The Shipmaster's Daughter

by Jessica Wolf

  “Here—I’ll give you a tip.”

  Luciana looked away from her reflection. Aliana stood beside her, staring at her own face in the glass. She held her arms out to the side and smiled.

  “If you trip—” She began to giggle, her cheeks turning red. “—just put your arms out wide and spin ‘round in a circle. Like this.”

  She twisted in circles on the ball of her foot. The hem of her dress fanned out into a wide, spinning arch. As she turned faster and faster, her laughter grew. She looked ridiculous and ethereal at the same time. Finally, she stopped, gasping for breath as she stumbled.

  “You try.” Her voice came in quick gasps.

  “You know I won’t do that if I do trip,” Luciana said. “I would look even more like a fool.”

  Aliana shrugged. “Just try it. It’ll make you feel better.”

  Luciana bit her lip and set herself into motion to spin in the same fashion as Aliana. She started slow. But as she felt her own heart grow lighter and a smile spread across her face, she picked up speed.

  She was soaring.

  The room whizzed past her eyes with each turn and the hem of her skirt stretched into a wide circle. Out the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Aliana spinning around herself. Both women laughed, the sound echoing in the spacious room. The laughter lifted Luciana’s spirits.

  “Oh, please stop. Stop, stop, stop,” Luciana said, bringing herself to an abrupt halt. Her stomach lurched as she tried to regain her balance. She took a wobbly step forward and tripped into Aliana. They tumbled onto the floor, a mess of laughter, loose hair, and twisted skirts.

  From the doorway, someone cleared their throat. Luciana sat up. Her laughter faded out as her dizziness faded, but all laughter ceased when she saw Reed standing in the doorway. He stood with his legs shoulder width apart, his arms hanging at his side. His lips twitched in amusement, but he tried to conceal it. She scrambled to her feet, Aliana close behind.

  “Sorry to have interrupted,” Reed said.

  Luciana glanced sidelong at Aliana, who was blushing. “We were—What I mean to say is—” She looked at Luciana, her blue eyes helpless. “We were just—”

  “Aliana was teaching me how to dance,” Luciana said. She gave Aliana a reassuring smile, and Aliana’s shoulders relaxed.

  Reed narrowed his eyes. The smirk on his face widened. “I’ve never had the pleasure of witnessing a dance like that.”

  “Hopefully you will never have to see it again,” Luciana replied. Her face burned. How much had he seen?

  He gave his head a short shake. “I wouldn’t say that.” He held up a piece of paper and stepped across the room. “This is the bill, in total, for the party.”

  Aliana bit her lip. “Oh goodness,” she whispered.

  “Oh goodness is right,” he said, leveling his sharp eyes on her. “I’m not sure where I’m going to find this money for all of this. I dislike frivolous spending and this is the epitome is frivolous spending.” He sighed, shaking his head as he stared at the piece of paper.

  “If it bothers you that much,” Luciana said, “couldn’t you cancel?”

  When he looked at her, his eyes went from admonishing to gentle in a split second. Her heart skipped a beat and, immediately, she remembered the way his lips felt against her hand. Wrinkling her nose, she pushed the thought away. Much too inappropriate for two people who were only friends, after all.

  “I would if Jack hadn’t already sent out invitations.”

  “Then what will you do?”

  “Miss Martin better hope some of the advisors I took the liberty of inviting show.”

  “Advisors?”

  He nodded. “I might try my hand at investing—starting an investment firm, that is. I invited advisors from London, hoping they could offer me some advice.”

  “Mr. Hargrave,” Aliana started, her voice low, eyes glued to the floor, “if you need money for all this, then I’m sure my—”

  Reed held up his hand. “I have money, loads of it, Miss Martin, but thank you. I really don’t like spending it on parties, though. So, it is my hope, that these advisors come and then it won’t be a total waste.”

  Luciana glanced at Aliana, whose cheeks were stained a dark red. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She struggled to understand what was making him act in such a way. The last time she’d seen him act so was the day she’d burst into his office unannounced. That had been a long time ago. Her heart tugged in sympathy for her friend. She knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of Reed’s sarcastic and silent wrath. It wasn’t pleasant.

