down, but business must always come first. Uncle Ashby would not thank her for offending Drake. She pressed her lips together and imagined loading an entire wagon with storage barrels in her mind before she felt calm enough to speak.
By the time she imagined the wagon leaving for the dock, she was able to summon a formal smile. “I am quite at home in this warehouse, but as we are looking for the same person, perhaps it would not hurt to find him together. I was on my way to Mr. Merewether’s office.”
She stepped forward, but apparently not quickly enough because the Englishman’s hands shot out and grabbed her waist.
She gasped. “Really there is no need—“
He yanked her against his chest, backing up as he did so. She had barely registered the strange phenomenon of being held by a man when she heard an unholy crash behind her. She started, her hands going around the neck of her captor involuntarily.
Drake continued to move with agile grace, carrying her several feet from the crash. She craned her neck, turning her head to see what had happened. Her hands convulsed on Drake’s neck and she shuddered against him at what she saw. Several small storage barrels rolled across the floor and a large storage crate had broken into splinters on the spot where she had stood. The broken contents looked like porcelain, although it was difficult to tell from the hundreds of tiny shards mixed with packing hay.
She turned back to face the snowy cravat of her rescuer. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled his uniquely masculine fragrance. Shattered cargo, her near miss, even Philippe’s presence receded in her consciousness as she became wholly occupied with the sensation of her breasts flattened against his waistcoat and her lower body pressed against the hardness of his thighs. She could not seem to lift her gaze from the patch of white cloth in front of her.
Her feet dangled several inches above the floor while feelings she had never before experienced coursed through her body. She felt safe in this man’s arms despite the stirrings that she did not wish to examine too closely. He had saved her from certain injury and possible death. Why, he was a knight-errant.
She raised her face, giving him a no doubt stunned smile. “Thank you.”
His expression registered no emotion. “As I said, women do not belong in a warehouse.”
It took all of two seconds for his words to register. The snake. Actually he had said ladies and it occurred to her that she should let go of him before he decided beyond doubt that she wasn’t one. She unlocked her hands from behind his neck and pushed against his chest.
He lowered her to the ground, allowing her body to slide in a most indecent manner along his. He held her for a timeless moment, her body still pressed to his, her hands against his chest. She waited, the air locked in her chest, not knowing what to expect. This man, this situation was completely out of her experience. Were all Englishmen this compelling?
He released her and she stumbled backward, beset with conflicting emotion. She wanted to run from the danger she sensed in him, but she also wanted to jump back into his arms and experience that delicious sensation just once more. Before she could do either, Philippe caught her attention.
“Mademoiselle Thea, como ça va? That this should happen in my warehouse. It is an abomination!” Philippe grabbed her hand, going off in a torrent of French.
He turned to the Englishman without letting go of her hand. “Mr. Drake, we owe you a great debt for saving our Mademoiselle Thea. Mr. Merewether will be most grateful.”
“Good.” Drake’s glance flicked briefly to Philippe. “Perhaps he will be inclined to grant me what I need.”
Thea stared at Drake’s profile and wondered at his words. He exuded an aura of self-sufficiency. That he should need something from the owner of a shipping firm on a small island like theirs seemed incongruous.
******
Drake followed the gentle sway of Thea’s hips as she led the way into Merewether’s office. His body twitched at the sight. He frowned. Who was she? In his experience, ladies did not frequent warehouses. In fact, most would have heart palpitations at the thought of coming within a hundred feet of the men that worked in them. Could she be Merewether’s lightskirt?
Drake’s mind and body rebelled at the idea. What was the matter with him? It shouldn’t make any difference to him if she sold her tantalizing body on the docks to sailors when they came to port, but it did. Her dress, a vibrant blue muslin, was too well made for a dock whore. It clung to her back in a small damp patch and he felt an urge to reach out and run his finger along the clinging fabric.
He could still feel the after affects of the jolt he had experienced when he first saw her. The heart shaped face framed by her chestnut curls piled high on her head, had been set in an expression of perfect bliss. Her dress had been lifted well above her ankles and he could not miss the fact that the chit wore no stockings. Or that she had perfectly formed ankles and calves. The kind of legs a man ached to have wrapped around his body.
Suddenly, the object of his musings turned to face him, her blue eyes reflecting apologetic regret. “It appears Mr. Merewether is not here. Why don’t you sit down and I will have refreshments brought while we wait?”
He shifted his gaze around the office, looking for a place to sit. A large mahogany desk occupied one side of the room, papers strewn across its top. Kitty corner to it reposed a table whose surface was all but covered with numerous maps and charts. Crates and barrels, partially opened, were shoved up against two walls. Yet, under the window, on the opposite side of the room from the desk, a small sofa and two armchairs were arranged in a cozy grouping around a polished tea table. His gaze flicked back to Thea. Was she responsible for the little oasis in the chaos?
