04/14/2026
An excerpt from Mary Crawford's story...
“Will you stand with me?” Mary asked. “I will need some friends.”
Gabe pulled out a chair for her to have a seat. “With pleasure, Miss Crawford. With pleasure. However, you should know that I am prone to giving orders, so do not be offended if I occasionally present advice as a command.”
Tom chuckled. “He did not rise to the positions he did without knowing how to give orders, and it seems it has either become part of his fabric or he was always thus. Now, tell me, why you will need friends to stand with you, Miss Crawford.” He leaned forward eagerly.
“She has set her course without your guidance,” Gabe replied.
To Mary, there was a hint of pride in Mr. Durward’s tone, which was excessively pleasing. How long had it been since someone had been proud of her? “Lady St. James was not pleased to see me with a mere mister.”
“From trade,” Gabe added.
“You told her you were in trade?” Tom asked in surprise.
Gabe shrugged. “She was rude.”
Tom rolled his eyes. “She has a Lady before her name. Of course, she was rude.”
“I do not approve of rudeness. I will not accept it from those under my command, nor will I tolerate it with any amount of complacence when it is whispered in front of me in such a fashion as to pretend I am not there while guaranteeing I know what is being said.”
Tom shook his head. “You will have a very hard time finding a wife with such an attitude. Word of a snub of Lady St. James will spread like the fire did through London in 1666, and it could be just as damaging. Rebuilding will not be easy or quick. Ouch! I see no need to kick me.”
“I do.”
Mary blew out a breath. She had just ruined herself. How was she to find acceptance and a husband of any worth if she were to be shunned? She knew very well how vicious Sarah could be.
“Miss Crawford, the cannons will run their course, and when the smoke clears, you will have your prize. Do you know what that prize is?” He shot an angry glare at Tom while speaking gently to her.
She shook her head.
He took her hand. “You will have destroyed the admiral.”
Mary blinked.
“You will have destroyed the admiral,” Gabe repeated.
_______
from Mary: To Protect Her Heart
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