At the Captain's Command. Louise Gouge M.

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СКАЧАТЬ table and stood. “A trip to the garden is just the thing after such a filling meal.”

      “Artemis, dear,” Mrs. Hussey said, “I have need of thy help, if thee will, please.” She rose from the table. “Dinah, do show Captain Moberly the garden. Perhaps he would like to take some of our abundance of squash to his ship’s cook.”

      While Hussey blustered a bit before acquiescing to his wife’s request, a riot of thoughts swept into Thomas’s mind. Like most married women, Mrs. Hussey no doubt felt a duty to serve as a matchmaker for her unmarried friends. Still, if it worked to his advantage in this case, he would not complain. Dinah seemed to be a sensible girl, not likely to fawn over him or use artifice to gain his interest. But her cheerful countenance caused him to reconsider confiding in her for fear of ruining her merry mood.

      As they stepped out the side door, a rich, sweet fragrance swept over Thomas. He quickly identified the source: a broad, lush, six-foot-tall bush filled with white, roselike blossoms. He breathed in the heady smell. “Gardenia, if I am not mistaken.”

      “Yes.” Dinah moved close to the bush to sniff a bloom. “My favorite.” She waved a hand toward a low wooden fence. “This way to the garden.”

      Just when they reached the gate, a gray-and-white cat pounced from behind a shrub and grabbed at the ribbons trailing from the waist of the young lady’s flowered gown. The creature’s claws snagged the back hem of the skirt, stopping her.

      “Oh, Macy, hold still.” She tried to twist around and grab the cat, but it tugged away from her.

      “Hold still,” Thomas echoed. He bent down and detached the claws, then lifted the cat into his arms. Its loud purr made him chuckle. “Yours?” It nestled into his neck, sending a familiar comfort through him. How long had it been since Wiggins died? Thomas’s cabin on the Dauntless had been lonely since his little mouser had met its end.

      “Yes, he’s mine, the little nuisance.” She reached for her pet.

      Thomas tightened his grip. “Do let me hold him. My men would laugh to see me thus, and my steward will protest this hair on my coat. But I confess a weakness for cats.” He stared into Macy’s green eyes, and the car lightly nipped his nose. He patted his muzzle with a gentle rebuke, then looked down to see the bemused expression on Dinah’s face. They both laughed.

      “A man so fond of cats is a rarity.” She resumed walking into the garden, and Thomas fell into step beside her.

      “I suppose.” He shrugged and was rewarded by Macy’s discovery of his epaulet tassels. The cat batted the moving woven strands and caught a claw on one. Thomas grimaced to see some gold threads pulled loose. “Uh-oh.”

      “Oh, now, that is the end.” Dinah reached up to remove her pet, taking care with his entangled claws. “You must let me mend those braids. How will you explain to your steward that you were in a brawl with a fellow no bigger than your forearm?” She set the cat on the ground and tried to shoo him away, but Macy followed them down a row of squash plants until he spied a lizard and gave chase. Dinah’s laughter resonated pleasantly around the garden. Not too high. Not too low. Not in the least giddy. Thomas would happily listen to that merry sound often.

      “Do not trouble yourself. I shall tell Hinton I was attacked by a panther.” Thomas inhaled the fresh fragrance of the varied plants. Beyond the vegetable garden grew a small field of lavender, casting a pleasant atmosphere about the place. A fig tree, several citrus trees and a grapevine-covered arbor graced sections of the landscape. An ancient oak tree stood sentinel in one corner of the green yard, its long branches reaching wide to cast shadows over a cast-iron bench that seemed to beckon them.

      Orange and violet tinted the western sky, and a feeling of peace swept through Thomas. He gestured toward the bench. “Shall we?”

      “Of course.”

      Seated beside him, Dinah gazed up, her eyes soft with concern. “What did you wish to tell me, Captain Moberly?”

      He chuckled without mirth. “That obvious, eh?” He bit his lower lip while framing his words. With this intelligent, warm-hearted young woman, he sensed he could, for the most part, be candid. “Eight years have passed since my brother Frederick left England.” Thomas would not mention the bitter rivalry that had plagued their childhood. “Marianne left to marry Jamie four years ago.” Unexpected emotion rolled through his chest at the memory of the heartache her departure had caused. “I feel as if we are strangers.” He stared off at the darkening eastern sky while he gained control. “Therefore, I must ask your advice on how best to tell my brother and sister about the death of our father. You see, Frederick now serves at the pleasure of our eldest brother.”

      Chapter Four

      “Ooh.” Dinah breathed out the word on a long, broken sigh, and her eyes burned with sudden tears. “Dear Captain, I am so sorry for your grief.” She gripped his hand. In spite of the dim light, she thought she saw his eyes redden, and her heart swelled with compassion. Experiences with the sick and broken men at the infirmary had taught her that in moments like these, silence was the best comforter.

      He covered her hands with his free one for a moment before gently pulling away. “I would not have your kind condolences misunderstood by Mr. Hussey.”

      He glanced toward the house, and she followed his gaze. There stood Artemis staring out through the dining room window. Dinah doubted he could see into their shadowed sanctuary, but she had no wish to feed his imaginings.

      “Yes, of course.” She rose and walked toward a sunlit patch of lawn. The captain followed. “To answer your question, I must ask one.” She stopped and faced him. “Will your duties permit you a leave of absence to deliver your sad news in person?”

      He stood with hands clasped behind him and stared toward the line of trees at the edge of the property. “Your instincts seem to be in accord with mine. A letter would be too cruel, especially for my dear sister.”

      Dinah nodded. “Yes, and especially considering her delicate condition.”

      “Ah.” Thomas’s eyes widened. “Little James is nearing three years, is he not? Time to welcome a little brother or sister.” A flash of pain crossed his eyes. “We must do nothing to cause her difficulty.”

      Dinah guessed he referred to his own wife’s death in childbirth, but she would not seek a confirmation. “Do not be overly concerned, Captain. Marianne is strong and healthy. And in three weeks, Dr. and Mrs. Wellsey will be going to St. Johns Towne for her lying-in. You will be pleased to know that Mrs. Wellsey is a skilled midwife. I plan to accompany them. Perhaps you could travel with us.” She would greatly enjoy his company on the arduous overland trip.

      “Hmm.” His black eyebrows bent into a frown. “I had hoped to put the matter behind me without delay, but perhaps this is the Almighty’s way of managing the affair.” He grunted. “In fact, I find myself grateful for the reprieve.”

      Dinah offered a gentle smile. “I understand.” How good to hear of his trust in God, an attribute worthy of a superior leader, just like her brother.

      Gazing down at her, he nodded. “I thank you.” As if wanting to break their solemn mood, he inhaled a quick, sharp breath and glanced around the garden. “This is a charming place, both this property and this little town. Tell me, Miss Templeton, what keeps you busy here beside your good works at the infirmary?”

      Dinah СКАЧАТЬ