Mr. Vandermeer stood, his size expanding as he rose until it dominated every last nook and cranny of the room.
Every instinct screamed at her to retreat as he approached, but she forced herself to stay still.
He stopped in front of her, then reached out and tilted her chin up. “Your father assures me you’re obedient.”
The scent of brandy brushed her face, and his gaze traveled over her, starting at the very top of her head and traveling down to the soiled hem of her dress.
She tamped down the urge to shiver, but he must have sensed that she wanted to, because he gave a low, amused chuckle.
“You’re just as beautiful as I remember too. Yes, you’ll do quite nicely.” He reached into his pocket, dropped to one knee, and held out a ring. “Rosalind Caldwell, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
11
San Francisco; Four Days Later
Alexei ran his eyes over the smooth hull of the schooner sitting in dry dock. TheElla Anne, named after Dwayne Hollister’s wife, Ella, and his oldest daughter, Anne. It was a decent ship, sitting in the middle of a decent shipyard that had been well kept and seemingly well run until the death of its owner. Alexei suspected the shipyard had continued to run reasonably well even after Dwayne Hollister’s death, right up until Harold Farnsworth had lured away its best workers with higher wages.
It was cheaper to promise higher wages to the foreman and the handful of seasoned workers who could have kept operations going than to pay a fair price for the shipyard. But Alexei intended to pay a fair price.
He didn’t care that the few workers attempting to repair the wooden schooner looked more lost than competent. Nor did he care that half the workbenches in the yard sat empty, tools scattered or missing entirely. The dry dock was sturdy, the slipway was more than sufficient, and the lumber yardwas well stocked. The two large warehouses that held various shipbuilding supplies and materials were in good repair, and the Hollisters owned enough property that another dry dock could be built and two vessels could be worked on at the same time.
The shipyard could be running at full capacity within two months, possibly sooner.
Sacha strode around the side of the ship, brushing sawdust from his hands. “This isn’t nearly as bad as I expected.”
Alexei raised a brow. “What did you expect?”
“When I saw the price Yuri offered for the shipyard, and I heard that Mrs. Hollister accepted it, I expected a mess. And Yuri said he nearly doubled Farnsworth’s offer.” Sacha ran a hand along the hull of the ship. “A few new hands with the right knowledge of shipbuilding, and this place will be running smoothly.”
“Those were my thoughts too.”
Hollister’s widow had met with him briefly when he arrived. She didn’t want to sell, but she had four daughters ranging in age from six to sixteen, and she was smart enough to know she wouldn’t last much longer without a knowledgeable foreman.
The main thing Mrs. Hollister had wanted to know earlier was whether he intended to honor the price Yuri had offered her.
He’d said no. He’d said no, then added that the shipyard was likely worth an additional two thousand dollars, provided the ship in dry dock was in good condition and could be seaworthy within a few months. If the ship passed muster when he and Sacha looked her over, that was exactly what he planned to give Mrs. Hollister.
“And theElla Anne? What do you think of her?” Alexei stared up at the ship. He knew she was structurally sound, but Sacha would be better at estimating how long it would take to repair the hole in the hull and the rotting decking.
Sacha just grinned at him. “She’s also in better shape than I thought. Looks like they were halfway through replacing the planking when Farnsworth started poaching their workers. I can have her seaworthy in a month.”
“A month?” That solved the problem of how he would fill the extra contracts Yuri had procured. In fact, with theElla Annefit for service and Yuri living in San Francisco, they’d be able to add a sixth shipping route to meet their eleven new contract obligations. They might even be able to add a few more contracts in time.
“What, no interrogation about whether I can truly have her seaworthy in a month, or if it might take a month and three days?” Sacha scratched his temple.
“I assume much of that will depend on how quickly you and Yuri can hire workers, and how much the workers already know about shipbuilding. Other than that, you know what you’re doing.”
Sacha slapped him on the back. “Now that’s something I never thought I’d hear you say.”
“Don’t get used to it,” Alexei muttered.
Sacha chuckled, the sound deep and hearty, then moved his gaze to encompass the rest of the shipyard. “Buying her is a good decision.”
“I can’t take credit for it. I wouldn’t have even had the chance to purchase this without Yuri.”
“When Yuri told us he made an offer on this place, I thought he’d lost his mind. Instead, he found a gem.”
“He has a better head for business than he lets on. I used to think it was all luck. Now I’m starting to think it’s strategy hidden inside so much charm and laughter that people can’t tell which direction is up.”
