Captain Lord Brandon Gilroy sent his card up to the Duchess of Haverford, and waited with what patience he could muster for Her Grace to decide whether or not to see him.
He needed to know whether his uncle was as well as he claimed in his letters, and the duchess (who, they claimed, knew everything about everyone) almost certainly knew.
Brandon wasn’t free to travel to Scotland to see the Duke of Cowal for himself, not with Napoleon on the loose again. Brandon had thought he was done with French spies and English turncoats, but he needed to leave on the morrow to hunt down yet another plot, this one on the North Sea coast south of Yarmouth.
“Her Grace will see you now,” the footman said, and Brandon followed the man up the elegant staircase and down a long hall.
He’d been here once before, not long after he returned from the voyage that saw him stranded with all his men, his ship taken by a pirate.
The usual feelings of anger and helpless lust swirled in his gut. Irish Red. He’d never known a woman like her. Which was just as well, of course. Who would want to marry a female who dressed as a man, captained a pirate ship, and defeated him in battle.
And why did the word ‘marry’ occur to him. Irish Red wasn’t the sort of woman a person like him married. He let out a short laugh. Nor the sort he bedded either, not if he wanted to leave the bed with all his male equipment.
The footman announced him at the door to the duchess’s private parlour, and Brandon stepped forward and bowed. “Your Grace. Thank you for seeing me.”
“Tea, Captain Gilroy?” Her Grace asked, waving to a tray that stood ready.
Over refreshments, he asked about his uncle. Apparently, according to one of the duchess’s many correspondents, the man was failing. “You should go to him as soon as you can be released from your current duty,” she advised.
Brandon nodded, wondering what Her Grace knew about his current duty. Far more than any civilian should, he had no doubt. Her next words hit him like a brick. “You will need to marry once you inherit, Captain Gilroy. Have you any thoughts about a wife?” Images of Irish Red flooded his mind. Ridiculous. He shook them off.
“Time enough for that when we’ve defeated Napoleon again, Your Grace,” he insisted.
Brandon will meet Irish Red again sooner than he expects, in Rue Allyn’s novel Wait For Me, which you’ll find in Storm & Shelter. Buy links at https://books2read.com/u/b5k2pO
Wait for Me: Rue Allyn
Enemies by nature—Esmeralda Crobbin, aka the pirate Irish Red, and Captain, Lord Brandon Gilroy have met before.
Fate trumps nature—When a fierce storm creates a chance encounter and forced proximity, Brandon learns the pirate is a woman of serious honor and responsibility. Esmeralda discovers the captain is more than a uniform stuffed with rules and regulations. Both love the sea with boundless passion, but can they love each other?
Storm & Shelter: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends
When a storm blows off the North Sea and slams into the village of Fenwick on Sea, the villagers prepare for the inevitable: shipwreck, flood, land slips, and stranded travelers. The Queen’s Barque Inn quickly fills with the injured, the devious, and the lonely—lords, ladies, and simple folk; spies, pirates, and smugglers all trapped together. Intrigue crackles through the village, and passion lights up the hotel.
One storm, eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas.
Find out more on the Bluestocking Belles’ project page.
Only 99c while on preorder. Published April 13th.
Jude, thank you very much for such a lovely piece about Brandon and Wait for Me.
It’s a lovely story. I’m so proud of this set.