Lynna's Rogue (39 page)

             
“Will you join us for lunch?” Michael asked, catching her completely off guard. “We
don’t
receive female company much out here and would be delighted if you
would
accept our invitation.”

             
“No, I really
could not
.”

             
“Please, Lynna?” Crystal pleaded. “Have lunch with us.”

             
Although, her aunts would surel
y think her having lunch with
total stranger
s
inappropriate, w
hy not? She was hoping to make friends on the island
and here was her first opportunity
. “All right, but I feel as though
I am
imposing on your generosity.”

             
“Nonsense,” Michael said, and then
could not
resist adding, “After all, how often does one have an honest to goodness mermaid to lunch?”

             
“Oh, sir, I fear you are a terrible jokester. How will I know when to take you seriously?”

             
“
You will
know.” Then lifting his giggling daughter
,
he carried her into the house
perched
on his muscular shoulders and sent her to wash for lunch.

             
“You home is lovely, Mr. Devereux,” Lynna said, admiring the richly appointed furnishings and the wide-open, airy expanse of the house. “How long have you lived here?”

             
“Please, call me Michael. And yes
,
it is lovely, but I cannot claim ownership. I only oversee the plantation during the owner’s absence.” There was a harshness in his tone
that
she had
n
o
t detected earlier.

             
“I see.” She realized
at once
she had
hit upon a touchy subject.

             
“It was an understandable error. You see
,
I was the overseer here for several years before the original owner passed away. He had no l
iving kin to pass the estate
to
,
so the plantation, distillery, acreage and coolies were auctioned off to the highest bidder.”

             
“And where is the new owner?” she wondered aloud, seeing
that
Michael and Crystal seemed at home in the big house.

             
“He isn’t the new owner. Eden has been his for the past several years. In answer to your question
,
he travels a great deal, coming here only occasionally to check on his investment.

             
“He must trust you implicitly.”

             
“
I have
never given him reason not to,” he stated simply as he led the way to the dining room and seated her at the table.

             
“What are we having fo
r lunch?” Crystal held
her hands up to verify they were clean.

             
“A traditional Jam
aican delicacy, cow’s feet soup.” H
er father winked and grinned.

             
Lynna shuddered, thinking the island’s inhabitants certainly considered toes and feet to be appetizing fare. Hopefully
,
he was only teasing again.

             
After a pleasant lunch of shrimp in coconut cream sauce and molasses cake for des
s
ert, they sought out the shade of the verandah to ward off the afternoon heat. Lynna
could not
help but be amazed as she surveyed the vast workings of a sugar plantation. “I had no idea there was so much involved in making the spoonful of sugar I add to my coffee every morning.”

             
“You are
no
t alone. Few people realize how labor intensive the making of sugar really is.” He stood and moved to the edge of the porch to gaze across the towering cane fields. “Would you like to see the cane works? They should prove fascinating as well.”

             
She caught the note of pride in his voice when he spoke of the mill. “I really would love to see it, however, not today. My aunts will be worried if I
don’t
return home soon and
I am
certain you have work to do. Could I perhaps see it another day?”

             
“Certainly, whenever you wish. I
cannot
think of a more enjoyable way to pass the afternoon.”

             
Lynna felt herself blush as
she
stood
and smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt
. “Now, if I may borrow your daughter,
I
a
m
afraid I
do not
quite know my way around yet.” She soon discovered that to be an impossible request
,
as Crystal was sleeping soundly on the cushioned porch swing.

             
“
I will
do t
he honors of escorting you home.
” Michael chuckled as he called for the cart to be brought back around.

             
“No, absolutely not,” Lynna insisted. “I
could not
possibly ta
ke you away from your work. I have
taken too much of your time already.”

             
“Stop fretting over my work. This place
will not
fall apart if I take a few hours off. And anyone who witnesses your beauty certainly
will not
begrudge me the time.”

             
“Sir, you are an outrageous flatterer.”

             
“You know the old adage,
if the shoe fits…
now hop in the cart.”

             
The ride home was eventful. They stopped often, with Michael pointing out sights she might otherwise have missed. She took this time to study him more closely. He was of ave
rage height and build, a few inches
taller than her
,
with sandy brow
n hair. H
andsome in a boyish way, his brown eyes twinkl
ed
when he smiled.

