The captain leaned back in his chair, a shrewd look on his face. “No. You are two fools I dragged from the sea. Although, for a fee, I would be willing to hail another ship to get rid of you.”
“I’ve never been called a fool in my life,” Calstone growled.
Neither had Will, but he still inclined his head. “Duly noted. However, when that time comes, I will be taking the lady with me.”
The captain stroked his beard. “So long as you don’t bother my passengers, and so long as I don’t see that it’s against her will, I won’t come in between you and your lady. I also have only one cabin left, so you two will be bunking together.”
Will didn’t miss the captain’s emphasis onI don’t see. “That won’t be a problem. I will handle the lady.”
“Problem.” Calstone slapped his hand on the desk. “Leeds might be a gentleman. I, however, am not. I won’t promise not to bother your passengers.”
Will arched a brow.
“If you don’t let us off this ship now, I will make it my mission to bother every single one of your passengers as well as your sailors, your chef, and whoever else you have on this ship.”
The captain leaned back in his chair. “Then I’ll toss you in the brig.”
“Do you think your men can take me?” Calstone tilted his head thoughtfully. “They probably can. But I promise you this, captain: I will take down enough of them with me for you to feel the loss. How willthatlook for your reputation?”
The captain let out a foul curse. “You little bastard.”
“Big bastard,” Calstone corrected.
“Send us back,” Will said, leaning into his friend’s play. On the one hand, he’d mostly resigned himself to the journey and the chance to calm Lady Harriet and give her time to adjust to the thought of marrying him. On the other hand, he wanted to get back as soon as possible to make her his in every legal sense of the word. “It would be best for all involved.”
“I’m not sparing any of my men to chaperone you back to the docks.”
“We don’t need you to spare us a man, only a boat,” Will said. “We will row back to shore.”
The captain laughed. “The two of you?”
Calstone scowled. “We swam here, didn’t we?”
“Expending most of your energy, I imagine.”
“We will be fine,” Will insisted.
“I’ll be one boat short.”
“We will make it worth your while,” Calstone said.
The captain pursed his lips before finally giving a curt nod. “But I still expect your fare, and we will clear Hole Haven first. It shouldn’t be too much of a task rowing to shore from there.”
Will gave a curt nod. It was more than he expected, given their circumstances. “Agreed. Now can you please show me to the lady’s cabin?”
The captain nodded at the sailor from earlier who’d been stationed at the door. The man motioned for Will to follow him.
Will couldn’t wait to see that little minx.
Chapter Four
Harriet leaned againstthe wall and stared out of the small window of her cabin in deep thought. She still couldn’t believe she’d boarded a ship all on her own with an uncertain journey ahead of her.
Before her mother had passed away, she had always encouraged Harriet to follow her dreams. Truth be told, she couldn’t recall much of those days, but she did remember one day announcing to her mother that she wanted to wed a prince—and to do so in a beautiful gown fit for any princess.
As she grew older, Harriet lost all misguided notions about marrying a real prince. The prince, after all, had only been a metaphor for the perfect man—a man she loved. A man who loved her. A man who would give her a fairytale life.
Her father had ruined that dream for her.
