The Shipmaster's Daughter (30 page)

“It’s...pleasant in here,” he said, sticking his fingers in his pockets.

Luciana smiled and looked around the room. Her eyes softened. “It’s beautiful. When did you have it repaired?”

He dragged his hand through a box of indoor grasses. “A while ago.”

“Oh.” She picked up a pair of small clippers and turned her back, returning to her work.

He rubbed his hand across his jaw, unsure of what to say. He wanted to ask her if she had considered anything more, but he didn’t want to push her into declining him for good. God, women were confusing. He was never able to grasp Katherine’s way of doing things. Luciana was no less confounding. If anything, she was more so.

“I have some good news,” he said.

Luciana looked over her shoulder, eyebrow raised. “What is it?”

“The doctor said Esther is officially on the mend.”

She set the clippers down and spun to face him. “Really?”

He nodded and felt a smile spread his lips. “She will be out of bed within a week.”

Luciana laughed and covered her mouth. Her eyes sparkled with tears and before he could say anything more she threw her arms around his neck. Her toes brushed against the floor when Reed wrapped his arms around her back and lifted her from the ground. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, concealing his grin. As she laughed, her chest shook against his own. A warm feeling crept up the back of his neck and he set her down before he might do anything untoward.

She wiped a tear from her cheek. “That is wonderful news.” She nudged his arm with her hand. “I told you she would get better.”

Reed rubbed the back of his neck. “I know. You did.”

She sighed and faced the row of plants before her; he mirrored her movements. “I was worried for a while.”

“Me, too.” He shook his head and braced his hands on the box before him. “I don’t know what I would have done had she...”

Luciana looked sidelong at him. They stood close enough for their shoulders to touch. He could smell the lavender on her skin and see a bead of sweat roll down her neck. When his eyes moved to her mouth, he stopped. It was smiling—a soft, sweet smile. His eyes flicked to hers.

“I’m so relieved for you, Reed,” she whispered.

Was she leaning in? He couldn’t tell.

He swallowed hard, his eyes returning to her lips. “Mhm,” was all he could manage when his throat felt like it was filled with cotton.

And then she was kissing him. It was unlike their first kiss in that Luciana was no longer gentle nor was the kiss chaste. He felt like he could drown in the feel of her lips, but he didn’t mind. If he were to die in any way, he would prefer to die pressed against the woman he loved. When she pulled away, both parties gasped for breath.

Reed kept his hand on the back of her head, smirking. “Does this mean you’ve reconsidered?”

She tossed her head back and laughed. “No,” she said between breaths, “I haven’t.”

He drew his hand away and frowned. Then why the hell had she kissed him? She took his hand and gave him the same irritating, sweet smile that made his heart crumble. He was a weak, weak man when it came to her, dear gracious.

“I did think about it,” she said. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone—even though you can be a prideful ass. But I have a job, and even if it is...silly, I’m proud of the work I do. I can’t leave Sam either, not with his eyes failing. Reed, I can’t be with you not because I don’t love you or because I haven’t forgiven you. I have forgiven you twenty times over. I can’t be with you because I can’t bear the thought of giving up the life I’m making for myself.”

He scoffed. “Is that the true reason?”

She nodded, her chin set firm.
“Si, signore.”

Clutching his hand against his chest, Reed let go of a deep breath. “Oh thank God.”

Her brow turned down in a sharp frown. “Excuse me?”

Taking her shoulders into his hands, he stooped to put them at eye level. “Did you honestly think I would take you away from something you love? Luciana, I want you to pursue your dreams. True English gentlemen would balk at the idea of their wife spending her days in a dress shop as an attendant. I am not a true English gentlemen. For God’s sake, look at my hair!”

She bit back a smile. “It is a little unruly.”

“All you had to do was tell me.”

A pretty blush covered her cheeks, but she kept her chin set hard. “I thought you wouldn’t want me to work.”

He shrugged. “I honestly don’t give a damn whether or not you work. Just as long as you stay. Tell me you’ll stay. Be my wife, Luciana.”

She sucked in a sharp breath and bit her lower lip. He, too, felt like gasping. He hadn’t meant to propose. He had thought about it, but he hadn’t meant to actually go and do it. He did want to marry her. One day, at least. He wanted to spend the rest of his life getting to know her and appreciate her for all that she was worth.

“Can I—” She licked her lips. “Can I think about it?”

Did the thinking ever end with this woman? Most of the decisions Reed made were spur of the moment. Still, he chuckled.

“Of course.”

She offered him a reassuring smile. “I think I’ll go upstairs and see Esther and then go visit Sam. He probably thinks I’ve fallen off the world.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I’ll give you my answer tomorrow.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

She backed away, a bright smile permanently ingrained on her face. He took that as a good sign. When she slipped through the door and disappeared around the corner, he let out a bark of laughter.

Jack would be livid when he found out. He would never trust Reed again, and somehow, he didn’t care.

Chapter 33

L
uciana pushed open the door to Sam’s Dresses, breathing in the familiar scent of apples and freshly washed cloth. Her heart was bursting. She couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she walked toward the back.

She was in love. She was so in love. She wanted to scream it from the rooftops.

She should have told Reed her reservations in the first place. It would have saved her two nights of endless agony. And now Esther was on the mend, too. The day couldn’t get any better.

“Miss?”

She turned at the voice of a customer. “
Si
?”

“Don’t you work here? I think I’ve seen you before.”

Luciana nodded. “I do.”

“Could you cut this for me?”

“I will in a moment. I need to speak with my employer first.”

The woman backed away. “I’ll be waiting.”

