Free Jewels by Danielle Steel Page A

dined with them at the captain’s table.
    “You’re not engaged to anyone, Miss Thompson?” Captain Irving asked with a twinkle in his eye, as her mother held her breath as to what she would answer.
    “No, I’m not,” Sarah said coolly, with a faint blush on her cheeks, and a hand that trembled as she set down her wineglass.
    “How fortunate for the young men in Europe.”
    Sarah smiled demurely, but she felt the words like a knife to her heart No, she wasn’t engaged, she was waiting for her divorce to come through in November, one year after the hearing. Divorce. She felt like a ruined woman. But at least no one here knew, that was a blessing of sorts, and she was grateful for it. And with any luck at all, no one in Europe would know either.
    The captain asked her to dance, and she looked beautiful in his arms, in an ice-blue satin dress her mother had had made for her before her wedding to Freddie. The dress had been part of her trousseau, and she felt a knot in her throat that night as she put it on. And another when a young man she had never met asked her to dance with him, immediately after the captain. She seemed to hesitate for a long time, and then nodded politely.
    “Where are you from?” He was very tall, and very blond, and she could hear from his accent that he was English.
    “New York.”
    “Are you coming to London?” He seemed to be having a very good time, he had been watching Sarah for days, but he had found her to be very elusive and a little daunting. She had offered him no encouragement at all, which he found somewhat dismaying.
    Sarah was intentionally vague with him. She had no interest in being pursued by anyone, and in an odd way, he reminded her a little bit of Freddie.
    “Where would you be staying?”
    “With friends of my parents,” she lied, knowing full well they had reservations at Claridge’s, and would be in London for at least two weeks, but she had no desire whatsoever to see him. And mercifully for her, the dance ended quickly. He attempted to hang around after that, but Sarah offered him no encouragement, and a few minutes later, he took the hint and went back to his own table.
    “I see young Lord Winthrop is not to your liking,” the captain teased her. He had been the prize catch on the ship, and all the marriageable young ladies seemed determined to pursue him. All except for the extremely aloof Miss Thompson.
    “Not at all. I simply don’t know him,” Sarah said coolly.
    “Do you wish to be formally introduced?” the captain offered, but Sarah only smiled as she shook her head.
    “No, thank you, Captain.” She danced with her father after that, and the captain commented to Victoria on her daughter’s intelligence and beauty.
    “She’s an unusual girl,” he said, clearly in admiration of her. He had enjoyed talking to her, almost as much as her own father had during the five-day crossing. “And so pretty. She seems remarkably well behaved for someone so young. I can’t imagine you have any problems with her at all.”
    “No.” Victoria smiled, proud of her youngest daughter, “except that she’s a little too well behaved.” Victoria smiled in spite of herself, dismayed by Sarah’s total indifference to young Lord Winthrop. It didn’t bode well for the rest of the young men in Europe. “She’s had a great disappointment in her life,” she confided in him, “and I’m afraid she’s been withdrawn from everyone for some time. We’re hoping to bring her out of herself a bit in Europe.”
    “I see,” he nodded, understanding better now. It explained her total lack of interest in Phillip Winthrop. “She won’t be an easy young woman to find a man for,” he said honestly. “She’s too intelligent, and too wise, and she doesn’t seem to be interested in much in the way of nonsense. Perhaps an older man.” He liked the girl, and he found himself pondering the problem, and then smiled at her mother “You’re very fortunate. She’s a