Page 12 of A Captain For Clarissa
“No.” Her face was still and calm as she spoke. “They love me, and I love them, but their expectations of me are not ones I can fulfil. Diana, unlike them, accepts me for exactly who I am.”
“Your sister must be someone truly special,” Rafael replied.
“Indeed, she is,” Clarissa agreed, her voice laced with affection. “Diana is the one person I love unconditionally. She has always been a source of kindness and support, and it was no surprise to me that a duke saw her worth and snatched her up for his bride.” Clarissa smiled, a dazzling display that set Rafael’s heart racing.
“The breeze is coming up,” he noted, seeing her curls beginning to blow about. “I had best escort you below and be about my duties.”
“Thank you for spending the time with me, Captain.” She made him an elegant little curtsy. “I have enjoyed our conversation.”
“So have I,” he said, surprised to find that he meant it. Conversing with gently bred young ladies was normally a complicated matter, full of pitfalls and hidden codes Rafael had neither the patience nor the inclination to decipher. Talking with Clarissa felt refreshingly straightforward; she said what she thought without cloaking it in pretty language or riddles.
“We should make Livorno by morning,” Rafael noted as he escorted Clarissa back to his cabin. “The lull has delayed us somewhat, but hopefully we will now make good headway.”
“Thank you once again, for escorting me.” She glanced over her shoulder at him as she made her way along the narrow passageway. “I do not know what I should have done without your aid.”
“I will try to escort you up on deck again later,” he said a little awkwardly, and she flashed him that dazzling smile once again.
“I will be grateful for it, but do not feel obliged. This has been more than enough.”
For a smile like that, a man could be persuaded to do a great many things, Rafael reflected as he made his way back up on deck and over to where his first mate had the wheel.
The sun’s last rays cast a golden glow on the rippling waves, painting the horizon in shades of pink and orange. A gentle breeze stirred the sails of the Santa Dorotéia, as Rafael and Clarissa again stood side by side at the railing, their eyes drawn to the breathtaking panorama before them.
“Such beauty,” Clarissa murmured, her voice soft and reverent. “It reminds me of a line from one of my favorite poets, Lord Byron: ‘She walks in beauty, like the night / Of cloudless climes and starry skies.’”
“Ah, you have a taste for poetry, Lady Clarissa?” Rafael asked, looking at her with newfound appreciation.
“Indeed, Captain,” she replied, a playful smile gracing her lips. “I find that words have a power all their own, able to capture the essence of a moment or a feeling.”
“Then perhaps I can share a verse from one of my own favourite poets, Luís de Camões,” Rafael offered, his gaze returning to the sea. “‘All hushed the heaven and earth, and wind the same /Thewaves all spreading o’er the sandy plain / While sleep doth in the sea the fish enchain / Nocturnal silence brooding as a dream.’”
“Beautiful,” Clarissa breathed, clearly moved by his recitation. “There is a depth of longing in those words that resonates within my soul.”
“Poetry has a way of revealing our deepest desires, even when we are not aware of them ourselves,” Rafael mused.
“True,” Clarissa agreed, lost in thought. “Sometimes, it takes the right combination of words to help us understand what lies hidden in our hearts.”
As the sky darkened, stars began to dot the vast expanse above them, adding to the enchantment of the scene. Rafael could not help but notice how the silvery moonlight danced on Clarissa’s hair, and he felt an unfamiliar longing stirring within him.
“Captain,” Clarissa ventured hesitantly, her voice barely a whisper. “Have you ever considered that perhaps our lives, like the verses of a poem, are meant to follow a certain rhythm or structure?”
“An intriguing thought, Lady Clarissa,” Rafael replied, turning to face her. “But I believe there is always room for unexpected twists and turns, much like the unpredictable currents of the sea.”
“Perhaps,” she conceded. “And yet, it is in those unforeseen moments that we often find the most meaning and beauty.”
“Indeed,” he agreed softly, his heart pounding as the space between them seemed to shrink, drawn together by an irresistible force neither could fully comprehend.
A shout from one of his sailors recalled Rafael to where he was, and he stepped back, silently cursing himself for a fool. This - whatever this was - was madness, insanity brought on by moonlight and the close proximity of a beautiful woman. Lady Clarissa Creighton, daughter of an English earl, was not for the likes of him, and the sooner he convinced himself of that, the better.
“I had best escort you below,” he said, his tone clipped. “We will be in Livorno by morning, and I will hire a carriage to escort you to Florence.”
Clarissa inclined her head slightly. “Thank you,” was all she said, but he felt her eyes on him, the puzzlement on her face at his sudden stiff withdrawal evident.
Not for you, Rafael reminded himself silently as he escorted her back to his cabin and left her in Ana’s care.She’s not for you.
Chapter Six
Acacophony of voicesand the creaking of rigging filled the air, while the scent of salty sea mingled with the aroma of fresh fish from the nearby market as the Santa Dorotéia glided smoothly into its berth in the port of Livorno. Captain Rafael de Silva stood on the wooden deck, his sea-green eyes surveying the bustling scene before him. He turned to Clarissa, who leaned against the railing, watching the activity around the busy port.
