Always Mine by Cheryl Holt

Author:Cheryl Holt [Holt, Cheryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * * *

Alex walked across the garden, taking a circuitous route down the winding paths so he wouldn’t be observed from the manor. It chafed at him to have to hide from their guests, but Rebecca had asked him to keep out of sight, and he would never deliberately upset her. Nor would he intentionally cause a conflict with Mrs. Carter or his father.

He should have been toiling away in the stables, which was his purported job, but he couldn’t make himself care about his father’s horses. The Carter family had never exhibited any interest in him, and he’d learned from their behavior. He didn’t exhibit any interest in return.

He’d been on edge and restless, so he’d climbed the promontory to watch for ships, and he’d spotted two. They’d been big schooners operating with full sails, their bows cutting through the water like glass. He’d yearned to be on one of them so desperately that he could almost taste the freedom it would bring.

Though he’d skulked in the shadows for days, he hadn’t seen Mr. Shawcross again, and he was anxious for a second conversation. He’d like to probe further into how a boy such as himself—with no sponsors or funds to get started—could join an expedition to a wild locale. Mr. Shawcross was the odd type of adult who would listen and offer sound advice.

Rebecca was up on the verandah, and he waved and went over to her—even though he should have continued on to the servant’s door. She leaned on the balustrade and stared down to where he was loitering in the grass. If Carter Crossing had been a normal home and his relatives normal kin, he’d have marched up to her, but he was pushing his luck by being so close to the house.

If Mrs. Carter or Clayton stepped outside and saw him, there would be hell to pay. Not for himself—they ignored him—but Rebecca would be blamed and punished, and he couldn’t bear for her to be in trouble.

“You scamp!” she said from up above him. “Why aren’t you at work?”

He shrugged. “I was bored.”

“Should I penalize you by dragging you upstairs and forcing you to do your school lessons?”

“On such a beautiful afternoon, that would amount to child torture.”

She snorted at that. “Where have you been?”

“Up on the promontory.”

“Were there any ships passing by?”

“A pair of three-masted schooners. And guess what else?”

“What?”

“People are moving into the old Oakley place. There are wagons of lumber parked in the driveway, and carpenters were carrying in their tools.”

“Raven Shawcross purchased it.”

The news was indescribably thrilling, and Alex beamed with delight. “Is he staying in the neighborhood?”

“It seems that he is.” She leaned out a little farther and murmured, “We need to chat about an important issue. There’s been some drama occurring among the grownups.”

“With Mrs. Carter, wasn’t it?” She was his grandmother, but he would never dare call her that. “Rumor has it that there was a situation at Carter Imports.”

“Yes, and it involves Mr. Shawcross. The mess he’s stirring might affect us.

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