Time for Love by Emma Kaye

that way around him. And I’ve watched our first mate in too many tavern brawls to mention when the other men get jealous. But that’s another story.
    “So then he strolls over and sits down with the captain, and I laughed out loud at the looks of dismay on all the women’s faces. None of them relished the thought of coming closer to the captain, even for the chance to bed our handsome Mr. Grayson.
    “Well, that laugh caught the captain’s attention, and he turned those piercing eyes of his to me. Shocked me to the core when I realized he was also amused by their reaction.
    “Turns out they were discussing the crew they had been taking on for The Reliant , and I heard them say they was still needin’ a cook.
    “Now, I thought to myself, he might be a right scary lookin’ devil, but if he could laugh at his own self, then he couldn’t be that bad. Better than starving anyway, so I popped over and presented me credentials.
    “They had heard the details of my situation, everyone had! Rumor flies faster than the wind in the houses of the ton , but he didn’t mind and here I am. And now that he’s a marquess, he’s taking me with him, and I’ll be able to get away from the sea and have a proper kitchen again.”
    She had been dying to ask Cook about his affair of the heart but hadn’t wanted to be rude. In any event, he had switched to another topic, and the moment had passed.
    Her ears perked up as she heard Cook mention the captain. “What was that?”
    “Oh, I was just saying as how the captain’s going to miss the sea when he returns home.”
    “It’s true, then? This is his last trip?”
    Cook nodded. “Yes. He’ll be much too busy now he’s to be Lord Oakleigh. Mr. Grayson will take over as captain. The first mate’s learned well. He’ll make a right fine job of it.”
    She nodded; the crew had almost as much respect for the Adonis as they did for the captain. He’d do well. She wished him luck of it.
    The watch called out the hour, and she threw her last potato into a dish. “Gotta go. My turn in the rigging. I’ll come back after and help you serve dinner.” She returned his absentminded wave goodbye and rushed out.
    She’d only taken one watch so far but couldn’t wait to do it again. It was amazing and she loved it. Sitting up in the rigging with the ship and the sea laid out below her, she felt as though she were flying. Just climbing up there was an adventure, with the ship pitching and heaving under her. The motion of the ship was exaggerated at such a great height, but it made it all the more exciting.
    Coming down after her hour-long watch was more of a letdown than she’d counted on. She spotted the ship’s carpenter, Mr. Duff, below and worried the voyage might not continue to go as smoothly as it had so far.
    The previous carpenter had elected to stay behind in America since this was the captain’s last trip. Mr. Duff didn’t fit in well with the crew and was universally disliked. But they had been hard pressed to find a man with the special skills needed, and Mr. Grayson had reluctantly hired him the same night as Alex.
    Like a typical bully, he picked on anyone smaller or weaker than he was, and was smart enough to do it out of sight or earshot of anyone who might come to their aid. Alex believed Nicholas and Mr. Grayson were largely unaware of the problem as it was not in the nature of most of the sailors to complain.
    And, just as she’d feared, since she appeared to be so young and slight, she was a prime target. He knocked her down the last few feet with a five foot length of wood intended for a minor decking repair. She landed hard on her backside with a startled, “Oof.”
    “Clumsy little fellow, ain’t you.” He laughed as she picked herself up. “You best watch you self, or you might get hurt.”
    Alex suppressed her wince of pain and gave Mr. Duff a smile. A few members of the crew were around. She didn’t want to appear weak in front of them.
    “Don’t