An Unsinkable Love - By Terri Benson Page 0,21

curiosity. She gnawed the inside of her 71

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

lip. "There's not much to tell, really. I was born and raised in Queensland. I have seven brothers—" She paused at a gasp from the sofa.

"Seven brothers? My word, that doesn't seem very fair."

Malcolm's eyes sparkled as his mouth curled into another devastating grin. Her heart gave a hard hiccup.

She took a shuddering breath and managed a small smile of her own. "No, actually, it wasn't very fair. We lived in a cottage on the Rothberry estate. My father's family has been gamekeepers there for several generations. My mother was the mayor's daughter, but when he died suddenly and left her destitute, she became a maid at the manor. She married my father just before the old lord died. His eldest son, the new lord, brought his wife to live at the manor, and she had my mother trained as a seamstress. When mother took sickly..."

Bree paused and cleared her throat. "When mother took sick, I would go with her and help. She taught me everything about her work. She was a very good seamstress. After she died, I took her place at the manor." Bree looked down at her hands, clasped so tightly around the fabric she feared she'd never get the wrinkles out.

"How did you come to be on the ship? Is your family emigrating?" Malcolm asked.

"No. I left on my own." Bree kept her gaze averted as she smoothed the gown across her lap. She couldn't see his face.

She feared if she did she might see he really wasn't interested, just making idle conversation. As long as she didn't know for sure, Bree could pretend he really wanted to know about her.

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An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

"How old are you, Miss Barry?" Malcolm chuckled at her affronted gasp. "I know that's quite an improper question, but you don't appear old enough to be on your own."

Bree sighed. How had she ended up in this most unusual conversation with him, anyway? She should stop it right now.

Send him off to the other room so she had some peace and quiet. But she didn't like the idea of him thinking her a child, so she answered, "I'm nearly nineteen. Plenty old enough, thank you very much."

"Really?"

She heard genuine shock in his voice and looked up with a frown.

He must have realized how he sounded and gave her an apologetic shrug. "Well, be that as it may, being on your own in America is a tough proposition. Or do you intend to stay with White Star and travel the world?"

Bree tipped her head back and stared at the figured tin ceiling. She hadn't expected to be hired by the cruise line when she left home; she'd just wanted to get as far away from her family and the Rothberrys as possible. It had never occurred to her she could live on the seas and see exotic ports of call. She looked at Malcolm with a smile, "Now there's an idea. Maybe I will."

"With a boy in every port?" A devilish grin lit his eyes and deepened the dimples.

Bree couldn't help but laugh. "You never know."

As Malcolm opened his mouth to respond, a knock sounded at the door. Bree tensed, glad Malcolm was near. He stood 73

An Unsinkable Love

by Terri Benson

and called, "Come in." Mr. Cave entered with a wheeled trolley. Bree sagged back into her seat.

"Here you are, sir. You didn't mention how many were dining or any particular preferences, so I took the liberty of making a selection for a light repast, along with coffee and tea."

Malcolm stepped to the cart and lifted silver domes off several plates to reveal fruit, cheeses, fancy iced petit fours and fat golden biscuits with jam and honey. "Thank you, Cave. This is more than adequate."

The steward gave a brief bow. "At your service, sir." He made a crisp turn and let himself out.

"I figured you might be hungry, Miss Barry. Mother and I had dinner, but you were left on your own."

Bree stared at him in surprise. "This is for me? Why, I couldn't eat all that."

"He was quite zealous in his selection." He smiled down at her. "Come now, take a break from your labor and have a bite. Mother would never forgive me if she thought you were being mistreated." He picked up a small frosted cake and bit into it. A fleck of icing at the corner of his expressive mouth captured her attention and she had to stop