suggested such finality that Selena turned her head away. It shouldn’t hurt so much, being told she wasn’t wanted, she thought. But she had done her best to persuade Kyle to accept her proposal. She couldn’t force his consent. There remained only for her to extricate herself from this awkward situation as gracefully as possible.
“Very well then, Captain,” she murmured, gathering the mare’s reins in her gloved hands. “Thank you for your time.”
Before she could turn her horse around, though, Kyle closed the distance between them and grasped the animal’s bridle. When he looked up at her, Selena could see the green flecks in his hazel eyes and the crinkled web of laugh lines at the corners.
Yet he wasn’t anywhere close to laughing now. He searched her face for a long moment, then reached up to gently touch her trembling chin with a long forefinger. “Moonwitch, if I were free… I really think I might be tempted.”
She forced a smile at his gallantry but couldn’t manage to answer. She was grateful when he released her horse’s bridle and stepped back.
Kyle watched her ride away in silence. When she had disappeared, he raked his fingers through his chestnut hair in consternation, thinking of the reason he wasn’t free. His son. A child he wasn’t able to acknowledge. He loved the boy, fiercely.
He had never expected to feel that way about anything but the sea. Two years ago he would never have credited how profoundly he could be affected by a single dimpled grin from one small toddler. Nothing had ever claimed his heart like that before, not even his family. He had revered his parents, and he held his sisters in great affection, yet the bond between a father and son was stronger, deeper....
Kyle shook his head again in frustration. He couldn’t marry Selena Markham. Not at the risk of losing his son. But he was determined not to let her impossible proposal cut up his peace or spoil his last days as a seafaring adventurer. There were too few of them left.
Snatching up his fishing pole, Kyle took two strides toward the swelling waves. Then abruptly, he turned back and hurled his pole down in the sand.
“Oh, hell!” he muttered, wondering how she had managed to make him feel like such a cad for refusing her.
Selena wasn’t sure whether her fierce disappointment was due more to the captain’s rejection or because she would have to deal with Avery and Edith alone, without even the comfort of a reluctant husband by her side. But she knew she needed to reflect on her options before she took any further steps to resolve her future.
It was unfortunate, therefore, that a proprietor of a large sugar plantation was frequently occupied by concerns of the estate. When she returned home, Selena found several problems to engage her attention and prevent her from dwelling on her own situation—chief among them the difficult birth of twins by one of her household servants. After spending the afternoon in the plantation hospital, where she provided support and encouragement rather than medical expertise, she barely had time to bathe and dress for the lieutenant governor’s ball that was to be held that evening.
If she could have refused to attend the ball, she would have done so, for the thought of confronting Avery about his betrayal tied her stomach in knots. But she knew he would demand an explanation if she suddenly came down with a headache or some other feminine ailment, and she preferred to postpone their discussion till she had time to collect herself, or at least until they could be private.
She dallied over her toilette as long as possible, and when she was dressed in a high-waisted gown of ice-blue silk with an overskirt of silver tissue, and the blue-plumed brimless toque bonnet she had purchased in town the day before, she went to join Edith and Avery in the parlor.
Avery was pacing the floor impatiently. He looked distinguished in an elegantly tailored green coat and tall beaver hat, but
“Very well then, Captain,” she murmured, gathering the mare’s reins in her gloved hands. “Thank you for your time.”
Before she could turn her horse around, though, Kyle closed the distance between them and grasped the animal’s bridle. When he looked up at her, Selena could see the green flecks in his hazel eyes and the crinkled web of laugh lines at the corners.
Yet he wasn’t anywhere close to laughing now. He searched her face for a long moment, then reached up to gently touch her trembling chin with a long forefinger. “Moonwitch, if I were free… I really think I might be tempted.”
She forced a smile at his gallantry but couldn’t manage to answer. She was grateful when he released her horse’s bridle and stepped back.
Kyle watched her ride away in silence. When she had disappeared, he raked his fingers through his chestnut hair in consternation, thinking of the reason he wasn’t free. His son. A child he wasn’t able to acknowledge. He loved the boy, fiercely.
He had never expected to feel that way about anything but the sea. Two years ago he would never have credited how profoundly he could be affected by a single dimpled grin from one small toddler. Nothing had ever claimed his heart like that before, not even his family. He had revered his parents, and he held his sisters in great affection, yet the bond between a father and son was stronger, deeper....
Kyle shook his head again in frustration. He couldn’t marry Selena Markham. Not at the risk of losing his son. But he was determined not to let her impossible proposal cut up his peace or spoil his last days as a seafaring adventurer. There were too few of them left.
Snatching up his fishing pole, Kyle took two strides toward the swelling waves. Then abruptly, he turned back and hurled his pole down in the sand.
“Oh, hell!” he muttered, wondering how she had managed to make him feel like such a cad for refusing her.
Selena wasn’t sure whether her fierce disappointment was due more to the captain’s rejection or because she would have to deal with Avery and Edith alone, without even the comfort of a reluctant husband by her side. But she knew she needed to reflect on her options before she took any further steps to resolve her future.
It was unfortunate, therefore, that a proprietor of a large sugar plantation was frequently occupied by concerns of the estate. When she returned home, Selena found several problems to engage her attention and prevent her from dwelling on her own situation—chief among them the difficult birth of twins by one of her household servants. After spending the afternoon in the plantation hospital, where she provided support and encouragement rather than medical expertise, she barely had time to bathe and dress for the lieutenant governor’s ball that was to be held that evening.
If she could have refused to attend the ball, she would have done so, for the thought of confronting Avery about his betrayal tied her stomach in knots. But she knew he would demand an explanation if she suddenly came down with a headache or some other feminine ailment, and she preferred to postpone their discussion till she had time to collect herself, or at least until they could be private.
She dallied over her toilette as long as possible, and when she was dressed in a high-waisted gown of ice-blue silk with an overskirt of silver tissue, and the blue-plumed brimless toque bonnet she had purchased in town the day before, she went to join Edith and Avery in the parlor.
Avery was pacing the floor impatiently. He looked distinguished in an elegantly tailored green coat and tall beaver hat, but
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