It beckoned to him, but he needed to see Merewether. He could not afford the time to take refreshments. “Thank you, but I must decline. I need to speak to Merewether immediately.”
She raised her brows. “I assure you, if either myself or Philippe knew where he was right now, we would take you to him. The truth is, he could be just about anywhere on the island and the best course of action would be to stay right here and wait.”
Drake’s hands tightened into fists at his sides. “I cannot wait. The matter I must discuss with him is of the utmost urgency.”
His honor depended on it.
Her eyes widened at his adamant tone, then she nodded briskly. Turning to the warehouse manager, she spoke rapidly. “Philippe, please send someone to the house and inquire if Mr. Merewether has been there. I believe we should also send someone to inquire at the dock, in town, and if that does not flush him out, we will send runners to the local plantations.”
Philippe agreed and left.
She turned back to Drake. “I will ask Whiskey Jim if he has seen Mr. Merewether. Kindly wait here, we will locate him for you as quickly as possible.” She did not wait for his agreement, but turned to leave.
What a managing bit of
goods. Ignoring her instructions, he followed her out of the office. He had no intention of cooling his heels waiting for her to return with Merewether.
Rarely did Drake have to increase his pace to keep up with another. His long legs assured him of that, but Thea walked like no lady he knew, or woman for that matter. She strode ahead of him, her spine straight and her arms swinging in rhythm with her strides putting him in mind of a military officer on parade.
He questioned his theory that she was Merewether’s paramour. She could be the man’s daughter. She had not called him Papa, but some children were excessively formal. Excessive formality did not meet with a woman who exposed her legs for all and sundry. Drake shook off the musings and focused instead on his problem. This trip had been rife with challenges, the most recent being an exploding boiler.
If he didn’t reach Liverpool by the date set on his policy with Lloyd’s of London, not only would he forfeit the policy premium, he would also let down the investors whom he had convinced to share in the venture with him. He accepted that it was no longer a matter of money. He had made plenty of that. Enough to buy and sell his father many times over.
Reaching port on time had become a matter of pride.
Thea led him down aisles created by walls of crates and barrels on either side. The sound of several men’s voices came from the other side of the nearest wall of barrels. Drake increased his pace until he was next to Thea.
She turned startled eyes on him. “I thought you stayed in the office.”
“I’m not so easily led.”
Her blue eyes narrowed. “I was not attempting to lead, sir. It was the most expedient course of action. If Mr. Merewether returns to his office, no one will be there to tell him that you need to speak to him. He might very well leave again.”
She had a point. “Nevertheless, I am here. I believe I have made myself clear regarding my view of a woman alone in a warehouse.”
She straightened her spine and tilted her head, giving him a look that would have done royalty proud. “I am a lady accustomed to being alone in a warehouse and I can assure you nothing is likely to befall me in this one.”
“Do you call nearly being killed by a stack of barrels toppling nothing?”
She hesitated and bit her lip, an expression coming into her clear blue eyes that was not easy to decipher. “That was unfortunate, however, it is unlikely to happen again. Philippe is most particular about his warehouse.”
“I was under the impression the warehouse belongs to Merewether.”
“It belongs to Merewether Shipping.”
“As I said.”
She shook her head. “Not quite. Regardless, Philippe is very possessive. He has worked for Merewether Shipping for over a decade and he prides himself on the smooth operation of the warehouse.”
Drake wondered if Philippe were a slave. Most Black men in the West Indies were. Although the slave trade had been abolished for over a decade, the institution of slavery was not. Yet. Drake supported those who lobbied in the House of Lords to abolish it. He decided to find out Philippe’s status.
“Slaves aren’t generally given such positions of power.”
She looked at him, her blue gaze intense. “No, they are not. Merewether Shipping does not employ slaves. We employ people, free people. Men and women who can choose whether or not they wish to work for us. Most do. The pay is good and Merewether Shipping is loyal to its employees.”
She had a fair bit of possessiveness herself. Most lightskirts did not speak of their protector’s business as their own. She must be very sure of Merewether, or perhaps she really was his daughter. “Shall we find Mr. Merewether?”
She nodded and broke eye contact. They walked around the wall of goods and came upon a hive of activity. Sailors loaded wagons, keeping up a steady stream of curses that would make most gentlemen of Drake’s acquaintance wince. Thea appeared completely unperturbed.
She headed toward the most disreputable looking of the lot, an old man with a patch over one eye and bottle of whiskey in his left hand. “That’s Whiskey Jim. He’s the ship’s captain.”
The Captain noticed their approach and let out a piercing whistle. Silence reigned, but the sailors didn’t stop their work. They did greet Thea with smiles, waves and some even pulled on their forelocks while nodding their heads. Thea returned each greeting with a smile and a nod.
“I see you haven’t let down any sail, Miss Thea.”
