The Shipmaster's Daughter by Jessica Wolf Read Free Book Online Page A

know who she is right, Father? Aphrodite? She’s the goddess of love and beauty. Brigette taught me about her yesterday.”
    “Miss Renaldi? A Greek goddess?” Jack repeated, his eyes wide in mock astoundment.
    Esther nodded vigorously. “Uncle Jack, you’ll just love her once you meet her.” She hesitated before adding, “She’s quiet, but really a nice person once you get to–” Her words disappeared as she looked in the direction of the staircase. “There she is,” she breathed, tugging on Reed’s hand.
    Sure enough, Luciana stood at the top of the stairs. Her eyes were fixed on a book and her hand gripped the railing tight as she made her way down. As always, she wore the same green gown, plain but elegant.
    “Miss Renaldi,” Esther started. Luciana looked up, startled. When her face relaxed, her eyebrow arched. “Come meet my uncle.”
    Luciana closed her book and held it in front of her like a barrier as she descended the rest of the stairs. She looked at Jack, Reed, then Esther. Her face was always the same—disinterested.
    “This is my Uncle Jack Lipold,” Esther continued. She lowered her voice, hid her mouth with her hand, and stood on her tiptoes. “He’s not really my uncle, though. Just my father’s good friend.”
    For the first time, a genuine smile crossed Luciana’s face. It was there for only a fleeting moment before it disappeared, but for a brief second, she was at ease.
    Jack reached out and took her hand, pressing a kiss above her knuckles. Reed released a deep sigh and closed his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
    “Miss Renaldi, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last,” he drawled.
    She titled her head to the side, evidently caught off guard by Jack’s words. “ Signore Lipold, it’s nice to meet you.”
    “I told you she was pretty,” Esther whispered, nudging him.
    Jack kept his eyes firmly rooted on Luciana. “Yes, the donna is very bella .”
    At that, Reed stepped in and grasped Jack’s shoulder. “You must stop before you embarrass yourself any further.” He turned his eyes to Luciana. “Was there something you needed?”
    She drew in a sharp breath then released it. “I just came down to see if the mail had arrived.”
    Reed checked his pocket watch. “Not for another hour, I don’t think.”
    Her face fell. “Oh, well, le mie scuse if I disturbed you.”
    Jack wrenched his shoulder out of Reed’s grasp, offering his arm to her. “Not at all, good lady. In fact, you’ve saved me from this hairy monster.”
    Luciana laughed, much to Reed’s chagrin. She hooked her hand around Jack’s elbow. He started toward the staircase, but stopped at the sound of a knock on the door. Luciana dropped his arm like it was on fire, taking off toward the noise. Peters beat her to it and opened the door before she could. He spoke to the visitor for a brief moment then closed the door again.
    “Miss Renaldi, a letter came for you, and for you, sir.”
    He divvied out the letters, giving one to Luciana and three to Reed. She turned her back to the group as the empty envelope fluttered to the ground. Reed glanced over his letters. One from his mother, one from his office in town, and one from one of his tenants. The letter from town and his tenant could wait a few more days. Work could wait; it always did.
    He handed the letter from his mother to Esther. “There might be a treat for you in there,” he said, sending her off to her room. She went without a fight. He was poised to lead Jack to his office when out of the corner of his eye he saw Luciana sag against the wall, her hand covering her mouth.
    “Good news?” he asked. He hoped she would nod and that would be that. He didn’t like the way Jack was staring at her, enthralled and yearning. It would be best if he could lead his friend away before he said anything else more brainless and embarrassing than he already had.
    Luciana’s eyes flicked up from her letter. “No.” The word came out as a