The Pirate's Desire by Jennette Green Page A

will teach you myself.”
    Lucinda licked her lips. “I will speak to Mr. Chase.”
    “As you wish.”
    She speedily made her exit and hurried upstairs. What was wrong with her? For the entire morning she’d lost sight of her mission to vex him at every point possible. Instead, she’d docilely sat beside him, and then even thanked him nicely at the end. Even worse, she’d noticed—for the briefest second—that he was a handsome man!
    He was old. Ten years older than herself. And her unwanted guardian.
    She couldn’t trust him, she reminded herself. He still possessed that deep, dark secret he hid from the Royal Navy. A man like him shouldn’t be within a furlong of Ravensbrook…let alone perusing its ledgers, or discovering the breadth of the estate’s wealth.
    No. She still must evict him, and speedily.
    Then why did her will seemed weakened in this regard? Lucinda rang for Effie. Riel was proving much more dangerous than she’d ever imagined. Did he possess charm? Was that it? Whatever the case, she would not succumb to his wiles like her father had.
    Resolve strengthened, Lucinda sat quietly while Effie helped her freshen up for Aunt Sophie’s arrival. This afternoon, after his aunt was settled, she’d set Riel on his ear again. He must go, and soon. Before it was too late.
     
    * * * * *
     
    A black carriage arrived just before lunch, and Lucinda swept down the steps to welcome Riel’s great-aunt to Ravensbrook. Riel stood at her side as the driver opened the carriage door.
    A frail older lady appeared, bone thin and with white hair scraped into a loose bun. A network of fine lines creased into her cheeks, and radiated out from her mouth and the corners of her eyes. She wore a pale blue gown of classic lines, and white gloves. A shaky hand accepted Riel’s arm and helping hand down.
    Concern again rose in Lucinda. It appeared that a stiff breeze might knock the older woman over. Was she strong enough to be outdoors? Had traveling been a good idea, considering her health?
    An older, sturdier looking woman descended next from the carriage. Presumably Sophie’s maid.
    “Lucinda,” Riel’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I would like to introduce you to my great-aunt, Lady Sophia.”
    Although his aunt rummaged in her small clutch reticule at the moment, Lucinda said softly, “I am so happy to meet you.”
    Sophia extracted a dainty, beautifully embroidered handkerchief and looked up. Startlingly bright blue eyes twinkled at Lucinda. “So happy to meet you too, my dear. I am so sorry for your loss.”
    “Thank you, Lady Sophia.”
    “Please call me Aunt Sophie. It will make everything simpler.” Birdlike hands clasped Lucinda’s own. The pressure felt firm, to Lucinda’s surprise, and a measure of relief eased into her soul. Sophie was stronger than she looked. And Lucinda could tell, just by looking into those bright eyes and her ready smile, that she was going to like Riel’s aunt.
    She smiled. “I would be honored to call you Aunt Sophie.”
    “Good. Now that that’s out of the way, I would love a small glass of lemonade, if you have it. The trip has parched me.”
    “Was the trip long?” Lucinda asked.
    As they all moved slowly toward the steps, Sophie relayed a few stories from her two day’s journey, lightly garnished with flashes of humor. Alarmingly, though, she gasped for breath by the time she gained Ravensbrook’s top step, and blue tinged her skin. She held tightly onto Riel’s arm and stood very still outside the front door, trying to catch her breath.
    Anxiously, Lucinda hovered close by. “May I get something for you? A chair, perhaps?”
    “Never mind me,” Sophie wheezed, but offered a ghost of a smile. “Need a minute.”
    Her skin regained its normal pale hue within a matter of minutes, and then she prodded Riel’s arm, directing him to lead her inside. Amazingly, she took up the conversation right where she had left off. “I love your countryside immensely,