Turning back toward his yacht with Gertrude still held in his arms, a circumstance he knew he was continuing if only to prove to her that he was perfectly capable of holding her for an infinite amount of time, he noticed he’d managed to travel quite a distance from theCornelia. He smiled when he caught not so much as a glimpse of Margaret.
“If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say Margaret has abandoned the chase, probably because there are other boats behind theCorneliathat are waiting to deposit their passengers.”
“I thought theCorneliawould stay in that spot until we returned from the hotel.”
“While that would be very convenient, I’m afraid that’s not how it’s done. The New Iron Pier was built to provide a landing spot for ships carrying passengers heading to Coney Island for an afternoon or evening of fun. However, those ships have to depart somewhat quickly since there are always other ships waiting to let their passengers disembark at the pier.”
“Where will your ship go?”
“Margaret will steer her out to sea and drop anchor. She and Adelaide will then keep watch for my signal after we’re finished at the Manhattan Beach Hotel. Once they see my signal, which is simply flashing a light out to sea with a code we’ve devised, they’ll return and we’ll be on our way back to the city.”
“Is that why you didn’t bother to issue an invitation to your sisters to join in the festivities at the hotel—because they’re expected to mind the ship?”
Harrison frowned. “Not at all. I didn’t issue an invitation to my sisters because Margaret and I discussed it earlier. And we decided that withholding an invitation from Edwina would allow us to avoid annoying our mother in the end.” He sighed. “It might have been beneficial if my mother had bothered to explain how determined Edwina was becoming in her quest to enter society when she asked me to keep a watchful eye on my sister. That would have allowed me to be better prepared for Edwina’s unexpected attack. Although, now that I consider the matter, Margaret might have been my mother’s true confidante in this, because while Margaret is known to have a bit of a temper, she normally doesn’t bother to chase after me to take me to task.”
Gertrude cleared her throat. “I was wondering if perhaps your sister was chasing me, not you. She was told I’m considering making off with that painting of your mother’s, and pair that with the argument I understand she had with Mrs. Davenport, well, she probably feels she has just cause to seek an audience with me.”
Harrison rested his chin on top of Gertrude’s head, a convenient place to rest since he was still carrying her and her head was positioned in exactly the right place. “I’m sure Margaret didn’t believe Clementine’s accusation since she rarely puts much stock in anything a member of the fashionable set says. But I will admit that I shudder to think what would happen if that particular painting did go missing since it’s one of my mother’s prized possessions.”
“Perhaps you should consider hanging it in a more secure place than on a ship. Ships do tend to sink, if I’m not mistaken.”
“An excellent point, but since theCorneliais named after my mother, and since she was thrilled to learn I wanted to name my yacht after her, she decided one of her prized possessions had to have a place of honor on board my yacht, for luck if you will.” He smiled. “If you haven’t heard, we of the shipping sort do tend to hold our superstitions fast to us at all times, and good luck symbols are to be taken very, very seriously.”
“Then let us hope your fine yacht always remains above the water, and that no one of the criminal persuasion ever targets your ship for plunder.”
“Once word gets out about Margaret and her desire to throw someone in the brig, I doubt anyone of the criminal set will bother stepping foot on our ship. My sister has a reputation down on the docks for being somewhat frightening, and once our crew spreads this latest tale around, the one regarding Margaret and Mrs. Davenport, I imagine that will be quite enough to keep thieves away.”
Gertrude seemed to stiffen in his arms, right before she let out a little laugh. “And thank goodness for that. However, matters of thievery aside, I do think it might be for the best for you to finally set me down. We’re attracting a lot of attention, and while I know you’re a most intimidating gentleman, there’s a group of men over there watching us rather closely. I would hate for them to come to the conclusion you’re up to nefarious purposes, which might end with you embroiled in a brawl.”
Lifting his head, Harrison narrowed his eyes on the men in question, men who were considering not him but Gertrude, and considering her in a way that was far too intense for his comfort. Setting her to her feet, he drew himself to his full height, returned his attention to the men, then quirked a single brow their way.
Being a gentleman who was more than capable of holding his own in a fight, even when the odds were not in his favor, he stepped in front of Gertrude and clenched his hands into fists. Before he could take another step forward, though, Gertrude was right by his side again, holding on to his arm with one hand while waving cheerfully at the men now smiling and waving back at her in response.
“While I certainly appreciate you being willing to defend my honor,” she said, continuing to smile, “they’re not bad men, Harrison. They simply were trying to ascertain whether I needed their assistance or not. And since I’ve now shown them I’m fine, let us be on our way.”
Without allowing him a second to do more than send another scowl to the waving and smiling gentlemen, Gertrude somehow managed to get him turned around and striding down the pier, her pace so rapid she began wheezing a moment later.
“I would have been able to hold my own,” he said, glancing over his shoulder to make certain they weren’t being followed, which they weren’t. “Although I do thank you for trying to keep me from harm.”
Gertrude stopped walking and turned to face him. “I wasn’t worried about you.”
“Oh” was all he could think to respond as the last vestiges of temper he’d been feeling immediately disappeared. “Well, right then.”
She tugged him back into motion, and feeling much more charitable with the world at large, he spent the rest of their walk down the pier pointing out items of interest. After explaining what little he knew about the two pavilions that sat on both ends of the pier, and stopping for a brief moment to enjoy the music of the regimental brass band that was hired each season to entertain visitors to Coney Island and the pier, they reached the end of the pier. Helping her to the boardwalk, he watched her eyes widen as she took in the sights.
“Forgive me, Gertrude, but I neglected to realize that you’ve evidently never been to Coney Island before. That seems rather odd because you’re clearly a lady possessed of an adventurous nature, and nothing screams adventure quite like Coney Island.”
Gertrude swung her attention back to him. “Where in the world did you get the idea I’m a lady possessed of an adventurous nature?”
“You’re a companion to Mrs. Davenport. You’d have to be an adventurous sort if only to keep up with her.”
Her brows drew together. “I suppose I never looked at it quite like that, but I’m afraid I’m not widely traveled. Mrs. Davenport is content to remain in the city except for when we repair to her cottage in Newport. And while she does mention going to Paris to take in the sights and visit the designers there, I’m afraid that simply mentioning Paris is as close as we’ve gotten to that intriguing city.” She looked away. “Which way to the hotel?”
Smiling, he turned her in the right direction and began walking again. He kept a firm grip on her arm, making certain she didn’t stumble, while also keeping her well away from the many men who kept turning to stare at her as they continued down the boardwalk.
Needing a distraction so he wouldn’t be tempted to threaten those men with bodily harm since Gertrude had proven herself to be overly concerned for gentlemen she apparently found harmless, but he found nothing of the sort, he cleared his throat and forced a smile. “While I can’t sail you all the way to Paris this summer because I have so many business matters to attend to in the city, I’m planning a trip back to Long Island next week. I’d enjoy bringing you and Mrs. Davenport with me. We could attend this charming little country church, the Flatbush Reformed Dutch Church to be exact, where a friend of mine, Reverend David Sturgis, always gives a wonderful sermon. After that, we can share a small adventure of taking a picnic lunch to a wonderful cove I’ve put anchor in many times before, and ... we could even enjoy a swim in the water if you enjoy swimming.”
“I do enjoy swimming,” Gertrude said, “although I haven’t been in the ocean for years. But tell me more about this church. I’ve never heard of the Flatbush Reformed Dutch Church.”
