Her Seafaring Scoundrel Read online

  Her Seafaring Scoundrel

  Sophie Barnes

  Copyright © 2020 by Sophie Barnes

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Design & Interior Format by The Killion Group, Inc.

  Contents

  Also by Sophie Barnes

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  No Ordinary Duke

  Chapter 1

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Sophie Barnes

  Novels

  Her Seafaring Scoundrel

  The Forgotten Duke

  More Than A Rogue

  The Infamous Duchess

  No Ordinary Duke

  The Illegitimate Duke

  The Girl Who Stepped Into The Past

  The Duke of Her Desire

  Christmas at Thorncliff Manor

  A Most Unlikely Duke

  His Scandalous Kiss

  The Earl’s Complete Surrender

  Lady Sarah’s Sinful Desires

  The Danger in Tempting an Earl

  The Scandal in Kissing an Heir

  The Trouble with Being a Duke

  The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda

  There’s Something About Lady Mary

  Lady Alexandra’s Excellent Adventure

  How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back

  * * *

  Novellas

  Lady Abigail’s Perfect Romance

  When Love Leads To Scandal

  Miss Compton’s Christmas Romance

  The Duke Who Came To Town

  The Earl Who Loved Her

  The Governess Who Captured His Heart

  Mistletoe Magic (from Five Golden Rings: A Christmas Collection)

  Chapter 1

  The early morning sun glowed gold against a vibrant display of reds and yellows. Standing on the quarterdeck of his ship as it slid through the water, Devlin Christopher Benjamin Crawford considered the view London offered as he approached: a black silhouette of historic buildings against the fiery sky of dawn.

  It was ten months since he’d last set foot on English soil, and while he always dreaded returning to the memories still haunting him here, he looked forward to seeing his family with great anticipation.

  To think six years had passed since his brother Caleb, the Duke of Camberly, had married Mary Clemens, and five since his other brother Griffin had married Emily Howard never ceased to amaze him. Both couples had since been blessed with a number of children, including a set of boisterous twins, and he, being the excellent uncle he was, had made certain to bring them each a gift.

  “Right ten degrees rudder,” Devlin told his first mate, Mr. Montgomery Quinn. “Let’s bring her to port.”

  “Aye, aye,” Quinn responded.

  The ship swung to the side, lining itself up at just the right angle. “Steady now,” Devlin ordered. Stepping forward, he gauged the distance to the quay, waited a good five minutes until it was at the right distance, and addressed Quinn again. “Ease your rudder.” As expected, they slowed their progress while steadily sailing toward a vacant berth. “Keep her so.”

  “Very well, Captain,” Quinn said, his eyes never wavering from his destination.

  Confident Quinn knew what he was doing, Devlin turned to the mooring crew. “Prepare to throw the heaving lines!” The task was carried out to perfection one minute later, allowing the mooring lines to be securely attached to the bollards.

  Devlin breathed a sigh of relief. Although he’d been through this countless times, there was always a risk that something would go wrong, causing the ship to crash into the quay. He gave his first mate a smile. “Welcome home, Mr. Quinn.”

  His friend of almost fifteen years grinned. “Thank you, Captain.” Neither man veered from proper protocol while on board, but once they stepped onto land, they’d be Monty and Dev to each other. “It’ll be grand to see my wife and children again.”

  “Frankly, I don’t know how you do it,” Devlin said as he climbed down onto the main deck and headed toward his cabin. Monty kept pace directly behind him, issuing orders to the occasional crew member as they went. “Being away from them for such long periods of time must be trying.”

  “It is,” Monty agreed, “which is why our next voyage together will be my last.”

  Halting mid-stride, Devlin turned to face his friend. “You’re serious?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Monty scratched the back of his neck and looked askance, his expression sheepish. “I was going to wait until we were back on land before bringing it up, but I suppose now’s as fitting a time as any.”

  Devlin tipped his head to acknowledge Monty’s reasoning, then turned back toward the ladder leading below deck.

  “I can’t keep leaving Laura and the children for such long stretches of time. It’s too damn hard.” The soles of his boots thudded against each step as he clambered down after Devlin.

  “Which is why I have no intention of ever marrying,” Devlin said as he opened the door to his cabin and stepped inside. He grabbed his journal and stuffed it into a leather satchel. “If I had a wife and children, I would be torn between settling down for their sake and chasing after my own dreams.”

  The last thing he’d want was the sort of marriage his parents had had where they hardly spoke to each other and lived apart most of the time. Of course, he knew it was possible to have the opposite. His brothers had proven as much. But Devlin couldn’t quite envision himself in the role of domestic husband.

  Monty, who’d stayed in the open doorway with his shoulder and hip propped against the frame, raised an eyebrow. “You make a fair point, but being the married man I am, I don’t have much of a choice. And besides, the love I have for my family has made the decision a great deal easier for me.” He snorted. “Hell, my youngest will have learned to walk and talk by now. That’s a lot of time to have missed.”