             
“How am I supposed to take you home when I
don’t
even know where you live? Don’t that beat all! I forgot to ask.” He laughed and thumped the heel of his hand to his forehead. “Perhaps you are an enchanted mermaid and have the power to cast a spell making a man forget all else but you.”

             
“Perhaps I am,” she smiled slyly, raised one eyebrow, and was surprised to realize
that
she was actually flirting with this stranger.

             
Michael threw back his head and laughed heartily. “My daughter and I are going to enjoy having you around. Enchanted or not, you brighten the day.” They stopped at a crossroads and he asked, “What brings you to Jamaica?”

             
She could never reveal Joshua’s cold and callous treatment of her, so instead she gave the most recent set of tragic events. “I was going to visit my aunt in Charleston when the earthquake struck.”

             
“I am sorry to hear that.” He took
her hand to comfort her. “What a terrible tragedy. Did your aunt survive as well?”

             
“Yes, but she was quite distraught
and insisted that we
leave the city until Charleston can be rebuilt. That
is
why we
a
re here. And I must admit, Jamaica is doing a wonderful job of soothing our troubled souls.”

             
“Well, I
cannot
say
I am
happy the earthquake devastated Charleston, but I am happy you and your aunt chose our island as the place to heal.”

             
“Actually, I am
,
too. I
could not
ask for a
more beautiful
place, or to meet nicer
people than you and your charming daughter.”

             
He
reached to push
a lock of stray hair behind her ear
, surprising Lynna with his boldness
. “Thank you kindly
,
my beautiful mermaid, now let
us
get you out of this unforgiving sun. Which way?”

             
“Left…um…right, maybe…um…
I’m
not sure,” she replied with a perplexing look. “I am visiting my aunt and uncle at Springfield. Perhaps you know of it?”

             
He turned to her with a shocked expression. “Springfield! I
cannot
believe Cliff And Bertie failed to mention they had a niece wh
o was so lovely. I will
make a point to call on them more often.” He grinned
,
flashing a gleaming white smile.

             
Springfield was a quaint little house. Lynna’s first impression when seeing the house was that it rem
inded her of a gingerbread cottage
. Her Uncle Cliff was short and bald with a perpetual smile on his face. Aunt Bertie stood a foot over him, her long grey hair braided and pinned atop her head. The two constantly joked and teased each other, but when their eyes met
,
it was something close to worship that visitors saw.

             
Bertie, Cliff
, and Gypsie came
down the steps when the little cart rolled up to the door. “Hello Michael, I see you found our errant niece and brought
her home,” Cliff teased,
shaking Michael’s hand. “We were about to form a search party.”

             
“I was
no
t exactly lost
,
Uncle Cliff.” Lynna laughed. “But, yes, Michael was kind enough to drive me home.”

             
“Why, you must be famished
,
child,” Bertie worried. “
It is
almost supper time and you missed lunch. Come in the house and
I will
prepare a plate for both of you.”

             
“
Don’t
bother, Aunt Bertie. I had lunch with Mi
chael and his charming daughter,
Crystal.”

             
“Oh
, did you now?” Bertie was
obviously pleased with the idea of a prospective romance, especially one that could possibly
keep Lynna on the island
. “Well, then
it is
only fair you stay to supper with us, Michael.”

             
“I wish I c
ould, Bertie,” Michael was already
climbing back into the cart. “But I still have a good deal of work to complete before the sun sets. Will the invitation hold until tomorrow evening?”

             
“It certainly will. We
will
see you then and bring Crystal,” Bertie reminded him. “It
has
been too long in between visits.”

             
“I will. She has
been pestering me ev
ery day to bring her over to see all of you.
”
As the cart pulled away,
he called over his shoulder and winked at Lynna. “
She will
be delighted.”

             
“He seems to be a fine young man,” Gypsie said, as they watched Michael disappear down the dirt road in a cloud of dust.

             
“Oh, he is,” Bertie assured her, going to place her arm around Lynna’s shoulder and lead her into the house. “A more charming man is no
t to be found, and such a sweet
little daughter, poor thing. A child without a mother is such a pity.”

             
“And a hard worker
,
too,” Cliff added. “But he is a puzzle.
It is
been how many years since his wife passed away? Almost three
,
I think. And he
has
shown absolutely no interest in women since then that I can tell.
It is
indeed
a puzzle.”

             
“Perhaps the woman of his dreams
has not
come along. A woman would be fortunate to find herself with Michael Devereux for a husband, wouldn’t she
,
Lynna?” Gypsie asked, feigning innocence.