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It was his duty to see her home safely.
Yes, that was it.
It was his duty!
Why should she buy passage when he could transport her for free?
Then another thought struck him. “Where did she get money for passage?”
Kristen shrugged. “Maybe she pirated it.”
“You’re not funny, Kristen.”
“That’s a matter for debate. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really must deliver my news. Unless…”
“Unless what?” He prayed the desperate hope he felt wasn’t etched onto his face.
“Oh, never mind.” And with that she turned around and flounced up the stairs.
Kristen paused on the second floor and peeked back to where she’d left Morgan. He looked so angry that for a moment she thought he might actually come up after her.
“You’re a stubborn, stubborn man, Morgan Drake,” she whispered. “And I pity poor Serenity for having to put up with you.”
Of course, her own mother-in-law had said the same thing to her when she married George.
Men were never easy, especially not when you loved one. As her mother had told her on her wedding night, the first two years of marriage a wife will want to devour her husband. After that, she’ll wish she had.
Kristen snickered. There were times when that was definitely true, but she also knew the pain of letting go someone you loved and the fear of never finding them again.
She’d loved George the first time she’d met him at sixteen. She had known then that she would never know happiness without him. And though she knew he loved her too, he refused to acknowledge it.
“Your father would have my head, among other things,” he’d told her. “I’m not a fitting husband for you.” And he had left her island.
Well, it had taken her four years of searching for him to get him to the altar, and neither one of them had regretted it since.
She didn’t want to see Serenity and Morgan go through the terrible nights she and George had known wondering where the other one was…whom they might be with.
And worse, the regret for those lost years that could never be recaptured. Years when they should have been together.
Nay, she wouldn’t see them suffer.
With that thought foremost on her mind, she went to wreak her havoc.
Serenity jumped at the light knock on her door. “Yes?” she called.
Kristen came in with a bright smile. “Is your head any better?”
She blushed at Kristen’s concern, especially since she’d lied about the headache to begin with. “Yes and no.”
“Well, I have some news that might help,” Kristen said, moving to stand between the couch and the windows. “There’s a ship at the docks that’s headed for the Colonies.”
“Oh,” Serenity whispered, her heart heavy. “I suppose I should send for the captain.”
“No need,” Kristen quickly assured her. “Father already told him about you, and the captain said there wouldn’t be any problems returning you home.”
Kristen twirled her hair with one finger and asked innocently, “There aren’t any problems, are there, Serenity?”
Yes,she wanted to say. There was one big problem.