  Devlin glanced at the man on whom he relied more heavily than the rest. The pensive frown he wore suggested this had not been an easy decision for him. He would miss sailing, but there was no doubt his mind was made up. Regrettably, Devlin knew it was time for him to start looking for a new first mate.

  Still, it was difficult to relate, partly because he could not imagine loving a woman more than he loved the sea and also because he had no desire to make a home for himself on land. Not only because his soul was restless and constantly needed to stay in motion but because he couldn’t stand remaining in England for too great a period of time. Too much here reminded him of things he’d rather forget, like the fight he’d had with his father the last time he’d seen him alive, and the tragic carriage accident he still felt responsible for.

  He shuddered, then retrieved the trunk he’d packed the night before and placed it near the doorway. Straightening, he met Monty’s gaze directly. “Why don’t you head on home?”

  Monty stared back. “I can’t do that when the cargo needs to be unloaded and stored.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Devlin said. He tilted his head and grinned, not caring that he wou
ld be almost buried in work for the next two days without Monty there to help. “Take your children to Gunther’s for an ice or something. Go for a walk in Hyde Park.”

  “Are you sure?” Monty looked skeptical.

  “Quite.”

  It took a moment, but Monty finally nodded. “You’re a good man, Captain.” The edge of his mouth tilted. “There isn’t a woman in England who wouldn’t be lucky to have you.”

  Devlin chose not to answer. It was difficult to argue with a man who’d made vastly different choices – choices Devlin knew he himself could never accept. So he simply wished him well and went in search of Mr. Harris, the boatswain, who’d help him with the logistics of sorting and storing the goods they’d brought from India and China. There were Englishmen stationed out there who longed for things from their homeland. And there were Englishmen here who’d pay handsome prices for exotic fabrics, teas, and spices. So he made the ten month round-trip journey as often as possible, never staying more than four days at most in each port. Except in England where he had been known to remain for up to four weeks.

  “I’ve sent letters out to all of our clients informing them their orders are ready to be collected,” Devlin told Trevor Bronswick two days later. Trevor was the officer in charge of ensuring the right order went to the right person. He was also the quartermaster’s son and eager to make a maritime career like his father. “Send for me if any of them gives you trouble.”

  Trevor promised to do so, then helped Devlin carry his trunk and satchel down to the dock where a hired hackney stood waiting. Half an hour later, Devlin knocked on the front door of Camberly House and was promptly admitted by Caleb’s butler, Murdoch.

  “Welcome, Lord Devlin, or should I say Captain?” Murdoch inquired with a hint of humor in his eyes. Slightly hunched and with thinning white hair, he looked like he might be nearing retirement.

  “Whichever you prefer,” Devlin told him with a smile.

  “Lord Devlin it is then. It’s good to have you home.”

  Devlin thanked him, removed his hat, and angled his head at the sound of footsteps hurrying along the upstairs hallway. A warm and wonderful feeling filled his chest and then he saw them: three tiny versions of Caleb and Mary, otherwise known as the five-year-old twins, Amanda and Richard, and four-year-old William.

  “Uncle Dev, Uncle Dev,” they shouted as they stampeded down the stairs in an untamed manner that would have been frowned upon in most aristocratic homes.

  They were followed by Mary, who appeared at the top of the landing with two-year-old Susan in her arms. “I can see Richard was right when he told me he heard your voice.”

  The door to the study opened and Caleb strode into the hallway with a, “What the devil is—” he spotted Devlin and instantly grinned “—by God it’s good to see you again!”

  Devlin grinned right back while his brother’s children attacked him with hugs. He might not care to live in England permanently, but damn if it wasn’t good to be home, surrounded by this kind of affection.

  “You too,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if you would be here or at Montvale.”

  Uninterested in leading the expected lives of a duke and duchess, Caleb and Mary had built a cottage for themselves on the grounds of their largest entailed estate. They’d turned the manor itself into an orphanage so they could continue the work Mary had once helped start together with her friends Emily, now married to Devlin’s other brother, Griffin, and Lady Cassandra Moor, Viscount Aldridge’s sister. At Clearview House in Cornwall, the three women had housed, fed, and educated five children to start with, including Cassandra’s illegitimate daughter, Penelope.

  “I had some bothersome duke business to attend to,” Caleb said, “so I was forced to come to Town for a while.”

  “I’m glad,” Devlin told him while mussing the tops of his nieces’ and nephews’ heads. “Saves me an extra day’s travel, and since I’ve still some work to attend to at the docks, it really is more convenient this way.”

  “It also gave us a chance to see your favorite museum, Papa,” Amanda piped up.

  “The one with the miniatures?” Devlin asked. All the children nodded with great enthusiasm. “I like that one too.”

