Rescued By The Viscount's Ring. Carol Arens

      This was tricky business. She could not keep the child’s whereabouts a secret from her parent.

      ‘I see. I’m hiding from a fortune hunter, just until I can get on the Edwina.’

      As she suspected, that bit of information caught the child’s attention. Hopefully the fact that they were both hiding would form a bond between them and give Madeline some indication of how to proceed with this turn of events.

      ‘I’m supposed to get on the ship, too.’

      Madeline scooted closer. ‘We are both in a bit of a pickle, it seems. Why don’t you want to go with your father?’

      She hadn’t said so—quite—but it seemed clear that she did not want to.

      ‘I do.’ She turned red-rimmed eyes up at her, dabbed her nose on her sleeve. ‘But Mama isn’t going to Liverpool and I want to stay here with her.’

      That was understandable. Had Madeline been lucky enough to have a mother, she would have done anything to remain with her. While Grandfather had done a loving job of raising both her and her cousin, Clementine, she had always longed for her mother. It didn’t matter that she had no clear memory of her.

      ‘Why isn’t your mother going with you?’

      ‘There wasn’t enough money for her ticket. Papa is going to send for her once he starts his new job in London. But I want to stay with Mama.’

      ‘Clara Lee Adelbackmore!’ a man’s voice shouted.

      ‘Clara!’ a woman’s voice echoed, but it sounded worried rather than stern.

      ‘You must be Clara?’

      ‘Yes, miss.’

      ‘Your parents are frightened. They don’t know you are only feet away. Surely they must be fearing all manner of horrid things to have happened to you.’

      The same as Grandfather must be fearing for her. Shame for what she had done to that wonderful man made Madeline want to weep right along with Clara.

      It would have been right and good to send Grandfather a wire letting him know she was safe, but she was not quite sure where to send it. He was no longer in Los Angeles, she did know that. London was where he might be. She could only guess that Clementine had been forced to marry the Earl of Fencroft in Madeline’s place. As desperately as she needed Grandfather’s forgiveness, she needed her cousin’s, as well.

      In this case, a wire would not do. The magnitude of her misdeed called for an apology in the flesh. Had the prodigal son sent a note to his father, well, it would not have been right.

      ‘I’ll come out of hiding after Papa sails with my brothers.’

      ‘I doubt they will go, not with you missing. You should go along with what your father and mother planned. They purchased a ticket for you. You must use it.’

      ‘I won’t go without Mama.’

      Of course, they could all make the trip together. And Madeline had a perfectly valid ticket gripped in her fist.

      She could give it to the girl’s mother. It would mean remaining in New York until she earned enough money for another fare. It might take a very long time since she hadn’t many skills and she would also need funds to live on.

      She desperately needed this ticket and should not part with it. But standing by when a child and her mother were about to be separated and knowing she could prevent it—that was a bit too much guilt to carry.

      Madeline’s heart was far too heavy with regret as it was.

      ‘Come along.’ She stood up and reached her hand down to Clara. ‘Your parents are growing quite frantic. In a moment it will be the police looking for you.’

      She shook her head. Her hat slipped off her mop of dark-brown curls.

      ‘It’s all right,’ she said with a smile which would appear sincere even though Madeline felt like weeping. ‘Your mother can have my ticket.’

      ‘But the fortune hunter!’ She sprang to her feet. ‘Won’t he catch you?’

      ‘No.’ She straightened the girl’s hat, adjusted the ribbons under the small, trembling chin. ‘I’m a good bit smarter than he is.’

      Rees Dalton stood beside the Captain of the Edwina, smelling like coal, soot and sweat while silently observing passengers coming aboard over the wide gangplank.

      ‘Is there anything more specific you can tell me about what would constitute lax behaviour in the fire room, Captain Collier?’ All activity aboard the ship he had recently purchased was of vital importance to him, but the furnace area was critical when it came to the safety of everyone on board. ‘Anything at all that you might have forgotten to mention?’

      ‘No, my lord.’ The Captain rocked back slightly on the heels of his boots. ‘Your attention down there is paramount. As I said before, if the work is done incorrectly it could cause an explosion. I’ve heard of such things happening.’

      ‘While we are on board the ship, please remember to call me Rees, or Mr Dalton. I can hardly observe operations if my identity is discovered. I fear no one will act naturally in my presence.’

      ‘Not to be presumptuous, sir—Rees, that is—but might you not have hired a man to see to the job? It is hardly suitable for a man of your position.’

      Rees shook his head while watching a family across the dock near the ticket office. There were six of them holding on to each other and looking distressed.

      ‘No. I cannot remain at my estate while the safety of passengers and crew aboard my ship is at issue. There are certain things a man must see to himself.’ But, in fact, he had hired a few men to secretly inspect the less-urgent areas of the ship’s operation. ‘May I borrow your spyglass, Captain?’

      Rees took the offered telescope and focused the lens on the family. A girl of about twelve years was crying inconsolably and her parents and siblings were not faring much better.

      ‘It’s a common sight, Mr Dalton.’ The Captain tugged on his coat. The twin rows of polished brass buttons would be sparkling in the morning sunshine had there been any. ‘Often it’s too costly for all the family to make the crossing at one time. The father will go, then send for the rest when he is settled.’

      ‘I see,’ Rees muttered while scanning the dock for anything that might be out of place. ‘Is there not a family fare to prevent such a thing?’

      He supposed he ought to know, but he was only recently a ship owner. There was more he did not know about the way things worked than what he did.

      ‘The previous owner didn’t offer it.’

      Perhaps he ought to have. Mr McClure had gone bankrupt. It’s how Rees had been able to purchase the ship at a reasonable price.

      From what he had learned of the situation, the man was more concerned with setting a record time for an Atlantic crossing than anything else. Apparently, there was fierce competition among ship owners to make the fastest crossing time.

      McClure had put that before anything else. As a result, he had neglected the welfare of the passengers. Even the crew tended to be careless of their comfort. Word had spread and passengers booked more pleasant passage. Naturally the venture failed and he never did make the quickest time.

      ‘Tell me again, Captain, what might go wrong within the fire room.’

      He’d heard it all before, but it still bore repeating.

      People entrusted their well-being into his hands. While he hired fellows to see to some things, it was for Rees to monitor the most important ones.

      It would be unconscionable for him to remain