purpose and a role to play. Here she just felt out of place.
“Ah, here they are,” Humphries said, as a woman in a dark red dress strode in, followed by a younger woman in a green dress who looked about five years older than Scarlet. Both had shiny brown curls that bounced as they walked, and Scarlet’s hand immediately crept up to her own hair, still tightly braided. Then she shook her head and dropped her hand. Not that she gave a fig about hair.
“Time for introductions,” said Humphries.
“Of course,” said Uncle Daniel. “You remember my brother, Admiral John McCray?”
“I believe we met once or twice.” The admiral offered his hand.
“Ages ago,” Humphries agreed. “In another world.”
“This is my daughter, Josephine, and John’s daughter, Scarlet,” Uncle Daniel said.
Scarlet concentrated hard on staying upright as she gripped her skirt and curtsied. She wobbled fiercely, but managed, miraculously, not to fall on her face.
“And this is my wife, Mrs. June Humphries, and our daughter, Cecily,” said Humphries.
Scarlet watched as Cecily executed a perfect curtsy, curls bouncing politely. She had a heart-shaped face, a blush of pink across her cheeks, and pale, creamy skin like Josephine’s. But there was something familiar about her. Scarlet was sure she’d seen her somewhere before—maybe in port? Maybe she’d even stolen something from her? She was racking her brain, trying to remember, when Cecily looked over and caught her staring. She narrowed her eyes and looked Scarlet up and down, and Scarlet reddened under her gaze. She didn’t know Cecily one bit, but she was certain they’d never be friends.
Somewhere deep inside the house, a door slammed, and footsteps came running toward them.
“And there’s our boy.” Humphries sighed. “Always fashionably late.”
The boy burst into the foyer, breathless and red-faced, his brown hair damp with sweat. “I’m sorry, everyone,” he said. “I was out supervising the new crew. Couldn’t quite make it back from the fields in time.”
Scarlet’s mouth fell open.
The boy straightened his coat, then bowed to Uncle Daniel and her father. “I’m Ben Hodgins.”
“Shivers!” The word escaped Scarlet’s mouth before she could stop it. She slapped a hand over her mouth, feeling her father’s incredulous eyes on her.
Ben Hodgins turned to look at her, and his lower lip went slack.
“What was that, Scarlet?” asked Humphries.
“Oh.” Scarlet tore her wide eyes away from Ben’s, only to find that everyone in the room was staring at her. Her ears grew hot. “Oh. I’m sorry. I just… got cold. Suddenly.” She shivered for effect and looked down at the gleaming floor, willing it to split open and swallow her. For somehow,
somehow
, she’d ended up in the same house as Ben Hodgins, the former captain of the Lost Souls. The one who’d taken her in when she ran away from home, and then made her captain when he left.
Because he’d fallen in love with a plantation owner’s daughter,
Scarlet remembered.
That
was why she recognized Cecily—she’d seen her with Ben in port one day not so long ago.
“Do you two know each other?” asked Humphries. His shiny forehead wrinkled.
“No!” Scarlet and Ben said in unison.
“Of course not,” added Ben. He smoothed down his flyaway hair and stepped up to shake her father’s and uncle’s hands.
“Why would we?” added Scarlet. She wiped her sweaty hands on her dress, then remembered Rule Number One and tucked them behind her back.
Well, this was a fine mess. Here she was, on a horrible plantation with her former captain and dressed head to toe in ridiculous blue frills. It couldn’t get any worse than this, she was certain.
“Ben is the best plantation manager I’ve ever had,” Humphries boasted. “He and Cecily will be married in… how long now?”
“Less than a month,” his wife said.
“Is it that soon?” Humphries looked at Cecily. She nodded, curls
“Ah, here they are,” Humphries said, as a woman in a dark red dress strode in, followed by a younger woman in a green dress who looked about five years older than Scarlet. Both had shiny brown curls that bounced as they walked, and Scarlet’s hand immediately crept up to her own hair, still tightly braided. Then she shook her head and dropped her hand. Not that she gave a fig about hair.
“Time for introductions,” said Humphries.
“Of course,” said Uncle Daniel. “You remember my brother, Admiral John McCray?”
“I believe we met once or twice.” The admiral offered his hand.
“Ages ago,” Humphries agreed. “In another world.”
“This is my daughter, Josephine, and John’s daughter, Scarlet,” Uncle Daniel said.
Scarlet concentrated hard on staying upright as she gripped her skirt and curtsied. She wobbled fiercely, but managed, miraculously, not to fall on her face.
“And this is my wife, Mrs. June Humphries, and our daughter, Cecily,” said Humphries.
Scarlet watched as Cecily executed a perfect curtsy, curls bouncing politely. She had a heart-shaped face, a blush of pink across her cheeks, and pale, creamy skin like Josephine’s. But there was something familiar about her. Scarlet was sure she’d seen her somewhere before—maybe in port? Maybe she’d even stolen something from her? She was racking her brain, trying to remember, when Cecily looked over and caught her staring. She narrowed her eyes and looked Scarlet up and down, and Scarlet reddened under her gaze. She didn’t know Cecily one bit, but she was certain they’d never be friends.
Somewhere deep inside the house, a door slammed, and footsteps came running toward them.
“And there’s our boy.” Humphries sighed. “Always fashionably late.”
The boy burst into the foyer, breathless and red-faced, his brown hair damp with sweat. “I’m sorry, everyone,” he said. “I was out supervising the new crew. Couldn’t quite make it back from the fields in time.”
Scarlet’s mouth fell open.
The boy straightened his coat, then bowed to Uncle Daniel and her father. “I’m Ben Hodgins.”
“Shivers!” The word escaped Scarlet’s mouth before she could stop it. She slapped a hand over her mouth, feeling her father’s incredulous eyes on her.
Ben Hodgins turned to look at her, and his lower lip went slack.
“What was that, Scarlet?” asked Humphries.
“Oh.” Scarlet tore her wide eyes away from Ben’s, only to find that everyone in the room was staring at her. Her ears grew hot. “Oh. I’m sorry. I just… got cold. Suddenly.” She shivered for effect and looked down at the gleaming floor, willing it to split open and swallow her. For somehow,
somehow
, she’d ended up in the same house as Ben Hodgins, the former captain of the Lost Souls. The one who’d taken her in when she ran away from home, and then made her captain when he left.
Because he’d fallen in love with a plantation owner’s daughter,
Scarlet remembered.
That
was why she recognized Cecily—she’d seen her with Ben in port one day not so long ago.
“Do you two know each other?” asked Humphries. His shiny forehead wrinkled.
“No!” Scarlet and Ben said in unison.
“Of course not,” added Ben. He smoothed down his flyaway hair and stepped up to shake her father’s and uncle’s hands.
“Why would we?” added Scarlet. She wiped her sweaty hands on her dress, then remembered Rule Number One and tucked them behind her back.
Well, this was a fine mess. Here she was, on a horrible plantation with her former captain and dressed head to toe in ridiculous blue frills. It couldn’t get any worse than this, she was certain.
“Ben is the best plantation manager I’ve ever had,” Humphries boasted. “He and Cecily will be married in… how long now?”
“Less than a month,” his wife said.
“Is it that soon?” Humphries looked at Cecily. She nodded, curls
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