  He sniffed, shoving the paper and his hands behind his back. “That is not the reason I came here, though. Peters is ready to take you both out, if you’re ready.”

  Aliana lifted her head, rolling her lips together in a tight line. “To Manchester?”

  Reed nodded once, refusing to look at her. “Yes.”

  Aliana touched Luciana’s arm. She smiled, though it was less than convincing. “I forgot. I’m taking you to Manchester for the day.”

  Luciana frowned. “I have no reason to go to Manchester.”

  “Yes, you do. For a dress.”

  “Oh, Aliana, I appreciate the idea, but I don’t have the money for a new dress. I have perfectly good ones here,” Luciana said with a shake of her head.

  “My treat,” Aliana said, waving her hand in dismissal. “We’re friends, after all. We won’t be gone long and it’ll be good fun.” She squeezed her arm. “I’ll be waiting outside.” She brushed past Reed, her shoulders slumped.

  Reed’s shoulders, on the other hand, relaxed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Luciana cut him off.

  “Why were you so rude to her?”

  He recoiled as if his hand had been bitten. “Excuse me?”

  “Aliana is only trying to bring some life to this house. You don’t need to be so hard on her.”

  Reed tossed stray locks of hair away from his eyes with a flick of his head. “I know exactly what it is she’s up to, Luciana.”

  “And what is that? Besides wanting something good for you and for all of us.” Luciana put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows.

  Despite Reed’s wonderful qualities, of which were many, his tendency to judge before pausing to consider all of the facts irked her to the core. He judged her as uncivilized when they first met, and maybe she had been, but that didn’t give him the right. Aliana only wanted to spruce up the old house, give it a breath of fresh air. She’d said so many times. For Reed to think she had ulterior motives was downright loathsome.

  He angled his body away from her. “You wouldn’t understand. It goes back much farther than this.”

  Luciana stepped once more into his line of sight. His frown deepened. “Tell me. I could surprise you.”

  “Like I said, you wouldn’t understand.”

  “Any why not?”

  “Because you’re young.” He shook his head. “It’s much too complicated.”

  Luciana’s throat tightened. Was that really what he thought of her? A scream formed in her throat. Tears creeped behind her eyes; they stung. Pushing them away, Luciana leveled her chin and set her jaw hard.

  “You are a beast, Reed Hargrave,” she whispered.

  Taken aback, he faltered, holding up an admonishing finger. “Now wait a minute.”

  She couldn’t wait. Anger flared in her chest and pulsed in her heart. It was a steady beat, rhythmic like a drum. All she saw was red and all she heard was a faint buzzing in her ears. The rage—caused by her family’s abandonment, Esther’s dirty tricks, and Reed’s ability to turn her heart to goop one minute and then frustrate her the next—threatened to break.

  And it did.

  “You jump to conclusions about everybody,” she said, her eyes screwing shut. She couldn’t look at him. Not with those damnable eyes. “All you do is think you know everything about how people work just to make sure no one can get too close to you. It’s damn infuriating because I want to be your
friend.” She hesitated. “I want to be close to you.” Hurriedly, she finished, unsure of her own strength. “Aliana is trying to give us all something you aren’t capable of: an evening of bliss. And now you’re saying she isn’t what she seems. Mio Dio, Reed, what is wrong with you?”

  For a moment, he said nothing. His eyes flashed with unmistakeable hurt and, briefly, Luciana regretted her words. Had she let herself get too carried away?

  His hands twitched at his sides and, when he lifted his arms, she thought he might grab her shoulders, but instead he crossed them over his chest and raised an eyebrow.

  “Please,” he drawled, “tell me how you truly feel.”

  Luciana blinked and then shook her head. She wanted to stay something in return, something as equally as biting, but her mind failed her. She was too stunned by his reaction to form a coherent thought. She thought he would shout at her, even throw her out. Not this. This was the cruel, sarcastic Reed she hated.

