My Fair Captain (2 page)

“That is true, Lord Aiden. My cameras cannot see under the chaise, although my heat sensors tell me she is there. I will tell Nurse Christy thus.”

Aiden snorted. Jeffers would probably word his response to Christy exactly like that. Not that it would matter, Christy could easily follow the water trail to her missing charge. But it would give the little rascal a chance to assert her independence and cause chaos in which he could escape. As long as Christy wasn’t in the parlor at the time Aiden had to make his getaway.

A loud clacking of heels clipped down the hall outside the parlor.

Aiden held his breath until the footsteps moved on past. He glanced at the clock again,
9:14 a.m.,
then out the open parlor door. “Jeffers, close the parlor door. I’d like privacy, please. Also, close all cameras, heat sensors and microphones in this room until further notice.”

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J.L. Langley

The blue-curtained French door closed with a snick. “Yes, milord.”

Hopping off his seat, Aiden looked under the chaise. He debated several seconds on whether to tell the little girl about the scheme he and his brothers had concocted. He didn’t want to chance the imp going outside and getting hurt, but even she should be able to take advantage of the rare freedom. Knowing her, she’d likely use her stolen minutes of independence to sneak into the kitchen and get some sweets. “Muffin, Payton is turning off
The Spy
today. Promise me you won’t go outside?”

Her damp head bobbed, a bright smile lighting her cheeks. “Promise.”

“And no telling Rexley.”

Again she nodded. “’Kay.”

“Whew.” Muffin told Rexley everything, and what his oldest brother knew, their parents knew. Rexley was heir to the throne and probably pictured in the dictionary under responsible. If he got word of Tarren cajoling Payton into shutting Jeffers off, Rexley would be honor-bound to go straight to their father and sire.

Aiden dropped the concealing material and gathered his fourteen by eighteen inch sketchscreen he’d brought with him for his afternoon of freedom under his arm. He’d considered bringing a traditional sketchbook and some charcoal, but with the sketchscreen he could do more things. Even though he loved to use the time-honored methods, with the screen he could make the work larger, add color, even have it printed into a finished piece. He could alter his renderings anyway an artist would wish to do so and it had nearly unlimited storage, where as with the conventional means he eventually ran out of paper.

He glanced at the fireplace. The mantel clock read
9:15 a.m
.

“Jeffers?”

There was no answer.

“Jeffers? Are you there?”

Still the computer didn’t respond.

Yes.
Payton had done it. In all of Aiden’s nineteen years, he’d never known Jeffers not to respond after the first call. Even after asking for

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My Fair Captain

privacy, speaking the computer’s name would bring him back into the room.

The French door opened and shut.

No.
He was so close. Aiden spun around, expecting to find Christy.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Colton leaning against the door.

His brother clasped one large hand to his muscular chest and ran the other through his short black hair. Predictably, he was dressed in his buff-colored pants, a white poets blouse and his favorite brown riding boots. “Whew. That was close. Muffin flew the coop and her nurse and Cony are looking for her.”

Muffin’s head popped out from under the gold damask. “Cony?”

Colton started, then the corner of his mouth turned up. “Yup, Cony finished his meeting early and Christy intercepted him on the way to his study.”

“Dust.” Aiden’s shoulders slumped. If their sire was out and about in the halls, they’d never make it past him. Their parent was a very astute man. He probably already realized Jeffers was out of commission. Which meant… “We have to hurry, Colton.”

Colton nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking.” Turning toward the door, he lifted the edge of the curtain and peeked out.

Walking up behind him, Aiden tried to see over his brother’s towering form, without luck. Colton was the tallest of his brothers and he’d inherited Father’s muscular physique. Aiden, even though a few months older than Colton, was the shortest of his siblings, but at least he’d inherited Father’s broad shoulders too. “Well? Is Cony out the—?”

Colton jumped away from the door, his sherry-colored eyes wide.

“Come on. Now Father is there too. We’ll have to go out the window.” He shooed Aiden to the front of the room.

“Father?” Muffin asked.

Hurrying to the window, Colton knocked the heavy velvet drapes aside and got tangled in the gold gauzy panels underneath. “Yes, Muffin.

Father is, at this moment, on his way into the breakfast room.”

