Page 89 of Miss Wylde and the Wynd

“The engine has gotten hotter and the valve gear is failing to maintain rhythm. We are pulling in at the Port of Douglas.”

“Where is that?” Damian demanded.

“Isle of Man,” the man answered. “Gather your things because you will need to leave the ship as soon as it docks.”

As the man walked away, Damian closed the door and leaned back against it.

“Isle of Man?” Georgie asked. She may have heard the name but was uncertain of the location.

“Isle of Man,” Damian groaned. “An Island in the middle of the Irish Sea.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

On a regular ship, with sails and no engines, nobody needed to worry about something overheating or starting a fire or blowing up.

Nor did he need to worry about being disturbed when he was in the middle of seduction.

Damian picked up his valise and satchel and made certain that everything was put away and secure as Georgie did the same. She then quickly shook out her skirts, likely hoping to remove the wrinkles, then placed the straw bonnet on her head.

They then made their way to the deck and watched as the captain called out orders, directing the steamship into the bay.

“I am even more certain now than I was before that I have no interest in purchasing a steamship for Trade Wynd until they become safer and more reliable.”

“Have you ever been to the Isle of Man?” Georgie asked quietly.

“No, I have not and while I am glad for the opportunity to visit, I am not pleased with the reason we are here.”

“Maybe the repairs will not take so long and we can look on this as another adventure.”

As the ship came to a stop so that they could disembark, the captain approached.

“When might your issues be resolved so that we can continue on our journey?” Damian asked, afraid of the answer.

“I have no way of knowing. The engineer needs to inspect every part of the engine to determine what needs to be repaired.”

“How long might that take?” Georgie asked.

The captain shrugged. “A sennight, maybe longer depending on the damage.”

At the answer, Georgie stiffened and Damian knew immediately that she feared reaching Greenock before Grace sailed for America.

“We must reach Greenock in less than a fortnight.”

“I apologize Mrs. Wynd, but it is unsafe to travel, but I am certain that you can find passage on merchant ship as they travel there often from this port, or a ferry to Whitehaven then mail coach the rest of the way, or a packet ship, which is the most reliable and often sails to Greenock.”

“Where might we find any of those?” Georgie demanded, just as she had of him when they first met and she insisted on finding her sister.

“I suggest you visit the quayside shipping agent or the harbormaster’s office on the North Quay. They will have all the information you need to book passage.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Georgie muttered before she marched down the gangplank.

“My wife is very worried about her sister,” Damian explained and was careful not to apologize because he well understood Georgie’s concern and he was rather frustrated himself.

*

Georgie waited for Damian to join her, her heart beating heavily with panic. What if they were stranded here and she was unable to get to Greenock before Grace sailed for America.

She had been certain that she would see her sister in only a few days and had allowed herself to relax. Now she might not even make it to her in time.