Once Upon a Duke's Dream Read online

  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 .

  Q uest of Honor is now available for purchase on Amazon and to read free in Kindle Unlimited !

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  About the Author

  E llie has always loved reading, writing, and history. For many years she has written short stories, non-fiction, and has worked on her true love and passion -- romance novels .

  In every era there is the chance for romance, and Ellie enjoys exploring many different time periods, cultures, and geographic locations. No matter when or where, love can always prevail. She has a particular soft spot for the bad boys of history, and loves a strong heroine in her stories .

  She enjoys walks under the stars with her own prince charming, as well as spending time at the lake with her children, and running with her Husky/Border Collie cross .

  Also by Ellie St. Clair

  Standalone

  Unmasking a Duke

  Happily Ever After

  The Duke She Wished For

  Someday Her Duke Will Come

  Once Upon a Duke’s Dream

  Searching Hearts

  Quest of Honor

  Clue of Affection

  To the Time of the Highlander

  By Audrey Adair

  1

  Bryan ~ New York City, 2017

  T he Internet contained more information than you could ever need, yet sometimes nothing at all that you actually wanted .

  Bryan cursed as his search through web pages associated with Stonehaven once again came up empty. No mention of Emilia Guthrie, Professor of History. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, which was tinged with a touch of blonde when the sunlight hit it just the right way .

  He sighed. This made no sense at all. It had been six months since Emilia had left their home together, first leaving him, and then taking time away in the village of Stonehaven, Scotland. He had then been shocked when he heard she had apparently given up the job of her dreams here at the University of New York, deciding to stay and make her home in the small Scottish town. Emilia was reasonable, and he couldn’t believe she would make a sacrifice like that. He knew she loved Scotland and its history, but the position at the university would likely only come once in a lifetime. Had she found someone else in Scotland? He had to admit it hurt a bit to know she had gotten over him that quickly .

  Although, if he was being truthful with himself, he su
pposed it wasn’t a stretch. They hadn’t exactly been the picture of togetherness at the end of their relationship. And once she had taken the step and moved out, he realized it had been for the best. They had become more roommates than lovers, friends, really, more than anything. He did feel badly, however, over the the fight that had been the last straw .

  When she had come home with the news that she had been offered the position of Dean of Scottish History at the university, he had lashed out at her in what he knew now had been a fit of jealousy, as he would have longed for a similar opportunity. He had worked for years for tenure in the philosophy department of the university, and despite numerous accolades from both his peers and the higher-ups, he was still waiting .

  Did she receive the offer because of her connection to the former dean? Were there less applicants for her position? Or was it — he stopped himself. Or, maybe, it was because she deserved it .

  He was proud he could finally admit that fact. He only wished he had been able to say that to her. He wanted to, now, and had tried getting in touch with her, only to continue to receive the same routine messages that she was out of service and would return his emails and phone calls shortly. When he did receive a response email, it didn’t sound like her at all, but rather like an automated reply that anyone could have written .

  He had begun to worry about her. This wasn’t like Emilia. No, they were no longer romantically involved, but he still cared about her, and likely always would. He wanted to re-develop that friendship again, even if it was simply through emails back and forth .

  Bryan had met Emilia in college, when she was a freshman and he was a sophomore, studying political silence. He hadn’t lasted long in that particular major. It had been wearisome, and he had begun to feel a calling to try to find answers to the deeper questions that nagged at him, the questions that he wasn’t sure if humankind would ever truly be able to understand. He wanted to study the big questions, learn why people acted the way they did and what motivations drove their decisions .

  His fascination with the great philosophers had begun to annoy Emilia, he knew, but he never thought she would actually leave. She hadn't understood his choices. She had felt he was on a fine path already — why look for something different? He had been angry for some time after she left. Eventually that anger turned to melancholy until finally he realized that she had been right. One of them should have left quite some time ago, but they had become too comfortable with one another, with the routine of daily life. No matter what happened, though, she would always remain one of his closest friends. She knew more about him than perhaps anyone else — his likes, dislikes, what set him off into a mood and what calmed him down .

  He knew that Emilia would never simply vanish to Scotland. She had emailed shortly after the trip ended, telling him how much she loved it there and that she was staying. That was it. He knew they had not departed on good terms, but he was perplexed by the way she had completely cut off everyone from her former life .

  So here he was now, just wanting to make sure she was all right. Her parents didn’t seem to care much, and her friends, who were all married with children, seemed to have simply accepted the fact that Emilia left behind all she knew to extend her holiday into a new life .

  He had to make sure she was all right. Until that happened, he didn’t know if he could ever truly move on from her. He couldn’t let this continue to nag at him, not knowing why she had chosen to stay or what had truly happened to her .

  He supposed his need to know was like the way he questioned everything else in life — he was fascinated by the motivations behind people's actions and emotions. It was why he studied philosophy, to try to understand more about the crazy world .

