Page 3 of A Sea Captain and A Stowaway (Gentleman Scholars #7)

C aptain Sidney Peters squinted against the early morning sun as it crested over the harbour, casting long shadows across the deck of the Seraphim.

The light glinted off the brass fittings of his spyglass as he surveyed the bustling dockyard, mentally calculating the time until departure. This voyage couldn’t begin soon enough.

Sidney paced the decks, impatience niggling at him as he watched the men load the final supplies down the gangplank.

They needed to catch the next tide, or he would surely lose his mind.

The final clues to the treasure made perfect sense to him, and he knew he would be able to find it as soon as he had finished mapping it out properly.

“Mr. Fletcher!” he called, his voice carrying over the sounds of creaking wood and slapping waves.

The first mate appeared at his side almost instantly, as if conjured by the command. “Yes, Captain?”

“Are the last of the provisions loaded?”

Sidney asked even though he already knew the answer. He had checked himself not half an hour ago, but a good captain left nothing to chance.

“Aye, sir. The fresh water is secured, and Cook says we have enough salt pork and hardtack to last three months if need be.”

“Good. And the special cargo?” Sidney lowered his voice, though there was little chance of being overheard in the din of the dockyard.

Fletcher nodded, his weathered face serious.

“Locked in your cabin as ordered, sir. The key?” He produced a small brass key from his pocket.

Sidney took it and slipped it into his waistcoat.

The weight of it seemed disproportionate to its size, but that was fitting.

It was, after all, the key to his future.

If the information in that strongbox proved accurate, Sidney would soon be sailing home with more than just trading goods in his hold.

The scent of wet timber, fish, and seawater mingled together, reassuring him that he was exactly where he needed to be. The docks were crowded and alive with the rumble of many people.

He would miss this, he knew, but he was also ready for the next chapter of his life. For that, he needed the treasure. All the other lads were married already or nearly there. He was ready to join their ranks.

“The men are restless,” Fletcher continued, leaning on the rail beside his captain. “There’s talk in the taverns about our destination.”

Sidney’s jaw tightened. He had expected as much, but it didn’t make the news welcome. “Let them talk. None know our true course but you and I, and I intend to keep it that way.”

The first mate nodded, understanding the gravity of their mission. “And if we’re followed?”

“Then we’ll outrun them,” Sidney said with certainty, patting the ship’s rail affectionately.

The Seraphim might not be the largest vessel in the harbour, but she was fast — one of the fastest in the merchant fleet. Her sleek lines and well-maintained rigging had seen her through many a close call.

“Or outfight them, if it comes to that.”

Fletcher chuckled, but there was little humour in it. “Let’s hope it doesn’t, sir.”

Sidney nodded absently, his attention already elsewhere.

This voyage represented more than just another trading opportunity.

It was his chance to secure the future he had been working toward for the past decade.

A chance to prove wrong those who had dismissed him as nothing more than the second son of a country gentleman, too stubborn to accept his place in Society and too proud to rely on family connections.

He wanted to return to being a scholar despite the siren call of adventuring. Even though he excelled at mapmaking, he longed for more book learning.

Sidney shook his head. He had just left Jasper and Faith’s wedding. It was there that Miss Martin had figured out they had the clues in the wrong order. If she was right, then it was a pile of gems they were looking for, and he needed to get there before others did.

While he loved his life as a sea captain, he knew it wasn’t something he could do until old age, and he would far rather find another passion that would keep him occupied.

Besides, the allure of starting a family was growing for him as, one by one, his friends paired up and started families of their own.

The docks were coming alive now, a symphony of commerce and maritime industry.

Stevedores hauled crates and barrels, their muscles straining beneath sweat-stained shirts.

Merchants haggled over last-minute deals, while sailors called to one another in the specialized language of their profession.

The air was thick with the smell of salt, fish, tar, and the ever-present undercurrent of rotting seaweed that all harbours seemed to share.

Sidney breathed it in deeply. For all its rough edges, this was the world he had chosen, the life he had built for himself. And it suited him far better than the drawing rooms and hunting parties that had been his birthright.

