Her eyes strayed to the letter lying beside the ledger on the polished wood of the desk. Lady Upworth had invited her to attend the Season, just as she had every year since Thea's seventeenth birthday. It would be the perfect excuse for a sudden trip to England. Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ashby had been urging her to take her place in Society for years. Even more so since Uncle Ashby's health had deteriorated.
She picked up the letter and smoothed its folds. The Merewethers had good intentions, as did her great-aunt, but she wondered if they realized how adamantly opposed to establishing a relationship with the Earl of Langley she was. She would never embrace the harsh man who had fathered her, and would not take her place in Society if acknowledging him was required to do so.
However, she would go to London. She wanted to meet her great-aunt, Lady Upworth. Thea knew the older woman through letters and the many sketches she sent of Jared and London life, but had never met her.
Lifting the letter, she gazed at the sketch underneath. She let her finger trail along the scar on Jared's face. He had gotten it saving the life of their half sister, Irisa, when he was fourteen. She could still remember the day it happened. She'd had a terrible nightmare that night and dreamed a beast had attacked her with its claws. The following month she had gotten a letter from Lady Upworth telling her of Jared's heroic deed and the mark left on his face.
She wanted to meet her brother. She knew so much about him and yet nothing at all. The longing to meet the flesh of her flesh grew every year. She knew what he liked, what he did, how he behaved, and what he looked like through Lady Upworth's letters, but Thea had no idea how her twin brother felt about anything. Lady Upworth said that he was a very private gentleman, not given to expressing his emotion.
Would he be like their father? She had to believe that he would be a better man, a kinder man. Some of her own emotions and cares must be reflected in him. They were, after all, twins.
And Irisa, would she be as mischievous as she looked in Lady Upworth's sketches? Longing to know both her brother and half sister welled up in Thea.
Her gaze went of its own accord to the window of her office. The sight of the still blue water of the harbor had been a source of comfort since the death of her mother. The island represented safety, and the sea, and adventure. As a child, she had vowed to experience that adventure someday. Evidently, the time had come.
Her eyes strayed to Drake's ship, the Golden Dragon. She smiled. It had sailed into their harbor at the most opportune time.
Drake's insistence that he arrive in England by the date specified on his Lloyd's of London policy would certainly be in her favor. The sooner she got to London, the better were her chances of unmasking the thief before Uncle Ashby even realized something was wrong, or before another so-called accident took place.
She simply had to convince Drake to let her sail on his ship. Remembering the conversation of the morning, she thought she just knew what it would take.
She felt a certain amount of trepidation at the thought of a five-week-long voyage in close quarters with Drake. She felt things around the ship-owner that had never plagued
her before. Womanly desires and inexplicable excitations. She could not seem to resist staring at him, and a mortifying urge to touch him plagued her.
She would simply have to find a way to avoid him aboard ship. She could not afford to be sidetracked from her goal by a gentleman, nor did she particularly wish to be beset by further odd and compelling feelings.
She took a piece of foolscap and copied down the pertinent entries. Closing the ledger, she hid it with the others that showed discrepancies. She rather doubted Uncle Ashby would get curious and go looking for them. The numbers side of business was not the dear man's forte.
"No." Although, he was not known for tact, Drake found himself being even blunter with Thea than he was with others. She was clearly used to getting her own way, but he could not accommodate her latest whim. "It is out of the question for us to remain in port while you ready for the journey."
He felt a certain amount of regret. The thought of her stimulating company on the remainder of the voyage held appeal, but he could not spare the time a lady needed to prepare for such a journey.
"Surely such a short delay would not compromise your schedule."
Disappointment warred with irritation. He did not like feminine manipulation. He had thought after their discussion earlier that she understood that he was honor bound to reach England within five weeks.
"No." He turned back to watch Jacob work, hoping she was intelligent enough to recognize the dismissal.
"How much?"
The words struck him raw, and the tether he had on his patience slipped a notch. "My honor is not for sale."
Jacob ceased his movement on the bellows and stepped away from the forge. Crossing his arms over the massive barrel of his chest, he fixed Drake with a glare. "Miz Thea, she be wanting to sail on your ship, sir."
Drake's hands curled into fists at his side as he tried to maintain what little was left of his patience. "I am aware of that, Jacob, but it is impossible. I am already losing too much time to this repair."
They would be hours ahead had the blacksmith been willing to come aboard the Golden Dragon.
Jacob did not look in the least repentant. He turned his gaze on Thea. "Miz Thea, you be wanting to go on Mr. Drake's ship?"
Thea nodded her head. "Yes, Jacob. Very much. I have my own schedule to keep and none of our ships will be sailing for England for at least a month."
Jacob turned back to Drake. "You take de passengers, yes?"
Drake gave a reluctant nod. "Yes, but I cannot delay long enough for Miss Selwyn to get ready."
How many times would he have to say it before both the stubborn woman and blacksmith would accept that he would not risk his honor for Thea's desire to attend the Season?