Christmas Belles Read Online Free PDF Page B

noose. He had arrived on Trent's ship in irons, pale,
emaciated, but full of so much impudence, no amount of time beneath the lash
could have cured him of it.
    Trent had tried patience instead, striking off the man's
chains, treating him like a human being again. And Trent's forbearance had been
rewarded. Doughty proved the best steward he had ever had, as handy at darning
a uniform as any housewife, able to miraculously manage hot meals for his
captain even during the worst of storms. Now if only Trent could break the
fellow of his infernal habit of whistling .
    For the moment, at least, silence was restored. Trent turned
back to his writing, but he had not progressed much further when Doughty
cleared his throat with a series of loud harrumphs, trying to gain Trent's
attention.
    "What is it now, Mr. Doughty?" He put down his
quill.
    "Beggin' yer pardon, Cap'n. Don't mean to be disturbin'
ye again, sir. But I was wishful to know: Be this the uniform ye want me to be
packin' for yer weddin' day?"
    Trent cast a cursory glance over the garment Doughty held
aloft, Trent's best blue jacket, gold epaulets glittering on the shoulders and
buttons gleaming down the front.
    "No, Mr. Doughty. I won't be wearing any uniform. Pack
my dark gray frock coat."
    Doughty's look of dismay was almost comical. "Fer yer
weddin', Cap'n?"
    "I take it that does not meet with your approval?"
    "No, sir! Er, that is, I suppose it be not my place to
say anything."
    "That seldom prevents you from saying it. And what is
wrong with my gray coat, pray?"
    Doughty hemmed and hawed. "'Tis just when a gent stands
up with a lady, 'specially for the purposes of matrimony, well, he needs to spread
his feathers a bit, kind'a like the way a peacock does for his peahen."
    Trent's lips twitched with amusement, but he replied gravely
enough, "I fear my peahen is too sensible to be impressed by my naval
plumage."
    "Nay, don't you believe it, sir. All ladies be set
aflutter by a man in uniform. I don't fancy Miss Emma Waverly could be that
much different from the lot o' females."
    "I don't recall ever mentioning the lady's name, Mr.
Doughty. Have you been reading my correspondence?"
    "No, sir!" Doughty's eyes widened, the very
picture of wounded innocence. "'Tis just when mail is left lying about,
it's hard sometimes not to notice a name, and I always can tell a lady's
handwritin'. I be somethin' of an expert on the ladies, Cap'n."
    "So you have informed me upon several occasions, Mr.
Doughty."
    The steward puffed out his chest. "Yes, sir, I came
close to tying the knot meself several times, but the fathers of the young
ladies were never quite fast enough to catch up with me. That 'minds me of
another reason to wear yer uniform, sir. It might go a long way to impress and
soften yer future papa-in-law."
    "That is not something I need to worry about. Miss
Waverly's father is—" Trent broke off, suddenly no longer finding anything
amusing about the conversation.
    "Carry on, Mr. Doughty," he said sharply. "I
should like to see my packing finished sometime this year."
    "Ay, aye, Cap'n." The big man looked puzzled by
his captain's sudden reversion to coldness. But Trent was not about to offer
any further explanation.
    Bending over the desk once more, he retrieved his quill, but
the pen remained idle between his fingers, the words on the report before him
no more than a meaningless jumble of ink strokes. Doughty's idle chatter had
triggered off unfortunate reflections that Trent found less than pleasant.
    Try to impress Miss Waverly's father, his future
papa-in-law, Doughty had counseled him. Would to God he had such a concern,
Trent thought bitterly. But one didn't need to worry about currying the good
opinion of a man encased in a shroud, full fathoms deep off the coast of
Portugal.
    Trent's frown deepened, and the sounds of the ship creaking
and the thud of footsteps above him on the Gloriana's quarterdeck slowly faded.
Relentlessly, Trent's memories carried him back to the