At one time or another Drake had met other members of the Downs family, including Chesterfield’s two sisters, but this third one didn’t look like either of them. They were blonde, tall, and willowy, with sharp features, just like their oldest brother. This girl was petite, with brown hair, a round face, and eyes as blue as the waters in the Caribbean. She also had a smile plasteredon her face that was as false as the one Drake had been wearing since arriving.
‘No, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,’ he replied. ‘Lady Meridith.’
‘Meridith, this is Captain Drake Taylor.’ Chesterfield completed the introduction.
‘Mr Taylor,’ she greeted, in a soft voice that held no enjoyment.
Someone as pretty as her should be smiling. Most young women enjoyed parties. Giving her a slight bow, Drake said, ‘Please, my lady, you have my permission to address me as Drake.’
She gave a slight nod.
‘Meridith spent several years in Bath, attending school,’ Chesterfield said, smiling at his sister. ‘We are happy to have her back in London.’
‘I can imagine so,’ Drake replied.
‘She’s agreed to be your partner for a round of croquet.’ Chesterfield gestured to where the game was set up along the edge of the garden, away from the tables where people were conversing or playing cards. ‘The duchess and I will play against you. It’ll give us an opportunity to talk.’
Drake enjoyed croquet as much as he did lawn parties, yet he replied, ‘Excellent.’
They crossed the lawn with Lady Meridith between them, which limited the opportunity for business conversation. Drake couldn’t say for sure, but he assumed that Meridith was as eager to play croquet as he was. She hadn’t cracked a smile, nor glanced his way or at her brother, either.
She was cute, though. Actually, he’d call her pretty, because she was definitely a lady of good breeding. It was clear from the way she carried herself, head up, and without so much as a curl out of place. He could smell the light scent of her perfume, too.
Rose water.
He knew that scent well. It was one of the few things he remembered about his mother. He’d lost both of his parents to illness during the winter he’d turned four. He didn’t remember much about either of them, or that winter, or the next few years, other than knowing he had always been the odd man out. Not that Uncle Donald or his wife, Aunt Ella, or Drake’s girl cousins, Della and Grace, had ever tried to make him feel that way. But his cousin Archibald certainly had. He’d liked to continuously point out that Drake wasn’t one of them, just an orphan that they’d taken in.
By the time Drake had turned fourteen, he’d had enough of Archibald’s need to disgrace him. When Uncle Donald had allowed him to become a cabin boy on one of Coastal Shipping Line ships, he had been overjoyed.
It had marked the start of the life of his dreams, and he wasn’t done living that life, not by a long shot.
After several steps, the silence surrounding him was echoing in his ears. He’d never liked that point where it felt as if people didn’t know what to say to each other. It tended to make everyone uncomfortable, and he saw no use in that.
‘Do you play croquet often, Lady Meridith?’ he asked.
‘No,’ she replied softly.
‘Me neither,’ he said.
She nodded.
He felt sorry for her, stuck playing croquet with him rather than flirting with some of the young men in attendance. As a kind of consolation, he continued to engage her in conversation. ‘My apologies for that. There’s not much of a chance to play croquet on the deck of the ship.’
She gave another nod. No words. Just a nod.
He pushed down a great need to let out a sigh. Clearly, this was going to be a long day.
As they neared the table where the mallets and balls were laid out, a lady rose from her chair. The Duchess of Chesterfield was a pretty woman with black hair and brown eyes, who stood only a few inches shorter than her husband. Drake had met her several times in the past and found her to be quite personable. He performed a slight bow as they arrived.
‘Hello, Captain Taylor,’ she greeted. ‘So good of you to join us today.’
‘Your Grace.’
‘Please, as I’ve informed you in the past, feel free to call me Alena. Lady Alena, if you must.’ Smiling at her husband, she continued, ‘We are honored to have you attend today, but I must warn you, Peter and I are quite the contenders in croquet.’
It was their house, their party, and he had no doubt that they were quite the contenders because there was an unwritten rule that hosts should often be allowed to win. The trouble with that was that he wasn’t all that keen on social rules, written or unwritten, nor was he a cheater. Neither when it would benefit him, nor when it would let someone else succeed. He believed in honesty no matter what the situation.
He shot a quick grin at his croquet partner. ‘Well, perhaps luck will be with Lady Meridith and I as we put forth our best efforts.’
