How to Kiss a Debutante: Marsden Descendants Book Four Read online

  "I suppose I should explain it so you won't be left in the dark. I'll need your assistance after all."

  Gemma got up from her seat and crossed to the window where Lilliana still stood. "You're my best friend. I'll help if I can, but I'm going to be honest and say I don't like this. I don't want to lose you. Please reconsider."

  "I will miss you, but I need to find my own way. Please understand this is the best thing for me."

  Gemma sighed and then pulled Lilliana into her arms for a hug. Lilliana wrapped her arms around her best friend. She had been curious about Gemma once she realized who she was. Lady Gemma Kemsley had been the girl her father wanted her brother to marry when they were younger. She sought out an introduction to get her measure and hadn't been disappointed in the young woman. They had only been friends for a few months, but in all her nineteen years she had never been close to another female her age. It didn't matter that a couple years separated their age; they were a different kind of soul mate. They appreciated each other on a level that no one else ever could or would.

  "I'll try to understand. I really will, but I'm never going to like it. You are my only friend. I will always wish for you to be near me..." Gemma pulled away from Lilliana and clasped their hands together. "Tell me what I can do to help."

  Lilliana knew she could count on Gemma. Elation filled her as she could envision how it would all work out. Now all she needed to do was give her all the details so she could do her part in the plan.

  "I overheard my parents talking. I had no intention of listening until I heard my name spoken. I found out some interesting things that I never knew. Not the least being that Mama never intended to get married and Father had blackmailed her into agreeing to be his wife."

  Gemma gasped. "What?"

  "Makes you stop and question the validity of their love and all that doesn't it?"

  Gemma's mouth hung open with shock radiating from her eyes. After a small pause while the information sank in she asked, "Why would he do such a thing?"

  "Once upon a time Papa sailed his ship, the Sea Rover, as its pirate captain. Apparently he had a little feud with Mama's grandpere and she became the leverage he needed to enact his revenge. They came out of it okay, clearly as they are still together." Lilliana flipped her hand dismissively as she spoke. "The point is that Mama said that by the time I'm twenty if I still don't wish to wed, she planned on giving me the deed to the plantation in South Carolina."

  Lilliana tried over and over to explain to her parents how much marriage was distasteful to her, without going into too much detail. If her father knew exactly how her heart had been bruised, he would have murderous intentions. The real issue was she didn't want anyone to know how naïve she had been. Now, she knew she could get what she wanted and nothing made her happier. Anxiety filled with equal swirls of excitement tumbled through her belly.

  "That's still too long for me to wait. I won't be twenty until December and that is nine months away. What I want to do is sail there now and use my family position to gain control. My plans are not going to change just because nine months pass by."

  "What good will that do? Without the deed securely in your control will they allow you to oversee the plantation? Isn't someone already there taking care of the property?" Gemma asked.

  "There is an overseer yes. I'm hoping to convince him that the letter giving him orders to give me control got lost on the mail packet before my arrival. Come let's sit down in comfort as we work out the details." Lilliana grabbed Gemma's hand and led her to the settee. After they were seated she poured them both tea and handed a cup to her friend. Lilliana took a sip of tea before continuing their conversation. "I've thought a lot about what needs to be done. Even if the overseer doesn't believe I have control of the plantation no one has the authority to throw me off the property because it is owned by my family. If I have to wait, I'd rather do it in South Carolina."

  Gemma nodded. "Okay, I suppose that makes sense. What do you need me to do?"

  "Well the tricky part is leaving without letting my parents know. First, I need to find a ship sailing to America. Once I book passage I'm going to need a way to get my trunks on board without raising suspicion. I'm not worried about funds. I've been saving all my pin money for months now." Lilliana gave Gemma a smile. Surely she would see how she thought of every possible issue in her plan.

  "So how do you plan on getting your trunks on board the ship?"

  "That is where you come in. Once I know what ship I'm on, I'd like you to invite me to come stay with you in the country for a week." Lilliana set her teacup down and gave Gemma her full attention. She really needed Gemma to help her. If she didn't, her whole plan would fall apart. Her eyes pleaded with Gemma as she spoke, "My family won't question it because they know that our schedule is relaxed at the moment. It will give me a reason to pack a trunk or two and have them loaded onto a carriage. The carriage with your family crest on it that is."

  "Oh, I understand. You will have the carriage drop you off at the docks and our servants will unload your trunks to be delivered to the ship. They won't have a reason to let your family know that you're boarding the ship. The servants will assume they already know." Gemma nodded her head in understanding.

  "I knew you'd get it." Excitement filled Lilliana's voice. "It's all coming together now. I only have one little facet to figure out before I can iron out the rest of the details. The first item I need to cross off my list is to figure out what ships are heading to America and if they are accepting passengers."

  "However are you going to figure that out?"

  "Oh, that's the easy part. I will just ask Liam," Lilliana proclaimed.

  Gemma blinked several times before she asked, "Won't he find that suspicious?"

