Fortunately, Edwina, who was standing directly by her side, did not seem to be floundering in the least. She stepped forward, marched her way across the small space that separated her from her brother, and poked Harrison in the arm.
“What in the world is the matter with you, Harrison, and why are you standing there with your mouth gaping open and looking as if you’ve just spotted a ghost, or...” Edwina drew back her arm and sucked in a rather loud breath of air. “Where is Mrs. Davenport? Do not tell me that Margaret won the day in the end and threw her in some type of makeshift brig, or worse yet, sent her and that annoying Clementine Flowerdew adrift in one of our dinghies. I mean, granted, Clementine does seem to be a bit of a nightmare, but she’s well connected socially from what I’ve been able to gather, and I’ll never be invited to another society event if you’ve allowed her to be cast out to sea.”
Harrison blinked, blinked again, and then, surprisingly enough, grinned. “Surely you must realize that I would hardly be standing here having a little chat with you if Margaret had cast those two ladies adrift.”
Edwina reached out and poked her brother again, then apparently decided that wasn’t enough poking, so she did it again. “Margaret was completely put out with the situation, Harrison, and you know she’s not one to deal gently with society members. I could easily believe she would cast two annoying society members adrift. And if they haven’t been sent out to sea, where, pray tell, are they?”
“Adelaide, being a most sensible sort, saw to it that they were escorted from the yacht after we drew up next to the pier.”
Edwina narrowed her eyes. “Why did Adelaide have to do such an unpleasant task?”
“Because she’s a kind soul?”
Edwina’s eyes narrowed to mere slits. “You made a great escape from the wheelhouse, didn’t you?”
“Since you did the very same thing, I don’t think you should be pointing out the error of my ways,” Harrison shot back. “And ... what did you mean, you’ll never be invited toanothersociety event?”
Waving that straight aside, Edwina tilted her head. “Are you quite certain Mrs. Davenport and Clementine were seen safely to the Manhattan Beach Hotel?”
“Since Adelaide assured me that she personally saw those two ladies into one of the many carriages the hotel sent to the pier to pick up our guests, I can say with relative certainty that they made it safely to the hotel. And—” he held up his hand when Edwina opened her mouth—“given that my very good friend, Mr. Cavendish, has been assisting me with pulling off the event at the hotel, and because he is known to be a most charming gentleman, I would imagine he personally escorted Miss Flowerdew and Mrs. Davenport into the ballroom we’ll be using this evening. He’s probably even gone so far as to see them well settled with a refreshing glass of wine. So, that’s that, and with Mrs. Davenport’s and Miss Flowerdew’s exposure to Margaret limited, I’m going to declare here and now that there was little harm done.”
Another poke in the arm was Edwina’s first reaction to that before she began speaking again, this time in a voice that had risen by a good octave. “Little harm done? You can’t treat society members so willy-nilly. And while I admit that Mr. Cavendish is a delightful gentleman, and well connected, it would have eased the troubling situation tremendously ifyouwould have personally escorted Mrs. Davenport and Miss Flowerdew from the ship and into a carriage because that would have certainly gone far in soothing their tender society feelings.”
Before Harrison had a chance to respond to what was clearly a tirade on his sister’s part, Temperance stepped forward, although she was looking quite unlike her usual self. If he wasn’t much mistaken, she was also wearing one of Edwina’s gowns, and had apparently benefited from his sister’s skill with styling hair since Temperance’s dark hair was no longer pulled into a severe knot on the back of her neck, but was styled almost identically to Gertrude’s.
“I’m very much afraid, Edwina,” Temperance began, “that if your brother had escorted Clementine to the hotel, it could have turned his world topsy-turvy. He would have been woefully unprepared for the assault I fear Clementine has decided to wage to win his affections.”
Harrison took a single step backward. “Your cousin wants to assault me?”
“Not a physical assault,” Temperance returned. “An assault more along the lines ofusing every feminine ployshe has at her disposal, one where fluttering lashes, breathy sighs, and even a few carefully planned damsel-in-distress scenarios will most certainly be directed your way.”
“Any suggestion on how I might avoid this assault?” Harrison asked.
Temperance bit her lip. “I have no idea except to perhaps suggest you make plans to travel extensively over the summer and hopefully in a different country.”
Harrison frowned. “That seems a little excessive, and isn’t actually feasible because I do need to oversee production of numerous ships currently being built down at the New York City docks.”
“Perhaps you should simply find a lovely young lady and proceed to court her, which will sufficiently take care of the problem of several ladies trying to pursue you once and for all,” Asher suggested, sending Gertrude a bit of a wink, one that left her with the distinct feeling Permilia wasn’t the only newly-in-love person who seemed to be embracing a matchmaking attitude.
Harrison, fortunately, missed that wink, but then he shook his head, that telling motion sending an unexpected wave of disappointment coursing through Gertrude’s veins.
“As I keep saying, I’m perfectly content with my life, and unwilling to change that life simply because rumor has it I’m soon to be in demand.”
“That is hardly embracing the spirit of a poet,” Gertrude thought she heard Asher mumble before he exchanged a look with Permilia. He evidently read something in her look, because he then smiled a charming smile and nodded to the group at large.
“While pondering Harrison’s dilemma is certainly a most riveting way to spend an evening, we do have guests awaiting our arrival at the Manhattan Beach Hotel. Shall we get on our way and see what other exciting entertainments we may encounter this evening?”
Edwina was the first to move, striding across the deck toward the plank. She looked over her shoulder. “No time to linger. There are amusements waiting for us.”
Harrison took a step toward his sister. “I wasn’t aware you were accompanying us, Edwina.”
Edwina turned and sent her brother a lovely smile. “Gertrude issued me an invitation. She was under the misimpression it was a simple oversight on your part that I wasn’t invited, even though you and I know that isn’t the truth.” She narrowed her eyes at Harrison. “However, since all the etiquette books I’ve recently read suggest it’s bad form to refuse an invitation that’s so graciously offered, I had no choice but to accept.” Edwina darted a look to Temperance. “I am right about that etiquette business, aren’t I?”
Temperance smiled and joined Edwina, taking hold of her arm. “Very nicely done, Edwina, and now, before your departure is thwarted with some argument on your brother’s part, we should go, and quickly.” With that, Temperance, a lady who appeared to be coming out of the meek and reserved shell Gertrude had always known her to embrace, sent Harrison a cheeky grin before she practically ran toward the plank, Edwina matching her every step.
“Wait for us!” Permilia called, pulling Asher after them and disappearing down the plank behind Edwina and Temperance a moment later.
Left all alone on the deck with Harrison, Gertrude turned his way, finding him looking somewhat bemused. Shaking his head, he caught her eye.
