Read Online The Last Honest Seamstress by Gina Robinson - Free Book Online
Authors: Gina Robinson
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on, afraid of another gap in the conversation. The Captain gave her a slight squint of quick appraisal, then turned to inspect the room with apparent seriousness.
"If I take a loan out, my monthly payments would be about the same, but the down payment would tie up my capital. It makes me uneasy to think of incurring so much debt when I'm only getting started here. And, as I said before, I'm not even certain the banks will lend me the money."
She watched as the Captain walked around the room, looking at the foundation, tapping on the walls. What was it about him that inspired her to spout confidences?
"Surely as a businessman you can understand my worries?"
"I do." He inspected the seam around the window. "The building seems sound enough, but I'm no inspector."
She nodded, disappointed. He wasn't going to give her his opinion. She walked to the counter. "Shall we fill out the order for your suit?"
He followed her to the counter, picked out fabric, answered her questions.
"I'll pay you your regular price for this, Miss Sheridan. I was planning to come in and order one before—"
"No, you won't. A deal is a deal. I'm a woman of my word."
"I can't let you—"
"You'll have to."
"Then let me compensate with a favor. I have a friend who's a builder. Let me send him around to check out your building before you make a decision."
"You're very kind. It's been a worry." She looked down to hide her embarrassment. "I would be grateful."
She finished writing the order and looked up. "You're a remarkable man, Captain O'Neill. I owe you a thank you."
"How so?"
He gave her such an expectant look that she hoped her words wouldn't disappoint him. "Your refusal of my earlier offer made me realize the folly of embarrassing another man with such a ridiculous proposal."
"I see." The expectant look vanished, replaced with an unreadable mask. She had somehow disappointed him.
"I'm sorry for any embarrassment I caused you before," she said. The expectant look didn't return. "I'm glad you came by today." Nothing.
"My pleasure. Well, I must get back to my ship. Good day, Miss Sheridan."
She watched him walk away and close the door gently behind him. He hadn't made one move to court her. She had picked the one man in Seattle who wasn’t interested in her. When she sat back down at her machine, instead of pumping madly away at the treadle, she stared out the window tracing his path with her eyes and sighed.
Con exhaled deeply as he stepped out from the shade of the awning into the bright sunlight and headed toward the wharf. He'd been sucked into her shop by a force as strong and irresistible as the magnetic pull on a compass needle. Now the visit, the thought of which had made him as uneasy as sailing through wind-chopped seas, was over and it had been too easy. He had found out exactly what he had wanted to know without having to pry. Or hell, make any attempt at all. She just popped out with it—she wasn't going to propose to anyone else. She actually thanked him for that, for bringing her back to her senses.
He couldn't hold down his smile. He must be beaming like an idiot. He had spent two sleepless nights worrying that she'd hook herself up with some scoundrel who'd make her the promises she wanted to hear, then break every one. Maybe he was the only man around fool enough to turn her down, but he'd have her on his own terms or not at all.
He didn't bother to ask himself why he hadn't just accepted and pressed for a long engagement, buying himself time to court her properly. He had been so confounded it hadn't occurred to him until later, and when it had he tossed it out as quickly as it had bounced in. It wasn't in his nature to use trickery or deceit. Mam, and later Captain Will, had impressed him with a sense of honesty and fairness that had become almost innate. He'd never used deceit to achieve his means before, and he wasn't about to start with Miss Sheridan.
She'd caught his attention the day he'd
"If I take a loan out, my monthly payments would be about the same, but the down payment would tie up my capital. It makes me uneasy to think of incurring so much debt when I'm only getting started here. And, as I said before, I'm not even certain the banks will lend me the money."
She watched as the Captain walked around the room, looking at the foundation, tapping on the walls. What was it about him that inspired her to spout confidences?
"Surely as a businessman you can understand my worries?"
"I do." He inspected the seam around the window. "The building seems sound enough, but I'm no inspector."
She nodded, disappointed. He wasn't going to give her his opinion. She walked to the counter. "Shall we fill out the order for your suit?"
He followed her to the counter, picked out fabric, answered her questions.
"I'll pay you your regular price for this, Miss Sheridan. I was planning to come in and order one before—"
"No, you won't. A deal is a deal. I'm a woman of my word."
"I can't let you—"
"You'll have to."
"Then let me compensate with a favor. I have a friend who's a builder. Let me send him around to check out your building before you make a decision."
"You're very kind. It's been a worry." She looked down to hide her embarrassment. "I would be grateful."
She finished writing the order and looked up. "You're a remarkable man, Captain O'Neill. I owe you a thank you."
"How so?"
He gave her such an expectant look that she hoped her words wouldn't disappoint him. "Your refusal of my earlier offer made me realize the folly of embarrassing another man with such a ridiculous proposal."
"I see." The expectant look vanished, replaced with an unreadable mask. She had somehow disappointed him.
"I'm sorry for any embarrassment I caused you before," she said. The expectant look didn't return. "I'm glad you came by today." Nothing.
"My pleasure. Well, I must get back to my ship. Good day, Miss Sheridan."
She watched him walk away and close the door gently behind him. He hadn't made one move to court her. She had picked the one man in Seattle who wasn’t interested in her. When she sat back down at her machine, instead of pumping madly away at the treadle, she stared out the window tracing his path with her eyes and sighed.
Con exhaled deeply as he stepped out from the shade of the awning into the bright sunlight and headed toward the wharf. He'd been sucked into her shop by a force as strong and irresistible as the magnetic pull on a compass needle. Now the visit, the thought of which had made him as uneasy as sailing through wind-chopped seas, was over and it had been too easy. He had found out exactly what he had wanted to know without having to pry. Or hell, make any attempt at all. She just popped out with it—she wasn't going to propose to anyone else. She actually thanked him for that, for bringing her back to her senses.
He couldn't hold down his smile. He must be beaming like an idiot. He had spent two sleepless nights worrying that she'd hook herself up with some scoundrel who'd make her the promises she wanted to hear, then break every one. Maybe he was the only man around fool enough to turn her down, but he'd have her on his own terms or not at all.
He didn't bother to ask himself why he hadn't just accepted and pressed for a long engagement, buying himself time to court her properly. He had been so confounded it hadn't occurred to him until later, and when it had he tossed it out as quickly as it had bounced in. It wasn't in his nature to use trickery or deceit. Mam, and later Captain Will, had impressed him with a sense of honesty and fairness that had become almost innate. He'd never used deceit to achieve his means before, and he wasn't about to start with Miss Sheridan.
She'd caught his attention the day he'd
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