Beloved Castaway by Kathleen Y'Barbo

Author:Kathleen Y'Barbo [Y'Barbo, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Christian, Fiction
ISBN: 9781602856820
Google: dZ4fQgAACAAJ
Amazon: 1602856826
Publisher: Center Point Publishers
Published: 2010-02-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Entranced, Josiah stared at the woman, who lay prone on his floor. Well, not exactly prone. He cleared his throat, turned his back, and then peered with care over his right shoulder.

“Mademoiselle Gayarre?”

Isabelle did not answer. Rather, she turned her head, presenting him with a rather mussed-up braid that had begun to come uncoiled.

“Begging your pardon, Isabelle,” he said while struggling to keep from laughing, “but I believe I sent you to fetch a mallet and chisel. Did you find either?”

A muffled “No” drifted toward him.

“Pray tell me, then, are you seeking them beneath the shelf?”

He stepped over Isabelle to retrieve the lacquered Chinese sewing box. He’d fetched it all the way from the Orient thinking to have a brief visit with his mother before secreting William away. Now he stared at it rather than at the woman still motionless on the floor.

“The orb has rolled underneath,” she finally said.

“I’m sure it will roll out of its own accord once the seas are sufficiently rough.” He placed the box on the bunk. “I have my back to you, Isabelle, and I shall not turn until I have your permission. Do stand, please.”

A rustling sound was her only response.

He studied the wall a moment longer, then cleared his throat. “Isabelle, have you accomplished the task?”

“I fear. . .I. . .cannot,” she said.

“You fear you cannot?” Josiah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Woman, I’ve given my word that my back is turned. Is this not sufficient?”

“You misunderstand.” More shuffling. “I would stand if I could, but I cannot.”

The vessel pitched, and Josiah braced himself until all was right again. “Are you asking for my help?”

“No. It wouldn’t be proper to see me thus.”

Anther pitch of the deck, and this time he went tumbling. The sewing box landed with a crash, and so did Josiah.

Only the cause for the rough seas worried him more than the fact Isabelle had neither moved nor spoken. Surely the weather hadn’t overtaken them so quickly. By his calculations, the storm had been moving to the west away from the Jude.

Josiah would see to that situation once he saw to Isabelle. He glanced over his shoulder, and, keeping care to look at the shelf and the pale arm disappearing beneath it, he crawled toward her.

“I fear I am well and truly stuck.”

An idea occurred. It appeared the rocking of the vessel had shifted the position of the heavy furniture a few inches off kilter. “Perhaps there’s a solution. If I were to put my weight against the shelf, then perhaps—”

“No,” she said. “You cannot.”

“There’s nothing for it, then,” he said. “I’ll have to fetch a half-dozen or so strong sailors to help me.”

He was teasing, of course, but the jest worked as he suspected. “I’ll listen to your suggestion, Captain,” she said meekly. “But I have one requirement.”

“And that is?”

“Close your eyes.”

He might have argued had the watch bell not rung. “Aye,” he said as he climbed to his feet, “now let’s get on with it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.