“I had a feeling you would know all about him.” He sipped his champagne and gazed up at the sky. “When I was a child, I used to talk to the man in the moon when I felt lonely.”
“I did, too.” She glanced over at him. “I especially liked the bit about him being made of cheese. I love cheese. I dreamt about traveling to the moon and sitting there with a little paring knife, gorging on cheese.”
“And how did you plan to get there, I wonder.”
“By air balloon, of course.”
“Of course. Quite logical.” He bumped her shoulder with his as he chuckled quietly.
“Dinner is served,” Lucy’s butler, Mr. Townson intoned.
Kingsbury winged out his elbow. “Shall we?”
Adeline glanced around the room, but it appeared that it was to be an informal evening. Everyone wandered out of the drawing room in small groups of two and three. Another reason she loved Lucy and Hartwick was that they didn’t stand on ceremony. She slid her hand onto Kingsbury’s arm, and they made their way to the dining room, ambling behind the other guests.
“How are you feeling, Lady Amberley?” Kingsbury asked.
“Better than the last time you saw me, thank you.” She was still embarrassed that he had caught her at such a vulnerable moment. He had been so kind and attentive.
“Good to hear. I worried about what had made you so upset.”
“Oh, nothing. I’m fine,” she replied. There was certainly nothing she could tell him about. Nothing she could tell anyone about for fear of bringing scandal down on her family.
“Yes, you say that a lot.” He laid his hand on top of hers. “I am a good listener if you ever are not fine and wish to tell someone.”
All of a sudden, Adeline blinked back tears that threatened. How she wished she could tell him and seek his advice. But that was not possible. She would have to figure things out herself.
She offered him a polite smile. “I wonder what’s on the menu tonight.”
In the dining room, Adeline was seated next to Kingsbury and across the table from Lucy and the duke. She raised a brow at Lucy as they settled into their seats.Matchmaker.Her friend smiled brightly in return.
Then Lucy turned to Kingsbury as the wine was being poured. “So, tell me, Lord Kingsbury, what was it like to be on board ship with my father? Was he a terrible taskmaster?”
“Yes. He ran a tight ship, but what I remember most was that he was kind and always fair. Each of the young midshipmen was assigned to an officer. Our work was very much like a valet. I was given the job of serving your father. I basically did everything he needed, from running messages and getting his meals from the galley to brushing his coat each evening. In his private cabin, I would sit and polish his boots and look at your artwork he had tacked up on the wall.”
Lucy smiled. “I always made new pieces to give him when he was home on shore leave.”
“I didn’t know you had a talent for art,” Adeline said.
“Well, I wouldn’t say I had a talent, but I guess I gave up on it after my parents passed. I didn’t have anyone to draw for anymore.” Adeline could see the sadness in her friend’s eyes even as Lucy pasted on a smile. “Tell me something I don’t know. Something only someone who worked under him would know.”
Kingsbury’s brow furrowed, and he took a bite of his steak while he thought. “I know,” he said suddenly. “All the sailors called him ‘the mustache’ behind his back.” His gaze slid to Adeline. “You see, he had the longest, bushiest mustache I have ever seen. The lads would come to find me and say, ‘the mustache is looking for you’ or ‘the mustache is requesting his dinner.’”
Lucy burst out laughing.
Kingsbury waggled his lips as though he were twitching a long mustache. Adeline also began to giggle. Even Hartwick chuckled. Lucy’s laughter was contagious, and Adeline could not stop laughing, which, in turn, made Lucy laugh more. George sent Adeline a disapproving frown from down the table as the other guests stared at them. But Adeline didn’t care. All the tension she had been carrying around eased the more she giggled.
Lucy laid a hand on her heart. “I remember how his mustache would tickle my forehead when he would kiss me.”
“One of my clearest memories of him,” Kingsbury said, “was during my first big squall. I was up on the rigging, pulling in sails and scared out of my mind. And I looked down through the rain to the helm. Your father stood at the wheel, his large hands holding it steady as the wind whipped his coattails behind him. I thought to myself, as long as he is in charge, the ship won’t sink.”
“That’s how he always made me feel, too.” Lucy sighed, her expression turning sad.
Hartwick leaned over and kissed her temple. He whispered something in her ear, making her friend smile and lean against him.
“He reminded me of my own father in that way,” Kingsbury said.
Adeline was jealous deep down in her soul. To have a father like that, one who you could count on to make you feel safe. She pushed her peas around her plate. That was what it should be like. When she had her own children, she would ensure they always felt loved and safe. No matter who their father ended up being, she would make sure they never felt alone.
