“I ought to plait it and leave it at that,” she said.
“Oh, look.” Mrs. Morgan stared down the shore. Her eyes brightened. “It is the doctor and the others.”
Hope glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes found Alejandro first, walking as he always did, confident in each step he took. Her heart flitted upward in her breast, most inconveniently causing her lungs to constrict. She put her hand to her chest, willing the offending organ to go back to its proper place.
He may not wish to discuss it, but that did not stop Hope from feeling something whenever he was near. It was not at all fair, that she finally came upon a gentleman who made her heart soar and ache, a man she knew she could love if given the chance, in a place where nothing could be done about those feelings.
Mrs. Morgan came out of the water. Hope followed, somewhat reluctantly. They met the gentlemen walking along the beach and the doctor fell back to walk with his wife, while Hope took up his place between the younger two men. She glanced over her shoulder once, after a few steps, to see the doctor had taken his wife in his arms, holding her in an embrace.
She faced forward again, catching her skirts in both hands. An overly cheerful voice broke in on her thoughts. “What have you busied yourself with today, Miss Everly?”
Hope glanced from Alejandro’s unsmiling face on one side to Mr. Thorne’s grin on the other. “Not a great deal, Mr. Thorne. It is not my visiting day, or my at home day.”
He chuckled. “No? Have you a ball to attend this evening? Or will it be the theater?”
“An opera.” The game made her smile. “I love music.”
“Do you?” Mr. Thorne’s eyebrows raised upward, and he darted a glance at Alejandro. “I am afraid everyone now knows I cannot carry a tune. But thankfully we have Córdoba. Have you a taste for the opera, sir?”
“I have never seen one.” Alejandro made the admission flatly. “In Buenos Aires, we had El Teatro Coliseo. But my father did not attend many plays, and fewer still with the war. My family’s land is several miles to the west of the city. We made most of our own entertainment.”
Her heart softened as she recalled the many parlor recitals Grace and she had taken part in. “I have only been to the opera once,” she admitted. “My parents rarely travel to London. They much prefer the quiet of the country.”
Mr. Thorne made a sound of disapproval. “A quiet country life is all well and good, but I should not like to stay still for long.”
“What of your betrothed?” Hope asked, her desire to change the subject getting the better of her manners. “Does she enjoy the city or the country?”
The smile faded from his eyes and Mr. Thorne shrugged. “I do not really know. I have only met her once.” He cleared his throat and nodded to the trees. “I think I will gather some of those bending saplings the storm uprooted. I am certain they will weave together nicely for the new shelter. Excuse me.” He stepped away, but Alejandro kept walking, so Hope did, too.
They said nothing to each other at first. Then Hope dared move closer to him. Not close enough to touch his hand as they walked. Not quite. Just enough to attempt a more companionable stroll.
“If we were in London,” she said aloud when he remained quiet, “you would offer me your arm. We would walk down a path in the park together, perhaps.”
“Why would we be in London?” He did not sound as though he were interested in the flight of fancy the way Mr. Thorne had been. Yet she persevered. Anything to make conversation, to take her mind off their present situation. Anything to spend a few moments nearer him.
“I imagine it is the only place we might have met, were it not for the island. Perhaps you would visit there as part of a political delegation. I would have persuaded my family to spend some time in Town during the Season. We would meet at a party or by chance have a mutual acquaintance.” She studied him from the corner of her eye, trying to imagine what a fine figure he must have made in a coat, cravat, and clean shaven.
Alejandro’s steps slowed, his tone changing to one of curiosity. “What would you have made of me there, I wonder?”
“I likely would have found you intriguing. A diplomat from South America. You are rather exotic, you know.” She did not bat her eyes or speak flirtatiously. But she grinned at him and tried, with all her might, to pretend he was the same to her as Isaac, Silas, or Jacob. They always teased one another. It was part of their friendship. But those three men did not make her stomach flip or her heart stutter the way Alejandro did when he cast her a sideways glance.
It was hopeless, really.
Alejandro stopped walking completely. “I would have found you stunning.” His hands balled into fists as he turned to face her, and all desire to see him as no more than a friend fled. Her heart beat a staccato rhythm. This time she did not bid it stay in place. Alejandro’s gaze had arrested her, fully capturing her attention with the sincerity in their depths. “Witty. Beautiful. Charming.” He stepped closer. She had to lift her chin to maintain eye contact. He did not tower over her, but his greater height was comfortable, almost reassuring.
“Are you a flirt when you are in Society, Señor Córdoba?” she asked, her voice coming out strong enough that she almost sounded unconcerned. But her blush, if he saw it, would give her away.
His smile flashed through his beard at her. “Perhaps. I used to practice so that when I met the right woman I would know precisely how to woo her. But a year is a long time. I am likely out of practice. That might make it difficult to win a lady’s hand. What do you think? Will any woman find my suit worthwhile?”
Never had Hope participated in such a frank conversation of the games men and women played with one another. Was Alejandro serious? He couldn’t be. Given what he said, how strongly he felt that rescue would not come.
Hope turned from him and started walking again, up the dune that would lead to the well and the path back to the shelter. “You will meet her, señor. I have faith in that.”
