She ignored him and continued, picking up her pace.
“Josephine, don’t do anything rash. The newly promoted Lieutenant Caldwell will be joining us for dinner tonight.”
*
Don’t do anythingrash.
Josephine harrumphed and set the last platter of food on the table.
What did he think she was going to do, elope with the first pirate she met? Not that she could have even done that, as the presence of theTempesthad caused the entire island to go dormant.
Of all the men, Cyrus Wentworth.
She shuddered.
He was certainly not whom she pictured last night during her tirade to Lola. Of course, her father would choose an old stuffy merchant. Hell, maybe sheshouldtake interest in a pirate. Even a smuggler would be better than someone old enough to be her grandfather.
A knock came from the front door and she smoothed her skirt and took a deep breath. The lieutenant. A deep breath filled her lungs. She would not let the discussion with her father from earlier hamper her evening.
Her father had just gone upstairs to change so she approached the door. Once there, she paused and ran her hands over her hair to make sure it hadn’t come loose. It rested in a simple chignon with a few curls teased free. Dinner had nearly been burnt as she tried to juggle getting ready and cooking all at the same time. Her pulse raced as she reached for the doorknob.
“Miss Montclair.”
The baritone of his voice washed over her the moment she opened the door. Instead of stepping back to let him in, she stood transfixed. A white cravat spilled from a navy double breasted frock coat with gold braiding at the cuffs, and immaculate buff breeches clad to long legs. She jerked her attention up to where a bicorne hat hid the majority of his blonde waves.
Even more handsome than she remembered.
Her breath caught as he returned the perusal, his gaze traveling a slow path from her face to her feet, then back up, pausing for a long moment on her chest, where she’d purposely left a button free on her best blouse. Heat spread through her when blue eyes finally settled on hers.
“I thought of you often.”
“You did?” She cringed at her blurted response. “I mean…Well, what I meant…”
A grin spread across his face as her cheeks burned.
“I also thought of you—your safety—while you were gone.”
His smile broadened. “Thank you.”
“Lieutenant Caldwell, I’m so glad you made it.” Her father’s voice from behind her made her jump.
The lieutenant removed his hat. “I appreciate the invitation.”
She stepped to the side and followed the men to the dining room. Her father sat and motioned the lieutenant to the seat next to him, but he crossed over to where Josephine stood and pulled her chair out for her. She murmured her thanks as her cheeks burned anew.
Once Lieutenant Caldwell took his seat, he gave an appreciative glance across the spread in front of them. “This looks wonderful.”
A lightness filled Josephine’s chest. Poached snapper, sweetened plantains and steamed greens were all Caribbean staples, but her bread and banana tart brought a French flair to the meal.
They sat and her father poured a glass of madeira for the lieutenant and himself.
Caldwell lifted his glass. “America is in your debt. Because of your ship, I was successful in rescuing my captain and men.”
“I’m very interested in hearing the story. I must say, when you said you were following Thorne, I did not expect to ever see you again.”
“Had we actually caught up to him, I believe you would have been right.” Lieutenant Caldwell took a bite of his fish. “He had shipwrecked them and left them for dead.”
Josephine ignored her food, leaning forward as he recounted the story of catching up to his captain and rescuing him from a coral atoll, then returning to Savannah and tracking Thorne to the coast of Florida, where the pirate finally met his match.
