Greg turned his attention to his friend. “I will never be able to repay you for this, for any of it, Simon.”
Thurlstone shrugged. “We’ll call it even after you covered for me during those Pagan rituals.”
Pagan rituals? What in the world? Bella glanced between the two men.
Greg shook his head. “He makes it sound worse than it was,” he told her. “Just youthful foolishness when we were fifteen.”
Lord Thurlstone agreed with a nod. “They would’ve tossed me out of Eton if Avery hadn’t come to my aid. My father would not have been amused.”
Apparently, Greg was good at that. Coming to people’s aid. Bella cast him a smile, not certain how she had been so fortunate to find him or for him to find her, rather; but the day he’d entered her life had been the luckiest of days.
“If you find you like sailing after you return from Edinburgh,” the earl began, changing the subject, “I believe Heaton and I will be looking for a new partner soon.”
Greg frowned slightly. “I thought you had two American partners.”
“A great many things have transpired this week, one of them being Captain Pierce apparently killed Lord Staveley before he then got himself killed in Derbyshire.” Thurlstone blew out a breath. “John Heaton sent me word last night. This will be a delightful public scandal to deal with in the coming weeks.” He shook his head. “I signed onto this venture hoping for a bit of adventure. Murdered viscounts and deranged sea captains were not what I bargained for.” He blew out another beleaguered breath. “But once all of this dust settles, we’ll probably need a third partner if you’re interested.”
“I’m fairly happy at Rufford Hall, Simon.”
“Of course, of course.” His friend agreed with a nod. “But that was before you found the lovely Lady Arabella. She might want to spend some of her time in London, my friend.”
And be branded a bastard all over Town? Not a chance. Greg might not care about her parentage, but she did. Besides, Greg did love his home in Nottinghamshire and she did love him. “I will be happy wherever Greg is.”
At hearing those words, the earl flashed her a brilliant smile. “Utterly charming. You don’t have a sister, do you?”
She did have a sister. “Actually, I do.” But the sudden mention of Prissa twisted Bella’s heart anew. Would she ever be able to see Prissa again? Or would the duke keep Bella’s little sister from her? She wasn’t worried for Prissa’s safety. His Grace adored her sister. Nothing untoward would happen to her, but…if Bella wasn’t allowed to see her sister ever again, it would break her heart.
“But the lady in question is young,” Greg said, shaking his head. “And much too innocent for the libertine you’ve become.”
“You’ve reformed.” Thurlstone laughed at that. “So there’s probably hope for me, don’t you think?”
Greg agreed with an incline of his head. “But then you went into trade, so I think all hope might be lost.”
Then the earl laughed again as the east docks came into view.
Bella gulped as her jittery nerves swamped her once again and thunder rolled overhead. Goodness, it was going to rain?
* * *
Greg glancedout of the carriage window at more than a dozen ships of various sizes upon the Thames. Simon’s barque was somewhere in the mix. Busy dockworkers rushed up and down the shore, going about their duties as crewmen seemed to linger about. A moment later, lightning arced across the sky, and Bella flinched.
“We’d best hurry,” Simon said as his servant opened his coach door for them.
His friend stepped from the carriage and Greg followed suit, then he offered his hand to Bella. She was trembling slightly, which made his heart twist just a bit. Her nerves had seemed more on edge as the day had worn on, but once they were aboard the Magnanime Greg was certain she’d be returned to her usual self, at least he hoped she would. She had been through quite the ordeal.
Greg took Bella’s left side as Simon took her right, then the three of them set off toward the shipping yard. They caught a few eyes as they made their way toward the gangplank; but as large droplets of rain began to fall, the dockworkers seemed more concerned with finding cover than with the three of them.
As they rushed from the gangplank onto the barque’s deck, Simon called, “Get below deck,” in order to be heard over the thunder.
Greg spotted the steps that went below and quickly guided Bella toward the entrance. Simon was right behind them.
His friend stopped on the wooden ladder, blocking Greg and Bella from the rain. Then he gestured toward the back of the small passageway. “The captain’s cabin is at the very end. That’s for you.”
The captain’s cabin? He’d asked Simon for a favor, but certainly it didn’t require the ship’s captain giving up his lodgings. “I hate to put the man out.”
But Simon simply shrugged. “When I told him you were joining Heaton and me as a partner, he insisted you should have the nicest quarters as you would have some say in his salary in the years to come.”
That was why Simon had suggested Greg might want to join him in this shipping company. He shook his head. “We can talk more about that when Bella and I return.”