Tall, Dark and Disreputable
Page 23
The pier was closer now, but quiet at this time of the evening. A lone figure stood there, watching them come in.
Mateo started, then rose half out of his seat. Surely not?
‘Strongly now, men! Pull! Put your backs into it!’ He narrowed his gaze and peered across the water. His heart nearly burst with joy as he cupped his hands and shouted across the water. ‘Peeve! What in blazes are you doing here?’
She waved, but didn’t answer. The boat pulled alongside and Mateo was scrambling out and on to the pier before the men had even pulled in their oars. With a laugh, he swept Portia up into his arms and twirled her wildly about. ‘How did this come about?’ he asked joyfully. ‘And where is Dorrie?’
‘Dorrie is in Wiltshire,’ she said with a smile. ‘I wrote to Mrs Rankin and told her we had been to call on her son. I sang Dorrie’s praises and made sure to mention how struck she had been with the potential of Longvale. She received an invitation to visit, and, if I’m not mistaken, Mr Rankin and his mama are even now evaluating her potential.’ She cast a dark look over his shoulder towards a bustling dockside tavern. ‘And just where were you going?’ she asked suspiciously.
‘To Berkshire.’
A tiny grin fought its way through her severe expression. ‘Why?’
He lifted a shoulder. ‘I’m two and thirty years old. I thought perhaps it was time I started listening to my father.’ He looked steadily at her. ‘Would you care to travel along with me?’
‘It sounds lovely, but I couldn’t. I’ve just booked passage to Philadelphia.’
His mouth dropped. ‘You’re the passenger?’
‘If you’ll have me.’
He gathered her into his arms. ‘Oh, I’ll have you.’ He bent to kiss her, but pulled away at the last second.
She pouted.
‘I feel it’s only honourable to inform you of the change in my circumstances, Peeve.’ He frowned down at her. ‘You may wish to reconsider your passage.’
She raised a questioning brow.
‘I’m afraid I’m no longer the sole owner of a shipping company. I just turned fifty percent of it over to Marcus Donati.’
She gasped. ‘Oh, Mateo! I cannot believe it!’
He smiled. ‘I’m done with skimming the surface. I’m diving in and soaking up everything life has to offer.’ He ran a finger along the tempting sweep of her nape. ‘And the best it has to offer is you.’
Her eyes filled. ‘Still, it is a generous gesture—and I know how difficult it must have been for you.’
He shook his head. ‘Not at all. I’m going to let him hold the reins for a while. He deserves a chance at the family legacy. If he hurries, he might still join the fleet to Canton, but even if he does not, with his contacts in Italy he’ll make a good go of it.’ Sobering, he asked, ‘Well, what of it, Peeve? Will you turn tail and run back to Stenbrooke now?’
Clearly holding back laughter, she bit her lip. ‘I cannot.’
‘Why not?’
‘Wait.’ She reached down and dug into her portmanteau and held out a thick packet of her own. ‘I signed a deed of conveyance, granting it to Marcus Donati.’
He sucked in a shocked breath. ‘You didn’t!’
‘I’m nearly seven and twenty years old. I thought it was time I stopped letting fear make my decisions for me.’ She bit her lip. ‘I had to take the chance. I had to ask. You mean more to me than Stenbrooke ever could.’
Very gently, he reached out and took the parcel from her hand. Then he turned and with a mighty heave, threw it out into the harbour.
‘Mateo!’ she gasped. ‘Why did you do that?’
‘Because I can’t let you give Stenbrooke up, after you battled so hard to keep it. And in any case, we’re going to need it.’
Her shock was quickly done in by curiosity. ‘We are?’
‘We are,’ he said firmly, then leaned down and kissed her soundly. ‘Packets, Peeve! A business of my own that I can have the running of from the ground up! We’ll have the best of both worlds: earth and sea. I’ll have a fleet of ships to manage, but we’ll need a retreat, a place where we can get away from the bustle of the docks, the pressures of business, a place to make babies and watch them run free.’
Tears shone in her eyes again and she nodded vigorously.
‘Perhaps we can live part of the year in England, and part in Philadelphia. Perhaps we’ll build a new home in Le Havre or on the Rio de la Plata.’ He grinned. ‘You can have a garden for every climate.’
‘I don’t need a home in every port. All I need is you.’ Her arms clutched him tightly. ‘We only have one life, Mateo.’ She smiled. ‘One journey. I want to travel it with you.’
‘One life,’ he whispered. ‘Let’s make it memorable.’
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
First published in Great Britain 2009
Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Deb Marlowe 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4089-1606-3
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Excerpt
About The Author
Other Books By
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Copyright