“You didn’t give it to her. You just had a cold. Mama had tuberculosis, and it came on so fast, she only had the symptoms for a few days. Before anything could be done, she had developed peritonitis, and she died less than a day later. Mama had the sickness growing inside long before you were ever ill.”
“She did?” Liv whispered.
Hallie nodded, hugging Liv’s thin body against her own. “Now where did you get the foolish notion you had killed Mama, and why didn’t you talk to me about it? You used to come to me.”
“You were so busy all the time. I thought you didn’t have time for me like you used to,” Liv admitted.
Hallie felt hellish. Everything had been so chaotic after the death of their mother. It had come so suddenly, and Da had been gone. With the twins just babies, there hadn’t been time for Liv. So her little sister had become withdrawn. This also explained all the trouble Liv seemed to create—it was a way to get Hallie’s attention.
Hallie pulled Liv to her, holding the young girl and trying to make up for the hurt. “I love you, Liv, and I’m so, so sorry. I’m here when you need me, I promise. Don’t ever think I don’t have time for you, please.”
“I love you, too, Hallie. I really, really do.” Liv clung tightly to Hallie’s neck.
Brushing the tears from her sister’s cheeks, Hallie settled Liv on her knees. “You won’t do something silly like stow on ships or some other method of running away again, will you?”
Liv shook her head.
“I need you, sweetpea. Don’t ever forget that.” Hallie rubbed Liv’s back with a soothing hand. “Feel better?”
“Uh-huh.” A small, untroubled smile lit Liv’s tear-streaked face.
Hallie stood, setting Liv down and taking her hand. “Come on now, we’d better get you cleaned up.”
As they entered the hallway, Hallie spied Kit deep in conversation with Duncan. She gave Liv’s hand a reassuring squeeze and paused in front of Kit. “I would like to talk to you, privately, as soon as I’m done.”
“Fine. I’ve got some contracts to go over, so I’ll be in there when you need me.” Kit nodded toward the study and then watched Hallie with a hungry look—the same look, she thought, that had fooled her into thinking that their relationship was at least honest and trusting, even if it wasn’t based on mutual love.
She left with Liv, planning exactly what she would say to the bastard she had married.
An hour later, Hallie stood at the base of the stairs, staring at the broken door. It was half open, and she could see Kit bent over the desk, working while he puffed on his pipe. She took a deep breath and entered the room.
Kit looked up, took the pipe from his mouth and smiled—that wonderful smile that had the ability to make her melt. But not this time. She steeled herself against the love in her heart and concentrated on his betrayal.
“Where’s my ship?”
Shock registered on his face, only to be quickly masked by a look of absolute indifference. He bent back toward the papers and mumbled around his pipe. “What ship?”
Hallie marched over to his desk. “Don’t try to act like you don’t know what I’m talking about! You know damn well I mean theSea Haven! You sold it for fill, didn’t you?”
Kit’s gaze narrowed. “Do you really think I would do that?”
“Isn’t that what you were going to do before? Why should I think you would be any different now?”
“Why...” Kit’s face was suddenly very red. “If you can’t answer that, then I’ll be damned if I’m going to tell you. I thought we at least had some trust between us.” He puffed harder on the pipe, and his hands gripped the arms of his chair.
“So did I. Until I heard that you had my ship hauled away. You gave me that ship. It’s mine!” she shouted, banging her fist on the desk in frustration.
Kit pushed the pipe to the other side of his mouth. “You sound like a child, Hallie.”
“Don’t you dare change the subject, you... you lying bastard!”
Kit shot up and stood across the desk from her, glaring and puffing. He was trying to intimidate her. She would show him!
“How could you be so mean and awful?” Hallie leaned over the table, her face only a foot from his. “I want you to stay away from me, do you understand? Stay away.”
“Fine,” he spat around his pipe stem.
In an instant, she grabbed the pipe from his mouth and flung it into the fireplace. “And I’m sick and tired of trying to understand you around that stupid, damn pipe!” She spun away from his stunned face, ran upstairs to the bedroom and slammed the door shut. Hallie looked at the door through her teary, furious eyes, then slid the bolt closed, locking Kit out of the bedroom and out of her heart.
