D iana splashed water on her face. She planned to leave her cabin no matter what.

The past two days, she hadn’t felt well enough to venture out, but tonight, she was going to dinner.

Her stomach didn’t gurgle like before, and as Captain Monroe promised, she’d started to adapt to the swaying.

The ship’s rocking also wasn’t nearly as much as yesterday or the day they left.

Looking in the mirror bolted above the desk, she sighed.

Her hair hung over her shoulder in a plait.

She smoothed her green skirts, which contained far more wrinkles than she liked, but it would have to do.

Her maid Audrey still struggled with sea sickness.

Earlier, she’d made her way to Diana’s cabin to help her dress, but Diana sent her back to bed.

The girl could barely stand and was so pale Diana swore she was gray.

She crossed her narrow room, knocking on the door that connected her to Aunt Winifred’s cabin.

“Aunt, are you going to dinner?”

“No,” her aunt said from the other side of the door. “My stomach still hasn’t settled.”

Diana grimaced and turned around, bumping into the little table anchored to a wall.

She’d been quite surprised by the size of the cabin.

Diana expected it to be small but not so narrow.

Her saloon cabin contained one bed pushed against the wall, a tiny desk, and a wingback chair.

There was little room for anything else.

Shockingly, Captain Monroe said the cabins bordering the saloons were considered the most spacious. What did the other rooms look like?

She wondered if Sebastian Devons was out and about.

Nervousness shot through her. Diana was not up for another sparring match with him.

A large farewell party saw them off, so they hadn’t exchanged more than a few pleasantries since Addie’s dinner.

Robert had been delighted to see him and ran right over to Devons, leaving Arthur peeved.

She wished Arthur engaged better with Robert.

His lack of a connection with her son held Diana back from considering a real proposal from him.

That and he makes you feel nothing , her mind whispered. She sighed.

After the ship made its way to the open ocean, the captain insisted everyone rest in their cabins. She smirked, likely because he’d been aware they would all be sick. Diana was happy the ship wasn’t rocking as much. She stepped out into the narrow hallway bordering the dining saloon.

While the ship was owned by another, the Kincaide family built the SS Lark , and it exuded the elegance they were known for.

Even the carpet and wood trim were as refined as any found in the finest London townhouses.

Only over the last decade had ship travel become focused on leisure cruises.

The Kincaide vessels were a shining example of what was required to cater to wealthy cruisers.

As she made her way closer to the dining room, she found that a steward had opened the door for her.

She stepped through, and another man greeted her with a bow.

“Hello, Lady Hensley. I’m Mr. Carlson. I will be seeing your meals while you are aboard our grand vessel, the SS Lark .

Tonight will be a more informal fare with no set time for dinner.

Starting tomorrow evening, we will host dinner every night at eight o’clock”

She smiled in return. “I can’t imagine anyone is ready for an extravagant meal.”

“I promise, my lady, the sickness will pass.”

Diana nodded. “I feel better already.

He beamed at her. “Wonderful.”

She followed him, passing several long elegant tables until he stopped at one in the corner. She was startled to spot Devons sitting there. Their eyes met and he stood. The man, even after days at sea, looked far too virile. Her stomach fluttered.

“I’m glad you are well enough to venture out of your cabin.”

She didn’t respond at first but glanced around, wondering if she could feign sickness. As if sensing her thoughts, he said quietly, “Lady Hensley, please give me a moment of your time.”

Her eyes flicked back to his face, and she sighed. “Very well.”

Carlson asked Diana, “Would you care for a glass of red wine?”

Diana’s eyes darted to Devons and saw he was already drinking a glass. Her brows drew together in confusion. “How long have you been here?”

He smiled wryly at her. “A bit. I hoped to speak with you tonight.”

She studied him, puzzled, and then turned back to Carlson. “Yes, that would be wonderful.”

“I shall return with your wine and the first course.”

Their table descended into silence, and eventually, Diana asked, “You mentioned that you would like to discuss something with me?”

Devons nodded before rolling his massive shoulders. He appeared nervous. Finally, he said, “I owe you an apology. I made some assumptions based on our interactions with Lady Wesley. I have since learned they were grossly inaccurate.”

