Kisses and Scandal (A Survivors Series Anthology ) - Shana Galen Page 0,95

and she struggled to sip it. She was thirsty from the dance and the sentiments Thomas had just expressed. The heat in his voice and the passion in his eyes had quite taken her breath away. She sipped the wine again then turned at the sound of a man addressing Thomas.

“Mr. Gaines, welcome to London. I’m Meshach Peters.” The short, stocky man dressed impeccably in a dark blue coat and white waistcoat with delicately embroidered blue flowers held out a hand.

Thomas took it. “Mr. Peters. Miss Sawyer, might I introduce Mr. Peters? He is the president of the Negro Merchants’ Guild.”

Peters’s eyes widened slightly as he took Raeni’s hand. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Sawyer.” He glanced at Thomas again. “I see my reputation has preceded me. We at the guild have been impressed with what we’ve seen of Bond Street Coffee & Tobacco. I saw in The Midnight Cryer you have an opening celebration planned.”

“I hope you will be able to attend.”

“I plan on it. And I hope you would consider attending one of our guild meetings. We could use a man with your sense for business.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

Peters gestured to a young man standing slightly behind him. “Mr. Gaines, may I present my nephew Samuel Peters. Miss Sawyer, Mr. Samuel Peters.” Thomas bowed, and Raeni gave a slight curtsy. Another song was beginning, and she watched the dancers line up.

“If you’re not already spoken for, Miss Sawyer, may I have this dance?”

Raeni shot a surprised glance at Samuel Peters. She hadn’t expected to dance with anyone except Thomas. She looked at Thomas, and his mouth was tight, but he nodded at her as though to say your decision.

Raeni took a breath. As intrigued as she was by the men and women at the ball, she had always loved dancing. How could she turn down this opportunity? “Thank you, Mr. Peters. You may.” She took his offered arm and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

“SHE HAS BEEN DANCING for more than an hour,” Thomas said to Isaiah Franklin, a vegetable wholesaler he knew from the man’s days in Wapping.

“And judging by the men lining up on that side of the room, she won’t lack for partners. If you plan to dance with her again, you’d better claim her right away.”

“I don’t want to dance.”

“Of course not.”

At Franklin’s sardonic tone, Thomas shot him a look. Isaiah was about fifty and had a wife and grown children. They had become fast friends when they’d met in Wapping as they’d both been slaves in the States. Franklin had escaped slavery in one of the Carolinas when his master had brought him to London to serve as butler for the family while they were in Town for the Season. He hadn’t expected the white servants in his employ to tell Franklin that in England he was free or to help him escape. While the family had been at a ball, trying to catch a husband for the oldest daughter, Franklin had a caught a hackney to Wapping, changed his name, started working as a costermonger, and worked his way up to the owner of his own business. Now the boys selling fruit on the street corner worked for him.

Thomas watched Raeni again. Her eyes sparkled and her smile was wide as she twirled, looking radiant in her ice blue dress.

“I suppose I shall have to tell my wife that her hopes of marrying you to one of our girls are just that—hopes.”

Thomas started. “Mary wants me to marry one of your daughters?”

Franklin laughed. “Why so surprised? I told her you thought of them like nieces. But this lady”—he gestured to Raeni—“I think she has stolen your heart.”

It was true. She had stolen his heart, but he’d debated for days now whether to tell her or not. Thomas wanted to believe there was more behind her feelings for him than the pull of desire that seemed to snag both of them every time they were alone together. Tonight she had said she cared for him, but was it only out of gratitude for how he’d helped her? Or did she feel more for him? Did she care for him as a man? Did she even know him? He didn’t like talking about his past, but perhaps it was time for that.

“Excuse me,” he said to Isaiah.

“I thought you didn’t want to dance,” the older man called after him.

“I don’t!” Thomas caught Raeni and her partner just as