The duke peered at a letter before him. “She married your physician.”
“Yes,” he added, noting another detail that had not been part of his dispatches. Laurence was going to be peeling barnacles off the hull of the ship with his teeth when Felix got back on board. “I had noticed a few looks between them, and when she asked me if it would be all right to invite the physician to call on her, I allowed it. He was a bachelor and a gentleman.”
“And your other women?”
“There have been no other women, Your Grace,” he said in a tone that he hoped brooked no further discussion on the topic. There had never been anyone since Sally. “My personal life is not for further discussion and is hardly relevant to how I run the ship or protect my king and country.”
“Yes, of course. But the way a man feels about women is especially telling of his character in general. If he chases after everything he sees, helpless women and even servants, then he does not place much value on the one he has rightfully married.”
The duke’s gaze landed on Sally and remained there a long moment.
Felix snorted. “I have had little time for socializing. The admiral prefers to keep the Selfridge at sea and away from England.”
“Yes, I had noticed my son has kept your ship far from shore, despite discussing otherwise with him on several occasions, much more so than any other frigate of your line.” A corner of the duke’s mouth lifted in a half smile. “Sally, note that the captain’s loyalty to king and country is unquestioned, as is his faithfulness.”
Sally started but made hasty notations on the page. Felix kept silent. The duke was fishing for a flaw in his character. Examining his personal life in the hope of shaking out some deep, dark secret. He had none that the duke likely did not already know about, but that book and all it contained would be open for public scrutiny if the duke chose to share the details with others. Who knew what they were really writing about him?
An interruption took the duke from the room, leaving Sally alone with him. He thrust out his hand. “Show me what you have written.”
Sally was slow to comply, but eventually she stood and passed the journal to him. He was surprised to find it an accurate account of the interview today, so he flicked back to the beginning. Brief and to the point, and very close to what he remembered. He tossed it back in her general direction, reluctantly impressed that she caught the journal before it hit the floor. Felix could not even look at her and examined the high shine on his boots instead.
“What is wrong?” she whispered, sliding into the chair by his side.
“Nothing, my lady.”
“You do not seem very happy today.”
“I am not. I would much prefer your aunt to take notes, but I am in no position to argue with Rutherford. Don’t you have a new betrothed somewhere to entertain?”
“He has gone shooting with Uncle George.” She sat back a little. “Why would you not want me to know how good and kind a man you are to a woman in need?”
“So you can laugh about my old-fashioned notions with Ellicott? I would rather a ball to the chest. Kill me now and be done with it, madam.”
“I would never laugh at you. You are an honorable man.”
“And what are you? A woman of similar character?” He checked behind them to ensure they were still alone. “You told him about Thursday night.”
She blushed, her hand coming up to cup her own cheek. “I spent what remained of Thursday night, after I had left you, tossing on the chaise in my sister’s room because of our argument. My sister and I talked for a while, but I could not get to sleep. I did not tell him of your illness. I have not told him anything about you at all still.”
He shook his head. “Why would you lose sleep over what I said to you?”
“Because I do not understand why I am still drawn to you when I have agreed to marry Ellicott,” she whispered and then dropped her gaze.
His ears buzzed as if a sudden gale had sprung up.
Sally stared at her hands, twisting an obscenely large ring on her finger. He had not seen the piece before, so he concluded the earl had given it to her recently to mark their marriage. “Are you having second thoughts about marrying him?”
She swallowed. “Did you enjoy your visit to Lofton Downs?”
“Why would you think I had gone there? Oh, for heaven’s sake! Do you really believe I would take up with another woman just because we disagreed?” He scowled at her. “I went to the tavern to see how Captain Jennings was getting on. We drank the day and most of the night away. The duke’s grooms fetched me back at some ungodly hour this morning. I have no intention of taking up with your friend.”
“Oh, I thought…”
“Yes, I can see what you thought. Your friend was quite the flirt the other night, but you know me, or you should.” Felix could not stop grinning as Sally’s startled gaze lifted to his. At the same time, she slipped her ring on and off her finger. He leaned closer to whisper, “I am not interested in Lady Duckworth for more than friendship, and then only because she means so much to you.”
Sally bit her lip. “I am terrible to have doubts, but I do not seem able to stop. I catch myself staring at you in case you are gone the next moment. When you were fevered I was so frightened, then you left suddenly, and I did not know what to think. I cannot stop myself from imagining the worst.”
“I am still the same man at heart that you knew six years ago.” He leaned across the space between them and pressed his lips to her cheek briefly. “I am only capable of thinking of one woman, and that has always been you.”