tonight before continuing on their way to Southampton and then London.
When a row of buildings blocked his view of the ship, he glanced at the woman and boy sitting across from him in the forward-facing seat.
For the past few days, Jake had taken to trailing behind Will as he went about his duties on the Freedom . Will had ignored him after the first several times he’d attempted to make conversation only to scare the boy back into his quarters and the safety of Meg.
There was something odd about the boy. Something decidedly different. Will knew he was capable of speech, for he’d heard the child utter a few words to Meg. But asfar as Will could tell, he hadn’t spoken to anyone else on the ship. He kept to himself, and while those wide blue eyes seemed to take in everything, he was skittish as a colt, and it was clear that he trusted Meg above all others.
It was clear he loved Meg.
For her part, Meg had spent most of her time diligently mending her dress so that it would be acceptable to wear in public. She’d done a fine job, but Will still thoroughly disliked the thing. It was inappropriate for her. It wasn’t that it was out of fashion—no, it was acceptable enough in that sense. But it didn’t seem right for Meg. It was far too… pink . When he thought of clothes for her, he thought of straight lines and elegance rather than lace and frippery.
Will was doing his best to forget their old relationship and treat her as a new acquaintance. It was clear they’d both changed; they were different people now. Still, something about her drew him like a lure, just as it had before. It was something innately Meg, something her twin had never shared with her, something that hadn’t disappeared in eight long years.
And his body hadn’t forgotten her, either. When she was near, he lived in a perpetual state of arousal. After suppressing the hotter side of his nature for so long, it was disconcerting and embarrassing. He could only hope no one had noticed it, but from Briggs’s raised eyebrows in the past few days, he was fairly certain at least one person had.
He didn’t think Meg noticed. Most of the time, she studiously attempted to keep her attention on things other than him. He didn’t know why, but it made him want to reach out, cup her face in his hands, and make her look at him until he drew her face closer and bent down, and touched his lips to hers.
The carriage rattled over a pothole, jerking Will’s attention from the fantasy.
He moved into a more comfortable position, subtly adjusting himself in his seat, praying to God that she didn’t lower her gaze. Smiling at them, he said, “You’ll see your sisters again soon.”
There was little enthusiasm in her tone when she answered. “Yes.”
He gazed at her, realizing that she truly had no idea what she was heading into. Since she hadn’t known her sisters were in London, her knowledge of them must be extremely limited. She couldn’t be aware of her heightened social status due to her sisters’ marriages or that Serena had married Stratford.
“How much do you know of your sisters’ current situation, Meg?” he asked gently.
She pursed her lips, then said in a clipped voice, “Nothing at all.”
Jake tugged on her arm, and she looked down to his questioning gaze. “Do you have a sister, Meg?”
“I have four sisters, Jake. Serena, Phoebe, Olivia, and Jessica. Serena is my twin. She looks just like me. People used to confuse the two of us all the time.”
“I didn’t,” Will said before he thought better of it. Her gaze jerked to him.
“No,” she said softly. “You never did.”
“Did you know that Serena has married?”
Her eyes widened. “No.”
“She married Jonathan Dane.”
“What?” she gasped.
“Yes. They married last year. He’s now the Earl of Stratford, which makes Serena a countess.”
“Oh, my,” she murmured. “Oh, my goodness.” She looked out the window at the passing scenery of the Devonshire
When a row of buildings blocked his view of the ship, he glanced at the woman and boy sitting across from him in the forward-facing seat.
For the past few days, Jake had taken to trailing behind Will as he went about his duties on the Freedom . Will had ignored him after the first several times he’d attempted to make conversation only to scare the boy back into his quarters and the safety of Meg.
There was something odd about the boy. Something decidedly different. Will knew he was capable of speech, for he’d heard the child utter a few words to Meg. But asfar as Will could tell, he hadn’t spoken to anyone else on the ship. He kept to himself, and while those wide blue eyes seemed to take in everything, he was skittish as a colt, and it was clear that he trusted Meg above all others.
It was clear he loved Meg.
For her part, Meg had spent most of her time diligently mending her dress so that it would be acceptable to wear in public. She’d done a fine job, but Will still thoroughly disliked the thing. It was inappropriate for her. It wasn’t that it was out of fashion—no, it was acceptable enough in that sense. But it didn’t seem right for Meg. It was far too… pink . When he thought of clothes for her, he thought of straight lines and elegance rather than lace and frippery.
Will was doing his best to forget their old relationship and treat her as a new acquaintance. It was clear they’d both changed; they were different people now. Still, something about her drew him like a lure, just as it had before. It was something innately Meg, something her twin had never shared with her, something that hadn’t disappeared in eight long years.
And his body hadn’t forgotten her, either. When she was near, he lived in a perpetual state of arousal. After suppressing the hotter side of his nature for so long, it was disconcerting and embarrassing. He could only hope no one had noticed it, but from Briggs’s raised eyebrows in the past few days, he was fairly certain at least one person had.
He didn’t think Meg noticed. Most of the time, she studiously attempted to keep her attention on things other than him. He didn’t know why, but it made him want to reach out, cup her face in his hands, and make her look at him until he drew her face closer and bent down, and touched his lips to hers.
The carriage rattled over a pothole, jerking Will’s attention from the fantasy.
He moved into a more comfortable position, subtly adjusting himself in his seat, praying to God that she didn’t lower her gaze. Smiling at them, he said, “You’ll see your sisters again soon.”
There was little enthusiasm in her tone when she answered. “Yes.”
He gazed at her, realizing that she truly had no idea what she was heading into. Since she hadn’t known her sisters were in London, her knowledge of them must be extremely limited. She couldn’t be aware of her heightened social status due to her sisters’ marriages or that Serena had married Stratford.
“How much do you know of your sisters’ current situation, Meg?” he asked gently.
She pursed her lips, then said in a clipped voice, “Nothing at all.”
Jake tugged on her arm, and she looked down to his questioning gaze. “Do you have a sister, Meg?”
“I have four sisters, Jake. Serena, Phoebe, Olivia, and Jessica. Serena is my twin. She looks just like me. People used to confuse the two of us all the time.”
“I didn’t,” Will said before he thought better of it. Her gaze jerked to him.
“No,” she said softly. “You never did.”
“Did you know that Serena has married?”
Her eyes widened. “No.”
“She married Jonathan Dane.”
“What?” she gasped.
“Yes. They married last year. He’s now the Earl of Stratford, which makes Serena a countess.”
“Oh, my,” she murmured. “Oh, my goodness.” She looked out the window at the passing scenery of the Devonshire
Similar Books
