She raised her gaze to his. “When do we sail?”
“In four to five weeks.” Noting the way she bit her lower lip and wrung her hands, he asked, “Does that give you enough time to plan the wedding?”
“I believe so. We only need three weeks for the banns, and regarding the rest, I’m sure Mary and Emily will be happy to help, not to mention Robert and Vivien.”
“Good.” He was tempted to step forward and kiss her cheek, but she looked so guarded, as if she wished there were a wall between them, that he decided it might be best not to. There would be time enough to romance her later, when she’d had more time to adjust to the idea of being his wife.
So he just punctuated his sentence with a nod and removed himself to the dining room, taking the tea with him as he went.
Four days later, standing on the deck of his ship, The Condor, Devlin informed his crew of his intention to marry.
Silence followed for a good five seconds after, then someone said, “Well, it’s about bloody time!”
Another voice sounded from amidst the throng of hardy seamen. “Congratulations to ye, Captain! We’ll drink to yer health tonight!”
“Aye, that we will,” a third voice murmured amidst the ensuing cheers and well wishes.
“I should mention,” Devlin added with a hasty glance in Monty’s direction, “that my wife will be joining us on our next voyage.”
He reckoned he actually heard one man gulp in response to that comment. The crew stared back at him as if he’d lost his head. Only one word followed, and it was a dumbfounded, “What?”
Devlin allowed his gaze to travel across each familiar face. “Should her presence aboard the ship trouble you, you’re free to remain in England. All I ask is that you let me know now so I’ve time to find replacements.”
Someone coughed and then a young deckhand stepped forward. “Begging your pardon, sir, but having a woman on board is deuced bad luck. I...um...” He scratched the back of his head and shuffled his feet.
“No need to explain, Sam.” Devlin eyed the rest of the group. “Anyone else?”
A fair amount of grumbling followed, during which six more men gave their notice.
“It could have been worse, I suppose,” Devlin told Monty while the two of them enjoyed a drink later in Devlin’s cabin. “Though I will say I’m sorry to lose Big Jack.”
Monty nodded. “He was a fine gunner and a great personality to have on board.” He tossed back his brandy. “I’ll miss him as well.”
Stretching his legs out, Devlin crossed his ankles and swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “Would you consider asking Laura to come along?”
Monty shook his head emphatically. “That would mean bringing the children, which isn’t something any of us would be quite prepared for.” Considering Monty had six, Devlin supposed he made a fair point. “And besides, I’ve been married long enough by now to know that the last thing I need is to be trapped with a woman I can’t escape for great lengths of time. At least on land, I can go for a walk or head to the nearest inn for a small reprieve.”
Devlin frowned. “Considering your plans to quit sailing so you can spend more time at home, I was under the impression you love her.”
“Of course I do, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need time apart on occasion.”
Devlin wasn’t sure he understood his friend’s reasoning. Cassandra was first and foremost a longtime family friend. He’d always enjoyed her company and valued her opinions. Now that he would be marrying her, he couldn’t imagine not sharing every aspect of his life with her.
It was, he acknowledged, one of the reasons why he’d been opposed to marriage – his knowing he’d be taking someone away from what she was used to and possibly making her miserable in the process. He could only hope to God Cassandra would be happy sailing the world. Because that was the sort of marriage he wanted, one where he and his wife forged a bond more secure than any knot in existence. And the only way to do so was through shared experiences, honest conversation, communication, and intimacy – all of which required being together.
“Don’t you miss each other?”
“Of course we do. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”
Devlin shrugged one shoulder and decided to leave the subject alone. Cassandra was accustomed to the challenge brought on by change. She was used to rolling up her sleeves and making the most of a difficult situation. Unlike most Society women, she’d had her fair share of trouble to deal with, but rather than play the victim, she’d found her strength and used it to help others. He admired her greatly for that.
Now, if he could only find a way to dispel her aversion to intimacy.
“I still can’t believethis is happening,” Caleb told Devlin three weeks later when they rode toward the church in one of the Camberly carriages. “Are you nervous?”
Devlin considered the question for a second, then shook his head. “Not at all. On the contrary, I’m really looking forward to this new adventure.” He’d not spent much time with Cassandra in the weeks leading up to the wedding. They’d both been horribly busy – she with arranging for someone to take her place at Clearview, packing for the trip, having her wedding gown fitted, and managing other wedding-related chores, and he with taking new cargo on board and preparing the ship for departure. So it would be good for them to focus more on each other, as he imagined they would be able to do once they left England and things settled down.
“She’ll make you an excellent wife,” Caleb added. “I’ve always thought so.”