  Clamping her teeth down on her lip to keep from sobbing, she turned on her heel and rushed from the room. Damn this party.

  And damn him.

  Chapter 22

  Despite her argument with Reed, Luciana resolved to have a pleasant time in Manchester. Aliana was a godsend in her eyes. Before she came, Luciana hadn’t realized how much she craved friendship with another woman. When she was surrounded by men and an eight year old girl, it became easy to forget what friendship with a woman her own age was like.

  The ride to Manchester was spent mostly in silence. Luciana suspected Aliana might still be embarrassed by her encounter with Reed, so she kept her comments to a minimum. Instead, she watched the rolling countryside and relished in finally being able to see something other than Eastbourne’s rooftops from a window. It reminded her of just how much she yearned to set out on her own one day. Working in the conservatory wasn’t all she was destined for.

  It couldn’t be.

  When they did come upon Manchester, Luciana lost her breath. She had never seen anything like it. Buildings towering over her head seemed to touch the very sky and everywhere she looked people stood on street corners, hawking their wares. The air smelled smokey and filthy. The ground was covered with trash and animal dung. Luciana couldn’t get enough of it. She had been to Venice once before, but stayed for several hours at best before moving on. She was but a child, then, and couldn’t remember much now, but she knew Venice and Manchester were worlds apart.

  Aliana touched her shoulder. “Isn’t it grand?”

  Luciana could only nod.

  “I know it’s a little...unrefined, but I love it. All the activity and such.” She sighed. “I live here, you know.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes, several streets that way.” She pointed further down the road. “It’s just my sister and I, but we’re happy.” Her face fell as she sat back. “I really should be married by now.”

  “Does it matter?” Luciana shrugged. “I’m not married.”

  Aliana laughed and held her hand against her chest. “That’s because you’re different, my sweet. Societal rules don’t apply to you. You should count yourself lucky.”

  Luciana struggled to keep a frown at bay. That was the second time in one day someone had cast a slight upon her. First Reed told her she was too young to understand, and now Aliana told her she was different. Luciana knew she meant no harm by it, but it made her heart clench nonetheless.

  She twisted her body toward the other woman. “How am I different? We’re near the same age, corretto? I don’t see how my being Italian has anything to do with it, if that’s what you’re implying.”

  Aliana’s brow furrowed and she reached across the barouche to touch Luciana’s knee. “I didn’t mean anything hurtful. It’s only—Well, you are Italian. There’s nothing you can do about that, obviously, but men here like English women. Doesn’t mean it’s right. That’s just how it goes.” She blushed, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.”

  Sighing, Luciana looked away, focusing her eyes on the rows and rows of shops. “I’m not offended,” she said, though, in truth, she was. Wouldn’t anyone be?

  “What I mean is,” Aliana continued, her words hurried, “a woman my age is usually married by now. And with my parents gone, I need to provide for my little sister, too, but I can’t very well get a job. She’s different, my sister—a little funny in the head—so she won’t be getting married. I must do what I must to secure her future and mine, Luciana. You’re blessed that you don’t have to worry about that.”

  Luciana managed a smile and a nod. “No, I don’t.”

  “Good.” Aliana rose and pointed to the left. “There it is.” She sat down, all traces of sadness and regret gone from her face. “Let’s try and have fun, yes?”

  Luciana peered up at the towering building. The words “Richard’s Dress Parlor” were written on a red sign hanging over the door. Two women walked out of the establishment, each carrying large white bags, broad smiles on their faces. Her heart leapt at the sight.

  She looked at Aliana and laughed. “It would be impossible to not have fun with you, Perdere Martin.”

  Aliana tutted her tongue. “Oh, Miss Renaldi, you’ll make me blush.”

  They entered the store, arm in arm.

  Several hours later, after Aliana had already settled on her dress—a pretty soft pink gown that fit her perfectly—Luciana was still having difficulty picking out her gown. She stood on a small box, in front of a full length mirror. Aliana sat behind her on a yellow couch, a content smile on her face. An attendant stood off to the side, waiting for Luciana’s decision.

