he asked.
“Do you think I could bring these along?” She showed him the sheets of paper. “I thought
Tahlia might like them.”
“Sure.” He nodded toward the study and that monstrous oak desk. “Should be some folders
in there. You don’t want the wind ripping those out of your hand on the sail back.
I’ll meet you at the front door in five.”
Standing at the desk, she slid open the first drawer. Stationery . The second drawer held documents that couldn’t have been touched in decades. The
third drawer contained a stash of personal cards secured by a perishing rubber band.
The fourth and final drawer was empty except for some unused writing blocks.
No folders, but if she slid the old pages into the middle of a writing block, her
gift to Tahlia should be protected. When she heaped them all out onto the floor, though,
the base of the drawer seemed to spring back a little.
She pushed down on the drawer’s base again. Ever so slightly, it bobbed back up. From
the main room, Darius called out.
“You almost ready?”
“Be right there,” she called.
After bobbing the base again, she tried to pry her nails in either side to lever the
base out. No luck. Biting her lip, she made a fist and, hoping the base would dislodge,
lightly gaveled her hand against the timber. She did it a second time, a third.
“Helene,” Darius called out, “we need to leave.”
Dragging a hand over her hair, she leaned back on her heels. Whether she’d been onto
something or not, she was out of time. But halfway up, an idea struck.
With her legs spread either side of those drawers, she gripped the strip of slim panel
nearest the floor and tugged.
The panel popped off and she fell onto her back. Springing onto hands and knees, she
checked the cavity. Inside lay a dozen pages of the same vintage as the others.
Before Darius could call again, Helene gathered the additional pages, slid them between
the pages of the writing block and, feeling elated, headed out.
Chapter Eleven
A splendid sixty-foot sailboat docked at the pier in an adjacent bay. The crew looked
like the epitome of masters of the sea. Each man acknowledged Darius with a deep bow
then a bright smile. But when they clapped eyes on Helene and her grubby, pint-sized
knapsack, their expressions darkened.
As she moved forward, the writing block pressed to her chest, Helene’s skin began
to crawl.
Had the crew been briefed to expect another passenger? If so, they’d most likely know
she’d been hired to care for domestic needs. But Darius didn’t treat her like a maid.
While he didn’t show any overt signs of affection, he made certain she stood beside
him and personally helped her aboard. Holding his oversized briefcase in one hand,
he escorted her to one side of the boat.
Feeling numerous pairs of eyes upon her, she tried her best to appear unaffected as
the vessel slid out onto a sun-jeweled sea. While she drank in her final glimpse of
paradise and slid the block into the front compartment of her knapsack, beside her
Darius pointed out a pod of dolphins.
“It’s a good omen,” he told her.
She murmured, “If you say so.”
Ahead of the bow, a dolphin leapt so high and far it seemed to fly. His dark hair
ruffling in the wind, Darius gave her a thoughtful look. “Nervous?”
“A little.” A lot.
“Just think. You’re starting on another adventure.” He tugged her close. “My sister
will adore you.”
Too soon, the smudge on the horizon became an island and then the blue and slate roofs
patterning the rocky hillsides came into focus. As the dolphins guided them into the
bay, the impression of a crowd congregated on the dock also took shape. Her face cool
from the salty breeze and back warmed by the sun, Helene clutched the rail as they
cruised into port while a collective cheer wafted over the teal-ribboned sea to meet
them.
Along the narrow cobblestone streets, people of all ages
“Do you think I could bring these along?” She showed him the sheets of paper. “I thought
Tahlia might like them.”
“Sure.” He nodded toward the study and that monstrous oak desk. “Should be some folders
in there. You don’t want the wind ripping those out of your hand on the sail back.
I’ll meet you at the front door in five.”
Standing at the desk, she slid open the first drawer. Stationery . The second drawer held documents that couldn’t have been touched in decades. The
third drawer contained a stash of personal cards secured by a perishing rubber band.
The fourth and final drawer was empty except for some unused writing blocks.
No folders, but if she slid the old pages into the middle of a writing block, her
gift to Tahlia should be protected. When she heaped them all out onto the floor, though,
the base of the drawer seemed to spring back a little.
She pushed down on the drawer’s base again. Ever so slightly, it bobbed back up. From
the main room, Darius called out.
“You almost ready?”
“Be right there,” she called.
After bobbing the base again, she tried to pry her nails in either side to lever the
base out. No luck. Biting her lip, she made a fist and, hoping the base would dislodge,
lightly gaveled her hand against the timber. She did it a second time, a third.
“Helene,” Darius called out, “we need to leave.”
Dragging a hand over her hair, she leaned back on her heels. Whether she’d been onto
something or not, she was out of time. But halfway up, an idea struck.
With her legs spread either side of those drawers, she gripped the strip of slim panel
nearest the floor and tugged.
The panel popped off and she fell onto her back. Springing onto hands and knees, she
checked the cavity. Inside lay a dozen pages of the same vintage as the others.
Before Darius could call again, Helene gathered the additional pages, slid them between
the pages of the writing block and, feeling elated, headed out.
Chapter Eleven
A splendid sixty-foot sailboat docked at the pier in an adjacent bay. The crew looked
like the epitome of masters of the sea. Each man acknowledged Darius with a deep bow
then a bright smile. But when they clapped eyes on Helene and her grubby, pint-sized
knapsack, their expressions darkened.
As she moved forward, the writing block pressed to her chest, Helene’s skin began
to crawl.
Had the crew been briefed to expect another passenger? If so, they’d most likely know
she’d been hired to care for domestic needs. But Darius didn’t treat her like a maid.
While he didn’t show any overt signs of affection, he made certain she stood beside
him and personally helped her aboard. Holding his oversized briefcase in one hand,
he escorted her to one side of the boat.
Feeling numerous pairs of eyes upon her, she tried her best to appear unaffected as
the vessel slid out onto a sun-jeweled sea. While she drank in her final glimpse of
paradise and slid the block into the front compartment of her knapsack, beside her
Darius pointed out a pod of dolphins.
“It’s a good omen,” he told her.
She murmured, “If you say so.”
Ahead of the bow, a dolphin leapt so high and far it seemed to fly. His dark hair
ruffling in the wind, Darius gave her a thoughtful look. “Nervous?”
“A little.” A lot.
“Just think. You’re starting on another adventure.” He tugged her close. “My sister
will adore you.”
Too soon, the smudge on the horizon became an island and then the blue and slate roofs
patterning the rocky hillsides came into focus. As the dolphins guided them into the
bay, the impression of a crowd congregated on the dock also took shape. Her face cool
from the salty breeze and back warmed by the sun, Helene clutched the rail as they
cruised into port while a collective cheer wafted over the teal-ribboned sea to meet
them.
Along the narrow cobblestone streets, people of all ages
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