Something about what he said annoyed her. What was he apologizing to her for? For kissing her? Or because he now decided she fell in the category of the morally upstanding ladies who would never dare to do anything improper? “What assumption was that? That I was lining you up to be my lover?”

His eyes widened at her blunt words. Carlson returned with wine and soup for each of them, stopping the conversation momentarily. Diana smiled at the steward, but when she turned back to Devons, she fixed him with a glare.

“Let’s be honest, Devons. You thought I was like any other lady you spend time with. And now you have decided for some reason I can’t be that type of woman, someone who does…well…”

“Wicked things,” he added, watching her in fascination.

What was the point she was trying to make? She should be happy that Devons realized she was a respectable lady, but it grated her. He tilted his head, still studying her, and slowly said, “I’m apologizing for assuming you view commoners the same way Lady Wesley did.”

“Oh.”

He leaned forward, his face filling with contrition. “And that my words about your husband hurt you so deeply. My innuendos were abominable.”

Diana took another sip and, perhaps because of the wine, confessed, “When my husband died, so many acquaintances acted as if I was lucky and could now find someone more physically to my liking. That is why your comments upset me so much. Stuart may not have been what was considered handsome to most, but, to me, there was no man more desirable than he.”

“I think your husband was a lucky man.”

Diana swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She would not cry in front of this man who recently had wreaked havoc on her emotions. “We were both lucky.”

“I’m truly sorry. My actions were caused by my own bitter thoughts and my own hurt.”

Devons had a broken heart, Diana realized. “Lady Wesley hurt you.”

He smirked. “I wouldn’t normally admit it, but yes, she did. I thought we would wed, and she corrected my assumption by marrying the Marquess of Wesley. While we had a grand time together, my background made me unacceptable as a husband.”

She almost placed her hand on his but refrained from doing so. Instead, she made a disgusted face. “That woman is a viper.”

A chortle escaped Devons, and Diana smiled at him. “You must know this. You couldn’t have really given your heart to such an awful lady. I refuse to believe you loved her.”

He took another drink and grimaced. “Perhaps I didn’t.”

Diana knew he believed he did. His heartbreak was written all over his face. This man, the king of one of London’s most scandalous clubs, had been laid low by love. Surprisingly, her heart ached for him.

“I’m only sharing this because I wanted to explain my behavior.

I’m sorry for our previous interactions.

I’ve been drowning my sorrows in vice, leading to poor choices.

This includes making bad assumptions about proper widows that led me to believe they welcome my advances.

Going forward, I promise to be the most behaved man on this ship. It is one of my goals for our trip.”

Why did his words fill her with disappointment?

Still, it was for the best. Even if she wanted a tryst, Sebastian Devons was not the man to do it with, especially with him carrying around a broken heart.

She glanced at him as he drank his soup.

His large arms strained against his jacket, and his thick black hair fell over his forehead.

No, the man sitting across from her was not who Diana should have on the top of her imaginary list for liaisons. He seemed altogether too much.

She sighed. “What a mess we are. You are suffering a heartbreak, and I am trying to figure out how to be less me.”

He frowned in confusion. “What does that mean?”

Carlson arrived at their table. “Lady Hensley and Mr. Devons, we have two more guests joining you. May I introduce Mr. Spoor and Mr. Haggerty?”

“Perhaps we can talk more after dinner,” Devons whispered.

She smiled.

*

Sebastian entered the main saloon and spied Diana sitting with her aunt and Mr. Spoor.

Lady Clark must have ventured out after they left the dining saloon.

Though their arrival at dinner interrupted his and Diana’s discussion, Sebastian enjoyed speaking with Spoor and Haggerty.

They were friends who decided to join the cruise because Haggerty was a historian, and many of the ports were places he wanted to visit.

Spoor didn’t seem to have the same love of history. Currently, he appeared to be very fascinated by Diana’s aunt. The corners of Sebastian’s mouth tilted up as he watched Spoor stare at the older woman with unconcealed adoration. The woman didn’t seem to notice, or perhaps she was being coy.