  "Not at all," Lilliana said waving her hand. "He's constantly talking about the Marsden shipping line and its competitors. He just started to take over the business. Our father believes it's time for him to learn about his future inheritance."

  "I see. When do you plan on getting the information out of him?"

  "Tonight at the Silverton's ball. Father is making him escort me. I will make sure to have a friendly conversation with him in the carriage on our way."

  "You have thought of everything. I'm sure it will work just the way you want it." A small smile grew on Gemma's face as she looked at Lilliana. "I just wish your plans didn't have to take you so far away from England. Why couldn't you have fallen in love with a nice earl or baron...or even a mere mister? Anything that might inspire you to stay where I have an actual possibility to visit you, chances are I'll never be able to travel to America to visit. Promise me you'll come back to see me."

  "I promise to come back to see you. In the meantime, we'll keep in touch with lots and lots of letters. I want to know everything about your life and when you find the man of your dreams."

  "Good. I suppose I should go. I'll see you tonight at the ball."

  Gemma stood up and grabbed her pelisse. After she donned it, she walked over and gave Lilliana a quick hug. She watched as Gemma left the room and got up to walk back to the window to look at the rose garden. All she could do at this point was hope all of her plans went off without a hitch. Doubts clouded her mind as she knew from experience nothing ever went exactly as planned, and naught could be done to alleviate her anxiety. Lilliana decided to try and let it go. She turned and left the sitting room to find some kind of diversion. Perhaps a book would work to distract her thoughts away from any possible problems—thinking, or over thinking in her case, had always been her worst enemy. With a smile on her lips Lilliana strolled to the library. Dark feelings would not sink through and ruin her good mood. Preparation was the key to success. No one planned and schemed better than Lilliana Marsden.

  Chapter 2

  Randall Collins stepped out of a black open carriage and followed the Earl of Devon into his gentleman's club, Whites. Devon wanted to discuss business in a more dignified setting, hence the journey to his favorite club. Rand d
idn't much like overly pompous aristocrats, but Devon had an interest in a possible investment with his shipping company. If the meeting went as planned Rand would have a new investor and could expand his business.

  "Ah, here we are, have a seat Collins and we'll discuss what is next for RandCo Shipping," The Earl said as he sat down in the nearest seat at the table. "And whether or not I want to give you some of my money to invest."

  It grated on his nerves he had to seek investors to expand his business. Rand had a lot of big ideas and hoped the earl liked them enough to continue to invest in shipping company. He took the seat across from the earl and settled into discussing the future of his shipping company. With a small fleet of clippers at his disposal he did well enough for himself, but wanted to branch out into steamships for larger cargos and more reliable speeds.

  "Did you have a chance to look over the papers with my proposal?" Rand asked.

  "I did, and I admit my knowledge of shipping is rather limited. I hope you don't mind I invited someone that knows a bit more than I do to help me decipher some of the details. Viscount Torrington and his son should arrive soon." The Earl of Devon raised his head and scanned the room. He appeared to be scanning the room, as if looking for someone he invited to join them.

  Irritation filled Rand's gut as he let the earl's words absorb deep into his mind. He clenched his fists tightly under the table, not wanting the man to see how much his words bothered him. Hell yes he minded, Devon could consult anyone he chose, it was his right after all to make sure he was doing the right thing for himself. However, he could have at least let Rand know they'd be meeting with someone else prior to arriving at the club. It was hard to be prepared for a meeting when all of the details hadn't been presented in advance. Before he could voice objection, two men walked in and took a seat at the table. One was as dark as the other was light. They bore a striking resemblance, in spite of the opposite coloring, that made Rand believe them to be closely related.

  "Ah Torrington glad you and Liam could make it," Devon said. "This here is Randall Collins. He has grand ideas for steamships. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

  As they had not been introduced, Rand gathered the older gentleman Devon spoke to was Torrington, the man he previously mentioned would be joining them. The upper class tended to refer to each other by their titles or last names. Rand couldn't wait until he could sail back to America. The higher born in English society had a snobbish attitude that he had trouble stomaching. Torrington nodded his head at both Rand and Devon before he started to speak, "Liam knows a bit more about steamships than I do. He has been looking into them for a while now to determine if they are worth investing in. I'm a clipper man, but I realize their days are numbered."

  "I like the idea of steamships, but even they have their pitfalls. The coal needed to keep them running can be expensive. The cargo needs to bring in a more than fair price if a profit is to be made. They have their advantages, faster and more reliable travel. I think it's more economical for most cargo to continue to be brought over by clipper. Steamships are great for passengers and mail." The light haired man nodded at them as he sat up straight and looked Rand directly in the eye as he delivered his viewpoint.

  It was obvious that Liam's beliefs were in direct opposition to his own. Rand clenched his hands into tight fists underneath the table as anger and frustration permeated his whole body. The boy probably had a point, although minute, Rand however did not want to deal in passenger ships. People made things messy. They could be demanding and irritating on a good day and damn abusive any other time. The chances of him being willing to start a passenger line bordered on slim to none.

