Sea of Christmas Miracles Read Online Free Page A

street one day. But you
passed by so quickly there was no chance.” She lifted her hands as
if that settled that.
    Which in Thomas’s mind it most certainly did
not. True he avoided those who tried to conduct business with him
on the sidewalk. Most of them were soliciting funds. And it
certainly wasn’t as if he didn’t give his share to charities. He
had Wilson make regular contributions to the Ladies Benevolent
Society and the Associated Charities Society of Charleston. He
certainly couldn’t be expected to get personally involved. He was
much too busy. Which led him to the next question.
    “If you wished to see me so desperately, why
didn’t you simply wait until February? I’m sure we could have
conducted whatever business we might have then... in much more
civilized surroundings.”
    “Because February is too late, Mister
Blackstone. After I accepted the fact that you didn’t have a heart,
I realized more drastic measures had to be taken.”
    Didn’t have a heart? Hearing that irked the
hell out of him. But before Thomas could open his mouth to tell his
kidnapper exactly what he thought of her a wave crashed over the
bow. Cold water slapped at his face, thoroughly soaking his hair
and clothes.
    The only consolation was that she appeared as
wet as he. She blinked at him over droplet-covered spectacles. “We
need to get to shore and find some shelter.”
    “No!” Margaret held on to the tiller with all
her might. She wasn’t about to beach the boat in the middle of
nowhere and be stranded with him. Damn the storm anyway. “It’s just
a little farther.” If she could only stay on course for another two
hours she could sail up Morgan Creek. When she reached the school,
Grace could help her with Mr. Blackstone. Except Grace didn’t know
what she’d done, and despite the Negro woman’s undying devotion to
the orphanage, Margaret feared she might have a problem with
kidnapping.
    But Margaret didn’t have time to think about
that now. The wind was getting worse, and her captor was becoming
more agitated as the waves dashed them about. “We won’t make it
much farther. Hell, it’s not like we’re staying on a straight
course, anyway.”
    Margaret had to admit to herself she had very
little control over the shallop’s erratic motion. She bit her lip,
tasting the salt from the incessant spray of seawater, and tried to
decide what to do. Her plan had seemed so simple when she’d
conceived it. So simple and so necessary. Now...
    “You’re going to get us killed.” Thomas had
done his share of defying weather when he was younger, and he’d
always found it risky business. After one hair-raising episode he
learned to trust his instincts when it came to the squalls that hit
the coast between Charleston and Royal Oak. And his instincts told
him it was past time to get to shore.
    But damn it, he was tied, hand and foot, and
he had an uncomfortable feeling Margaret Howe Lewis couldn’t navigate the boat to shore.
    “Untie me!” Thomas had to yell it twice
before she heard him over the roar of the wind. A cold, icy rain
had started, and was slanting into them like frozen needles.
    “Noooo.” She let the word trail out as she
shook her head. What would he do to her if he were free?
    “I’m a dead man if we capsize.”
    Margaret stared at him, trying to calm her
breathing. Good Lord, he was right. And regardless of what he did
to her, she couldn’t risk killing him. He might be despicable. But
she couldn’t be responsible for his death. She wasn’t such a coward
as to let him die because she was afraid of what he might do to
her... at least she told herself she wasn’t. Besides, she would
have to contend with him sometime regardless. That is, if they
survived this storm at sea.
    Using all her strength Margaret straightened
the tiller enough to hook the rope around it. Then, holding on to
the side of the wildly tossing boat she reached beneath the seat
for the small stash of necessities she’d packed.