The Affectionate Adversary by Catherine Palmer Read Free Book Online Page B

leather to a high shine.
    Would she have him? Dare Sarah Carlyle take the risk of being wed to a man she had known such a short time? A crippled pauper who by his own admission had nothing to offer her save a raft of promises and dreams? She must set aside all reason to take him on, Charles knew. Yet how could he make his way forward without her?
    He would return to his father empty-handed, their plans erased by a band of sea rovers. But if he could bring back Sarah to become his wife, the journey would have been worth the loss. She was a treasure beyond compare. Her lovely form and bright brown eyes would inspire any man. Her faith in him, her stalwart certainty that he could achieve his goals, meant all the world to Charles.
    Standing from the bench where he had shined his boots, he checked that his coat lapels lay flat upon his chest and his shirt collar stood firmly upright against his neck. Sarah had to love him. She must. He would do everything in his power to win her heart. No sacrifice could be too great, for he had seen inside the woman something that would complete him. She held the key to his success and happiness, and without her beside him, he could not imagine going on.
    Breathing a prayer to the Almighty for strength and courage, Charles gritted his teeth and took a step toward the rail. Sarah stood with the other passengers as the ship sailed along the banks of the Thames, where wharves and warehouses teemed with laborers ready to greet each new vessel. His heart thudding, Charles took up his cane and forced his weakened leg forward. He would lift it from the deck. He would stride like a man again. And he would have Sarah Carlyle.
    As he moved into position beside her, she spotted him and caught her breath. Her face broke into a brilliant smile. Cheeks pink and eyes shining, she greeted him warmly. “Good afternoon, Mr. Locke. I feared I should not see you at all today.”
    He tipped his hat. “I was much occupied this morning, madam. If I may have a word with you in private, I shall present a summary of my thoughts.”
    Glancing over his shoulder, she nodded. “The tea tables are empty, I see. Everyone waits at the rail, for we are expected to weigh anchor in less than half an hour.”
    “Time enough.” He took her elbow and led her to a chair beneath the awning that had been erected to protect passengers from the equatorial sun. As he seated himself, Charles took a folded sheet of paper from the breast pocket inside his coat. “Before I present to you any repetition of that offer which yesterday caused you such bewilderment, Sarah, permit me to explain myself further.”
    Lowering her eyes, she folded her gloved hands together on the table. “Charles, you must allow me to speak.”
    “Hear me first, Sarah; I beg you.” The expression in her eyes told him what he had no desire to hear. He must convince her now. He must. “It is true that the chest of money upon which my father and I intended to build our fortune is lost. But as you said yourself, I am not without resources. On this page, I have listed my assets and my options. You know that I was educated at Cambridge, and it is likely that I shall find beneficial employment with any number of respectable establishments. Or I may choose to study further—in the law or in finance. My uncle works at the Bank of England, and I am certain he can assist me in joining him there. No matter what position I take, I am certain to rise in the ranks, and my salary will grow. But see now how I have outlined several other viable options for my future.”
    Charles ran his finger down the paper on which he had detailed every possibility. “For example,” he went on, “it is likely that my father may know of investors who might be willing to embark on another tea venture—even without the basis of capital that was stolen from us. We are not wholly unconnected, for the family my father served as steward has many reputable friends and acquaintances. These