Jennie again. She’s always one to do her duty.”
“I’m certain she’s my niece. When you meet my brother, you’ll be convinced as well.” He stepped onto the porch. A buggy was parked outside. “Could we take your buggy?”
“Certainly.”
He took Jennie and noticed she wasn’t as hot. Once he helped Miss Russell into the buggy, he handed the baby up to her then climbed in himself. “Why is your mother so willing to believe Jennie is your father’s child?”
She glanced at the baby sleeping on her shoulder. “I think she knows I believe it.”
“And why are you so sure?”
She bit her lip and looked away. “I overheard Eliza demand money from him. For what other reason could she have been blackmailing him?”
His pulse quickened. He could think of something else. Maybe Miss Bulmer wanted money to stay quiet about the taking of the ship.
But perhaps he was wrong about Philip being the father. His gaze fell on Jennie’s swirl of a cowlick. Just like his brother’s. His doubt ebbed.
“My brother is investigating the taking of the Paradox .”
“Yes, you called me about it,” she said.
He raised a brow. “You were the operator I spoke to?”
She nodded. “I don’t understand why you bring that up now. We are discussing Jennie’s parentage.”
He slapped the reins against the horse’s back, and the buggy began to move. “You asked why else Miss Bulmer might be blackmailing your father.”
Horror filled her eyes, and she whipped her head from side to side. “My father had nothing to do with the ship. Besides, Eliza disappeared only a short time later.”
“Another ship was taken a month ago. My brother said Miss Bulmer had suggested a man in town was involved. Albert Russell. There is no other Albert Russell in town, is there?”
“No. But what you’re suggesting is impossible. I know my father. He would never do such a thing.”
He heard the quaver in her voice. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to upset you.”
She arranged her skirt on the seat. “If your aspersions on my father’s name are meant to deter me from my duty to Jennie, you have failed. You can’t possibly want to care for a baby!”
He turned the horse’s head from the county road to the main street to town. “It has most certainly complicated my life. But sometimes duty demands we do the inconvenient.”
The woman gave him a severe glance. “A baby is more than a duty.”
He urged the horse forward. “Indeed she has already crept into my heart. But isn’t duty part of why you’re here?”
Her bonnet hid her face. “I love children. I already care about her. She would not be hard for me to love.”
“Nor for me. She’s an engaging little mite.” The sea air blew his hair over his eyes, and he realized he’d forgotten to grab his hat. “Can we agree we both want what is best for Jennie?”
“Of course.”
He glanced at the wind blowing wisps of shiny hair across her cheeks. He didn’t want to be enemies with this woman.
T WELVE
K ATIE DIDN’T LIKE the child’s lethargy. Her initial goal to let her mother get another peek at the baby had evaporated the moment she saw the child. “Can you go a little faster? We need to get her to the doctor,” she said again.
The towering redwoods cast a shadow over the macadam road, and the damp odor of the ferns growing along the banks added to the sense of isolation. What did she know of this man? She still suspected he had something to do with Eliza’s disappearance. The buckboard reached the edge of town. Church bells rang twelve times. The scent of fudge from the candy shop lingered on the breeze.
She glanced at the telephone office. Under normal circumstances she would be at work, but she’d taken a few days off since her father’s . . . accident. She directed Will to the doctor’s office, the downstairs rooms of a brownstone on the corner of Mercy and Main.
He parked the buggy then jumped down and took the baby from her before assisting her from
“I’m certain she’s my niece. When you meet my brother, you’ll be convinced as well.” He stepped onto the porch. A buggy was parked outside. “Could we take your buggy?”
“Certainly.”
He took Jennie and noticed she wasn’t as hot. Once he helped Miss Russell into the buggy, he handed the baby up to her then climbed in himself. “Why is your mother so willing to believe Jennie is your father’s child?”
She glanced at the baby sleeping on her shoulder. “I think she knows I believe it.”
“And why are you so sure?”
She bit her lip and looked away. “I overheard Eliza demand money from him. For what other reason could she have been blackmailing him?”
His pulse quickened. He could think of something else. Maybe Miss Bulmer wanted money to stay quiet about the taking of the ship.
But perhaps he was wrong about Philip being the father. His gaze fell on Jennie’s swirl of a cowlick. Just like his brother’s. His doubt ebbed.
“My brother is investigating the taking of the Paradox .”
“Yes, you called me about it,” she said.
He raised a brow. “You were the operator I spoke to?”
She nodded. “I don’t understand why you bring that up now. We are discussing Jennie’s parentage.”
He slapped the reins against the horse’s back, and the buggy began to move. “You asked why else Miss Bulmer might be blackmailing your father.”
Horror filled her eyes, and she whipped her head from side to side. “My father had nothing to do with the ship. Besides, Eliza disappeared only a short time later.”
“Another ship was taken a month ago. My brother said Miss Bulmer had suggested a man in town was involved. Albert Russell. There is no other Albert Russell in town, is there?”
“No. But what you’re suggesting is impossible. I know my father. He would never do such a thing.”
He heard the quaver in her voice. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to upset you.”
She arranged her skirt on the seat. “If your aspersions on my father’s name are meant to deter me from my duty to Jennie, you have failed. You can’t possibly want to care for a baby!”
He turned the horse’s head from the county road to the main street to town. “It has most certainly complicated my life. But sometimes duty demands we do the inconvenient.”
The woman gave him a severe glance. “A baby is more than a duty.”
He urged the horse forward. “Indeed she has already crept into my heart. But isn’t duty part of why you’re here?”
Her bonnet hid her face. “I love children. I already care about her. She would not be hard for me to love.”
“Nor for me. She’s an engaging little mite.” The sea air blew his hair over his eyes, and he realized he’d forgotten to grab his hat. “Can we agree we both want what is best for Jennie?”
“Of course.”
He glanced at the wind blowing wisps of shiny hair across her cheeks. He didn’t want to be enemies with this woman.
T WELVE
K ATIE DIDN’T LIKE the child’s lethargy. Her initial goal to let her mother get another peek at the baby had evaporated the moment she saw the child. “Can you go a little faster? We need to get her to the doctor,” she said again.
The towering redwoods cast a shadow over the macadam road, and the damp odor of the ferns growing along the banks added to the sense of isolation. What did she know of this man? She still suspected he had something to do with Eliza’s disappearance. The buckboard reached the edge of town. Church bells rang twelve times. The scent of fudge from the candy shop lingered on the breeze.
She glanced at the telephone office. Under normal circumstances she would be at work, but she’d taken a few days off since her father’s . . . accident. She directed Will to the doctor’s office, the downstairs rooms of a brownstone on the corner of Mercy and Main.
He parked the buggy then jumped down and took the baby from her before assisting her from
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