  "Is that the only good thing you can think of for steamships? What about cargo that requires a faster delivery? I know you English favor your tea. Steamships travel at faster speeds and allows for a swifter arrival. This means what you deem to be important cargo will arrive to its destination much sooner." He had to gain control of the conversation before these idiots talked Devon out of investing in his shipping line.

  Steamships did make great passenger ships. The mail packets arrived much faster when they were placed on a ship powered by steam, but Rand had grander ideas. There were plenty of reasons to start investing in steamships. Those that began to do it sooner would have profits much sooner than those waiting to see if it worked. Sometimes it was worth it to take on a risky venture; although Rand didn't think it was as chancy as they were making it sound.

  A bit of color formed on Liam's face. He clearly didn't like pointing out flaws in his estimation of the value of steamships. "You make a valid point, sir. Some cargo could benefit from the faster steamship. There is a clipper design that has been noted to bypass even a faster steamship. The record for the ship surpassed the fourteen knots of the steamship. That clipper managed to snatch up some of the tea trade. We had a few ships built around that design and they have worked wonderfully with any cargo that requires a more speedy arrival." Liam continued to glare at him as he spoke. His eyes crunched up in disapproval and his lips pursed into a thin line.

  "Okay, I admit I'm just getting more confused the more these two gentlemen talk. Tell me straight Torrington, are steamships a good investment?" Devon asked.

  "The short answer is yes, and no." Torrington grinned.

  Torrington had an amused smile on his face as he watched his son sit back in displeasure. Apparently Liam's attitude entertained him or it could be the volley of their conversation back and forth, Rand didn't care to know what that something was though. He just wanted to derail them before they ruined his investment possibility. Damn them and their advice. If they kept talking about the negativities surrounding steamships they were going to talk the earl out of investing, and Rand would be right back where he started.

  "That doesn't bloody help me." Devon threw his hands up in frustration.

  "That's because there isn't an easy answer to your question. Any new venture is risky. All signs point to steamships eventually taking over. There are a few ships that are built to be powered by both steam and wind. We are having a few of those built to try out in our shipping line." Liam rested his hand on the table and tapped his forefinger on the polished wood as he explained, "The idea is that if coal runs out or becomes too expensive the option to use wind is still available and not all will be lost in the voyage. It will probably be a few years before we branch into a ship completely powered by steam."

  "So you both do not believe steamships are the sound investment right now?" Heat began to dissipate through Rand as his anger reached a boiling point.

  "In the future yes, but now it is still risky," Torrington said. "They are making a lot of progress in their designs, but they all have flaws. I'd go with what is a known quantity."

  Rand unclenched his fists and wiped his sweaty palms over his thighs. His lips pursed in displeasure as he considered how to proceed. He couldn't erase the irritation from his voice as he spoke. "And yet you are still willing to try out a glorified clipper ship that could also be powered by steam?"

  "Yes." Torrington continued with a bit of mockery in his voice, "I did say I leaned towards clippers at the beginning of the conversation."

  Damned Englishman, and their perverse ways. The conversation was spiraling out of control. Rand tried to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted, but they were relentless in their opinions. He curled his fingers into fists underneath the table and refrained from smashing them against the polished wood.

  "I'll admit there is a certain beauty about clippers, but let's be realistic. The popularity of the ship has faded a lot over the past twenty years. The ship isn't seen in quite the same light as it used to be."

  "So do you recommend investing or not?" Devon asked as he turned his attention once more on Torrington. "I need to give the man an answer."

  Torrington looked at Devon and shrugged his shoulders. He looked him directly in the eyes as he spoke. "Honestly, it's up to you and how much of a risk you are willing to take
with your money. It isn't a bad investment. No matter what, eventually you will make money." Torrington picked up his drink and took a quick swig. He set his glass back on the table and scanned the table before his eyes landed on the Earl. "To put it simply, Devon, it depends on the market and how well the cargo is managed. I did look over his plan and RandCo has been steadily gaining in capital. It just hasn't been at a rapid pace. Expanding at this juncture requires more money and it's not gaining enough on its own."

  The more they opened their mouths the more irritated Rand became. He couldn't believe the gall of these men. They were talking around him instead of including him in the conversation. He had to force his way into it in order to be heard. He built RandCo all on his own. Yes, the progress had crawled at the pace of a snail, but the growth remained true. It might take him longer than he wanted it to, but he could continue to do it on his own. He'd be damned if he remained sitting here taking their distain and disapproval.

  Rand forced his way into the conversation. "Good of you to give the stamp of approval on my business, Ol' Chap. Why don't I save you all the time and just say that the offer is off the table. I don't especially like being discussed like I'm not here."

  Liam began, "We didn't mean to imply—"

  Rand interrupted, "Save it. You act like I don't know a lick about business. I built this company all on my own without your expert advice. I can continue to assemble it without your money too, Devon. I admit the boost probably would have made expanding easier. I just don't like the strings that extra help apparently comes with."

  He looked over and found Torrington studying him as if trying to ascertain his origin. He must not have a lot of experience dealing with Americans. He knew he could be a bit brash and defensive at times, but he had no desire to change.