Quest of Honor Read online

  Quest of Honor

  Searching Hearts Book 1

  Ellie St. Clair

  Prairie Lily Press

  ♥ Copyright 2017 by Ellie St Clair - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

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  Cover design by AJF Designs

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  CLUE OF AFFECTION

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  THE DUKE SHE WISHED FOR

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  HEARTS OF STARLIGHT

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Read more by Ellie St. Clair

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Marie looked around the table at her five children, her gaze coming to rest on Thomas. Normally she was most concerned about Daniel, her eldest and the next in line to become Duke, but there was something about Thomas tonight that seemed off to her.

  Typically the most free-spirited of her children, this evening he wore a serious look, and had taken on the brooding silence that overcame him whenever he felt stifled or frustrated.

  The remainder of her children, from Daniel at 24 down to her 16-year-old daughter Polly, were chattering away as they were normally wont to do, no matter how she tried to instil in them the proper etiquette of the dinner hour. Her husband, Lionel, Duke of Ware, sat in his usual place at the head of the table, intent on his food as he listened to the stories of his brood.

  “Thomas,” Marie said, and he raised his dark head. “Is everything quite well, darling?”

  “Yes, Mother,” he replied mechanically.

  “Are you quite sure?”

  “Well actually,” he said, looking hesitantly at her and then his father. “I do have somewhat of an announcement.”

  Marie raised her eyebrows as the chatter around the table hushed, for Thomas’ siblings could see the nervousness that accompanied his statement.

  “I am going to be joining the Navy,” he said, puffing his chest out, trying to look more assured than he felt.

  “The Navy!” his mother exclaimed incredulously. “You cannot be serious. Is this some sort of joke?”

  “Not at all, Mother,” he responded, his blue eyes taking on an icy resolve. “The Navy is a noble profession. What else am I to do with my life?”

  “You are the second son of a Duke! What if the title of Duke should need to pass onto you and you are injured or dead somewhere at sea?”

  “I shall not spend my life sitting here waiting for Father and Daniel to die, Mother,” he responded, his voice becoming slightly more heated, although he would never raise it at his mother. “They are both quite healthy and, I’m sure, have long lives to live. I want to see the world! What better way than on the sea?”

  “Lionel!” Marie said to her husband with fervour. “Have you nothing to say?”

  Lionel finished chewing his potatoes, his expression unwavering.

  “Well, son,” he said. “I would say your intentions are admirable. You do know what you are getting yourself into?”

  “I do.”

  “Well, then, boy, I’d best talk to my friend the Admiral tomorrow. The son of the Duke of Ware must find a reasonable berth and vessel upon which to serve.”

  Thomas’ face lit up, and he caught the gaze of his sister Violet, who smiled at him encouragingly. He grinned at her, then turned back to his father.

  “Thank you, Father,” he said. “I would appreciate it.”

  “This is quite ridiculous,” his mother said, her head swivelling from Thomas to Lionel and back to Thomas once more. “Thomas is 22 years old! He and Daniel should be finding wives, settling down, raising children. Instead, Daniel is out doing Heaven knows what and Thomas will be at sea miles away from Britain! How is it that I have three children of marriageable age, none of which have any interest in actually being married?”

  Benjamin and Polly smirked, happy to have the attention off of them and onto their three elder siblings.

  “In due time, Mother,” said Violet, somewhat mollifying her. “In due time. In the meantime, let us drink to Thomas and the world that awaits him.”

  “To Thomas!” They all joined in, with the exception of Marie, and Thomas grinned, excited about what the future would hold for him.

  1

  Five years later

  Eleanor Adams sat primly on the straight backed chair as her father stomped around, muttering something under his breath. She waited patiently for his judgement to fall, knowing that he would not be able to bring himself to punish her too severely. After all, she was his only child and he had never been able to be too strict with her. In fact, this was the only life Eleanor had ever known. Just her and her father, facing the world and all its tribulations.

  “You cannot simply do as you please, Eleanor!” her father spluttered, his face now a beetroot red. “What if we had not seen you?”

  Eleanor stifled a sigh of frustration. “Papa, you know me better than that. I simply had to investigate whatever it was down there.” A small smile crept across her face. “And, if I had not, then we would currently not have these three small trunks in our possession.” She indicated the three, still damp, trunks that sat beside her father’s desk, glancing at them before returning her gaze to her father.

  To her very great relief, he sighed and sat down heavily, although he continued to shake his head at her. Eleanor hid her smile. She was triumphant.