He quickened his steps to catch up to her. “Miss Everly?”
She nearly stumbled going up the sand, but caught herself in time to avoid falling face first into the dune. “Yes, señor?”
“Would you care to walk with me in the park?” he asked.
They had reached the top of the sandy hill, allowing her to stop and look at him without fear of losing her balance. The wind from the ocean pushed her hair out of her way as she regarded him with confusion. His deep brown eyes, like chocolate with not more than a splash of milk to cool the heat within, pulled her perilously closer.
“There are no parks here, señor.”
“Along the beach?” he countered, leaning nearer to her.
Her heart shuddered, and her eyes briefly fell to his lips. How easy would it be to kiss him? No one was near enough to see. Society would never know, never judge her. But— “To what end? You have made it clear you will not discuss certain things with me, as there is no reason to entertain the idea of a rescue, there is no reason to hope for more.”
He bent closer, as though he had heard her thoughts and was as tempted by a kiss as she was. “Then I must have faith in rescue once more,” he murmured, voice growing softer. He raised a hand to brush back her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “I must pray again for rescue, and I will watch for it every day. Because you did not imagine the connection between us. I felt it, too. I still do. My heart has not ceased to reach for yours.”
Hope’s heart soared, and she lifted her head, her lips parting in surprise.
Alejandro closed the remaining distance between them slowly, though without hesitation. He gave her plenty of time to turn her head, to step backward. Instead, Hope rose on her toes and put her palms against his chest to lean into him as his lips pressed against hers.
Thunder curled upward from her chest and lightning hummed between them. His kiss was not tentative and testing. It was as he was; he kissed with confidence and a surety that made her brave and bold, too. Her hands left his chest and crept to the back of hi
s neck and head, holding him to her while his arms wrapped around her waist and shoulders.
The kiss was like nothing she’d ever experienced. Everything inside her fizzled and sang.
His beard tickled but did not give reason enough to stop the kiss.
Hope knew what she had not dared allow herself to think on before. This man was her other half. His steadiness and confidence, his courage and strength, was a match for her. She felt it in her soul.
They parted and his forehead rested against hers before he stepped back, taking in a deep breath. “Hope,” he whispered.
Her thoughts stopped as abruptly as a carriage slamming into a brick wall. Her heart froze. He couldn’t know. But shouldn’t he? If he was all she wanted him to be—but how—?
“We must have hope,” he said firmly, and disappointment mingled with her relief. Yet to have him say her name, his beautiful voice drawing out the word like a caress, made her heart ache. “I cannot behave dishonorably, mi hermosa. Rescue must come.” Then he ran a hand through his hair. “And so many other things after.”
“Rescue,” she repeated, staring up at him. “Do you think—”
“Grace!” Irene shouted from the hillside, and Hope grimaced. Alejandro immediately chuckled. Horrid man. Beautiful, horrid, wonderful man.
Turning, Hope called back to her friend. “Irene?”
She wasn’t alone. Albert was at her side, but he appeared to be looking at Alejandro. Not Hope. And the frown he wore made her wonder what he made of the situation and how much he may have seen.
“Go,” Alejandro murmured. “See to your friend. We will speak more later.”
She cast a look over her shoulder at him. “It is about time you agreed to that,” she said, smiling. Then she gave her attention to Irene, leaving Alejandro behind, though she carried their glorious kiss in her heart.
19
Alejandro leaned back against a tree, watching the fire and those gathered around it. Mr. Thorne roasted fish over a spit that Professor Gibson had put together. The sailors had caught several small fish between the coral and beach on the north side of the island, and with the nuts and fruits cooked, the islanders were practically feasting.
His mind too preoccupied to notice whether or not he was hungry, Alejandro allowed his eyes to linger on the object of his thoughts. Miss Everly. She sat between Mr. and Miss Carlbury, listening to her friend speak and wearing a smile on her lips that did not quite reach her eyes.
How did a woman with such fire in her heart abide the friendship of the Carlburys? How, day after day, did she patiently endure Mr. Carlbury’s arrogance and Miss Carlbury’s complaints? He could not imagine they were much different out in the world away from the island. Hardship tended to make people act more themselves, not less.
Miss Everly accepted a fish wrapped in a large leaf from Mr. Thorne, then stood from her place at the fire. She walked around the ring of people and came to where he sat in the dark. His eyes flicked from her oncoming form to the people she had left. As he suspected, Miss Carlbury watched her with confusion and the brother glared directly at Alejandro.
He kept his expression flat, though he did not know how much Carlbury discerned through the flickering shadows. If the Englishman gave Alejandro reason enough, Alejandro had little doubt he could put Carlbury in his place. Dissentions in a group this small, stuck together for who knew how much longer, had the potential to prove dangerous. But the Morgans were right. Alejandro could defend himself and Miss Everly well enough.
But this gave him yet another reason to avoid kissing Miss Everly again, though the temptation stirred to test if a second kiss might be as good or better than the first.