Even on his ship, he couldn’t help feeling lonely, though. Considering he was the one in charge, it made for complicated relationships. This voyage was the most crucial of his entire career, and he needed it to be a success.

If only he were the sort to crack his whip.

Sidney sighed. He was not that sort. He would watch carefully as they brought all the remaining supplies onto the ship.

If he was going to ask his sailors to pursue his dreams, he couldn’t force them to go any faster than they were, and they couldn’t sacrifice any of the needed supplies, or they risked their own health — and possibly even life.

“Captain!” A voice called from below, drawing Sidney from his thoughts.

He looked down to see a young boy, no more than twelve, standing at the bottom of the gangplank. One of the harbour master’s runners, by the look of him.

“Permission to come aboard!” the lad shouted, shifting from foot to foot with impatience.

Sidney nodded, and the boy scrambled up the plank with the agility of a squirrel. He approached Sidney with a grimy piece of paper clutched in his hand.

“Message for you, sir. From Mr. Harrington.”

Sidney took the folded note and flipped the boy a penny, which was caught with a grin and quick thanks. As the messenger departed, Sidney broke the seal on the letter, his expression growing tighter as he read its contents.

“Trouble, sir?” Fletcher asked, noting the change in his captain’s demeanour.

Sidney refolded the note and tucked it into his coat. “Harrington has heard rumours. It seems we’re not the only ones with an interest in the waters around St. Augustine.”

Fletcher’s bushy eyebrows rose. “The Spanish?”

“No. Worse.” Sidney’s voice dropped to a near whisper. “Blackwell.”

Sidney began to pace again, his anxiety mounting.

There were whispers along the docks of other treasure hunters pursuing similar goals as his.

Sidney knew that there were always dreamers pursuing whispers of wealth, but considering what had happened with Lincoln and his clues, Sidney and the others were well aware that there were others after their particular treasure.

Perhaps he should have insisted that one of the other fellows come with him, but considering they were all newly married or pursuing courtship, he didn’t think it would be right to do so.

Who knew how long he might be at sea this time, and it was a dangerous life — part of the reason he so anxiously wanted to find another pursuit for himself.

The name hung between them like a dark cloud. Captain James Blackwell, once Sidney’s closest friend, now his fiercest rival. A man who had betrayed Sidney’s trust once before and would not hesitate to do so again if it meant claiming the treasure for himself.

“How could he know?” Fletcher asked, his tone incredulous.

Sidney’s mouth set in a grim line. “There’s a leak somewhere. Someone who knows our plans is talking, and I intend to find out who.”

He cast a suspicious glance at the dockyard below, where various members of his crew were making their final farewells to women of questionable virtue and tavern keepers who would miss their business.

“You think it’s one of ours?” Fletcher sounded offended at the mere suggestion.

“I hope not, Mr. Fletcher,” Sidney replied, “but I’ve learned not to rule out any possibility. Trust is a luxury we can ill afford until that treasure is secured in our hold.”

Fletcher nodded, his expression troubled. “I’ll keep my ears open, sir.”

“See that you do.” Sidney straightened his already impeccable coat. “Now, let’s complete our final preparations. I want to be ready to sail with the next tide.”

While as a youth he had thrived on the danger and the adventure, he was interested in quieter pursuits at this point in his life.

Never mind the fact that they had promised so many of their friends to share the bounty once they found it.

It had better be generous, or he’d have to captain this beautiful boat for many more years if he wanted to live in any semblance of opulence, like he had just witnessed at Jasper’s father’s estate.

As Fletcher moved off to supervise the loading of the last few crates, Sidney remained at the rail, his eyes scanning the harbour as if hoping to spot Blackwell’s ship among the forest of masts.

It wasn’t there, of course. Blackwell was too clever to show his hand so openly.

But he was out there somewhere, Sidney was certain of it, the man was always dogging his steps.

Sidney shook his head and resumed his pacing.

No one needed to live quite like the Marquis, Sidney reminded himself, although he suspected his friend Lord Beaverbrook might live similarly.

Of course, if one had seven cousins to look after and children of one’s own on the way, one might need to have expansive property like that.

Not to say that he and his multiple siblings had grown up in a shack, but they certainly hadn’t grown up anything like Jasper.