A Most Unconventional Courtship

Chanced snatched up the telescope that lay beside the charts. ‘Yes, a big one. I think our luck is in.’ He swung himself up on to the rail, grabbed hold and began to climb until he could hook an arm through the rigging and get a better sighting. ‘A man of war. It can only be British. Doctor! Steer for it.’

He slid down the rigging to the deck and smiled round at his unconventional crew. ‘We’ve done it.’

And Lady Blackstone sat down with a thump on the nearest hatch cover and burst into tears.

Chapter Twenty-Two

‘And that was almost the worst thing,’ Alessa said feelingly. She wrapped her arms round her knees as she perched on the old bench and willed Kate to understand.

‘Because she is always so cool and poised? Yes, I can imagine that was a bit of a shock,’ her friend agreed. Kate, as usual, was perched perilously on the parapet of the roof of their house. The children, as reluctant to move far from Alessa as she was to be out of sight of them, played quietly in one corner with the new kitten Dora had been given by the nuns.

‘And then Frances, who had been wonderful, burst into tears too, and the maid, so when the Argos came alongside there were three wailing women, Chance looking like the perfect pirate, a real pirate at the wheel, me in men’s clothes and only the doctor to give any appearance of respectability to the entire crew.’ She curled up and hugged her knees tighter in an effort to push the hideous embarrassment away.

‘Whatever did the captain say?’

‘It took ages to convince him we were not escaped lunatics, or a decoy by pirates or a floating orgy. Then he put a skeleton crew on board to sail us back to Corfu and he went after the Plymouth Sound.’

‘Did they find it?’

‘I have no idea,’ Alessa said. ‘I suppose we’ll hear sooner or later.’

‘You do sound depressed,’ Kate said anxiously. ‘I would have thought you’d be thrilled to be rescued and back safely with no one hurt. Wasn’t it exciting? Lord Blakeney seems to have been an absolute hero.’

‘Oh, yes,’ Alessa agreed wearily. ‘He was wonderful.’

‘What’s wrong, then?’ Kate shot a glance at the children, but they were totally absorbed. ‘The Count didn’t…you know…take advantage of you?’

‘No. He announced that he was going to marry me, but fortunately his pride in his own masculine charms is such that he expected to seduce me easily once he got me home. He would not stoop to rape.’

‘Well, thank goodness for that.’ Kate studied her in silence. Alessa dropped her cheek on to her knees and looked out over the town. ‘And? You weren’t raped, no one was injured, you have got home safely. Why are you drooping about like a wet hen in a thunderstorm? Is it because your aunt wants you to go back and stay with her at the Residency now you are certain the children are all right?’

‘No. Not that.’ The misery was welling up, hot and tight in her chest. She had thought she could keep it inside and not betray how she felt, but Kate’s astringent sympathy was undermining her resolve. ‘We have been back for two days and Chance hasn’t been here. He hasn’t written. Nothing.’

‘Um, is there any reason—any urgent reason—why he should be coming to speak with you?’ Kate asked. ‘Other than common courtesy, of course.’

‘No! Yes. Possibly. Kate, I don’t know. I do not understand what happened. I do not understand how I feel or what it meant to him. I don’t know what happens next.’

‘Do you want to talk about it?’

‘I think so, only it is so embarrassing…’

‘Lord love you child, nothing you can say is going to shock me.’ She raised her voice. ‘Dora, Demetri! Alessa and I are going down to my apartment. You’d better go and play in the courtyard.’

‘Right, now tell me all about it,’ she demanded when they were sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, a glass of wine in their hands.

Alessa took a deep gulp for courage. ‘I told you the Count tied me up in a cabin and Chance picked the lock and hid in the privy and then we were able to escape?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, we made love. In between him breaking in and hiding in the privy. Only we didn’t, you know—I mean, I think I’m still a virgin.’

‘Let me get this right.’ Kate frowned in concentration. ‘You had your hands tied to the bed head and he had his hands tied behind his back and you were only able to untie him after the Count freed you so you could go to the privy?’

‘Yes.’

‘So his lordship had no clothes on?’

‘No! He was fully dressed.’