“I’ll be waiting,”
Reed had said. She broke out into another grin and hurried into the back room lest she keep the customer waiting too long.

Sam stood where he always stood: behind one of the worktables. He had his face shoved against his project, slowly pulling a needle in and out of a dress hem. He didn’t hear Luciana the first two times she cleared her throat.

“Sam!”

He dropped his needle, shrieking. When he saw her, he cursed, stamping his foot against the floor. “Don’t ever do that to me again, girl! I could have died.” He reached for his stool and lowered himself onto the chair.

Luciana walked into the room and leaned against the worktable. “You didn’t seem to notice me the first time.”

“Bah. I notice everythin’. I was just choosin’ to ignore you.”

Her eyes widened. “And why is that?”

“Cause you’ve up and left me!” He threw his hand to the sky before dropping them back to his legs. “Two and a half weeks you’ve been at that house and not a word from you.”

“I’m sorry. I was preoccupied.” He rolled his eyes. “A little girl almost died, Sam.”

“I almost died.”

“You’re dramatic.”

“I’m old. That’s what happens when you get old.”

“Do you want to know why I’m here now or do you want me to go?” She jerked her thumb toward the door.

“I want you to kiss my cheek and then tell me why you’ve made a reappearance.” Dutifully, Luciana kissed his cheek and crouched beside his stool. He put his palms flat on his thighs and stared at her intently. “Now you can tell me.”

“Reed proposed this afternoon.” Her heart fluttered again.

“He did what?”

“He asked me to marry him.”

“I thought you hated him.”

She shoved his arm. “I never said that.”

“Your eyes did.”

“You’re almost blind, Sam!”

He crossed his arms. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him that I would give him an answer tomorrow. I wanted to talk to you first.”

Sam pulled a face and touched his chest. “Little old me?”

She nodded. “Little old you.”

“Why would you want to talk to me?”

“I want to know what you think of him.”

“I think he’s a good-for-nothing dolt.”

“Now you’re just being difficult.”

“He broke your heart in two, didn’t he?” She paused before nodding. “What happened to that whole episode, eh?”

“He told me he was wrong, that he had let his tendency to assume things get in the way, and he asked me to forgive him.”

“Do you believe he’s tellin’ the truth?”

“
Si,
with all my heart.”

Sam narrowed his deep set eyes. “So why are you asking me what I thought of him?”

Luciana shrugged. “You’re the closest thing I have to father, I suppose. My own father drowned and left me to die.” She scoffed, shaking her head. “That’s beside the point, though. I want to know if you think marrying him would be wise.”

Sam leaned forward on his stool, turning his eyes toward the door. He thought for a long moment and then looked back at her. “When he walked in that door, you and I both thought that he was angry with you. A normal man would shout or say something rude to boost his wounded ego. Instead, he asked about my dog and complemented my shop. He even chose to ignore you asking if his daughter hated you.”

“Were you listening the whole time?” she interrupted, mouth open in shock.

He held up his hands. “Somebody had to be on standby in case it all went to the pits. I was ready with my broom.” He laughed. “What I’m trying to say is, Reed is a man unlike normal men. He’s got one hell of a pride, but he knows when to put his issues to the side and look to more important things. So I think you’d do well by marryin’ him, yes.”

Luciana squeezed Sam’s arm as relief flooded her lungs. “
Grazie
. And,” she continued, “as long as you’ll still have me, I want to continue working here and learning from you.”

Sam considered this, his lips pursed. “You can continue on as long as you bring me a doughnut every Tuesday morning.”

Grinning, Luciana extended her hand to him. “You’ve got yourself a deal,
signore
.”

Late that next morning, Luciana headed for Yellow Brook. The air was warm despite the month being November. A gentle breeze lifted over her every once in a while, filling her nose with the scent of the sea. When the
Charity
sank all those months ago, she never would have imagined herself still here. She would have been in Italy had her aunts not been dead. And she never would have found Sam without Aliana Martin. Yes, like her mother had always said, for everything there was a reason.

She walked leisurely, admiring the scenery and the people passing by. She would always receive stares, she knew. The women of Eastbourne were so unlike her with their styled hair, clinging dresses, and white skin. She was happy with her long hair and comfortable dresses and tan skin. Those things made her who she was. Italian to boot and in love with an Englishman.

When she awoke that morning, she had expected to be filled with nerves. She was, after all, about to be engaged. Her stomach and her heart were at ease, though. Maybe that was because they knew it was all going to be fine, there was nothing for her to fear. She would have the best of both worlds: her love and her work.

She started up the drive that led to the front door of Yellow Brook. Home, this was home.

“Luciana, Luciana!”

A smile lifted her lips when she heard Esther’s voice coming from the beach. She redirected her steps down the hill toward Esther sitting on a blanket. Reed stood a little ways off, skipping stones on the ocean waves. He was failing miserably by the looks of it.

Luciana gave Esther a gentle squeeze when she reached the blanket. “I’m so happy to see you better,
mio caro
,” she said, smoothing down the girl’s hair.

“I’m happy to be better.” She lowered her voice. “Father says you’re getting married.”

Luciana tilted her head. “Am I? To whom?”

“To Father, of course.” Esther giggled. “I always knew you would.”

Luciana rose from her crouch as Reed walked toward her. She clasped her hands before her and raised her eyebrows.

“I heard there is to be a marriage.”

He tossed a rock back and forth between his hands. “There might be. The bride is still undecided.”

“Oh, is she? I thought I heard she made up her mind.”

“Has she?” Luciana’s heart began to beat faster at Reed’s smirk. “What has she decided? I assume you know since you seem to be so intimately acquainted with her.”

She was really going to do this, wasn’t she?