  “We have not opened them yet, Eleanor,” her father said, a little gruffly. “You could have risked your life for nothing.”

  In response, Eleanor tossed her head, aware of the spots of moisture that shook off her long flaxen locks. “I am one of the best swimmers among the crew, Papa, you know that.”

  “But still,” he retorted. “You cannot just dive off the ship without alerting someone to what you have found! Had you done so, I could have dropped the anchor and gone to see what was there.”

  Eleanor bit her lip, aware that her father was being more than reasonable. Had any one of his crew done what she had, they would have been severely punished. It was only becau
se she was the captain’s daughter that she had done such a thing. Her cheeks warmed. “I was trying to prove myself, Papa,” she explained, more quietly. “As the only woman on board, I have to take extra steps to show my worth.”

  His face softened. "Eleanor, you already have my respect and the respect of the crew. For over twenty years you have traveled the seas with us and you have no need to prove yourself. Doing such a thing is both dangerous and shows a lack of regard for me – not only as your father but also as your captain." His lined face grew more serious, as his bushy eyebrows clung together. "You know that I will need to punish you for what you did, Eleanor. As much as it pains me to do this, you are to be confined to your quarters for two days."

  “Two days?” Eleanor gasped, staring at her father. “But I will miss the exploration!”

  Her father nodded gravely. “I have to show the crew that I am not afraid to punish you, even though you are my daughter.” A hint of a smile pulled up the corner of his lips. “Just be glad it is not the cat o’nine tails, Eleanor.”

  Eleanor sagged against the chair, her ladylike position gone in a moment. Reflecting on her father’s decision, she had to admit that it was fair, lenient even. She hated that her impulsive nature had, once again, brought severe consequences. If only she had not dived into the water to see what it was that glistened below! If she had only told her father, then he would have dropped the anchor and sent someone down – although Eleanor doubted that he would have chosen her. Even though she could swim like a fish, her father always kept her in his sights whenever he could.

  “I am sorry you will miss the exploration of the Blackmoor Caves,” her father continued, gently. “But Eleanor, you must know that you cannot simply do what you please on this ship.”

  “I do know, Papa,” Eleanor replied, dully, ashamed that her the whole ordeal caused her to feel like a child when she would prefer to be treated as the sailor she was. She could only hope the treasure would yield results that would make all forget about the find and focus on the outcome. “I’m sorry.”

  Her father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, getting to his feet. “Like you say, however, we have retrieved three trunks.”

  Hope sparked in Eleanor’s chest. “You mean, I can open them?”

  He chuckled. “I think so. After all, you were the one who spotted the locks gleaming under the ocean’s waves.”

  Eleanor rose, her booted feet clattering across the wooden floor of the cabin as she made her way towards the trunks. She would have to change into dry clothing, but that could wait. “It is only because we are in such shallow waters,” she said, bending down to examine the trunks. “Had the water been any deeper, then I doubt we would have found them.”

  “Here.” Her father handed her a large mallet, and, using all her strength, Eleanor hit the lock.

  It broke easily, evidently having been underwater for some time. With bated breath, Eleanor pushed the top of the trunk back. A wide grin spread across her face as she took in the bounty.

  “There is some gold here,” she cried, pulling out a gold coin and handing it to her father. “Not much, but enough.”

  Chuckling, her father picked up the mallet and broke the other two locks, finding more gold and some silver in the other two trunks. He crowed with delight as he grasped great handfuls of coins, letting them trickle back down into the trunk. Despite her impending punishment, Eleanor could not help but smile too, delighted that they would have more than enough to pay the crew for the next quarter.

  "Everyone shall have a bonus!" her father declared, getting to his feet and throwing open the door to his cabin. "Morgan!"

  The first mate came stumbling in, as though he’d been waiting for the captain to call his name. “Aye, Captain Adams?”

  Eleanor grinned as her father slapped Morgan on the back, before gesturing towards the treasure.

  “Here,” he said. “Sort this out. Crew’s pay and a bonus for everyone. Leave the remaining treasure in the first trunk.”

  Morgan returned Eleanor’s smile, and got to the task at once, jubilant over some of the wonders he was finding. It would take him an age to sort out the treasure into piles of equal worth, but Eleanor knew it was a job the first mate thoroughly enjoyed.

  Wiping down her breeches, Eleanor got to her feet and smiled at her father, wondering if he might forget her punishment.

  Unfortunately, he had not.

  “Right, Eleanor, to your cabin. Your meals will be sent down.”

