A Leap of Faith (The Hands of Time: Book 2) by Irina Shapiro Read Free Book Online Page B

couldn’t help noticing that the man was very attractive, but he seemed annoyed by their presence, and didn’t bother with the niceties as he led them to their cabins.
    Louisa sat down on the narrow berth, taking stock.  This would be her home for the next two months, give or take a week.  The cabin was tiny, with two berths bolted to the wall on opposite sides , and a small porthole above a wooden table.  There were two nails high in the wall for hanging clothes, and a bucket with a lid beneath one of the berths.  Luxury accommodations of the seventeenth century.
    “ ’Tis quite nice, ain’t it?” asked Agnes as she surveyed the small space, sitting stiffly on the edge of the berth. 
                  “I couldn’t have asked for more,” answered Louisa with a smile.  If this was the worst of her hardships, she would gladly deal with it to get to Valerie.  “I wonder who the other passengers are.” 
                  “I heard there was an older couple with their daughter, us and the reverend.  There ain’t that many cabins for passengers here -- only four.  The rest are for the officers.  The sailors sleep down below in hammocks.  What did ye make of that Mr. Sheridan, Miss?” 
                  “I haven’t had enough time to form an opinion.”
                  “’e is very handsome, I thought,” babbled Agnes as she put away their few possessions. 
                  “I suppose he is.”  In truth, Louisa barely noticed the man’s face.  She was too nervous to pay attention.  She felt the ship shudder beneath her feet, as it began to move out of the harbor toward the open sea.  She was truly on her way now.  Oh, Val, just stay put long enough for me to get there , she thought. 
     

Chapter 10
     
    Valerie threw on her dressing gown and crept from the room.  Alec was still asleep, his face peaceful in the milky light of dawn.  These were the only times when he didn’t look worried, and Valerie felt a terrible guilt for the stress she caused him.  She wished the horrible dreams would just go away.  Alec was right, of course, she’d never had what people in these times called the Sight.  If she had, she wouldn’t have allowed Finlay to get involved with the murder plot that led to his death.  Valerie suspected that Alec still carried the scars of that night.  Only three people knew the truth of what happened in that cell, and one of them was dead.  It took Alec all his considerable will to suffocate his brother.  It had been the only way to save him from more torture, and an execution that would probably involve drawing and quartering –- the most horrible punishment; reserved for High Treason. 
    It had been a mercy killing, but Alec had never been quite the same.  Valerie could see the pain in Alec’s eyes when he looked at young Finlay, the spitting image of his father.  And now he was worrying about this pregnancy.  True, Louisa’s birth had almost killed them both, but every time she looked at her beautiful girl, she felt it had all been worth it.  This baby would be worth it too.  What were the chances of two breech births?  Of course, she was now forty, and that was risky even in modern times, but Valerie tried not to dwell on the negative.  Everything would be all right.
    How easy all this would have been in the twenty-first century.  She would simply go to a hospital, and have a C-section performed by an actual doctor, in an operating room full of state-of-the-art equipment.  But then she wouldn’t have Alec.  Valerie had almost forgotten what modern life was like.  For the first few years, she still missed the conveniences of life in the future, but eventually the memories began to fade.  She had always been the type of person to adjust to her surroundings and try to make the best of the situation, and she made a conscious decision not to harp on the past –- or in this case, the future.
    The