room to seat himself on
the sofa next to Morgan. He took her hands in his. “Like her mother who went
through three husbands before she managed to keep one alive.”
A twinkle entered her eyes, although she refused to
acknowledge it. “It’s not the same thing.”
“No, my dear, it is not. No one is dead in this case. No,”
he said holding up a hand. “You shall wait while I have my say. McGraw is no
youth, but a bachelor of thirty-five years. He’s unlikely to fall into the one
hundred or so traps our very inventive daughter will set for him. If you
fear for a broken heart, fear for Star.”
“I do fear for her. Would that she could contemplate
marriage.” She sighed. “’Tisn’t healthy for a woman of such temperament to be
forever unmarried.”
“On that we are agreed. Has it occurred to you, my dear,
that McGraw may well be her cure?”
“Oh, but how?” she exclaimed, turning in her seat. “She’s
intent upon a seduction, not a connection. Would you see her ruined?”
“No,” he said with a sigh, “but I would see her happy, and
we possess no knowledge that she’s not already ‘ruined.’ Trust, Morgan, that
you’ve educated her well enough to avoid permanent trouble in that regard.
Moreover, should she succeed in her goal, Nicholas will be as discreet as a man
can be. I don’t expect that she will, however. He’s much attached to his
honor.”
“Yes, so were you,” Morgan exclaimed irritably. “Yet you
succumbed to desire within a few hours’ time with very little provocation! Men
are notoriously unrestrained in matters of passion.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I object, Mistress, to the
presumption of very little provocation. As I recall, you offered yourself to me
in such a manner that even a saint would have been hard-pressed to refuse you.
Secondly, Nick has learned to govern those needs instead of ignoring them as I
had always done. He’ll not yield easily, and that will be better for both of
them. We love most, that for which we fight hardest.”
“But Star’s been in love countless times, and it’s never
lasted beyond six months.”
“She’s never met a man like McGraw,” he said, patting her
hand. “Take ease in this, Mistress, that while I have every expectation that
the seas will be rough, they shall navigate them with great success. Star means
to have Nick as her lover. I mean to have him as our son-in-law.”
She sighed, but Ward spied a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “I
should relish such a match, even though it means losing our daughter. Still, if
you would but reason with her, my dearest Captain, I am persuaded they might
avoid the storm altogether.”
He smiled and rose, pulling her with him. “And deny her the
opportunity to fight for what she wants? Never. Sit back and enjoy the show,
Morgan. Not only does Nicholas intend to thwart Star’s plans, but both Lee and
Port appear inclined to meddle in their sister’s affairs as well. And you know none of them will abide by our advice.”
Morgan chuckled as she allowed him to lead her from the
room. “No, they never shall! And I collect, by that sparkle in your eye, that
you will be the most meddlesome of all!”
CHAPTER SIX
There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her. They never
meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them.
Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.
Socrates
“Oh, Nick, wait a minute,” Melinda hollered, rushing out of
the kitchen with a brown paper parcel in her hand. “Mac packed your lunch in
your saddlebag, but these cookies are just out of the oven. I know how much you
love my lemon drops.”
Standing next to the front door, Nick finished buttoning his
coat, and then smiled down at his sister-in-law. “I’d fight a grizzly for ’em,
Mel,” he said, taking the bundle and dropping an affectionate kiss on her
forehead.
“Just make sure it’s not rabid. Speaking of which, you are
taking your rifle with you,
the sofa next to Morgan. He took her hands in his. “Like her mother who went
through three husbands before she managed to keep one alive.”
A twinkle entered her eyes, although she refused to
acknowledge it. “It’s not the same thing.”
“No, my dear, it is not. No one is dead in this case. No,”
he said holding up a hand. “You shall wait while I have my say. McGraw is no
youth, but a bachelor of thirty-five years. He’s unlikely to fall into the one
hundred or so traps our very inventive daughter will set for him. If you
fear for a broken heart, fear for Star.”
“I do fear for her. Would that she could contemplate
marriage.” She sighed. “’Tisn’t healthy for a woman of such temperament to be
forever unmarried.”
“On that we are agreed. Has it occurred to you, my dear,
that McGraw may well be her cure?”
“Oh, but how?” she exclaimed, turning in her seat. “She’s
intent upon a seduction, not a connection. Would you see her ruined?”
“No,” he said with a sigh, “but I would see her happy, and
we possess no knowledge that she’s not already ‘ruined.’ Trust, Morgan, that
you’ve educated her well enough to avoid permanent trouble in that regard.
Moreover, should she succeed in her goal, Nicholas will be as discreet as a man
can be. I don’t expect that she will, however. He’s much attached to his
honor.”
“Yes, so were you,” Morgan exclaimed irritably. “Yet you
succumbed to desire within a few hours’ time with very little provocation! Men
are notoriously unrestrained in matters of passion.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I object, Mistress, to the
presumption of very little provocation. As I recall, you offered yourself to me
in such a manner that even a saint would have been hard-pressed to refuse you.
Secondly, Nick has learned to govern those needs instead of ignoring them as I
had always done. He’ll not yield easily, and that will be better for both of
them. We love most, that for which we fight hardest.”
“But Star’s been in love countless times, and it’s never
lasted beyond six months.”
“She’s never met a man like McGraw,” he said, patting her
hand. “Take ease in this, Mistress, that while I have every expectation that
the seas will be rough, they shall navigate them with great success. Star means
to have Nick as her lover. I mean to have him as our son-in-law.”
She sighed, but Ward spied a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “I
should relish such a match, even though it means losing our daughter. Still, if
you would but reason with her, my dearest Captain, I am persuaded they might
avoid the storm altogether.”
He smiled and rose, pulling her with him. “And deny her the
opportunity to fight for what she wants? Never. Sit back and enjoy the show,
Morgan. Not only does Nicholas intend to thwart Star’s plans, but both Lee and
Port appear inclined to meddle in their sister’s affairs as well. And you know none of them will abide by our advice.”
Morgan chuckled as she allowed him to lead her from the
room. “No, they never shall! And I collect, by that sparkle in your eye, that
you will be the most meddlesome of all!”
CHAPTER SIX
There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her. They never
meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them.
Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.
Socrates
“Oh, Nick, wait a minute,” Melinda hollered, rushing out of
the kitchen with a brown paper parcel in her hand. “Mac packed your lunch in
your saddlebag, but these cookies are just out of the oven. I know how much you
love my lemon drops.”
Standing next to the front door, Nick finished buttoning his
coat, and then smiled down at his sister-in-law. “I’d fight a grizzly for ’em,
Mel,” he said, taking the bundle and dropping an affectionate kiss on her
forehead.
“Just make sure it’s not rabid. Speaking of which, you are
taking your rifle with you,
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