Free The Sister Wife by Diane Noble

Kenyon…though he said not…I am certain he placed some of the blame on me.” She looked away from Mary Rose. “Cara loved an audience. If I hadn’t gone along with her plan, she probably wouldn’t have ridden the stallion.”
    â€œCara was your friend.”
    â€œYes. The dearest ever.” She looked back to meet Mary Rose’s gaze. “And you remind me of her. I spotted it the moment I saw you.”
    She glanced around the room at the wide-eyed twins who’d been silently taking in the conversation, and her demeanor changed. Once again, she was the nanny in charge.
    â€œGirls,” she said to the twins. “Let’s help Lady Ashley choose what she will wear to the captain’s fancy dinner tonight.”
    She smiled at Mary Rose. “I have the perfect style in mind for your hair, should you allow it.”
    The twins came to life, crowding in to help. Bronwyn worked her nanny magic once more and before the hour was up, Oscar relaxed temporarily in his bucket, the twins had been scrubbed clean in the lukewarm bathwater, dressed in clean clothes, and three seamen had removed the water from the tub with buckets.
    Ruby explained to the tallest and most frightening in appearance that Oscar was going to live with them now, and that the tub was his new home. Therefore, it was important the tub remain in their cabin. The seaman, who wore a patch over one eye and called himself Fitzgibbons, soon returned with a large bucket of seawater. He gave each of the girls a large conch shell from the Sandwich Islands to place in the tub so Oscar would feel at home.
    â€œThe Thandwich Islandth.” Ruby’s eyes grew big.
    â€œAye, m’lady,” he said kindly to the child.
    â€œThat’s where our mommy and daddy live,” Pearl said, hugging the large pink shell.
    â€œThey’re mithionarieth,” Ruby added.
    The obvious question glinted in the seaman’s uncovered eye. His scowl was so fierce Mary Rose wondered if he was planning to shanghai the parents to reunite them with their children. “’Tis a beauteous place indeed,” he said. “And tomorry, if ye’ll bring these conches upside whilst I’m on watch, I’ll teach ye how to blow ’em like trumpets. Maybe just loud enough for yer ma’am and pap to hear ye.”
    The twins looked at each other then back to Fitzgibbons as if he was the handsomest, most bighearted man God could ever think of creating.
    â€œTruly?” Pearl breathed.
    â€œTruly,” Fitzgibbons said.
    â€œCroth your heart?”
    He crossed his heart, then bowing to them all, he backed his way to the door.

SIX
    Cavendish, Prince Edward Island
July 4, 1841
    E nid urged Sadie to a trot along the white-sand beach, her senses alert as the filly obeyed the gentle pressing of her heels against its flanks. Bending low, she rubbed Sadie’s neck, laying her cheek against the mare’s mane and combing it with her fingers. “Good girl,” she whispered. “The leg is healing, just as I told you.” She slowed the mare with another gentle command, using her thighs and heels.
    â€œLet’s see how it feels.” She drew the sorrel to canter, holding her breath to better hear the cadence of Sadie’s hooves on the wet sand. As she feared, the rhythm was uneven. “Still favoring it a wee bit, now, aren’t you?”
    Enid drew Sadie to a halt. She’d been riding bareback and easily slipped from Sadie’s back. She stooped to inspect the left fetlock, where weeks earlier Sadie’s injury had gone bone deep.It was healing, thanks to Enid’s ministrations of bitter salts, though it seemed too swollen for Enid’s liking. She kicked off her shoes, hiked up her skirts, and walked the filly to the water’s edge.
    She smiled into Sadie’s warm and trusting eyes, and then led her into the shallows waves. Sadie nickered, and Enid glanced back.