Thea smiled and shook her head. “No time. Have you seen Mr. Merewether, Captain?”
“Aye. He went to the house. Promised Miz Rose he’d have tea with her today, he said.”
“Thank you. Mr. Drake needs to talk to him about a matter of some import.”
Thea turned to Drake. “Mr. Drake, may I introduce you to the most impressive captain to sail the Atlantic, Whiskey Jim?”
Drake put out his hand toward the old sailor. Thea beamed at him with unmistakable approval. “Captain, this is Mr. Drake.”
“Pleasure. Captain.”
“Call me Whiskey Jim. It’s a fairly earned name and I’m proud to bear it.”
Drake looked pointedly at the bottle in the man’s hand. “So I see.”
The old man laughed. “It’s a better man than one that’s sailed on my ships that can stand against a taste of my bottle.”
“The captain has a reputation for smashing a bottle of whiskey over the heads of unruly sailors,” Thea explained.
“That wouldn’t bother the lads so much, but I deduct it from their daily ration of spirits.”
“I can see the captains of my ships could learn a thing or two from you.”
Whiskey Jim winked at him. “That they could, my boy. That they could.”
******
Thea poured Drake tea while waiting for Uncle Ashby to return to the office. Drake’s nearness unnerved her and the hand holding the teacup shook slightly. When they had entered the office, Thea sat down on the settee expecting Drake to take one of the available chairs. He had surprised her by folding his large body onto the sofa beside her.
Worse, he sat in complete silence, watching her movements with impassive brown eyes as someone might watch a butterfly caught in a jar. Well, she was no green girl to be intimidated by a silent stranger.
She handed him his tea. “Do you have a ship in the harbor, Mr. Drake?”
He took the china cup and saucer, making the action appear elegant yet wholly masculine. “Yes. The Golden Dragon.”
Thea shifted so that her legs were not so near Drake’s. “I see. You need something from Mr. Merewether for your ship?”
She wondered if Drake would rebuff her interest as he had earlier.
“Yes.”
Stifling an irritated sigh, Thea tried again. “Mr. Drake, perhaps if you told me what it is you need, I could procure it for you. You did say the matter was of the utmost urgency.”
If it were indeed urgent, he would overcome his obvious reluctance to do business with a woman.
Drake leveled a look at her that made her insides melt in the most peculiar way. “Miss Merewether, urgent as my business is, it will wait until your father arrives to handle the matter.”
Her father? “You are mistaken. Mr. Merewether is my associate, not my parent.”
Drake’s dark angel countenance became coolly dismissive. “Nevertheless, I prefer to deal with your associate.”
The cold rejection did nothing for her rapidly deteriorating mood. His behavior had bordered on the offensive since the moment of their meeting and though her own behavior might carry some of the blame, she had no desire to remain in his company.
She had her own matters of import to look into. Not least of which was the possibility the accident in the warehouse had been anything but.
Thea carefully set her tea down. “As you have no interest in discussing your business with me, I’m sure you will understand if I leave you to wait for my partner while I attend to other matters.”
She was being rude and perhaps eve
n a trifle unprofessional. Both Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ashby would scold her if they knew, but Thea was past caring. Her mother before her and now Thea had as much or more to do with the success of Merewether Shipping as Uncle Ashby. That this man refused to even discuss his needs with her infuriated Thea.
She wasn’t sure why. She had learned long ago to dismiss the ignorance of men. Too many could not believe a woman was capable of applying her mind to more than household management and filling the nursery, particularly men from her home country of England.
For some unknown reason Drake was different.
Thea could not make herself ignore his refusal to discuss business with her, nor could she stand to sit next to his intensely masculine body for one more second.
She stood. “Good day, sir.”
Drake met her eyes and his brown gaze held her in place despite her intention to leave. “Your partner may be used to allowing his paramour to conduct his business, but I deal only with principles.”
He could not mean what she thought he meant. It was impossible. She had known arrogant men to jump to conclusions about her intelligence, but never her morals.
“Did you just call me Uncle Ashby’s paramour?” In her anger, she slipped into the more familiar address. It was not professional to call one’s business partner uncle.
Drake’s expression registered confusion. “He is your uncle?”
Thea did not relax her furious stance one bit. “He is my business partner.”
Drake stood and took a firm grip on her upper arms all in one fluid motion. His glare singed her. “Is he your uncle?”
What difference could it possibly make to this man? She tipped her head back to return his frown and refused to answer. She would not be intimidated by his height or his anger, or influenced by his mesmerizing looks and manner.
“Ah, you must be Mr. Drake. Why are you holding Thea like that? Does she have something in her eye?”
She turned her head toward the door at the sound of her uncle’s concerned voice. “No, Uncle Ashby. I was just explaining to Mr. Drake that you are not my protector. I believe he may be applying for the job.”