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J.L. Langley

Great.
The breakfast room was across from them. Aiden set his sketchscreen down to hold the curtains out of the way before Colton tore them down and they got in trouble for that too. “Where are you going?”

Unlatching the wood frames of the window, Colton pushed the panes open. “Riding. Where else?” Colton was an avid horseman. He’d spend his entire day on horseback, if he were allowed.

“I meant, where are you going riding?”

“I’m going—”

The door opened.

Aiden let go of the curtains and dropped to his stomach, hoping the loveseat in front of the window would conceal him.

Only a second later, Colton dove to the ground next to him.

The door shut and the sound of panting followed.

Dust.
So close, yet so far. Now they were surely caught. The sofa had mahogany legs and an eagle claw foot, with an eight-inch gap between the bottom of the beige material and the floor. Anyone who bothered to look would see them. If it were Cony and Father, he and Colton were dead in the water.

Aiden tried to see under the loveseat, but the chaise blocked the view of the door. Catching Colton’s gaze, Aiden tipped his head, indicating his brother should peek and see who was in the room with them. Colton was on the other side and could peer around the edge.

Shaking his head, Colton mouthed the word, “You.”

The big coward.
If you want something done…
Aiden belly crawled to the edge of the sofa, but before he could glance around it Muffin squealed, “Payton,” and scrambled from under the chaise.

Payton?
Aiden glanced around the side of the loveseat.

His second oldest brother hurried farther into the room, catching Muffin as she leapt at him.

Payton’s gaze landed on the open window and his brow scrunched.

Looking down, he spotted Aiden. “Wha—”

Colton stood. “Payton, what are you doing here?”

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My Fair Captain

Payton rolled his eyes, then glared at Colton. “Running for my life.

What are you doing here? I sacrifice myself so you can get out, and you’re still here?” Frowning, he arranged Muffin in his arms and rushed to the window. “Muffin, you’re naked.”

She giggled and nodded.

“And you’re wet.” Payton wiped his hand on his pants and moved the curtain aside. “Why is she wet?”

“Bath time.” Aiden, Muffin and Colton answered together. Only when Muffin said it, it sounded more like, “Baff time.”

Groaning, Payton peeked out the window. “I forgot about that. Bad planning all the way around. I’m going to throttle Tarren.” He set Muffin down, did another quick surveillance outside and climbed out of the room. Reaching back inside, he snagged Muffin. Once he got the little girl settled onto his hip again, he motioned to Aiden and Colton. “Come on.

You have mere seconds before our father and sire come in here. They’re going room to room.”

Aiden grabbed his sketchscreen while Colton disappeared through the billowing gold fabric and midnight blue brocade. His brother was kind enough to reach back and offer to hold his screen while he climbed out.

After taking his screen back from Colton, the three of them and Muffin snuck around the perimeter of the castle. Colton took the lead, leaving Payton and Muffin to bring up the rear. If they could make it around back, the hedges and rosebushes in the formal garden would conceal them as they made their way to the stables.

“Psst.” Payton tapped Aiden’s shoulder. “Give me your cravat.”

“What?” Aiden turned to his older sibling. Payton had on a pale blue waistcoat over a snowy white shirt
and
neckcloth. “Why?”

Payton rolled his eyes and blew a dark hank of hair off his forehead, like the answer should have been obvious. “So I can fashion some sort of cover for Muffin. I can’t walk around with her naked.”

Aiden didn’t see why not, she was a baby. It may not be acceptable for her to go unclothed, but it would look much worse for Aiden to go

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J.L. Langley

around disheveled. Not that he particularly cared, but Father would have his hide if he caused a scandal. Aiden nearly scoffed at the thought. How many times had he heard and discarded the rules of propriety? Just going out un-chaperoned would result in a scandal if he were caught.

“Fine. Colton, hold this.” Handing off his screen to his brother, Aiden untied his cravat and tossed it to Payton.

“Thank you. Now take her so I can take off my own.” Payton passed the naked sprite to Aiden and proceeded to unknot his cravat.

Grabbing Aiden’s cheeks with her chubby little hands, Muffin planted a big sloppy kiss right on his lips. “I wuv aah-ven-chures.”

