Page 9 of A Captain For Clarissa
The sway and creak of the ship soon let Clarissa know that the ship had set sail, and she settled down on the low padded bench beside the windows at the stern, enjoying being able to look out at the sea after so many days confined in a small cabin. Perhaps Rafael would even let them out on deck for a breath of fresh air later; she desperately needed one, but understood that on a ship full of men it might not be possible.
From the corner of her eye, Clarissa glimpsed movement on the floor close to her feet. With a small shriek, she jerked her feet off the floor and up underneath her. “Rats!”
Ana whirled from where she was making the bed. After a glance, the maid laughed, however. “No rats here, miss. Look. Not a rat. A cat!”
Clarissa laughed at her own foolishness as the cat slunk out from its hiding spot, looking up at her from bright green eyes. A sleek black creature, the feline looked well-fed and healthy, obviously a welcome member of the crew. “Hello, puss.” Leaning down, she reached out towards the cat, who sniffed at her fingersbriefly but did not deign to allow her to pat it, drawing back and padding away, before slipping through a small gap cut out of one of the boards of the door.
“Well, he appears to have the run of the ship,” Clarissa murmured with a regretful sigh, before returning her gaze to the window, watching as Malta’s shore slowly receded into the distance.
The sun was high and Malta long gone from sight when a knock on the door heralded the captain’s return. Rafael waited for Ana to open the door to admit him, offering the maid a respectful tip of his head in response to her deep curtsy, before his eyes immediately cut to Clarissa sitting beside the window.
“I thought that you might like to come up on deck and take some fresh air,” he suggested, a smile coming to his lips as Clarissa immediately bounded to her feet. “Ah. The idea pleases you?”
“I’ve been locked up for days. Some sun on my face would be most welcome!” she declared.
Rafael nodded, and gestured for her to precede him, as the passageway would be too narrow for them to walk arm in arm. Ana trailed along behind them.
As Clarissa climbed the narrow stairway to the deck, a black shadow darted between her legs, almost making her trip. Behind her, she heard Rafael say something in Portuguese that she thought might be a curse.
“Are you all right, Miss Creighton? Fernando is careless of whose feet he gets under.”
“Fernando, is that the cat’s name? He is a handsome beast.” Gaining the deck, Clarissa breathed in a great lungful of fresh sea air, sighing with pleasure at the wind lifting her hair off her hot neck.
“We tolerate him because he is the finest rat-catcher on the high seas.” Rafael joined her, placing a hand under her elbow and guiding her to the rail, away from where men hurried about tightening ropes and adjusting sails. “Just do not be fooled into touching his belly, no matter how he may tempt you by showing it off lying on his back. It is a vicious trap and your hand will not escape unscathed. His teeth are sharp enough to penetrate even leather gloves.”
Clarissa laughed. “I thank you for the warning, sir! I should surely have fallen into that trap, and likely without gloves on, for I have none.”
“I am sorry we did not have the time to obtain you a more complete wardrobe,” Rafael said, his tone apologetic. “Purchasing any significant quantity of elegant ladies’ clothing would likely have drawn more attention than either you or I would have wished, I think.”
“Oh, please believe I have no complaints!” Clarissa smoothed her hand over her skirts. “Everything about my present situation is an infinite improvement over my previous one, from the clothes and the scenery to the company.”
He inclined his head in a small bow. The ship lurched just then, changing direction to tack with the wind, a vast boom swinging overhead as the sails moved, and Rafael reached out instinctively to steady Clarissa. She had already shifted her weight, however, quite comfortable and confident even as the rail they stood at swooped towards the waves.
“You are an experienced sailor, I think,” he murmured. “Obviously, you sailed here from England at some point?”
“Two years ago, close enough.” She looked ahead, thinking of their destination. “My aunt Marianne married, and her husband has family in Italy. They planned a honeymoon and invited my sister Diana and I to join them. Diana married last year and returned to England, but I chose to stay.” She didn’t add that she was in defiance of her parents’ wishes at this point; her mother’s letters demanding that Clarissa return to England had become both more frequent and more strident in recent months. Clarissa knew all too well what awaited her at home. At best, a London season where she would be expected to make a grand match. At worst, a suitor already chosen for her.
“And your uncle and aunt are still in Italy?”
“In Florence, yes. My aunt had twins a few months ago and was not well after their birth, and they were quite small, as I’m told twins are sometimes wont to be. They elected to remain in Florence for a while, and I was offered the opportunity to travel to Greece when two older lady relatives decided to take a trip to Athens.”
“These are the ladies you spoke of?” Rafael was a good listener, Clarissa thought; quiet and watchful, his eyes never leaving her face as she spoke.
“Lady Ginori and Lady Glenkellie.” Clarissa nodded. She had not yet revealed the extent of her relationship, nor the fact that she was not merely ‘Miss Creighton’ but she knew that she must do so now. Taking a deep breath, she said: “Lady Glenkellie is the dowager marchioness, her son is the gentleman my aunt married. Lady Ginori is her sister, the Contessa Ginori.”
“Well-connected relatives,” Rafael noted, but he did not look fazed.
Clarissa decided not to explain that the relationship was tenuously based on Marianne having once been married to her uncle. It mattered not to how they looked on each other; Marianne considered Clarissa her niece and no aunt could have been more well-loved. “My father is an earl,” she admitted.
Rafael only nodded, and Clarissa blinked. She had expected slightly more reaction at such a revelation.
“The ladies will have turned Athens upside down in search of you,” Rafael murmured, and Clarissa winced.
“Unfortunately. Yes.”
His sea-green eyes were thoughtful as he looked down at her, but he asked no more questions. Only offered his arm and invited her to walk around the deck to stretch her legs for a littlewhile. Clarissa certainly appreciated the opportunity, and gladly accepted.
They remained on deck for a half hour or so, before one of the men called something to Rafael in Portuguese.
