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“H ave you seen Devons?” Diana asked Haggerty as they stood in the foyer of the hotel.

The man glanced at her, surprised. “Didn’t you hear?”

Her heart started to pound. She shook her head. “Hear what?”

“He left on another ship. It was so early that Monroe closed his bill for him.”

Diana looked around, hoping to see the captain.

Sebastian couldn’t have departed without saying anything to her.

She refused to believe it. Last night, Diana had bungled things.

Of course, she wanted to be courted by Sebastian.

Diana loved him, but before he arrived at her hotel room, she’d spent all day thinking about her mother’s words.

Insinuations that suggested, in London, she wouldn’t have been enough for a man like Sebastian Devons.

Her insecurities had roared to life. She couldn’t stop thinking about the caricature of the proper lady and all the hurtful words her mother spewed during her childhood about her appearance being acceptable, but not much more than that.

Why did she let the woman upset her? Sebastian looked at Diana as if he couldn’t breathe without touching her. She knew that.

“Is Captain Monroe still here?”

Haggerty shrugged and frowned at her. “Is something wrong?”

“No, but I was hoping the captain would still be here.”

Haggerty pointed to the front door. “He just left. You may catch him before he gets in a carriage.”

She rushed outside, glancing around before spotting Monroe about to leave. “Captain Monroe!”

He turned startled. “Lady Hensley, you shocked me.”

Diana took a deep breath. “Haggerty said Devons left.”

Monroe nodded. “The ship he is on should almost be underway, but don’t worry, he gave me two letters for you.

He left with Thomas Easton and mentioned that he hoped to meet with his colleagues, the Calverts.

Read his letters. He said all the information would be in there. I dropped them off at the front desk.”

Tears stung her eyes. Do not cry, she told herself. She needed to fix this somehow. “Can you take me to the ship he will depart on?”

His eyes widened, and he stared at her as if she’d gone mad. “It is about to leave.”

“Please. You don’t understand, we argued last night.”

“It can’t be that serious,” he said.

She almost confessed everything to him, which would have been scandalous, but she stopped herself. “If you can’t take me, can you tell me where the ship is?”

Monroe studied her. His expression softened. “It must have been quite the fight.”

She nodded. He sighed and then held his hand out. “In the carriage, you go. Maybe we can get there before they depart.”

Diana smiled at him, grateful. Monroe instructed the driver to a pier and joined her inside. The carriage sped through the town, and the captain smiled. “I told him I would pay him extra if he rushed.”

“Thank you.”

“I was surprised that Devons decided to leave with Easton.”

She remained silent, too upset to say anything. He’d left. Diana couldn’t believe it. They rounded a large warehouse, and Monroe let out a curse. Far off the pier was a ship. It was Sebastian’s ship. She would not cry.

“I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “It’s fine.”

But it wasn’t. She was torn between feeling as if she failed Sebastian somehow and being furious with him for leaving. Only a few hours ago, he wanted to court her. The carriage came to a halt, and Monroe ordered the driver to take them back to the hotel.

“Thank you.”

“If it is any consolation, he appeared just as wrecked as you seem.”

She smiled, doubting that was possible. If it were true, he wouldn’t have left. “May I make one more request?”

He nodded. Then she continued, “Could you not mention this to anyone?”

“Lady Hensley, your secrets are yours. Think nothing of it.”

“Thank you,” she said.

Once they arrived back at the hotel, she went straight to the front desk.

The manager stated that the letters had been taken up to her room.

She rushed to her room and found the two missives on the floor as if someone had pushed them under the door.

One envelope had her name on it and the other was his last Ladies of London missive.

She opened the letter addressed to her and read the messy brief words.

Diana,

I lost my head last night. I’m headed out for another adventure. All the best in your future plans.

Sebastian Devons.

She frowned. Monroe said Devons stated that everything would be answered in his letters. It explained nothing. Perhaps he had come to his senses. Pain sliced through her, but she took a deep breath. She had wanted a liaison, a flirtation. She would not hate Sebastian for giving that to her.

She ripped open his Ladies of London letter breaking their rule to not read each other’s missives until they returned home. Diana hoped it revealed more than his hastily written note to her. This letter was neatly written.

To the Ladies of London,

My time on this adventure has ended. I’m traveling to Damascus with the famous explorer Thomas Easton.

Have no fear, Lady Hensley will continue to keep you updated on ports during her return.

Tuscany is a lovely region that those suffering from homesickness will enjoy.

You won’t have to journey far to find another Londoner or a peer on a grand tour.

Now that I have reached the end of my portion of the trip, I must admit Sardinia will always be my favorite location. If I had to guess, I believe it is Lady Hensley’s as well.

Thank you to the Historical Society for Female Curators for allowing me to go on this adventure with them. Any tours the club develops for ladies will be a grand adventure, possibly the trip of a lifetime.

