The Suffragette's Vow by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Author:Linda Carroll-Bradd [Carroll-Bradd, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inked Figments
Published: 2020-03-31T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

As was typical with spring weather, the storm passed after a couple intense hours. Following Nadina’s return to the warmth of her bed, Michael ended his shift on the platform. The rich scent of dampened earth filled his nose. All the trees and shrubs glistened with raindrops. He wouldn’t have to worry about watering the garden for a week or so…longer, if another storm rolled in.

The idea of another encounter like last night’s brought a smile. Nadina seemed like an innocent and probably had no idea what her request to be held, and the following embrace, did to a man. Thankfully, recounting the oft-told story helped him ignore the yielding softness of her slender body pressed against his with only a couple layers of cloth providing a decency buffer. Now, what was uppermost in his mind was if either his sister or Arne was aware that Nadina spent time here, alone with him, during the storm.

The pre-dawn light let him study the ocean in detail. The waves were gray, shorter, and choppy. But, as far as he could see, the surface carried no large boards or timbers. Which was a relief, because evidence of those items would indicate a nearby ship experienced distress. On days after storms like last night’s, he liked to walk the length of the beach to see if any small trinkets had washed ashore. Did he dare think Nadina might like to accompany him? Probably, a young woman who was forced to work to support herself would appreciate a little diversion.

Their time together in the early morning hours hadn’t lasted more than fifteen minutes or so. However, the impact on his soul would long remain. Offering physical comfort to this scared woman created a sense of rightness at having her soft curves pressed against him. But he thought of her every minute since she returned to the first floor. He thought of her trusting gaze. He thought of her delicate floral scent. He thought of her inquisitive nature. Most of all, he thought of how her presence pushed aside the loneliness of the night’s solitude.

If he wasn’t careful, he could come to rely on having Nadina in his life.

Sunlight crested the foothill to the east. He headed toward the staircase and climbed down to the main room. By the time he reached the log book, he heard Arne’s steps on the other staircase. The timing on this shift change was how their schedule was supposed to work. He glanced up and spotted a bleary-eyed Arne carrying a steaming mug. “Morning, boss. How far did you get in last night’s checker tournament?”

“Into the quarterfinals.” He pulled a hand over his jaw, scraping at his beard.

“Not bad.” Michael dipped the pen in the inkwell and wrote an entry in the logbook. “Who won?”

“That deaf guy, Theo, who works at the mill.” He leaned toward the window. “Had a speck of rain, did we?”

One worry gone. Chuckling, Michael wrote his last entry. “A storm rolled through at zero two twenty and lasted close to forty minutes.

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