Read Online Tide and Tempest (Edge of Freedom Book #3) by Elizabeth Ludwig - Free Book Online Page B

Sister Agnes her plans. She only hoped she wouldn’t be leaving the nuns in a bind—
    “Miss McGrath?”
    Upon hearing her name called, she halted and looked up the street. Weaving through the crowd of shoppers and children, a large figure hastened toward her. It took her a moment to realize who it was. She drew back her shoulders, resisting the urge to also smooth her skirt.
    “Captain Morgan?”
    He removed his cap as he drew near and dipped his head. “Good afternoon.”
    “This is an unexpected surprise.”
    “I hope you don’t mind,” he said as he replaced the cap on his head. “I went by the boardinghouse this afternoon. I was hoping to speak with you. They told me I could find you here.”
    “Actually I was just on my way to the church. Our Lady of Deliverance,” she clarified, “the shelter I told you about.”
    “I see.” The troubled frown cleared from his face, and he swept his hand toward the sidewalk. “Do you mind if I accompany you?”
    Indecision held her motionless. He was nigh a stranger, after all, no matter how kind he seemed. No, that wasn’t really fair. She’d been witness to his kindness firsthand. Her cheeks warmed as she nodded and set off again toward the church.
    Though the sun still shone brightly, it wasn’t with the blazing heat of midday. Indeed, a pleasant ocean breeze stirred the hair on her neck, and twice she saw the captain turn his gaze toward the harbor, as if lured by the scent of the sea.
    Not that he was inattentive company. They hadn’t walked far before she realized she rather liked having the handsome captain strolling by her side. He directed the conversation with a skill that set her at ease, asking questions about the church and shelter and volunteering stories about his Catholic upbringing that made her smile.
    When they reached the corner near the land office, she slowed, of habit searching for the sign in the window and sighing with relief when she saw it hadn’t moved.
    “Something wrong?” The captain’s deep voice pulled her thoughts away from the orphanage.
    She shook her head. “No. Forgive me. We should be going.”
    He moved past her toward the land office window. “What is this?”
    Tillie’s heart pounded. The orphanage had been a secret dream for so long, she almost feared giving voice to it. “’Tis . . . uh . . .”
    Reflected in the window, his eyes sought hers. “A house?”
    He turned. This time when he looked at her, his gray eyes gleamed an almost steely blue. “You be thinking of moving? Of leaving the city?”
    “Not leaving, exactly. The house is located in the Lower East Side, near the church.”
    “Have you been to see it?”
    It had seemed too bold, too presumptuous to visit. “Not yet.”
    “But you’ve considered purchasing it.”
    His questions were too direct, and they reminded her of her parents. She stiffened her spine and glared at him. “May I ask why it matters to you?”
    Her retort only served to sharpen the intensity of his gaze. He closed the gap between them, and though he towered over her, she refused to step back, despite the shaking of her knees.
    Thankfully, when next he spoke, his voice and his manner were gentle. “I pray you forgive my impertinence. Truly I mean no disrespect, but I must know. Miss McGrath . . . are you betrothed?”

9
    The moment he’d asked the question, Morgan wanted to bite off his tongue. Tillie looked angry enough to slap him, and well she should. He wasn’t her suitor, nor kin with familial responsibilities to uphold. Yet the query hung in the air between them unanswered.
    Confusion clouded her brow. “Betrothed? Why on earth would you ask such a question?”
    The obvious answer was that he was concerned for her welfare. The truth went much deeper.
    Her attention drifted to the flyer with the picture of the house for sale in the window. “Oh, you thought . . .”
    Embarrassment burned his face and neck. None of this was going as he’d planned. How in