The Divided Hearts by Karla Darcy

Author:Karla Darcy [Darcy, Karla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“Watch your back, Father,” Judith admonished as she followed Simon down the path leading to the shore.

“Don’t fuss, girl,” he growled over his shoulder. “Sound just like a mother hen. I’ll be fine.”

Judith grinned at his acerbic tone which indicated that he was back to his usual temperament. After they returned from Tregonwell, Simon had submitted to one more day of bed rest before he had declared, quite vocally, that he was done with resting. He still moved with a slight stiffness, Judith noted, but all in all he appeared to have suffered no permanent injury from his fall. Since she had no hope of keeping him confined, she had agreed to an outing to Goat Island on the condition that she go along to see that he did not overdo.

As Judith crested the last hill, she sighed with pleasure at the vista of sky and water that met her eyes. She struggled for a moment as the breeze tugged at her straw bonnet, then in exasperation untied the ribbons and let the wind blow through her hair. Then she strolled to the water’s edge where a glum Patrick stared longingly at the gentle waves lapping at the shore.

“You certainly are dressed fine as six pence for this picnic, Patrick,” she said, scrutinizing the boy’s unhappy face.

“Aye, Judith. Mr. Baker said these clothes were just the ticket,” came the grudging answer.

“You’ve quite a shine to those new boots. I imagine Mr. Baker would be none too pleased to see them dull and water spotted.”

Patrick’s gaze flew to Judith’s twitching lips. A gamin grin transformed the little face until he controlled his expression and stared up at his friend. “T’were good you mentioned it, Judith. I mighta forgot and then I’d surely be in for a scold.”

At Judith’s laughter, the boy threw himself on the shore and in a flash had removed boots and woolen stockings. Conscientiously he carried them to the blanket that Simon had spread, then removed his jacket and folded it carefully before placing it on top of his boots. As expected, the boy could only contain his excitement for a brief period. Spinning around, he raced toward the water, rolling his shirtsleeves up as he ran.

Judith grinned at her father as she seated herself on the blanket. Simon had already shed his jacket and reclined on the sand, looking as comfortable as if he were in his own drawing room. Judith had forgotten that, as a merchant and a shipowner, the sea represented a major portion of Simon’s life. As a gently raised daughter, this was a segment of his life she would never be able to share. In England she had seen her father against the backdrop of London. He had been at home in the city, but since her arrival in America, she realized that he was far more a part of this brash new country than the more civilized cities of Europe.

“It’s good to see the change in the lad,” Simon said, his eyes intent on the capering boy in the surf.

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