Page 68 of The Heart of an Earl

Des squinted at the captain and then his eyes closed.

The sea. Back to the sea.

That was the only place for him. What little hope he had for living on land again was killed the moment dirt hit Jules’s casket.

“Think about it, Des.” Captain Folback stood, patting Des’s shoulder. “We moved to Bristol and will set sail in three days’ time. I’d prefer it if ye were on board, box or not.”

Captain Folback’s boots thudded away, the sound echoing in Des’s ears.

TheFirehawk.

He had to get back to it.

Back to the only home he knew.

For the dream of a home with Jules was dead.

{ Chapter 19 }

With a sigh, Jules set her reticule and gloves on the table beside the settee in the drawing room.

Her father had summoned her back to Gatlong Hall from her aunt’s home on the Isle of Wight. Too soon, not that she’d had any luck finding Des. She’d made the trek to Portsmouth—her Aunt Eliana had insisted on accompanying her—and she had found Captain Folback. Even met his wife. But not a one of the crew had seen Des since they’d parted ways in Plymouth Docks.

Something was dreadfully wrong.

Des would never abandon her like that. Never abandon his shipmates without a word.

She just had to figure out what to do next—how to find him. Visiting the local villages and towns would be her next course of action. Someone must have seen him in the last several weeks.

“I adhered to your conditions, Julianna.”

Jules spun around. Her father stood in the doorway to the drawing room, his left fingers clamped around a lit cheroot.

Her tongue curdled at the sight of him and her head dipped for a long second as she smoothed the front of her skirt. She had thought a number of weeks without her father’s face in front of her would help ease the rage that sent her veins to boiling whenever she caught sight of him.

It was not to be.

She managed a neutral line of her mouth, tight though it was, before lifting her gaze to him. “You did what, Father?”

“I adhered to the conditions. Your conditions. The man, Mr. Phillips, came here looking to speak with you.”

“Des?” She rushed three steps toward him, close enough the smoke from the cheroot swirled around her neck. “Des was here?”

“Yes, and I welcomed him into my home, as was the agreement. I welcomed him, but you were not here, so he left.”

Dammit. She’d been out looking for him and he’d been here, just as he’d said he would. Stupid. She should have waited. Waited longer. Trusted him to come back for her.

Her look went desperate on her father. “He left? But where? Where to?”

Her father eyed her, lifting the cheroot to his mouth and dragging an inhale, stretching time long. “I held up my end of the bargain, child.”

She took another step toward him, the smoke stinging her eyes. “You did. Thank you. Thank you so much, Father. Thank you for reconsidering. How long ago was he here?”

“Two weeks ago.”

A smile broke wide on her face as hope flooded her chest. Des had come for her. Just like he’d promised. Late, but he’d come. Where had he been? She had to find him immediately, find out where he’d been. Not that it mattered. He’d come for her. That was the most important thing.

“The agreement, Jules.”

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