did, but I’ve seen Jimmy in love, and I know how he acts when he is. He doesn’t love Annabelle Morgan…not in the way he should,” Ollie concluded.
Delight thought on that for a long, silent moment before murmuring. “He’ll ruin his whole life if he marries without love.”
“He obviously doesn’t think so.” Ollie refilled both their glasses and Delight drank the whiskey straight down without a flinch. Ollie smiled to himself as he thought of the head the boy was going to have on him in the morning….
Delight sank deep into thought. “I don’t want to see the captain unhappy, but if this is what he really wants to do, I guess there’s nothing we can do or say.”
“That’s the problem. He deserves better. But he thinks because she’s beautiful he’ll be happy with her.”
“I have heard it said that she’s lovely,” Delight remarked, and Ollie caught her on it.
“Where did you hear that?” he asked sharply.
“Oh, just one of the hands…” she covered her second lapse. She took a nervous drink from her glass and wondered idly why she hadn’t noticed before what a smooth drink it was.
“Maybe that will be enough. I know he doesn’t believe that he’ll ever care for another woman the way he did for Renee, so maybe he is settling for second best.”
Delight pondered Ollie’s conclusions. If that was true, it was so sad…Jim should have every good thing life had to offer. He was a kind and generous man. He needed someone who would care for him deeply…someone who would love him for the man he was…like she did.
“Do you think she loves him?” Her final question was important. If Annabelle did love Jim, then maybe she could be the woman for him. If her love was strong, maybe she could make him fall in love with her in time.
“Murphy, I just don’t know. But I hope so.”
Delight nodded slightly. She hoped so, too. She wanted “her captain” to be happy…even, she thought sadly, if it took another woman. But she couldn’t help but believe that she loved him more….
They let the subject drop, for there was nothing else they could say. They both knew that they cared about Jim and they only wanted what was best for him.
The Morgan house was ablaze with lights and the festivities were in full swing. Annabelle stood with Jim, greeting their late-arriving guests and flashing the diamond and ruby engagement ring he had given her. When the last of the people had disappeared into the ballroom, she turned to Jim and smiled seductively at him.
“Thank you for my ring. It’s lovely.” She felt very bold and daring tonight as she ran a hand up the lapel of his jacket. Jim Westlake was such an attractive man…she was beginning to enjoy being his fiancée.
“I’m glad you like it. It suits your beauty.”
Her lashes fluttered and she leaned against him. “I missed you dreadfully while you were gone on your trip.”
Jim would have liked to believe it, but her behavior lastnight had given him pause. Having finished his work earlier than he’d anticipated, he had dropped by the Morgan house. Annabelle had seemed a little put off by his appearance, and they had had no opportunity to be alone together, for Nathan had stayed with them the entire time.
What Jim didn’t know was that Wade MacIntosh had been there, too, hiding behind closed doors until Jim left. Anna-belle had been furious, but there had been little she could do except to get rid of Jim as quickly as possible.
“I missed you, too,” he told her, sliding his hand down her back to her waist and pulling her toward him.
Just as he was bending to kiss her lips, her father came into the hallway and she was forced to move away from him. Annabelle had been anticipating his kiss and she was more than a little disappointed at her father’s untimely arrival.
“There you two are,” Nathan said jovially. “Come on in. The music is about to begin and we’d like you to lead off the first waltz.”
“After you, my
Delight thought on that for a long, silent moment before murmuring. “He’ll ruin his whole life if he marries without love.”
“He obviously doesn’t think so.” Ollie refilled both their glasses and Delight drank the whiskey straight down without a flinch. Ollie smiled to himself as he thought of the head the boy was going to have on him in the morning….
Delight sank deep into thought. “I don’t want to see the captain unhappy, but if this is what he really wants to do, I guess there’s nothing we can do or say.”
“That’s the problem. He deserves better. But he thinks because she’s beautiful he’ll be happy with her.”
“I have heard it said that she’s lovely,” Delight remarked, and Ollie caught her on it.
“Where did you hear that?” he asked sharply.
“Oh, just one of the hands…” she covered her second lapse. She took a nervous drink from her glass and wondered idly why she hadn’t noticed before what a smooth drink it was.
“Maybe that will be enough. I know he doesn’t believe that he’ll ever care for another woman the way he did for Renee, so maybe he is settling for second best.”
Delight pondered Ollie’s conclusions. If that was true, it was so sad…Jim should have every good thing life had to offer. He was a kind and generous man. He needed someone who would care for him deeply…someone who would love him for the man he was…like she did.
“Do you think she loves him?” Her final question was important. If Annabelle did love Jim, then maybe she could be the woman for him. If her love was strong, maybe she could make him fall in love with her in time.
“Murphy, I just don’t know. But I hope so.”
Delight nodded slightly. She hoped so, too. She wanted “her captain” to be happy…even, she thought sadly, if it took another woman. But she couldn’t help but believe that she loved him more….
They let the subject drop, for there was nothing else they could say. They both knew that they cared about Jim and they only wanted what was best for him.
The Morgan house was ablaze with lights and the festivities were in full swing. Annabelle stood with Jim, greeting their late-arriving guests and flashing the diamond and ruby engagement ring he had given her. When the last of the people had disappeared into the ballroom, she turned to Jim and smiled seductively at him.
“Thank you for my ring. It’s lovely.” She felt very bold and daring tonight as she ran a hand up the lapel of his jacket. Jim Westlake was such an attractive man…she was beginning to enjoy being his fiancée.
“I’m glad you like it. It suits your beauty.”
Her lashes fluttered and she leaned against him. “I missed you dreadfully while you were gone on your trip.”
Jim would have liked to believe it, but her behavior lastnight had given him pause. Having finished his work earlier than he’d anticipated, he had dropped by the Morgan house. Annabelle had seemed a little put off by his appearance, and they had had no opportunity to be alone together, for Nathan had stayed with them the entire time.
What Jim didn’t know was that Wade MacIntosh had been there, too, hiding behind closed doors until Jim left. Anna-belle had been furious, but there had been little she could do except to get rid of Jim as quickly as possible.
“I missed you, too,” he told her, sliding his hand down her back to her waist and pulling her toward him.
Just as he was bending to kiss her lips, her father came into the hallway and she was forced to move away from him. Annabelle had been anticipating his kiss and she was more than a little disappointed at her father’s untimely arrival.
“There you two are,” Nathan said jovially. “Come on in. The music is about to begin and we’d like you to lead off the first waltz.”
“After you, my
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