“Spears, I’ve never known you to pace the deck, so I know that’s not what you’re doing now, but…”
Andrew stopped in his tracks. “Ayson, you’re a good friend.”
“The North Wind will perform as advertised, Spears. We’re going to get a lot richer because of what this ship can do.”
“It’s not the ship. I’m a bit overwrought about tonight.”
“There’s no need to be. The caterers are all set in the galley. The men who are attending this soiree all believe in the North Wind as much as we do, Spears. And their wives – well, their wives will all be more interested in the dashing Mr. Andrew Spears squiring the Honorable Miss Katherine Cameron than the ship.”
Ian looked into his friend and partner’s face. “Ah, so that’s what your worried about. Maybe you should have got it over with last night at the theater or put it off until we return from the sea trial.”
“No, Ayson. Tonight is the night. We show off the new ship, showcase the beginning of a lucrative new business venture and begin opening up New Zealand’s potential. I don’t mean to be immodest, but this night highlights my creative, social and financial power, and I want to impress all of that onto Miss Cameron. She can’t say no to me tonight.”
A ship’s boy approached and cleared his throat. “Mr. Spears? Sir?”
“Yes?”
“The musicians are in place, sir.”
Andrew drew out his watch. “7:20. Finally.” He strode across the deck to the awning the ship’s crew had rigged out of sailcloth. He frowned at the square grand the musicians had brought.
The pianist sought to disarm Andrew’s frown. “I’m sorry we couldn’t get the concert grand you requested down to the shipyard, sir. I promise this instrument has a fine sound and is perfectly in tune.”
Andrew sat at the bench and launched into Kingdom Coming. “I’ve never liked the action on these square grands” he muttered. “You’re right, though, this one does have a nice sound.” He transitioned into Marching Through Georga. The pianist turned a horrified face to the violinist, violist and cellist. They all rolled their eyes in response.
“All right!” Andrew abruptly quit playing and spun around, snapping them to attention. “We’ll be gathering here on deck, so play softly enough that we can converse. Later we’ll go down to dine directly below this hatch, so you can play louder then.”
He looked at his watch. 7:32! Where was Katherine? Katherine. He recalled the kisses they’d shared in the landaulette the previous night on the way back to the Tower. Six kisses? No. He smiled. Seven - four on the lips and three on her neck.
Ah, the intoxication of the woman’s response to his touch. Katherine had been so willing, so eager and so receptive to his physical affection. Even as naive as Katherine was, she surely realized where their relationship was headed. Andrew intended to take her well beyond kissing, and soon.
He snapped his watch closed and strode back to the railing, leaving the bemused musicians to their art.
The Aysons’ carriage rolled up, discharging Agnes shipside. She sauced up the gangplank, smiled at her husband and Andrew and gave them a hearty “Permission to come aboard!”
“Granted, Mrs. Ayson!” returned Ian. He met her as her foot touched the deck. “So pleased you could make it.”
She gave her husband a look mixing condescension with amusement, and turned to Andrew. “You are technically the host this evening, so I wanted to review with you the order we’ll need to go down to dinner.”
YOU ARE READING
A Chance Meeting in Glasgow
Lãng mạnVictorian Scotland in 1875 didn't present a woman with many options. Katherine Cameron was too old to marry, too high born to be a housekeeper, too uneducated to be a governess, from too disreputable a family to be a companion and too skinny to be...
