The Sea Between by Carol Thomas Read Free Book Online Page A

everything I possess will be yours, and I’d like to think that in time it’ll pass on to your children. If you don’t produce any heirs, who’ll inherit everything when you die? Some distant damned relative in England, that’s who. Well, I don’t want that to happen! A man doesn’t labour all his life for that.’
    Richard lowered his eyes to his glass of rum. He swirled the contents around the sides for a moment, then looked up again and said evenly, ‘I do intend to marry, Father, but I don’t have much opportunity to meet women, let alone court them. You know how seldom I’m ashore.’
    ‘Well, you’re ashore now,’ Ben said. ‘And there’s a very fine single woman living less than a mile away. Charlotte. She’d make you a first-rate wife, Richard. She’s intelligent, resourceful, and she can look after herself—something your wife will certainly need to be able to do, with you away at sea so much.’
    ‘She’s also a very pretty young woman,’ Letitia chimed in. ‘If youdon’t snap her up, someone else will. John’s planning on sending her to live with her brother in Lyttelton soon, and she’ll have no shortage of admirers there.’
    ‘We’d like you to spend some time with her while you’re here.’ Ben fixed a serious eye on him.
    Richard gave his father a long look, then raised his glass and swallowed down a mouthful of rum. ‘I’ll give it some thought, Father,’ he said, as he lowered his glass. But his tone made it plain he wasn’t committing himself to doing anything beyond that.
    ‘Do that,’ Ben said, making it plain from his tone that he expected Richard to do rather more than just think.
    Sitting on the edge of his bed, Richard leaned over and undid his shoelaces. He pulled off his shoes and pushed them under the bed, then stripped off his socks and tossed them under the cane chair. Frowning, he stared at his bare feet. His mother and father were hoping he’d marry Charlotte—they’d made that crystal-clear. He knew why they were so keen on the idea. Quite aside from the fact that they liked Charlotte, there would be significant advantages in terms of the farm, advantages which his father would be considering. John Blake was a good neighbour, but he’d be an even better one if his daughter was married to his neighbour’s son. His parents probably had it in mind to suggest that Charlotte could move in with them if he married her. That arrangement would please his mother. She’d like nothing better than to have grandchildren running about the house.
    Rolling backwards on to the bed, he clasped his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He had to admit that he found Charlotte a very intriguing young woman. She was obviously very intelligent. She hadn’t said a great deal, but it was clear from thequestions she’d asked him about America that she knew more about the country than he did.
    He sighed and closed his eyes.
    ‘So,’ he said aloud. ‘My parents like her, there are advantages in terms of the farm, and she’s quite attractive.’ Were they sufficient reason to court her with a view to marrying her? He thought about it for a few minutes, then with another loud sigh opened his eyes. ‘No, they aren’t,’ he said.
    But they were definitely sufficient reason for getting to know her better.

Chapter 4
    M iss Blake—Captain Steele is here, asking if he may speak with you,’ Jessie Hall announced from the parlour doorway. ‘You’ll find him outside, in the yard, talking to your father.’
    ‘Well now, I wonder why Captain Steele wishes to speak to you, Charlotte?’ Isobel remarked tartly.
    ‘He’s wondering if Miss Blake will accompany him on a ride across the hills,’ Jessie explained. ‘I heard him asking Mr Blake.’
    ‘I see,’ Isobel said crisply.
    ‘What do you see, Aunt?’ Charlotte enquired pleasantly, rising to her feet, but not to the bait.
    ‘The beginning of a courtship. Why else would Captain Steele be inviting you to ride with