The corner of her mouth lifted in a rueful smile. “I know the feeling.”
“Hold that thought. I will be back as soon as I can.” He grinned and then strode off, collecting Lord Cameron on his way to the duke’s study. Whatever the duke wanted he could have, as long as they were both of the same mind where Sally was concerned.
He wanted her and would have her back.
There had to be a way.
Chapter Thirty
Felix turned his head to view the dark cat sitting beside him. “So, what did you do to warrant your summons?”
The cat commenced to groom himself, uncaring of his exalted location before the duke’s desk. Cats were creatures indifferent to proper behavior. Lord Cameron had only stayed long enough to be congratulated and had been ushered on his way.
“Ah, Hastings, thank you for waiting.”
Felix stood quickly at the unexpected voice, surprised to find Admiral Templeton had returned to Newberry. No one had warned Felix, and the admiral had been gone so long Felix had stopped asking when he might be coming back. He had also been too full of anxiety over Sally, keen to know she had returned to her bedchamber undetected after their tryst last night to properly notice who had witness the morning’s sword practice. “My lord admiral. I had not heard you had come home.”
Admiral Templeton crossed to the sideboard and poured himself a drink. “My schedule changed unexpectedly.”
Felix fidgeted, relieved the man had not returned last night. He might have come to his bedchamber door and discovered his daughter in a state no father should find his child in.
Admiral Templeton downed his glass and poured another. “Damn good of you to cool your heels like this.”
Since the duke had not given him a choice in the matter, he wisely kept his mouth shut. Sally had said nothing so far about calling off her engagement, so he could very well be left with the pain of leaving without her once more.
“Now, to the matter at hand.” The admiral strode across the room to a large table and sifted through the maps. “What do you recall of this region of the sea?”
Felix took a moment to study the map and then nodded. He sketched out his last journey in that region with the tip of his finger. “Shoals here and here. Deep water. This island has freshwater at the southernmost point.” He pointed to a gentle curve in the topography. “We dropped anchor during a storm and then next morning awoke to find ourselves in paradise.”
The admiral grunted. “Was the island inhabited?”
“Not at the time of our visit.” He pointed again. “I placed men at these vantage points, and we saw no sign of other ships, smoke, or signs of human life.”
The admiral grimaced and sucked his teeth. “Fredrick’s ship is overdue to return. He should have traversed the same route as you did, but there has been no sign of his vessel.”
“Could he have been taken as a prize elsewhere, or do you fear he ran afoul of a reef?”
“The reef. He is too smart to engage a ship he was not a match for. Far too cautious.” The admiral tapped the map again. “According to all other reports and sightings in the region, this island is the most likely one to support life.”
“I believe so.” Felix rubbed his jaw. “He knew about that place too.”
The admiral’s brows rose. “How’s that?”
“I bumped into Fredrick a few years ago, and he mentioned my stroke of luck to find the place. He had dropped anchor there, a year before me. If he needed to find shelter, it is likely he would have made for the island if he could. What is to be done?”
“That is a very good question. The admiralty will not sanction a search, and there are few captains willing to risk their career on such flimsy hope.” The admiral tossed the maps away and returned to the decanter of whiskey.
“The duke insists the war is at an end. If Fredrick made shore, he could be well situated for a long stay until help comes.”
The tap of canes across the room had Felix spinning around to bow. “Your Grace.”
“Felix, what trouble is my son luring you into now?”
The admiral flushed a dark red and mumbled an expletive.
The duke paused by the maps. “A long voyage, it seems. I might have something to say about that.”
“Freddie’s missing,” Admiral Templeton explained.