The Irresistible Rogue (Playful Brides #4)(48)

“Viktor said he didn’t trust you and Anton explained that they’d keep an eye on you all week.”

“I like that,” Rafe said with another laugh. “They’re about to get our goods. We should keep an eye on them all week. And speaking of being untrustworthy…”

Daphne pulled her oar in time with Rafe’s. “Why does it take a week to check them out? What are they checking for?”

“They’re making certain the goods aren’t stolen from anyone who’s going to trace them. They want to ensure the government’s not involved. That we’re not spies.”

Daphne snorted. “But we are spies.”

“Yes, but the War Office knows how to make the goods untraceable. They’ll never know. Did they say anything else?”

“Viktor said he didn’t remember me. He was suspicious. Anton said he did. He said I was a, ahem, pretty boy.”

Rafe growled under his breath. “Was that all he said?”

“For the most part.”

Rafe’s voice turned lighter. “Well, that’s two admirers in one day, Grey. Not bad for a lad of sixteen, I’d say. Not bad at all.”

Rafe’s laughter was drowned out by the rowboat clunking against the side of the ship. Daphne didn’t wait to hear more of it. Scowling, she jumped up, grabbed the ladder, and climbed as fast as she could. “I’ll see you in the cabin.”

*

The rest of the day stretched out interminably. Daphne had straightened up every possible thing that needed straightening. Which, in a very tidy captain’s quarters, wasn’t much. Rafe had taught her how to pull the bedsheets so tight she could bounce a coin on them. Wearing gloves, she scoured the wooden floor on her hands and knees with water and lye. Rafe hadn’t come into the cabin since they’d returned to the ship. No doubt he’d been making arrangements to get the goods to the smugglers.

“I didn’t think a lady would know how to clean a floor.”

Daphne jumped. Rafe had entered the cabin silently like a wraith. Unsettling that. Spies were exceedingly quiet when they wanted to be.

“Shows how much ye know, Cap’n,” she drawled in the voice that she’d been practicing so that she’d sound more like a cabin boy and less like an aristocratic lady should she be required to speak in front of Anton and Viktor.

Rafe laughed out loud at her accent.

“Me mum always said idle hands are the work o’ the devil,” Daphne continued.

“How are you so easily able to speak in that accent?” Rafe asked softly.

“I’m not certain. Somehow I’ve always been good at voices,” she replied in her normal tone. “I used to have Julian and Donald in stitches by imitating Father’s voice. We have a stable boy at our country estate who speaks this way. I spent a bit of time talking to him. He’s a nice boy. His mother died when he was just a lad. I taught him how to read.”

Rafe narrowed his eyes on her. “You did?”

Daphne scrubbed the brush against the floor with all the strength in her right arm. “Yes. I was speaking to him one day and he said he didn’t know how. I asked him if he wanted to learn. After that I’d go to the stables every afternoon for an hour or two and teach him in between his chores.”

“The stable master didn’t mind?”

“Mr. Griggs? Oh, no. He didn’t mind at all. He said the boy would be much better off in life if he knew how to read.”

“That was kind of him.” Rafe paused. “And of you.”

“It wasn’t kind. I’d do that for anyone who wanted to know how to read. Why should I know and he not know simply because he wasn’t born to privilege the way I was? Reading is one of life’s greatest pleasures. After I taught him, I asked Donald if the boy could come in and borrow books from the library from time to time. Of course Donald agreed.”

Rafe shook his head. “I didn’t think blue bloods had it in them.”

Daphne stopped scrubbing and looked up at him with one hand on her hip. “Not all of us are pompous fools, you know?”

“Like Fitzroyal?”

Daphne finished scrubbing the floor, splashed water across it, sat up, and peeled off her gloves. “Fitzroyal is a pompous fool.”

“Were you disappointed that the engagement didn’t happen?” Rafe’s question was low, soft.

Daphne shrugged. “Mother and Aunt Willie like to remind me that there are plenty of eligible gentlemen to be had. Besides, I’ve already chosen the next man on my list. Cass helped me.”

“Ah, yes. Your list. And I suppose the ton is full of worthy gentlemen.”

Daphne tossed the brush into the bucket. Still sitting on the floor, she turned to look at Rafe and tucked her knees up to her chest. “You don’t like my class very much, do you?”

Rafe walked over to the bunk and sat on its edge. “Honestly, I haven’t seen much to like.”

Daphne wrapped her arms around her knees. “You like Derek and Julian.”

Rafe nodded. “Claringdon was born the son of soldier like I was. He was only awarded his dukedom after his bravery in battle. And Swifdon, he may have been born to privilege, but he’s a soldier through and through. And he wasn’t meant to inherit until…” Rafe glanced away, biting his lip.