Princess at Sea (54 page)
Authors: Dawn Cook
I took a breath, knees shaking as I felt small beside him, my white dress brushing against his black trousers. Some women get flowers or poems from their suitors. I get insults and threats. Heather would laugh herself pink. “I still outrank you,” I said boldly.
He shifted slightly, giving me a wry look before turning away. “I'll try to keep that in mind. You will join me in the stables tomorrow morning at sunup. Your horsemanship is appalling.”
My eyes widened, and my pulse quickened in ire. “I can out-jump you any day, Captain. I've been riding since I was three.”
He made a comfortable-sounding scoff, a hint of anticipation in it. The desire for a companion that could meet him strength for strength? Skill for skill? Understanding for understanding?
“Then you won't mind showing up an hour earlier to prove it,” he said, turning away when he saw my eyes go gentle in thought.
I took a breath to protest, then changed my mind. A small cheer rose at the ramp, and the ship cast off in a flurry of shouts and commands. Kavenlow stood beside the wheel with Captain Borlett, and the distance between us had already grown too far to jump. My heart ached, and tears blurred my sight.
My heart full of loss and hope, I sent my zephyr to grow and fill the sails to speed him on his way. With a surprising thump, the canvas snapped full. And though the crew scrambled to respond, Kavenlow gave me a little bow, his pride obvious even from the distance between us.
Jeck sucked at his teeth and rocked back on his heels, then to his toes. “Got it under control now, hum?” he asked softly.
The wind swung back to me, making the women on the dock cry in dismay as their hair blew to hit their faces. I reached up and pressed my hair down. “Sort of,” I said, holding myself still as the wind tied my hair in knots and whispered very clearly in my ear that Jeck loved me.
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