The Heart's Haven by Jill Barnett

Author:Jill Barnett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BelleBooks, Inc.
Published: 2012-03-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Hallie spent the next morning ordering her family about the Sea Haven, since she had decided that keeping them busy would also keep them out of trouble. Dagny was in charge of supplies and had been busy organizing the foodstuffs that were delivered to the ship the evening before. Hallie coerced the twins into believing that they were doing her an invaluable service by removing all the nails, in small handfuls, from a huge barrel in the fo’c’sle to an empty barrel in the afterhouse. Since the fo’c’sle was in the bow of the ship and the afterhouse in the stern, Hallie knew that her morning would be unhampered by the boys chattering. Liv, naturally, was another matter.

When Hallie sent her to help Dagny, it had only taken about a half an hour before Dagny was chasing Liv around the deck, trying to get an expensive bag of raisins out of the nine-year-old’s hands before she ate them all. Next, Liv was to remove all the ship’s bedding and take it topside to air. When Hallie checked on her, Liv was leaning over the edge of a whaleboat, with a long spade hook, trying to catch the blankets that were fast sinking into the salty depths of the bay. Finally, Hallie sent her to pick up the trail of nails that ran from bow to stern.

Now Hallie was back in her father’s quarters, changing her bandage and trying desperately to think of some way to keep Kit Howland from selling their home. As she rubbed the salve into the crusty burn, she thought of his words. He had said he’d be back today, and she honestly didn’t know what she’d do. Her quick jibe about the gun was an empty threat. She snapped the tin cap back on the salve jar. She should absolutely hate and that man. He laughed at her and teased her, and most of all, he betrayed her beloved father’s trust. Hallie unfolded the linen sheet she’d been using for bandages. Da wouldn’t have given Kit the ship if he’d thought Kit would destroy it. The only thing Da loved more than the Sea Haven was his family. It was up to her to make sure that the ship remained intact and safe from Kit’s money-grubbing plans.

Picking up each end of the sheet, she began tearing bandage-sized strips. Yesterday, when she should have found some way to throw his traitorous hide off the ship, she’d ended up in his arms, all melting and mushy. How could her heart betray her like that? She should have fought him, root hog or die. Instead, when his aunt assumed she was Kit’s wife, her heart swelled, and she had to hide her smile.

Last night she had fallen asleep imagining what it would be like to be Mrs. Christopher Howland. She had even practiced kissing, on her dry pillow. What a silly fool! Hallie stood and ripped strips of linen while she paced. What she needed to do was to concentrate on all his bad traits.

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