Free Andrea Kane by Legacy of the Diamond Page A

deep, contented sigh. “Thank you.”
    “My pleasure. Would you like a fire?”
    “No. I’m fine—as long as I’m not alone.”
    “You’re not. I’m right here.” He waited until his words had sunk in and he felt the panic ease from her muscles. Then he sought to distract her. “Did I hear Aurora mention something about your birthday being imminent?”
    A tentative nod. “Next month.” She swallowed. “Papa’s gift was to be a puppy.”
    “Any specific kind of puppy?”
    “No. Just one who needed me—and, of course, one who was a natural sailor.”
    “As you are, I presume.”
    An ironic sound escaped Courtney’s lips. “I? Hardly. I dreaded every moment of our journeys. That’s why the second part of Papa’s gift meant so much. He planned to spend one full week with me. On land. Funny—” Her voice quavered. “At the time, it seemed too short an interval. Now, one week seems like the most priceless of gifts.”
    Slayde felt a wave of compassion—and a surge of confusion. “If you dreaded your journeys, why in God’s name did you go? Surely your father didn’t insist that you remain—”
    “He didn’t,” she interrupted. “Papa never knew of my feelings. No one did. In fact, you’re the first person I’ve ever told. Had I confessed the truth to Papa, one of two things would have happened: either he would have given up the sea, which I couldn’t abide—’twas his life—or he’d have restored me to boarding school, which would have been akin to thrashing me. I’d spent months pleading with him to withdraw me and equally as many months upending the school so they were more than happy to comply.”
    Slayde’s lips twitched. “It sounds like you were a terror.”
    “I was.” He felt her smile faintly against his shirt. “Trust me, Aurora is a lamb in comparison.”
    “What a harrowing thought.” Slayde’s brows knit. “When we first spoke of your father, you referred to the Isobel in affectionate terms—as your home.”
    “It was. Because Papa was there. But every night, I prayed for the impossible: that he would tire of the sea on his own and choose for us to settle down. To make a real home, together.”
    “I see.” Slayde stared off into space, wondering why he, the most circumspect of men, was asking so many intrusive questions, and more importantly, why he felt compelled to know as much as he could about his beautiful houseguest. “Is your mother alive?”
    “No. Mama died just after I was born. I never knew her. But I knew a great deal about her. Papa spoke of her constantly: her beauty, her warm-hearted nature, her enthusiasm for life. Of course, he was more than a bit subjective. He adored her.”
    “Did she live near the docks? Is that where they met?”
    A soft breath of laughter. “She lived in a mansion. They met when Papa’s ship was docked and Mama happened to be strolling near the water’s edge. Mama’s parents were blue bloods—titled and affluent. Needless to say, they were less than thrilled with her choice of husbands. But it didn’t matter, not to her or to Papa. They were very much in love. The fact that she was an aristocrat and Papa a sea captain mattered not a whit. Eventually, their devotion triumphed. They procured her parents’ blessing and were married that very week.” Courtney rose up, inclining her head in question. “Do you recall the timepiece you rescued? The one you placed in the nightstand drawer?”
    Slayde nodded. “I remember.”
    “It’s the finest of captain’s watches. And Papa’s most treasured memory of Mama. She gave it to him as a wedding gift, a symbol of their lives and their love. Not only is the craftsmanship exquisite, the scene within—” Courtney broke off, her eyes widening eagerly. “Would you like to see it? Really see it, in detail?”
    The glow on her face was worth the cost of a dozen timepieces combined. “Yes, I would. Very much.”
    Gingerly, Courtney twisted about and extracted the piece of