“Yes, though some of his activity has been curtailed, though not completely, due to the war and the heavy presence of the Royal Navy and the French Navy. I am certain that he will be back to catching smugglers when the war is finally over.”
“Oh dear!”
“What? Are you against smugglers being caught?”
“It is what my uncle does,” she whispered.
“Ah, then I know more than you do about your uncle.” Rhys chuckled.
“How is that possible?”
“Your uncle was a merchant until the Treaty of Amiens was no more and the British began attacking French islands in 1803. He is well known to my father as having turned into a smuggler and the real purpose for him doing so, to send and receive messages between the Royal Navy and the islands. Therefore, my father avoids him even though there is very real smuggling being done by your uncle because it is necessary to gain access to the French.”
“Your father likely knows my father and uncle.” She chuckled.
“It is possible.”
Oh dear! When they find out that she was alone on the island with Rhys without a proper chaperone for so long…unless they will accept five younger sisters as being those…
She just hoped that they did not take issue with that fact and realized that there was little choice.
It was a concern she would visit another day. As with her worrying about her father, it did no good since there was no control, just as Rhys had said.
“What are you going to do when your mission is over?”
“Settle in Antigua.”
It really wasn’t so far from Dominica.
“What will you do in Antigua.”
“I plan on owning a ferry service, once this war is over, to take people between islands.”
“Can you sail a ship?” she asked with a laugh.
“Yes, I can…somewhat…but I will learn.”
“Then I wish you great success.”
He stared into her eyes. “And I just may make several journeys to Dominica.”
She sucked in a breath.
“I like you, Tempest.”
“I find I like you as well,” she admitted.
“I would like to see if we still like the other when this is behind us.”
Her heart pounded at such a declaration. It wasn’t necessarily an offer of courtship but it was something. “I would like that as well, Rhys.”
He kept looking at her and a sudden nervousness came over her. What was he going to do or say next? She licked her upper lip out of nervousness, and then he focused there. Was he finally going to kiss her?
Twelve
Rhys came so close to kissing Tempest the night before, but he just couldn’t. There were too many unknowns. When they were free of this place and living a normal life, then he would kiss her, if he still wanted to.
Of course he wanted to. What man wouldn’t want to pull her into his arms and kiss her most thoroughly?