  A sigh left her lips as she trudged past him, sniffing inelegantly. Behind her, she heard her father chuckle.

  “Two days will be over before you know it, my dear,” he said, following her out. “And if we find anything at the caves, you may join in the salvaging.”

  That was a slight relief, making her shoulders rise from their slumped position. “Thank you, Papa,” she mumbled, as the fresh air hit her lungs. Taking in another few breaths, Eleanor took in the smell of the sea, the wind whipping at her hair….before she realized that the entire crew was watching her.

  Taking a breath, she lifted her chin. “I should not have dived off the boat without alerting someone to what I had found,” she said, loudly. “I did you all wrong by acting so impulsively and showed disrespect to our captain. I will not do such a thing again.” She caught the look of sympathy in some of the crew’s eyes, although they appeared to be relieved that she was receiving some kind of punishment. Without another word, Eleanor turned on her heel and walked down the short staircase to her cabin below.

  Being the only woman meant she had one of only two tiny cabins below deck – Morgan, the first mate, held the other. Pulling open the door, she looked glumly into her gloomy room, hating that she would be stuck inside for two days.

  “Thank you for your apology, Eleanor,” her father said, holding the door as she walked inside. “The crew respects you, as they do me. They will hold you in greater esteem because you have confessed your wrongs.”

  Eleanor tried to smile, sitting down heavily on the wooden bed. “Thank you, Papa. I believe the treasure I found for them may also have increased their sense of ‘esteem’ in me.”

  He grinned at her. “You’re a pirate’s daughter, Eleanor. Some might think that means we have no standards, no way of keeping control, but you know how precarious the sea – and the crew – can be. They are loyal to me, and I want them to be loyal to you too. One day, this boat might be yours.” With a quick smile, he closed the door and left her to her thoughts.

  Eleanor stared at the door, her father’s words echoing around her mind. One day, she might have control of the ship? Be the captain? Could such a thing truly happen?

  Eleanor knew that in the Navy, there would be no thought of having a female captain, but they were far removed from the Navy! Pirates did things differently and, if her father thought the crew would respect her as captain, then she would gladly step into the role, though she hoped it would be some time before her father gave it up and retired from the seas.

  To be a pirate captain! The thought made her smile, despite her current situation. To roam the seas with her crew, searching for bounty and, in their case, helping those less fortunate. She could not think of a better life.

  2

  Captain Thomas Harrington cleared his throat as he studied the newly drawn poster of the pirate captain. It was as good a portrait as he could expect, he supposed, given that he had not seen the man in some time, and even then it was a fleeting glimpse. The reward had slowly grown over the years, but still no one had ever managed to capture him.

  “It will do,” he said, dismissively. “Ensure they are placed around all the local ports.”

  The man nodded before stepping out of the room.

  Sighing to himself, Thomas closed his eyes tightly, trying to get a rein on his emotions. He was angry and frustrated for, yet again, the pirate captain Adams had managed to escape his grasp. He had been chasing the man for three years now, but still had never come close to even attempting
to board his ship.

  Sitting back in his chair, Thomas remembered the day he had been given the order to capture and bring back the pirate captain. His career to that point had been a rising one of accolades, and he had been given the best ship in the fleet, as well as the warning that the man was a wily one who would evade him numerous times. Thomas, however, had ignored those warnings entirely, thinking that surely he would be the one to capture the pirate. The fact he had not left a bad taste in his mouth.

  “Dearest!”

  Glancing up, Thomas rose quickly as his mother walked into the room, dressed in her finery.

  “What do I owe the pleasure of your company this morning, Mother?” he asked, after greeting her. “My ship leaves in an hour.”

  “I have come to say goodbye, of course!” she exclaimed, looking a little disappointed in his reaction.

  Thomas narrowed his eyes, knowing his mother had another intention. “And?”

  She blinked twice, the pale blue eyes that mirrored his own flicking away from his face. “And I may have brought a friend to meet you.”

  Barely keeping a hold on his temper, Thomas stepped away from his mother and ran a hand through his dark hair in exasperation as he went to sit down behind his desk. Marie’s eagerness for him to marry, despite the fact that he was the second son, had continued for some time now, and had, in fact, increased the older he had become. Apparently, it would be best if he married, just in case something terribly unfortunate happened to his older brother. Daniel would inherit the title of Duke once their father passed away, and, as yet, had chosen not to marry. It seemed their mother's attempts to persuade him to wed had come to nought as well.