“I know.” Martin sighed. “It’s a ploy to try to get us to stop in Norfolk.”
“Why does she want to stop in Norfolk?”
Martin debated how much to reveal to his first mate. He trusted Ulf with his life, but this was a sensitive topic. The last thing he wanted was to sow doubt about his marriage to Isabella in the minds of his men. “She has a friend there who she wants to see, but I told her it was too dangerous.”
The truth, if a bit hazy on the details. He didn’t want the crew to know he had a potential rival for her hand. They were fiercely loyal, and he didn’t want to sway them against Isabella any more than they already were.
“Agreed. The earl’s allegiances are unclear. It’s best not to risk it.” Ulf clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll find a way towin her heart one way or another. There’s too much of your father’s spirit in you. Sooner or later, she’s bound to fall. Besides, you’re married. It’s not as if she can go find someone else.”
Ah.That was the crux of it. Time was short, and she had designs on that loathsome earl. He prayed he could win her before it was too late. Perhaps it had been foolhardy to make such a wager with her. She was far more effective at defending herself than he could ever have believed. Still, he was making progress, however slowly.
“She’ll come around.” Martin pretended more confidence than he felt. “She can’t hold out forever.” If only he had forever. He was certain he was cracking her shell, but their voyage seemed far too short to achieve his end.
He glanced back at where Isabella stood with Adelaide, still deep in discussion. Perhaps his friend’s advice earlier about ignoring her might work. It was a risky gambit, but he had to try something new and keep her off balance. She was adapting to his tactics far too quickly.
“Bring me the charts. I want to check our progress,” he said to Ulf. There was plenty of work to be done, and the common wisdom was that absence made the heart grow fonder. Perhaps he could make this work.
Chapter Eleven
How dare Martinignore her! He’d left Isabella and Adelaide alone for dinner the previous night, Baldwin serving them in their room. He hadn’t bothered to so much as say “hello” as she broke her fast in the morning, standing on deck, shivering in the frigid sea breeze. How was she supposed to convince him to stop in Norfolk if he refused to even speak to her?
Adelaide’s continued seasickness was another worry. Isabella plied her with broth and ginger biscuits, then gave her a sleeping draft when her sister’s stomach still threatened to rebel.
As Isabella paced the deck, the weight of her isolation came crashing down on her. There was no one she could turn to as the ship journeyed onward. If she didn’t find a solution quickly, she was going to lose her sister. She was married to an irritating man who had no reason to release her aside from his word. At any moment, he could decide he wanted to keep her, and there was nothing she could do about it except try to convince him that they wouldn’t suit. Except that everything she did to try to fend him off only seemed to fan the flames.
“You seem restless, my lady.” The deep male voice nearly made her jump out of her skin. She turned around quickly to see Martin’s first mate.
“Ulf, isn’t it?”
“Aye, it is, my lady. His lordship sent me to see if there was anything we can do to make your journey more pleasant. A shipdoesn’t offer many opportunities for entertainment, but we aim to make you as comfortable as possible during our journey.”
Isabella looked the large man up and down, deeply skeptical that he was capable of offering any diversion she would enjoy. But perhaps he could be useful.
“Tell me, good man, why his lordship couldn’t come and inquire after me himself?”
It irked Isabella that he was sending an emissary rather than subjecting himself to her campaign of persuasion. But perhaps Ulf could be persuaded. What would make the first mate of a ship want to land when his captain and liege lord didn’t?
“Running a ship and managing the men requires a great deal of attention. He is preoccupied at the moment, I’m afraid, and is likely to remain so all day.” Ulf was putting on a good show, but he was clearly making excuses for his lord.
“And so he sends his first mate? Doesn’t he need you too?”
“He can spare me for the moment.” Ulf looked her in the eyes as if daring her to keep questioning him.
She was starting to rather like Ulf. He stood his ground, and clearly his loyalty to his lord ran deep. “Excellent. How long have you been his first mate?”
“Five years, my lady. It’s been an honor serving him. I couldn’t ask for a better captain. Or a better liege lord, though he’s only been baron for a year now.”
“So recent! I knew his father had passed, but the grief must be fresh.” An unwelcome sliver of sympathy wormed its way into her heart. “Were they close?”
“Oh, aye. Lord Gilbert took his son everywhere, introducing him to life at sea and to his many friends at various ports of call. He was right proud of the way Lord Martin took to it. His other son, Lord Lance, never cared for it and has always preferred to stay on shore. The two brothers couldn’t have been more different.”
Isabella couldn’t help but be intrigued by these insights into Martin’s family, but she chided herself to focus. She shouldn’t care what Martin’s family was like, as she was unlikely ever to meet them. It was time to redirect the conversation. “I’m sure that you also have many friends at various ports of call. Which are your favorite ports along the English coast?”
“Aside from Winchelsea?”
She nodded.
“It’s hard to choose. I do like the southern ports better than the northern ones, especially in winter. I spent my youth gadding about the Cinque Ports taking odd jobs on ships. I had an itch to explore, and what better way than at sea? But my heart belongs in Winchelsea.”
