My Dear Sophy (26 page)

“
Well,” he laughed. “If my hasty return did not alert them already, we shall go and tell them now.”

“
What if they do not approve?” Sophy looked vulnerable. Connie took her face firmly between his hands and made her look him in the eyes, as she had done to him a moment ago. “Sophy, listen to me. I promise you now, there is nothing to be feared –
nothing
– when we are together.”

Her smile was all the answer he needed. Connie kissed her gently.

“
Now, my dear Sophy,” he turned toward the road, “tuck your arm right here into mine. I am only comfortable when you are there. And let us go and tell the town our happy news.”

“
Three cheers for the captain's wife!” Someone yelled out over the main deck of the
Pleasant
. The voices of the crew rang out in loud huzzahs that carried out over the still water around them.

“
Well, Mrs. Croft, the captain's wife, how do you like your welcome on board the ship?” Connie grinned at her. Even after a month together, his grin still made her blood speed up in her veins.

Sophy grinned back and, with a theatrical sigh, said, “I guess it will have to do.”

The newly married couple stood at the wheel of the ship, looking out over the sea in front of them. The morning air was crisp and seemed to make the sun glimmer brightly on the water all around them. Sophy took a deep breath, taking the salt air into her lungs in great gulps. She had quickly adjusted to the movement of the ship and was becoming quite the sailor, she thought.

The
Pleasant
's repairs had been completed only the day before. They had been out for a short sail yesterday afternoon. But now they were sailing to Great Yarmouth, where the ship would be stationed until the Admiralty assigned her somewhere else. Sophy and Connie would rent lodgings and set up a sort of temporary household in the new city. So many new things all at once: a new name, a new house, a new family. In this air and on this morning, she felt like the luckiest woman alive.

Connie moved close behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“
Remember that day, Sophy?” She knew he spoke of that other day when they had stood in the same place by the wheel of this ship. Had it been only two months ago? That day. The one when they had both realized their feelings for each other. That day when they had both been so mistaken.

“
Of course, I remember it.” She could not look at him as he stood behind her, but she knew what he was thinking. They had talked of the feelings a hundred times. And had counted themselves fortunate that they had found their way together, in spite of themselves.

Connie wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently on the neck in the very place he had so wanted to touch on that day.

“
I love you, my dear Sophy.”

“
And I love you, my dear Connie.” She turned to kiss him and heard whistles from the crew. She and Connie laughed as the whistles turned into more cheers for their captain and his new wife. Sophy took it as a good sign that the crew were already teasing her as if they had known her for a long time. She genuinely liked them and liked being aboard the ship.

She broke with Connie and turned again to look out over the water. Sophy had only begun to learn about her husband and this life he had as captain of a naval vessel. It had its own rules of order and decorum, no less strict than the ones she had grown up with. She had so much to learn about her new life on the sea.

But for now, there was the horizon in front of her and Connie behind her. And so much of the world to explore.

Sophy and Connie will return for more adventures aboard the
Pleasant
!

Thank you, my dear Readers, for your support of this book!

Thank you very much to Emmanuel Jose for the beautiful hand-designed paper cut artwork that graces the cover of this book.

Thank you to my family and friends – especially my Mom, Catherine Truesdale, and my grandparents, Charles and Ruth Truesdale, and my two kindred spirits, Meg and Vanessa – who never once scoffed when I announced that I was writing a novel. And then had the patience to listen to the first hundred ideas I had before this one finally took root.

A special thank you to those friends who volunteered from the very first to read whatever novel I produced. Your feedback inspired me to make
Sophy
better: Katie Conner Bennett (who was an absolute rock star about reading and editing
Sophy
multiple times!) , Lisa Irene Austin, Nell Connelly, Jessica Grey, and Cathy Truesdale.

And, of course, to Jane Austen, who inspires so many of us to read and write.

Kimberly Truesdale is a writing and literature teacher currently living in Ohio. She has a line from
The
Great Gatsby
tattooed on her arm and has worn out at least five copies of
Anne of Green Gables
.
Kimberly has written many academic papers over the years, but this is her first novel. Kim hopes to take Sophy and Connie on many more adventures across the oceans of the world.

Contact Kim on Twitter @playsthetart or email her at
[email protected]
with questions or feedback, including links to your reviews!