Page 44 of The Noble's Merman

The meeting continued with Brooks detailing more plans of when the ship was to leave the harbor, how long their journey would be, and what was to await them when they arrived in Fall River. They were to deliver important medicine it needed: Bateman’s Pectoral Drops, Daffy’s Elixir, orviétan, camphor, laudanum, and various other tinctures. There was other cargo as well, such as spices, sugars, and fabrics. But the medicine was the most important, issuing the captain’s urgency to set sail soon.

Kent felt better and more refreshed when he woke the next morning, soreness aside. He figured perhaps he’d just have to get used to it if Mo and himself were to have that sort of fun more often. He was planning to visit him again tonight at dusk, so… yes, probably he would ache all over again. Even then, Kent welcomed it. Desired it. Just thinking about it again made his heart pound.

But before it got too late in the day, he needed to tell his father, along with the rest of the staff at Fareham House that he was planning to leave. His valet, Turner, came up to his room to notify him for breakfast, and Kent stopped him before he left. He let him know of his departure on The Sterling Mer soon, and Turner was at first completely stunned. Suddenly, his employer was to be gone for three months. But ultimately, he understood. Kent said he could take it as a vacation, giving him a generous advance, and promised that if Turner wished to find work elsewhere, he’d write him an excellent referral letter and that Katherine would help him as well.

He asked Turner to call on the earl to the drawing room, meeting him there.

“Kent! Son!” said Herbert with a smile, sitting in one of the armchairs already. Just like always, he was dressed exquisite, in that ridiculously long curly periwig. “What is this all about? I do hope it’s good news.”

Kent sat down in the adjacent chair, smoothing out the folds on his breeches. “Well, it—it’s good news for me. It’s up to you how to interpret it for yourself.”

Herbert raised a curious brow. “Now what could you possibly mean by that?”

Oh, perhaps I should’ve asked Kathy to be here with me. How do I even say this?

He tried to swallow the lump in his throat—to no avail. The pressure still lingered.

“I’ve found work.”

“Work?” Herbert repeated. “Where could you have possibly found any work?”

“On a ship. I’m to set sail to Massachusetts as surgeon of the crew in two days.”

“What?!”

The earl slammed his cup on its saucer, nearly shattering it, causing the tea to spill over the edge.

“You cannot just leave to Massachusetts. What are you even thinking?”

“I can leave, and I will.” Kent kept his chin up. “I shan’t be gone forever, though. Please, calm down. The ship will be returning to Portsmouth after the delivery in about three month’s time.”

Herbert scoffed, turning his head away, rubbing a finger underneath his nose. “So you figured you should sow your wild oats while you still have your youth, eh?”

“What, no, that’s not what this is about?—”

“You’re not married yet, so you supposed you could go a-jaunting without a care of anything else?—”

“Father, please!” Kent raised his voice. “What this is about, and why I didn’t tell you until now is—I want to make decisions for myself. If I wish to go out to sea for a time, I will. It’s none of your business, other than letting you know I won’t be around for a while. And if I decide to go out again, why should it matter?”

Herbert grunted, glancing at Kent, then tearing it away again. “Because—what if something were to happen—what if you were needed here?” Kent could tell his father was hesitating to say it plainly, lest he curse himself for it to come true: what if I were to die, and you needed to inherit? “Further still, out to sea? Massachusetts? That’s on the other side of the world! What if something terrible happens to you? There are so many dangers going out on such a journey that you wouldn’t even fathom.”

At least Herbert gave notions that seemed like genuine concern for Kent’s safety. That he still cared about his son as his son, and not simply the heir. “Everything will be fine, Father. You’re in good health, are you not? I’ll be sailing with an experienced crew, and a well-traveled captain. They have gone on this journey many a time, so you shall have nothing to worry.”

I’ll also be safe because of Mo’s protection, too, but I can’t tell him that.

Herbert sighed, picking up his cup again—thankfully not broken—taking another sip. Perhaps to calm himself down. “Three months, and then you’ll be back?”

“Yes, that is the plan, give or take.”

“Forgive me for asking, but what of Miss Jaggard? I’d already invited her family over again for next week. I was under the impression you were enjoying her company.”

Kent shook his head. “I do enjoy her, yes, but merely as a friend. I don’t wish to seek marriage with her. And… to be quite honest… I…” The rest of his sentence was caught in his throat.

“I know, I know, you’re not interested in marriage at the moment. You’ve told me before,” said Herbert, visibly gritting his teeth. “I suppose going out to sea is really proving that, huh?”

Tension was lifted from Kent’s shoulders, making them slump. Perhaps he really was getting through to his father. “Yes. But as I have been thinking about it further, I…” —he gulped, attempting to gain confidence— “I don’t know if I want to wed at all.”

Herbert nearly spurt out his tea—his eyes bulging wide open. “You can’t be serious!”

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