CHAPTER TWO
Declan arrived at The Integrity within the hour. Given the quiet and relative dark of his carriage, his mood had steadily improved. Nothing cheered him so much as being left alone. That ended, of course, the moment he stepped out into the teeming noise of the dock. And it was made worse as he struggled to find the ship itself.
By the time he strode up the gangplank he wanted nothing more than to get this task over with as quickly as possible. Which made the absolute absence of anyone on board a frustrating annoyance.
'Hello?' he called as he looked about.
He heard nothing. Or rather he heard a million voices around him, the cry of the gulls, and the splash of things hitting or being hit by water. Sadly, he could not identify any as coming from within the confines of this boat. Bloody hell—how did anyone understand anything amid this cacophony?
'On deck!' came a bellowing voice from below.
Declan jolted as he turned to see the muscular, moustachioed man climbing up from below deck. He was dressed casually, but his weathered face and the easy way he moved suggested he was at home on this ship. The command in his tone implied he was the captain. Declan was about to speak when he realised the man was squinting up into the sails as he shook his head.
'Half monkey, half bird,' he muttered—apparently to himself, because he seemed startled when he turned and saw Declan standing there. 'What ho?'
'Hello,' Declan said, though his gaze was going up, up, up into the sails, where he could just make out a figure springing lightly through the mass of ropes. Half monkey, half bird was right. As he watched, the sailor took an impossible leap, caught a rope, then swung around before another long jump. It was breathtaking. And possibly life-taking if the man missed.
But he never did.
'Good God,' Declan muttered, envy in his tone.
Once upon a time he'd wanted to be a captain on the high seas, answerable to no one, free to challenge the elements however he wanted, and able to wander the world on his own whim. It had been a boy's fantasy, of course.
No future duke could risk himself that way, and only a child thought life aboard ship was easy. And yet watching the sailor fly through the riggings, he felt his heart soar. Such freedom!
'Crazy,' the captain muttered as he followed the sailor's movements. 'Some are born to this life; some find it. That one found it and has the devil's own determination to make it fit.'
Declan had no idea what that meant, but he had no desire to dispel his private fantasy. In his mind, that sailor had no cares except to run the riggings for fun.
He pulled off his hat as he addressed the captain. 'Good morning, sir. I'm looking for my cousin Cedric, Lord Domac. I was told—'
'Yes, yes, he's due. Said he'd be here an hour ago, but I knew better than to expect him.'
Wise. Cedric had never managed time well. Or money. What he did manage well were people. Something about Cedric's sunny smile, bright hair, and the mischievous glint in his eyes had the most stiff-necked duchess softening. That put him in direct contrast to Declan, who had always been sober, restrained, and aloof. Thanks to the Byrning legacy, that was the only way for him to be without striking terror in his mother's heart.
'If you're his cousin, then I'm guessing you're the young Duke. Pleased to meet you, Your Grace. I'm Captain Banakos. Lord Domac asked me to show you around.'
'You were expecting me?'
The man grinned. 'I was, Your Grace, though I didn't know it would be today. Lord Domac said you'd be coming to inspect things. Said you'd be determined to understand everything about the gal's dowry.'
And now Declan began to understand. His cousin wasn't marrying an unsuitable girl. He was trying to get the lady's dowry.
'Please, show me everything,' he said.
And see it, he did. Every inch of the stripped-down, well-managed vessel. Everything was in place, everything was clean, and the hold was impressively full of cargo that had yet to be transported to a nearby warehouse.
Captain Banakos was a delightful guide, with several good stories to relay, and Declan forgot his sore head, forgot his irritating mother, and thoroughly enjoyed himself.
Indeed, he'd taken off his boots and was partway up the mainmast barefoot when his cousin finally made an appearance.
'Aren't you too old for that?'
Declan was looking up into the rigging, but paused when he recognised his cousin's voice. He noted as well the rough burr in it that indicated someone else likely had a sore head.
'Come on down, old man,' Cedric continued. 'It's too early to play monkey.'