  She wore a fitted gray gown, silken and sleek. It was a beautiful dress with balloon sleeves and a pleated skirt, but it made her look ten years older. Her skin looked gray, like the dress, and sickly.

  “No,” Aliana said after a moment of consideration. “No, definitely not.” She took a sip of her champagne.

  Luciana smiled. “I thought the same.” She turned to the attendant, sheepish. “Do you have anything else?”

  The attendant sighed. “I might have one or two more your size. Follow me, miss.”

  Ten minutes later, Luciana stepped out in a blue cotton dress. The skirt was complete with four tiers, each outfitted with a trim of lace at the bottom. Her waist was pinched tight, making it hard to breathe, with a silk white ribbon that formed a bow at her back. The bodice was equally as simple: a white lace overlay over the blue cotton and butterfly sleeves with more lace underneath.

  Aliana leaned forward when she stepped onto the box. “We’re getting somewhere now.” She nodded to the attendant and plucked another flute from the tray.

  Luciana twisted to this side and that, watching as the skirt swung back and forth. What would Reed think of her in this dress? The thought brought a slight blush to her cheeks. No doubt he was cross with her for having spoken so rudely that morning. He probably wouldn’t give her a second glance.

  “Are you thinking about Reed?”

  Luciana’s eyes snapped to Aliana’s reflection in the mirror. “I don’t know why you would think that.” Her voice was barely an audible whisper, her heart clogged in her throat.

  “Because I am,” Aliana continued, rising from the couch. She hadn’t heard Luciana. Just as well. “I’m terribly frightened of what he’ll think.”

  Luciana swallowed hard. “About the dress?”

  Aliana shook her head and bit her lower lip. “No, silly. About me in general.” She held her choice of dress against her body and twirled around in a circle. “This is all for him, you know.” She dropped the gown suddenly and grabbed Luciana’s upper arm in a vice-like grip. “Don’t you think he’s handsome?” she breathed, giddy.

  Luciana could smell the champagne on her breath. She must have over-drank at lunch. She motioned to the attendant. “I’ll take this one. Grazie.” Stepping from the box, she gathered Aliana’s dress from the floor and lead her to the couch. “I do think Reed is...handsome, si.”r />
  It felt odd to say it aloud. She had only ever kept her thoughts about Reed’s appearance to herself. To voice them made her stomach twist. It made her feelings for him all the more real and unavoidable.

  “He’s roguishly handsome, I think. Not that he’s a rogue because he’s certainly not.” Aliana giggled, tossing her head back. “He’s just so...attractive.” She snorted and held her hand up to her nose, snorting again. “Oh gracious,” she said between fits of laughter.

  Luciana rushed to the changing room, switched out the blue gown for her skirt and shirtwaist, and handed the dress to the attendant as she made her way to Aliana. “I think it’s time we went home. Here, take my arm.”

  Aliana, instead, wrapped her arm around Luciana’s waist and stumbled as they walked for the door. With her other arm, Luciana carried the bags containing their dresses.

  “Send the bill to my house,” Aliana said as they exited, waving her arm. “Apartment C on Clarkson Street.”

  After Luciana maneuvered Aliana from the store to the waiting barouche without injury, she breathed a sigh of relief. “You can go, Peters,” she said. She sat back as the carriage began to roll, smirking as Aliana grinned at her. “What?”

  Aliana bent forward. “Reed and I were going to be married,” she whispered, her eyebrows shooting up her forehead.

  Luciana’s heart stuttered and she felt her face draw blank. “What?” Humor no longer laced her voice.

  “He and I nearly married.” Her face turned sour, and she stuck her tongue out. “But then he married that rotten old Katherine and they had that stupid little girl.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Aliana, that’s not very–”

  She shrugged. “I don’t care. It’s true.” The grin returned to her face, innocent and hopeful. “Now that Katherine’s dead, I want to marry him again. And of course he’ll want me. Look at me.” She laughed, snorted, and wrinkled her nose. “I plan to propose on the evening of the dinner party.”