The beautiful woman came to his side, sitting on the ground next to him. “Are you not eating, Alejandro?” she asked, her voice low and sweet in the darkness. She proffered the fish and nuts on the large leaf. “I brought some dinner to you.” He caught the glint in her eye, the slight smile turning up her lips.
“Thank you.” He accepted the offering, his hands sliding beneath hers to take the makeshift plate without spilling the food. The back of her hands slid across his palms as she withdrew them, tucking her hands tightly into her lap while he tucked into the food. He ate with more care than usual, aware that she watched him from the corner of her eye.
Incredible, how swiftly a woman’s attention changed his behavior as well as his outlook on the future. Rescue must come, for her sake.
“Tell me more about your home,” she said, her words a gentle command he did not hesitate to obey.
“Mi padre, he is a gentleman, as you would say. He owns land. So much land, overrun by wild cattle everywhere; and there are fields of corn and tobacco. We have vineyards, too.” He took care to clean his fingers in the grasses, then lifted his mother’s ring to where it gleamed in the firelight. “This ring, mi mama bought it when I was born. She gave it to me when I set sail, to take it with me to remember her. All the women wear this stone, and she wanted to remind people where her first son had been born.”
Before he tucked the ring away, Miss Everly leaned closer and lifted it from his palm. She examined the ring closely for the first time, and he held his breath. She was so near, he might easily brush her cheek with his lips. Instead, he traced the line of her profile with his eyes, committing each detail to memory.
“It is beautiful. The stone, it looks like amber.”
“The women in my country, they wear these stones and almost no other jewel.” He touched her hand with one finger, tracing across her knuckles. She shivered and released the ring. “My mother, she would like you.”
Her eyes flashed at him through the shadows. “Do you think so? I cannot say many mothers have liked me, to my memory. Most think I am a poor influence on their children.”
His brows lowered. “I cannot see how that could be.” She conducted herself with grace, especially in company.
Abruptly, Miss Everly turned away from him. She laughed, but the sound was choked, nervous perhaps. Alejandro considered her for a long moment, that hidden part of her nearly peeking out intrigued him.
He gave his attention back to the food in his hand. “Tell me about you. Why did you come to the Caribbean? There is more to it than the invitation you received.” He ate slowly, giving her ample time to think through her answer. He watched her eyes, noting the expression she wore when she phrased her answers carefully. Somehow, he would discover her secret.
“The Carlburys offered, and how could I turn down an experience such as this? No other time in my life would I have the means to visit distant lands in so safe a manner.” Each word she spoke with precision, with exactness.
“But it was to be the other sister who came. Your sister Hope.” He saw Miss Everly’s throat constrict as she nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.
“That is right.”
“Do you miss her?”
She nodded tightly and wrapped her arms about herself. “Nearly every moment. She is my dearest friend as well as my sister. We have never been apart this long.”
His heart fell. “I do not suppose you will be eager to separate yourself from her again when rescue comes.” His dreams of courtship were foolish, as he had told the Morgans. Miss Everly and he barely knew one another. Miss Everly was an Englishwoman, from a world far different from his own. From a privileged life in an established country. His family practically lived on the edge of a wilderness, if they still held his father’s land.
“I will be glad to be near her again,” the lovely woman said, closing her eyes. “But neither of us expect to be near the other all our lives. We are not ignorant of the fact that our paths will part. They already have.”
“I admit, I do not know what such a bond would be like.” Alejandro crumpled up the leaf and tossed it aside. “I am much older than my brother. By twelve years. I am my parents’ heir. And here I am. On an accursed island.”
“At least you have company now,” she countered, a smile back on her face as she nudged him wi
th her shoulder.
Despite his bleak thoughts from a moment before, Alejandro found it easy to return her cheerful expression, warmth spreading from the place their shoulders touched throughout the rest of his body. How fortunate, to have one of the people who landed upon his beaches be someone who completely enchanted him. The peace that came when he stopped fighting against the pull they both felt had nearly overwhelmed him.
“Miss Everly.” He turned his attention back to the fire. “Your company would be welcome no matter where I found myself.”
A shape crossed between them and the firelight, and both looked up to see Miss Carlbury standing over them. “Grace, I think we had better turn in.”
There was no reason for doing so. Why keep to traditional hours when they had nothing that called for their attention in the morning? He did not give voice to his thoughts. If Miss Everly wished to stay, she would stay.
With a more gentle expression, a lesser smile, upon her face she answered her friend in a quiet tone. “I will be there in a moment, Irene.”
Her friend hesitated, clearly surprised. “Do not be long.” With that last command given, she turned on her heel. Alejandro watched as she cast a look back to where her brother sat, then disappeared into the darkness of the shelter.
“Why do they think they can tell you what to do?” The question had tugged at his mind since the first time Miss Everly had clearly refused Carlbury’s command to leave the conversation to the gentlemen. It had been the only time he’d seen her go against their expectations of her behavior.
“Perhaps they feel responsible,” she said softly, avoiding his eyes. “I would not be here had they not invited me.”
“There is more to it than that.” Alejandro leaned so their shoulders brushed again, which brought her gaze up to his. “Mi hermosa, if you need anything, any help, any comfort I can give, you have but to ask.”
Saving Miss Everly Page 18
