he had stumbled upon Charlaine’s elder sister Amancia in the market.
Charlaine had been a child then, but she had seen the way both of them had all but rocked back on their heels the second their eyes had met across a fruit stand. It had been like a shock wave, a lightning strike, and it had caught them off guard. They had stared at one another, their breaths suddenly coming fast and their hearts hammering in their chests.
At first, Charlaine had been alarmed by her sister’s reaction, but then she had glimpsed the deep smile that had slowly stolen onto Amancia’s face.
Love.
It had been a sight Charlaine would never forget and the memory of it still warmed her heart.
Good things happened.
All the time.
Everywhere.
Most often when one least expected them.
Lifting her chin, Charlaine willed a smile onto her face as she strode forward and found her way off the ship. She ignored the disparaging looks of those around her, her eyes searching the crowd for the man she had not seen since she had been a girl. He had been a friend of Peter’s with the same quick smile and laughing eyes.
He was all she had left now.
Thanks to Peter.
And then he suddenly stood before her, tall and broad and dressed like the English gentleman he was. Still, his dark eyes whispered of an adventurous soul as they looked into hers. As though to confirm her thoughts, the right corner of his mouth quirked before his gaze swept over her from head to toe, no doubt trying to see the girl he had known in the woman who now stood before him. “You’ve grown, dearest Charlie,” Pierce observed with a chuckle before he pulled her into his arms without thought for decorum.
Sinking into his arms, Charlaine clung to him, savoring the warm embrace as much as the knowledge that there was still someone in the world who cared about her. She was not alone. Fate had led her here as it had led Peter to Jamaica years ago. Who knew what she would find in London?
Stepping back, Pierce kept his hands on her shoulders, his gaze seeking hers. “Are you well?” A hint of sadness stood in his eyes and swung in his voice, and Charlaine knew that Peter’s loss had cut him deeply despite the years that had passed.
“I am,” Charlaine told him with a little smile. She had cried countless tears, and now she was done. “Have you always been this pale?” she asked with a teasing frown.
Pierce laughed, a booming, powerful sound that reverberated in her bones, making her feel very much alive. “You’ve not changed, have you, little Charlie?”
Charlaine shrugged. “Why would I change?”
“Peter’s warned me about you,” Pierce told her with a smile. “He advised me to lock the windows. He said you were mule-headed and would drive me mad with your opinions.”
A slight quiver shook her jaw as she tried to blink away the tears that threatened despite her best efforts. “He knew me too well,” she whispered as a lone tear snaked down her cheek.
Gently, Pierce brushed it away. “He also said you were strong and capable and spirited.”
Charlaine chuckled as more tears forced their way to the surface. “Come to think of it, perhaps he didn’t know me all that well.”
Again, Pierce laughed and, again, Charlaine loved him for it. “Come,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go home. There are people there who cannot wait to meet you.” He gestured to a young man. “This is Jacob. He’ll take care of your luggage.” And with a quick smile and a short nod, the young man darted off.
“People?” Charlaine asked as he led her to a fine carriage. “Did you marry and fail to inform us?”
Chuckling, Pierce shook his head. Still, Charlaine thought to detect a certain spark in his eyes that made her wonder. “No, I’m not married. However, I’ve taken in a young girl as my ward. Her name is Daphne.”
Charlaine swallowed as she settled into the seat opposite Pierce. “What happened to her?”
A dark shadow crossed over Pierce’s face. “Her parents were killed.” His lips clamped shut, and Charlaine could see that he did not wish to speak about it.
“How old is she?”
Pierce sighed, clearly relieved that she would not press him. “She’s five, and when I look at her, I often find myself reminded of you.” Again, his dark gaze swept over her, trying to look deeper. “I never know what she might do.”
Charlaine smiled at