Drummond, assumed command of the vessel, and carried out plans that Sir Griffin Barry, with approval of the Royal Navy, had put in place long ago: If Captain Barry was injured, he wasn’t to be dropped off on shore to recover. Nor was he to wait about for a British naval ship to fetch him home.
Captain Drummond put ashore at Casablanca, where he bought the fastest clipper he could find, hired a crew, and had the wounded captain carried aboard, accompanied by his personal batman, Ackerley. And then he and all his men lined up along the gunwale in a salute, and he was the only one who didn’t have tears in his eyes as they watched one of the golden twins being taken away on a stretcher.
But when Drummond turned back to the deck, he was captain of the Daedalus .
Nine
January 1837
T he day that Colin’s letter arrived was not a happy one for Grace, especially when Lily asked her if she’d like to read it. Grace saw pages and pages covered with Colin’s spiky writing and shook her head.
She went upstairs and sat down, refusing to cry. She was the daughter of a duke. She was not a dying swan who would spend the rest of her life mourning a man who didn’t love her.
That afternoon she dressed with special care for a drive with Lord McIngle. She selected a new and especially flattering pelisse, made from violet cashmere, with black braided silk trim and a wide black velvet belt with a silver buckle.
Just before His Lordship was due to arrive, she popped into her mother’s sitting room to show herself off.
“You look exquisite, Grace,” the duchess exclaimed, getting up from her desk. “And even more important, you look happy.”
“I am better,” Grace said stoutly. “I’m not the first to have suffered through a childhood infatuation. Colin never even kissed me, so I haven’t the excuse of saying I was misled.”
Her mother gathered her into her arms. “I knew that Lily’s letter would feel hurtful.” And then: “But I am glad to hear that Colin didn’t give you reason to believe that his affections matched yours.”
“Quite the opposite. All those years, he never wrote me back more than a line or two. He didn’t seek me out when he was on leave… not to mention the fact that he fell in love with Lily. I feel like such a fool, Mother!” It burst out of her.
The duchess leaned back, her hands on Grace’s shoulders. “You are not a fool, darling. It is never foolish to love a good man. I’m just sorry that he didn’t reciprocate your feelings—and even sorrier that your father and I didn’t cut off the correspondence years ago.”
“I do believe my letters were healing. So I’m not sorry I wrote them.”
The duchess looked at her searchingly. “You are such a good person, Grace. I don’t know how your father and I managed to produce such a generous, wonderful young woman.”
“Don’t forget fanciful. I made up a whole romance in my mind. When Colin didn’t answer a letter, I would make up the answer he should have sent me. Before I knew it, I was in love.”
“I do wish I could have spared you that lesson,” her mother said. “Especially your pain in seeing that letter he wrote to Lily.”
Grace shrugged. “It forced me to realize that I can’t hide from the truth. There’s a glaring contrast between the four-line letters Colin wrote me, and the five-page letter he sent Lily. He must truly love her.”
“I’m not so sure that I agree about Colin’s feelings for your sister. Your father and I are agreed that he is not the person with whom Lily should spend her life. But the more important thing, darling, is that you find someone who will realize precisely how precious you are. It’s obvious to everyone, for example, that Lord McIngle is wildly in love with you.”
“He is, isn’t he?” It was quite nice to see John’s eyes light up when she entered a room. “I know this is petty, Mother, but I so appreciate the fact that John has never even looked in Lily’s
Captain Drummond put ashore at Casablanca, where he bought the fastest clipper he could find, hired a crew, and had the wounded captain carried aboard, accompanied by his personal batman, Ackerley. And then he and all his men lined up along the gunwale in a salute, and he was the only one who didn’t have tears in his eyes as they watched one of the golden twins being taken away on a stretcher.
But when Drummond turned back to the deck, he was captain of the Daedalus .
Nine
January 1837
T he day that Colin’s letter arrived was not a happy one for Grace, especially when Lily asked her if she’d like to read it. Grace saw pages and pages covered with Colin’s spiky writing and shook her head.
She went upstairs and sat down, refusing to cry. She was the daughter of a duke. She was not a dying swan who would spend the rest of her life mourning a man who didn’t love her.
That afternoon she dressed with special care for a drive with Lord McIngle. She selected a new and especially flattering pelisse, made from violet cashmere, with black braided silk trim and a wide black velvet belt with a silver buckle.
Just before His Lordship was due to arrive, she popped into her mother’s sitting room to show herself off.
“You look exquisite, Grace,” the duchess exclaimed, getting up from her desk. “And even more important, you look happy.”
“I am better,” Grace said stoutly. “I’m not the first to have suffered through a childhood infatuation. Colin never even kissed me, so I haven’t the excuse of saying I was misled.”
Her mother gathered her into her arms. “I knew that Lily’s letter would feel hurtful.” And then: “But I am glad to hear that Colin didn’t give you reason to believe that his affections matched yours.”
“Quite the opposite. All those years, he never wrote me back more than a line or two. He didn’t seek me out when he was on leave… not to mention the fact that he fell in love with Lily. I feel like such a fool, Mother!” It burst out of her.
The duchess leaned back, her hands on Grace’s shoulders. “You are not a fool, darling. It is never foolish to love a good man. I’m just sorry that he didn’t reciprocate your feelings—and even sorrier that your father and I didn’t cut off the correspondence years ago.”
“I do believe my letters were healing. So I’m not sorry I wrote them.”
The duchess looked at her searchingly. “You are such a good person, Grace. I don’t know how your father and I managed to produce such a generous, wonderful young woman.”
“Don’t forget fanciful. I made up a whole romance in my mind. When Colin didn’t answer a letter, I would make up the answer he should have sent me. Before I knew it, I was in love.”
“I do wish I could have spared you that lesson,” her mother said. “Especially your pain in seeing that letter he wrote to Lily.”
Grace shrugged. “It forced me to realize that I can’t hide from the truth. There’s a glaring contrast between the four-line letters Colin wrote me, and the five-page letter he sent Lily. He must truly love her.”
“I’m not so sure that I agree about Colin’s feelings for your sister. Your father and I are agreed that he is not the person with whom Lily should spend her life. But the more important thing, darling, is that you find someone who will realize precisely how precious you are. It’s obvious to everyone, for example, that Lord McIngle is wildly in love with you.”
“He is, isn’t he?” It was quite nice to see John’s eyes light up when she entered a room. “I know this is petty, Mother, but I so appreciate the fact that John has never even looked in Lily’s
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