“Who would have done that?”
“Eustace was the only person who could have.” Grace’s words came stronger now. “Appraisals are always sealed before delivery. However, I had not sealed them when he offered to deliver them for me. I trusted him and believed he would seal the documents first.”
“He did not?” Luc asked.
“Only after he changed the numbers and some of the provenance dates. Those changes were significant, and easy enough to make without being obvious,” Grace explained with wry annoyance.
“So, he betrayed you. Who told the police about the changes and implicated you?”
“The original owner. He was head of a crime family, which I did not know at the time I accepted the work. He was not happy with my honest appraisal. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the fraud was discovered. Then he would have to pay the new owner the difference. To recoup his money and for revenge, he blamed the fraud on me. However, the truth came out at my trial. I was acquitted. My one-time fiancé and the crime boss went to prison.”
“You were vindicated, so why run toSweet Dreams?” With every statement, Luc’s interest in Grace increased. Because of the story she told, of course.
“Only the court acquitted me,” her tone grew hard. “The press, and popular opinion condemned me. Every so-called friend denied me. I lost all my clients and was forced to close my business. During the trial the press and the public were so virulent, I rarely left the house save to appear in court, and only then with a police escort. Afterward, I couldn’t walk down the street without hearing curses and risking injury from objects thrown at me. So, I left. My faith in people destroyed. I never wanted to see another person again.”
“Yet you are seeing me?” He lifted a brow.
“You’ve made it nearly impossible not to see you,” she huffed.
Luc smiled. Again, he couldn’t help it. She was as interesting as the sea was deep.
You have no idea how often you don’t see me.
The stream of her words flowed on. “You refused to pay attention to my warnings not to come back. Heck, I even see you in my dreams from time to time. For all I know, you are the mystery man who finishes nearly every repair task I start and leaves plants at my door every full moon.”
“A mystery man? I beg your pardon, but what are you talking about?” Did she know how right she was? He schooled his expression to show surprise, and concern. Not to ask would be insensitive, suspicious or both.
Grace enumerated for him the various inexplicable events. “I feel like I’m caught in a bog. I must be losing my mind.”
“I disagree. However, isolation can cause the mind to play tricks. You need some company. Frequent company to keep you grounded mentally.”
“I may get that sooner than I like,” she sighed.
“Oh? Why do you say so?” Luc leaned in, as if she was about to impart a secret and he needed to be close to catch it.
“I mentioned that someone unknown is finishing all the repairs I start. That’s making the restoration of the house go faster than I planned. I’m approaching the point where I will have to hire others to do the work.” She worried her lower lip.
“I’m familiar with many of the locals. If you need a disinterested opinion on a new hire or acquaintance, I am at your service.” He leaned back on his elbows.
“Then perhaps you know of a good plumber and a reliable land manager with a crew,” Grace said.
“Those are interesting choices.”
“I’ll need the plumber to install pipes, valves, spigots, and pumps for running water in the house.” The more mundane topic soothed some of those underlying emotions, and she calmed.
“You intend to be very modern.” Luc lifted his chin and straightened up.
“I can afford some luxuries, and I see no reason not to have them.” She picked idly at a loose splinter of the wooden dock. “Sometime in the future, I may have the house wired for electric lights and install a telephone. However, the plumbing needs to come first. I’m weary of hauling water for a bath.”
“And the land manager?” he asked.
“Once I finish work on the house, or perhaps even before, I want to makeSweet Dreamsa working sugar farm.” She found and held his gaze.
The action of a woman determined on a course of action. Others might question the abilities of a lone woman. Luc knew better. No one fought the kinds of emotions she hid who was neither determined nor capable.
“Do you intend to raise sugar cane or beetroot?”
“My, you are well informed.” Grace’s gaze sharpened, and she cocked her head to one side, as if to see him clearer.