  A pair of footmen who’d been sent out into the street by Murdoch while the family had been talking returned with Devlin’s trunk and satchel. When they started toward the stairs, Devlin stopped them so he could retrieve the gifts he’d purchased for the children.

  “Let’s see now…” he murmured, making a show of searching through all his belongings. “This is for you,” he told Richard and handed him a silk-clad box containing a beautifully carved chess set made from onyx and bone. Amanda received a pair of exquisite tortoise shell combs, William a pair of silk pajamas Devlin had found in Hong Kong, and Susan a porcelain doll dressed like a princess.

  The children beamed and hugged him while muttering thanks, but when Richard sat down on the floor and began setting up his chess set, Caleb intervened. “Please take your gifts upstairs. While we might not be the most civilized household, toys do not belong in the foyer.”

  Without argument, Amanda, Richard, and William grabbed their things and disappeared back the way they had come. Most likely to the nursery. The footmen carried Devlin’s things to the guestroom he always used while in Town and Mary made her excuses. “It was lovely seeing you again,” she said, “but it is almost time for Susan’s nap.” As if on cue, the little sprite opened her mouth in a massive yawn. Her mother chuckled. “I will join you once she’s asleep.”

  “Am I mistaken,” Devlin said as he followed his brother into the parlor, “or is there another Crawford on the way?”

  Caleb glanced at him over his shoulder, then moved to the sideboard and poured them each a measure of brandy. He handed one glass to Devlin. “You’re not mistaken,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes and a lopsided smile.

  “Well congratulations, then. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thank you.” Caleb crossed to an armchair and sat while Devlin made himself comfortable on the sofa. His brother took a sip of his drink and regarded Devlin for a quiet moment before saying, “It’s not the worst, you know, having a wife and children to love. You might consider trying it.”

  Devlin sighed. There was never any chance of avoiding this subject when he and his brothers met. Having found their happily ever afters, they wanted Devlin to do the same. “We’ve been over this before, Caleb. I’m not the marrying type.”

  “Because you refuse to buy a house, settle down, and stop sailing?” When Devlin nodded, Caleb shrugged. “You don’t have to do any of that if you don’t want to. If you find the right woman, I dare say she’d happily go wherever you choose.”

  “Life aboard ship is hard and can even be dangerous at times.”

  “True, I suppose. But people can also succumb to all kinds of terrible fates without venturing far from their homes.” Devlin shuddered. He’d caused such a thing to happen once and although it had been thirteen years, he still couldn’t forgive himself for the accident that had cost a young man his life. “Worrying over what may or may not happen,” Caleb continued, clearly oblivious to the effect of his words, “can stop a man from living.”

  “Trust me,” Devlin muttered, “if I were to live any more than I already do, I’d probably perish from exhaustion.” He deliberately smirked, affecting a carefreeness he didn’t quite feel at the moment. “I get to see the world and I’ve bedded women on more than one continent, though I’ll be the first to admit that they’ve all required payment. But,” he raised one finger to stop his brother from interrupting, “it’s still been fun and sates whatever needs I may have. Beyond that, I have a loyal crew, most of them fast friends for whom I would risk my own life. The desire for anything more simply isn’t there.”

  “I see your point, I suppose,” Caleb said. “Although—”

  The door swung open, but rather than Mary entering the room, Devlin’s mother, the dowager duchess, did so. “I’ve told
Murdoch to have some sandwiches brought up. Dear heavens, Devlin, you look like you haven’t eaten in years.”

  “It’s good to see you too, Mother,” Devlin said as he stood and went to embrace her. Some maternal instinct of hers always made her believe it was her duty to plump him up before his next trip. Releasing her, he waited for her to claim the vacant spot on the sofa before returning to his own. Caleb, who’d also risen upon their mother’s arrival, sat as well. “I wasn’t aware you were here. You haven’t moved back in have you?”

  “No, no,” his mother replied. “I’m still at my townhouse on Cavendish Square, but I came to visit for the day and decided to take a nap after luncheon, which I must say was rather fortuitous as it allows me to see you straight away.”

  A maid entered at that moment, bringing tea and two plates of sandwiches and biscuits. Devlin’s stomach made a rumbling noise, causing his mother to turn to him with an arched brow. She offered him the plate filled with sandwiches and encouraged him to take at least two.

  “Your return to London,” she said once she’d offered the plate to Caleb as well and proceeded to pour herself some tea, “could not have been timed any better if I’d engaged my secretary to do it.”

  Devlin stilled and began chewing more slowly. Something was underfoot and he very much feared it wouldn’t be something he liked. He glanced at Caleb, who suddenly seemed incredibly interested in the ceiling.

  “Your brother and sister-in-law will be hosting the first Camberly ball in six years this coming Saturday. And since you are officially the only remaining Crawford bachelor, you will—”

  “No,” Devlin choked. “Whatever it is you think you can talk me into, it isn’t going to happen.”