Kissing Tales by Kathryn Kaleigh

Author:Kathryn Kaleigh [Kaleigh, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kathryn Kaleigh

Chapter 3

Madelyn woke to the vilest smell she could ever imagine. Like dead fish. Only worse.

She was on the floor, her head and shoulders against someone. She pushed at the hands that threatened to bring the vile smell back to her face.

She gagged.

“She’s all right,” a voice she’d come to recognize said. “Step back and give her some air.”

It was the captain. Captain Adam McGregor.

Madelyn opened her eyes, but all she could see was the front stage of the dining room where the orchestra sat, quietly holding their instruments.

“Where is Captain Tyler?” She struggled to sit up.

“Who’s that, love?” He shifted to help her come to a sitting position.

“Never mind. I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole.”

“A rabbit hole?” he asked as he stood up.

“It’s from a book.” Surely he knew what that was. Everyone knew. One of the benefits of living at sea was that she had plenty of time to read and wasn’t distracted by things like running errands, cooking, and other things that ate up a normal person’s valuable time.

“Ah. Beautiful and well-read.” He held out his hand. “Are you ready to stand?”

She put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. “I need to sit down,” she said. He said they were engaged – betrothed – since she was thirteen years old.

She sat in the nearest chair, the one she’d sat in when she fainted, and looked out at the crowded room. The orchestra members resumed playing at the captain’s signal.

Running a hand over her full skirt, she realized that she fit in with the other passengers. I’m a passenger. Somehow she’d gone from being a staff member – a housekeeper – on the ship to being a guest.

It was the dress. A magical dress.

“Mr. McGregor?”

“Please. Call me Adam.” He pulled his chair next to hers and held out her water glass.

“Adam. I don’t know how I got here.”

He sat back and watched as she sipped from the water glass.

He seemed to choose his words carefully. “I received a letter from your father. Telling me you’d be travelling on the ship from New Orleans to Memphis and it would be an appropriate time for us to become acquainted.” He leaned forward. “I realize it’s unconventional, but your father assured me that in these turbulent times, we could forego formal introductions.”

She kept her hands on the cool water glass. “The hurricane?”

“Hurricane? No. The war.”

“I don’t understand.”

“My dear, we’ve just taken Fort Sumter.”

Between his words that made no sense to her and his gaze locked onto hers like she was the only woman in the room, she had trouble forming any coherent thoughts. “Do you have the letter?” she asked.

He grinned. “I certainly do.” He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I suspected that a lady of your breeding would expect to verify my words.”

She pulled her gaze from his and, taking the letter, unfolded it.

Right above the words Dear Captain McGregor, was a date.

May 5, 1861.

She pulled the letter closer to make sure she read it correctly.

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