“Would you three hurry?” Colton hissed over his shoulder, already several yards ahead of them.

They jogged to catch up, with Muffin clinging to Aiden’s neck and Payton stripping as he followed. When they made it to the side of the garden, directly across from the stables and transport barn, they stopped for a breath.

Aiden set Muffin on her feet and Payton wrapped the neckcloths around her, fashioning a sort of toga/bikini. It was an interesting ensemble, but Muffin didn’t seem to mind.

She preened for them. “Pretty?”

Aiden chuckled. “Yes, Muffin, you’re pretty.”

Groaning, Colton handed Aiden his sketchscreen. “Rexley will throttle all of us if he sees her dressed like that.”

Picking Muffin back up, Payton snorted. “Well, it’s certainly better than her going in the buff.”

Colton shrugged. “I suppose that’s true.” Looking back toward the castle, he cocked his head to the side. “Now we have to sneak to the stables. I need to get Apollo if I’m going to ride to the creek.”

“Why are you wasting your free time riding by the creek? You can do that with a chaperone.”

Grinning, Colton raised a brow. “Yes, but if I run into Lord Wentworth on his day off with a chaperone, I can’t—”

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My Fair Captain

Payton started shaking his head before Colton ever finished his sentence. “No. You are
not
to go near Viscount Wentworth without a chaperone. Sebastian Hastings may be the head of the Royal Guards but he’s a widower and single, not to mention a known rake. You’ll be compromised. Then what? Father and Cony will blame me, because I shut off
The Spy
.”

Aiden nodded his agreement. Payton would be in as much trouble as Colton. But Colton would be forced into a nuptial ceremony with Lord Wentworth. Knowing Colton, that was probably his goal. Unlike Aiden and Payton, Colton actually enjoyed being out in society and seeking a consort.

Shrugging, Aiden nudged Colton. “Come on. I want to get one of the lifts and go to the docks before someone catches us. I’ve been dying to sketch the hydro-space freighters and the water ships.”

* * * * *

The docks were busy and loud, booming with life, unlike anything Aiden had ever seen. He’d been with his sire and his father to the Regelence Space Docks. He’d even been on the customs pier of the Space Docks, but it was nothing like this.

On the customs pier it was rare to see cargo moved off a ship.

Usually an inspector boarded, examined the contents and left, clearing the freighter for travel in the Regelence solar system.

Here, on the docks at the Bay of Pruluce, sailors busily distributed their freight to different ships for delivery. Large, shiny-metal space freighters hovered over the wooden docks where their cargo was lowered.

Once on the ground, the goods were transferred, some to hover trucks and trailers for land distribution, and others to the water ships for allocation to other countries on Regelence. Some of the ships, the Cargo Hydro-Space Crafts, could even be used for water travel or space travel.

They had an open deck on top used for sailing and a massive enclosed

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J.L. Langley

hull for space travel. No matter the ship, it was all very fascinating watching the people hurrying about them.

The country of Pruluce was a contrast, a mixture of old and new. The port piers, people and buildings looked much like they would have in Earth’s eighteen hundreds, but most of the vehicles were top-of-the-line new technology. For an artist it was a veritable dream come true with its variety of textures, colors and shapes.

Captivating as the port was, the stench of fish and rot permeated the air, making Aiden glad he’d picked a spot overlooking the docks. If the odor was this strong from thirty feet away, it was probably suffocating near the water. On the hill, the grass was soft beneath his stomach—his preferred working position—and he could still enjoy the experience. It was rare for a young lord to get the opportunity to see the core of Regelence’s interplanetary commerce. Until Aiden was twenty-five years of age it was likely to be the only time he’d witness it. Therefore, he was determined to capture it. The more settings an artist could portray the better, and he was nothing if not committed to his art.

Shifting his attention away from the scene below and back to his sketch, he frowned. He’d already used half the memory on his screen rendering several of the Cargo Hydro-Space Crafts, and now he was trying to perfect the water compulsion system under the water ships. The technology made the ships much faster and more efficient than the regular boats used for pleasure, but not nearly as easy to depict.
Draw
what you see, Aiden, not what you think you see.
The thing was, he wasn’t sure what he saw, the water was constantly in motion, going up into the hovering vessels, then back down into the ocean.