All my best,

Sebastian Devons.

Diana took a deep breath, folded the paper, and placed it back in the envelope.

The letters explained nothing. Sebastian’s had been written as if he couldn’t be bothered to explain himself and his Ladies of London letter didn’t fill in much more for Diana.

She wiped at a tear rolling down her cheek.

Perhaps the lack of details spoke for itself.

He’d come to his senses. They were over.

The tears fell faster, and she gave up on wiping them away.

*

The ship rocked back and forth, making Sebastian’s stomach turn.

He’d spent the first two days in his cabin barely suppressing his need to wretch all over the place.

The SS Ernesto was not the SS Lark . For one, he was sharing a cabin with Easton.

It had been a long time since he shared such close quarters with anyone, even his own brother.

He supposed he shouldn’t complain. Easton had taken his nausea in stride, bringing him food and making sure a clean pail was always by his side.

Unlike the SS Lark , the SS Ernesto was not built and designed to cater to passengers but to move as fast as possible.

The primary purpose being to deliver mail.

Sebastian opened the door of their cabin and made his way to the saloon.

He spied Easton sitting at a table alone, scribbling in a notebook.

He made his way over to him. “May I join you?”

The massive redheaded man grinned at him. “You are feeling better.”

Sebastian grimaced. “A little.”

“Sit,” he said, motioning to a man to bring him food.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for a meal yet.”

Easton chuckled. “It won’t be anything extravagant. You aren’t on one of the vessels built by the Kincaides. Probably some bread and stew.”

His stomach growled at the words. Perhaps he was hungrier than he thought. As they waited for the food, Easton asked, “So what made you change your mind?”

“I needed space.”

“From a woman?”

Sebastian’s eyes jerked to his and Easton smirked. “You look like a man whose heart has been smashed to pieces.”

“More correctly, I needed to give a lady space to think about what she wanted,” he said.

He’d left because Diana wanted them to wait, insinuating that maybe the trip was the cause of his feelings. Sebastian knew what he felt for Diana would be with him for the rest of his life. He loved her. It was that simple. He wished he would have said the words to her that last night.

Still, after he departed her room, he’d thought about what she said and wondered if she doubted her feelings, not his.

Maybe it was she who had gotten caught up in the magic of the trip.

He wanted Diana only if she loved him. Sebastian would wait but he couldn’t travel back with Tremont.

He would likely toss the man overboard. Easton’s offer had seemed like the perfect solution.

The explorer chuckled, jerking him out of his thoughts. “That is very noble of you.”

Sebastian sighed, also wondering if he was daft for making such a decision. The man smirked but changed the subject. “Hopefully, we can catch the Calverts and Merry in Latakia. Damascus is a couple days’ ride from the port city.”

Sebastian hoped so. He wasn’t sure if he was willing to journey all the way to Damascus. While he wanted to give Diana space, he still missed her. He’d poured his heart out to her in his letter. He didn’t want to leave Livorno without her knowing how much he loved her and hoped to be her husband.

The ship Easton was departing on left at a time that didn’t allow him to see her again.

Regret sat on his chest that he hadn’t been able to visit her one more time and tell her that he’d wait.

He hoped his written words were enough to convey that.

If he stayed in Latakia for a few days, he would only be a few weeks behind Diana’s return to London.

“I think the Historical Society for Female Curators would be interested in partnering with you as well.”

“After learning who the board members are, it is best the Calverts handle any partnerships.”

Sebastian frowned. “Is there someone on the board that you have an issue with?”

Easton took a sip of his drink. “The Duchess of Lusby and I are old acquaintances. We aren’t on good terms. I can almost guarantee she wouldn’t want my help, and I have no desire to assist her in anything.”

Sebastian was startled by the edge in Easton’s voice. He’d been nothing but agreeable since they’d met. Hell, he even gave up part of his cabin so Sebastian could travel with him. What type of quarrel would an explorer have with a duchess?

“Before you ask, we grew up together. I wish her no ill will but think we are better off not interacting.”

A man brought Sebastian his bread and stew along with some wine. After he left, Sebastian said, “Understood.”

Easton smiled. “You will love Latakia. It’s a beautiful city.”

Curious, Sebastian asked. “Do you ever miss London?”

He was quiet for a moment but finally said, “My mother sometimes. But I was the son of a house servant in London and likely would have never become more than that if I hadn’t left.”

Sebastian suspected if he returned now, Easton would be one of the richest men in the city. His exploits, true or not, were well-known. “You have serials written about you. You are very popular.”

Easton smirked. “Good. Still, I have no desire to socialize with the peerage. I learned long ago they aren’t for me.”

There was a story there, Sebastian guessed, but he wouldn’t press the man.