The Shipmaster's Daughter Read Online Free Page B

loved them, she knew there came a time when a child left their home. She would have done so back in Italy, but when her mother died, she remained at home to support her father. Now, if her brother was indeed dead, would she have to remain with her father even longer?
    She rolled onto her back, sighing. Being cast aside had taught her resilience and ingenuity. If it were true one of her brothers had died, she should be able to figure out a way to pursue her own life while caring for her father at the same time. She’d done it before; she would do it again.
    To the sound of waves in the distance and wind beating against the house, Luciana fell asleep again.

Chapter 4
    “S ir, it’s been four days. I think Miss Renaldi has recovered.”
    Reed looked up from his paper, narrowing his eyes at Mrs. Peters. “Do you?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “You know that I detest sickness, Mrs. Peters. Having those men downstairs has been hard enough. If we turn this girl loose in the house, I don’t want the entire staff, nor my daughter, getting infected.”
    “Sir, she is without fever. If anything, she only has a cold.”
    Reed set aside his paper. He smoothed the down the crumpled edges, ran a hand down his face, then waved in her direction. “Fine. You have my permission to allow her out of the room. But—” He held up a finger. “—if she shows any signs of regressing, send her to the doctor and don’t let her return.”
    Mrs. Peters curtseyed. “Yes, sir.”
    Four days the visitors had been at Yellow Brook. Four days Reed had listened to nothing but violent coughing through thin walls. And in the course of four days, one of the men had died during the night. Poor Brigette had woken the whole house with her screams when she found him. Now that the two men who were left had recovered significantly, Reed was eager to return to the way things had been before they arrived. He had work to get back to, after all.
    He left his office and headed toward the great hall. To his surprise, he found the sailors already standing in the foyer, speaking with Peters. One of the men, the leader of the two, shook Peters’s hand. The burn that covered his face didn’t hinder the smile he wore on his lips.
    “Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Peters.”
    “Don’t thank me, sir. Thank Mr. Hargrave.” Peters stepped aside, motioning to Reed.
    The man stuck out his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Hargrave.”
    Reed shook his hand. “I’m glad the two of you recovered, but I’m sorry for your loss.”
    “Billy was always a sick boy. I suppose drifting in the ocean all night was the last straw, but thank you anyway.”
    “Peters told me your ship sank? Quite unfortunate.”
    “Yes, sir. The Charity. Rodger and I are from England, but we’ve been living in Italy for some time. Our ship was taking cargo and a few passengers to America when there was an unfortunate mishap involving a canon.” He blanched and glanced at his friend. “The ship went down and, as far as I know, Rodger, the lady, and I are the only survivors.”
    “Lucky you.” Reed paused. “Where are you headed now?”
    “London. We haven’t been home in years.”
    “In that case, don’t let me keep you longer than necessary.” Reed jumped at the chance to send the men away without any fuss. Had the opportunity not presented itself as it had, Reed was unsure he would have been able to force a conversation much longer. “Good luck on your next endeavor, gentlemen.” He motioned toward the front door.
    “Wait!”
    Reed swallowed back a sigh. He turned his eyes toward the staircase. The woman—Miss Renaldi—stood at the top, her hand clutching the banister. She looked remarkably different compared to the first time he had seen her. Her hair was no longer disheveled and it cascaded down her back in dark waves. She wore a purple dress that bore a yellow stain on the left side. What from, Reed couldn’t tell. The cut on her cheek was still red around the edges, but it was scabbed