Page 6 of A Lord in Want of a Wife (Daring Debutantes #2)

He knew as well that he would give whichever girl he selected a good life as his countess.

He would honour his marriage vows and treat her with the respect every woman deserved.

It was not a bad bargain, and so he applied himself to the task of choosing between the two sisters.

He watched their movements, lived in constant awareness of their locations, and he found his preference becoming stronger with every passing second.

The older Miss Richards—Grace—was an equal to the crew.

She ran the sails, manned the crow’s nest and worked as long and as hard as any of them.

She had the backing of the captain and worked as the ship’s navigator when the regular man grew tired.

If any sailor dared disparage her, she got even in the way of all boys.

She tripped the man or saddled him with a hated chore.

Once she surprised someone with a bloody rat in his hammock.

It was a quiet game of one-upmanship, which she always won because Captain Banakos allowed it from her and not anyone else.

In short, the elder Miss Richards met challenges head-on and dared anyone deny her. She had the skill and the canny to defend herself. It impressed him, and he should have found her fascinating.

He did not. It was the younger one who snared his attention.

Miss Lucy Richards always stood in the shadows, watching the coming and going of the crew.

She seemed to be charting in her mind where everyone went and why.

She watched, she followed and if she saw anything amiss, she whispered it to her sister who met the challenge in typical bold fashion.

But the elder would not be nearly as capable without the younger one’s sharp eyes.

He thought that interesting. A nice sign of cooperation between sisters. But then he discovered that Miss Lucy Richards was a great deal more.

Several weeks after he’d boarded, he sat at dinner in the captain’s mess.

Her father, the captain, indeed, all the men at the table, were in good spirits.

The weather was fine and the breeze perfect for their travel.

And since her sister was in the crow’s nest, Miss Lucy Richards was the lone female in the room, sitting silent as everyone else conversed.

As often happened, the conversation turned to the food. ‘I have never had meals such as this,’ Cedric said. ‘It is chicken, and yet the taste is beyond anything I’d ever imagined.’

‘It’s the Indian spices, my lord,’ responded Captain Banakos. ‘I’m surprised you like them. Usually, it is too spicy for Englishmen.’

‘No, no, this is different,’ Cedric pressed. ‘I’ve been eating Indian food for months, but this… Your cook makes it better. Just the right amount of spice. Or in the right combination.’ He leaned forwards. ‘Have you ever tried selling it in England?’

The captain chuckled. ‘The Dutch control the spice. Can’t buy or sell it without tripping over one of them. And they’re protective of it. No, our best bet is tea and that’s what we’ve got in the hold.’

‘Of course, of course,’ Cedric said, thinking hard. There had to be a way to turn this to his advantage. ‘But a little bit of the right spice could make a killing, don’t you think? If I could make it fashionable.’

‘You still have to deal with the Dutch,’ said the captain.

‘And make it fashionable,’ added Lord Wenshire.

Making something popular with the ton was easy. He had all the connections for that. In truth, it was the only thing he had—childhood friends, many from school, who owed him a favour or three.

‘I can buy spices.’ Miss Richards’s quiet voice brought the entire conversation to a halt. ‘I managed all the food for the temple. It was my job for two years.’

The captain cleared his throat. ‘Managing a kitchen is different from the buying and selling—’

‘I bought and sold. And my first apprenticeship was with a spice merchant. I know how to buy it.’ She flushed when everyone stared at her, but she didn’t back down. ‘I cannot fill your hold, but I can get you a fair price at the next port.’

‘There isn’t room in the hold for that. Or coin.’ Captain Banakos’s tone was dismissive, but she persevered.

‘There is if you sell one crate of tea,’ she pressed. ‘I can buy an equal weight in spice. And if you allow me to look at the account books, I can see if there are other ways to save.’

If the table had been quiet before, it was nothing compared to the shock at her statement. A woman who had heretofore been silent now asked to see the account books. Cedric couldn’t credit his own ears, and yet, her father seemed amused rather than shocked.

‘You think you can make sense of the captain’s handwriting? It’s in English, you know. Numbers, not characters.’

She lifted her chin. Quiet confidence radiated out of her. ‘I can make sense of it,’ she said. Then she arched her brows. ‘I can make a good profit.’

Cedric stared at her. Never had he seen a woman so sure about money. And at that moment, he realised the younger girl was the powerhouse, not the older. If what she claimed was true.

Meanwhile, the captain was not nearly as impressed. ‘You want to look at my account books?’ he scoffed. ‘That is not a plaything for a girl.’

Her father focused on her. ‘You believe you can manage the accounts better than the captain?’ His tone was amused rather than insulting, and the girl took it as encouragement.

‘Every man makes mistakes. He has no one checking his work.’

The captain stiffened in outrage. ‘Sir, I have served you honestly and loyally since—’

‘No one questions that, Captain Banakos. You are honest and thorough.’

‘Yes—’

‘But I should like to see what my adoptive daughter can do.’ He shrugged. ‘It is only one crate of tea and another of spice. If it is a complete loss, then I can afford it.’

That gave Cedric a shock. He had thought The Integrity under the sole control of the East India Company. That connection was how Graham had gotten him such a nice berth on the ship. It was a surprise to realise that the ship was privately owned and not by the captain, but by Lord Wenshire.

‘I should like to accompany her, if I may,’ Cedric said, speaking impulsively. ‘I want to see how she negotiates.’

The girl arched her brows at him. ‘Do you mean to look over my shoulder when I check the account books too?’

‘Thank you!’ he said, even though she had meant the words sarcastically. ‘I’d love that.’ He looked at the father. ‘If you don’t mind.’

Lord Wenshire frowned at him. ‘Why would you want to?’

‘You have told me about her temple. Hundreds of souls, several buildings, similar to a cathedral at home.’

‘Larger,’ Lord Wenshire answered.

‘My mother complained about managing a staff of twelve. Imagine being in charge of a kitchen for hundreds.’

‘I did not cook,’ she said quickly.

‘No. But you kept track of the food, yes? The shopping?’

She nodded.

‘And I have seen her bargain.’ They had made a supply run since he’d climbed aboard. He had gone on it mostly to get off the boat for a time. But watching her bargain was like watching a maestro at work. ‘I should like to see how she managed all that.’

Captain Banakos didn’t like it. No man liked being questioned by a girl, but he had no say when the owner of the boat agreed.

And so began Cedric’s education in accounting. From a girl.