The Shipmaster's Daughter Read Online Free Page A

“Never mind that, then. We’ll let him deal with you. Say goodbye now.”
    Esther waved to Luciana, but disappointment clouded her face. Luciana knew the feeling of yearning for an elder person’s approval. All through her childhood, she’d clung to her brothers, doing whatever she could to please them. They’d rarely ever glanced her way.
    Once Mrs. Peters succeeded in shooing Esther down the hall, she turned to Luciana. “I apologize. She’s the master’s daughter. Always gets into things that she shouldn’t.”
    Luciana glanced to the open trunk, pursing her lips. “I’d noticed.”
    “She’s rather spoiled, too, being Mr. Hargrave’s only child. He dotes on her far too much.”
    “ signora Peters, all of this talk about that little girl is... wonderful, but I wonder if I might be allowed to go and visit my brothers now?” She knew she sounded rude, but the desire to see her family safe and whole overtook her sense of common politeness.
    Mrs. Peters jaw went slack. Her eyes widened, shocked by Luciana’s sharp voice. With a quick sniff, she regained her composure. “I’m sorry, miss, but no, you cannot.”
    “Why not? I have to let them know that I’m all right.”
    “I understand that, but you’re still sick. Mr. Hargrave wants you in this room until you’re without a fever.”
    Luciana touched her forehead. To her dismay, it still felt warm and slick. The rest of her body felt fine, despite some uncomfortable soreness.
    “I’m sure that he could allow me one trip down the hall,” she said, raising her eyebrows in hope that Mrs. Peters would ease a little on her tight control.
    “No, miss. Mr. Hargrave is a strict man. Orders are orders.” She handed Luciana a glass of milk. “And there’s something else you should know...”
    Luciana pulled the glass away from her lips, raising her eyebrows. “ Si ?”
    Mrs. Peters wrung her hands together, avoiding Luciana’s eyes. “One of the men that washed up—he passed away during the night. The fever was too much for him to bare, I suppose.”
    The news was like a blow to Luciana’s stomach. She set aside the glass of milk, pushing her hand through her hair. “What was his name?” she breathed, afraid to ask, afraid to hear the answer.
    The housekeeper just shrugged. “We don’t know any of their names. All they’ve done is sleep since we found them. But don’t worry, miss, I’m sure everything will turn out all right.”
    Luciana blinked. How could the woman say such a thing? After just telling her that her brother was dead? Luciana’s friends had warned her of the strange ways of the Americans, but perhaps the British were worse.
    “I think I’ll rest now, signora ,” Luciana whispered, sinking low into the bed. “Grazie.”
    Mrs. Peters looked at the untouched tray of food. “Are you sure? You haven’t eaten anything since you arrived.”
    “I’m fine, honest.” Luciana wouldn’t be able to stomach anything now anyway.
    “I’ll close the curtains for you, then.” She crossed the room, drew the curtains, and then returned to the foot of the bed to pick up the tray. “If there’s anything you need, pull that cord in the corner and I’ll be here.”
    Luciana turned her head away and drew the covers to her chin. “Thank you.”
    She felt Mrs. Peters’s eyes on her before the door finally opened and closed. Was one of her brothers really dead? She could barely remember anything from the night the ship went down. Everything was a blur of water and flame. Surely they had survived and were waiting in the great hall. Surely it was one of the other men that died. Massimo and Piero were strong. A shipwreck couldn’t kill them.
    After losing her mother and her father’s business, the prospect of losing anyone else tore her heart in two. They couldn’t be dead. They couldn’t be.
    But if one of them were dead, what was she to do? Luciana didn’t want to rely on her brothers. She’d done that for too long. And though she