“I amnotscared!”
He bit back a smile and began descending to their boat. Above him, her head appeared over the rail and she swept a glance over the situation. Adorable.
“I still can’t believe I’m doing this,” her mutter floated to him. “Luckily, I am wearing breeches beneath my skirts.”
His brows furrowed. “Why are you wearing breeches?”
She scoffed. “Why, in case I had to quickly disguise myself as a boy. I even have a cap and everything.”
Will’s brain immediately spiraled into images of Harriet’s breeches hugging her thighs and...
Dear Christ.
That would be a bloody dangerous sight. He inhaled steadily. Everything so far had gone wrong. He would require all hiswits going forward, not distractions like the idea of Harriet in breeches. However, no number of steady breaths could slow the wild beat of his pulse.
“Come.”
Will slowly made his way down the ladder. His eyes never strayed far from Harriet’s progress. The moment his feet landed on the boat, he shifted his weight to keep it steady and fix himself into a position to help her step into the boat.
When she reached the last rung, which stopped a bit shy of their boat, she glanced over her shoulder. She attempted to lower herself but promptly pulled herself back up. “I’m too short.”
“I have you.” Will gently clasped her waist in a firm grip. “Let go.”
Her eyes met his. “What if you let me fall?”
“I will never let you fall.”
She gave a curt nod, and the air stuck in Will’s lungs. Would she trust him? For one brief, disappointing moment, he thought she would resist his help. But to his swift surprise and utmost relief she let go.
Will swiftly lowered her onto the boat, holding her steady against him until Calstone joined them.
“Ye ready, sirs?” A sailor called from above.
“We are good and ready,” Calstone called back.
“Godspeed, then.”
Will nodded at the man before pointing to a seat in the center. “Sit over there, love. Calstone and I will do the rest.”
She settled in without meeting his gaze. He hadn’t done himself any favors today. But he was determined that the future could remain bright, and he hoped in time she would come to understand him and his motivation.
There was nothing else but that small hope to hold onto.
Chapter Five
Harriet had lied.
She was afraid. Very, very afraid. And not just of heights but many other things as well. A stiff, hopeless marriage for one. Also spiders—she hated spiders. And moths. In fact, any insect at all should be added to the list. Even the splashing ocean water surrounding them terrified her. And then there were the marquess and the duke and their small boat.
Well, the boat wasn’tthatsmall. But it wasn’t that big either. It was just the right size for two men to row it. The water, however, was vast. And deep.
Very deep.
Most importantly, Harriet couldn’t swim, which made it even more terrifying to her. But, and this was a big but, she would not show any fear before these two men. For then she would provide an opening. A crack in her composure. A breach that could be exploited to the benefit of others.
And she remained determined to be the one who benefited.
So, she did what she imagined any war general would do in a time of battle. She drew on all the long years she spent mastering her fear of spiders, moths, and insects to school her features and manage her heartbeat, while directing her mind away from the salty water lapping at the perfectly normal-sized boat.