  He took a sip of his coffee as he looked at all of her public profiles. Facebook — no update. Instagram — no update. He had sent off a short email earlier that morning asking her how she was, but hadn't been satisfied with the reply. “I'm very well, thanks, how are you?” was all it said. This wasn’t her. Had she hired someone to look after her correspondence? And if so, why? He decided to respond, asking something that only she would know. He received a ping shortly after — “Why are you asking me this? You must move on, Bryan.” He had moved on, damnit. He had no wish to be with her, he just wanted to make sure she was ok .

  Back and forth the emails went, but hers could have been written by anyone. This was not Emilia. He knew it in his very bones .

  He left the computer, downed the last of his black coffee and placed his cup in the sink to wash later. He hadn't been much of a cook these past months and so rarely washed the dishes. Instead it was a lot of takeout from Johnny’s Pizza round the corner and Edo Japan. It meant he had more time to spend in the gym and out running, which was fine with him. It cleared his head and gave him time to think .

  He changed and laced up his sneakers before heading out into the crisp early winter air of New York City. The last remaining leaves in Central Park were red and gold, those that remained on the sidewalk crinkling under his feet along with a few drifts of snow .

  He was halfway through his run when he realized there was only one action he had left. He continued to mull it over as he kept up his steady jog. He’d worked up a good sweat by the time he finished his daily ten miles. He waved to the familiar runners he passed or met on the path. The city’s marathon was coming up soon, but Bryan had never had a wish to compete. He used running to clear his mind and work problems through, so he never kept track of his pace or time. He knew his route, and let his body go into auto-pilot while his mind wandered .

  By the time he neared his apartment building, he had come to terms with his decision. He would have to go to Scotland and see for himself that Emilia was all right. He knew he would look like the crazy ex-boyfriend, but he didn't see any other way he could allow himself to move on, without first knowing she was well and safe .

  He let himself into his apartment with new resolve. He kicked off his sneakers, and grabbed a glass of water before sitting back down at his desk, opening up the laptop and heading to Expedia .

  Luckily, being in New York City, he had access to ample international flights. Typing in Aberdeen, Scotland, he found a few flights leaving in the next week. He figured it would take a few days to make sure everything was looked after here. He booked the ticket without a return flight. He'd figure that out once he got there, as it would depend on how long it took him to find Emilia. He didn’t feel it would take long to find one woman in a small area, but you never knew .

  Bryan felt slightly uneasy about this whole situation. He was not a man who did much on impulse. It was one of the things that Emilia had a hard time dealing with about him. She would get rather impatient when he hemmed and hawed about every decision, evaluating each unique aspect of it. He liked to take his time to truly consider the quandary before making a rash judgement call. It was part of the reason why he enjoyed philosophy – it gave him the freedom to truly ponder various aspects of life. He wished Emilia had given him more of a chance to be the person he wanted to be. Then maybe things would have worked out .

  Emilia had never understood where he was coming from, but rather lost herself in events from the past, in situations that could not be changed but rather only studied. He couldn't understand the importance of that. He would rather make a difference for the future .

  And now he was off to Scotland. Emilia had been infatuated with the country, particularly with its history of the Highlanders. They were always at war, fighting amongst themselves. What was the draw? Although, he had to admit to himself, he would have enjoyed living in a time where a man's woman listened to him and his desires, who would go along with what he thought and felt, and not leave him to go traipsing off to Scotland on a whim because she felt unsatisfied with her life .

  It seemed the only way to truly get over Emilia and her leaving him was to get to the bottom of her motives. What was truly bothering him was, as a philosopher, how he had not better understood a woman he had
spent his each and every day with .

  Never one to trust his phone for something important like plane tickets, he printed them off, stapled them, and placed them in the satchel he'd carry on the plane. He resolved to give his apartment a good clean before he left as well. It was fairly bare, as he hadn’t replaced anything Emilia had left with. She had just started to move out her things, and last he heard she had asked a friend to deal with divesting of her belongings .

  He shook his head. It was odd, the thought of her leaving everything behind. He knew she wasn’t close with her parents, but had she no personal treasures that she wanted with her? The friend had even asked him if he wanted her computer. Who didn’t take their computer ?

  The thought about her parents had him thinking of his own family. He and Emilia each lacked ties to any immediate family, which had been part of what drew them together. Bryan’s upbringing had been a mess. He never knew his father, and his mother was an alcoholic. Child services had taken him out of her home at six, and he had bounced around from one foster family to another until he was old enough to look out for himself. Perhaps that was part of the reason he had such a desire to learn the motivations of others. What type of mother would treat her child as his did? He had seen her from time to time over the years, but last he heard she was back in rehab, trying for the umpteenth time to get clean. He wished the best for her, he truly did .

  He rose from his chair and began stripping off his clothes as he made his way to the bathroom for a shower. As he did so, he began making a mental list of everything he needed to do and pack before he left. Scotland, he thought with a rueful laugh, here I come .

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