Captive of My Desires Read Online Free PDF Page B

expect—everything your mother wanted for you, including a fine gentleman for a husband.”
    She lowered her head. “You know about Charles Millford, don’t you?”
    “Yes,” he said quietly. “I even toyed with the idea of calling old man Millford out.”
    Her head shot up. “You didn’t!”
    He grinned. “Actually I did, but I thought I ought to ask you first if you really loved the boy.”
    She gave that a moment’s consideration, then admitted, “Not really. I’m sure I could have, but to be honest, I think I was just ready to fall in love, and Charles was the first man I’ve met here that I felt would make a fine husband.”
    “Whether he would have or not, Gabby, think about what you just said. In all your time here, he’s the only one you’ve even considered for matrimony. That’s an appalling number of choices, my dear, when you should have dozens of young men to choose from, and in England you will have. No, you’re going back to claim your inheritance and have the Season your mother always planned for you to have, and in the process find a proper husband.”
    She knew he was right, that she probably had no other options. But an English husband meant living in England again and she hated the thought of giving up her idyllic life here. On the other hand, if she got really lucky, she might find an Englishman adventurous enough to move to the Caribbean for the sake of love. Now that would be perfect and even made her feel excited about the journey.
    “You’re right,” she said. “I would like to meet someone I can fall in love with and marry, but how can I do that in England without an entrée into society?”
    “Not to worry, my dear. I may not have the connections that your mother did, but there’s a man I know who owes me a favor and he’s upper crust with all the right connections. His name is Malory—James Malory.”

Chapter 4
    “D ’ YOU THINK D REW WILL MIND?” Georgina Malory asked her husband as she prepared for dinner.
    “You intend to ask him?” James replied.
    “Well, certainly.”
    “You didn’t ask me,” he reminded her.
    She snorted. “As if you’d let me go alone.”
    “’Course I wouldn’t, but there was the possibility that I would have told you to stay home.”
    She blinked in surprise. “Was there really?”
    He groaned inwardly. She’d miscarried their last child. They didn’t talk about it, but it had been recent enough that James would have agreed to anything she wanted, even though he could barely tolerate her brothers, and the thought of sailing with one of them when he wouldn’t be in control of the ship himself was the last thing he would have normally agreed to do.
    In fact, he was considering buying another ship himself so he wouldn’t have to, though he wasn’t sure he could manage that in the short time frame Georgina was planning on. Then again, taking her to America himself wouldn’t give her the extra time with her brother, which she was also looking forward to. Bloody hell.
    “I’ve already agreed, George, so it’s moot. But he’s your brother. What do you think?”
    Georgina bit her lip, though she didn’t appear to be worried. “It is perfect timing, isn’t it?” she asked, wanting a little reassurance. “Drew was already scheduled to sail in a couple weeks, and not off on one of his Caribbean routes, but home to Bridgeport, so he’ll have room for passengers this trip, and won’t have to go out of his way to oblige me. And I’m sure he wouldn’t mind sailing a week earlier. He was only going to stay here longer to visit with me.”
    James raised a single golden brow at her. It was an affectation that used to annoy his wife before they married, but now she found it quite endearing.
    “And you wouldn’t have asked him otherwise?” he queried.
    “Well, certainly I would have. There’s no better time to go, after all. It’s late summer, so we’ll be home before winter. And the date for Jeremy’s wedding in a few days is